THE QUESTION: Nelson Rockefeller says: "The World Series is the world's greatest sports event." Do you agree?

ALICIA PATTERSON
Editor-Publisher of Newsday
Garden City, N.Y.
No. The Kentucky Derby is the most colorful, the most exciting, the most ail-American sports event in these United States. When the greatest 3-year-olds parade to the post to the music of My Old Kentucky Home, even the hardest-boiled sports fiend feels the large lump growing in his throat.

VANCE MAREE
Motel director
Marietta, Ga.
No. Any one of the seven World Series games may turn out to be a top spectacle, but as a group I wouldn't call them the world's top sports event. I think the Army-Navy football game is tops. It has all the ingredients: color, drama, world-famous celebrities and, generally, a rip-snorting game.

BING CROSBY
Pebble Beach, Calif.
If Nelson Rockefeller means the premier sports event in this country, I wouldn't argue with him too seriously, although I'm partial to golf classics. However, the Olympics, coming once every four years, are of greater interest to every country. More of their athletes participate in the Olympics than in any single sport.

HEDDA HOPPER
Syndicated columnist
Hollywood
"In the world" is a large order, but I am sure that I am on solid ground when I say that no spectacle in the world is more appealing and exciting than the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade followed by the football game in the daddy of all bowls, the Rose Bowl. Even the Big Ten hasn't killed that.

CARLOS P. ROMULO
Philippine Ambassador to the U.S.
The Series is not that well known in the Philippines. My bet would be the Olympics. It is the only truly international sports event. The winners are world champions. Basketball is the greatest sport in the Philippines, and quite naturally we are intensely interested in the Olympic basketball competition.

HAROLD S. VANDERBILT
New York City
To me, yachting and yacht racing are the most interesting sports. The America's Cup race has always been the most prominent series of races. I believe it has been of worldwide interest in the past and it may be again if the British or Australians challenge for a series of races this year at Newport.

FRANK M. FOLSOM
Chairman of executive committee, Radio Corporation of America No. 1 feel it is the Masters golf championship at Augusta, Ga. It is a continued test of skill for several days. Whether the championship is witnessed in person or seen by millions on television, it is a most exciting, colorful and dramatic sports event, that is followed by golfers all over the world.

JOE FOSS
Former Governor of South Dakota
I'll have to agree with my friend Nelson. During the World Series you will see crowds in every little hamlet watching the games on TV or listening to radio accounts and arguing about them afterward. I might be wrong but I feel this isn't true of any other sport in any other part of the world.

MAJOR GENERAL JULIUS KLEIN USAR (ret)
Former Commander, Illinois National Guard
No. The greatest event is a soccer game for the World Cup. Crowds of 150,000 or more watch these games. The feelings aroused are intense. Fans have burned down a stadium when their team lost. In Israel a six-foot protective moat was built to separate the rabid spectators from the players.

KELLUM JOHNSON
President, AAU
Dallas
No. The Olympics draw more spectators and attract the most worldwide interest. Of course, it's a group of games or sports. If you narrow them down, I'd say the track and field events are the greatest and, of these, the mile race has caught the popular imagination more than any other event.

ELEVEN PHOTOS