19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER

BLOOD, SWEAT AND UNIFORMS
Sirs:
May I be the first to commend Rex Lardner for his informative story relating the pressing research on football gear conducted under the direction of Dr. Donald K. Mathews of OSU (The Uniform Can Be a Death Trap, Nov. 25). My suggestion would be to reprint this article and to assign it to all high school and college coaches for distribution among the players. Their timely suggestions may well prevent any more of these needless deaths, provoked by objectionable methods of training.
JON W. HOAG III
Georgetown, Ky.

Sirs:
Your staff, especially Gay Flood and Rex Lardner, is to be congratulated for reporting with such clarity and accuracy.
DONALD K. MATHEWS
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

OLD AND SWEET
Sirs:
Huston Horn's article, New Sugar in an Old State (Nov. 18), was fine in all but one respect. Not to have recognized Vermont's third largest ski area, Killington, was a gross oversight.

Six ski areas in Vermont have an unusual relationship with the state. The foresightedness of Vermont's Department of Forests and Parks has encouraged private investment at Killington and other ski locations through long-term property leases. As a result, the state received $50,000 in fees last season from Killington alone. Private capital has invested more than $3.5 million in the area in five years of development.

On a more immediate economic scene, Killington will employ 205 local people this winter, overshadowing last year's payroll of $250,000. In addition, 55 area ski lodges and motels and many allied businesses will again operate at capacity because of the development's attractiveness to winter patrons. Last year these same enterprises grossed over $3 million because of the impact of this area's phenomenal growth.
ROBERT H. PERRY
New York City

Sirs:
Your article on the Tyrol (Olympic Winter in the Tyrol, Nov. 25) states, "Here one may get the feeling that skiing is very old—until its brief 40 years are measured against Tyrolean antiquities" like a 12th century castle.

Forty years, indeed! The oldest pair of skis found in Finland are 4,000 years old—yes, 4,000 years old. And as far back as 1858 ski races in Scandinavia have drawn crowds of 30,000 spectators.

The Middle European hotelkeeping racket that has been sold to Americans as skiing is nothing more than a vaudeville show outdoors. Skiing is a means of transportation nearly as old as running or swimming.

The so-called Alpine events should not even be called skiing. They would be more correctly labeled as acrobatics and stunts in snow. The only events that should be dignified with the name of skiing should be the Nordic events. Let the yodeling waiters turn their somersaults in the circus, where they belong!

Anyway, that was a stupid statement about skiing being 40 years old.
J. R. JOHNSON
Los Angeles

ADVANTAGE SNOW
Sirs:
Your description of the ruggedness of the Connecticut platform tennis players amused me (It's Wintertime, So Let's Play Tennis, Nov. 18). After introducing paddle tennis to Mr. F. W. Wilson of Montreal and Magog, Quebec, my husband and I often found ourselves playing in temperatures as low as 20° below zero and at night. Since the intense cold froze the sponge balls hard as rock in very short order, Mr. Wilson invented a heated box that thawed hard ones and kept a heated supply ready.

The Canadians are rugged beyond belief!
CLAIRE ANNE PULRANG
Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Sirs:
As president of the American Platform Tennis Association, I am writing to express our appreciation for your fine article, which, I'm sure, will cause many tennis players to want to try platform tennis once the snow flies. We invite them to write this association care of me at 55 Church Street, White Plains, N.Y. for further information.

As a perpetual tribute to the memory of Fessenden Blanchard, the co-founder of our game, the Board of Governors of the APTA and of the Fox Meadow Tennis Club have established The Fessenden S. Blanchard Memorial Fund. Donations will be gratefully received.
PAUL G. SULLIVAN
White Plains, N.Y.

HOW ABOUT HOWE?
Sirs:
I strongly suspect that the Sportsman of the Year as chosen by SPORTS ILLUSTRATED will be Jimmy Brown, Sandy Koufax or possibly a pro golfer. Any of these would be excellent, as would Warren Spahn or Bob Cousy. However, how about an athlete who has lasted longer than any other in a sport requiring a fantastic amount of durability and coordination and even now continues to be the most feared competitor in his sport? If you haven't guessed to whom I refer, it is only because ice hockey doesn't receive the amount of publicity to which it is entitled. How about a Grecian urn for Gordie Howe?
CHARLES E. HOKE
Huntington Woods, Mich.

PUDEL POINT
Sirs:
Your very interesting article on the pudelpointer (Not Poodle, Not Pointer, but Both Dogs in One, Nov. 18) has answered many questions about this new breed. I have heard rumors about it for quite a while and this is the first bit of solid information other than the standard accepted by the Canadian Kennel Club.

Such an article will no doubt interest many Americans in the breed and prompt them to buy pudelpointers. These people should be aware, however, that although most of the dogs registered with the Canadian Livestock Registry (the actual registering body) are registrable with the American Kennel Club, a few are not acceptable. Among these few not recognized by the AKC are the pudelpointer, drever, Eskimo and some Belgian sheep dogs. Several other breeds recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club are not registered by the AKC but are allowed "listing" privileges and shown in a miscellaneous class. These listed dogs are breeds that are being considered for acceptability for the AKC's requirements for pure breeding. The pudelpointer is not eligible for this listing.
DOROTHY B. HOLLISTER
Middleville, Mich.

MASQUERADE
Sirs:
Isn't a man innocent until proven guilty?

Your full-page picture of Tommy Neville and Mississippi State friends tackling Auburn Quarterback Jimmy Sidle (The Upstarts Hit Judgment Day, Nov. 18) does not show Neville grasping Sidle's face mask. Neville's hand is definitely across Sidle's face, but I cannot see any clear indication that he is holding the face mask. The roughness of the tackle is obvious, but the "illegal grip" is not.

Your accusation casts the stigma of dirty tactics upon a game that was cleanly played.
V. THOMAS RHYNE
Newport News, Va.

Sirs:
We here at Mississippi State greatly appreciate your coverage of the game with Auburn that was played last Saturday afternoon in Jackson, Miss. However, I would like to say that I did not take hold of Sidle's face mask.

If you will notice, the position of my fingers is down. To have had a grip on the face mask they would have had to be turned to the side. Also his helmet would be pulled over to the left side of his head, which it clearly is not. In trying to tackle him my arm went across his head. My fist was closed, and I was pulling him down, but not by his face bar. The game officials did not call a penalty on the play.
TOMMY NEVILLE
State College, Miss.

KINGS FOR A FEE
Sirs:
I have a new ambition: to shout "Fore!" at the King of Malaya (The East Succumbs to a Western Craze, Nov. 25). Can an ordinary tourist get to play the course Alfred Wright describes, and how much does it cost?
MICHAEL TIPPETT
Denver

•The Royal Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur welcomes tourists who produce a membership card from a club at home. Greens fees are $1.70 for a day's play, caddie fees 70¢ for 18 holes. The Singapore Island Country Club has three 18-hole courses, and tourists can play either as guests for the day (greens fees similar to those in K.L.) or as visiting members on a weekly basis ($5). Bangkok hotels will make arrangements for play at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. The Royal Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling is open to visitors introduced by the Hong Kong Tourist Association or by a letter from the secretary of any reputable club. Tokyo is more tricky: arrangements must be made at least two weeks in advance through Asahi Golf Associates, Shin Otemachi Bldg., Tokyo. Greens fees are about $10, caddie fees about $1.—ED.

PHOTO

TOMMY NEVILLE (70) AND OPPONENT