19TH HOLE: THE READER TAKE OVER
SERIES REFLECTIONS
Sir:
Your World Series cover photograph (Oct. 24) was a triple play.
MICHAEL G. HUTSKO
Norwalk, Calif.
Sir:
In the sixth game, Reggie Jackson stood tall among baseball's immortals. An absolutely stupendous performance!
WALTER A. WHITE
Oakland
Sir:
The only performance better than Reggie Jackson's in Game 6 was Linda Ronstadt's before Game 3.
WARREN P. ROGERS
Lexington, Ky.
Sir:
Regarding Pearl Bailey's record-length rendition of the national anthem before the Series opener (The Good Guys Against the Bad Guys, Oct. 24), I didn't think she was "turning this way and that so the 56,668 Yankee Stadium spectators [could] observe every nuance of her performance." On the contrary, I think she was just turning while waiting for the P.A. system echo.
SUE SEARS
Los Angeles
Sir:
It would take all the mustard in the U.S. to cover Reggie Jackson, but there is not enough mustard in all the wide world to cover Pearl Bailey.
JOHNNIE LOGIUDICI
Arma, Kans.
Sir:
The Los Angeles Dodgers are becoming the Minnesota Vikings of major league baseball. Since 1965, they have lost the World Series 4-0 to Baltimore, 4-1 to Oakland and 4-2 to New York. It seems that Dodger blue fades slightly in the fall classic.
JIM HUEBLER JR.
Baltimore
Sir:
I found it appalling when the Yankee Stadium message board announced World Series attendance for a specific game and then added that Yankee fans are "the greatest in the world."
JEFF DICKERSON
Warren, Ore.
Sir:
Someone must have left the cages unlocked at the Bronx Zoo, because all the animals escaped and filed into Yankee Stadium.
DAVID DeBOER
Syracuse, N.Y.
THROUGH TV'S LENS
Sir:
William Leggett hit the nail right on the head (TV/RADIO, Oct. 24). ABC's coverage of the World Series was so bad I could not watch more than a couple of innings at a time. As for Howard Cosell, perhaps the best crack was one I saw printed in the Springfield (Mass.) Daily News: "Cosell once called baseball too dull and during the World Series did his best to personally make it so."
MICHAEL CEBULA
Ware, Mass.
Sir:
Bravo William Leggett! Even though Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek are TV sports announcing's most sickening twosome, they could not cloud NBC's excellent camera work during the playoffs. One wonders how much longer ABC's Roone Arledge will continue to stuff Horrible Howard down the American public's throat.
LARRY REID
Mansfield, Ohio
Sir:
I had the TV on with the sound turned off. I listened to the games on AM radio. That way I missed the grating sound of Howard Cosell. I thought everyone did this. I do the same thing for Monday Night Football.
I. M. ELLIS
Dallas
Sir:
The only good thing to be said about ABC's World Series coverage was that for two glorious weeks Howard Cosell was not on Monday Night Football.
THOMAS HARLEY
Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Sir:
Your article slighted both ABC and Howard Cosell. For a long time my good wife "couldn't stand" Cosell. Then came Miz Lillian, who said she didn't like him either. Well, I like him! He has done a lot for sports that SPORTS ILLUSTRATED has seen fit to downgrade. Carry on, Howard.
JAKE SITZMAN
Canton, Ohio
Sir:
You failed to mention Keith Jackson. He, too, deserves a lot of credit for messing things up.
KEVIN LEWIS
Pocono Lake, Pa.
Sir:
I think I have it figured out. We should work out a trade between ABC and NBC, sending major league baseball back to the superior troops of Garagiola, Kubek et al., while returning the Olympic telecast to ABC, where it really belongs. Then we will all be happy.
PAUL R. TURNER
Bloomington, Ind.
NOT SO BAD NEWS BARNES
Sir:
I enjoyed John Papanek's article on Marvin Barnes (This Time the News is Good. Oct. 24). However, I must point out one significant error. Barnes did not settle the $1.5 million damage suit with Larry Ketvirtis. A jury awarded $10,000 to Ketvirtis for compensatory damages (medical bills, etc.). The jury made no award for punitive damages.
One final point: this was the only one of Barnes' trials to be carried to a jury verdict—and that verdict shows that perhaps the public and the media have been too quick to judge this man.
MIKE CAREY
Boston
ONE MORE FOR THE 3-4
Sir:
The article Say Hello to the Fearsome Threesome (Oct. 17) caught my eye because the St. Barnabas 7th- and 8th-grade team in Southwest Philadelphia, the team I play for, uses the 3-4 defense. I play linebacker and I must say that our linebackers are in on about 85% of the tackles. But our front three are very good. They usually make the initial hit. We started using this defensive attack long before it became popular, so we have just about perfected it. You can add St. Barnabas to your undefeated list because we are now 7-0 and haven't lost a game (preseason, regular season or postseason) in two years. I think our head coach, Mike Hisler, is going to stick with the 3-4.
MIKE HOBAN
Philadelphia
HIPP POINTER
Sir:
Nebraska has a publicity man's dream in I. M. Hipp (I.M. the Wonder Walk-On, Oct. 24). In addition to his obvious talents and catchy name, Hipp can be the first college runner to have an entire offense named after him. Just wait until next year when Nebraska's version of the wishbone—"the Hippbone"—starts to dominate college football.
ELLIS ANMUTH
Philadelphia
THE KNEE
Sir:
As a veteran of three knee operations, I was especially interested in William Oscar Johnson's article describing the various types of knee trauma and the ways in which that joint, so vital to athletic participation, can fail (This Strange and Perilous Joint, Oct. 24). It appears that Johnson did extensive research in the area, but I must take issue with his description of the arthrogram as a relatively painless experience. Painless in comparison to what? Having a large needle inserted into one's knee, and then having liquid dye and air forced into the joint (followed by a series of movements designed to allow the physician to observe the various structures within the joint) is not a pleasant experience. Compared to the agony of surgery, an arthrogram is relatively painless, but it is certainly not something I would look forward to going through again. Following Johnson's reasoning, being punched out by Ken Norton or Earnie Shavers would be relatively painless—compared to being run over by a loaded dump truck.
ROY L. RICHTER
Montgomery City, Mo.
Sir:
Congratulations for revealing one aspect of athletics that has been neglected: medical care. William Oscar Johnson and the orthopedic surgeons whom he quoted provided us with a most informative article. Maybe now general managers, athletic directors and coaches will take notice and review the quality of medical care that they are responsible for providing their athletes.
One member of the medical team was not mentioned, namely, the physical therapist. No, we are not the people who just fit you for crutches after an operation. The American Physical Therapy Association has a section on sports medicine whose membership has grown impressively during the past four years.
CRAIG KLOS
Milwaukee
Sir:
I am a senior in high school who hasn't played football for the past two years because of five knee injuries and one knee operation. I sometimes wonder about the wisdom of my decision not to play any more football, but Johnson's article has removed all doubts.
BRENT HEYNEMAN
Beaverdam, Ohio
Sir:
I read William Oscar Johnson's article while stroking the full-length cast on my right leg (the result of a recent triple ligament tear that required surgery) and thinking about my future.
As far as the article goes, I learned almost as much from Johnson as I did from the orthopedist who put my knee back together. In fact, I found more useful information on the knee in the SI article than in any I had read while trying to research the subject in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Regarding my future, Johnson's article has given me another incentive to try to get my leg back to "normal." I'm not a professional athlete, but I intend to work every bit as hard as one to regain as much of my knee function as possible.
LEROY BUECHERL
Savannah
Sir:
It is malpractice for William Oscar Johnson to write, and for you to publish, a comprehensive article on knees that dismisses arthroscopy in two paragraphs and ignores arthroscopic meniscectomy. Dr. Richard O'Connor of West Covina, Calif. is revolutionizing knee surgery by routinely taking out torn cartilages with an arthroscopy substantially reducing pain, disability time and expense, as compared to a conventional meniscectomy.
ROBERT W. CARSON, M.D.
Salt Lake City
•For an appreciation of Dr. O'Connor's work, see SCORECARD, NOV. 24, 1975.—ED.
GENTLE BILL
Sir:
Thank you very much for Kenny Moore's perceptive portrait of Bill Rodgers (A Gentle Radical Who Runs Scared, Oct. 24). Moore's story captured perfectly the mild, innocent quality of Rodgers' character. As I read the article, I recalled an incident at this year's Virginia 10-Miler road race. After receiving his winner's prize and acknowledging the applause of the lesser runners who followed him across the finish line. Rodgers moved quietly off to the side. A throng of admirers soon crowded around him, but in the midst of the tumult Rodgers spotted a young runner of perhaps 10 whom he apparently recognized. Inquiring as to how the boy had fared in the race, Rodgers showed genuine pleasure that the youngster had bettered his previous best time. Practically unnoticed, he also removed the number from his jersey and presented it to the boy. The gesture was made with little fanfare, yet it revealed Rodgers' character. One knew it was the highlight of the day not only for the boy, but also for anyone who glimpsed the exchange.
JOHN TROXEL
Richmond
Sir:
Bill Rodgers' current position as the top road racer-marathoner in the world was cemented with his big repeat victory in the New York City Marathon the next week (Bill Rodgers Took Manhattan..., Oct. 31).
Incidentally, the Rodgers-Frank Shorter duels have become somewhat one-sided of late. Since September of last year the two have competed nine times according to my count, with the standings now reading Rodgers 8, Shorter 1.
BILL ROBERTSON
Lynn, Mass.
NOMINATIONS
Sir:
The American College Dictionary defines a sportsman as "one who exhibits qualities especially esteemed by those who engage in sports, such as, fairness, self-control etc." If you intend to select one man as Sportsman of the Year 1977 who truly fits this definition, I would like to nominate Willie McCovey. Your piece in the May 2 issue (I'll Come Home to You, Said Willie) was prophetic. Not only did McCovey play regularly and hit the ball consistently but he was also a great drawing card at home and on the road. When given "a day" on Sept. 18, he fittingly won the game with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, driving in Derrel Thomas to break a 2-2 tie with the Cincinnati Reds. During the course of his day. he received about 10 minutes' worth of standing ovations from appreciative fans.
RICK STIER
Emeryville, Calif.
Sir:
Think of what Baltimore Oriole Manager Earl Weaver accomplished with all the odds against him.
TIM QUINN
Yardley, Pa.
Sir:
Rodney Cline Carew.
HENRY ELLIS BECK II
St. Paul
Sir:
George Foster.
JOHN KIRBY
Merrimack, N.H.
Sir:
Lou Brock.
FRANK W. ZWYGART III
Florissant, Mo.
Sir:
Since he certainly doesn't own his professional sports teams for the profit motive, and in view of his victory in the America's Cup, we nominate Ted Turner.
CHUCK ALSTON
GREG PORTER
ELLIOTT POTTER
REID TUVIM
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Sir:
I hope that serious thought will be given to the one big winner in 1977 who was also able to put it all in perspective—indeed, whose whole career has been one of putting it all in perspective: Al McGuire.
H.R. WILDE
Madison, Wis.
Sir:
Arnold (Red) Auerbach.
MATT O'DONNELL
Sherborn, Mass.
Sir:
Julius Erving.
J.K. MANGIS
Yuma, Ariz.
Sir:
No one but Pelé.
JAMES R. ROGERS
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Sir:
Channel swimmer Cindy Nicholas.
KIRBY KONGABLE
Yuma, Ariz.
Sir:
Tracy Austin.
PAUL SWANN
Greensboro, N.C.
Sir:
Niki Lauda.
TONY ROSS
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Sir:
Richard Petty.
JIM IRWIN
Laurel, Md.
Sir:
A. J. Foyt.
GARY SCHEETS
Bloomington, Ill.
Sir:
Steve Cauthen.
MILLS (ROGER) KELLER
BILL BRADLEY
Richmond, Ky.
Sir:
Jack Nicklaus.
RON OHSNER
Columbus, Ohio
Sir:
Tom Watson.
BOB KLAGES
Lima, Ohio
Sir:
Al Geiberger.
GARY F. KEPHART
Pacific Grove, Calif.
Sir:
Alberto Juantorena.
TYLER FIRTH
Hamilton, Ontario
UNTANGLED ROOTS
Sir:
Andrew Spark's letter (Oct. 10) on the old St. Louis Browns contains a historical error. The Browns were represented in the American Association each and every year of that league's existence (1882-91), and they subsequently joined the National League in 1892.
The St. Louis Maroons of the National League (1885-86) were originally a member of the old Union Association, the third major league in operation in 1884. The Maroons won the Union pennant that year, which was the only year that circuit existed. The club joined the National League in 1885 following the collapse of the Union Association.
Therefore, in 1885 and 1886, St. Louis was represented by two teams, the Browns and the Maroons.
JOHN W. WRAGG
Clarcona, Fla.
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