19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER

WASHINGTON'S HOGS
Sir:
I have no beef about your article on the world champion Redskins' Head Hog. George Starke (He's the Head Hog, By George. June 6). Jack McCallum's story revealed a seldom seen side of the Skins' multifaceted right tackle. In fact, articles like this go a long way toward proving that linemen have IQs higher than the numbers printed on their jerseys.

By the way, from the looks of the "official portrait" of the Hogs, they also like to ham it up in front of the camera.
RODNEY E. HARGRAVES
Rhoadesville, Va.

Sir:
The picture of the Hogs in formal attire is living proof of the old adage, "You can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear."
BILL JOHNSON
Sandwich, Ill.

THE ORANGEMEN'S TITLE
Sir:
I was delighted to learn that Syracuse had finally won the elusive national lacrosse championship (The Orange Squeezed One Out, June 6). Lacrosse at Syracuse loomed large in my childhood, so I was pleased to read Franz Lidz's excellent article about the game, the school and its personalities, the Simmonses, Roy Sr. and Roy Jr., and Jim Brown.

An interesting sidenote to Brown's outstanding lacrosse career at Syracuse is that my father. Bob Severance, once held the school record for the most goals scored in a game. Some eight years later, probably in 1957, he refereed a Syracuse-Army game in which Brown broke that record.

Dad went on to help establish a lacrosse program at area high schools, including West Genesee, from which the present championship team drew so many of its players. I would say those efforts have now really paid off.
CAROL BRANDT
Pittsford, N.Y.

Sir:
Central New York's lacrosse community thanks you for the fine coverage of Syracuse's gallant comeback victory over Johns Hopkins for the NCAA Division I crown.

The article states that "fully a third of the present team comes from the same high school," West Genesee of Camillus, N.Y. It may interest your readers to know that West Genesee High has now won its last 68 games and three straight state championships. On June 11 the Wildcats came from behind, scoring six goals in the last 16 minutes, to beat Yorktown High, of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., 11-8 for that third consecutive title. They have not lost since June of 1980. Moreover, West Genesee has a lacrosse record of 109-2 in its last 111 games and 256-19 since April 1970. Also, of the 17 goals scored by Syracuse against Hopkins, 12 were by West Genesee alumni: Brad Kotz (5), Randy Lundblad (3), Dave Desko (2), Tom Korrie (1) and Mike Powers (1).
NEIL KERR
Sportswriter
Syracuse Post-Standard
Syracuse, N.Y.

Sir:
Jim Brown of Syracuse may have been, as Franz Lidz stated, the world's best lacrosse player. But except in a handful of games. Brown never performed against the top teams. And while I concede that I never saw him play, I have watched about 250 games since 1940 and have seen many extraordinary players, nearly all of whom played for schools such as Johns Hopkins. Maryland, Virginia, Army, Navy, Princeton and, lately. North Carolina. Memory plays tricks, but I cannot recall seeing a better player than Mark Greenberg of Hopkins, a 6'4" defenseman who starred in the late 1970s and in 1980. A two-time first-team All-America, he was named Outstanding Defenseman for the years 1979 and 1980, Outstanding Player for 1979 and, in 1982, Outstanding Defenseman in the World Games tournament.

Of course, dozens of attackmen and midfielders have stood out, but because most of them did not play against each other over my 43 years of watching lacrosse, I find it hard, if not impossible, to compare them. And what about stars of the '20s and '30s? I never saw Doug and Jack Turnbull of Hopkins play, but they have been lacrosse legends for some 50 years. The point is. naming Brown as the best of all time is like trying to pick the best boxer or football player or tennis player of them all. It cannot be done.
HANK SIEGEL
Rockville, Md.

Sir:
I was interested to read the article about the victory of Syracuse over Johns Hopkins, but I was a little disappointed not to see a mention of the fact that Hobart, of Geneva, N.Y., won its fourth straight Division III title by beating Roanoke 13-9.

Of Hobart's 38 players, all but four are from New York, with 21 from the central part of the state. For the time being, New York lacrosse reigns supreme.
BILL BANGS
South Colton, N.Y.

INDOOR SOCCER
Sir:
Though I was happy to see SI's coverage of indoor soccer, I was disappointed in Jack Falla's article about the MISL championship game (Sockers Socko, the Blast Bombs, June 6). I thoroughly disagree with his assessment, "It is perhaps to the good of the game that, in the end, skill prevailed, with San Diego winning...."

As for skill, the Sockers' regular-season record surpassed that of the Baltimore Blast by only two games, and the four regular-season games between the two teams were evenly split, as were the playoffs until the fifth and deciding game.

Regarding Baltimore's "crowd-hyping" introductions, Falla failed to recognize that sporting events are meant to entertain. The Blast organization shines in this respect. More than 96% of the Baltimore Civic Center seats were occupied during Blast games this season, for an average of nearly 11,000 thoroughly entertained fans. I'm sure some NBA teams would love to have such figures.

Baltimore is caught up in soccer fanaticism. More than 10,000 fans demonstrated their affection for the Blast at a rally that followed the team's loss to San Diego. Only 1,000 or so San Diegans gathered to celebrate the Sockers' championship.
CHARLES SHUBOW
Owings Mills, Md.

Sir:
What Jack Falla fails to realize about those "glittery, crowd-hyping monuments to high tack," which have meant sellouts in cities like Baltimore, is that they are merely manifestations of the Americanization of soccer, which must occur for the MISL to survive. The elaborate pregame ceremonies in Baltimore did not stem from the whims of tacky ownership, but were intended to bring fans to the game. Praise the Blast's shrewdness in achieving that goal; after all, isn't the purpose of the league to make money?
JOEY SEIVOLD
Ocean City, Md.

BROTHERS AND OTHERS
Sir:
After reading your article Brother, Are They Armed! (May 30) about the remarkable Crouser family, I feel that I should inform you about the Barnett brothers, Doug and Mike, of Azusa Pacific University.

Actually, the Barnetts, not the Crousers, may be track and field's first first family of throwers. As of May 29, the Barnett brothers had collected 19 NAIA All-America awards in track and field. By the time he graduated from Azusa Pacific in 1982, Doug had accounted for 12 of those All-America awards. He was a two-time NAIA national champion in both the 35-pound weight throw (65'2¾") and in the hammer throw (225'10"). He was also the 1982 NAIA champion in the indoor shotput.

Mike is a four-time NAIA champion in the javelin. He is only the third NAIA track and field athlete to win the national title in an event four times. He had the best javelin throw by a collegian in 1983, a 296'5". In 1982 he placed second to brother Doug in the hammer at the NAIA national meet. It was the first time in an NAIA track and field championship meet that brothers finished one-two in one event.

Both Barnetts are also excellent football players. However, each chose a different path in life. Upon his graduation in 1982, Doug took his talents as a defensive end to the NFL and is currently a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Mike, on the other hand, gave up playing linebacker so that he might better concentrate on qualifying in the javelin for the '84 Olympics.
GARY PINE
Sports Information Director
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, Calif.

Sir:
As an amateur shotputter, I was thrilled to see Kenny Moore's article on Oregon's three Crouser brothers, along with Craig Neff's well-written piece on the American resurgence in the shotput (Udo Beyer Beware, the U.S. Is There, June 6). Finally, an effort has been made to give these athletes a measure of the recognition they so richly deserve.

Despite the excellence of both articles, one small fault remains to be corrected. In the paragraph concerning Michael Carter, SMU's fine shotputter, Neff states that no schoolboy has yet come within 10 feet of Carter's high school record of 81'3½". That's no longer true. A high schooler has come within 10 feet of the record, albeit not by much. On May 28, at the Golden South Classic in Orlando, Fla., Arnold Campbell of Bossier City, La. put the shot 71'10¼".
WILLIAM APRILL
New Orleans

AS SHAKESPEARE SAID (CONT.)
Sir:
I was disappointed to see one of my favorites omitted from "William Shakespeare's 15 Best Baseball Quotes" (LISTS, May 9): "Aaron, thou hast hit it" (The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, Act II, Scene 1).
JIM COYNE
Surrey, British Columbia

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