- Publish date:
19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER
RANKINGS
Sir:
I thoroughly enjoyed your 1984 College & Pro Football Spectacular (Sept. 5). The photographs and articles were first rate. However, in your college predictions you made one very large oversight—Alabama! You don't even have the Tide in the Top 10! Come on guys, let's get realistic.
This really is the worst you've done since you rated Michigan No. 1 last year.
KEITH L. BAKER
Summit, Miss.
Sir:
Thanks sooooooooo much for putting the ultimate whammy on the UCLA Bruins by ranking them No. 1. As a hard-core USC fan, I believe you couldn't have done the Trojans a bigger favor than by putting UCLA on top and leaving USC out of your Top 20.
JAMES C. VERNOR
Studio City, Calif.
Sir:
I just want to know where you get off predicting that the Arizona State Sun Devils will be No. 12 in the nation. UCLA No. 1? Stop dreaming.
On Oct. 27, AUS hosts your No. 1 team, and my only hope for your Bruins is that their second string gets out alive.
TOM CLYDE
Tempe, Ariz.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY
Sir:
In Inside Slant on the Colleges (Sept. 5), Douglas S. Looney labeled the Nebraska fans the classiest. Pure bull. I'm not saying this just because I'm an Oklahoma grad and a diehard Sooner fan. Two years ago when OU played Nebraska in Lincoln, the fans poured onto the field before the game ended and purposely knocked down Barry Switzer.
Last year in Norman, Nebraska's fans walked into Owen Field like they owned the place, hollering obscenities that would make Larry Flynt blush.
Nebraska fans lose about as well as George Steinbrenner does.
MARK GOODRICH
Amarillo, Texas
Sir:
Thanks to Douglas S. Looney for choosing the Missouri cheerleaders No. 1. This is the ultimate compliment to a fine group of athletes. Four years ago, I restructured the school's cheerleading and mascot program. After relinquishing the reins, I wondered if I had made an impact. Your choice was a great boost for me and the cheerleaders.
DEBBIE KIESEWETTER
St. Louis
Sir:
Douglas S. Looney apparently has never visited the Texas Tech University campus. If he had, he couldn't have called it ugly.
After the establishment of the university in 1923, three superb architects developed a master plan. Although that plan has been altered as Texas Tech has grown, careful adherence to the basic concept has been observed. In addition, one of the nation's outstanding landscape architects—Elo Erbanovsky—was in charge of grounds development for almost 30 years and still consults with our current landscape architect.
No one, before Looney, has ever compared Texas Tech to a prison. Thousands have commented on its beauty.
LAURO F. CAVAZOS, PH.D.
President
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
UNDER COVER
Sir:
In your Inside Slant on the Colleges, you had a section called "When These Guys Talk, E.F. Hutton Listens." How about "When She Talks the Guys Listen"? Suzy Wilkoff, former recruiting director for SMU, Pitt and Miami, recruited both of the cover boys on your Sept. 5 issue. At Pitt she recruited Dan Marino, and at Miami she recruited Bernie Kosar. At SMU, she recruited Eric Dickerson.
ELISE KUGLER
Miami
•In spite of her admirable record, Wilkoff got out of the recruiting game and now works as a reservation clerk for Delta Air Lines.—ED.
NO! NO!
Sir:
The Sept. 5 issue contained a story on Mark Gastineau (No! No! No! Gastineau) that unfortunately referred to his "archaeological hobby." Please be aware that excavating archaeological sites located on state, federal or Indian lands is a felony punishable by imprisonment and stiff fines.
More important, when Gastineau "chases artifacts" and adds to his "impressive collection," he destroys the only clues that tell us about prehistoric peoples and their cultures. Our prehistoric Indian peoples deserve more respect.
DONNA J. SCHOBER
Historic Preservation Officer
Arizona State Parks
Phoenix
•Gastineau replies that he has done all his collecting "on private land."—ED.
AL AND L.A.
Sir:
In your story on Al Davis (Al to World: Get Out of Our Way, Sept. 5) you suggested that the Los Angeles Raiders' 21-year winning percentage of .715 (excluding ties) was superior to that of any European soccer club over the same period. Not so.
Liverpool, in winning the 22-team English First Division 11 times in 21 years, has a record of 477-172 (excluding draws) for a .735 percentage.
ALAN M. GORDON
New York City
THE ISSUES
Sir:
I was happy to see a mention of the U.S. postage stamp commemorating Roberto Clemente (INSIDE PITCH, Aug. 27). I was surprised that your listing of previous American athletes who've attained such honor didn't include golfers Bobby Jones and Babe Zaharias, who were featured on two stamps issued on Sept. 22, 1981 (see below). Unfortunately, these 18-cent stamps didn't receive much use since the first-class mail rate was increased to 20 cents about a month after their issue.
You might find it interesting that while 35 countries have issued more than 60 golf-related stamps, the only other champion golfers to be featured have been Harry Vardon, by Jersey in the Channel Islands, and Gary Player, by South Africa.
JOHN M. OLMAN
Cincinnati
HAVING A BRAWL
Sir:
I enjoyed Ron Fimrite's article (Take Me out to the Brawl Game, Aug. 27). I'm an usher at Atlanta Stadium, and I would like to publicly denounce the San Diego Padres for their behavior on Aug. 12.
It was my job to try to contain the fans, which proved hard because the Padres tempted them by cussing, throwing cups of water and jumping into the stands. The Padres (as well as the Braves) are lucky the fights didn't occur a day earlier when the Braves held a promotion and handed out 40,000 baseballs.
STEPHEN SIEGEL
Atlanta
HOME TEAM
Sir:
In your 1984 College & Pro Football Spectacular (Sept. 5), I was thrilled to see an article on Division III football. However, where was Augustana College of Rock Island, Ill.? Surely, you remember us? We won the NCAA Division III national championship last year when we beat Union 21-17.
Not only was Augustana's 12-0 record the best in Division III in 1983, but the Vikings also ran their regular-season winning streak to 31 games. Augustana hasn't been beaten in a regular-season game since Oct. 18, 1980! Come on, sir, how about a little respect? After all, at how many campuses last fall were the goalposts torn down and planted in the front yard of the star quarterback's house?
CASEY KAHLER
Belvidere, Ill.
PHOTO
After beating Adrian (Mich.) 22-21, Augustana quarterback Jay Penney got a game souvenir.
PHOTO
A two-cent increase in mail rates put Babe and Bobby in the rough.
Letters should include the name, address and home telephone number of the writer and be addressed to The Editor, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y. 10020.
