Letters

CALGARY'S GAMES
Thank you for giving us, in your special preview issue, 1988 Winter Olympics (Wild and Crazy Guys, Jan. 27), a profile of a group of Canadians who changed the face of downhill skiing. Their accomplishments were truly amazing. Skiing on a shoestring budget, with inferior equipment and an inadequate support staff, the Crazy Canucks beat the Europeans at their own game and in their own backyard. For four straight years (1980-83) in Kitzbühel, a Canadian won the famed Hahnenkamm, the Super Bowl of World Cup skiing. In fact, more people across the world watch the Hahnenkamm on television each year than watch the Super Bowl. From 1980 through '83, the Crazy Canucks were better known throughout Europe than they were at home. I'm glad they are finally getting their due.
TOM GRIFFERTY
Mississauga, Ont.

In the account of his train ride across Canada (Aaaallll Aboard!), William Oscar Johnson claimed that Sudbury, Ont., is an "environmental nightmare" and that it is widely known as "Sludgebury." Funny, nobody in Sudbury has ever heard of that name. When Johnson got off the train, he saw only the gloomiest part of Sudbury. He didn't see the beautiful parts.
STEVEN KERR
Sudbury, Ont.

Within a quarter-mile radius of the Sudbury railroad station is a section of stately original homes, a modern civic center and provincial square, a modern theater, a beautiful small park with a children's pool and playground, a large lake surrounded by luxurious homes, a university science center and a large park with an amphitheater and gardens. I'm happy your writer returned to his "snug" compartment with his snug mind.
MARGARET JEAN WIEMER
Sudbury, Ont.

Thank you for the excellent article, No Stone Unturned, by J.E. Vader. She explained curling as well as anyone could, and I hope her piece will pique some interest in this sport. All of us in Wisconsin are proud of the fact that the U.S. men's and women's rinks are from our state.
THOMAS HAASE
Waukesha, Wis.

Your Winter Olympic issue was fantastic. Now if you will just make the swim-suit issue the same length, we will be in business.
MICHAEL SCHER
West Hartford, Conn.

SUPER QUARTERBACK
Thanks to Jill Lieber for a touching article about a true competitor and gentleman, Doug Williams (Well-Armed Pioneer, Feb. 1). It was quite embarrassing to me, as a white person, that the media's single biggest Super Bowl story this year was that Williams was the first black quarterback ever to start in the game. Perhaps now, after Williams's spectacular Super Bowl performance, we can move one step closer to the day when the color of a man's skin is not newsworthy at all.
JACK CONNORS
Boston

BYU CONNECTION (CONT.)
In your Feb. 4, 1985, issue you published a letter from Ross McClintock pointing out that every Super Bowl winner from 1981 to 1985 had a player from Brigham Young, while no losing team did. In 1986, Chicago won with former BYU quarterback Jim McMahon. New England, the losing team that year, had former BYU center Trevor Matich, but he was out because of an injury. Last year the Giants won with BYU alum Bart Oates at center. The losing team, Denver, had guard Paul Howard on its roster, but he, too, was sidelined with an injury. In this year's Super Bowl, the only BYU representative was Washington linebacker Kurt Gouveia.
RALPH SOKOLOWSKY
Orem, Utah

ALL-SCRABBLE TEAM
When Austin Murphy (This New Flame Is Fiery Hot, Jan. 25) stated that Calgary center Joe Nieuwendyk's surname could get a clever Scrabble player 63 points—actually it would be 66 points, because you would hit at least one double-letter score—he started me thinking about an all-Scrabble hockey team. Interestingly, Nieuwendyk doesn't even make my team, although his surname could give a player 198 points by using two triple-word scores. Here's the team, taken from NHL rosters as of Jan. 26:

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These scores do not include bonus points for using all seven letters. In addition, they assume that all names start or end on a corner square, that there is an unlimited supply of letters and that an exception has been made to the official Scrabble rule excluding the use of proper names.
JIM RUDY
Fairview Heights, Ill.

Letters to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED should include the name, address and home telephone number of the writer and should be addressed to The Editor, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y. 10020-1393.