Letters

THAT FIFTH DOWN
Colorado is throwing away a wonderful opportunity by not giving up the football game it won against Missouri on an illegal fifth down (COLLEGE REPORT, Oct. 15). The school's glory for so doing would far outweigh the loss of the game.

So, listen up, Colorado. Give it up and allow yourselves to be immortalized.
CAROLYN FINNERAN
Mercer Island, Wash.

It's unfortunate that Missouri lost a great game due to a referee error. It's also unfortunate that Colorado is criticized for circumstances beyond its control. Would Colorado coach Bill McCartney really have told his quarterback to ground the ball on the fourth down when he was behind if the markers had been correct? Obviously not. He probably would have called a play similar to the one that scored on the fifth down.

The fifth-down incident was a sad way to end a great game.
ERIC PARRIS
Las Vegas

In saying that "the rules of football do not allow for changing the outcome of the game," Big Eight Conference commissioner Carl James is ignoring a more fundamental rule: Rules are made to be broken.
KEN O'LOANE
San Anselmo, Calif.

EQUAL PARTNERS
Several of the photographs in your article about the World Series (The Big Sweep, Oct. 29) reveal the Stars and Stripes on the uniforms of both the Cincinnati Reds and the Oakland Athletics. As a Canadian baseball fan, I feel insulted by this action by major league baseball.

During the 1990 season, the Toronto Blue Jays attracted more fans than any other major league team in history. The flags were worn in honor of the U.S. troops serving in the Persian Gulf, but I would like to remind our American friends that Canada has also sent military forces in support of the American action in the Gulf.

The U.S. and Canada are allies in peace as well as conflict. What would have been the cost of recognizing both countries who play major roles on the playing fields and on the sands of Saudi Arabia?
BILL TSCHIRHART
Kitchener, Ont.

THE ROCKET
The SCORECARD item about Boston pitcher Roger Clemens (Oct. 22) makes one wonder why his childish behavior is tolerated. Punching a door and refusing to talk to the media are questionably acceptable, but taunting the A's recovering alcoholic pitcher Bob Welch about his drinking problem is unacceptable.
DALE M. ANDREWS
Camden, Maine

KNIEVEL'S KNOWLEDGE
You ran a SCORECARD item (Oct. 8) indicating that while presiding over a motorcycle accident case I would not allow Evel Knievel to testify as an expert witness on such accidents, despite his considerable personal experience with the subject. The truth is, Knievel could not testify because he did not qualify as an expert to offer his opinions in the highly technical area of accident reconstruction.

Please don't leave the impression that I wouldn't let Knievel expound on motorcycle crashes and broken bones. I mean, really, who better than Evel?
TED L. MIZNER
District Court Judge
Deer Lodge, Mont.

PHOTO

EDGAR HOLCOMB

Not Even the hip and pelvis he broke on this jump in Las Vegas made Knievel and expert.

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.