Letters

T-SHIRTS AT NOTRE DAME
In her story about the Miami-Notre Dame football game (Not So Bitter End, Oct. 29), Sally Jenkins reports that the notorious Miami-baiting T-shirts are banned from sale on the Notre Dame campus. Lou Holtz is quoted as saying, "I assure you Notre Dame has absolutely nothing to do with them...." Take a look around the campus and its parking lots. On game day, one can purchase shirts with slogans far more offensive than those mentioned in the story.

This is one Miami fan who is happy that we will no longer be playing "the supposedly pure-at-heart Irish."
JOAN G. FRECHETTE
Miami Shores, Fla.

Sally Jenkins's report of the final Miami-Notre Dame football game captured the spirit and excitement of this classic, even down to the role that T-shirts emblazoned with slogans played in this rivalry. However, she did not mention the most popular T-shirt on the Notre Dame campus, the T-Shirt for a Cause, as it was promoted. Proceeds from sales of this shirt go to defray the huge medical expenses of Zheng-de Wang, a 28-year-old Notre Dame graduate student in sociology, from Tianjin, China, who was severely injured when he was struck near campus last year by a hit-and-run driver. Zheng-de, who is confined to a wheelchair, is now able to recognize friends and has regained some use of his legs and his left arm, but his recovery is far from complete.

The way the students have responded to Zheng-de's plight is, to me, what college spirit is all about.
MARCIA KEEFE
Troy, N.Y.

The T-Shirt for a Cause blitzed the bad-taste opposition—20,000 were sold in two weeks. The amount raised for Zheng-de has reached $100,000. The final figure is unknown because postgame sales are still going strong, and now the shirts have the score of Notre Dame's 29-20 victory on them.
RICHARD W. CONKLIN
Associate Vice-President
University Relations
University of Notre Dame

WINNERS AND LOSERS
In addition to California's 18-game futility streak against UCLA (COLLEGE REPORT, Oct. 29), two other noteworthy streaks were broken on Oct. 20.

Iowa State rallied to beat Oklahoma 33-31. It was the Cyclones' first victory over the Sooners since 1961. The series between these two Big Eight rivals now stands at Oklahoma 56, Iowa State 5, with two ties.

And for those who follow the University of La Verne Leopards in this, the 43rd and final season of 73-year-old Roland Ortmayer's tenure as football coach (A Most Unusual Man, Sept. 4, 1989), that Saturday was a banner day. Division III La Verne spoiled the homecoming game of favored Division II rival Cal Lutheran by winning 21-14. The Leopards had not beaten the Kingsmen since 1962, Cal Lutheran's first season of football competition. In the next 17 games between the teams, La Verne's best score was a 6-6 tie in '71. The Leopards lost last year's game 44-9.

Thank you, SI, for telling the world about La Verne and the extraordinary Ortmayer. Happy retirement, Coach!
CRAIG E. BURROUGHS
Chicago

What has happened to all the big-time college football powers? When was the last time (if ever) that none of the following—Southern California, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Alabama, UCLA or LSU—was rated higher than 20th in the AP poll, as happened in the rankings released for games through Oct. 20?
G. FRED JEYNES
Honolulu

GEARING UP
I would like to set the record straight concerning our athletic shoe firm, L.A. Gear (SCORECARD, Oct. 29). L.A. Gear is the fastest growing of the major athletic shoe companies: Our sales grew 40% during the third quarter of 1990 in a most difficult environment. Sports agent Leonard Armato is a big factor behind our success, particularly in the men's performance market. What others call "conflict of interest," we call synergy. Houston Rocket Akeem Olajuwon asked Armato to represent him for the same reason as L.A. Gear did—his extraordinary knowledge of and respect in the sports industry.
SANDY SAEMANN
Executive Vice-President
L.A. Gear
Los Angeles

PHOTO

DAVID WALBERG

Sales of the most popular T-shirt at Notre Dame have so far raised $100,000 for a worthy cause.

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