Letters

Remembering 1990
I really liked the 1990: A Look Back section in your Dec. 31-Jan. 7 issue. The month-by-month highlights (You Must Remember This) recapped the year in sports perfectly. All the major sporting events were included. Although the whole issue was great, Pictures of 1990 was my favorite. The photo of Kenny (Sky) Walker of the New York Knicks was fantastic.
RYAN BIERWERTH
Oakdale, Minn.

I would like to thank you on a job well done with Pictures of 1990. I enjoyed looking back on the year through photos that stirred memories. But after going over them all, I realized there was something missing. You didn't have a picture of Bo Kimble shooting a lefthanded free throw in memory of his fallen friend and Loyola Marymount teammate, Hank Gathers. To me, this was the greatest moment of the year in sports.
CHRISTIAN PALUMBO
Columbia, Calif.

Your closing picture showed White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen cooling off by dipping his head in a Gatorade bucket. Pasted on the side of the bucket is a taped label on which the word fragment "monia" is legible. Could he have dipped his head in a bucket of ammonia?
PAUL FREDERICKS
Las Vegas

•The bucket contained a couple of towels that had been soaked in spirits of ammonia and ice water. These arc used to rub down players when they leave the field on a very hot day. Guillen stuck his head in the bucket for a more immediate whiff of relief.
—ED.

The photograph taken by David E. Klutho of the Pittsburgh-Boston College football game shows a Pitt player sitting on the BC ballcarrier's head. The caption reads, "Pitt strong safety Bobby Boykin performed a chiropractic crack on Boston College tailback Mike Sanders."

Chiropractic care saved mc from a wheelchair. It helped me so much that I was inspired to become a chiropractor myself. Chiropractic care is not even close to the barbaric situation shown in the picture. The caption demeans the profession, and it may discourage people who need help from seeking such help.
WALTER R. DUNCAN, D.C.
Columbia, S.C.

As the father of two sons, ages two and three, who are beginning to discover the pleasures of athletic activity, I was touched by E.M. Swift's essay The Heart of a Kid. This article is one I would like to read over and over again as my children grow older, and I am hoping to frame—from separate copies—the front and back of the page in order to better preserve it. Please convey my thanks and congratulations to Swift.
KENT E. DAIBER
Rye, N.Y.

Swift's article reminded me of an experience I had a few years ago when the eight-year-old son of a friend invited me to watch him play in a midget lacrosse game. The telling moment came afterward as we all drove together for ice cream, and Kevin said, "By the way, Dad, who won?"
GEORGE CHANDLEE
Bridgewater, Va.

The Queen City
Naming Cincinnati your city of the year was right on the money (City of the Year: Cincinnati, Dec. 31-Jan. 7). I'm proud to live in a town where common decency is expected, freedoms are protected, justice (eventually) prevails and people wear their hearts on their sleeves. My only objection is to the subtitle of your illustration: "Sex, Lies and Baseball." It's true, we do have a healthy enthusiasm for two of these subjects, but in Cincinnati it's not very nice to tell lies.
MARK O. HUBBARD
Cincinnati

As a sophomore at Xavier University, I was disappointed that you didn't acknowledge our basketball team, the Musketeers. Coach Peter Gillen led the Muskies to exciting last-second victories over Loyola Marymount and the University of Cincinnati on the way to a Top 25 ranking and their third straight Midwestern Collegiate Conference title. The team also gave an impressive performance in the NCAA tournament, upsetting Georgetown and advancing to the Sweet 16. What's more, power forward Tyrone Hill was selected 11th overall in the NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.
DAN LETSCHSER
Cincinnati

I was surprised that William Oscar Johnson didn't pick up the other obvious connection between Cincinnati natives Pete Rose and Charles Keating: Charlie Hustle and Charlie Hustler.
STEVE SCHWARTZ
Mount Kisco, N. Y.

What do the photo exhibit of homoerotic art, the savings-and-loan scandal, pornography and the Internal Revenue Service have to do with sports?
BRIAN GALLAGHER
Cincinnati

Heli-Skiing
I was enthralled with E.M. Swift's article about helicopter skiing (Snow Blind, Jan. 14). I am impressed with people who not only have a gift for writing but also have a conscience. I stood on the hill with Swift, rode through the blinding snow to break out into more deep snow and survived to see the warm fire at sundown. It was a good ride and I've never been on skis.
GENE YOUNG
Pastor
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
Indianapolis

For his sake, I am sorry that Swift will not be going on another heli-ski trip. He will miss not only the best skiing anywhere in the world but also scenery and camaraderie that go on forever. I have skied six sensational weeks with Canadian Mountain Holidays, one with Eric King. I hope Swift hasn't discouraged any of your readers from making this trip, which I consider one of life's greatest pleasures.
CATHERINE ETTLINGER
New York City

Charles Thompson's Example
I have the greatest respect for Rick Telander as a writer and person and believe no other writer comes closer to understanding today's college athlete. However, especially after talking to him about the subject, I was disappointed reading his POINT AFTER (Dec. 24). For the life of me, I can't understand why Telander doesn't know whether convicted felon Charles Thompson deserves a second chance at college football.

The answer is yes, and most of the reasons can be found in the book I wrote with Thompson (Down and Dirty: The Life & Crimes of Oklahoma Football). Thompson knows that you deserve punishment if you sell cocaine. But when we look at the long list of people who have screwed up and, after repaying society, been forgiven, we will notice that many have committed far worse crimes than this former Oklahoma quarterback.
ALLAN SONNENSCHEIN
New York City

•In fact, Telander wrote that it "would be nice if" Thompson "might play ball, study, graduate and become a law-abiding and productive citizen."
—ED.

I hope that when I am paroled in 1992 from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, where I am serving a seven-year sentence, I can run into people with the same point of view as Telander. I don't expect to ever forget what I did and the time I spend in prison, but it would sure make it a lot easier to get back on my feet if I met that sort of attitude. In response to the subtitle, "Docs a felon deserve another shot at college football?" I must say, "Yes, absolutely."
WILLIAM J. NUÑEZ
San Diego

Zambia's Wildlife
Cheers for the excellent article by Maryanne Vollers (Light in the Darkness, Dec. 17) about Delia and Mark Owens's struggles to save Zambia's wildlife from poachers. They should be commended for their efforts to educate the people of Zambia about the need to protect wild animals from extinction.
DAVID S. WOYURKA
Reinholds, Pa.

The Owenses' efforts in Africa are doomed to failure. Fear of death does not keep a starving man from acquiring food. As Africa's human population continues to explode, so will poaching and other forms of habitat destruction. Western solutions consisting of "scientific" horticulture promise to improve black Africa's well-being, but only momentarily and at considerable expense to Africa's flora and fauna. The answer lies in effective human population control so that people can be sustained by relying on renewable natural resources.
JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ, M.D.
Mountainhome, Pa.

The Faces Game
Enjoying the articles in each issue of SI is just a pregame warmup for me. When I hit FACES IN THE CROWD, my gut tightens and the competition begins. I read just the name and city, study the face and then try to guess the sport for which the athlete is being lauded. A lot of factors must be taken into account (Am I helping my competitors?): age, sex, general appearance (tanned? thick neck?), current sports seasons, even clothing (judo outfits). Usually I can get two or three; four is excellent; five is rare; and I think I guessed all six just once.

Novices will soon note that in each issue, FACES usually features six different sports. Needless to say, strict self-discipline is necessary to keep the eyes from darting to a telltale statistic in the explanations. Does anyone else play my game?
G. CRAIG JOHNSON
Saginaw, Mich.

A Hunting Puppy
Tale of a Pup (Dec. 31-Jan. 7) by Robert F. Jones exemplifies why SI has been my favorite magazine for 36 years. I follow big-time sports like everyone else, but it is the many and varied surprise articles like this one that make SI so special.
FRED BARRETT
Portland, Ore.

PHOTO

ANDY HAYT

Kimble shot lefthanded in memory of Gathers.

PHOTO

RICHARD MACKSON

Should Thompson get a second chance to play college football?

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.