Letters

Allison's Race
Ed Hinton got it all wrong in SCORECARD (Aug. 3). Davey Allison's return to Talladega Superspeedway a week after his horrendous crash at Pocono International Raceway presented no undue risk either to himself or to the other drivers in the field. He had medical clearance to race, even to the extent that his doctors designed a special cast that protected his arm while enabling him to drive. Allison's return to competition was less offensive than the pro football player who gets shot with painkillers so he can play in the big game. Hinton deserves a black flag for this call.
JOHN SNYDER
Motorsports Media
Lake Carmel, N.Y.

While I agree with Hinton in his evaluation of the NASCAR points system—as I feel that it can reward drivers who are mediocre but consistent—I must take issue with his assessment of NASCAR racing as a whole. I was at the Talladega DieHard 500 and saw that Allison took great precautions to ensure that he did not put the other drivers in danger. From the No. 3 starting position he quickly dropped off the leaders. As a Bill Elliott fan, I had hoped Allison wouldn't race, but I admire Allison's courage and dedication.
ERIK J. OPAGER
Milton, Fla.

Instead of blasting NASCAR, how about applauding it for adopting the safety measures that allowed Allison to walk away from such a horrifying crash?
STEPHEN P. GUNBY
Westwood, N.J.

TripleCast
For several days I have been mentally composing a letter of thanks to NBC for its innovative endeavor, the TripleCast. Then I read with interest and amusement Norman Chad's opinion in his Aug. 10 TELEVISION column. While I am not the entertainment critic that Chad is, I do consider myself a knowledgeable sports fan, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Triple-Cast. The selection of events was varied and excellent, and the camera work was superb, showing each event in detail from many angles. In contrast to Chad, I was impressed with the commentators, who provided interesting insights while not being overly repetitive. I had a wonderful two weeks.
STUART R. BERNEY
Owings Mills, Md.

Oh, pish tosh, Mr. Chad. Are you trying to make me believe that you know everyone and everything in and about the sporting world? That you are an expert on every sport and on every subject in sports, including television? Your apparent need to control what the rest of UL dummies think is ridiculous.

I am a little-old-lady SWA (Senior With an Attitude), and I will think what I durn please. And what I think is that your air of superiority is a discredit to an otherwise excellent magazine.
CLEO COBB MCGEE
Austin, Texas

T.K.
Steve Rushin's article on Twin manager Tom Kelly (Stress Management, Aug. 3) was a refreshing look at a salt-of-the-earth guy. Kelly has reason to hold his head high. His knowledge of the game is reflected in his achievements, yet he remains modest. There are plenty of big-headers, er,-leaguers, who ought to take a cue from T.K.
JIM WATSON
Portland, Maine

Joe (Ducky) Medwick
It was satisfying, and surprising, to read an item in Tim Kurkjian's Aug. 3 INSIDE BASEBALL about Joe Medwick, the greatest player baseball has ever forgotten. Unfortunately, Medwick's first name wasn't mentioned, which won't help a generation of baseball fans recall the identity of the National League's last Triple Crown winner. Medwick is best remembered for being removed from Game 7 of the 1934 World Series for his own safety when, following an altercation at third, fans showered him with garbage and bottles when he took his place in the outfield.

Medwick, who was also a member of the Gashouse Gang, was known as Ducky to fans and Muscles to teammates, and his Hall of Fame plaque refers to him as Ducky Wucky, a name he detested. Medwick picked up the Ducky label in the Texas League, when a fan compared his walk to the waddle of a duck.

It is sad that most fans know little about Medwick, whose statistics compare favorably with those of baseball's alltime greats. In addition to being the Triple Crown winner in 1937—when he batted .374, had 154 RBIs and hit 31 homers—Medwick had a lifetime batting average of .324 and hit .300 or better for 11 straight seasons.
JOSEPH SKREC
Linden, N.J.

Fashionably Incorrect
In addition to the error on her baseball tie mentioned in SCORECARD (July 27), Nicole Miller, known in the sports world for her upbeat art and fashion sense of humor, has a limited-edition basketball tie with a great mistake.

According to a basketball fan in Omaha, the going price for the basketball tie, which retailed for $60, is now $750. As long as we're into tic trivia, do you know what the mistake is?
BUD KONHEIM
CEO, Nicole Miller
New York City

•Miller didn't think pale flesh tones looked good against the tie's olive background, so she made all the players black, including the Celtics' number 33, Larry Bird.—ED.

PHOTO

CLAY MCLACHLAN

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.