LETTERS

The Marlins succeeded because they attracted talent, and while
they were at it, they built a roster reflecting the makeup of
the city they play in.
ALAN MIRZA, KENTWOOD, MICH.

WORLD SERIES

I disagree that the World Series was lackluster (Happy Ending,
Nov. 3). Snow flurries, a record number of walks, 81 runs and
crucial errors made the Series so unpredictable that you
couldn't help but watch to see how it was going to sort itself
out.
TIM DILLINGHAM, New York City

This was the first Series in many years during which I watched
each game with interest. Neither team was my favorite, but I
rooted and cried for both of them. Drama? Probably not. But fans
got to see seven games full of everything that makes baseball
what it is: superb plays, boneheaded baserunning, bunts, missed
signs, monster hits, 0 for 5, a seven-run lead nearly lost in
the bottom of the ninth, etc.
DOUG HAYS, Dimmitt, Texas

My thanks to S.L. Price for his article about front-running
Miami fans (High Standards, Oct. 27). I found it sickening to
hear the Marlins thank their fans and dedicate their
championship to them. It made me wonder if the Marlins had
noticed that they had as many folks in the stands in
mid-September as the Carolina Hurricanes did in mid-October.
KRIS DEBLASIO, York, Pa.

I was struck by the complaint by Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC
West Coast, that an extended World Series would be a ratings
disaster for NBC (POINT AFTER, Oct. 27). Has it occurred to the
networks that a return to daytime postseason games would obviate
the dreaded preemption of Seinfeld et al.? Sure, day games might
not bring in the big advertising bucks, but for a sport that
needs to polish its image and broaden its appeal to young fans,
a return to daytime play is worth considering.
BRIAN DONOHUE, Brunswick, N.Y.

DEAN SMITH RETIRES

At North Carolina, Dean Smith had 879 victories, 33 straight
top-three ACC finishes, 27 consecutive 20-win seasons and 23
NCAA tournament appearances in a row, yet his most impressive
accomplishments are not quantifiable (Dean Emeritus, Oct. 20).
He has been a first-rate educator for his players and for the
Chapel Hill community. As a former high school teacher and
coach, I can't imagine a better advocate for students.
HUNTER GEHLBACH, Amherst, Mass.

Smith gave more to college basketball than any other coach. For
36 years he demonstrated that a big-time college basketball
program can win while maintaining academic integrity.
CHRISTOPHER HENRY, Madison, Wis.

I would have thought that the retirement of the man who broke
Adolph Rupp's record for wins, not to mention everything else
Smith did for college basketball, would have beaten out a
midseason college football game for the cover.
CHRIS ALSTON, Petersburgh, N.Y.

THE NBA'S FUTURE

The David Stern years have brought the NBA back from near
extinction and turned it into a thriving marketing empire, but,
as Leigh Montville's POINT AFTER (Oct. 13) states, this success
is now being threatened by the Monopoly money being given to
third-year players like Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota
Timberwolves. This trend will soon send the league into
financial ruin because small-market owners will be unable to
compete for high-priced young talent. As many times as I have
heard Stern's name in the same sentence with the words genius
and savior, I find it hard to believe that he cannot see that
the NBA's future looks bleak.
SCOTT FRAGALE, Racine, Wis.

TWO B/W PHOTOS: UNC SPORTS INFORMATION (2) [Steve Previs; Don Washington]

DEAN'S LIST (CONT.)

Your effort to list all the Dean Smith-coached players who went
on to the pros was admirable (CONTENTS, Oct. 20), but you had
two omissions. You included five alums who played only in the
ABA but left out Steve Previs and Don Washington. Previs (above
left), a letterman at North Carolina from 1969-70 to 1971-72,
played 30 games for the ABA's Carolina Cougars in 1972-73.
Washington (right), who lettered for Smith in 1972-73, played 56
games in the ABA with the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Stars in
1974-75 and 1975-76. That means that 49 of Smith's players, not
47, went on to the pros.
CHRIS TOMASSON, Albuquerque