Letters

The De La Hoya-Trinidad fight proved that round-by-round
scoring should be posted on a scoreboard for all to see.
--CALVIN B. FULLER, Edwardsville, Ill.

COUNTERPUNCHES

In his article about the Felix Trinidad-Oscar De La Hoya fight,
Richard Hoffer says, "It was not a fight that Trinidad won"
(Class Dismissed, Sept. 27). You have to give Trinidad credit.
He stepped into the ring ready to do anything to win. De La Hoya
went in trying not to lose.
EDGAR PALERM, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

What a joke! I can think of no other sport in which you win and
still lose. De La Hoya punished Trinidad for eight of the 12
rounds.
DAVID MACK, Shelby, Ohio

RECIPE FOR RUIN

All of Peter King's theorizing about the weirdness of the NFL
season's first two weeks (Piling On, Sept. 27) seemed to dance
around the painful and obvious answer: Free agency and its evil
twin the salary cap are immutable levelers of even the most
solid organizations. What a treat it is to watch successful
franchises slide back into the swamp of mediocrity with the rest
of the league. Won't fans and network executives alike be
thrilled when those decisive late-season games feature epic,
pulse-pounding clashes between 8-7 powerhouses? Free agency,
which made the players rich, may ruin the game that's the source
of all this prosperity.
TOM HITCHCOCK, Tilghman, Md.

As a lifelong Packers fan, I am disappointed in the cover of your
Sept. 27 issue. Why choose the Packers to represent what you
consider to be the failure of the NFL's top contenders,
especially after only Week 2 of the season? The Green Bay
organization has continually made successful transitions after
personnel changes. The Packers remain a force.
KEN POWERS, Washington, D.C.

SNEAKY FAST

Although alleged purse snatcher and LSU star wide receiver Larry
Foster may have "NFL talent," pro scouts should be offering
tryouts to the two students who successfully chased him for half
a mile (SCORECARD, Sept. 27).
PERRY JACOBS, Mamaroneck, N.Y.

REVERSE PERSPECTIVE

In his coverage of the Miami-Penn State game, Ian Thomsen became
so carried away with the delusion that the Nittany Lions were
all-powerful that he forgot to mention that for most of the
second half, the Hurricanes dominated (INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL,
Sept. 27). Penn State didn't win the game. Miami lost it.
ANDREW J. HARALDSON, Atlanta

QUEST FOR EQUALITY

I have a 14-year-old son who is a black hockey player. As a
single parent, I have spent many hours in arenas, watching him
play. Several times we have struggled with the situations
encountered by African-American hockey players and their parents:
the nasty names, the stares, the questions. At one point we
thought it would be better for him to play a so-called black
sport, like basketball or football. Since that time, we have
become passionate about hockey. Your article should be required
reading for everyone coaching players in youth hockey
associations, high schools, colleges and the NHL. My son just
wants to be seen as a good hockey player. I hope the comments and
pictures of the players in your article helped him and others
understand that he is not alone in this wish.
DENISE M. CHAMBLEE, Roseville, Minn.

Anson Carter is entitled to be judged on his stickhandling and
bodychecks, not the color of his skin. SI needs to practice what
it preaches.
JOHN G. NELSON, Westminster, Colo.

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID E. KLUTHO

A CASE OF COLOR BLINDNESS

I knew that Anson Carter and Grant Fuhr are black (Soul on Ice,
Oct. 4). Until I read your article, I had no idea that Donald
Brashear (above), Fred Brathwaite, Sean Brown, Jarome Iginla and
Peter Worrell are also black. Living in a city where hockey is
not prominently televised, I'm often reduced to scanning the box
scores to get pertinent information. As a fantasy sports
participant, I select players based on performance and talent.
Not surprisingly, I have selected every one of the players
mentioned in your story at one point in time. Perhaps this is an
indication that these guys are finally being recognized for
their ability.
CHRIS PARSONS, Cleveland