Letters

The only thing that was worse than the Marty McSorley
stick-swinging incident was the defensive attitude that the NHL
assumed.
--RON ORLANDINI, Parlin, N.J.

Missing in Action

I commend you for writing a cover story about the National
League Central's offensive potency (Home Run Central, March 6),
but in the course of deifying the Ken Griffey-Mark McGwire-Sammy
Sosa triumvirate, you neglected two other well-respected power
hitters in the division, Jeff Bagwell and Moises Alou of the
Houston Astros. You mention Bagwell only in passing and list
Alou in a chart but never give either his props. Houston has
made it to the playoffs each of the past three seasons. In that
period McGwire's St. Louis Cardinals haven't been there at all,
and Sosa's Chicago Cubs only once.
LARRY SCHOOLER, New Haven, Conn.

Juco Booster

Grant Wahl's article about junior college basketball was right
on target (Where the Stars Don't Shine, March 6). As an
assistant coach at a juco, I have made those long road
trips--stopping to eat at gas stations and everyone's favorite,
Wendy's--countless times. I am convinced that student-athletes
who enroll in junior colleges gain a better understanding of
responsibility away from home, self-discipline and a stronger
appreciation for hard work.
BRIAN ANDERSON
Men's Assistant Basketball Coach
Truett-McConnell College
Cleveland, Ga.

Proud Parents

We have been waiting for our son, A.J. Sehorn, to appear in your
magazine, and there he is in the March 6 issue (LEADING OFF) in
a beautiful shot from the Swatch Wave Tour 2000 event held in
Long Beach, Calif. The trouble is, you misidentified him! The
name written in the caption is Jeff Hubbard, but the surfer in
the photo is A.J., who is 14 years old and one of the hottest
amateur surfers on the planet.
ERIN and AL SEHORN, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Stilted Coverage

I had the pleasure and honor of being the press agent for Wilt
Chamberlain when he first moved to Los Angeles to play for the
Lakers (SCORECARD, March 6). He was as gracious a gentleman as
you could find and always respected the rights of others. Was it
necessary to print the article on his run-in with TWA 27 years
after it happened? It would be better to let your readers always
think of him as the great humanitarian and athlete that he was.
DAVID MIRISCH, La Costa, Calif.

Fighting Words

I was disappointed with Kostya Kennedy's article on stick
violence in hockey (SCORECARD, March 6). I agree that the number
of players injured by sticks is frightening and disheartening.
Action needs to be taken to keep sticks on the ice where they
belong. I do not feel, however, that denigrating an entire sport
and all players in the NHL is helpful. There are many skilled
players, both amateur and professional, who play for the love of
the game and not for the opportunity to hurt someone. Would I
want my son playing this sport? I do, and he does. Do I believe
there's a problem that needs fixing? Absolutely! Do articles
like these help in any way? Not at all.
REBECCA COOPER, Clarksville, Md.

Kennedy nails it, denouncing the Marty McSorley ambush as a
logical outcome of the NHL-endorsed culture of violence. But
earlier in the same issue you published a photo spread of
Toronto Maple Leaf Tie Domi engaged in the activity that is his
only reason for being in the NHL: fighting (LEADING OFF, March
6). The official is clearly seen watching the brawling as if he
were a WWF shill, and you provide a cute little headline for the
picture: "Blood Tie." You can't, or shouldn't, have it both ways.
JOHN BURGHARDT, Toronto

Golden Couple

Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf might be a "sweat marriage," but
check out another fantastic power coupling (SCORECARD, Feb. 28):
Marion Jones and her husband, C.J. Hunter. If everything goes as
planned, they should have six Olympic gold medals when all is
done in Sydney, Jones in the 100 meters, the 200, the 4x100
relay, the 4x400 and the long jump, and Hunter in the shot put.
SPENCER LASKY, Evanston, Ill.

Russian Revolutionary

By stating that Slava Fetisov was "the Jackie Robinson" of
hockey, you mistakenly implied that in 1989 he was the first
Russian to appear in the NHL (Boris Good Enough? Feb. 28). In
fact, seven years earlier Victor Nechaev played three games for
the Los Angeles Kings and even made the score sheet by tallying
a goal against the New York Rangers on Oct. 17, 1982.
NICK ROSE, Newport Beach, Calif.

B/W PHOTO: AP

Jackie and Zoe Ann

You omitted my favorite couple: Jackie Jensen and Zoe Ann Olsen
(above). He was an All-America fullback at California and a
major league outfielder, primarily with the Boston Red Sox. She
was an Olympic diving medalist.
BUCK JERZY, Detroit