Letters

Twin Peaks

Like most Tennesseans, I root for Peyton Manning--except when the
Indianapolis Colts are playing our Titans. I feel obligated to
point out, therefore, that your account of the showdown between
the Colts and the Titans was misleading (Hand Him the MVP, Dec.
22). Michael Silver has Peyton "outdueling" Steve McNair when the
Colts beat the Titans 29-27, a game worthy of the MVP award they
now share. No doubt Peyton played well, as did the rest of the
Colts. But McNair, who had two touchdown passes, threw for more
yards and also went above and beyond Manning by running for a
touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Ron Sample, Clarksville, Tenn.

High School Hazing

Your special report on the hazing scandal at Long Island's Mepham
High described a truly appalling situation (Rite Gone Wrong, Dec.
22). The apologists in the community and at the school are among
the culpable characters in this horrific story. No student or
adult should have to fear reprisals from those who condone this
type of hazing. The perpetrators are bullies who exhibit their
cowardice by picking on the defenseless. God have mercy on them.
Donald Carr, Sylvania, Ohio

Instead of rallying behind the victims, my community decided to
show its support for the coaches and principal. A team knows from
the coach's attitude, words and actions what behavior will and
will not be tolerated. It was the coaches who let the three boys
continue to practice with the football team they had brutalized,
even while the incidents were being rumored throughout the
school. Whose judgment was lacking then? Why would my neighbors
want these men coaching our football team?
Debra Gerrity
North Bellmore, N.Y.

To the head coach and principal who said, "How could we have
known?", as a teacher and coach I must say it is your job to
know. I make it clear that I want to know about every act of
bullying or intimidation. Anyone who criticizes or insults a
teammate or schoolmate who has the courage to tell me about these
acts will be dealt with as severely as the bully himself. There
is no middle ground. Either you fight bullying with all your
power, or you are part of the problem.
David Kohn, Columbia, Conn.

The sad reality: If it is happening in Bellmore, it is happening
elsewhere.
Susan Sheldon, Middleton, Mass.

TiVo, or Not TiVo

Thank you, Rick Reilly, for a long overdue tribute to the
greatest time-saver in history (The Life of Reilly, Dec. 22).
Every man in America should have a TiVo so he can focus on what's
truly important--his wife and children. There's nothing like
spending a Sunday afternoon in the park picnicking with the
family and then leisurely catching the Eagles' game minus the
interminable coaches' challenges, premeditated end zone
celebrations and 20 commercials for Fox's Laugh Out Loud Sunday.
Eric Grubman, West Chester, Pa.

I've yet to experience the godsend known as TiVo, but I
immediately recognized a problem: You miss the drama of sports.
Admittedly, baseball games get boring when Billy Wagner throws
over to first base seven times in a row, but there's nothing like
the tension between pitches in the late innings of a close
contest. With TiVo the art of the games is lost. Does anyone who
has it watch the first 40 minutes of an NBA game?
J.D. Koziarski, Lansing, Ill.

TiVo is great for entertainment shows but not for sports. TiVo
doesn't know when a game runs over its scheduled time, which
happens frequently. You risk missing the best part of the game if
you let TiVo do its own scheduling.
Steve Caplan, Gaithersburg, Md.

Initial Response

OMG (oh, my God)! SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) thinks I've lost
it (Air and Space, Dec. 22). She should have known. She married
an IE (industrial engineer) from GT (Georgia Tech)--currently No.
12 in the AP, but nothing matters until the start of the ACC. She
just doesn't understand why the NHL needs OTL's or why ESPN needs
to be on 24/7. I hope Steve Rushin's column will help explain my
case. Otherwise, I may be SOL.
MC from the ATL (Matt Callaway, Atlanta)

Why should Oklahoma State cede OSU to Ohio State? Which school
has more NCAA championships? The Ohio State University needs to
start going by its real initials--TOSU.
Neil Mclnnis, Tulsa

Grand Old Rags

Kudos to Alexander Wolff for proving that in athletic wear,
everything old is new again (Rockin' the Retros, Dec. 22). I
don't know diddly about the work of Sean (P. Diddy) Combs (I
could tell you more about baseball Hall of Famer Earle Combs),
but I know great writing when I read it.
Doug Gladstone, Clifton Park, N.Y.

COLOR PHOTO: AL TIELEMANS

Correction

Bill Scheft's column, The Show (SCORECARD, Jan. 12), incorrectly
referred to college football's national championship trophy. It
is properly known as the ADT National Championship Trophy. SI
regrets the error. --ed.

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