Letters

Thinking Big
After three straight weeks of Sports Illustrated covers putting the NationalFootball League front and center, it was good to see the Feb. 6 issue showingthe U.S. Olympic skiers. Sometimes it's important to know about our country'steam, not just one city's team.
Tim Honchel, Mount Airy, Md.

White Noise
What's with the ski team's uniforms? They look as if they were made by somespider-infested waffle iron.
Arlene Bishop, Berkeley, Calif.

In your 2006Olympics Preview (Feb. 6) you say that Turin is "a city known more for itscars and its shroud than for sports." In those parts of the world, however,where soccer is taken more seriously than politics--which is to say, everywhereother than North America--Turin is probably best known as the home of one ofthe world's greatest soccer clubs, Juventus.
Andrew Prevost, Montreal

Numbers Game
Like Steve Rushin (Air and Space, Feb. 6), I am always amused when the mediarefer to the Super Bowl as the "biggest sporting event in the world." Imean, the draw for the 2006 World Cup was watched by almost four times as manypeople worldwide (350 million) as the Super Bowl (93 million).
Michael Hoover, Reno

Singing theBlues
Kelli Anderson's claim that the Duke and North Carolina women were the"last two unbeaten teams in college basketball" (Scorecard, Feb. 6)neglects NCAA Division II Washburn. The Lady Blues--they decided not to takethe men's nickname of Ichabods--are 25--0 this season and have won 44 straightgames going back to last season. They also happen to be nationalchampions.
Bob Beatty, Topeka, Kans.

Foot Message
Reading SI Players (Feb. 6), I learned that Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Brownhas the Chinese symbol for "power" tattooed on his foot. Consideringhis performance in the Super Bowl, maybe he should have "accuracy"tattooed on too.
Andrew Halluk, Calgary

NorthwestPassages
Rick Reilly's column about why Seattle wouldn't win the Super Bowl (Life ofReilly, Feb. 6) made the rounds at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce,where I am the Public Affairs manager. I had hoped to thank him for putting theSI jinx on Pittsburgh, but that didn't work out. I do want him to know heforgot to mention two recent national championships that Seattle is very proudof. The Washington women's volleyball team just won the NCAA title, and theSeattle Storm won the 2004 WNBA championship.
Ann Reid, Seattle

Reilly writes,"Most kids are seven years old before they realize the umbrella is not anextension of the right arm." Shame! Every true Pacific Northwesterner willtell you that umbrellas are for wimps (e.g., people from Pittsburgh). We preferGore-Tex and fleece. Also, the Washington men's and women's crew teams have won22 national championships (11 each). With all of the rain in our area, itshould come as no surprise that we excel at water sports.
Andy Walker, Woodinville, Wash.

When I told afriend that I planned to write in and say how much I enjoyed Rick Reilly'scolumn Giving Seattle the Needle, he said, "Really? Tell Reilly he can kissmy grande-soy-half-caf-extra-shot-179-degree-two-pump-sugar-free-vanillalatte." I guess my friend didn't like it as much as I did, but at least hewas nice about it.
Tracy Wendt, Seattle

Reilly's article onthe small history of Seattle sports did not anger me, but it allowed me to rootagainst the Steelers as if I really disliked them. Remember, we are Seattle,and we are too nice to use the word hate.
Nik Blukis, Seattle

Hockey Heritage
In addition to the Sonics' 1979 NBA championship, Seattleites can soak in thedistant glory of the 1917 Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast HockeyLeague, the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup when it defeated theNational Hockey Association's Montreal Canadiens three games to one. Seattleand Montreal were in the Stanley Cup finals again two years later, but thatdeadlocked (2-2-1) series was canceled due to the influenza pandemic.
Patrick Dowd, Seattle

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SIMON BRUTY (COVER)

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DAVID ESKENAZI COLLECTION

GLORY DAYS Bernie Morris scored six goals in one game of the '17 finals.