Letters

Flip Side

I had the pleasureof playing golf with your July 3--10 Where Are They Now? cover guy, LawrenceTaylor, in February at the NFL Pro Bowl Golf Classic in Hawaii. He was agentleman, a joy to play with--and the man can flat-out putt! But one question:He played the entire round in flip-flops that day. How did you get him to puton golf shoes for your cover?
Eddie White, Carmel, Ind.

I look forward toyour annual Where Are They Now? issue and have always held Don Larsen's WorldSeries perfect game as one of the greatest single-game achievements in anysport (Pitcher Perfect, July 3--10). In your sidebar about the other men whohave been perfect since then, however, you did not mention Harvey Haddix. WhileMajor League Baseball deemed it unworthy of even being called a no-hitter, alltrue baseball fans hold Haddix's performance on May 26, 1959--when he threw 12perfect innings only to lose in the 13th--as one of the most spectacular featsin baseball history.
Steve Evans, Royal Oak, Mich.

That shot of ChrisEvert winning the U.S. Open brought this 50-year-old lug back to his biggestyoung-adult crush (My Three Sons, July 3--10). And she's still beautiful.
Michael Maggio, Pleasantville, N.J.

I enjoyed yourfocus on Rolf Benirschke's family in Lost & Found (July 3--10), but howcould you not mention the most fascinating part of his post-NFL life? In 1989Benirschke was briefly the host of the daytime Wheel of Fortune when Pat Sajakleft to do a short-lived nighttime talk show.
Stephen S. Power, Maplewood, N.J.

Spell Check

As I write this,it has been 20 hours since June 12 cover boy Dwyane Wade won the NBA title andthe Finals MVP award--and less than 20 minutes since June 19's David Ortiz hita second-inning grand slam in leading the Red Sox to victory. What coverjinx?
John W. Mortimer Jr., South Boston, Mass.

BorrowedTraditions

In writing abouttaking the best tradition from one sport and applying it to all sports (Air andSpace, July 3--10), I assumed that Steve Rushin was going to mention a uniquerugby custom in which both teams share a postmatch meal and drink. Would youlike to see that in the NFL?
Delman Smith, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Rushin failed tomention that Ultimate Frisbee is played without officials. Players makedecisions about out-of-bounds plays and dropped catches. It's great to competein a sport when you can't blame the refs.
Glenn Van Moffaert, Roxbury, Conn.

Map Quest

In your Go Figuresection you mention that FIFA received 4.2 million e-mails in response to SouthKorea's World Cup loss "to Sweden." (Scorecard, July 3--10). In fact,the Koreans lost to Switzerland. Hopefully you won't get quite that manye-mails pointing this out.
Nicholas Murray, Tampa

A River RunsThrough It

It was bad enoughwhen my husband showed me the Stadium Pal he had purchased so he could sitthrough a Mets game without getting up to go to the bathroom. Now, thanks toRick Reilly's Ice Cold Beer Comes Out Here? (Life of Reilly, July 3--10), Iexpect a beer-storage device called the Beerbelly to become part of the family.My sympathies to the woman Reilly mentions whose husband wears the Stadium Palat home. At least my guy's not that bad--yet.Gretchen Lomker, Lake Hiawatha,N.J.

Say Uncle

I enjoyed WhereWill They Be? (July 3--10), especially the story about 15-year-old John Tavaresof Oakville, Ont. Perhaps it's in the genes for Tavares, who is already beinghailed as hockey's next big thing. His uncle, also named John Tavares (right),has been the big thing in the world of professional indoor lacrosse for as longas his nephew has been alive. The older Tavares, 37, last winter became thecareer scoring leader in the National Lacrosse League, surpassing formerSyracuse University All-America Gary Gait, perhaps the greatest lacrosse playerin history. Tavares has 549 goals, 587 assists and 1,136 points to go alongwith three championships, three MVP awards and seven seasonal scoring titles,all with the Buffalo Bandits.
Tom Borrelli, Tonawanda, N.Y.

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WALTER IOOSS JR. (COVER)

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BILL WIPPERT

STICKMENTavares's nephew will likely be the top pick in the 2009 NHLdraft.