Letters

Fright Tactics

SI should followits cover that declared, "Scary: Randy Moss Explodes and the Patriots Senda Shiver Throughout the NFL," with another that reads, "Scarier: BillBelichick Secretly Videotapes and the Patriots Send Another Shiver Throughoutthe NFL." Their breaking the rules takes the pleasure out of the team'ssuccess.
Stuart Deane, Newburyport, Mass.

It's fine if youwant to build New England up (Opening Statement, Sept. 17) right now, but afterIndianapolis beats them down on Nov. 4, I want to see Joseph Addai on thecover.
Dan Hoppen, Omaha

Andrew Lawrencewrites that Randy Moss "has never before been this flush with complementarytalent." With all due respect to the potential of the 2007 Patriots, Moss's1998 Minnesota Vikings went 15--1 and were not just the No. 1 offense in theleague that year but also the highest-scoring team in NFL history. That team,which also ranked sixth in defense, had 10 Pro Bowlers and was a missed fieldgoal away from going to the Super Bowl. Moss had 1,313 receiving yards and 17touchdowns, and he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
William Nollman, Rowayton, Conn.

Heaven HelpHim

To the extent thatRick Reilly views Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as God (LIFE OF REILLY, Sept.10) in his "School for the Uncool" column, it now appears he'll have tocredit the Patriots' coaching staff with the "all-knowing" and"all-seeing" aspects of the job.
Joe Lucci, Wallingford, Pa.

Tom Brady's exnamed their baby John Edward Thomas? As in J-E-T (Jet! Jet! Jet!)? Hell hath nofury....
Vince Everett, Freehold, N.J.

By the way, didn'tTiger Woods (who doesn't seem to rank on Reilly's gush list) sit out atournament to be with his newborn daughter? Now that is cool.
Gini Martinez, Carlisle, Ky.

Roger's Résumé

Roger Federer iscertainly a fantastic tennis player, but I dispute S.L. Price's contention(Without Peer, Sept. 17) that he is better in his sport than Tiger Woods is inhis. Tiger has already won the career Grand Slam twice, something Federer,despite his 12 major titles, has yet to achieve even once. This conversationcan't even begin until Federer conquers clay and wins the French Open.
Scott Hanselman, Santa Monica, Calif.

Feeling theByrne

I'm done readingChris Ballard's piece on Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes (Gnarly Hustle,Sept. 17), but I'm still smiling. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of baseball'sbest character. Bravo to Byrnes for being himself, working to become a betterplayer and making us laugh. He's the kind of player I like to think I would beif my major league dreams ever came true.
Joshua R. Smith, Taneytown, Md.

Byrnes reminds meof Wile E. Coyote—a lot of wasted effort for no tangible benefit. If you'relooking for the outfielder who will dive and miss the ball in the late inningsof a close game, thus turning a single into a triple, or who will ignoreeverything that Rickey Henderson ever knew about staying low when using theheadfirst slide (as your photos demonstrate), or who hasn't hit the cutoff mansince the Clinton Administration, then Eric Byrnes is your guy.
Miles Crawford, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Milton Bradleyaccusing Byrnes of showing "false hustle" makes as much sense as BarryBonds accusing David Eckstein of using HGH.
Ryan Stookey, Port Orange, Fla.

Does the scoutingreport on Byrnes, "He played balls-out," relate to his style in thefield or his "commando" philosophy about wearing underwear? Wait, maybeI do not want to know.
John W. Rodenburg, Bakersfield, Calif.

Lost Angelos?

No man is moredisliked in the house of this lifetime Orioles fan than Peter Angelos. For thepast decade he has run the franchise like a dictatorship and has disgraced aonce-proud team. I would never turn my back on the Orioles, as the 1.5 millionfans that don't come to the ballpark anymore have (PLAYERS, Sept. 17), butpretty much the only good thing in this miserable season has been seeing CalRipken Jr. inducted into Cooperstown.
Michael Carrigan, Cheverly, Md.

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DAMIAN STROHMEYER (COVER)

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JOE GIZA/REUTERS

O-FER Angelos (with Sammy Sosa in 2005) last made the playoffs in '97.