Letters

Oh, Snap
Your photo of David Tyree's catch against Rodney Harrison during the Giants' upset of the Patriots in the Super Bowl was journalistic perfection. The photo not only captured the greatness of the game but also one of the most memorable moments in sports history.
Richard A. Yu, Westport, Conn.

Holy holding! I thought the Giants beat the Pats fair and square (They're History, Feb. 11) until I opened my SI and looked at the picture on page 39. Clearly center Shaun O'Hara has defensive lineman Richard Seymour in his grasp. No wonder Manning was able to get loose and throw that pass to Tyree.
Gordon Chartier, Concord, Mass.

In your NFL Preview issue last September, here is what an opposing team's scout said about Eli Manning: "Look, with the Giants it's a big year for the quarterback, and nobody in the league considers Eli Manning to be an elite player at this point. He's got to go out and prove that he can be great, and he's got a long way to go." Journey complete.
Tim Shannon, El Macero, Calif.

If I read Selena Roberts correctly (POINT AFTER, Feb. 11), the Pats lost because Bill Belichick outsmarted himself by maintaining a paranoid "all-of-them-against-us" mentality, which drained his team both physically and mentally. No. They lost for the same reason that Joe DiMaggio went hitless in his 57th game: Eventually the law of averages catches up with you.
Alan Marks, Acton, Mass.

Why so much Belichick bashing? I bet 24 NFL teams (and their fans) would dump their current head coaches to hire him.
Paul Filosa, Crofton, Md.

Brock Solid
Your listing of Brock Lesnar in the Not section of Hot/Not (PLAYERS, Feb. 11) was misleading. Though he lost his UFC debut, Lesnar dominated almost all 90 seconds of his fight with Frank Mir, pummeling him relentlessly. But Lesnar mistakenly left his leg open to Mir, and Mir grabbed it and forced Lesnar to submit. Once Lesnar learns how to escape submissions, he will be unbeatable.
Michael Marro, Cumming, Ga.

Classical Beauties
Of the four athletes in the Pop Culture Grid (PLAYERS, Feb. 11) asked to name their favorite classical musician, none named an actual classical musician, even though Otis Redding and Frank Sinatra were without-a-doubt cultural gems. Here are a few names people should get to know: Hilary Hahn (violin), Myleene Klass (piano), Vanessa-Mae (violin), Ana Vidovic (guitar) and Hayley Westenra (voice). These women have uncommon beauty and also uncommon talent.
Jon Gordon, Minneapolis

Dan Nation
Dan Patrick is right (JUST MY TYPE, Feb. 11): Football was invented with punters as part of the package. If they belong on the field, then those who are deserving, such as Ray Guy, belong in the Hall of Fame. Why can everyone see that but the voters?
Lori Tonne, Carson City, Nev.

Now that a drawing of his face has appeared in SI, it's official. Dan Patrick is the guy on the bag of Kingsford charcoal.
Keith Crunk, Atlanta

Puncher's Chance
Richard Hoffer did an amazing job of capturing the spirit and pride of Kelly Pavlik and Youngstown (Forged to Fight, Feb. 11). As a native of one of the small coal and steel towns that dot the Ohio landscape, I was, for a moment, back in the old neighborhood rooting for the tough but lovable underdog. And with the year that Ohio sports fans just went through, it was nice to see someone who wears the scarlet and gray of Ohio State get a championship win for a change.
Jim Huston, Cartersville, Ga.

Dad used to say, "It's not your environment that makes you, son. It's how you handle it." Thanks to your stories on Pavlik and also Kansas basketball player Darnell Jackson (A Time to Heal, Feb. 11), I see how that actually works in real life.
Victor Druten, Shawnee, Kans.

A Higher Court
As the mother of one of Trinity squash's few American players, I applaud Michael Bamberger's recent article on the team and its winning streak (The Court Supremes, Feb. 11). Long after championships are won and records have been broken, my son and his teammates will have gained a diverse group of friends, knowledge of the world that cannot be gleaned from the classroom, and life lessons from a coach who rarely talks court strategy or strokes at daily practices.
Mimi Tashjian, Old Greenwich, Conn.

While I certainly need my fix of stories about pro sports and big-time college athletics, this kind of piece reminds me, an average guy, of just how good it is for the human soul to test itself through sport; it's a lesson for my kids, too, that there are so many reasons to compete other than to make the NFL or the NBA some day.
Dan Donovan, Ipswich, Mass.

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DAMIAN STROHMEYER