Letters

Troy Meets World
Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is a rare talent. His leadership is a big reason why the Rockies made it to the World Series last year, and why Colorado fans are so excited about 2008. After going unnoticed by the national media for much of his rookie season, his landing on your cover and being the subject of a feature (The Rockies' Lucky No. 7, March 31) signals that everyone will soon get to know why we proudly chant "Tulo."
Kevin Denke, Thornton, Colo.

Season's Greetings
I love the coming of spring—the tulips in bloom, children laughing and playing outdoors, and the Cubs being predicted to go to the World Series (Scouting Reports, March 31). Ah, springtime.
Jerry Lynn Petrey, Berea, Ky.

The SPORTS ILLUSTRATED curse is in full effect: The Tigers, whom you picked to win the World Series, got off to a lousy start, and they have lost three of their top hitters to injury and are still without two of their top relievers.
Jason Brower, Grand Rapids

Andy Pettitte in relief? Jacoby Ellsbury in a platoon? Ken Griffey Jr. back in Seattle? Cheers to Joe Sheehan and Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus for their modest proposals. Many teams would be well advised to consider these inventive alternatives to the traditional thinking that usually leads to fourth-place finishes.
Mike Palshaw, Salinas, Calif.

Congratulations on your best Baseball Preview Issue to date. I liked that you projected wins and losses for each team (as opposed to just rankings) and gave us looks back into the SI Vault.
Marty Klestadt, Bellaire, Texas

Rich Is Good

Tom Verducci writes that the Red Sox and the Yankees have been relying more on the draft in recent years (Restocking a Rivalry, March 31), but don't forget that these teams' payroll advantages carry over into the draft. They can afford to take risks on players with off-field problems and not worry about the money that their possible failure will cost their organization, and they can also draft players without concern for the signing bonuses.
Max Stejskal, Inverness, Ill.

Cheer and Loathing

I am a cheerleader at a Division I school, and your story on how much time we put in and how little respect we get (Players, March 31) made me smile. It was good to know that someone out there actually cares about our sport.
Scott Borgmier, Lawrence, Kans.

If you consider cheerleading a sport, then I would nominate my favorite pastimes of lefthanded tiddlywinks, modern ballroom dancing and the annual off-terrain Easter egg hunt for similar inclusion.
Douglas Pearson, East Lansing, Mich.

While I don't doubt that cheerleading takes strength, conditioning and athletic ability, it is merely a glorified extracurricular activity. Any time judges determine a winner (unless you have two people pounding each other for 12 rounds), that activity is a mere exhibition.
Lee S. Kocher, Egg Harbor, N.J.

Bubba's Brackets

Hillary Clinton wants America to believe she's ready to lead "on Day One," but she defers to her husband to make her Final Four picks (Players, March 31)? What's next? "Honey, could you answer that phone?"
Anne Shure, Huntertown, Ind.

Chair Lift

In light of Bob Knight's being hired by ESPN (Players, March 31), I was wondering: Are the chairs on the set bolted down?
Norm Shirk, Rockford, Ill.

Honor Student

In your story on Davidson's Stephen Curry (Shooting Star, March 31), I found it odd that you placed so much importance on his returning a wallet that he had found. Do we have to bestow heroic status on an athlete just for being a decent person? This is a statement on the modern-day sports figure, that we need to prove that all of them are not self-serving, unethical people.
Joseph A. Weimann, Oakdale, Minn.

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