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Letters
Reverse Angle
How weird is this? For your 2006--07 college basketball preview (far right),one of your regional covers featured Julian Wright, with Mario Chalmers peekingout from behind him. Your NCAA championship cover features Chalmers making thegame-tying shot—and if you look closely enough at the crowd, you'll see Wright,who departed from Kansas early to join the NBA, peeking out to the left ofMario.
David Johnston, Lawrence, Kans.
How fitting thatthe lone No. 1 seed bereft of an All-America would bring home the hardware(Rock Chalk, Champions, April 14). The Jayhawks showed us what a team-firstethic and good free throw shooting can do.
Rex M. Lowe, Naugatuck, Conn.
I noticed plentyof coincidences between this year and the last time Kansas won a title, in1988. In each case a two-term Republican was about to leave the White House;Kansas played in Nebraska for the opening rounds, defeated a Lon Kruger team inthe tournament and an ACC team in the national semifinals. And Kansas came intothe final as an underdog.
Roger H. DeMott, Webster, N.Y.
As the father of arecent Kansas graduate, I was thrilled with the cover photo of Mario Chalmers'sgame-tying basket. Why, it made me think back to 1987 when Keith Smart ofIndiana, my alma mater, made SI's cover with his game-winning ... uh, wait aminute. That week's cover was actually your baseball preview, featuring theCleveland Indians. Not that I've held a grudge for 21 years. By the way, thatseason the Tribe finished 61--101, dead last in the AL East.
Alan Sutton, Deerfield, Ill.
Moises Off
Moises Alou now says he never would have caught the Bartman ball in the 2003playoffs (PLAYERS, April 14). But I remember Alou's antics at the time. Hisoutward frustration certainly fueled the reaction of those in Wrigley Field andChicago against Steve Bartman; his admission is five years too late.
Jon Oliver, Darien, Ill.
Perfect Split
Your story about NHL teams divvying up goaltending duties (Who's Your Goalie?April 14) could have referred to Boston's 1972 Stanley Cup team: Coach TomJohnson employed the most equitable sharing of goaltending duties in Cuphistory. Gerry Cheevers started eight of 15 playoff games while Ed Johnstonstarted the other seven, and each won six times. This followed a regular seasonin which Cheevers started 40 of 78 games and Johnston the remaining 38, witheach winning 27 decisions.
Joe Gill, Easton, Pa.
The Dixon Line
A die-hard Michigan fan, I watched Oregon's Dennis Dixon (Dennis, Anyone? April14) annihilate my Wolverines last fall. I saw a quarterback with poise,leadership and the ability to take over a game. Any team that was afraid todraft Dixon because of his knee injury is just ignorant.
Jonathan Collar, Sterling Heights, Mich.
Dixon displayedcourage and team-first attitude by risking injury and losing out on theindividual accomplishments in order to help his team try for a championship.That would impress me if I were an NFL scout.
Nick Yoder, Goshen, Ind.
I don't want tohear about how great the facilities are at Oregon. Although it is great forDixon, it stinks for the 20 or so wrestlers who had their program droppedbecause the school wanted to add baseball. Cut down to 10 stainless steelmassage tables, and keep wrestling!
Jeff Hill, Petersburg, Ill.
Equal Time
I cannot believe you printed Andrew B. Williams's response to a PLAYERS poll onathletes' presidential preferences (LETTERS, April 14), in which he said thatpeople vote Republican only if "they are millionaires or they are naive.Professional athletes are both." I wonder if you would have printed aletter that said, "There are only two reasons people ever vote Democrat:They have a sense of entitlement or they do not want to accept responsibilityfor poor choices. Professional athletes demonstrate both?"
James May, Orange Park, Fla.
Branding Irony
I found it funny that Pat Riley is discouraging athletes from brandingthemselves (POINT AFTER, April 14). Riley has his own corporation, Riles &Co., which has trademarked the rights to "three-peat."
Joel Andrew Voss, Williamston, Mich.
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JOHN BIEVER (APRIL 14 COVER)
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MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II/1DEUCE3 PHOTOGRAPHY
