Letters

Tim Tebow may belike Bronko Nagurski now, but someday he'll be the next Billy Graham.
Harry Spratlin, Columbia, S.C.

I am an Oklahomafan, and when I attended the BCS championship game in January, I said more thanonce, "I hate Tim #$%!#$% Tebow." After reading your article (You GottaLove Tim Tebow, July 27) and knowing the impact that guys like him have had onmy own life as a sometimes struggling Christian and recovering drug addict andalcoholic, all I can say is that this world needs more Tim Tebows—OU nemesis ornot.
Jeremy Martin, Tulsa

You gotta loveTim Tebow? I sure don't! His message of literal Christian fundamentalism iswreaking havoc on women, gays and nonbelievers all over the world. How aboutspreading a message of redemption and hope without the religious intolerance?That would be a Tim Tebow I could love!
Michael Rozzen, San Diego

I am a Christian.However, I dislike it when athletes claim God is on their side, as Tebow didbefore the national championship game against Oklahoma. Does God really careabout the outcome of a football game? I think this kind of belief diminishes myGod and heaps inevitable ridicule on my faith.
Roberto Pacheco, Miami

On the Bob TebowEvangelistic Association website, it is estimated that 75% of Filipinos havenever once heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Given that Filipinos are 80% RomanCatholic, the target of the ministry is obvious. And while Bob, Tim's father,may strike a warm, inclusive note in an interview, his own website does not,stating, "We reject the modern ecumenical movement." In other words,when it comes to salvation, Catholics need not apply. Tim is featuredprominently on his father's website. So, no, I don't gotta love Tim Tebow.
Sean O'Brien, Milwaukee

Your storymentions "an embarrassing string of arrests" for the Florida footballteam. In fact, the team has had 24 arrests in the past four years. Until theFlorida players' actions more closely reflect their leader's values, Tebow'sexhortations ring hollow.
Kathryn Schuessler
Mishawaka, Ind.

Now we haveanother quarterback besides Kurt Warner telling us during postgame interviewsthat he owes every great thing that happens for him on a football field to hisfaith in Jesus. I knew there had to be a reason why the Almighty included amute button on my remote control.
Arthur Troyer
Vancouver, Wash.

It was refreshingto see a Christian's faith chronicled so richly and without ridicule.
Lori Arnold, Santee, Calif.

Bring back KennyStabler!
Chris Dyer, San Francisco

Pulling for Ol'Tom

As a seniorcitizen—much more senior than Tom Watson—I was keeping my fingers crossed thathe would be triumphant in the British Open at Turnberry (Heartbreaker, July27). However, Stewart Cink was wonderful, and I feel sorry that he is beingmade to feel as if he rained on Watson's parade. Cink was the winner and a veryworthy one at that.
Joan Galvin, Clearwater, Fla.

In 1996 the U.S.Open was held at Oakland Hills, close to where I live, and I managed to get anote put into Watson's locker, asking if he could call my wife, Patty, an avidgolfer and great fan of his, who was dying of cancer. Tom did call, and hetalked to Patty for 15 minutes, giving her a joyous story to tell until herdeath eight months later. After Turnberry, I sent Tom another note, telling himthat he would always be the greatest champion of all in my household.
Ronald Gries
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

GrowingSupport

I am a truemaize-and-blue fan, but I could not be prouder to have a basketball coach likeMichigan State's Tom Izzo (The Fire Still Burns, July 27) in our state. Theseare hard times in Michigan. Izzo has what every person here looks for in acoach: integrity and compassion.
Dick Trombley, Troy, Mich.

Izzo showed mehis dedication to Detroit during the Stanley Cup finals. I drove five hourswith my son to Pittsburgh to see Game 6, and I thought I was a dedicatedPenguins fan. To my surprise Izzo was sitting right behind me, quietlysupporting the Red Wings. After the Penguins' victory he took the time to speakwith us and have our picture taken with him. Coach Izzo has two fans fromwestern New York.
David Korpiel, Rochester, N.Y.

Your storyneglected to mention a key reason the Spartans had trouble recruiting Detroittalent for years: Michigan booster Ed Martin, who made payments of at least$616,000 in the 1980s and '90s to steer prize recruits to Ann Arbor withproceeds from an illegal gambling operation. The scandal was one of the biggestof its kind in NCAA history, and Tom Izzo and his predecessor, Jud Heathcote,were the primary victims.
Neil Geoghegan
Downingtown, Pa.

Aces on theBases

Albert Chen'sstory on Carl Crawford (The Running Man, July 27) was well done, and the Rays'leftfielder is a great talent. However, any article that discusses basestealingneeds to mention Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury, who is second in the majors.
Will Hausman
Lake Worth, Fla.

Your story quotesthe 2006 book Baseball Between the Numbers as saying that Rickey Henderson's1985 record-setting 130-steal season was only two runs better than PeteIncaviglia's the same year. But Henderson set the record in 1982, andIncaviglia didn't make it to the majors until 1986.
Paul Borelli, Austin

EDITOR'S NOTE:The book, which was quoted inaccurately, correctly makes its comparison betweenHenderson's 1982 season and Incaviglia's rookie season.

Inspiring OneAnother

Thank you forhighlighting the charitable giving of linebacker Ryan Nece (POINT AFTER, July27). As a high school teacher I plan to share this article with my studentsnext month, and I hope a new class of students will do what Nece asks his giftrecipients to do and pay it forward.
Suzanne Sanders
Boca Raton, Fla.

Isn't it amazing?Five minutes ago I never heard of Ryan Nece. Now he's my favorite player in theNFL.
Harry Miller
Lexington, Ky.

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