Letters

After reading Peter King's Super Bowl prediction (Sept. 6) I had to recheck the cover to make sure I wasn't reading the April 1 edition. The Steelers as NFL champs? With Ben Roethlisberger out for a month, a porous O-line and a suspect running game? I don't think so.

David Pandorf, Harrison, Ohio

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Cornering the Market

Peter King wrote that there are only two truly great cornerbacks in the league, Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrelle Revis (Clockwork Football, Sept. 6). What about the reigning defensive player of the year, the Packers' Charles Woodson? He had one of the best seasons a cornerback could have in 2009, and he was a main reason that Green Bay made the playoffs.

Matt Kunes, Osseo, Wis.

For those of us who are old enough to remember the glory days of the middle linebackers (the 1960s and '70s), the Redskins' London Fletcher is this era's version of Mike Curtis (Scouting Reports, Sept. 6). Curtis, who played for Baltimore, Seattle and Washington, was a vicious tackler who was constantly overlooked during the Dick Butkus era, but he was as good as any middle linebacker—just as Fletcher is and has been for the past decade.

Mike Avolio, Carmel, N.Y.

Growing Pains

The idea of an 18-game season is flat-out wrong (POINT AFTER, Sept. 6). It's also extremely dangerous—the NFL's version of Russian roulette—because of the brutal physical demands that are such a huge part of the league. Reckless greed will eventually kill a player on an NFL field.

Brian Thies, Hampton, Iowa

I have a suggestion for giving NFL fans the 18-game season they want without further jeopardizing the health of the players: Make each player ineligible for two games. Besides avoiding additional wear and tear on players, this would keep individual player statistics comparable to those from the 16-game era, give more players from each 53-man roster significant playing time and generate considerable fan interest as coaches ponder when to sit out their stars.

Al Foster, Cedar Knolls, N.J.

The average NFL fan is a hardworking American who puts irreversible stress and strain on him- or herself nearly every day for a lot less money than even the lowest-paid NFL player. At age 29 I have suffered injuries that will have lingering effects, likely for the rest of my life, including concussions. Retirees from physically demanding jobs suffer many of the same physical maladies—knee or hip replacements, chronic back issues, rotator-cuff tears—as retired NFL players but with far less financial security. Although Rich Gannon may be in a constant state of pain at the age of 44, he will never have to work another day.

J.T. Bailey, Hyannis, Mass.

Because NFL owners have an inexhaustible supply of interchangeable parts, they'll only give lip service to player safety.

Norm Vance, Grand Rapids

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