Letters

Thanks for the cover story on the Giants' amazing World Series win. When Brian Wilson blew strike three past Nelson Cruz, tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I thought about my dad being a 13-year-old kid when the Giants first came to San Francisco and about the decades of futility and agonizing near-misses since then. A great big hole in the collective souls of Giants fans everywhere has just closed up.

David Picconi, Toms River, N.J.

Tom Verducci wrote a wonderful article on the Giants' young pitchers (Giant Moment, Nov. 8), but I was disappointed that he failed to mention the tremendous job that rookie catcher Buster Posey did handling them. Posey's performance was remarkable considering he didn't join the team until the end of May and didn't become a starter until Bengie Molina was traded to the Rangers in June.

Van Moeller, Rodeo, Calif.

Am I the only one thrilled with the Giants' victory simply because Barry Bonds wasn't part of the team? No performance-enhancing drugs, only rally thongs, gleeful castoffs and dyed beards. Our national pastime is regenerating its roots.

Thomas Meachum

Palm Harbor, Fla.

Your story about the World Series references the 1956 Yankees as the last team to have so many "homegrown starters in a World Series that young." The author includes Bob Turley and Dan—which should be Don—Larsen in his list. Actually, both Turley and Larsen were members of the 1954 Orioles before joining the Yankees. Although they were not homegrown, they were still examples of superb scouting talent.

Mike Strong, York, Pa.

Common Interests

I enjoyed Austin Murphy's article on coach Kyle Whittingham and the Utah football program (The Right Call, Nov. 8). However, Murphy's suggestion that the similarity between the Utes and BYU (merely their shared Mormonism) should mitigate their rivalry is naive. Rivals aren't rivals because they're different; rivals are rivals because they're the same. Does Murphy also think that the shared values of the American military should lessen the famed Army-Navy football rivalry because the schools have a "common cause"?

Paul W. Brennan, New York City

My first thought after hearing Utah would be leaving the Mountain West to join the Pac-10 was concern about what will happen to its rivalry with BYU. Hopefully it will remain intact for years to come.

Brynn Park

American Fork, Utah

Passing Grades

The great quarterbacks mentioned in Tim Layden's fine piece (The Art of the Pass, Nov. 8) owe a debt of thanks to football's first great passer, Hall of Famer Benny Friedman. Friedman revolutionized the game in the 1920s and '30s with his unprecedented accuracy. As Knute Rockne said of Friedman's talent, "He's so good he could hit a dime at 40 yards."

Murray Greenberg

Hewlett Harbor, N.Y.

Your article on what separates a "good quarterback" from an "alltime master" was an excellent counterpoint to the author's previous story on the running game (Crash Course, Aug. 23). As with all great artists, the masters of the passing game bring something to their craft that goes beyond physical skills. Layden calls it an "elusive ultimate measure" of the passer. Others might call it "genius."

Jim Wilken, Marion, N.C.

Eternal Flame

Bulls center Joakim Noah (The Fire Inside, Nov. 8) epitomizes what Generation X is all about. He doesn't play by the rules and he keeps on fighting until he succeeds, regardless of situation. Throw in that snarky tongue of his and you've really got something special.

Tyler Workman

Provo, Utah

If the majority of players in the NBA played with Noah's intensity there would not be so many empty seats in the arenas at regular season games.

Lee Koppelman

Hackensack, N.J.

Taking a Stand

After reading Selena Roberts's story on the controversy at Silsbee High (POINT AFTER, Nov. 8), I really believe that the rest of the cheerleading squad should have supported H.S. in her protest against her alleged attacker. It would have made quite a statement if Rakheem Bolton heard nothing but silence each time he went to the foul line. While the actions of the school's administration aren't surprising to me, the lack of support by the other cheerleaders is. A missed opportunity to support one of their own.

Bruce Kaplan

Southampton, N.J.

If the school had allowed H.S. to protest during the game, it would have been unfair to the basketball players and the other cheerleaders who were also participating. Parents and fans would wonder why she wasn't cheering for that one particular player, and the focus would have shifted from the game to the controversy.

Samuel Miller, Seattle

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AL TIELEMANS (COVER)

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