Letters
I watched Andrew Bynum play in the 2005 McDonald's All-American game and was shocked to see such a highly touted player be so incompetent on defense. Even his coach seemed incredulous at Bynum's inability to move from one side of the key to the other. Looking at him play defense now and seeing the impact he's made with the Lakers is amazing.
Ron Haramia, South Bend
Thank you for your article on Bynum (Work in Progress, April 25). Usually you just read about his injuries and missed games, but this revealed new things, like the fact that he is an engineering and computer whiz. Now I appreciate him even more.
Steve Shaevel
Woodland Hills, Calif.
Hall Monitors
While I do find Bob Costas amusing at times, I found his reasoning behind Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire's not getting into the Hall of Fame (JUST MY TYPE, April 25) completely asinine. Once a cheater, always a cheater, in my opinion—and that goes for everyone. If it were up to me none of them would get in, not even Alex Rodriguez.
Dave Lidster, Chatham, Ont.
I agree with Costas regarding the genuine Hall of Fame careers of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds versus those of the pretenders like McGwire and Sosa. Bonds was the greatest hitter of his time and Clemens the greatest pitcher. It's pretty clear that they both would have been Hall of Famers in any era. Fans often canonize the great players from the 1950s and '60s, when the game was considered "pure." However, without Bonds and Clemens the story of baseball would not be complete.
Liz Ciancone, Terre Haute, Ind.
Running on Empty
I often feel like fans miss out on a great experience by not paying more attention to spring games in college football. So when I read that Alabama set a new spring-game attendance record at Bryant-Denny Stadium (LEADING OFF, April 25) with 92,310 fans, it seemed pretty cool. But looking at your picture, I started to wonder where the heck everybody was.
Joe Kroeger, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
If your photo from the spring game is any indication of the commitment of Alabama fans, then I have to question how full the stands will be if the Tide stumbles at all this season.
Scott Beckett, Denver
EDITOR'S NOTE: SI received more than 200 letters questioning the accuracy of Alabama's spring-game attendance figure based on the LEADING OFF photo. The picture was taken by Bob Rosato late in the fourth quarter when most of the fans had left.
Ginger Bias
I'm glad Peter King didn't identify the coach who before the draft was fretting about the color of TCU quarterback Andy Dalton's hair (The Quarterback Quandary, April 25). Was this guy serious in wondering if there was ever a successful redheaded QB? I'd truly be embarrassed if I coached in the NFL and didn't know who Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen is.
Dane Bowerman, Enola, Pa.
Lock Down
I've enjoyed watching my eight-year-old son devour everything related to Jake Locker (Was It Worth the Wait? April 25). My son may never be able to run or pass like a quarterback, but hopefully when he falls on hard times, he'll remember how Locker stuck it out with the Huskies.
D. J. Dorey, Wenatchee, Wash.
First-timers
I enjoyed Phil Taylor's column about the rivalry between Giants and Athletics fans (POINT AFTER, April 25). As I was reading it, however, I thought he would at least make some mention of the fact that the A's have won four World Series championships, including a sweep of the Giants in 1989, as opposed to the lone title won by the guys in San Francisco. Many of us A's fans are just smiling and shaking our heads at the Giants ongoing, beat-it-to-death celebration of its one championship.
Paul Brekke-Miesner, Oakland
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SI Alabama Relief Auction
In an effort to assist those affected by the tornadoes in the South last month, SI will be holding an online auction through May 24 at CharityBuzz.com/SportsIllustrated, where you can bid on iconic Neil Leifer photos and SI cover posters that depict the storied history of Alabama football. All proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross's disaster relief efforts in the region.
TWO PHOTOS