THE MAIL

I am glad to see the NBA has finally taken steps to deal with flopping—I just wish the NFL would do the same. It's outrageous to see players on the field looking for officials to make calls that are not there, claiming that they have been interfered with, pushed or clipped when they clearly haven't. At the very least, flopping should be penalized as unsportsmanlike conduct.

Tom Ray, Woodbridge, Va.

Taking the Fall

I almost fell to the ground laughing at Michael Farber's piece on flopping (SCORECARD). Still, I have one question: How could he write such a fine essay without mentioning the NBA's alltime king of the fake fall, Vlade Divac? During Sacramento's heyday in the early 2000s, Divac undoubtedly coaxed the refs into a few bad calls with his theatrics. If there were Serbian Oscars, he would have won a few of them.

Pete Lee, Roseville, Calif.

Serve and Protect

It's not surprising that most of the players from USC's 2003--05 teams (Lost Boys of Troy) who have had success in the NFL were offensive linemen. Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were allowed to maximize their skills because the O-line gave them plenty of room to operate. That was the key to the Trojans' 34 straight wins.

Dave Smith, Toronto

Sound Familiar?

Something struck me as odd about Jim Trotter's feature on Philip Rivers (The Curious Case of Philip Rivers). An article about an ostensibly good quarterback who hasn't had much postseason success.... Oh, wait. It's the same narrative I hear about 50 times a season here in Dallas. This story just happened to be about someone other than Tony Romo.

William Denton, Dallas

Battle Ground

I was shocked to read your article on the Brooklyn Nets (Hoops Comes Home) and find no mention of the controversy surrounding the team's move to Brooklyn and how so many businesses and homeowners were uprooted through the use of eminent domain to build the Barclays Center. The award-winning documentary The Battle for Brooklyn chronicles the nine-year fight between the locals and developer Bruce Ratner over the Atlantic Yards project, which houses the Nets. Yes, hoops are back in Brooklyn, but not without sacrifice.

Rory Rohde, Hamilton, Va.

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ED HOCHULI

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FEEDBACK

If you could pick one athlete to become President, who would it be?

Bob Beauleau: Ray Lewis. Can you imagine his entrance for the State of the Union address?

Mike Van Vreede: Bubba Watson. We definitely need someone who has a good sense of humor to run the country.

Philip Golas: Metta World Peace, because his name clearly states his mantra.

Nate Confer: Drew Brees. He stood up to Roger Goodell and convinced him to allow his Saints coaches, who are serving a suspension, to attend the game to watch him play [and break Johnny Unitas's record].

Gary Forsee: Pete Rose. He can lie and cheat with the best of them, all the while kicking their butts to keep them in line.

Grant Weaver: Tom Brady. He's proved to be a dedicated and highly motivated leader who is not afraid to act in the heat of battle.

Rafael Cruz Jr.: Tim Tebow. He'd be honest, caring and humble enough to listen to advice.

Eric Johnson: Aaron Rodgers. That dude is absolutely unflappable in the heat of the moment.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

FOR HALLOWEEN, LANCE ARMSTRONG SHOULD DRESS UP AS A 7-TIME TOUR DE FRANCE WINNER.

GUY ENDORE-KAISER (@GUYENDOREKAISER)

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