Letters

David Robinson may have been blessed with size and talent, but his values are what I respect the most.
—DAN EASTMAN, Baton Rouge

No Clear Consensus
The NBA lost me this year, but David Robinson's account of the NBA Finals almost makes me want to become a fan again (Mission Accomplished, July 5). If only there were more players with his we-not-me attitude.
BRAD PETERSON, Hershey, Pa.

While there is nothing wrong with Robinson's enjoying his well-deserved moment in the spotlight, some perspective is in order. Beating an eighth-seeded, centerless team in a lockout-shortened season should dictate that he keep the gloating to a minimum.
JACK BUNGART, Napa, Calif.

I was disappointed in Robinson after reading his article about the Spurs' victory in the Finals. He has always exhibited maturity and professionalism during his 10 years in the league. However, the substance and tone of his article was that of a defensive adolescent who needed to say "take that" to his real or imagined detractors.
LAWRENCE A. THOMAS, Minneapolis

History Seminar
Thanks to John Schulian for his wonderful story of Bailey Santistevan and the lessons he taught on the diamond to the boys in Bingham Canyon, Utah (Bailey's Boys, July 5). Many American men think back with great fondness on their boyhood baseball days. I wish there were a Bailey Santistevan coaching in every town in the U.S.
CHAD V. BLANKENBURG, Charlotte

It's too bad that places like Bingham Canyon don't survive to provide us with a living piece of history and a tribute to the past.
WILLIAM HALLIGAN, Englewood, Colo.

The article batted 3 for 4 in my book. It hit my heart, my mind and my memory. I counted 118 boys in the picture on pages 70-71, and it was then that I wondered about the girls who also lived in that grim mining town.
ROBERT ROSS, Hendersonville, N.C.

Life of the Party
In your SCORECARD item entitled Party Towns (July 5), you failed to mention Green Bay after the 1997 Super Bowl. Thousands lined the streets for the parade in the cold and snow, and 60,790-seat Lambeau Field was full for the ceremony. All this in a city of about 100,000 people. That means Green Bay easily topped the attendance percentages in the cities you listed.
HARIS EHLAND, Mary Esther, Fla.

The Detroit Red Wings swept the Stanley Cup Finals two years in a row. After the Wings did so in 1997, their parade drew one million people. In '98 they topped that by drawing 1.2 million people. The most recent U.S. census figures put the population of the Motor City at 970,000. Doesn't that mean that both parades attracted more than 100% of the city's population?
ED SHEDLOCK, Howell, Mich.

Not Much Sympathy
I'm devastated that Willy Voet must take pills to help him sleep through those haunting thoughts of jail (Drug Pedaling, July 5). Perhaps if he hadn't been up to his ears in illegal drug trafficking for 20 years, he might not suffer from insomnia. Also, I doubt Voet would have felt compelled to "cleanse his conscience" regarding drug use in the Tour de France if he hadn't been caught.
JOHN DOCHERTY JR., Castleton, N.Y.