Letters

Reilly's ridicule of Rosie O'Donnell's appearance is just as prejudiced as the Tomahawk Chop he condemns.
—PETER KISSEL, Washington, D.C.

Second Time Around
After hearing about Sean Elliott's kidney transplant last year, my first thought was not whether Elliott would return to basketball but how could he possibly have played as well as he did with virtually no kidney function (Scarred but Not Scared, Jan. 31)? Before I received a kidney from my younger brother seven years ago, I could barely make it up and down a few stairs without collapsing from exhaustion, much less run up and down a basketball court. I felt 10 years younger the day after I had my surgery. Elliott will be an even greater ballplayer than he was before his transplant. Popovich, let the man play!
DEB HOBART, Novi, Mich.

Whenever I see patients awaiting kidney transplants, I tell them that it is our intention to return them to normal life—working, traveling or doing any of the things that they enjoy doing. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is being shortsighted in attempting to prevent Elliott from returning to the team. Anyone who had the determination and strength to play NBA ball while on the verge of dialysis should be able to return to the lineup in short order after a transplant.
THOMAS DIFLO, M.D.
Director of Kidney Transplantation
NYU Medical Center
New York City

Sean, you're a great player, and the Spurs need you. But please listen to Popovich and Avery Johnson. Your brother gave you a kidney so you could enjoy a healthy life. We all love the sport of basketball, but the game is not more important than maintaining your health.
PAUL R. FORAN, Saco, Maine

The Defense Rests
I chuckled when I read Rick Reilly's comparison of the Super Bowl in Atlanta to having a honeymoon in Wichita Falls, Texas (THE LIFE OF REILLY, Jan. 31). Having watched the game, undoubtedly the most exciting Super Bowl ever, it only reconfirms how much I enjoyed my honeymoon in Wichita Falls 20 years ago.
SCOTT TERRY, Tyler, Texas

Everybody knows we Atlantans prefer Waffle House 3-to-1 over Shoney's.
JERRY IRELAND, Atlanta

Teaming Up
We applaud Ron Mix's efforts to make a difference in the lives of NFL Hall of Famers who are experiencing financial difficulties (SCORECARD, Jan. 31). As former players in the National Football League, we, too, want to assist NFL players and their families by helping to prevent financial hardship. That's the reason why we created MONY's Sports Financial Services. Our program gives players the tools needed to make sound decisions and encourages them to take action regarding their financial matters. We provide educational, nonpromotional presentations on various financial topics. We also provide mentoring, college-outreach, corporate-internship and career-transition programs to help players prepare for life after their playing days. Thank you for reminding your readers that a player may be in the Hall of Fame and still be "scratching out a living." Our experience shows us that this problem is not limited to Hall of Fame inductees.
GEORGE D. MARTIN, HARRY CARSON, SANTO S. STEPHENS, TIM WATSON, THOMAS A. LEWIS
Sports Financial Services
New York City

Poor Ron Mix. The thought of him and other Hall of Famers having to struggle to make a living like everyone else breaks my heart. The idea that he and other Canton inductees might need to get a job after their football careers ended is so profound that it should come as no surprise to everyone else that the thought never entered their minds. To cry poverty after a Hall of Fame career is absurd.
JASON LUCIANI, Riverdale, N.J.

What Controversy?
In the SI VIEW section of your Jan. 31 issue you jump on Fox for not mentioning the controversial instant-replay call of Bert Emanuel's non-catch in the network's postgame report on the NFC tide game. However, you failed to mention it yourself in the article about the game (The Clutch). It looks as if Emanuel wasn't the only one to drop the ball.
MIKE JOYNER, Estero, Fla.

No Points for Scorers
The title of your article on Pavel Bure says it best: He's just another Hot Shot (Jan. 31). He's the same as Jaromir Jagr, Paul Kariya and Sergei Fedorov. Talented goal scorers? Yes. Exciting hockey players? Not in my opinion. Give me the talent and brawn of Keith Tkachuk, Brendan Shanahan, Jeremy Roenick and Eric Lindros, and I'll give you an exciting hockey game.
MATT MURPHY, Cincinnati