Letters

The only thing that was worse than the Marty McSorley stick-swinging incident was the defensive attitude that the NHL assumed.
—Ron Orlandini, Parlin, N.J.

Missing in Action
I commend you for writing a cover story about the National League Central's offensive potency (Home Run Central, March 6), but in the course of deifying the Ken Griffey—Mark McGwire—Sammy Sosa triumvirate, you neglected two other well-respected power hitters in the division, Jeff Bagwell and Moises Alou of the Houston Astros. You mention Bagwell only in passing and list Alou in a chart but never give either his props. Houston has made it to the playoffs each of the past three seasons. In that period McGwire's St. Louis Cardinals haven't been there at all, and Sosa's Chicago Cubs only once.
Larry Schooler, New Haven, Conn.

Juco Booster
Grant Wahl's article about junior college basketball was right on target (Where the Stars Don't Shine, March 6). As an assistant coach at a juco, I have made those long road trips—stopping to eat at gas stations and everyone's favorite, Wendy's—countless times. I am convinced that student-athletes who enroll in junior colleges gain a better understanding of responsibility away from home, self-discipline and a stronger appreciation for hard work.
Brian Anderson
Men's Assistant Basketball Coach
Truett-McConnell College
Cleveland, Ga.

Proud Parents
We have been waiting for our son, A.J. Sehorn, to appear in your magazine, and there he is in the March 6 issue (LEADING OFF) in a beautiful shot from the Swatch Wave Tour 2000 event held in Long Beach, Calif. The trouble is, you misidentified him! The name written in the caption is Jeff Hubbard, but the surfer in the photo is A.J., who is 14 years old and one of the hottest amateur surfers on the planet.
Erin and Al Sehorn, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Stilted Coverage
I had the pleasure and honor of being the press agent for Wilt Chamberlain when he first moved to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers (SCORECARD, March 6). He was as gracious a gentleman as you could find and always respected the rights of others. Was it necessary to print the article on his run-in with TWA 27 years after it happened? It would be better to let your readers always think of him as the great humanitarian and athlete that he was.
David Mirisch, La Costa, Calif.

Fighting Words
I was disappointed with Kostya Kennedy's article on stick violence in hockey (SCORECARD, March 6). I agree that the number of players injured by sticks is frightening and disheartening. Action needs to be taken to keep sticks on the ice where they belong. I do not feel, however, that denigrating an entire sport and all players in the NHL is helpful. There are many skilled players, both amateur and professional, who play for the love of the game and not for the opportunity to hurt someone. Would I want my son playing this sport? I do, and he does. Do I believe there's a problem that needs fixing? Absolutely! Do articles like these help in any way? Not at all.
Rebecca Cooper, Clarksville, Md.

Kennedy nails it, denouncing the Marty McSorley ambush as a logical outcome of the NHL-endorsed culture of violence. But earlier in the same issue you published a photo spread of Toronto Maple Leaf Tie Domi engaged in the activity that is his only reason for being in the NHL: fighting (LEADING OFF, March 6). The official is clearly seen watching the brawling as if he were a WWF shill, and you provide a cute little headline for the picture: "Blood Tie." You can't, or shouldn't, have it both ways.
John Burghardt, Toronto

Golden Couple
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf might be a "sweat marriage," but check out another fantastic power coupling (SCORECARD, Feb. 28): Marion Jones and her husband, C.J. Hunter. If everything goes as planned, they should have six Olympic gold medals when all is done in Sydney, Jones in the 100 meters, the 200, the 4 x 100 relay, the 4 x 400 and the long jump, and Hunter in the shot put.
Spencer Lasky, Evanston, Ill.

Russian Revolutionary
By stating that Slava Fetisov was "the Jackie Robinson" of hockey, you mistakenly implied that in 1989 he was the first Russian to appear in the NHL (Boris Good Enough? Feb. 28). In fact, seven years earlier Victor Nechaev played three games for the Los Angeles Kings and even made the score sheet by tallying a goal against the New York Rangers on Oct. 17, 1982.
Nick Rose, Newport Beach, Calif.

Jackie and Zoe Ann
You omitted my favorite couple: Jackie Jensen and Zoe Ann Olsen (above). He was an All-America fullback at California and a major league outfielder, primarily with the Boston Red Sox. She was an Olympic diving medalist.
Buck Jerzy, Detroit