Letters

A Blizzard of Money
Living in Abilene, along I-70, I figure the traffic going west to the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City will be heavy. I am requesting an appropriation from Congress to build a bathroom addition to my home to accommodate weary travelers. This is an urgent matter that needs immediate attention with the Games so close at hand. I believe it'll take $5,000 for the main construction and another $500 for one of those government toilet seats.
Charlie Gatschet, Abilene, Kans.

Orrin Hatch is the epitome of what is wrong with our politicians. This nominal conservative says he wants to reduce government, yet he is in favor of everything from the drug war to the excessive spending on the Olympics cited in your article. The rich businessmen who have access to him are given more money, while those who seek to protect the environment are vilified. This welfare for the rich must end.
Tom Arth, West Plains, Mo.

Can one continue to wonder why the U.S. is seen in such a poor light by those of lesser means, both at home and abroad? The avidity of the already rich and the obscene political corruption associated with events leading up to the Olympics can only be described as repulsive.
Doug Lindley, Ottawa

You pulled your own snow job by including a decade-overdue freeway renovation and a light rail system as Olympic expenses. Money for these projects was coming to Salt Lake City even without the Games, as it is for similar projects in cities across the country. When you subtract the expense of these two items, your estimate of federal dollars spent on the Olympics drops by more than half! It sounds as if you're practicing the same suspicious accounting practices of which you accuse the Salt Lake City organizers.
Stephen F. Neeley, Providence, Utah

SLOC stands for Spend Loads of Cash at the expense of American taxpayers.
Geoff Norman, Springfield, Ore.

Auto Adultery
I, too, have another love that my wife tolerates (THE LIFE OF REILLY, Dec. 10). She's petite, with smooth white skin, gorgeous curves and looks great with her top off. She even has a name: Barbie. She's a 1990 Miata. I'm removing the FOR SALE sign today. Tell Rick Reilly thanks for bringing me to my senses.
Brian Arnold, Rowlett, Texas

At what point am I supposed to feel sorry for Reilly—the point at which he owns the 1961 Vette or the point at which he has to trade it in for a new Lexus? Like a lot of your subscribers I don't have enough money to even look at either car. Perhaps I'll go pick up a Road & Track at the bookstore and see if it's got a worthwhile column about sports to read on its back page.
Nick Georgandis, Houston

Money for Nothing?
Is Broncos linebacker John Mobley serious (SCORECARD, Dec. 10)? His comment that lumberjack competitions are not a sport because "they've got to do that to make a living" is ridiculous. Unless he's got a second job, doesn't Mobley have to play football to make a living?
Andrea Beer, Kenosha, Wis.

Teammates in Opposition
You often spotlight spoiled athletes and make me wonder about all the greed in sports, but the four paragraphs Albert Chen wrote about Warrick Dunn's helping a single mother obtain a house (SCORECARD, Dec. 10) showed me what an outstanding person he is. More athletes should take note of Dunn's contributions. His teammate Keyshawn Johnson, who in the same issue (INSIDE THE NFL) referred to the perfect day off as "Anything that makes me money," should get a life!
Len Maiolatesi Jarrettsville, Md.

Linked
I enjoyed "The Strongest Link" by Ivan Maisel (INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL, Dec. 10) featuring the Florida Gators' chain crew. On the Washington Redskins' chain crew, Lewis Randolph Clark Sr. pulled the chains for 30 years. He passed the stick to his son, Randy, who held it for 29 years before retiring after the 1997 season. His daughter Jennifer inherited the job and has been the chain gang's crew chief since '98. Randy did briefly substitute for Jennifer during this past season while she was attending to the birth of her first child. Jennifer returned to the chain gang on Dec. 2 and looks forward to handing off to a fourth generation on the Redskins' chain gang, her son, Conor.
Alex Hein, Arlington, Va.