19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

HEMINGWAY
Sir:
I commend SPORTS ILLUSTRATED for printing An African Betrayal (May 5) by Ernest Hemingway. This touching story-within-a-story depicts the majesty of an aging elephant, the uncertainty of a young man and the somewhat callous attitude of two hunters in a manner that exemplifies Hemingway at his best.

Walt Spitzmiller's portraits of Hemingway are utterly magnificent and his illustrations of the story itself inspiring. My hat is off to Spitzmiller and SI for capturing and furthering the legend of Hemingway.
TIMOTHY G. ORLANDO
Warren, Mich.

Sir:
Thank you for the Ernest Hemingway story. I attended the same high school ( Oak Park and River Forest) and wrote for the same high school newspaper (Trapeze) that Hemingway did and have always been intrigued by his life and his works. It's a great pleasure to see Papa's ursine portrait on the cover of your magazine.
ANTHONY GARGIULO JR.
River Forest, Ill.

Sir:
An African Betrayal was a delight to read. But Walt Spitzmiller's superb paintings went beyond words. I think Papa would have felt upstaged.
RICHARD PATTON
San Diego

Sir:
I eagerly awaited the delivery of your May 5 issue. I thought for sure that this would be the week that hockey would grace your cover. To my astonishment, I gazed at a deceased author and an elephant.

Have the elephant-hunting playoffs started already?
MARK RUBIN
Yonkers, N.Y.

HOCKEY PLAYOFFS
Sir:
In the article on the NHL playoffs (Shock After Shock After..., May 5), E.M. Swift stated that it was a shock for Calgary to be winning games in the series with the Oilers. But if you outplay, outhustle, outgoalie and out-intimidate another team as the Flames did against the Oilers, how can it be a shock when you win?
BOB HEALEY JR.
Glenolden, Pa.

Sir:
According to the hockey experts, the Edmonton Oilers were supposed to be one of the greatest teams of alltime. They were bound to win the Stanley Cup year after year.

If they played in the Patrick Division, I think the Oilers would have a hard time making the playoffs. Maybe now these so-called experts will realize how great the four-time champion New York Islanders really were.
BOB MEIXNER
Vernon, N.J.

DOMINIQUE
Sir:
It was a nice change of pace seeing Dominique Wilkins on your April 28 cover (Dominique Had Himself A Picnique), instead of the same old NBA faces we've seen all season. The sudden, unexpected success of this year's Atlanta Hawks has been a sheer delight to their devoted fans, who (along with the rest of the country) have discovered how much excitement this young team has to offer.