19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

PAGE THE GIPPER
Sirs:
As an old Iowa fan who is now a student at the University of Illinois, I need a lot of prodding to feel sentimental about Notre Dame, but Dan Jenkins' article (That Legend Is Loose Again, Nov. 7), did it. His short history of Notre Dame tradition and his description of the present-day campus was a delight to read. The bit about Christ's raised arms indicating "six points" really got me. Though it pains me to admit it, modern college football seems to start and end at Notre Dame. If coaches like Parseghian and Ray, and players like Hanratty, Seymour, Eddy and Conjar, keep popping up in South Bend, it looks like Notre Dame's future will be at least as great as its past.
JEFF MERRICK
Urbana, Ill.

Sirs:
Congratulations to Dan Jenkins on recapturing some of that elusive and long dormant Notre Dame spirit. But why did Dan fail to give the figure of Christ in the huge mosaic on the library the name by which He is best known to all students and alumni—"Touchdown Jesus"? Was he afraid of offending ND alumni?
JOHN B. POWERS
Manhasset, N.Y.

Sirs:
Dan Jenkins has done a beautiful job. His story was a joy to read. Even those who are not, or were not, Notre Dame fans should have felt a slight tingle. Three cheers for the Notre Dame spirit and legend from a Notre Dame fan.
INEZ LOPEZ
Espanola, N. Mex.

Sirs:
We note with interest that SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is now a fiction magazine. Granted that Hanratty and Seymour are talented sophomores, don't you feel they're a bit untested to have them casting shadows as great as those from the Golden Dome?

Your Biblical prophet Ara Parseghian and his Irish will need all the touchdowns that Christ can signal when they enter Spartan Stadium November 19. There are 22 Spartans eager to prove this Notre Dame legend a myth. Any bets on the national champion?
DAVID F. SPALDING
CHRIS A. McAFEE
East Lansing, Mich.

Sirs:
Your article has established the fact that Jim Seymour and Terry Hanratty are immortals. The gods of Olympus were immortals, too. They were never defeated in battle, but they never fought the Spartans, either. I wish your legend good luck against MSU on November 19.
ROY M. DALES
East Lansing, Mich.

Sirs:
It is pleasant to read about a football team that can do more than wave a rebel flag, that doesn't boast about beating Louisiana Tech and that doesn't own a big-mouthed Bear.
DICK ELLERS
Covington, Ky.

WANDERING JUE
Sirs:
In your scouting report on the Lakers (Oct. 24) in which you mentioned their move to Inglewood next year, you implied that Inglewood is the home of the topless pizza joints. As Assistant City Engineer for Inglewood and one who knows the precise location of the boundary line, I conducted a scouting trip of my own.

With a gluttonous appetite for pizzas as well as the finer points of life, I was motivated to visit all of the local topless joints in the interest of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. Satiated with seven pizzas, a corned-beef sandwich and a Tootsie Roll, I wearily report that all topless pizza joints, or topless joints of any kind in this district, are located outside the city limits of Inglewood. In fact, the most renowned one in the area is located in that shrinking Sports Capital of the West, the city of Los Angeles.
R. KENNETH JUE
Inglewood, Calif.

FOWL PLAY
Sirs:
My congratulations to Duncan Barnes and SI for the fine article on the ultimate dangers of feeding migrating ducks and geese (Please Don't Feed the Waterfowl, Oct. 31). I wonder if the U.S. hunters who strongly advocate baiting realize that, if it were legal to feed ducks in Canada and enough money were available, we could keep 75% of the ducks that now migrate to the southern U.S. right here in Canada all winter long. Then these so-called sportsmen might really have something to cry about.