19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

O. J. ALL THE WAY?
Sirs:
You'll forgive me if I chuckle a little about your story (The Face-off That Never Was, Oct. 14) on O. J. Simpson running "at, inside of, around or over the top of Hendricks." Now, I'm not anti-O. J. As a matter of fact, I'm not even pro- Miami, though I do believe the 30-0 victory over LSU was a little better reflection of Miami's ability than the 28-3 loss to USC.

The point I would like to make, gentlemen, is that Dan Jenkins failed to make his point, and so did your picture sequence showing O. J. cutting inside of Hendricks. On this particular play, it is Hendricks' job to force O. J. inside and not let him turn the corner, which is exactly what the sequence shows him doing. The tackles and linebackers were at fault for the big gain that ensued.

But if it was picture sequences you wanted, how about the play on which Hendricks pursued O. J. across the field and caught him from behind for a loss?

These, I believe, were the only two times in the game the two came anywhere near each other, because films of the game clearly show O. J. running away from—not directly at—Hendricks at least 80% of the time.

To me, the remarkable thing about the game was not that O. J. crunched out his usual 163 yards. Anyone who carries the ball 38 times in one game is bound to gain a good deal of yardage. To me, the remarkable thing was that Hendricks, playing for a team that lost 28-3, was named the outstanding lineman of the game by covering sportswriters. Apparently, some other writers saw a few things that Mr. Jenkins failed to see.
DAVID S. HEEREN
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Sirs:
It is apparent that Mr. Jenkins and I saw two different football games Saturday night in the Los Angeles Coliseum, although the score bears mute testimony to the outcome. O. J. Simpson is the finest running back in college football today, notwithstanding Mr. Jenkins' Heisman Trophy pandering.

My point, briefly, is that I do not think the score of this game necessarily tells the whole story, and, as was evident from the newspapers and Coach McKay's television show, this was a much harder game than either the score or Mr. Jenkins indicated. Furthermore, Mr. Jenkins' description of Hendricks' play, and the pictures run with it are not necessarily true indicators of the performance seen. Would it have been, for example, as fair to have run a picture of Simpson losing two yards against the left side of Miami's defensive line (as he did) and then suggest that Leroy Keyes is the only candidate for the Heisman Trophy?

I have in general found your reporting of sports events to be adequate, always reserving the right to see with my own eyes and then compare, and this article did justice to neither a fine athlete, as Hendricks is, nor to a fine runner, as Simpson is.
STEPHEN A. KOTZEN, M.D.
San Diego

SHOT IN THE ARM
Sirs:
It seems incongruous that Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain were allowed to pitch in the World Series after both received shots of pain-killing drugs, yet Dancer's Image was disqualified as winner of the Kentucky Derby for a similar offense.

Where does the sports world draw the line?
A. B. ANDREA
New York