19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

Few people cry out to ban these sports, but I believe statistics would probably show boxing to be rather tame by comparison.
TOM PRELOVSKY
JOE VASS
DAVE ROEHLER
Allentown, Pa.

Sir:
The tragic outcome of the Mancini-Kim bout raises many important philosophical questions about the future of boxing. Of practical import, however, was your noting that Kim ingested "large amounts of garlic and ginseng as part of his training regimen. Garlic is known to cause abnormalities in blood coagulation, specifically in the blood platelet function. These abnormalities can inhibit proper platelet aggregation and may predispose a person to bleeding. There is no doubt that repeated blows to the head can cause a cerebral hemorrhage such as that which occurred in Kim's case. Also, there is no way of knowing whether the extent of the damage could have been reduced if garlic hadn't been part of the training regimen. It makes sense, however, to avoid any agents that may impair blood coagulation before engaging in a sporting event where head trauma is likely.
STEVEN B. NEWMAN, M.D.
SARA M. NEELY, M.D.
Chicago

L.A. GAMES
Sir:
Ray Kennedy's article on Peter Ueberroth, president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (Miser With a Midas Touch, Nov. 22), was very inspiring. It's good to know that someone in this country can balance a budget. Although Ueberroth claims to have no political ambitions, all I can say is that if he should ever run for President or any other political office, I'd surely vote for him.
SHAUN GREENE
Roseville, Calif.

Sir:
As a taxpaying citizen of Los Angeles, I'm deeply indebted to Peter Ueberroth for his attempt to have a fiscally conservative Summer Olympics.
PAUL SHAPIRO
Reseda, Calif.

Sir:
I was elated as I read Ray Kennedy's article about Peter Ueberroth and the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. However, I was distressed to find that certain topics, such as the possibility of a Soviet and/ or black African boycott, the probability of massive traffic jams and the effect climatic conditions—intense Heat and smog—could have on the athletes, weren't even mentioned in the article. You did briefly comment that Soviet officials, among others from the Eastern Bloc, consider these games a capitalistic production.

Perhaps in a subsequent article, Ueberroth could discuss in detail how he intends to cope with these very real problems. And after he has done so, I then wonder if he will still believe that "this city is going to celebrate the Games. They will become a rallying point of pride in this country."
GREG FERNBACHER
Berkeley, Calif.

BAUGHMAN'S GEESE
Sir:
Michael Baughman's article A Flight of Innocents (Nov. 22) was excellent. I've never hunted the famous Canada goose, and I doubt that I shall. However, years ago, as a young boy in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, I hunted wild turkey, as had my father and my grandfather, so the article had a very special meaning. I also hunted until I had my "bag," and then, like Baughman, I felt a letdown, a feeling of remorse.
F.M. HOLMES JR.
Aiea, Hawaii

Sir:
What Michael Baughman didn't realize in his attempt to bag a Canada goose was that he had stumbled upon the huge flock that has since moved in to contaminate Winged Foot Golf Club in New York's Westchester County. Would he be good enough to come here with Hilde, Otto and his gun to disperse them if the artificial swans recently resorted to don't work?
GEORGE C. GAFFNEY
New York City

Sir:
Michael Baughman's ability to say so much with so few words has always amazed me. I have been a fan of his short articles for years. His longer effort, A Flight of Innocents, was a pleasure to read and again proved his skill to move and entertain the reader.
JERRY McNERNEY
Woodburn, Ore.

NOMINATIONS (CONT.)
Sir:
Julius Erving for Sportsman of the Year. Why? Because Wayne Gretzky, Jimmy Connors, Joe Montana, Mary Decker Tabb, Martina Navratilova, Alberto Salazar, the Mahre twins, Herschel Walker, Paolo Rossi, JoAnne Carner and the Rev. John Lo Schiavo can't grab a quarter off the top of a backboard. As you may have noticed, these were the nominees mentioned in your Nov. 29 issue (19TH HOLE). Except, that is, for Ralph Sampson, my second choice.
J. JASON APPLETON
Hanover, N.H.