Your turn

Sporting News, The, March 15, 2004

* Everyone makes a big deal out of all the signings made by the Cubs and Red Sox, but come October they won't even be in the World Series. The curses will continue. My early bet is the Yankees and the Braves in the World Series.

Rene C. Garcia, San Antonio

* The Cubs have put together a pretty good team, but they will never get to the World Series until they get rid of Sammy Sosa, the most overrated player in baseball, and Moises Alou, who is over the hill.

Dwaine Bubke, Ida Grove, Iowa

* Thank you, Dan Pompei. Finally, someone has the courage to give Philip Rivers the credit so rightfully deserves (TSN, March1). Yes, Eli Manning has the name and the pedigree. But for any NFL team that wants a natural-born leader with great field vision and passion for the game--and whose teammates believe in him unconditionalty--Philip Rivers is your man.

Tommy Buxton, Raleigh, N.C.

* Finally, someone agrees with me that Roy Williams is the best receiver in the draft (TSN, March 8). Whichever team drafts Williams will have a quality go-to player.

Emilio Alvarez, Austin, Texas

* For every athlete who leaves college early for the pros, a spot opens for a bona fide student-athlete to take his place. Don't expect me shed a tear for Maurice Clarett and others like him. If Clarett fails as a pro and doesn't have the ambition to finish school on his own, that's his choice. The only real losers will be the suckers who draft these athletes and make them millionaires before they have proved anything.

Tony Murdaugh, Islandton, S.C.

* Dave Kindred uses fuzzy math to try to convince us that the Yankees don't have a significant advantage (TSN, March 1). One of his arguments is that, in the past five years, seven different teams have reached the World Series. What Kindred fails to tell us is that the Yankees were there four times in that period and no other team made it more than once. A 4-1 advantage over the competition shows domination in my book.

Ken Nichol, Tarpon Springs, Fla.

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