Voice of the Fan

Sporting News, The, August 23, 1999

Choice voice `What Barry Sanders did is not called retiring (TSN, August 9). It's called quitting.'

--Tracy Bloom Santa Monica, Calif.

Getting some respect

I commend you on your two articles regarding the University of Arizona (TSN, August 9)--Kyle Veltrop's story on Arizona's quarterbacks and Mike DeCourcy's column on freshman point guard Jason Gardner. Most sportswriters only associate West Coast college sports with UCLA, yet Arizona has continually finished ahead of the Bruins in both the basketball and football polls.

Bravo to TSN for finally showing Arizona a little respect. It has been a long time coming.

Jason Shontz Peoria, Ariz.

Bad call

Regarding the picture you chose to run in the July 26 issue to illustrate Nolan Ryan's long career (the one of him fighting Robin Ventura in 1993): What's wrong with you?

Bill Kelley Arcadia, Calif.

High praise

As a reader of many years who invested 35 years in teaching and coaching athletics, thank you for the solid, truthful and critical reporting of college athletics. Dave Kindred, Paul Attner and other staff members set a quality standard of reporting and for asking the hard questions that local media types are afraid to do.

I appreciate the serious efforts of TSN when reporting on issues regarding Lawrence Phillips, Christian Peter and the Wichita State baseball program, to name a few.

A TSN clipping on the locker room bulletin board usually gave us answers rather than excuses. It was appreciated. Thanks from an old coach.

Karl Kastens Topeka, Kan.

Cunningham and Vinny can

How can Paul Attner discount everything Randall Cunningham and Vinny Testaverde did last year and dismiss their careers as "underachieving quarterbacks" while, on the other hand, say Bubby Brister has what it takes to lead his team to the Super Bowl (TSN, August 16)?

I would like to check back with Mr. Attner at the end of the season. Let's see how Brister does this year. I have witnessed him in Philly, and he was not a good enough quarterback to get his team to the promised land.

Tom Armbruster Meadowbrook, Pa.

Taking a stance

When we examined batting stances in "Stance and happenstance," (TSN, August 9), readers were so interested, they turned the pages for more--more names they thought should have been on the list.

"While I was intrigued by the articles on unorthodox stances, I felt any article would be remiss without mentioning former Indian and Ranger player Julio Franco," writes Michael Griffin of Boston. "Franco's stance was an unorthodox one in that he coiled the bat over his head so that the barrel was facing the pitcher. He had five seasons of having over 180 hits, culminating with a career-high 201 hits in 1991. He has over 2,100 hits in his career, a testament to his tremendous forearm and wrist strength."

A Hall of Famer with an unconventional stance was also left off our list.

"The article reminded me of another player with an unusual stance," writes Jerome Armalay of Reinholds, Pa. "Though this player might not be up there with DiMaggio and Musial, he still had a terrific career and is a Hall of Famer--`Bucketfoot At' Simmons, a lifetime .334 hitter mostly with the old Philadelphia Athletics."

While we missed Franco's and Simmon' unorthodox styles, Pat McDevitt of Horsham, Pa., thinks we missed a classic.

"The only name missing was Paul Molitor. Ted Williams had said Molitor is the greatest pure righthanded hitter in the last 50 years. His stance was obviously one of the classics."