December 28, 1997
Just what we need for our young adults in this age of disrespect for authority compounded by the Dennis Rodmans, Nick Van Exels, Roberto Alomars and Latrell Sprewells of the sports world. Shame on you, coach! You blew it.
You have demonstrated that you can teach students how to win. You had a golden opportunity to aid players when they lose. No coach wants to lose, players do not want to lose; however, it is a practical fact that you will lose if you play enough games. It's a coach's job to use those defeats as moments in time for positive instruction and re-enforcement.
Jerry Phipps
Bel Air
A5 The writer is athletic director at Hickey School.
Three cheers for Hereford
Thank you for your outstanding coverage of high school football and in particular the story of Hereford High's undefeated season and Class 1A state championship. This was truly one of the outstanding stories of this or any other year. Steve Turnbaugh returns to his alma mater and within three years transforms a program that had never had a winning season into a state champion. More importantly, he did it the right way, with hard work, discipline and good sportsmanship.
For all of your readers who are fed up with free agency, egomaniacal owners, criminal behavior by athletes, exorbitant ticket prices and sweetheart stadium deals at taxpayer expense, I would suggest that they re-evaluate the meaning of sports. The purest example of sports left today, the joy of competition, is at the high school level. And never has it been so evident as on the faces of the Hereford High players as they raised the championship trophy at Byrd Stadium in front of thousands of their biggest fans -- the Hereford community.
George B. Albright III
Cockeysville
Soccer coverage lacking
The Baltimore Spirit needs to start getting better local coverage than it has received in the past. The Sun is one of the major contributors in this matter. How are people supposed to learn about something if they don't hear or see it?
It is not just about the Spirit, it's about soccer. When the Spirit gets knocked out of the playoffs, why does the NPSL coverage stop? When the Orioles lose in the playoffs, you still find out what's going on in baseball. As a supporter of soccer, the media owes the fans more coverage.
This could be the year that puts them above the fine line of popularity. They even have a TV contract for a few games and a better radio contract. Why can't the other media help them along, too? Can you give a little bit more?
Ronnie Bolyard
Dundalk
Celebrations out of hand
John Steadman is absolutely right. There is no place in professional sports for the shenanigans that have been going on since Elmo Wright of the Kansas City Chiefs started it all. Being in my early 50s, I remember John Unitas, Lenny Moore, Ray Berry, Art Donovan and the rest of the Colts who went about their jobs of winning football games without all the fanfare. Also, into the '70s, the Bert Jones-era, with players like Lydell Mitchell, Fred Cook, Joe Ehrmann, Stan White and Ray Chester, there was none of the kind of celebrations that take place in the '90s.
Grow up, men, and act like the professionals that you are being paid to be. Furthermore, the NFL commissioner should instruct teams, owners and coaches to put a stop to these practices now.
Harry O'Sullivan
Sykesville
Myers pact out of whack
The fans of Baltimore and all of baseball must understand that baseball is foremost a business, and that the free-agent market comes first. To truly understand the financial dimensions of free agency, just break down the Randy Myers situation.
Myers will receive $6 million a year from the Toronto Blue Jays. With an average of 60 innings pitched next year, that is about $100,000 an inning. Fans will have to drink their beers slowly when Myers comes out to pitch, because it is costing them a lot of money.
Yet Roger Clemens, the AL Cy Young Award winner making $8 million a year, will pitch an estimated 200 innings in 1998, which breaks down to $40,000 an inning. That's $60,000 an inning less than a 35-year-old closer. That's a monumental difference. Unless the owners create a salary cap or start paying salaries based on certain numerical achievements the players make, then it will be impossible for a team to be solid for years at a time.
David Pinder
Baltimore I want to know when some athlete will say that money is not the most important criteria for choosing a team. How many millions does one person need? Is $5 million per year not enough for any person? What does one do with $2 million more? Is that extra $2 million so important to his or her self worth and self image? Does one lose face if he or she accepts $5 million instead of $7 million? Do other factors such as friends, fans, feeling at home, or being happy figure into the equation? I just don't get it.
Sheri Vizzi
Baltimore
Tagliabue not objective
