Towson coach's conduct should not be condoned I usually...

Towson coach's conduct should not be condoned

I usually enjoy reading Mike Preston's column, but I disagree with his column of Dec. 13 ("Players and parents need reality check").

He said, among other things, that Tamir Goodman was coddled at two high schools and is not used to the treatment he received from Towson University coach Michael Hunt.

I don't think anyone would be used to having a chair held over his head, being threatened and having that chair kicked into his shin.

Preston also gave a poor example of Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen turning over a table. Friedgen did not threaten or single out any one player.

In a related article, The Sun said Towson and Goodman appear set to part ways. It is my hope that Coach Hunt and Towson part ways, or that the other players on the team refuse to play for Coach Hunt.

David Cohen Randallstown

Oregon coach correct in calling BCS `travesty'

Once again, it is a proven fact that computers are not necessarily always right. I completely agree with Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti, who called the Bowl Championship Series rankings "a travesty."

Granted, Nebraska had a wonderful season and a Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Eric Crouch, but to place the Cornhuskers in the Rose Bowl ahead of Oregon or Colorado is a joke. I even question if Nebraska could beat Maryland.

The players at Nebraska are probably whispering a sigh of relief, and in the backs of their minds are questioning if they even belong in the national championship game.

Shawn Blackiston Baltimore

Greed by both sides will help ruin baseball

I watched with interest the Senate committee hearings on baseball and the antitrust exemption and collective bargaining issues.

The crux of these issues is as follows: 1. greed by owners; 2. greed by players; 3. greed by agents; 4. owners want to be exempt from antitrust laws by controlling team movement and player salaries; 5. players want to have a union and operate as a unified organization of all players while reserving the right to negotiate pay based on performance or arbitrated value.

In a nutshell: Both sides want to have their cake and eat it, too.

The owners are their own worst enemy. The players could care less as long as they get the bucks.

What voice do fans have in these matters? Absolutely none. Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura said it best. He said that when a city foots the bill to build a library, the citizens don't have to buy tickets to get in.

Why do cities and states put up hundreds of millions to build stadiums for wealthy owners while our schools fall down?

Don't expect to see baseball for a few years. Combine egos with greed and you have what we now call major-league baseball.

Charlie Dorsey Pasadena

Anderson's selfish act will not be missed

Brady Anderson fits to a "T" the mold of the spoiled, egotistical professional athlete.

The Orioles had tried to deal Anderson the last few years, but Anderson, ever the loyal trouper, refused to allow the club to waive the brilliantly negotiated no-trade clause in his contract.

After playing pitifully last year, the 37-year-old knew the Orioles had no recourse but to eat the last year of his contract.

Now, we hear the typical claptrap from an aging, declining player. Anderson said he wanted to go to a team that "really wants him." Did he expect the Orioles to continue to provide millions of dollars in welfare payments to him?

Anderson, the quintessential team player, insisted on staying in a separate hotel from his teammates on road trips. What was that all about?

Here's hoping Anderson's haughty, self-important attitude contributes to a prevailing mood of dissension on the Cleveland Indians

Morton D. Marcus Baltimore

Once again, Orioles fans are left with little hope

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for all of us Orioles fans to get our hopes up about potential superstar arrivals that will somehow get shot down and leave us empty-handed again.

How much more disappointment can we Orioles fans take?

At the beginning of last week, rumors were flying around that the Orioles were trying to make a trade for Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen. How great would it have been to pick up this super-talented, young player who could have been the heir to Cal Ripken that the Orioles so desperately need?

The deal was set and ready to go, but then it hit a snag and fell through.

It's time for Syd Thrift and Peter Angelos to realize that until they go after and acquire one or two big names, the fans will remain unhappy and the seats will continue to become emptier every year.

It's also time for Angelos to get over the whole Albert Belle deal and learn from that mistake. Try to sign Juan Gonzalez, Mo Vaughn or Barry Bonds to a two-year, not a six-year, deal.

It's pretty sad that the Orioles' biggest power hitter will probably hit only 20 to 25 home runs next season. Strap in, Orioles fans, it's going to be another bumpy ride.

Mike Shanahan Baltimore

There's no shortage of Redskins fans in state

To all of you arrogant Washington Redskins haters who claim to represent and speak for The Sun's customer base, you don't represent the many thousands of Redskins fans in Maryland whose existence you deny or minimize.

It doesn't take much observation to recognize that we exist in great numbers in Carroll, Howard, and Anne Arundel counties. That includes many of us who are Ravens and Redskins fans.

If you haven't figured it out, The Sun is a business and must cater to more tastes than just yours. Not all of us are present/former Baltimore City residents who have that much-written-about inferiority complex regarding D.C.

If that's your problem, it's time to see a therapist. Furthermore, now that the Redskins play in Maryland, and Maryland taxpayers pay substantial "infrastructure costs," the Redskins are your team whether you like them or not.

Steve Cohen Eldersburg