Letters to the Editor
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A Lot of Wisdom in What Leitch Says
His comment that the Clemens hearings are not about saving kids from steroids but about embarrassing Clemens (and if you don't like Clemens--and I don't--you think that's a good thing) are right on. So too the comment about how you hope your favorite player isn't on steroids, but if he is, he'd better hit a lot of home runs for you--exactly. Giants fans loved Barry Bonds because he hit a lot of home runs that won a lot of games. If you look at some of the losers mentioned in the Mitchell Report, who risked their lives and got nothing for it, you see that Bonds at least got something for the drugs.
Of course, so did Lyle Alzado.
There have been times when I've finished watching a great game broadcast on ESPN and the SportsCenter report on the same game focused on some inconsequential detail--a missed call, a ooaching move--and entirely missed the beauty of the sporting contest. The chatter before the conference championships last weekend was dominated by discussions of Randy Moss, including speculation on ESPN Radio between Freddie Coleman and Sal Palontonio about what should be done if his accuser was found to be an extortionist (my wife and I listened to this with our jaws nearing the floor). Luckily, the games themselves were good enough to at least let that topic get overshadowed by actual sports for once.
I also love what Leitch had to say about the Cardinals. Ultimately, what this should be about is the beauty of a sport and the love of a team. Myself, I would rather watch a well-played game involving a team I care about than a Super Bowl between teams that I don't, and I'd rather watch a close game that didn't matter than a blowout for a championship.