LETTERS
Appalachian State alum revels in Michigan upset
To the sports editor:
According to the Appalachian State alumni Web site, 58 former Mountaineers are living in Clark County. I graduated from Appalachian State in 1963. You can only imagine my excitement when we beat Michigan 34-32 last Saturday in one of the greatest upsets in college football history.
My feelings before, during and after the game:
Before the game starts, I am too excited for words that I will be watching my Mountaineers play mighty Michigan.
Start of the game, "I hope we can make this respectable."
After our first score, "Thank you. At least we won't be shut out."
At halftime, "I can't believe we're leading."
The final 26 seconds I begin to get nervous, but a blocked field goal puts Appalachian State into NCAA football history. We just beat the Wolverines -- on their field!
JOAN MARCOTTE
USA Basketball a breath of fresh air on, off court
To the sports editor:
The media regularly takes the low road and reports what is either negative or sensational when it comes to professional athletes.
I am not a member of the press, but allow me to dwell upon the positive about athletes who have been representing our country in the quest to regain U.S. supremacy in world basketball.
For the past two years, they have come almost directly from the NBA playoffs to Las Vegas for tryouts, workouts and games as members of U.S. Olympic Basketball. Their compensation is not money but "pride" and "accomplishment."
In their time here, their behavior was beyond reproach.
ROBERT BLANNER
NORTH LAS VEGAS
'PTI' hosts are engaging, witty, lack racial agenda
To the sports editor:
I concur with "Remote Control" columnist Bill Taaffe's take Tuesday about ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon ("Kornheiser, Wilbon form perfect pair on 'PTI' ").
When flipping through the channels, I always stop at "the knuckleheads" because I'm going to learn something, get a laugh or be provoked.
The other refreshing aspect to the show is that it's color blind. You are not reminded that you're watching a black man and a white man, and neither is pushing a racial agenda. If you were listening to them on the radio, other than Kornheiser's Philadelphia accent, you wouldn't know which man was black and which Caucasian.
When was the last time that happened?
JACK SHEEHAN
Madden, Kornheiser need to be muzzled; radio rules
To the sports editor:
Along with Bill Taaffe's column on "PTI," some general thoughts on a few of today's sports announcers:
We no longer can listen to NBC football analyst John Madden pontificate. We feel Madden and play-by-play announcer Al Michaels watch only two-thirds of the game they're broadcasting.
We can't stand to listen to Tony Kornheiser overtalk Ron Jaworski on ESPN. At least "Jaws" knows his football.
We have placed radios next to our three TVs, and, when they're doing the games, we enjoy Marv Albert's play-by-play and Boomer Esiason's commentary.
Hail to the radio!
LORELLE AND MIKE ELLIS
HENDERSON
The Review-Journal welcomes letters from its readers. Letters should be 100 words or fewer and must include the author's name and phone number. Send letters to: Letters to the Sports Editor, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070. Letters also can be e-mailed to: jhawk@reviewjournal.com.
