LETTERS
Praise to R-J for story about loving athlete
To the sports editor:
Kudos to the Review-Journal and especially high school sports editor Damon Seiters for his wonderfully touching story about Chaparral High School football player Quentin McCloud ("Chaparral senior finding 'home' on field," Oct. 25).
While I felt sorry for the young man as I read his story, I felt uplifted by the way he handled himself. He could have disparaged his mother for being more out of his life than in it. Instead, he showed nothing but love for her.
For Quentin, know that love has come your way through your coaches and teammates and teachers. And as long as you love, you will be loved.
EMILY HARRISON
Yankees should have fired overrated Torre
To the sports editor:
Joe Torre should have been fired as manager of the Yankees. Nice guy, but overrated as a field manager.
Torre was unsuccessful managing the Mets, Braves and Cardinals before joining the Yankees. He had a voice in spending $200 million a year in salaries for All-Star talent, yet the Bronx Bombers made only one trip to the World Series in the past seven years.
Torre should be hired to manage the Pirates, Nationals or Devil Rays, then we'll see how good he is.
ROGER WOOTTON
HENDERSON
Low-budget Tribe should be heralded, not scorned
To the sports editor:
So the Indians eliminated the Yankees and pushed the Red Sox to seven games, and "Rants & Raves" columnist Joe Hawk bellyaches that the Tribe didn't belong in the playoffs ("Indians' playoff collapse has us wondering: How did they get that far?")?
With combined payrolls of $356 million, Boston and New York spend more than seven other major league baseball teams combined.
In ALCS Game 5, the Indians faced arguably baseball's best pitcher and, in Games 6 and 7, played at Fenway Park, sports' toughest road stadium.
DOUG WILHELM
Way to go, Joe, for raves about Beantown teams
To the sports editor:
What an excellent "Rants & Raves" column Joe Hawk wrote for Tuesday.
I'm a Massachusetts transplant -- and former Red Sox bat boy -- but moving to Las Vegas I missed my Boston papers with all of their stories on the Red Sox and Patriots and Celtics and Bruins.
However, I have come to enjoy the Review-Journal's Sports section, and especially Hawk's "Rants & Raves" -- that is, until he takes shots at my Red Sox like he did the Cleveland Indians last week.
RUSSELL LAVERDIERE
Two-man official crews can work in prep soccer
To the sports editor:
In response to Rod Leavitt's letter last week regarding a lack of having enough officials to work high school soccer games, the easy answer is no funding and lack of quality instruction and assessment of work.
As a former high school soccer official and instructor of officials in California, I know most high school programs use the two-person referee system. Although this system is lacking, it can work.
Most referees are under the assumption that the touch and halfway line are their boundaries. Correct positioning can alleviate this. The players will let you know when the ball crosses the touch line.
LARRY ROSE
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.
