Letters: After two weeks, everything's perfect with college football

Sept. 18, 2015 7:01 PM PT

Aren’t we blessed to have two terrific college football teams and two great quarterbacks in this town?

So in Week 2, we found that Josh Rosen is human, that a quarterback needs his receivers to catch the ball and that we should remember he is still just a freshman. And with Cody Kessler, we saw him step up his game from last week.

To imagine if they continue getting better what the implications may be for both schools when then face off in November should fuel a lot of debate and a lot of enjoyment as they move toward that meeting.

Barry Levy

Hawthorne

Is it just me, or does the Jake Olson story [“It’s not a snap, but he’s getting closer,” Sept. 16] come as breath of fresh air?

Not more about Tom Brady cheating, or Ray Rice wife-beating or even why L.A. should or shouldn’t host the Olympics.

Just a story about what makes sports great. The human spirit.

Anyone who is a parent or has ever coached kids has to read this and smile.

If only there were more of these.

Jeff Heister

Chatsworth

Match points

In general, I don’t agree with the rules that compel losing players to come out and meet the media immediately after the loss. I think it’s very voyeuristic of us as a society to want access to others’ pain in that way. But because they are required to do so, I think the media could take a higher ground and attempt to discuss the game and the outcome, and leave the commentary on demeanor out of the conversation. I doubt Serena Williams was “acting pouty,” as Bill Dwyre wrote. I think instead we witnessed a passionate and dedicated professional athlete attempting to grapple in public with what was probably the most profound loss of her career only minutes after the loss had happened.

I think even in defeat Serena Williams deserves respect for all that she has accomplished in her career.

Diane Salter

Torrance

History was made in the women’s U.S. Open final, just not the one everyone expected, that was so commercially hyped and which the tennis fan base was told by the media it supposedly wanted.

Rather than the all-too-familiar shrieking accompanying each stroke, the tactical and protracted bathroom breaks taken after losing the first set and the primal screams laced with unprintable profanities, “bully boy” glares and pouting news conferences after rare losses, tennis went back to the future with players who played with obvious joy, understood the meaning of civility and recognized that sportsmanship can still be part of the game. In creating such an aura, the women’s final was historic and worth the years-long wait.

Alexander Miller

Encino

So, you want to manage?

I’m tired of people telling me how great a job Don Mattingly is doing. Case in point was Wednesday night. Alex Wood was pitching the game of his life. Authoring a one-hitter through eight innings, he retired the last 19 batters. He was in complete command and had made only 78 pitches. There is no way Donnie could truthfully claim that Alex was tired.

I don’t care who comes out of the bullpen, he just might not have it that night. I guarantee that the best news the Colorado Rockies had was seeing Wood removed from the game.

But the big crime was denying Wood a chance at his first shutout. Shame on you, “Donnie Baseball.”

Eric Monson

Temecula

I just read that Corey Seager, one of the hottest hitters in baseball, will be replaced by barely-over-the-Mendoza-Line Jimmy Rollins when Jimmy’s finger is better. This should be Don Mattingly’s last bad decision before he looks for a new job next year. Seriously?

Louis Mandris

Upland

As well as Corey Seager is playing, there’s no way he supplants Jimmy Rollins at shortstop in the playoffs. The Dodgers did not jettison Hanley Ramirez, who cost Clayton Kershaw a shot at a perfect game by missing, as he often did, the most routine of grounders so they could rest their fortunes on an inexperienced and unproven rookie fielder. Rollins is battle-tested and best-suited to protect Zack Greinke and Kershaw from giving up unearned runs.

Allan Kandel

Los Angeles

Two things that I learned from today’s column. Ned Colletti is a bright, humble man, and he is one of the few who has Time Warner Cable.

Charlie Morillas

Toluca Lake

Angel food

Mike DiGiovanna criticizes Jered Weaver for his ejection Wednesday, but at least Weaver shows some fighting spirit, while the Angels scored one run in yet another game. Any way we can get some of the Angels hitters ejected, so some others can get a few at-bats?

David Young

Glendale

Mike Scioscia, your cleanup hitter is batting .239 [through Thursday] with a sore foot that further limits his already subpar running ability. Isn’t it time to sit Albert Pujols for the balance of the stretch run?

Ken Blake

Brea

Fixing MLS

As a millennial, I know that I would be attracted to attend Los Angeles Football Club matches only if the franchise could provide the highest caliber of player [Sept. 15]. Without Major League Soccer changing from the current league setup that runs from March through October, the league wouldn’t ever be considered equal with the rest of the soccer world that plays from August through June. This matching of schedules is the initial step needed to attract the best players to come to the league, which in turn would get MLS and LAFC the millennial viewership they so desperately crave.

Alex Cowles

Valley Glen

Rank frustration

As an avid college football fan, I am appalled that Auburn dropped 12 spots in the recent Associated Press poll after a victory last Saturday. I completely understand that they played well below expectations, but isn’t the objective to win the game, which they were able to do, therefore staying undefeated at 2-0? What in the Southern Belle is going on with the AP writers and our beloved Chris Dufresne?

P.S. The above rant has nothing to do with the fact that I currently pay out-of-state tuition for my daughter to attend Auburn.

Larry Herrera

Redondo Beach

Quick hits

To paraphrase Mel Gibson in “Ransom” — “Give me back my Rams!!”

Lon M. Burns

Manhattan Beach

Breaking news!

Tom Brady Endorses Trump — NFL Invokes Concussion Protocol

Evan Puziss

Mar Vista

I’m trying to decide which was the ugliest thing I saw in sports this week: the Angels blowing a chance to sweep the Astros on Sunday or the 49ers’ Nike-fied black uniforms with red numbers.

Laura Frankos

Chatsworth

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Mail: Sports Viewpoint

Los Angeles Times

202 W. 1st St.

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Fax: (213) 237-4322

Email:

sports@latimes.com