Letters: Break up or shake up the Clippers?

The only things that have changed about the Clippers since the Donald Sterling era is now the player get paid a lot more money to lose and fans have to pay more to watch them lose.

Ryan Madden

Huntington Beach

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Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. Steve Ballmer is no Einstein, but even he must know this Clippers team will never get over the top. Time to throw some “superstars” overboard, matey!

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

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It took the Red Sox from 1918 to 2004 to overcome the “No, No, Nanette curse.”

We’ll all be long gone before the Clippers overcome the Curse of the Donald Sterling.

Fred Wallin

Westlake Village

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The Clipper Nation awoke Monday facing a reality where their ship had once again run aground short of its destination. Adding to the despair, like a Monday morning toothache, Bill Plaschke piles on with a theme stolen from the vile, pernicious, obsessed and deranged deplorables, a mindless taunt with a lack of vision. DeAndre Jordan echoed the Clipper Nation sentiments when he told reporters he wanted all of his teammates to come back next year. With some fine tuning, let’s hope Mr. Ballmer can make it happen.

Kevin H. Park

Mission Hills

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So, Bill Plaschke wants to break up the Clippers. Here’s the best way: leave town. The Clippers have been a blight on our city for too long. Please leave. Let another city without a team — perhaps Seattle, St. Louis, Kansas City or Cincinnati — deal with their sorry act.

Jim Bendat

Los Angeles

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If DeAndre Jordan less time coming up with new hairstyles and more on developing a few post moves , this would be a much more efficient offense.

Bert Bergen

La Cañada

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Impressed as I was with Bill Plaschke’s Trump-like solution to the Clippers’ early exit from the NBA playoffs — crying “Break them up” instead of “lock her up” — I hoped to read further and get his advice on just what he had in mind by “breaking them up.” I seemed to me that anyone paid to watch as many games as he does, and knowing so much about basketball, would have a bit more detail to his plan. Whom would he advise letting go? Chris Paul, who continues to play amazing basketball at age 31. DeAndre Jordan, who gets double-doubles regularly and occasionally looks like a free throw shooter?

Or should the Clippers bet that there is a curse on Blake Griffin and see if there is anyone out there who thinks he might improve their team? If there is a curse, perhaps it is Plaschke who continues to bring bad luck to the Clippers in the form of serious injuries. Just how long has he been following the Clippers?

John Cole

Santa Barbara

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There is no Clipper Curse. The issue is commitment. Every time I see a car or insurance commercial starring one of the Clippers’ Big Three, I’m reminded these players care more about celebrity than commitment to what it takes to be a champion. Rewind to Shaq’s early career with the Lakers. Phil Jackson told Shaq to drop all the non-basketball activities. Coach Jackson promised him if he did, he’d become an MVP and a champion. Does Doc Rivers not have the juice to enforce this “Phil-osophy,” or the commitment?

Chris McCarthy

San Marcos

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Break up the Big Three? It’s sure tempting after yet another playoff collapse. But realistically there are no free agents with remotely comparable talent who could replace them. The real answer lies off the court. We all know that Doc Rivers has a nearly unbroken record of disastrous personnel moves, but let’s also focus on his shortcomings as a coach. He has never been able to motivate the team to play with focus, energy and discipline for more than short bursts. So, Mr. Ballmer, bring back the players but give them the front office and coaching support they deserve.

Howard Daniels

Encino

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To those, including Bill Plaschke, who insist heads must roll after the Clippers recent playoff loss: First, they lost in seven games after after Blake Griffin was injured. Second, consider the status of arguably the best team in the league, the Warriors. They reportedly have no set plays, their coach departs with migraines and a bad back, and the team keeps winning. The reality is the Clippers posses a solid core and a proven coach. To borrow from billionaire Warren Buffett, even as others may lose their heads over short-term setbacks, buy and hold often proves awfully successful over the long run.

Konrad Moore

Bakersfield

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In terms of the Clippers, no one should confuse a serious injury problem with lack of skills, emotion, heart, or coaching. Look at Game 6.

Andrew Sacks

Riverside

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I was fascinated by the photograph in Monday’s sports section by Wally Skalij on the loss by the Clippers. Comforting the coach, a statement filled with empathy. I would like to congratulate The Times on their photographers and the great images they provide every day. There are not many other papers that can compete.

Karin Howard

Los Angeles

Go Blue!

You guys are the best! I learned so much from the Cinco de Mayo sports section today. I learned that “Pitching depth allows Dodgers to thrive despite injuries.” Evidently this penetrating article is backed up by their ‘”thriving” 15-14 record, so much better than the not-so-smart Angels, who are 15-15. Oh, and the way to be so smart is to have the highest payroll in the league — certainly an approach all teams can use.　

Ralph Martinez

Arcadia

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With the sudden emergence of Cody Bellinger, it’s obvious from Adrian Gonzalez’s reluctance to go on the disabled list that he doesn’t wish to become the next Wally Pipp.

John R. Grush

Mission Viejo

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An unsung Dodgers´ brain-trust-blowout occurred about a year and a half ago, when they failed to offer a long-term contract to free-agent second baseman Daniel Murphy.

Anyone care to contrast Chase Utley´s current .100 come (surely) .200 batting average to Murphy´s .300 to .350 average, plus proven power in the postseason?

Harvey Pearson

Los Angeles

Not great

During my recent trip to Argentina, I discovered that it was common for Argentinian soccer “fans” to hurl racial epithets and bananas at black Brazilian players when the two nations met on the soccer pitch. I confidently told my Argentinian friends that this form of overt racism was relegated to the past in America. How wrong I was.

Bob Lentz

Sylmar

Kids (and coaches) today

It is unbelievable to me that Esperanza baseball coach Larry McCann got fired over his locker room meeting with his players and what he said to them [April 28]. Quite honestly, his quotes were what the parents should have been instilling in their kids. He used one or two words and everyone acts like it is horrible. The teenagers of today have grown up in an easy lifestyle with parents acting for them. There has to be no toughness, meaning dealing with society, in a lot of kids today. It totally amazes me that things like this happen but it is occurring more and more often.

Susan Lachemann

Nipomo

Complaint Dept.

The L.A. Times sports section is, of late, a bit of Jekyll and Hyde. This week a slew of finely written articles about horse racing and the Kentucky Derby contenders. A month back, the unexplained decision to stop publishing the daily horse racing entries and results from our local tracks. Horse racing is a time-honored tradition in L.A., and not one that you provide any context only when there is a big race.

Kevin Flynn

Simi Valley

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Lance Pugmire, in his article about the 2024 Olympics, chooses to make a political statement to express his dissatisfaction of what is happening in the world. Namely, he is upset with “Brexit and President Trump” and the potential election of Marine Le Pen in the upcoming presidential election in France. I assume that Mr. Pugmire understands that the Brexit vote and Trump election happened as a result of open and free voting, both of which were obviously contrary to his personal and political cred.

Mr. Pugmire, if you have a story about the 2024 Olympics that is relevant, bring it on. If you have a gripe about your dissatisfaction about being on the losing end of recent elections, put it on the Opinion page.

Peter S. Griffith

Arcadia

Icing the puck

In her April 29 article, Helene Elliott asked who better than Wayne Gretzky to offer guidance to 20-year-old Connor McDavid.

How about his agent: a chap named Bobby Orr?

Chuck Myers

San Gabriel

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After hearing Edmonton’s home crowd of 18,000 take over for a broken microphone and finish “The Star Spangled Banner,” all I can say is, Oh Canada!

Michael Gray

Yorba Linda

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If Corey Perry was alive today he would have really enjoyed this hockey season and playoffs.

Mike Reuben

Anaheim Hills

Branded

If there’s anybody who could make me hope the Lakers don’t receive a top-three pick, it’s LaVar Ball.

Mer Valdez

Long Beach

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