Letters: LeBron becoming the next Kobe might not be a good thing

How does Bill Plaschke keep his job, being so wrong so many times?

He’s thinking that getting an aging LeBron will put the Lakers in contention? Or, a disgruntled Kawhi?

Please! Either one will be an accident waiting to happen, especially if Kuzma goes to the Spurs, becoming, you guessed it, the next Kawhi Leonard, or, LeBron as a Laker, becoming the next Steve Nash / Kobe Bryant, spending their twilight years in rehab.

Ron Brumel

Los Angeles

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A big cheer for Bill Plaschke and his column on Father’s Day. It transcended sports reporting/commentary and brought moisture to this dad’s eyes. Well done, sir.

Tom Bruehl

Burbank

That guy again

I see where the Brooklyn Nets gave up Timofey Mozgov and a couple of second-round picks for Dwight Howard. The Nets got robbed.

Ralph S. Brax

Lancaster

Tri, Tri again

Hyper-chauvinism and rabid nationalism of “USA”-chanting soccer fans who have no dog in the World Cup hunt but still refuse to embrace the Mexican team tell me everything that is wrong with America today. These are our neighbors, our friends, the people who work for and beside us every day, good people who contribute to every community in the United States and make us all better; and yet here we are, a bitter, hate-filled mob of intransigent jerks who can’t see through the fog of a destructive political climate that threatens to destroy the very fabric of our fragile democracy, all in the misbegotten name of “USA! USA! USA!”

I, for one, say, viva Mexico!

Rhys Thomas

Valley Glen

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Do the powers that be in the World Cup know that flopping and faking injuries is anathema to success in sports in the U.S.? We pride ourselves when we pop right back up after the hardest of hits in football, we walk off 95-mph bean balls in baseball, and run out leg cramps that would stop a marathoner. I tried to watch the World Cup, but they think nothing of flopping on almost every possession like a baby who just dropped his ice cream cone.

Kevin Park

Mission Hills

Up and down

Gotta love that L.A. Dodger-Oklahoma City pipeline. After being demoted for the umpteenth time to OKC, the Dodgers bring Brock Stewart back as the 26th man on the roster. And just in time to serve up the winning hits in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader with the Cubbies. Will wonders never cease?

Lawrence Martin Kates

Los Angeles

Open questions

There’s a classic “Seinfeld” episode where George Costanza realizes that if his girlfriend comes into contact with Jerry and the gang, his two worlds — Relationship George and Independent George — will collide. I’d always thought of Phil Mickelson as a “one-world kind of guy,” the magician around the greens with the sheepish grin, ever gracious with the media and autograph seekers, the consummate professional at all times.

That is, until I caught him being interviewed on “Feherty,” the Golf Channel talk show hosted by David Feherty. There he was, donned in a black leather jacket and black shirt, some kind of Elvis-Fonz-“West Side Story” hybrid portraying a suddenly edgier version of what I’d come to expect. I watched the entire show, enthralled by the contrast, wondering what was behind Lefty’s transference.

This past Saturday while viewing the U.S. Open I finally got some insight. There on the 13th green at Shinnecock Hills I watched in amazement as Consummate Professional Phil’s world collided with Black Leather Jacket Phil’s world.

Jim Guzzo

San Pedro

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I always believed the U.S. Golf Assn. was an advocate of golf. Always felt the organization thought through the very best ways to increase the numbers of the golfing community by showcasing the U.S. Open.

I just turned off the third round at Shinnecock Hills, where the only apparent victors would be the unrelenting wind and the course superintendent. Competition was against a course designed to humble anyone who dared poke a tee in the ground.

The Open is supposed to be a celebration of the competition of the best players in golf, a four-day walk of strategy and suspense. It is to be a time to pull for a favorite, to enjoy shots well played and be an affirmation of the glory of the game.

The Open is a disappointment for the players and viewers. Someone will win, but it will not be the USGA for their poor planning, nor Fox for their coverage.

John Michael McLaughlin

Granada Hills

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Almost every year the USGA messes up the U.S. Open. Why do we put up with it? Get rid of the USGA; it is only a self-promotional organization anyway, with misguided, self-serving objectives.

“What will become of our national championships?” golfers will ask. Don’t worry, some other corporation can be hired to run them better, cheaper, and without the sanctimonious attitude that covers up their ineptitude and puts us off-guard to question their authority. Golfers deserve better.

Joel Athey

West Hollywood

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Fox’s coverage of the U.S. Open was disgraceful. Joe Buck (what’s he doing on a golf broadcast?) and Paul Azinger are boring, uninformed, opinionated, colorless and clueless.

There was no on-course insight. There was no fascinating golf history. There was no analysis of the thought process that may go into a chosen shot, particularly at a tough challenge like Shinnecock.

Where is the wisdom and knowledge of a Nick Faldo, a Jim Nantz, a Dan Hicks or even a Johnny Miller? Where is the helpful on-course reporting of a Gary Koch, a Dotty Pepper, or a Peter Kostis? Where is the humor of a David Feherty or a Gary McCord?

Alan Hahn

Palm Desert

Don’t forget him

“Former Kings coach Darryl Sutter says he’s at peace with not coaching” (June 20):

The Kings ought to retire a jersey for him and hang it up in the rafters alongside the two Stanley Cups he is responsible for. We may never see anything like it here again.

Howard P. Cohen

North Hills

We love the Bruins

Tell reader Troy Easton, who should change his first name, that he knows not of what he speaks. The L.A. Times is so pro-UCLA it is sickening. Hardly covered the Trojans winning the NCAA women’s track title while while covering ’ruin baseball and softball ad nauseum until done and buried.

And of course your department publishes letters that are anti-USC, including Brad Kearns’ about JT Daniels repeating a grade in elementary school, like no one else has done it. Even the non-athlete has used this method to mature.

Steve Block

Northridge

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The difference between John Brown, father of the three football players, and LaVar Ball, head of a basketball family, is that John Brown made sure his boys did their homework and received A’s, while LaVar Ball ain’t got no time for that silly homework.

Rob Hamers

Irvine

Tough call

So what’s worse: Angel “relievers,” the U.S. Open greens, or a LaVar Ball speaking tour?

Jack Von Bulow

Temple City

Yeah, that was it

Kudos to the U.S men’s soccer team for boycotting Russia by not participating in the World Cup.

Ryan Madden

Huntington Beach

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