Meanwhile, Over on the USC Sideline . . .

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year I would like a new USC head football coach.

CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL

Pasadena

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Bill Plaschke’s column suggesting that it is time for USC Coach John Robinson to resign completely missed the mark. If Plaschke is unable to see the difference between the USC club that was humbled by Arizona State and the team that battled a very good UCLA team to the very last minute, then may I suggest that it is time for him to make an appointment with his optometrist.

Sure, I’m upset that the Trojans lost to the Bruins for the seventh straight time. But the fact remains that this was a different football team in the final three games of the season, and, if quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst had been healthy, the Trojans might very well have beaten UCLA.

I love John Robinson and he deserves a chance to beat the Bruins and take the Trojans back home to the Rose Bowl in 1999.

ROBERT JOHNSTON

Temple City

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As a USC fan, I was heartbroken to see our beloved Trojans lose again to the UCLA Bruins. All the members of Troy can take comfort in the words of Ronald Reagan, [quoting from the ballad, “Johnnie Armstrong’s Last Good-Night”] “I will lay me down and bleed a while. Though I am wounded, I am not slain. I shall rise and fight again.”

Coach John Robinson’s career is not over. I have faith he too will rise and fight again. Watch out, UCLA, for John Robinson and the 1998 USC Trojans.

THOMAS MARCHETTI

Glendora

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Please enlighten me on what qualifications your writers, Randy Harvey and Chris Dufresne, have to recommend that John Robinson should leave.

I venture neither one has ever played one down of football (or any other sport for that matter with the possible exception of golf), nor ever supported a son or daughter who played sports in middle school, high school or college, and never even coached Little League. Their collective judgment--using a verb they can understand--stinks.

TRUDY SIBLEY

Northridge

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Los Angeles Times sportswriters have outdone themselves since the USC-Florida State game as they have used the mighty pen to criticize, embarrass and otherwise vilify the USC football team, its coaches and staff. It’s a shame that the quality, character and ability of current Times staffers has sunk to such a low. Braven Dyer and Paul Zimmerman must have turned over in their graves many times this autumn.

MIKE KREINMAN

Brentwood

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Isn’t it curious how few NFL-quality running backs or quarterbacks have been at USC since John Robinson’s first reign as coach--backs the quality of UCLA’s Abdul-Jabbar, Hicks, Aikman, McNown, etc.?

But the real curiosity is why all of sudden the L.A. Times sportswriters are lined up like robots asking for Robinson to resign. Since when has The Times been concerned about the welfare of USC’s football team? Not since I’ve been reading the paper.

BILL BANNING

Santa Barbara

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A fitting tribute to John Robinson would be a lifetime contract to wear the Benny Bruin costume at all future UCLA football games. This would enable Coach Robinson to continue to serve those who have benefited most from his coaching and to do so in what would surely be welcome anonymity.

GEORGE M. LEWIS

San Luis Obispo