Meanwhile, Back at Nagano

I just finished listening on the radio to the U.S. women’s hockey victory over Canada.

Next week we will be getting something like an indoor outhouse. I heard horseless buggies are coming soon, and this thing like a picture box is a new technology in our future. Maybe I can watch the Olympics live on this thing called a television, some day?

MARK LOPEZ

Lynwood

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Re: CBS’ tape-delayed “live” coverage of the Nagano Olympics. Seems to us that Linda Tripp can deliver tapes faster than CBS.

HALEY and ROB THOMAS

San Pedro

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CBS is making a mockery of a grand sports event, the Winter Olympic Games. Incessant and infuriating commercial breaks, erratic coverage of very few events, unwanted ice skating practices, etc. Do they think we are all idiots with only a three-minute attention span?

They give us excuses of bad weather and time difference to justify their poor coverage. As they feed us with prerecorded programs anyway, they might as well show us the performances of the other athletes, not just the top five medal contenders. CBS illustrates the fast and never-ending degradation of regular network television.

MICHEL DUJOL

Los Angeles

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Larry Stewart says it’s “Bad weather, bad luck, and bad planning,” but Charles Barkley knows the real reason why nobody’s watching the Winter Olympics:

“Bad team, man . . .”

ANTHONY MORETTI

Lomita

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For all the sports fans who may have forgotten, I would guess that watching the Olympic Games on television has reminded them that CBS stands for Can’t Broadcast Sports.

FRED LEDEBOER

Thousand Oaks

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The five Olympic rings as defined by CBS--Avarice, Cupidity, Parsimony, Ratings and Revenue.

VICTOR T. PETERSON

Oxnard

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As I sat watching the Olympics recently, I had a revelation. It is difficult to stay interested in so many diversely different activities.

Example: I am riveted when watching downhill skiing or hockey (yes, even women’s hockey), but my wife leaves the room. When figure skating and the dreaded ice dancing comes on, I leave the room. When freestyle skiing, moguls or, God help us, cross-country skiing comes on, we both leave the room.

Here is my plan: One night, we watch downhill, hockey and the giant slalom. The next night we have all figure skating. The third night we go out to dinner and a movie.

JEFF SMART

Newport Beach

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My definition of hell is having to spend from now until eternity watching curling matches.

REX V. ROADES

Mt. Baldy

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In response to CBS, its pathetic announcers and overabundance of commercials, I say . . .

Click!

MATT STEIN

Los Alamitos

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I was appalled to see how low Americans can go when things do not go their way. Here’s Ilia Kulik, a 20-year-old Russian Olympic skater who won gold and who should be an idol to many kids growing up, but instead Mike Penner makes him out as someone without style (“giraffe-spotted rain slicker, believed to be on loan from the Moscow Zoo”).

His mother made that shirt for him and it’s very special to him. I guess Americans can’t understand that. All they find special is winning.

As far as I am concerned, his shirt has a lot more style than most Americans.

ALEXSANDRA GICANOV

Glendale

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It’s difficult to comprehend Mike Penner’s thinking in his reporting.

On Feb. 11, he reported that both U.S. pairs figure skating teams nearly “got arrested for littering the ice” during the long program. Here are four individuals who have been practicing for four long years to represent our country.

On Feb. 13, Penner wrote of the men’s downhill that “1994 gold medalist Tommy Moe lumbered home in 12th place.” How the devil does anyone going 65 mph--and only 1.3 seconds behind the winner--get accused of lumbering?

HAP BUNDY

Palos Verdes Estates

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Now wasn’t that performance by the U.S. hockey team worth keeping 20 kids out of the Olympics?

JOE MASSARO

Rancho Cucamonga