They Hate Jerry Jones More Than They Hate T.J.

Got a huge lump in my throat when I looked at the front page of my Times sports section the first day of the year 2000. Jerry Jones, multimillionaire and owner of the Dallas Cowboys, told us that he sat in his car and cried after his team lost to the Saints.

Mr. Jones, you have no one to blame but yourself. Baseball and basketball started this idiotic salary explosion with George Steinbrenner of the Yankees leading the way. And then it was off to the races with every player’s agent in the country jumping up and down.

Sunday’s sports section had a story that told us that the price of tickets for baseball is up 37%, football, 46%, basketball, 56% and hockey, 77%!! Where does it end? How high is high? Pro sports are headed for the toilet unless something is done about this insane salary situation for all jocks, for all sports.

Instead of an incentive program for the Cowboys, Mr. Jones, get all of the owners of all sports organizations together. Then present the incentive concept. It’s a matter of mathematics; you millionaires should be able to figure that out.

JOHN BOYD

Palos Verdes Estates

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I’ve written many letters critical of T.J. Simers and of The Times for retaining him, and normally skip quickly past T.J.’s relentlessly negative drivel.

When Jerry Jones’ name accidentally caught my eye, I started reading, against my better judgment--and was astonished! It was excellent, first-rate journalism, completely devoid of the childishness and disrespect that usually makes Simers’ column unreadable and degrades the quality and value of your paper.

Perhaps you would have fewer humorously hostile letters to publish if you demanded such outstanding quality from your writers every day.

DAVE YOUNKER

Lake Forest