You Can’t Count Those Touched by the Wizard

Two stories in this morning’s Times clearly illustrate how badly skewed our values have become the last 25 years. Bill Plaschke’s moving tribute to John Wooden shows that when each of us has his life’s score tallied, it won’t be based on money earned or wealth accumulated. The second story on Shaquille O’Neal’s contract extension for $88 million is poles apart from Wooden’s life of unassuming humility.

Wooden’s probably never-to-be-duplicated run of national championships doesn’t define him a fraction as much as the hundreds of athletes’ lives he permanently touched for the better. This is not to put a knock on Shaq alone, who stands at the top of his profession and has demonstrated his unselfishness on many occasions. But when the ability to hit, kick, putt, throw, slam, run with, or catch a ball so far exceeds the monetary value placed on the teaching and life-changing contributions made by thousands of other teachers and mentors in every field of human endeavor, all of us are the poorer for it.

MAX CARRIGAN

Yorba Linda

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Bill Plaschke’s article about John Wooden is probably one of the most beautiful pieces of journalism that I have ever read! It brought tears to my eyes. Congratulations, Bill, on a great article, and happy birthday Coach Wooden!

DEBORAH SPOTTSVILLE

Culver City

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Wizard? No. Role model? None better.

BOB GINN

Arcadia