Skating Fans Are Positively Not Happy

Sasha Cohen wins the silver medal, yet The Times runs a picture of her falling down. Does this mean when Vladimir Guerrero hits three homers in a game, you’ll run a picture of him striking out?

BRIAN GREENE

Monrovia

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Why all the mean-spirited nastiness directed at Sasha Cohen? Bill Plaschke’s column was the worst. To suggest that she didn’t deserve a medal is really hitting below the belt. Of course she did. After an inauspicious start, she rallied bravely and elegantly to skate a lovely program, racking up sufficient points for her unexcelled artistry and her technical skill.

Irina Slutskaya, as much as we may feel for her, skated a program that was unattractive, conservative and also marred by an awkward fall -- why were there no photos of her flat on her bum?

LORA SIGLER

San Pedro

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Boy, it must be really hard to have the pressure of Bill Plaschke’s life. He gets paid to sit and watch sporting events and then give his opinions. Plaschke has no idea what it means to be in that kind of pressure situation and few, if any, of us ever will.

There is probably no more of a pressure-packed moment in all of sports than skating for a medal in the glamour event of the Olympics. It is your one and only chance to change your life and fortune drastically. If you succeed, you’re set for life and live the celebrity lifestyle. If you fail, you’re teaching skaters at Pickwick into your 70s.

If Peyton Manning or A-Rod fails, he still makes millions and still gets to play next year.

CRAIG DUNKIN

Los Angeles

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Re: Bill Plaschke’s coverage of Olympic figure skating.

He didn’t want to be there.

ROBERT FUENTES

Upland