Simers should just sit out the World Cup

Re “Put soccer on steroids,” Current, June 4

T.J. Simers is making fun of the fact that only one-fifth of the world’s population is going to watch the World Cup soccer final. Considering that a large percentage of the world’s population does not own a TV and that the time difference forces many fans to wake up in the middle of the night during their workweek to watch, that apparently small fraction is a great achievement for any sport. I don’t think that any baseball, football or basketball match has ever come even close to one-fifth, if not one-fiftieth, of the world’s population. Simers complains about the low scores in soccer but obviously does not appreciate the tough challenge that scoring represents. After all, in life, things that are easy to get do not bring as much joy as the tough ones. As for myself, I’ll spend the next month or so shouting “Gooooal” in front of a TV screen with the rest of the world.

FABIO TESEI

Pasadena

*

One of the most tedious aspects of every World Cup is the quadrennial column that American newspaper editors feel compelled to publish. They find the paunchy, middle-aged wisenheimer sports guy on staff to write a piece on how soccer just isn’t going to catch on, that scoring is low, that the players have one name, yada, yada, yada. This year, it was Simers’ turn for The Times. And he did a serviceable job of grabbing all the cliches about soccer and reconfiguring them into a column. To which I and billions of soccer fans around the world can only say, “Oh, OK, whatever.” It’s so boring and tired at this point. Nobody cares what Simers thinks about soccer. He should stick to that compelling stuff about his running feud with Frank McCourt’s wife. Oh, wait, nobody cares about that either.

DAVID RAETHER

San Marino

*

It’s obvious that Simers has no idea about the rules of soccer or the passion that millions of fans around the world have for this game. Please let him report only on the World Series, a game played by two teams from two American leagues, or the Super Bowl, a game played by two American teams from two American leagues. Leave the World Cup to someone who knows the sport.

ED REDHEAD

Canyon Country