Letters: Different times, different streaks

Could Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs today? Could Wayne Gretzky score 200 points today? Could UCLA win 88 in a row today? Could Wilt Chamberlain score 100 points and average 50 points and 25 rebounds a season today? Who knows? These people were head and shoulders above their peers at the time.

The UConn women have won 89 consecutive games. Don’t compare them to others, revel in their accomplishment; they are head and shoulders above their peers.

Bill Homann

San Marcos

::

Congratulations to the UConn women’s basketball team for winning their 89th straight game and extending the women’s record that they own. However, they did not break the men’s record set by UCLA. Only a men’s team can break a men’s record. To think otherwise is ludicrous.

Mike Gamboa

Buena Park

::

Plaschke certainly got all defensive about the UConn ladies winning their 89th straight game. No one is saying this UConn team could beat the UCLA men’s team . It’s simply that the longest win streak in major-college basketball was 88 and now it’s 89. Should that fact have been ignored? Lighten up, Bill.

Bert Bergen

La Canada

::

Plaschke is wrong. Connecticut’s accomplishment is just as stupendous as Wooden’s and even more amazing given the self-indulgence of today’s athletes.

Wooden’s record will never fall in men’s NCAA basketball. Men do not stick around long enough to make that happen. One or two years, and the best players are gone. John Wooden could not change that mentality in today’s male athlete. However, the women are different. They do not lose out on millions by staying in college. If anything, women become more valuable with more exposure. Now, all Division I athletes, male or female, will have to pass Connecticut for the longest streak. Hopefully, Auriemma’s record will endure as long as Wooden’s had. Long live the new king.

Howard J. Kern

Pacific Palisades

::

While I don’t always agree with Bill Plaschke, I do usually enjoy his columns. Today, however, I’m just confused. The UConn women’s basketball team surpasses the win streak set by the UCLA men and Plaschke has to ask; “Why can’t we just celebrate great female athletes for being, you know, great female athletes? It’s a waste of precious time, attention and the ideals of gender equity. It’s not equal if you act as if the men’s game is so much more important ...”

I’d buy his argument if, in fact, women’s sports were covered equally, or even half as much as men’s, which we all know is hardly the case. One only has to look at the pages of this paper’s sports section on a daily basis (which I do) to know the truth. Had it been a women’s record that was being broken by a women’s team, this game would have merited a single line in the women’s top-25 column.

The way Plaschke sees it, the UConn women play an entirely different sport, so passing a record set by the UCLA men’s team is a non-event. Wouldn’t want to waste precious time and attention on it. I’m good with that as you promise to give as many column inches to the nationally ranked UCLA women’s team as you do the unranked UCLA and USC men.

Michelle Mindlin

West Hollywood

::

Saying the Connecticut women broke the UCLA men’s record of 88 consecutive wins is like saying UCLA broke the Lakers’ NBA record of 33 in a row. The only comparison is that both teams played the same sport, except that while UConn probably wouldn’t get within 30 points of the worst Division I men’s team, Wooden’s 1973 squad probably would have beaten the 9-73 Philadelphia 76ers.

Ben Browdy

Los Angeles

::

Regarding the UConn women’s basketball streak: Because no one else will say it, I will....

Yaaaaaaaaawn.

Jeff Prescott

La Jolla

::

Gender difference and different eras aside, I think the UConn women’s basketball team that just won a record 89 games in a row could beat the 88-straight UCLA men’s teams in a head-to-head match. Of course the guys on those UCLA teams are now nearly 60 and Bill Walton is still bothered by back, ankle and foot problems.

Ron Tom

Pasadena

No Clue At All

Just when I thought the NCAA could not embarrass itself further than the Cam Newton case, the beyond-laughable Ohio State ruling leaves me wondering how anyone can take that organization seriously. “They didn’t know” and “Bowl games are unique opportunities” sound like arguments USC should use in their appeal. I’m not defending the Bush actions, but if USC can’t get their penalties reduced in their appeal now, then they should completely sue the NCAA with malice aforethought and get someone with a clue to make a ruling.

Rick Van Kirk

Irvine

Text to Brett

Message for Brett Favre: “Turn out the lights, the party is over.”

Jerry Selby

Pasadena

::

What a great teammate Brett Favre was to Joe Webb on Monday night’s game in Minnesota.

Instead of schooling young Joe between series, going over photos of defense alignments and being a role model quarterback to the young understudy. Brett stood, all bundled up away from the other players and coaches generally ignoring the game and how the young quarterback was doing.

Maybe Brett could have at least taken a cellphone picture and sent it to Joe?

Ed Gredvig

Glendale

Work of Arte

Bill Shaikin, thanks for smartly outlining Arte Moreno’s self-induced conundrum.

I would not be so upset had he simply kept his mouth shut and then not delivered.

You are far kinder than I. I call it hypocrisy

Chip McDermott

Laguna Beach

Firing offense

Slick Rick, a.k.a. Captain of the UCLA Titanic, is rearranging the deck chairs after hitting the iceberg! Memo to Rick: Rather than purging the staff, your “evaluation of the problem” can be solved simply and cheaply. Purchase a mirror!

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

::

I fear that I’m beginning to understand UCLA.

First, they don’t have a quarterback who can throw the ball downfield, so they fire the receivers coach. Second, the offense can’t score any touchdowns, so they fire the defensive coordinator.

This only means they plan to keep the head coach and quit football.

Don White

Palm Desert

::

For those of you who thought Rick Neuheisel didn’t know what he was doing, think again! What better way timing-wise to announce to the UCLA football faithful (there are some, aren’t there?) that he is firing some of his key coaches. By doing it the day after the Saturday sports letters column, he gives himself a six-day window for those Bruin non-supporters to cool their jets before they write in; and tell everyone what they really think.

Richard Whorton

Valley Village

Rhyme and reason

I read where writing poetry is a great way to relieve stress and develop a positive outlook, so here goes:

We won’t need banners,

We won’t need confetti,

So long as we’re owned by McCourt

And run by Colletti.

It’s not working.

Bob Antonoplis

La Canada

Dog days

Most everyone holds the opinion that Michael Vick should not be permitted to have a dog as a pet.

Too bad dogs in our animal shelters who have a “life” of three to four more days before being put down don’t get a vote in this survey.

Truth be told (if sought), Vick is a very safe bet on being a good “parent” and the doomed dog he is allowed assuredly will forgive his outrageous past.

Dana Hobart

Chair, Coachella Valley Animal Shelter

Rancho Mirage

::

Society would never allow a violent person to adopt a vulnerable child, so we should never allow a dangerous person to adopt a vulnerable animal. Michael Vick was not just a dogfighter. He was as severe an animal abuser as they get. Our responsibility as animal guardians is to protect other species, not to put them in harm’s way. When Vick throws a football thousands cheer. That has to be enough. Leave the animals alone.

Bill Dyer

Venice

Tough guy

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis referred to Chad Ochocinco as “mopey.” Apparently in all seriousness, the article states that Ochocinco “fired back on Twitter.”

OMG!! LOL!! Don’t make ‘em like they used to, eh, Mr. Butkus?

Wes Correll

Dana Point

Soccer sickness

Based on the bizarre, and likely corrupt, actions of FIFA in its selection process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, it appears that soccer’s governing body has a serious illness: Blatter cancer.

Doug Thomson

West Los Angeles

More games

Jeff Black of Beverly Hills, your “board games” letter last week was one of the best ever!

Please consider these possible additions to your shopping list:

Tiger Woods: Trivial Pursuit

LeBron James: Uno

Brett Favre: Operation

Clippers & Lakers: Chutes & Ladders

Ned Colletti: Pick-up Sti(ff)s

Anthony J. Moretti

Lomita

::

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Mail: Sports Viewpoint

Los Angeles Times

202 W. 1st St.

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Fax: (213) 237-4322

E-mail:

sports@latimes.com