Lakers fans are grumpy

We were told to give Mike Brown a break last year because he didn’t have a full training camp. We were told to give him a break because the team wasn’t afforded much practice time during the season. We were told to ignore that he never made adjustments or the perception that he had lost the team.

I understand it’s preseason, but what excuses does he have now? The Lakers look horrible.... With or without Dwight Howard, they should be playing better than this.

Geno Apicella

Placentia

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Now that we face this threatened Lakers viewing embargo, I’ve had to reconsider how many games I ever really watched anyway. Who cares when they play Sacramento, Charlotte or Cleveland? Being a DirecTV subscriber, I will still get six Lakers games on ABC, six more on NBA TV, nine on TNT and 10 on ESPN. That’s 31 chances to see them, and just about all of the good games like the Heat, Celtics, Philly, etc. As far as I’m concerned I hope that DirecTV holds the line.

Roger Sypek

Lakewood

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Let’s see, in a little more than one week, Kobe Bryant started an interview by making it “clear” that the Lakers are his team. Then he told an interviewer he was teaching Dwight Howard how to take over.

What? Howard took a weak supporting cast to the NBA Finals, something Bryant never came close to when his supporting cast was weak.

Three Hall of Fame/future Hall of Fame teammates (Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton) consider Bryant a poor teammate, which is probably one reason that for Bryant’s career the Lakers record without him is almost the same as their record with him.

Then he bashes Smush Parker. Parker was far from an all-star but gave 100% and was a good teammate. Most Lakers fans have blinders on and don’t see Bryant for what he is -- a great physical talent but whose selfish attitude probably explains why of all superstars he is by far the worst at lifting his team and making his teammates better players.

Mike Lorraine

Simi Valley

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Enough complaints about the Lakers’ cable deal. After calling my cable provider and telling them I would pay the premium, I was told they will not offer the Lakers. I will now switch companies.

The problem is not with the Lakers but your cable providers. Anyone notice the new Lakers starting lineup lately? It’s the Time Warner Cable money that made it possible. I am no fan of TWC, but always a Lakers fan. Those folks complaining would be the same ones complaining about another mediocre Lakers finish this year. Thanks to the money, we are a contender again.

Robert Smith

Covina

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Kiffin can’t win, right?

It is now obvious why the Trojans are often referred to as too “Hollywood.” Their head coach is a modern-day Forrest Gump. His play-calling is like a box of chocolates -- you never know what you are going to get.

Their Heisman-touted quarterback is Benjamin Button -- his play each week seemingly regresses back to his freshman year and their two All-American receivers can play the leads in “Lost in Space.”

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

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It is clearly time for Lane Kiffin to hire an offensive coordinator. His offense, thought to be unstoppable before the season, is now sadly predictable, boring and easily defensible.

He supposedly has the best college quarterback in the nation, but treats him like a true freshman. He has the two best receivers in the country, and almost never throws downfield. Saturday’s game against Washington was the all-time low, as Kiffin played not to lose instead of to win. The great teams step on the accelerator when they sense they can bury an opponent. Kiffin played scared. Whatever happened to having balance between the run and the pass? The defensive coordinators for Oregon and Notre Dame have to be licking their chops.

Drew Pomerance

Tarzana

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A bolt of truth

Bill Dwyre seems to think that just because the San Diego Chargers lost one game this week, their whole season is doomed. Not true.

Look at the UCLA football Bruins. They often lose an early-season game and all right that may not the best example. How about the Angels? They started 6-14 and yet come October Never mind, Mr. Dwyre is probably right.

Ron Reeve

Glendora

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In the car business, a money-losing advertisement is called a “loss leader.” In the NFL, it’s called Norv Turner.

Jerry Selby

Pasadena

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His tour de faux

The tragedy of Lance Armstrong is that he will never know how good he could have been without drugs.

In the end he cheated the man in the glass.

Don Leverence

Claremont

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East Coast myth

After watching all of the Yankees fans leave these exciting playoff games before the eighth inning, can we put a moratorium on any letters from East Coast transplants proclaiming that they are better sports fans than we are?

Dave Moore

Santa Ana

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Don’t count backward

Dear Washington Nationals:

Now that your season is over, please consider the following: If you want to limit Strasburg’s innings and remove a month from his season next year, how about sitting him down in April instead of October?

Tom Ball

Santa Barbara