Letters: Farewell to Frank McCourt
I always enjoy seeing that old 1958 photo of Walter Alston riding in the Edsel down Broadway in the welcoming parade. Hey, why don’t we get that Edsel out of mothballs and present it to Frank McCourt for his drive back to Boston? It’s the least we can do to show our appreciation.
Andrew M. Weiss
Playa del Rey
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Bud Selig, please learn from your mistakes: No leveraged sales. No corporations as owners. No real estate developers as owners. No unemployed owners. Find us an owner who has proven to be a smart business person with their own money. Find us an owner who already owns several homes. Find us an owner who is a baseball fan, preferably a Dodgers fan. Just find us an owner who cares about the Dodgers’ fan experience, not the experience of owning the Dodgers.
Vincent Martinez
Arcadia
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Before Bill Dwyre [Nov. 3] gets up from falling all over himself while fawning over Bud Selig, let’s all remember how we got here in the first place. A combination of Selig’s fear of a lawsuit regarding the earlier Red Sox purchase plus Selig’s insistence on not allowing another free-spending owner into the league, thus protecting his Brewers is why he personally chose to inflict the McCourts on Los Angeles.
Allan Kandel
Los Angeles
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Mr. Simers, I keep asking myself what it is that qualifies you to pass judgment on the viability of Peter O’Malley as the next owner of the Dodgers. So far, the only answer I can come up with is this: nothing.
Tom Krenek
Irvine
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With Frank McCourt seemingly folding like a cheap suit in the face of MLB’s challenge to his plan for ownership survival, the devoted Dodgers fan base should be all high fives and fist pumps. However, given this guy’s penchant for chicanery, I, for one, will not be comfortable until the ink on the deal is dry.
Bud Chapman
Northridge
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In the contract of sale, in Article 7, Section D, subsection “ii”, let us hope some enterprising legal beagle inserts, “As part of this sale, Frank McCourt agrees not to get closer than 500 miles from Dodger Stadium for the next 25 years”.
Bob Aronoff
South Pasadena
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The birth of a child. Graduation day. Winning the lottery. Nov. 1, 2011 is all of that rolled into one. Goodbye, Frank. Don’t let the door hit you in the rear. I lied. I hope it hits you and hits you hard.
Geno Apicella
Placentia
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To the tune of “Goodnight Sweetheart,” with original lyrics by Dodgers fans:
Goodbye, McCourt, well, it’s time to go,
Goodbye, McCourt, you’ve seen your last Dodgers dough.
We’re glad you’re leaving and we really must say,
Dodger fans again are shouting, “We love L.A.”
Dan Anzel
Los Angeles
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Mark Cuban says that he talked to Frank McCourt about buying the Dodgers and was told that the asking price would be over $1 billion, which he feels is way too high. McCourt says that he never talked to Cuban and doesn’t even know who he is. Whom do you believe?
We won’t miss you, Frank, as you enter the world of Motel 6 and Supercuts.
Sol Bialeck
Van Nuys
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I may be the one person who is refraining from joyous celebration over Frank McCourt agreeing to sell the Dodgers, as it brings a swift and ceremonious end to my distinguished L.A. Times letter-writing career, less feasible now without the follies of a rudderless organization, incongruous leadership and disastrous on-field results. So consider this my farewell address (unless UCLA retains Rick Neuheisel as its football coach).
Steve Ross
New York
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I am so thrilled that the greedy, uninterested owner of our local team is finally ready to sell. Someone else can surely improve on his zero championships while actually communicating to the fans directly instead of hiding behind assistants. Wait, we’re not talking about Phil Anschutz? Never mind.
Olivia Knell
El Segundo
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The only thing that could make the Frank McCourt story better is if Jim Healy were here to comment on it.
Doug Thomson
West Los Angeles
Lane dancing
Other conclusions with which Lane Kiffin respectfully resolves to agree to disagree:
1) Hiring his father as defensive coordinator represents nepotism.
2) The Trojans’ defense routinely violates trademarks held by Swiss cheese manufacturers.
3) T.J. McDonald should be counseled to avoid debilitating hits on defenseless receivers.
4) It’s appropriate to defer to Pat Haden’s reflections on postgame coaching conduct.
5) Running a crossing route with nine seconds left represents poor play-calling strategy.
6) If bitter complaining does not result in a call’s reversal, it need not be repeated the next day.
7) Two-year-old Knox probably cannot solve math problems.
8) Knox’s tantrums pale next to Lane’s.
9) Calculations relating to holding penalties may be avoided by not holding.
10) Stanford deserved to win the game.
Konrad Moore
Bakersfield
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Lane Kiffin was fined for casting aspersions on the credibility of Pac-12 officials.
Funny, I thought credibility had to be earned — not legislated.
Gary Robb
Los Feliz
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After any game is recorded in the win-loss column, ranting is unprofessional. Perhaps Mr. Kiffin should amend his name to Comp-Lane Kiffin.
Judy Perry
Newport Beach
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Lane Kiffin managed to deflect the attention from the inspired play of his team by whining that an official should have called time out the instant Robert Woods’ knee hit the ground. Come on, Lane. Even USC at home won’t get that call. You lost because of Daddy’s defense.
Alan Abajian
Alta Loma
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I asked the 2-year-old down the street what he thought about lousy officiating, and he told me that no school had been the beneficiary of more blown calls and phantom touchdowns than SC. Then he said their coach needed a timeout. Then he moved on.
Mike Kichaven
Sherman Oaks
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The rule intended to eliminate head-to-head football collisions is being enforced unrealistically, both in college and the NFL. T.J. McDonald received a suspension for making an illegal hit with his shoulder that impacted a receiver above the shoulders. If a defensive player attempts to make a hit with his shoulder, the rule should be considered as being followed. How can a defensive player control the movements of the other player? Shortly, a receiver will be entitled to signal for a fair catch on a pass to avoid contact.
Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
This is a lot of guilt to lay on T.J. McDonald. The way teams win in the Pac-12 is by hitting and playing hard, physical football. Ronnie Lott was famous for delivering hard hits to receivers and separating them from the ball, and made a career out of it in the NFL. Stanford plays that way. Did you see Matt Barkley getting pummeled several times after passing the ball, being driven into the ground?
Football is a rough game and to me, McDonald didn’t look like he was leading with his head, but delivered a hard hit with his shoulder in an effort to separate the receiver from the ball. My gosh, what would Sam Huff or Dick Butkus say about this official’s call?
Chet Chebegia
Long Beach
Lane Kiffin may not be the right guy after all if he cannot coach an unremorseful player with a history of personal foul penalties not to hit a relaxed opponent hard in the head with a padded shoulder and say, “That’s the way I play.” If that’s true, Kiffin will soon learn to say “That’s the way I lose.”
Paul Ascenzi
Pomona
Who’s next?
In the Oct. 28 letters regarding UCLA, Keith Karpe writes that “everyone should ask themselves, “What would John Wooden do?’”
Excellent idea. But I’m not sure Rick Neuheisel can call Sam Gilbert and ask him to secure a quarterback for the Bruins.
Matthew Zimmerman
Torrance
The week in review:
The good: Tony La Russa doing his best John Elway imitation by retiring after winning a championship.
The bad: The Trojans’ and Chargers’ fumbles during crunch time.
The ugly: Tim Tebow’s performance against the Lions.
Ken Feldman
Los Angeles
Turning the key
Can someone please get me the name and number of the miracle worker who finally convinced Frank McCourt to stop fighting. I would like to pass the information along to Billy Hunter and David Stern.
Maury D. Benemie
Corona
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As the NBA lockout continues and college basketball gears up, one can only wonder at the wisdom of Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee’s decision to quit UCLA for the “riches” of the NBA. No doubt, Honeycutt as a junior and Lee as a senior would have had a great year leading the Bruins. Besides, as second-round draft picks, there was no guarantee that they would be playing in the NBA today, even if there was no lockout.
Don Geller
Irvine
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NBA: lockout. NFL: lockout averted. MLB: lockout on back burner. NHL: in line for lockout.
Tennis anyone?
Paul McGuire
Canyon Country
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