Letters: UCLA’s disaster in the desert

I really have to give credit to UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel. After a 36-point drubbing to a 1-5 Arizona team, he still manages to cling to his optimism by saying “we can and will turn the corner.”

This time I think you’re absolutely right, Coach. Only the next corner you turn is going to have “Exit” by the door.

Cliff Chew

Irvine

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The worst thing about UCLA’s 48-12 loss to Arizona? It wasn’t even as close as the score indicated.

Gary Linquist

Morro Bay

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If Dan Guerrero needs to wait until the end of the season to evaluate UCLA’s football program, perhaps it’s not just the football coach who needs to be replaced.

Glenn M. Langdon

Garden Grove

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After having season tickets to UCLA football since 1976, I gave them up this year. Whatever fills Rick Neuheisel’s “Passion Bucket” surely stinks. I never thought I’d miss Karl Dorrell; thanks Rick for proving me wrong there.

Greg Peskay

Valencia

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Anyone who thinks the Bruins currently have an acceptable football coach must wear cardinal and gold.

Andrew Sacks

Fontana

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The UCLA football players must really want a new coach because that is the only explanation for constantly missing tackles, dropping passes, committing silly penalties, and now getting into fights. It’s almost like they’re doing it on purpose, because it’s hard to believe these scholarship players can be that bad.

Don Geller

Irvine

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Chris Foster’s article about the UCLA offense and strategy [Oct. 15] tells us all we need to know about what has happened to our society. So Rick Neuheisel, who is supposed to be a leader of our youth, believes that it is more important for him to be successful than to be safe. And Jim Mastro says in effect that there is danger in the plays that UCLA has decided to call and that it is up to the players to learn how to protect themselves. What kind of nonsense is that? Shame on them.

Bernard S. Otis

Sherman Oaks

Work of Arte

My goodness this hurts to write this, but T.J. Simers’ column on Arte Moreno couldn’t have been more spot on. This Angels season is on him more than Mike Scioscia or Tony Reagins. Having lost out on Carl Crawford, had Moreno ponied up the cash for Beltre, the Angels would have had no reason (or money) to trade for Wells. It’s hard to believe Arte was a successful businessman with this strategy of deciding that the market is just too high for valuable assets. It is, however, easy to believe that this strategy has rendered the club far less competitive than Texas.

Craig Dunkin

Los Angeles

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One factor T.J. Simers may have missed regarding the Angels’ failure to sign any of the top free agents may well have been, in addition to Arte Moreno’s bungling, that none of those premier players wanted to have to play for “tyrant” Mike Scioscia.

Joe Bonino

Glendale

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I know T.J. Simers likes to bloviate because he likes to draw a reaction. However, his column on Arte Moreno is just downright ignorant. Abreu, Hunter and Wells each hit 20-30 points below their career batting averages all in the same season and the Angels missed out on the playoffs. That is Moreno’s fault? The Napoli-Wells trade looks bad in the rearview mirror, due in no small part to Napoli having the greatest year of his career and Wells having his worst. Was Moreno supposed to see that?

The Angels didn’t overpay for Teixeira, (who got nothing but singles in his one postseason in Anaheim), Lackey, (a total bust in Boston washing away his misery in beer in the clubhouse during games), Figgins, (whose career appears to be over post-Anaheim), and he still has them contending most years. I went to my first Angels game in 1972 — well before Simers ever realized there was a team there. I watched a lot of really bad baseball for a lot of years. I appreciate that the Angels have four postseason appearances in the seven years of Moreno ownership and only four postseason appearances in the entire 40-plus years prior to Arte.

Tony Siracusa

San Gabriel

The Jamie factor

After reading Bill Plaschke’s column on Jamie McCourt, everyone should know Frank was willing to pay her $130 million in a settlement because it is worth it.

Bud Chapman

Northridge

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Anyone know how Charles Steinberg’s “Project Jamie” campaign is doing these days? Funny, I haven’t heard much about it lately.

Jerry Sondler

Warwick, R.I.

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Bill Plaschke’s article makes me wonder. Does this mean Jamie will not be president of the United States?

V.J. Carollo

Upland

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It doesn’t get any more sexist than Bill Plaschke’s attack on Jamie McCourt. Women now have some rights and don’t have to be one of the “good old boys”. I find his column and remarks insulting to all women. He took it real easy on Frank, however ... because he’s one of the boys?

Jean Tudor

Orange

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Wouldn’t it be ironic if Frank McCourt is forced to sell the Dodgers and has to declare personal bankruptcy after he cannot afford to pay Jamie the $130 million?

Don Geller

Irvine

Regrets only

Let me see if I understand this: Adrian Beltre and Rafael Furcal (which could have been half of the Dodgers infield) get to play in the World Series, while Dodgers fans get to pin their hopes on a divorce settlement and a bankruptcy filing. Sheesh.

David Weber

West Hollywood

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The last time I checked, the Texas Rangers have at least 25 players on their World Series roster. If they win it all, is it too much to ask that someone other than Mike Napoli be shown celebrating? Sincerely, disheartened Angels fans everywhere

Ken Blake

Brea

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St. Louis Cardinals reliever Marc Rzepczynski will be remembered for having the best “eye chart” name in World Series history.

Marc Popkin

Brentwood

What’s the deal?

When I heard that the Raiders had given up a first-round pick and possibly another for Carson Palmer, my first reaction was, that is the worst trade in the history of the league. Then as a long-suffering Raiders fan it hit me; they were going to screw up those picks anyway. Do the names Todd Marinovich, Rickey Dudley, Derrick Gibson and JaMarcus Russell come to mind?

Seems like Al Davis is making decisions posthumously.

Willis Barton

Los Angeles

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It’s interesting to see that Lance Pugmire does not let facts stand in the way of a misleading story (“Chargers play another episode of the ex factor,” Oct. 19). The “ghosts” of its past, according to the shortsighted Pugmire, include trading away Michael Vick and Eli Manning. When the Chargers traded away the draft choice for Vick they got LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees for their efforts. As for Eli Manning? The Chargers used him as a chip to get Philip Rivers and other draft choices (including kicker Nate Kaeding) from the Giants. Any knowledgeable football writer (which obviously excludes Mr. Pugmire from the conversation) would not only say Rivers is a better quarterback than Manning, but that the Chargers took the Giants to the cleaners on that trade.

I will look forward to Pugmire’s next article on how the Dodgers greatly benefited from the Delino DeShields for Pedro Martinez trade.

Tom Fielding

Pasadena

The lockout

I have enjoyed the frequent contributions of Ralph S. Brax to The Times sports page for many years, but I have to take issue with his recent letter regarding David Stern’s leadership of the NBA, specifically his characterization that Mr. Stern has become the owners’ crony. While it is true that the NBA has flourished during his tenure, Mr. Stern has always done what is in the best interest of the owners. The fact that the players profited as well was pure happenstance.

Steve Morton

Hawthorne

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The other day my 10-year-old son said, “The Lakers’ season is starting soon.” I said no, there is a strike and the first two weeks of the season are canceled and who knows what is going to happen. He had a very puzzled look on his face. He wanted to know what a strike was and what the problem was. In the innocence of his 10-year-old mind, he could not wrap his brain around my explanation that the NBA players and the owners of the teams could not figure out how to divide the money up.

Matthew D. Kerster

Gardena

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Attention: David Stern, NBA owners, agents and players: The sun will rise in the morning in the east and set in the afternoon in the west no matter what you do. The only ones who will suffer will be the support staff; vendors, janitors, ticket sellers/takers, parking lot attendants, etc., who really need the money to survive, along with those really good college players who chose to give up their college eligibility to make themselves available for the draft.

Go cry in your beer, wine, champagne and stay out of sight.

Carol Marshall

Anaheim

Fast times

Thank you, Bill Dwyre, for your Monday article about the late great Dan Wheldon. You lent dignity to a tragic moment and honor to our fallen champion.

As a race fan we live vicariously through our favorite drivers. Watching them do things we can only dream about electrifies the hairs on the back of our necks. We root with great passion and collectively hold our breath for each of them, when physics and their celebrated competitive desire tangle. When they emerge victorious through the smoke and flames of the wreckage, we exhale with a cheer that rivals the roar of the engines or a checkered flag celebration. Sadly, when the harshest measure of reality snatches one into eternity, the wonderful whine of the engines is silenced, and we stand as one, morning the loss our fallen champion.

Yes the show will go on, but Dan’s passion will always be held close to our hearts.

Paul Manocchio

Van Nuys

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Instead of IndyCar announcing the start of an investigation into the cause of Dan Wheldon’s accident, they should’ve gone straight to the solution — lower the speed of the cars by 50 mph. Lowering speeds worked for NASCAR and the NHRA.

Dan Rendant

Arcadia

West’s world

Jerry West’s revelation of a lifelong battle with depression makes sense to someone who followed his career since the late ‘60s. He always seemed a bit melancholy, even after big victories, like he was carrying some sort of invisible psychological weight. It goes to show: happiness is an “inside” job. No matter what you have or what you accomplish, you need peace with yourself and life itself to be happy.

Frank Shapiro

Chatsworth

Don’t touch that dial

I can’t believe what has happened to sports radio in the greatest city in the world. Los Angeles radio is reduced to stations touting the Jets, Raiders and Chargers! Los Angeles covering teams from New York, San Francisco Bay and, ugh, San Diego? What’s happened to our great sports city?

Flash back to October 1988 ... world champion Lakers, world champion Dodgers, Rams and Raiders on their way to the NFL playoffs. Now, a lockout, no football, Frank McCourt and clowns on sports radio. Embarrassing.

Jesse Rodriguez

Los Angeles

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