Letters: No way Mike Piazza wins this one

Dear Mike Piazza:

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape.

You don’t spit into the wind.

You don’t pull the mask off the Lone Ranger

And you don’t mess around with Vin.

(Thanks, Jim Croce)

Douglas Galloway

Cherry Valley

::

Mike Piazza vs. Vin Scully

1. Piazza: Loyalty to the almighty dollar.

Scully: Longtime true-blue Dodgers employee.

Advantage: Scully

2. Piazza: Steroid speculation may keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

Scully: Member of the Hall of Fame.

Advantage: Scully

3. Piazza: Out of sight, out of mind, jealous crybaby who can no longer perform.

Scully: Still visible to the millions and performing at the same superstar clip that has for years made him the most popular L.A. Dodger of all time.

Piazza strikes out again.

Scott Daloisio

Chino

::

I don’t know if I didn’t hear or just don’t remember the particular interview in question, but I don’t believe Piazza’s version. I’ve been listening to Vin Scully for over 60 years. I’ve never once heard him malign a player, management or fan. I’ve never even heard him malign an opposing team.

So while I couldn’t swear Mr. Scully never “crushed” Piazza as the ex-Dodger alleges, I might be willing to bet my life it’s simply untrue.

Chris Hager

Tarzana

::

I understand that Piazza wrote in his book that he did not use PEDs and that Vin Scully ruined Piazza’s relationship with his fans. At least now I understand why I could not find his book in the bookstore. I hadn’t looked in the fiction section.

Judy Reel

Simi Valley

::

Mike Piazza is 100% correct in alleging Vin Scully turned the fans against him in his contract negotiations with the Dodgers in 1998, but Piazza didn’t take it far enough. Vin Scully is 100% to blame for many things today, including the massive budget deficit, the power failure at the Super Bowl, the Lakers, global warming, housing crisis, healthcare reform, an increase in crime, rush-hour traffic and all 50 women I asked out for Valentine’s Day turning me down.

Erik Schuman

Fountain Valley

::

It will be a shame when Vin Scully turns off his mike. It’s not a shame that we all turned off Mike.

Robert Ostrove

Ventura

Weird Lakers

In a game where Kobe Bryant had four points and Dwight Howard 19 points and 18 rebounds, and the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns, what we have here is a team captain who is both a sports psychologist and crazy like a fox.

Dan Anzel

Los Angeles

::

As a Lakers fan I was excited to hear D’Antoni promise scores in the 120s when he was hired. I guess I didn’t realize he was talking about defense.

Rick Blazer

San Clemente

::

So Bill Plaschke is disappointed with Steve Nash? Ironic, because that’s exactly how I feel when I read Plaschke’s opinion pieces. Suggestion, Bill: stick to your excellent human-interest stories and leave real sports analysis to the experts.

Frank Shapiro

Chatsworth

::

Proving his math skills not much better than his free throwing, Dwight Howard is quoted as saying, “The first half of the season is behind us now,” alluding to the NBA All-Star break.

Given that an NBA season is 82 games, what part of 54, the number of games the Lakers have played, being more than 41, which is generally considered to be “half” of 82, am I not getting?

Bob Jackson

Simi Valley

::

The other day, contemplating another come-from-ahead Lakers loss, I wondered to myself, why can’t they seem to hold a lead or close games out? What do the Lakers need to turn this season around?

Then it occurred to me: They need Chick Hearn’s old refrigerator! Their problem is those eggs aren’t cooling, that butter isn’t getting hard, and the jello is definitely not jiggling.

Bob Haine

Alta Loma

::

Instead of “Moonlight Sonata,” I suggest that Kobe consider “Send in the Clowns” and “My Turn to Cry.”

David Macaray

Rowland Heights

The other guys

There is no question that Chris Paul is the MVP this year. With him the Clippers can and have beaten anyone. Without him they fall apart. There is no other team in the NBA that depends on one player more than the Clippers do with Paul. The big goal is to find a way to keep him healthy through the playoffs. It won’t be easy.

Ralph S. Brax

Lancaster

::

It is a true pleasure to see the way the Clippers play basketball as a team, the way the game was designed to be played, but rarely is.

Shel Willens

Los Angeles

What a life

Eric Sondheimer’s amazing column on LaRon Armstead on Sunday tells an amazing life story of desire, commitment, perseverance against the worst of all odds.

One of 13 children in a disconnected, dysfunctional family, in a community riddled with drugs and crime, yet thanks to the efforts of caring, loving, committed adults and educators, Armstead became a man .... a leader ... a true superstar, on and most importantly, off the court.

I hope each of the over-hyped, overpaid Lakers prima donnas read the article and view his recent speech on latimes.com/sports. They may learn a life lesson about individual and team commitment.

Mario Palladini

Torrance

Give it up

The quest of the Paterno family to restore Joe Paterno’s name and legacy is insulting. They literally pay the ex-governor of Pennsylvania to come out and say that the Freeh report had major flaws. We always hear coaches refer to their players as “their kids” but the major flaw was that Paterno did nothing when another “kid” was being raped in a shower.

The Paternos want to write a book titled “Say It Ain’t So, Joe,” but the family has to let it go because we all know that it was so.

Richard Katz

Los Angeles

Can’t bear it

Overrated freshman class, overrated coach, overrated student section when Coach Mora receives the loudest ovation in the game, overrated concessions, underrated statue of John Wooden outside of Pauley.

Jeff Black

Beverly Hills

::

There’s something fishy about Bill Walton’s gutting of Coach Howland on TV. Is he angling for Ben’s job and using ESPN for bait?

Patricia Thomson

Cheviot Hills

Zing!

What’s with all the talk about the Kings not scoring? They look pretty offensive to me.

Jonah Freedman

Los Angeles

::

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

Email:

sports@latimes.com