Letters: Vaccine can't come soon enough to cure their ills

Dec. 4, 2020 3:37 PM PT

If the Rams and Chargers (especially the Chargers) continue to play as they have recently, COVID-19 won’t be the only reason SoFi Stadium doesn’t have any fans in it.

Russell Morgan
Carson

Sam Farmer says the Rams are going to make a concerted effort to run against Arizona and it will work.

When the Rams are good they come out passing and then the run works, or haven’t you noticed?

When the Rams are on they are on. They don’t have a running back better than their triple threat through the air. The Rams go as their quarterback goes. Trying to say otherwise does not prove out.

Steve Baker
Los Angeles

“Jared Goff is an accurate, gaffe-free quarterback worth all the draft picks it took to get him who deserves his long-term megacontract,” said no Rams fan ever.

Tony Medley
Los Angeles

Jared Goff has been turning the ball over at an alarming rate, putting up points for opponents, and the problem didn’t just start in Miami. Last year in three of the Rams’ seven losses, he turned the ball over, resulting in the opponent’s scoring — pick six, strip-sack runback, etc. If he simply had taken a sack on those three plays, the Rams would have won each game and finished 12-4, making the playoffs.

That would have been “a little bit smarter.”

Mike Schaller
Temple City

How about this: Let Aaron Donald terrorize his quarterback during practice for a week, franchise tag be damned, broken bones and strip-sacks expected. Maybe then, Jared Goff might finally know what to do to protect the damn football.

Peter Maradudin
Seattle

How come Jalen Ramsey, the (supposed) best cover corner in the NFL, wasn’t stuck to San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel all game?

How come Sean McVay, recognizing that the 49ers’ front line was more dominant against the run than Tampa Bay, didn’t work in the same “dink and dunk” passing attack that beat the Buccaneers?

How come the Rams accept as OK the milquetoast mentality of a bottom-tier quarterback to whom they paid $134 million?

How come those in charge of the team seem to forget that the offense is at its best when steamrolling opposing defenses with its blitzkrieg passing and jet-sweep attacks?

How come it’s always “one step forward, two steps back” and then we fumble the ball?

Too many people in that organization are overpaid and lack the called-for belly fire.

Ridiculous.

David Griffin
Westwood

If the Chargers had a board of directors overseeing their management and watching their stock drop in value each week , Anthony Lynn and his crew would have been gone long ago. Somebody needs to put a stop loss on this disaster.

Alan Segal
San Diego

Coach Lynn, sadly, you may be watching from afar when your successor coaches this talented Chargers team into a Super Bowl contender. Coach Lynn, the clock ran out and found you on the losing side of double zero.

Donald Peppars
Pomona

National Farce League

Is anyone really surprised at the sandlot play occurring with regularity in the NFL this “season”? Lack of preparation; lack of practice; lack of availability of players: the only thing there seems to be plenty of is the desire to still rake in as many dollars as possible while foisting a product on the public that clearly isn’t ready for prime time as long as possible before (1) the public catches on to the farce, or (2) enough players become sick it isn’t possible to field any teams.

John Snyder
Newbury Park

Out of all the major sports leagues the NFL had the most time to develop a proper response to COVID-19, yet Roger Goodell still managed to drop the ball.The NFL is important for many people ranging from the teams, to players, to fans, but is it important enough to put many peoples’ health and even lives on the line especially without taking proper measures?

Quinn Rath
Los Angeles

Trojan times

Typical score for these days: COVID-19, USC 0. No longer are we undefeated. Fight on.

Art Kraus
Santa Monica

I feel bad for deposed USC kicker Chase McGrath after losing his starting job to a freshman this week.

I realize he wasn’t even born yet in the early ’90s, but certainly somebody older and more of a TV addict could have warned him by telling him about a little Fox show from that decade called, “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose.”

Axel W. Kyster
Bradbury

NBA? Already?

LZ Granderson, in his column about Steve Ballmer firing Doc Rivers, makes an odd comparison to Rivers and Phil Jackson and their relative coaching styles. In it he refers to Rivers’ and Jackson’s “successful” L.A. coaching careers. Jackson coached 11 seasons in L.A. and won five championships. Rivers coached seven seasons in L.A. and won none. I just don’t see it, LZ.

Bert Bergen
La Cañada

I was saddened by the move where the Clippers parted ways with Montrezl Harrell. He represented what the team was all about when he was here; he was gutsy and gritty and played his heart out and was a spark plug off their bench.

Now we have the “New Clippers,” run by Kawhi Leonard, who was instrumental in getting rid of Doc Rivers and perhaps Montrezl as well, while bringing Ibaka over from Toronto. He and Paul George lack the personality and chemistry that others thrive on.

We all know that famous line, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Well, the Lakers just stole this NBA treasure and the Clippers will pay every time they meet.

That darn Karma.

Steve LaRochelle
Simi Valley

So happy LeBron and Anthony Davis were able to secure new contracts during this tragic time in our history.

I’m sure the jobless, teachers, medical heros and first responders can sleep well tonight knowing these two gentlemen can survive.

I also want to thank The Times for its extensive coverage of the extensions.

Mike Garnet
Palm Desert

That would be a kick

As the father of a young female student-athlete — my 8-year-old daughter Sophie is a standout soccer player and math whiz — I took pride in seeing Sarah Fuller of Vanderbilt become the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game. However, the real moment of arrival for female athletes won’t happen on the field, but in the locker room.

Remember that before Katie Hnida became the first woman to play in an NCAA Division I bowl game in 2002 with New Mexico, she endured sexual harassment and assault and was made to feel unwelcome at Colorado.

Someday, a female placekicker will attempt a game-winning field goal, and I hope she makes it. But if she misses, and her teammates still show her unconditional support, female student-athletes will truly have arrived.

Stephen A. Silver

San Francisco

RIP, Rafer

I take issue with Dan Guerrero’s quote that Rafer Johnson is the “Greatest of all Bruins.” I believe it’s actually a tie between Johnson and Jackie Robinson.

May they both RIP.

Michael Gesas
Beverly Hills

Back in the 1980s an L.A. Times columnist referred to Magic Johnson as “the world’s first perfect human being.” With all due respect to Magic, the world may have lost its true first perfect human being this week in Rafer Johnson.

Rick Van Kirk
Irvine

Heard it before?

Tony Reagins: “We feel like we’ve added an impact defender.”

Jerry DiPoto: “We feel like we’ve added an impact defender.”

Billy Eppler: “We feel like we’ve added an impact defender.”

Perry Minasian: “We feel like we’ve added an impact defender.”

News flash, Perry: The Angels need pitching!

Steve Tye
Diamond Bar

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