Letters to Sports: Clippers won’t work on this Beard

The Clippers just traded away their future for a highly questionable present with James Harden.

Jack Wishard
Los Angeles

::

With James Harden coming to L.A., the Clippers have become the NBA version of the “No-D” Riley Trojans.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

::

Who’s running the Clippers, Andrew Friedman?

Harden will be a Hall of Famer but right now he’s simply a ball hog who likes to shoot. Steve Ballmer’s club has enough point makers and what the heck does this mean for Russell Westbrook, who has found a home but now his minutes will be cut even lower?

Bad trade, man, bad trade.

Fred Wallin
Westlake Village

::

There’s a reason why no other team in the NBA wanted James Harden. Other than the obvious fact that he is the GOAT on the NBA pouters and whiners team, he is also the biggest “choke” in key games. Not only is he a cancer, but he disappears in crucial games.

Stan Shirai
Torrance

::

A match made in heaven: Clippers — no championships, Harden — no championships. Hmmm! I wonder.

Mike Schaller
Temple City

::

In an effort to catch lightning in a bottle, Steve Ballmer has approved a trade for James Harden that is reminiscent of Arte Moreno’s signing of Albert Pujols. The Clippers are now riding the third rail toward inevitable dysfunction. Aging stars do not lightning make.

Dave Sanderson
La Cañada

::
This trade is shear lunacy: “The Beard” and the Clippers could get hairy. I mean, the margin for error is razor thin. So, how long before his self-absorption (“I’m not a system player; I am a system”) froths the team into a lather and they stubble, err, stumble?

Steve Ross
Carmel

The trade the Dodgers need to make to win a World Series title? Dave Roberts for Bruce Bochy. Congratulations, Texas Rangers.

Paul Kawauchi
Rosemead

::

The Dodgers don’t sign Justin Turner, the 2017 NLCS MVP. They choose to let 2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager go. They opt not to sign Max Scherzer and Nathan Eovaldi, two pitchers with proven playoff success. Seager, Scherzer and Eovaldi form the foundation of the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why the Dodgers have won one World Series in 35 years.

Nick Rose
Newport Coast

::

For all their self-perceived greatness, the Dodger front office really swung and missed on home-grown Corey Seager. They’d rather sign a monster long-term contract with a guy more interested in bowling in the offseason than learning how to play playoff baseball.

Bart Bogy
San Juan Capistrano

Please stop covering horse racing. Horse racing is not a sport, it is animal abuse and it is barbaric.

Since you no longer print box scores and standings for the major team sports, it seems silly that you are still perpetuating the myth that exploiting horses for profit and entertainment is acceptable.

Brent Trafton
Long Beach

It’s only fitting that the Michigan Wolverines be renamed the Ann Arbor Astros.

Michael Jameson
Los Angeles

So the Big Ten schedules are out for UCLA and USC. My money sees 5 losses for each.

Kip Dellinger
Santa Monica

R.I.P, Frank Howard.

Never forget the first time I saw him. My dad took me to a 1959 Pacific Coast League game in San Diego between the Padres and Spokane Indians, where the Dodgers had assigned him, to see the touted phenom. Howard hit a line drive off a pitch from John Briggs so hard that it tore the glove from third baseman Steve Jankowski’s hand. He also fanned twice, so hard that my dad swore he could hear the swish of air from Howard’s swing. Awesome raw talent on display.

David Smollar
San Diego

::

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.

Email: sports@latimes.com