I'm so glad that John Romano has the nerve to say out loud what (I hope) many Bucs fans have been thinking (Bucs want court to be conscience, Wednesday). The law applies to everyone. How many chances does Michael Pittman get? Who does he think he is, Darryl Strawberry? We have so many Bucs players to be proud of, why do we need this one (or two) that sling mud on the Bucs? What an example he is setting for the kids.
-- Sue Simon, Largo
The Michael Pittman column was right on. What's right is right. Cut him and move on.
-- J.E. Joine Jr., via e-mail
Pittman deserves due process
For the record, I believe that Michael Pittman is probably going to be found guilty, and, in that case, should be punished. However, I am always mystified as to how pious sports writers can become when the athletes they spend their lives promoting fail them. Since when has the media become a great moral agent?
Hey, I have ideals. One of them is to live in a country based on law, where people can get fair trials and not be tried by the press who have interests of their own ($$$$$$). I am sorry that John Romano's venom is so great that he cannot wait for due process. If he ever gets accused of a crime, I hope that he can receive a fair trial and that his employer awaits the outcome before his firing. How is that for an ideal?
-- Michael G. Hilson, Temple Terrace
Thanks for Doby coverage
Baseball lost one of its true legends this week with the passing of former all-star Larry Doby. He was born in the small town of Camden, S.C., and was the first African-American player in the American League.
As a transplanted South Carolinian, I was extremely happy to read the coverage the Times gave to this outstanding athlete and person (Larry Doby, AL's first black ballplayer, dies, Thursday). Larry Doby was a great ambassador to baseball and it is nice knowing that his contributions and career were not overlooked.
-- Joe Murphy, Oldsmar
Cheating part of the game
Maybe Sammy Sosa was truthful when he said he mistakenly used the corked bat. Maybe not.
But baseball has a long and revered history of cheating. The best known are the pitchers who used the spitball or apply Vaseline to the ball without getting caught. There also have been spies in the bleachers stealing the catcher's signs and relaying them to the batter. Certainly other cheating is going on. It is a game, and cheating without getting caught is part of it.
But Sammy got caught. That is his crime, getting caught.
All these cheaters were trying to win the game. What can never be accepted is playing the game to lose, as the "Black Sox" did in 1919. Such players should be banned for eternity.
I can forgive Sammy.
-- Richard Weaver, South Pasadena
More football, football and football
Has the basketball season finally ended or are you going to drag it on with endless look-back articles and speculation about next year's changes. Please give us a break. It's a dull sport. Let's have some football news, and not all about the Bucs.
-- Bill Clark, Homosassa
[Last modified June 22, 2003, 01:33:03]
