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allen Barra

"You $%#@!"
From Anna Kournikova and paying college athletes to Alex Rodriguez and old Olympic grudges: The readers write.

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By Allen Barra

Jan. 10, 2001 | When Salon posted my e-mail address, it didn't tell you people that you had to write, but after sifting through the hundreds or so responses, I'm rather glad you did. There are a lot of issues that need clarification, and a number of important topics that I haven't had the time or space to get to that you people have been kind enough to call to my attention. Thanks to all of you, particularly the ones who start with "You asshole!" because those are the ones that get my editor's attention.

Regarding my blast at the NCAA, David Harmon writes: "I don't understand why you think big-time college athletes aren't paid. The cost of most tuition plus board and room is at least $100,000." That's a very good point, and it should be bought up in my discussion of college athletes and money. Unfortunately, I'm not buying the argument. First of all, the money is not paid to the athlete, it's used for the upkeep, as it were, of the athlete, so he can help to earn a profit for the athletic department. But that's really not even the point. The point is: Why are colleges and universities spending up to $100,000 apiece to maintain athletes who otherwise don't belong in college? In other words, why are America's colleges subsidizing the NBA and NFL?

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Also, concerning my criticism of the NCAA, M. Jennings from Georgia wants to know: "Have you ever seen 80,000 people in a college football stadium? What kind of argument can you make against that?" To which I reply, yes, I'm all for the 80,000 people in the football stadium, but what does that have to do with the arrogance and power of the NCAA? Couldn't Georgia and Georgia Tech (let's say) find a way to play each other, and wouldn't 80,000 people show up, even if the universities weren't under the thumb of the NCAA? When you get right down to it, what is the necessary connection between the NCAA and fans enjoying college sports?

On my suggestion that the Seattle Mariners just might have moved in their fences to accommodate Alex Rodriguez, Chris Ryland wants to know: "Don't you think that pitchers' parks also draw fans in?" Chris, it's not up to me to tell a fan what he should pay to see, or even to tell a team how to construct its home park. All I was suggesting is that every smart team should either tailor its talent to suit its park or the other way around. Myself, I prefer seeing the ball in play to a catch between pitcher and catcher, but, hey, you're the ones who buy the tickets.

Regarding my comments that there should be several Heisman trophies, including one for offensive lineman, M. Paul says, "There's an award for best offensive lineman. I think it's called the Outland Trophy." You're right, but who knows about it? I think college football should be honest and admit that only backs are going to win the Heisman and call it an award to the nation's "Outstanding Offensive Back" and have a ceremony where they present it, along with the Outland Trophy, and a trophy for best defensive player, or whatever, all at the same time, thus ending the fiction that a quarterback is a better football player than a guard or a linebacker. (What they call all these awards I don't care.)

Chris Serico tells me they should end the farcical state of major league umpiring with a computerized zone. It's fine by me, as long as Paul O'Neill is still allowed to yell at it.

Eighteen readers, all males, told me I was "full of shit" regarding Anna Kournikova. One said she was "a hell of a tennis player." Hey, I'll give her her due: She could kick Britney Spears' butt in straight sets.

Next page | NBA skills in decline, the Yankees, and an alternate vision of the Olympics
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Illustration by Zach Trenholm

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