Letters: Tough to call U.S. women's soccer team chokers

L.A. Times Archives

July 22, 2011 12 AM PT

How nice for T.J. Simers that he toils in the cool shade of Page 2, where his many missteps under the daily pressure to fill a few inches of newsprint can pass easily without notice to the world at large. He should know a lot about choking, since he does it so regularly in his column, despite having hours, even days, to hone his words and sharpen his attacks on the mistakes of athletes who are required to make instantaneous decisions while performing against well-prepared and dangerous opponents who are equally skilled and determined to win.

T.J. needs to be advised that no team enters a competition under an entitlement to victory. Check with Brazil on that.

Analysis is good, false condemnation is bad.

Congratulations to a great American soccer team and a great Japanese soccer victory.

B.J. Merholz

Los Angeles

Simers represents a fully matured product of fundamental American philosophy — and everything that’s wrong with it: You either win, you’re No. 1, or you are worthless and deplorable. Effort has no meaning, and we have no value unless we dominate, eclipse and prevail over all and everyone. How myopic, how hypocritical; and this from one who, by any impartial standard, would hardly be considered the No. 1 columnist in the world, the U.S., Los Angeles, the L.A. Times, or its sports section.

We’ve got an epidemic of depression in this country resulting, in great part from the systematic fostering of inferiority (since everyone can’t be No. 1). Act the expected wisdom of your age instead of adding to a sick society.

Michael E. White

Burbank

I think the only reason Simers wrote this was column was to get a reaction, to determine how many people actually read his stuff. Why else would anyone accuse the U.S. women of being “duds” and “choke artists”? So, I’ll bite, and respond by saying that, as a 56-year-old female, I can remember when there were no women’s sports teams. So, yes, I choke — with tears as I watch these incredible athletes inspire me and many other screaming fans.

Evelyn Torres-Rangel

San Gabriel

Simers telling us the U.S. women’s soccer team choked is like those fat Roman spectators giving thumbs down to the gladiators in the arena. They had no skin in the game and they wouldn’t survive the first skirmish if they did. His envy is obvious.

Dick Van Kirk

Arcadia

While I understand T.J. Simers’ point in his article regarding the U.S. women’s loss to Japan, I would like to remind him of my favorite Theodore Roosevelt quote.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.…”

I’m sure this is one of T.J.’s favorite quotes as well.

Bryan Cierley

Newport Beach

T.J. Simers should be ashamed to have written such a shabby article. Yes, our women failed to capitalize on their opportunities. But, that is the nature of sports. Mistakes and missed opportunities are part of the game. Even the biggest underdog can pull off an upset.

In the meantime, Simers should go back to sports journalism school to learn how to emphasize the positive over the negative. We don’t need another team-bashing prima donna that would be the equivalent of Martin Bernheimer, the music critic who spent those woeful too many years bagging on our excellent L.A. Philharmonic.

Robert C. Lutes

Temple City

No one will be able to convince me why a team world championship is determined by a one-on-one individual skill competition. Soccer needs to go to the sudden-death overtime rule where the team that scores first wins, game over.

Steve Shaevel

Woodland Hills

A sincere “thank you” to the Japanese women’s soccer team, for winning the World Cup. I now know how I would have felt had Tom Watson made par, two years ago, on the 72nd hole of the Open Championship.

Andrew Shaddock

Manhattan Beach

I know nothing about soccer, and after listening to Julie Foudy on ESPN during the World Cup, I know even less. At least two dozen times she bellowed that the match was exciting. In fact, she said an overtime could cause heart troubles. Thankfully she survived OT, but if she has to tell viewers — over and over — that the event is exciting, it probably isn’t.

Jeff Green

Long Beach

And that is why we are still talking about the 1999 team.

Don Parris

Los Angeles

Not buying Dodgers

Ben Bolch writes the following about the Dodgers’ chances of winning the National League West title: “Good thing their manager is steeped in baseball history. “You have to have the belief that anything can happen,” Don Mattingly said. “Any team can do it.”

There is a bridge back East that is steeped in history, it’s for sale and it is in Brooklyn. Ben, are you and Don interested?

Jack Buss

Banning

Turns out Joe Torre is probably the smartest Dodger of them all. He looks like he’s a great guy by turning the team over to Don Mattingly and giving him a managing chance at one of the premier jobs in baseball. He knew going into the 2011 season, the Dodgers couldn’t hit, couldn’t score runs, had no bullpen and had too many players at positions with very average or below average ability. He didn’t want to be frustrated and stuck managing a team that had no chance of making the playoffs and look bad while doing it.

Pretty smart, Joe. Any stocks you’re planning to invest in?

Paul Kessler

Los Angeles

Oh, please. When Joe Torre compared Clayton Kershaw to Sandy Koufax, he meant that they were both pitchers. Regarding Rubby De La Rosa, comparing him to Pedro Martinez means he will soon be traded.

Alex Fernandez

Lakewood

I am sure Ned Colletti is a very nice person who would like to keep his job. I assume he may be one of the few employees remaining who might actually get a paycheck.

Unfortunately his Sgt. Schultz attitude — “I see nothing. I know nothing” — regarding Frank McCourt’s crying about spousal support is difficult to believe. I have to assume he reads a newspaper, watches the news and/or just might hear rumors around the office/stadium.

Ned, your allegiance is commendable. However, the McCourts will get you eventually.

Look for greener pastures, my friend.

Dennis O’Connor

West Hollywood

Firing Jeff Pentland because the Dodgers can’t hit is like firing the zookeeper because elephants can’t fly.

Spike Bragg

Long Beach

Off the Marc

In one short video an inebriated Marc Tyler has demonstrated much of what is wrong with athletes at many of our supposedly “elite” athletic universities. His babbling showed a sense of economic entitlement, sexual entitlement, and the inability to spell the three-letter abbreviation of the name of his university. Fight on, Marc!

Alan Abajian

Alta Loma

Lane Kiffin says about Marc Tyler: “He was also representing the alumni, and we cannot stand for the Trojan community to be shown in that light.”

Apparently Kiffin has never sat in the stands for a USC game, because this is exactly how the Trojan community acts.

Glenn M. Langdon

Garden Grove

Rather than police the gossip sites with an iron fist, a college football program focused on “honor and integrity” might better spend their time on random dope testing, academic compliance by student-athletes and occasional campus practice field sweeps for registered NFL agents.

Brad Kearns

Auburn, Calif.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Marc Tyler!

Finally the L.A. Times wrote about college football.

Jack Saltzberg

Sherman Oaks

Completely wrong

Regarding Tuesday’s story on complete games, the owners don’t want their pitchers going nine innings because that makes for shorter games. Pitchers expected to go nine innings throw strikes in the early innings so they have something left for the later innings.

Pitchers expected to go only six innings nibble at corners and the batters respond by working the count. Then comes the parade of relief pitchers.

Longer games mean more TV commercials and more stadium concession sales.

A typical game 30 years ago was 21/2 hours. Today a typical game is three hours. Maximizing revenue is the bottom line.

Lengthening games is no different than when owners canceled all scheduled doubleheaders to make more money. Or playing games in the rain to avoid giving out rain checks.

Bob Munson

Newbury Park

Making the cut

Were Dr. V.E. Simpson (Montclair Prep founder and director) still alive today, he would no doubt find his nephew’s decision to cut Montclair’s sports program abhorrent.

As a proud alumnus of Montclair (Class of 1979), I wish the decision could be reversed along with the school’s decision not to award financial aid to struggling families.

Now I know why they say you should never mix family with business.

David Tulanian

Los Angeles

Lock them out

I am not a devout man. Nor do I pray. But I pray devoutly that both the NFL and NBA go on strike this coming year and that both leagues have no season. Zilch. No athletic preening from two camps for a year. No stories of zillionaires having to rake their lawns, change their kids’ pants, toss a salad. A true testosterone tale. No balls, no glory. Freedom for true American lads.

John Gabriel

Chicago

Pass the juice

I was very disappointed to see, under a Jerry Crowe byline, the names Jim Thome, Ken Griffey Jr., Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron, mentioned with Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds.

For my letter, I had to mention them together here. He didn’t.

Alex Fernandez

Lakewood

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