Letters

Stop the Bus

As an avid Pittsburgh fan, I was thrilled to see the Jan. 30 cover, which featured the Steelers for a third straight week--even if part of the nation instead got the Seattle Seahawks. It has, however, also caused me great concern. Please cancel my subscription if running back Jerome Bettis is on the cover of the Swimsuit Issue.

Larry Lasday, North Potomac, Md.

Big Night

Your coverage of Kobe Bryant's historic performance was excellent (81, Jan. 30), and the comparison with Wilt Chamberlain's as yet unapproached mark of 100 points in a game is certainly valid. Still, there's no need to detract from a big man's accomplishments simply because he has greater physical stature. Some may argue that Kobe's 81 is greater than Wilt's 100 because Kobe, at 6'7", is six inches shorter than the 7'1" Wilt, but what scale should we then use when determining the magnitude of a player's accomplishments? If size--or the lack thereof--is the indicator, why don't we consider the (barely) 6-foot Allen Iverson's 50-point nights to be among the greatest scoring performances of all time? Why not say the same thing every time 5'5" Earl Boykins drops in 20? The bottom line is that points are points and Wilt is still 19 up on the next guy.

Jay Balsam, Valley Stream, N.Y.

Jack McCallum poses the question, After scoring 81, can Kobe hit 100? The more appropriate question might be, Can Kobe pass the ball? The answer to both questions is, Probably not.

Rick McCall, Austin

Let's not forget that Kobe had 21 points from three-point shots, seven more than he would have had playing by the rules Wilt followed.

Kathy Robinson, Krum, Texas