Letters

I never thought that poor broadcasting skills, an extramarital affair or his early departure from the NFL counted as Tiki Barber's main problems. It was hubris and his penchant for bad-mouthing former teammates and coaches on a national stage that did him in. As Henry David Thoreau once said, "Be true to your work, your word, and your friend."

Paul J. Bena, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Barber's likening himself to Anne Frank is a demonstration of more than just "artlessness," as L. Jon Wertheim writes (Tiki Barber Gets Real, May 30). For Barber to compare hiding in his agent's attic in an attempt to avoid gossip columnists to Frank's hiding from the Nazis during World War II is outrageous and perverse.

Abraham H. Foxman

New York City

Yes, Barber is a public figure who made some mistakes. I still feel, however, his private life should be just that: private. I applaud him for being true to himself and not succumbing to all of the tabloid nonsense. And who knows? Maybe his critique of the Giants actually fueled the team and gave it the motivation to win Super Bowl XLII.

Michael Preston, Roanoke, Va.

Driver Safety

Charles Leerhsen's article on the Indy 500 (100 Years of the Indy 500, May 30) showcased just how much motor sports has changed. Many of the seemingly negative changes made to auto racing are actually the results of improved safety devices such as the SAFER barriers or the Car of Tomorrow in NASCAR. While we can be awed by the sport's past and yearn for competition as compelling as it was years ago, as fans we cannot underestimate the advances in technology that have made auto racing at least partially safer.

Joseph Ball, West Chester, Ohio