Web Letters: Descent into March Madness

What is he saying about UNLV?

Why doesn't it matter if all athletes at UNLV major in the history of table tennis? Are they too stupid to be taught?

Hey! I goed there for college!

Rod
Bickles

Las Vegas, NV

Great article. I was fascinated to learn about the Drake Group, an organization which is actually fighting the academic abuses by athletic departments.

Yes, the system fails so-called "student" athletes, even the European-Americans. It is good to learn about it.

It is appalling to note that young African-American males are far more likely to be in prison than college.

But pop a brew and have some wings, enjoy the game. No racism here, thank you!

Adam Burke

Iowa City, IA

As my first City Editor told me many times, "So the hell what?"

Give me a (censored) break, Bob. Doesn't The Nation/et.al have better things to wring its hands about? Wait, what am I saying? I know the answer.

The Upper West Side, Berkeley and Dupont Circle resent the fact that they have to pay attention to sports once in a while, so we're going to trot out the old Adolph Rupp quotes and hear about what a dark and seedy business it all is, and that there is deeply masked racism hiding inside every money-grubbing coach's heart?! Can we just hang up the white guilt for one @#$!@! month and just enjoy it?

I'm not a sports fan by a long shot, but March Madness is still pound for pound the greatest event in contemporary athletics--take away the endorsements, the egos, the coaches, the deals and what do you have left?

You get a month of nothing but 40 minutes at a time of the best basketball you will see all year, kids going hard or going home. Kids from places like Winthrop, Eastern Kentucky, Butler and little Texas A&M Corpus Christi get their chance to knock off the Big Guys. The Tournament is the Great Equalizer, something I thought you Limosine Collectivists would appreciate.

I watched all three of the O.T. games last Saturday.. six hours! It felt like twenty minutes because it was that good.

Bob, chill out, grab a High Life and some wings and enjoy the game with the rest of us. It's only once a year, after all.

Marcos Sanchez
Independent-minded College Basketball Fan

Arlington, Virginia

Are you kidding me? The article about March Madness was absolutely ridiculous!

I'm sorry that a coach said the N word back in the 60s. It's really too bad. BUT it is absolutely condescending to assume that the N word is reason for a talented kid to quit playing basketball.

I'm sorry that March Madness has turned into a corporate event, but so has about everything. The kids love the attention and excitement, and I love watching.

Christy Fisher

Tucson, AZ