Letters: Kade West and Cerritos College deserved better

1

The motivation, guts, and determination of deaf/autistic athlete Kade West, and his embrace of the sport of basketball with the heart of a champion, was absolutely heartwarming and touching. The humanity of his endearing coach, Russ May, was so admirable.

On the other hand, the idiotic incompetence of the California Community College Athletic Assn. was stunning and infuriating.

Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa

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I applaud Mr. Plaschke for his astute article about Kade West playing for Cerritos College. Perhaps we need to redefine what winning really is and when a “forfeiture” is clearly worth it.

Susan Obler
Chicago

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Heartbreaking read. Kudos to coach Russ May, his team, and true basketball star Kade West. To the CCCAA, “Any fool can make a rule and any fool will mind it.” (H.D. Thoreau).

Tom Northam
Lakewood

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At the very least, those 12 CCCAA board members should all resign. And I thought I hated the NCAA.

Susan Kovinsky
Oxnard

2

Get a load of this

I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to “load management “ in the NBA, but sitting Anthony Davis against the Houston Rockets was the topper for me. When every game counts to get into the playoffs, why would the Lakers sit their best player in a very winnable game against a lousy team? Couldn’t they at least have played him 15 minutes or so?? Unbelievable ...

Ken Blake
Brea

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Coach Darvin Ham didn’t allow Anthony Davis to play in a critical Lakers game for precautionary reasons and then complained that his team failed to live up to his motto of “energy, effort and urgency?” I’ll never understand why they fired Frank Vogel.

Frederick Abrams
Los Angeles

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In the throes of an urgent playoff run, the Lakers had a decision against the Rockets. Play a pain-free AD, or rest him and hurt their playoff chances. In a mind-numbing choice, they chose the latter.

David Baker
Santa Clarita

3

And now this

Another one-point loss! There is a lot written about why the Lakers are losing. However, their poor free-throw shooting has not been mentioned. Shooting 61% from the line will not get you far in the NBA.

Harris Levey
Venice

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During the second half of the USC-Michigan State game, the Trojans could not run their offense or even get off a decent shot. They were completely overmatched by a tough, intense Michigan State team. The Trojans looked weak and confused against the fourth-place team from the Big Ten Conference. A rather rude welcome and preview to their future in the Big Ten.

David Waldowski
Laguna Woods

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Just when I am about ready to root for Bruin basketball, coach Mick Cronin pops off with, “We play to win at UCLA.” He simply cannot suppress his arrogant comments or camera-ready disciplinarian behavior on the sidelines. Apparently while at Murray State and Cincinnati he forgot to employ his cliche — since they were 6-11 in NCAA tourney play — as if other teams did not “play to win.” Cronin is a sound coach who now has first-rate recruits on his roster. Better that he give them credit than strutting the sidelines in the stereotype of a martinet.

Dave Sanderson
La Cañada

4

Won’t you reconsider?

I read in this Sunday’s sports section that in regards to selling the Angels, Arte Moreno was quoted as saying, “When you got right down to it, I didn’t want to go.” I’m sure most of us die-hard Angels fans would respond, “When you get right down to it, we are disappointed you stayed!”

Charles Lucero
Thousand Oaks

5

A tradition unlike any other

So, Dustin May has a proclivity to curse? Oh, my stars! What would Tommy Lasorda say?

Brian Lipson
Beverly Hills

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Hundred-million-dollar Mets closer Edwin Díaz going down in a mound celebration harkens back to Kiké Hernández’s shoulder slam with Cody Bellinger, who was never the same hitter. Better luck to Díaz.

Bill Nuss
Brentwood

6

Rams rebuild

Now I understand why Sean McVay is in such a happy place. He has obviously been told that the Rams are in a rebuilding phase (as proven by their trade of Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins) and he does not need to worry about a winning record, reaching the playoffs, or anything of the sort.

Steve Wade
Torrance

7

Sign of the times

I’m not sure SoCal sports fans are paying attention, but the best sports team in L.A. is not the Lakers, Dodgers, or Rams — Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille have assembled a team ready to compete for a Stanley Cup!

Dean Connor
Fontana

8

Picking up the pace

After reading those baseball purists decrying MLB instituting the pitch clock, I have questions. Which tradition do you miss the most? Perhaps the hitter adjusting equipment after every pitch? Or the manager trudging to the mound to use multiple pitchers per inning? Or the pitcher circling the mound and staring into space? Or the pitcher throwing to first three or four times to hold the runner?

I miss the tradition of the 1970s when game times were 2½ hours.

Ralph Martinez
Arcadia

9

Pitching a fit

Every time I try to watch a soccer game, I switch the channel within minutes. During the game if one player barely touches the opposing player, one of the players falls down in agony claiming an assault by his opponent. Then, once the referee makes the call in the “hurt” player’s favor he jumps up and is playing as if nothing has happened. So I’m not surprised when Gio Reyna uses his mommy and daddy to complain about his playing time.

Mark Walker
Yorba Linda

10

Sound problem

I don’t know anyone who enjoys Bill Walton’s coverage of basketball. Watching the UCLA-Arizona game was torture. Choosing between watching with no commentary or listening to the sparring between the commentators is unreasonable.

Alison Wilcox
Manhattan Beach

11

Shorting Shiffrin

Mikaela Shiffrin is setting world records in every discipline of downhill skiing and the overall record for wins at the young age of 28. Her amazing achievement is only recognized with a blurb in the Day in Sports column. Her accomplishments should be front-page news. All her career she has represented this country in one of the most exciting sports of any Olympics and World Cup. The L.A. Times gives her little to no credit for achieving the World Cup record for alpine wins. It is time to do so.

Andy Mercer
Carlsbad

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Is it really true that I have to search through to the bottom of “Etc.” to find that Mikaela Shiffrin did indeed tie the all-time World Cup skiing record of Ingemar Stenmark?

It’s disappointing to realize how provincial and backwater the sports department of the L.A. Times is.

Sarah Starr
Los Angeles

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