SOUND OFF.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Forgotten battles

Morning Briefing in the Feb. 14 sports section featured a story ostensibly about golfer Annika Sorenstam's entry into a PGA tournament. My problem with the "story" wasn't relative to the golf aspect. Instead, it became a revisionist account of the so-called "Battle of the Sexes" tennis matches of the '70s. Yes, it's a plural. And it is also one of the most misreported sagas of all time.

This is the true account of this tennis myth from one who witnessed it. Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, who became a tennis nut, made the acquaintance of an aging hustler named Bobby Riggs. As a guest on the Tonight Show, the flamboyant Riggs said: "I can beat the No. 1 woman player in the world!" He was in his late 40s at the time (circa 1970), and the challenge gained momentum with feminists and chauvinists alike. The gantlet was down; the battle was on. The No. 1 woman player took the challenge. It's here that reality and mythology diverge.

The No. 1 ranked player, Margaret Court (that is correct), agreed to play a match against Mr. Riggs, a two-time U.S. Open champion (1939 and 1941). His 1941 win came a year before Margaret (Smith) Court was born and two years before Billie Jean (Moffitt) King. The match was played, and we, the audience, watched intently as Bobby Riggs destroyed Ms. Court in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. Well, this outcome was not going to stand.

The second "Battle," the King vs. Riggs match, which took place in the Astrodome in 1973, produced the "desired" result after a few "adjustments." Mr. Riggs, now nearly 50, played to the singles court, while 30-year-old Ms. King played to the doubles court. Since I saw this contest, too, I will opine that Riggs' skills seemed to have eroded considerably more than two-plus years' worth of aging would produce. Perhaps the old hustler found his big payday, after all.

The point is, if a female player is to compete against males, the rules must remain consistent, otherwise the contest has no meaning. These days, the media will not be able to perpetuate a myth such as the King-Riggs set-up, which was decided by politics, not sport. I wish Annika well whatever the outcome.

RUDY NELLERMOE

Springfield

Level playing field 

It seems nowadays that if you don't have a special niche, you're just one of the many men ... excuse me, people ... trying to play on the PGA Tour.

Suzy Whaley is going to play in the Hartford Open in July. She qualified in a sectional tourney, although she got to play the golf course from shorter tees. Now, Annika Sorenstam is getting a special invitation to the Colonial in May.

You know, if all three (including Casey Martin) had all played the same tees, walked the golf course, actually qualified under the same conditions on the same "level of play," that's fine. But Whaley played from different tees, Sorenstam got a special invitation, and Casey Martin gets special invitations and uses a golf cart. The golf cart creates a breeze; he probably doesn't get as tired on humid and hilly golf courses.

You know, what's fair is fair, so why can't professional golf be like all the other professional sports? You don't see them giving special invitations to players or teams, no special considerations. They all qualify, or earn their dues.

STEVE ERICKSON

Eugene

Self-centered Shaq

The recent interview with Shaquala Williams proved once again that Shaq is self-centered and totally unaware of the concept of playing on a team. She may have "aged" but she certainly has not matured. Mature people take responsibility for their actions and choices in life.

It also did not clear up any questions about the rumors; only releasing her records would do that.

Given the choice of a program that keeps an exceptionally gifted athlete like Shaq at any cost or a program that is based on the values of sacrifice and teamwork, I support Coach Bev Smith's program. Her integrity and character speak for themselves.

PATRICIA A. SCARCI

Springfield

Wrong notions

Politically correct speech, or PC-ism, was supposedly invented to assist in ending racial, ethnic and yes, religious discrimination. Yet the "commandments" for verbal equality are not being obeyed by some professional scouts.

Curry Kirkpatrick's recent feature on Luke Jackson and Luke Ridnour in ESPN The Magazine, noted that "pro scouts wonder (aloud) about the (negative) ramifications of someone so firmly enlisted in God's Squad."

Forsaking PC-ism, these scouts are publicly questioning the NBA-type toughness of Jackson and Ridnour, only because they're vocal and visible Christians.

When evaluating Jackson and Ridnour, scouts should be conveying more than shallow PC-ism, but immeasurable optimism, particularly after looking at just a short list of athletes from "God's Squad": David Robinson, A.C. Green, Julius Erving, Paul Westphal, Allan Houston, John Smoltz, Todd Helton, Andy Pettitte, Orel Hershiser, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Tom Lehman, Lee Janzen, Mary Lou Retton, Evander Holyfield, Michael Chang, Shaun Alexander, Steve Largent, David Carr, Carson Palmer, Danny Wuerffel, Reggie White, Rich Gannon, Curtis Martin, Trent Dilfer, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Kurt Warner.

The "ramifications" from this group of Christian athletes include Super Bowl winners, world championships, individual titles, record holders, MVP awards, all-star seasons, Olympic gold medals, Heisman Trophy winners, All-American selections, the Hall of Fame and a toughness that some pro scouts openly question.

JAVAN YRIARTE

Eugene

New home for UO?

It is strongly suggested that the Oregon athletic department change its sports coverage contract back to KVAL.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Civil War presentation by Todd McKim and company, who are obviously students of the game, knowledgeable and up-to-date on players and Pac-10 history. The sports commentators for KEZI leave me of the impression that they are reading from a script, and if a cue card was dropped silence would ensue.

Also, a half-hour of the pulsating beat of the Ernie Kent Show is enough to trigger a migraine. Ernie and team are class acts and deserve better.

DONALD A. PARKER

Eugene

Double standard

Let me see if I understand this. The University of Oregon football program is willing to take a young man who admittedly was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" where someone was killed ... and on the other hand the so-called "hosts" for these recruits have such poor judgment that a young man with decent morals is rightfully insulted by illegal behavior.

Can the UO athletic department and coach Mike Bellotti see the irony here, and have they no shame?

SYLVIA BAKER

Eugene