Possibly it is OK to marvel at the fantastic thing about the Masters

Daily SF NewsMarch 31, 2024

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Possibly it is OK to marvel at the fantastic thing about the Masters

Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.

Apr 2, 2018; Augusta, GA, USA; Billy Horschel walks to the sixth green as azaleas bloom on the hillside during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National GC. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

On the Masters

To Brian: I was amused by Don McCarthy’s letter on the “sacred” allusions of the Masters golf tournament. I’m certain anyone would marvel at the skillfully designed grounds of Augusta National. The meticulous care of the course: the splashy azaleas, dogwoods and other flowering trees, streams, birds, and all the lush greenery of an April weekend, speak loudly of a heaven. Hopefully, it’s clear blue skies with lots of superlatives from the commentators. Augusta is a private members-only club. So, no public tours. The beauty alone makes the Masters worth watching. So, I’ll click on CBS. It’s OK, Don.

Larry Cheek, Dublin

To Larry: I’ve been to more than my share of sporting venues, but not Augusta. It’s certainly on my bucket list, along with St. Andrews and an LSU home football game.

On Ohio State basketball

To Mr. White: I’m responding to the letters criticizing Ohio State not hiring a “name” coach and denigrating the NIT. On the former, only time will tell. The latter seems a gratuitous slap at our men’s players who voted to play on. There’s a lot of parity today — just ask Kentucky this year and Purdue last year. And remember that the Buckeyes beat both Purdue and Michigan State in the final stretch. In any event, hiring Diebler and playing in the NIT proved to be the right decisions under the circumstances. If the Bucks stayed in the funk they were in at Valentine’s Day, a mass defection of players was sure to follow. The Diebler run put us in a lot better position to keep our core of talented freshmen and sophomores and perhaps pick up some impact players in the portal.

Kevin F. Duffy, Columbus

To Brian: Jake Diebler took over a team on double-digit losing streak and finished the season 6-2. That included two road wins and beating one of the the top-ranked teams in the country. One of the losses was a three-point loss in the Big Ten Tournament to the eventual winner.

Rather than evoke Randy Ayers, remember when Ohio State promoted an assistant who took OSU to its only national championship – Fred Taylor.

Joseph R. Sabino, Columbus

To the editor: Dusty May accepted an offer from Michigan that exceeded the offer Ohio State made to Jake Diebler by 50%. I hope that Ohio State reached out to Mr. May. If they did, I am curious: Was his decision based on money or did he decide he did not want to coach at a football school?

Mike Kindt, Ashville

To Mike: If money was the reason, don’t expect anyone at Ohio State to admit that. Nonetheless, the comparisons between Diebler and May will be right there for all to see. Two bottom-tier programs, two new coaches starting at the same time. Off we go …

To the editor: Just wondering how long before we know he isn’t the right coach. Might be the only one not excited about future basketball at OSU, men’s or women’s. Players aren’t good enough.

James Blas

On baseball

To Brian: Before the baseball season even begins, injuries are once again impacting the Reds. During both of their world championship seasons of 1975 and 1976, the Reds used a total of 29 players, 21 playing in both years. Last year, 65 different players took the field for Cincinnati, including 38 pitchers with two position players also taking the mound. All teams today also require many more players each year than they did when teams had a four-man pitching rotation and pitchers pitched complete games. I wonder why modern players get injured so much.

Dennis Singleton, Dayton

To Dennis: Regarding pitchers, I’d think the change toward more and more velocity has something to do with their arms falling apart. Not everyone is equipped to throw a ball 95 mph, but they’re all trying.

On Caitlin Clark

To the editor: Caitlin Clark is a card-carrying whiney self-indulgent new generation sports star. While she is wonderful to watch on the basketball court with her cat-quick reflexes and her uncanny understanding of the game of basketball, she is a great bore with her incessant face making and complaining to the officials. I wish she would use to energy to play basketball instead of bemoaning a perceived injustice against her.

Michael Oser, Columbus