Bill Dwyre
Editor, Sports
The Los Angeles Times
Dear Mr. Dwyre,
Born and raised in Los Angeles, I always believed that the LA Times was the epitome of news coverage and the voice of public opinion, a kind of Vox Populi if you will. This, of course, covered all aspects of the news, from politics to business, from entertainment to sports.
As an avid sports fan who no longer lives in Los Angeles, the LA Times online has been my link, my umbilical cord to things in my home town. However, I am sad to say that one of your writers has tied a knot in this lifeline. Sports columnist, T.J. Simers, has demonstrated a partisanship that does not reflect the LA Times I once loyally read. In an article posted November 13, 2005, he states, among other biased comments, "From my vantage point — as an objective, die-hard Trojan fan until they lose — the Bruins just might be one of the worst 9-1 teams in college football history. Frauds, if you will; at best, great escape artists at the expense of other bumbling and stumbling Pac-10 opponents."
Yes, I graduated from UCLA. Yes, football is "only" a sport. And yes, I realize that Mr. Simers column is an attempt at humor. But that does not excuse the kind of insults and vitriol he spews at a group of young men and their coaches who play by the rules, who play with heart and sincerity, adn have amazingly surpassed the expectations of even their most loyal fans. His mud slinging is something I might expect from a student writer at the Daily Trojan, but not from an LA Times writer, and certainly not approved by the LA Times sports editor. Has the LA Times relegated itself to college pranks and fraternity hazings?
I am saddened and disappointed by this devolution of the LA Times, and hope that someday you will again feature writers like Jim Murray who treat sports and its teams with decency.
Sadly Yours,
Onigiriman
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