Letters letters

– 2015 Sept Steve,

face it. you're my conduit to those people who like/try to entertain those of us who can't get enough live sports. so, seeing as how you follow the links, here's yet another crazy idea.

I know how the field is trimmed for "the weekend" on the pga tour. how about if we add two (or three, if the other number of qualifiers is odd) to play on the weekend. identify the otherwise non-qualifying player(s) with lowest round on thursday and friday.

• if there is but one each, they both qualify,
• if but one on either day, that one qualifies, and the low total on the other day also qualifies,
• if more than one on both days then the low totals of all such qualify,
• and if more than two (or three, if an otherwise odd # have already qualified), then the selection is made based on who would have honors based on when the score was recorded (i believe it's later hole with the better score has the honors)

e.g. at the barclay's, the two beneficiaries would be

will wilcox:  67 + 76 = 143, +3   and
chris kirk:    76 + 68 = 144, +4

no other players having recorded a 67 on thursday, nor a 68 on friday. this would surely give incentive to those who had horrendous rounds on thursday to play a steady round on friday. also it would likely keep in the field a few players who've had a good round on either day and may be able to show something on the weekend.

golf needs all the shots in the arm it can get these days.

please share this with golf's guardians.

Thanks for "Two minutes too long", Star Ledger 2/20/16.

Permit me a story, now a decade on, when I was the other driver for Benedictine's road games: soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball. Our principal then was Ken Jennings, now principal at DePaul. And he all but volleyball until we hired for soccer and basketball.

Since this is about basketball, we had our problems there too. As the program improved parents, and those who served as parents started to take more interest in the program. A rare father (Mr L) started attending our home games. We could see he was a little too interested in his daughter's play and treatment by the referee's. Ken knew a few police on the Elizabeth force, who also had active interest in the sport. At first he invited them in to see if they might just show their face to act as a passive restraint on Mr L, and maybe we would employ them in their official capacity.

One of the police, Mike J, was so interested, we hired him as the coach. And quelled the need for active police presence.

But the story of note happens the year before we hire Mike as coach.

At one of our road games in Jersey City, Mr L and a few moms (aunts and grandmas being the more likely parent) were at the game. The game had it's confrontations, but this being probably the '03-'04 school year, the climate wasn't so hostile as today's politically fueled antagonisms.

The referees had kept the game in control. It happened in the closing hand-shake line. One of our girls, whose mother was there, got into a game play-provoked shoving match with an opponent in the line. Her mother was on top of this and went after the other girl. Thankfully, and to our great surprise, Mr L grabbed the mother, wrapping his arms around her from behind, and before she did any damage. We all were grateful.

When we got back to Benedictine and were hanging out until local parents could pick up their girls, one of the parents, likely an aunt who had witnessed the event, said, in effect "You and Mr J don't teach the girls the right lesson. You should be teaching them to stand up for themselves"

A lesson I hold to this day.

I may sound biased, but I think this behavior goes deep, and is caused, certainly by a spark in the moment, but it's roots will be hard to dig out. It has most to do with the cultural disadvantage faced by fractured families. And that far too many children grow up without a father present. I believe we see it on display, too easily observed in the NFL. "Why can't that player walk away?" It has less to do with the aggressive requirements of the job, than the 15-20 years of being taught to "stand up for yourself"

Your story properly lays the blame for the episode of the moment. Expecting this behavior to go away will take help from outside schools and local officials. It needs national healing. And leaders who refuse to play the blame game.

Thanks,

=*+*. marty mcgowan (m) 908 230-3739 64 Diamond Spr Dr, Monroe Twp, NJ 08831

Jonathan,

Thanks for your reporting (Newark Star Ledger 3/11/16) on the state of the bridges of New Jersey. In full disclosure, I should point out I'm a professional Minnesotan (what's that? you know professional Texans, just extrapolate). And, as such, was unsurprised to see MN leads the list in lowest pecentage of deficient bridges. This accomplishment was at the cost of the biggest loss of life in a bridge collapse in, what? a generation.

Thank you for making the connection between 'Americans for Prosperity' and the Koch brothers. Maybe you've read Jane Mayer's Dark Money. So, my only quibble with your reporting is the phrasing in:

… the national advocacy group tied to energy executives …

The phrase "tied to…" is too charitable. Reading Mayer, you might have better said … alledgedly receiving 88% of its support (as best anyone can determine) from …

The Kochs are expert at supporting "grass roots" organizations, which Mayer, if not others, better characterizes as "astro-turf", i.e. synthethic at their roots. Dare I speculate your AFP source is funded by the Kochs.

In any case, keep it up.