What readers are saying

Mariners

Keep problems in-house

The dust-up in the Mariners' dugout was understandable in view of the horrors of this season, but unfortunate. Steve Kelley ("M's fight seemed to be festering awhile," July 25) implies that because it happened publicly, the players/management owe us an explanation. Not so.

The penchant so many professional athletes have shown for airing their dirty laundry in public through the press is immature and damaging. By trying to do the right thing and handle it within the M's organization, they are showing a level of maturity that was absent in the dugout Friday night. We don't need our morbid curiosity satisfied. Let them work it out, Steve.

— Greg Cobb, Edmonds

Intensity lacking

in some quarters

Don Wakamatsu is doing all he can as Mariners manager. We have some players who play with all of their ability and intensity, and then we have players like Chone Figgins and Jose Lopez. Figgins was a waste of money and time. To get a four-year contract for $36 million is a crime. There is no energy or enthusiasm in Lopez's face or actions. He looks like he has some other place to be.

— D.G. Bowman, Kent

How would

Piniella handle it?

Pay-per-view fantasy thought:

Watching Lou Piniella go all Texas Chainsaw on Chone Figgins' arrogant, lazy butt after letting a ball roll by. Just imagine ...

— Rob Bowden, Seattle

Baseball isn't

Sims' game

I take issue with Bill Potter's letter ("Sims brings welcome relief," Backtalk, July 25). Maybe Sims knows about football, but not baseball. He's as bad an announcer as Ken Levine was.

Ever meet an idiot who memorizes facts and quotes to seem smart? That's Sims. He's not a baseball man, that is apparent.

— Allyn Chevalier, Lynnwood

Jack Z should take the blame

The finger should be pointing at general manager Jack Zduriencik — he put this team together. Look at the players he has put on the roster. Zduriencik is the reason the Mariners are in last place.

— Dennis Strand, Salem, Ore.

Storm

This team is a welcome sight

While the sports-network heads of ESPN and such attempt to fry our brains with dead sports gibberish — Chad Ochocinco's self-delusions, Steven Strasburg's unloosened arm and Brett Favre's inability to understand himself — fascinating competitive sports are being continually played at KeyArena by the Seattle Storm.

Thank goodness for the life, energy and defense of the Seattle Storm!

— Michael Haley, Seattle

Pac-10 football

"Plus Two Plan"

is division answer

There is a simple solution to the problem of how to split the Pac-10 into two football divisions. This solution makes scheduling easier; preserves virtually every important annual rivalry game; solves all the complaints about access to prime recruiting grounds; and also allows for divisions to be relatively competitive with each other. This plan is "The Plus Two Plan."

The Plus Two Plan has two parts: Each of the current travel partners are placed in separate divisions, and every team plays two nondivision rival teams every year.

The Plus Two Plan requires nine conference games, five division games and four nondivision games. Two of the non-division games are the rivalry games.

If USC and Stanford were in one division, and UCLA and California were in the other, USC's two guaranteed rivalry games would be UCLA and California. If Oregon and Washington State were in one division, and Washington and Oregon State were in the other, Oregon's guaranteed rivals would be Washington and Oregon State.

This plan should be on the table as league officials attempt to negotiate divisions.

— Adam Spieckermann,

Los Angeles

U.S. Senior Open

Cheering on

Lindeblad

Thousands of us who are fellow Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia patients read Steve Kelley's article about Gary Lindeblad ("Golfer's tough round still another day to cherish," Friday) and are cheering him on and have shared the news about him on our patient-support discussion list. We hail from the U.S., Canada, Italy, England, Australia, Korea, China and Japan.

If you want to learn more about WM, you can visit the International Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Foundation website at www.iwmf.com.

Thanks for dealing with his disease in such a straightforward manner.

— Peter L. DeNardis,

Hopewell Township, Pa.