Coaches Not Fall Guys; TV Should Take Heat

It’s a tragedy when a young man dies on the football field. But the main culprit is not too-tough, macho coaches. It’s not inept or uncaring trainers or medical staff people.

Some may not be old enough to remember when football was a fall sport. There was not as much television money at stake, the regular season was shorter, the preseason games were never televised. But in their greed to maximize profit, the networks have added as many telecasts as they feel will be profitable. As you lengthen the season and add telecasts, you have no choice but to push back into the hotter summer months.

This may sound harsh, but Korey Stringer’s death was nothing more than an industrial accident. Many people die each year when greedy corporations ignore preventive maintenance to maximize profitability. When you ignore everything but the bottom line, people will get hurt and sometimes die.

Rick White

La Verne

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I never played pro or college football. But more than 20 years ago I played for one of the greatest high school football teams ever to hit the field, the 1977-78 Los Altos Conquerors. We were CIF champions both years.

If coaches and athletes are expected to be competitive, then it is literally “survival of the fittest.” Tough training sets a standard--the higher, the more likely you will defeat your opponent, no matter what the conditions.

On my first day of training I became ill on the Conqueror practice field. And I was embarrassed for being so weak. But that day made me stronger.

At its core, training is not just conditioning; it is the way programs eliminate the weakest elements. No one made me join the football team. I wanted to play. I wanted to win. I wanted to be a part of a team, and something great. And I’ll bet Korey Stringer and Rashidi Wheeler felt the same way.

Paul Thornton

Marina del Rey