How nice for T.J. Simers that he toils in the cool shade of Page 2, where his many missteps under the daily pressure to fill a few inches of newsprint can pass easily without notice to the world at large. He should know a lot about choking, since he does it so regularly in his column, despite having hours, even days, to hone his words and sharpen his attacks on the mistakes of athletes who are required to make instantaneous decisions while performing against well-prepared and dangerous opponents who are equally skilled and determined to win.
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Letters: Tough to call U.S. women's soccer team chokers
World Cup team gets congratulations, not condemnations, from readers.
U.S. forward Abby Wambach gestures to the crowd following the U.S. team's… (Michael Probst / Associated Press)
T.J. needs to be advised that no team enters a competition under an entitlement to victory. Check with Brazil on that.
Analysis is good, false condemnation is bad.
Congratulations to a great American soccer team and a great Japanese soccer victory.
B.J. Merholz
Los Angeles
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Simers represents a fully matured product of fundamental American philosophy — and everything that's wrong with it: You either win, you're No. 1, or you are worthless and deplorable. Effort has no meaning, and we have no value unless we dominate, eclipse and prevail over all and everyone. How myopic, how hypocritical; and this from one who, by any impartial standard, would hardly be considered the No. 1 columnist in the world, the U.S., Los Angeles, the L.A. Times, or its sports section.
We've got an epidemic of depression in this country resulting, in great part from the systematic fostering of inferiority (since everyone can't be No. 1). Act the expected wisdom of your age instead of adding to a sick society.
Michael E. White
Burbank
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I think the only reason Simers wrote this was column was to get a reaction, to determine how many people actually read his stuff. Why else would anyone accuse the U.S. women of being "duds" and "choke artists"? So, I'll bite, and respond by saying that, as a 56-year-old female, I can remember when there were no women's sports teams. So, yes, I choke — with tears as I watch these incredible athletes inspire me and many other screaming fans.
Evelyn Torres-Rangel
San Gabriel
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Simers telling us the U.S. women's soccer team choked is like those fat Roman spectators giving thumbs down to the gladiators in the arena. They had no skin in the game and they wouldn't survive the first skirmish if they did. His envy is obvious.
Dick Van Kirk
Arcadia
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While I understand T.J. Simers' point in his article regarding the U.S. women's loss to Japan, I would like to remind him of my favorite Theodore Roosevelt quote.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.…"
I'm sure this is one of T.J.'s favorite quotes as well.
Bryan Cierley
Newport Beach
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T.J. Simers should be ashamed to have written such a shabby article. Yes, our women failed to capitalize on their opportunities. But, that is the nature of sports. Mistakes and missed opportunities are part of the game. Even the biggest underdog can pull off an upset.
In the meantime, Simers should go back to sports journalism school to learn how to emphasize the positive over the negative. We don't need another team-bashing prima donna that would be the equivalent of Martin Bernheimer, the music critic who spent those woeful too many years bagging on our excellent L.A. Philharmonic.
Robert C. Lutes
Temple City
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No one will be able to convince me why a team world championship is determined by a one-on-one individual skill competition. Soccer needs to go to the sudden-death overtime rule where the team that scores first wins, game over.
Steve Shaevel
Woodland Hills
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A sincere "thank you" to the Japanese women's soccer team, for winning the World Cup. I now know how I would have felt had Tom Watson made par, two years ago, on the 72nd hole of the Open Championship.
Andrew Shaddock
Manhattan Beach
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I know nothing about soccer, and after listening to Julie Foudy on ESPN during the World Cup, I know even less. At least two dozen times she bellowed that the match was exciting. In fact, she said an overtime could cause heart troubles. Thankfully she survived OT, but if she has to tell viewers — over and over — that the event is exciting, it probably isn't.
Jeff Green
Long Beach
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And that is why we are still talking about the 1999 team.
Don Parris
Los Angeles
Not buying Dodgers
Ben Bolch writes the following about the Dodgers' chances of winning the National League West title: "Good thing their manager is steeped in baseball history. "You have to have the belief that anything can happen," Don Mattingly said. "Any team can do it."
There is a bridge back East that is steeped in history, it's for sale and it is in Brooklyn. Ben, are you and Don interested?
Jack Buss
Banning
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