Mediocrity

Dear Pete Carroll: I have never been the greatest speller; in fact I spell "mediocrity" L-a-n-e K-i-f-f-i-n. How can you continue to promote mediocrity by allowing Kiffin and his staff to engage in their mindless play-calling? Didn't the Rose Bowl national championship game teach you anything? Your last prayer at night should be, "God bless Norm Chow and please bring him back." ROBERT J. GAGLIANO \o7Palos Verdes \f7 You certainly got the story correct. Trojans "hold on" for victory against Washington State.

Re "Times Plans New Op-Ed Lineup," Nov. 11 I am disgusted. I am appalled. In fact, I am enraged! Slowly but surely, an interesting and balanced opinion section has been eviscerated. It is not even a shadow of its former, engaging self. Interesting commentary has been replaced by mediocre columnists and a plethora of cartoons. The coup de grace comes with the replacing of columnist Robert Scheer and editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez. What a sad day for Los Angeles! FRANCES SOLO \o7Los Angeles \f7 In your misguided effort to silence the critics and move to the center, you have taken one great step toward mediocrity.

English writer W. Somerset Maugham published a 1949 essay in which he pondered whether Dostoevski or El Greco was the greater artistic genius. He reluctantly came down on the side of El Greco after deciding that 16th century Spain was a more fertile environment for the flowering of inspiration than czarist Russia.