Los Angeles Times

Kupchak’s expectatio­ns might be just a little high

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Hope is a good thing, delusion quite another. As The Times peppers us with front- pageLakers tidbits, quotes, updates and just plain nonsense, we are left towonder what it is you know and we don’t. Steve Nash only got older ( but did apparently get a shiny new walker ) and an eager but still irritating over- the- hill Kobe Bryant is barely on his last legs aswell.

Itwould take a miracle of biblical proportion for the Lakers to finish at 41- 41.

Marty Foster Ventura Mitch Kupchak: “Our expectatio­ns are to win a championsh­ip.” I thought marijuana was only legal in Colorado and Washington. Did you check his location when he made that quote?

David Waldowski Alta Loma

So Kupchak feels the Lakers will challenge for the NBA title this season?! Sorry, Mitch, with your roster of former star players you’re playing in the wrong league. Add Scott to your team of Kobe, Boozer and Nash. Then pick up Magic or Kareem and you can challenge for the title in a “Rusty Bucket” league.

George Stephens Fullerton

The Lakers should add the AARP as a sponsor as the starting backcourt is 76 years old.

Ron Wolotzky

Los Angeles

Don’t all of the naysayers knowthat you should never poke a black mamba? Not only is Kobe Bryant always the most competitiv­e guy on the court, but with this added motivation, I, for one, can’twait for the start of the season.

Dave Moore

Santa Ana On the NFL

The Raiders firing their head coach is like the Titanic replacing its captain after striking the iceberg! No matter who is at the helm, their ship will sink. Reggie McKenzie, who hired Dennis Allen, is like an arsonist who wants credit for putting out the fire!

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

Is the NFL weak on violence? According to The Times, Jason Peters of the Eagles was fined $ 10,000 by the NFL and Chris Baker $ 8,268 for fighting.

However, Buffalo’s Mike Williamswa­s assessed $ 11,025 for an apparently muchworse violation— he wore the wrong- colored socks. Ah, such vigilance. Sock it to ’ em, Roger!

Dick Terrill

Torrance

Bill Dwyre [ Sept. 27] might also have pointed out that while ESPN was so busy condemning the behavior surroundin­g domestic violence, theywere running ads with Jon “Chuckie” Gruden extolling the virtues of those football- playing Hooters girls. Anodd juxtaposit­ion, don’t you think?

Rodney K. Boswell

Thous and Oaks

The NFL sent two teams to play in London. If they want brand- newaudienc­es to experience NFL games in person, why not schedule a game or two in Los Angeles?

Sean Broderick Sherman Oaks So AE Gand the NFL want an extension on the deadline for Farmers Field? Maybe the city should threaten to deny the request as leverage to get a better deal. Better yet, let’s tell them no because, whilewe are committed to returning NFL football to Los Angeles, wewant tomake sure to get it right. We’ll talk about it and get back to you in 20 years or so.

George Pisano

Rancho Palos Verdes Uneasy Ryder

Nowonder the British love Tom Watson: five British Opens, and now captain of our Ryder Cup teamthat lost dismally. The R& A should give Toma sixth Claret Jug as an honorarium for bolstering golf esprit de corps in the U.K. Our PGA should make him stay

in Scotland for the winter.

Joel Athey West Hollywood

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I’m sure that if Tom Watson had done a better job as captain, our guys wouldn’t have missed so many clutch putts.

Tony Castañares

Hollywood

I believe the dopey outfits that the U. S. Ryder Cup squad are forced towear could be the problem. They look like rodeo clowns next to the Euros. I’d be ashamed to step up to the tee dressed like that.

Dave Thoma

Ventura Oversight committee

Paul Konerko has a statue at U. S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Vin Scully, the all- time greatest baseball announcer and Hall of Famer, does not have a statue at Dodger Stadium. Something is wrong with that.

Bart Miller

Oxnard Ice is nice

Just wanted to point out that our local pro sports do not merely skip from baseball to basketball. It’s difficult to tell fromthe scarcity of articles, but hockey season is back. Given the breathless coverage, I thought perhaps the Lakers and Clippers had won two of the last three championsh­ips instead of our own aptly named Kings.

Robert J. Lacker

Torrance

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expression­s of all views. Letters should be brief and becomethe property of The Times. Theymay be edited and republishe­d in any format. Each must include a valid address and phone number. Mail: Sports Viewpoint Los Angeles Times 202W. 1st St. Los Angeles, CA90012 Fax: ( 213) 237- 4322 Email: sports@ latimes. com

 ?? Mark Boster Los Angeles Times ?? MITCH KUPCHAK BELIEVES the Lakers, who went 27- 55 last season, can contend for a title.
Mark Boster Los Angeles Times MITCH KUPCHAK BELIEVES the Lakers, who went 27- 55 last season, can contend for a title.

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