Lakers fans are relatively happy
Bill Plaschke had such a great opportunity on draft night to take attention off LaVar Ball and give it all to Lonzo, but no, he did the exact opposite. He decried all the attention-grabbing while giving him exactly that! Carol Marshall Placentia
The only thing I’m looking forward to next year is not Lonzo’s incredible passes or leadership. I’m really hoping beyond hope that LaVar gets courtside season tickets between Jack Nicholson and Lou Adler. That would really be Showtime. Richard Katz Los Angeles
It was very nice to hear all but one of the parents of the draftees be humble, grateful, and classy at a big moment for their family. Sophie Perry Los Angeles
Although Zeke from Cabin Creek did the bunny hop in the pea patch (we miss you, Chick) by going to the Clippers, the Magic Man pulled another rabbit out of his hat by trading Russell and Mozgov for Brook Lopez. Ken Feldman Tarzana
It’s Magic! Mozgov’s contract disappears! Emilie Thorpe Oxnard
Talk about drinking the Kool-Aid ...
When noted flipflopper Plaschke proclaims that a new Lakers lineup of LeBron James, Paul George and totally unproven Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Ivica Zubac as competitive to the Warriors, he’s really serving more as a suck-up flack to the new regime.
I realize he and many others are desperate, but come on, let’s try a bit of real world objectivity. Jim B. Parsons Carpinteria
Swinging the blues
Not that I’m complaining, but has anyone noticed a fellow named Applegate hanging around the Dodgers lately? That Bellinger kid is performing suspiciously like Joe Hardy in “Damn Yankees.” Roger Zuch Tujunga As part of Dodger Stadium’s ongoing improvements, there’s a glitzy new area in Chavez Ravine that’s replaced Mannywood and the reviews have been great.
Welcome to Bellinger Estates. Adam Wayne Los Angeles
Dodgers fans owe batting coach Turner Ward a huge round of applause. Rookie Cody Bellinger is from another planet, Justin Turner is flirting with .400 and reborn newcomer Chris Taylor is even hitting over .300 with power. The whole team is on a tear! I believe Ward could bring Nomar Garciaparra down from the announcer’s booth and have him hitting .300 again. As for that other announcer, Jerry Hairston, now that would take a real miracle worker! Jeff Lough Whittier
The air in L.A.
Thank you for Mr. Shaikin’s most excellent June 18 article and summary of the ongoing Dodger TV blackout fiasco.
To your summary, I would submit that there remain several unanswered questions that neither the Dodgers, Charter or MLB have been willing or able to answer:
1) The current arrangement is egregiously discriminatory against those on a fixed income, those who do not live in a Charter service area, those who are disabled or otherwise have no access to attend games, and those who cannot afford either cable service or the penalties involved in switching carriers. Why is nobody talking about this?
2) The current arrangement means that the Dodgers are no longer the team in the living rooms of Los Angeles, thus assuring that an entire generation of potential fan base will grow up rooting for some other team, or perhaps, some other sport. How can this be a practical business decision?
3) Why has Rob Manfred not invoked “the best interests of baseball” clause in his powers as commissioner to correct the situation? Bill Waxman Simi Valley
I am amazed smart guys like Mark Walter and Stan Kasten don’t see the damage they are doing to the Dodgers brand with the TV deal. Cody Bellinger should be the talk of the town. The Dodgers should be pushing their brand everywhere. Looks to me like they are enamored with the cable revenue and they still fill the stadium. Good for the bottom line but not attracting new fans or even keeping long-term ones. It is pretty hard to believe they cannot put a little muscle on the various entities. I would be happy to pay for it a la carte or whatever, but that does not fit the model apparently.
Go to the gym, Starbucks, or water cooler at work and no one is talking about the Dodgers. This certainly would not have happened during Fernandomania. Jim Flavin West Hills
A couple of readers have complained about Orel Hershiser’s commentating recently. I’m an old-timer who enjoys the spin Orel puts on the game. Joe Davis brings the “new school” of broadcasting to the booth, i.e., exit velocity of batted ball, launch angles, how many homers a player hits on Wednesdays. All well and good, but I enjoy the oldschool approach Orel brings to the booth. I love his storytelling and the wealth of insight he has on the game.
It took a few games to get used to the two together but they each bring something different to the plate. Rod Lawrence Los Angeles
Open and shut up
The USGA and Fox continued to double-bogey what was once the sacrosanct golf event in the country, the U.S. Open. The layout wasn’t as bad as Chambers Bay, a.k.a. Tranquility Base, because it did have grass. Fox weighed in with its semipro golf coverage team, baseball announcer Joe Buck and former pro golfer Paul Azinger, and “Zinger” came up with these gems: “It’s moving day, who is gonna bust a move?” “That shot was better than prison soup,” and my favorite, “Gravity is a beautiful thing.”
The director added open mics on the players, which brought in their gripping discussions of wind direction and club selection, while also catching a nut at every tee yelling “in the hole” and the droning of the engine in the blimp overhead. The sound track included fake birds chirping, even in heavy wind or during a slow-motion replay.
It had me longing for the days that Rainbow Man was in the crowd holding up a sign with his favorite Bible verse. Kevin H. Park Mission Hills
Brooks Koepka is a very good golfer. That said, the U.S. Open is supposed to be a dogfight to break par. Sixteen under should be reserved for the Tri-Cities Open. Mike DeVoy Newport Beach
Clutch cargo
If Jerry West can turn the Clippers into a championship team, the NBA logo should be changed from him dribbling a basketball to him offering a contract. PJ Gendell Beverly Hills
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used. Mail: Sports Viewpoint Los Angeles Times 202 W. 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 Fax: (213) 237-4322 Email: sports@latimes.com