Canadian Olympic hockey teams have a culture of winning on the world stage. They do not have better players or coaches than the American teams, they have a winning mentality ingrained in their psychological profile. While we hope our teams win, the Canadians expect their teams to win. If we maintain the mentality that winning is the exception to the rule, it surely will be.
ELIO VALENTI
Brooklyn
Cruz control
Nelson Cruz ends up with a one-year contract for $8 million from the Orioles. The Mets gave Chris Young, one of the most heavily flawed hitters in the league, one year for $7.25 million. Sandy Alderson, I question your judgment and your competence. It’s that bad an error.
JON LIEB
Pleasantville, N.Y.
Jeter speaks!
Derek Jeter spoke more in his press conference on his retirement than he has in the past 20 years. I never realized what a funny, intelligent and eloquent guy he is. Despite all the accolades, he won’t be fully appreciated ’til he’s gone.
BOB LEISE
Huntington Station, N.Y.
Overrate this!
I’m sick of hearing people say Derek Jeter is overrated. If he gets 120 or more hits this season, he will have more hits than anybody who has played Major League Baseball except five men. Also he has the chance to be the all-time Yankees leader in hits, doubles and runs scored. Anybody who looks at Jeter’s numbers and calls him overrated needs their head examined.
JOE BERNARD
Rotterdam, N.Y.
Yanks have it all
With the baseball season just around the corner, Yankees fans can’t help but be excited knowing that with the new players we picked up this offseason, our team has a chance to be in the hunt again. If they can just stay healthy, we might be playing in October. The only down side is John Sterling will still be announcing the games.
GENE VanAMBURGH
Albany, N.Y.
Tallying medals
What the Olympics needs is a new scoring system. Instead of a total medal count, it needs a more precise method of measurement. I propose that each type of medal be given a point value, with a gold counting 10 points, silver 6 points and bronze 3 points. Then instead of debating whether the best team is the one with the most gold medals or the most total medals, it would be the one with the most points.
KENNETH L. ZIMMERMAN
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Miami’s vice
Now that the results of the NFL’s investigation into bullying on the Dolphins has been released and concludes Richie Incognito was the ringleader of three players who “engaged in a pattern of harassment” of teammate Jonathan Martin, another unidentified young offensive lineman and a member of the training staff, isn’t it time Dolphins ownership and the coaching staff finally be held accountable for looking the other way?
BOB BUSCAVAGE
Moriches, N.Y .