19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

YOUNG CAUTHEN (CONT.)
Sir:
Your 1977 Sportsman of the Year selection (Dec. 19-26) was your best yet. I was at Saratoga during August and saw Steve Cauthen ride. I also saw him in the jockeys' quarters. He never shrugged off an autograph. I think he should be named Man of the Year, too.
LARRY RUBIN
Richmond

Sir:
Frank Deford 's article on Sportsman of the Year Steve Cauthen was a fine work of art. However, it had one flaw. Cauthen was repeatedly referred to as a "child," "little boy," or "little doll-person." At age 17, Cauthen has earned $600,000, more than most people make in a lifetime. Even more remarkable, he has become the premier figure in his field, an achievement that usually requires many years of experience in virtually any profession. Are these the accomplishments of a "little boy"? Hardly! Steve Cauthen must be given the respect he has earned and deserves. At 17, he is a very successful man.
ALAN R. EAGLE
Los Altos Hills , Calif.

Sir:
Steve Cauthen has had one outstanding season. Willie Shoemaker has had nearly 30. What a shame that when you finally got around to selecting a jockey as your Sportsman you picked the wrong one.
MARK SHRAGER
Los Angeles

Sir:
As I recall, you once explained that a Sportsman of the Year was picked because of what that person had done for the sport. Steve Cauthen , the young jockey from Walton, Ky., has done more for racing than most jockeys. Maybe even more than a guy named Shoemaker .
PALL STUEFENBERG
Burnt Hills, N.Y.

Sir:
It is a disgrace that you chose that little jockey, Steve Cauthen . The horse he rides is more of an athlete than he is. More important, horse racing is not a sport—not the way baseball, football, hockey, basketball and soccer are.
GIB ROBBIE
Cherry Hill , N.J.

Sir:
You can't be serious about Steve Cauthen for Sportsman of the Year. There is no way I can stand Cauthen up beside the athletes who have spent most of their lives working long grueling hours at their sport without pay. When will the world and SI realize that the most outstanding and dedicated sportsman is the amateur athlete?
BEN HALL
Anderson, Ind.

LEGGY AWARDS
Sir:
William Leggett 's year-end TV/RADIO article (Dec. 19-26) was very well done and one that regular readers of SI could easily relate to, especially the One More Time and I'll Scream Award. A lot of us watch untold hours of television sports programming, and it's nice to know there is a voice that speaks for those who are not taken in by all of the network hype.
TERRY F. DeCARLIS
Rock Hill , S.C.

Sir:
For the One More Time and I'll Scream Award my wife's favorite is, "Trim Landry is the only coach Dallas has ever had." According to her, that statement has been repeated on virtually every Dallas telecast for the last six years.

My favorite candidate for the award is, "He is the most underrated player in the NFL ." There must be, according to my calculations, about 163 "most underrated" players active in the league.
CLYDE R. WHITE
San Antonio

Sir:
Two quotes left out under your One More Time and I'll Scream heading are "fine young quarterback" and "big play."
BERNADETTE BRADY
Cranford, N.J.