Letters

Let me get this straight. Derrick Rose is a basketball phenom who lives in a dangerous, drug- and gang-infested part of Chicago and is being raised by a single mother (The Well-Guarded Guard, Nov. 27). To help protect and guide her son, his mother has Derrick's three older brothers watch over him and keep at bay people who are trying to capitalize on Derrick's abilities. And because of this, agents accuse the family—especially the brothers—of trying to "exploit" Derrick. Are we to feel sorry for the poor agents because they're not making money off Derrick? To me, this is a story of family love. This world needs fewer agents and more mothers like Brenda Rose. Good luck to the entire family.
Brian McGuire, Mauston, Wis.

Two Clear

Tim Layden 's Two Tough (Nov. 27), which dissects and explains the Cover Two defense, was outstanding. I learned more about football in 15 minutes of reading than in years of casual football watching and listening to network announcers. Hours later, I watched the Bears-Vikings game and could immediately appreciate each of the Bears' defensive assignments and roles, which made the game immensely more fun.
David Pattie, Lake Forest , Ill.

Expressionism

His eyes say it all: Uh-oh! Like Colts receiver Marvin Harrison staring wide-eyed at his fumbled ball (LEADING OFF, Nov. 27), I am continually mesmerized by the spectacular photo spreads that kick off each issue and capture subtle, poignant moments in sports that otherwise are lost in a flurry of action.
Ryan Gehm, Cranberry Township, Pa.

Beat Writer

Kudos to the always energetic Steve Rushin for his thoughts on athlete fatigue (AIR AND SPACE, Nov. 27). Permit me to add one more example: Tiger Woods recently skipped The Tour Championship because he was too tired, but somehow he found the strength just one week later to compete in an event in China . Is it possible that guaranteed megabucks appearance fees are a cure for exhaustion?
Mark Concannon, Whitefish Bay , Wis.

My wife and I concluded years ago that the only people allowed to check into hospitals with "exhaustion" are very rich people. The rest of the population has to work through it.
Charlie Bensinger, Louisville

To Contact SI > LETTERS ? E-mail us at letters@SI.timeinc.com or fax us at 212-467-2417. Letters should include the writer's full name, address and home telephone number and may be edited for clarity and space. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS ? For 24/7 service, go to www.SI.com/customerservice. You can call 1-800-528-5000 or write to SI at P.O. Box 30602, Tampa, FL 33630-0602. To purchase reprints of SI covers, go to www.SIcovers.com. ADVERTISING ? For ad rates, an editorial calendar or a media kit, e-mail us at SIpubqueries@timeinc.com.