19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

BUT WHERE IS...
Sirs:
I enjoyed reading your article entitled 1954 and Its Sportsman: Roger Bannister and think that your choice of Roger Bannister as SI's first Sportsman of the Year was a good one, but I do think your two-page salute to the other '54 top sport personalities lacks a few names many of us had expected to be recognized by SI .

Wisconsin 's Alan Ameche , the Iron Horse, who wound up his four-year college career by setting a new NCAA ground-gaining record, who also was placed on every major All-America eleven, plus being awarded the Heisman and Collier Trophies as the outstanding college player in 1954, was the one athlete who, without a doubt, should have been given recognition. Coach Paul Brown , of the world football champions, the Cleveland Browns , should have been given recognition since he is the pro coach of the year. The same can be said of Woody Hayes , coach of the national champions, the Buckeyes of Ohio State . The name of Leo Durocher , manager of the New York Giants , was also, for some reason, not mentioned. What must a person do to gain national recognition by your magazine?

I do however, realize that it is quite impossible to name a "dream list" of the top athletes, that is, a list that everyone would agree with.
BOB KOOLS
Milwaukee , Wis.

YOU NEGLECTED...
Sirs:
...In your wonderful photo of all the sports champions of the year you neglected to show G. Diehl Mateer Jr.—National Squash Champion.
CLINTON L. MELLOR
Haverford, Pa.

AND WHAT HAPPENED...
Sirs:
...What happened to college and pro basketball champions?
BRIAN B. JACOBUS
Metuchen , N.J.

?This being 1954 we limited ourselves to 54 outstanding athletes. During '54 SI reported, in pictures or text, on sports headliners Ameche (Nov. 29, 1; Oct. 25, 18; Sept. 20, 13), Brown (Jan. 3; Nov. 15), Hayes (Jan. 10; Dec. 27, 13; Nov. 29, 1), Durocher (Nov. 8; Oct. 11, 4; Sept. 27, 13; Aug. 30, 23, 16), Gola (Dec. 27,13) and pro basketball (Dec. 6). For news concerning Squash Champion Mateer see THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SPORT. SI will run (Feb. 28) a color spectacle on the Lakers-Knickerbockers game.—ED.

ONE MAN'S WELCOME OPINION
Sirs:
About this time of year, most sports fanatics pick a sportsman of the year. So, being a sports fanatic, I have picked mine. It took quite a while to arrive at my decision; I had to think who had done more for sports in 1954 than anyone else—Leo Durocher who won the baseball World's Championship; Rocky Marciano , who did quite a bit for boxing; and "Hopalong" Cassady who led his team to the mythical football championship. But I thought the word sports included more than baseball, football or boxing, and so I arrived at my decision. My sportsman of the year has done more for the sports world than anyone else in 1954.

If you look in the sports records of 1954 you won't find his name, you probably will never see his picture on the sports page of a newspaper, but he has made the greatest contribution to sports ever. My sportsman rates second to none. Your selection of your sportsman of 1954 is one man's opinion; mine isn't—500,000 people can't be wrong. My sportsman of 1954 is SPORTS ILLUSTRATED .
JIMMY MATHERLY
Blacksburg , Va.

?We accept the Matherly Award with modest pleasure.—ED.

HE WAS GREAT
Sirs:
I'd like to thank you for your farewell story on Otto Graham (SI, Jan. 3). He has really been great.