Lead Medals Go to Plaschke, NBC and Bode

Excuse me, but what sense does it make to send Bill Plaschke overseas to “enlighten” us on the Winter Olympics?

I found nothing he wrote worthwhile or informative. His final piece, “U.S. Travails Cause Epiphany in the Snow,” sums it all up for me -- he didn’t belong there. Put him back on the Clipper beat or dedicate him to the-NFL-in-L.A. saga. He might have a better grasp.

You wasted your money, column inches and your readers’ time with his nonsense. It was obvious that he hated being there. It was obvious that he knew little to nothing about the events he covered. It was obvious he was looking for any excuse to dismiss the Winter Games as un-American, yet we won more medals than anyone else except Germany. He even stooped to playing the race card, claiming the Winter Games are a “white” event. What year is this, 1960?

ISAAC PEARSON

Pasadena

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Bill Plaschke’s the kind of guy who, if Sasha Cohen were to have fallen on the ice and broken her neck, would have written the next day how Cohen’s tragedy really puts sports into perspective, that it’s not only about winning and losing, that it’s about people, the journey, and other humane notions he couldn’t be any more insincere about. But because Cohen fell but didn’t break her neck, he denounces her for a determined performance that was recognized as the second best in the entire world.

Interesting how Plaschke would feel he’s qualified to determine that Sasha Cohen couldn’t take the strain of the figure skating competition. I wonder if that’s the message he gives to his kids, that anything less than first place makes you a disgraced loser.

JEFF WEINSTOCK

Encino

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And NBC wonders why the ratings were down. I turned in to watch the closing ceremony at 7 p.m. and was treated to a history lesson involving Italy and World War II.

I don’t know what that had to do with the Olympics, but I guess NBC was trying to introduce the new Winter Olympic sport of channel surfing. I guess I won’t make it, as once I changed the channel, I never surfed back.

BARRY LEVY

Redondo Beach

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Dear Dick Ebersol,

Worst Coverage Ever.

STEPHEN JONES

West Hollywood

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Can someone explain to me how Bode Miller gets nominated for the Sullivan Award as the “top amateur athlete” of the year?

Seems at least one of those three words would have to apply.

HARRIET OTTAVIANO

Seal Beach

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Why is it that every time I try to connect to Bode.com, my computer crashes?

NICK ROSE

Newport Coast

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Bode Miller’s people should have inked an endorsement deal with a certain ice cream franchise rather than a global shoe manufacturer -- unless that sneaker company plans on changing its slogan to “Just DQ it.”

LARRY YELLS

Hermosa Beach

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I’ll trade you all the attitude and antics of Bode Miller, Shani Davis, Chad Hedrick, Jeret Peterson and Lindsey Jacobellis for the world to see the American class of Joey Cheek just one more time.

KIP FULBECK

Professor and chair of art department,

UC Santa Barbara