Letters to sports: There's no denying Tom Brady's superiority

Feb. 12, 2021 3:40 PM PT

OK, who were those guys in the red uniforms and what did they do with the Kansas City Chiefs?

Richard Turnage
Burbank

Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the genius of Bill Belichick that accounted for the Patriots’ extended success but it was the greatness of Tom Brady that made it appear so.

Paul Brown
Newport Beach

Q: What do Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and the Manning brothers have in common with Tom Brady?

A: The first five have a combined total of seven Super Bowl rings. Which is equal to TB’s seven. Enough said?

Richard Whorton
Studio City

Having firmly secured his legacy on planet Earth, Tom Brady’s seven rings now tie him with Saturn.

Steve Ross
Beverly Hills

It was only fitting that on a day when the NFL decided to honor essential workers, sports fans were reminded of who are essential workers in football. They are not the famous quarterbacks. They are not the famous people who score touchdowns. They are not the famous defenders who sack quarterbacks and intercept passes. They are the offensive line. A game that was supposed to pit two great quarterbacks was decided by an injury to the Chiefs’ left tackle.

Douglas Saxon
Los Angeles

Tom Brady has left no doubt that he is the “GOAT” with his seventh championship. But Super Bowl LV also reminded us that football is the ultimate team sport. Brady benefited from Rob Gronkowski’s sure hands and Todd Bowles’ smothering defense. By contrast, Patrick Mahomes threw one of the greatest passes I’ve ever seen — on fourth and nine, running for his life on an injured toe, falling parallel to the ground, he flicked the ball 30 yards and hit his receiver in the mask at the goal line. But the receiver dropped the ball. Even the greats need a little help from their friends.

Stephen A. Silver
San Francisco

Speaking of the Super Bowl:

Ponce de Leon called. He wants Tom Brady’s phone number.

Patrick Mahomes did more scrambling than a breakfast cook at Denny’s.

Bruce Arians was wearing red slippers and murmuring “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”

Bob Rufer
Joshua Tree

As newspapers struggle, you guys are missing a huge revenue stream — the Bill Plaschke Reverse Tout Service. As soon as he predicted KC 45-17, I loaded up on Tampa Bay. You prefer a check or Venmo?

Bill Nuss
Brentwood

I bet my neighbor his lawnmower if Tampa Bay won. My neighbor would get my car if Kansas City won. My neighbor read Plaschke’s column and took the bet.

I finally have a lawnmower that works.

Jonathan Goldstein
La Jolla

There is an adage that when someone says “Trust me,” don’t. As essentially conceded by Bill Plaschke himself, there is no finer example of this than when Plaschke makes a Super Bowl prediction.

Ken Feldman
Tarzana

Down goes Plaschke! Down goes Plaschke!

5-17 gets coaches fired.

Robert Bruce
Long Beach

What about Plunkett?

Tom Flores was long overdue for his Hall of Fame call, but now where’s the veterans committee to step up and call two-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP Jim Plunkett?

Along with Eli Manning, Plunkett is the only other multiple-winning Super Bowl starting QB not elected to the Hall and he has just as many championships rings. Both Plunkett and Flores share one other thing outside of being on the same Raiders teams to win the Super Bowl: They are both of Mexican American descent.

Bill Consolo
Del Aire

Good sign?

The YouTube video posted by Trevor Bauer announcing his signing with the Dodgers is one of the most self-serving shows I have ever seen. Multiple times he features his name on the back of a jersey while never mentioning any former team. He thanks no one who helped him along the way to his big contract while ignoring his L.A. roots by not mentioning Hart High or UCLA. As Tommy Lasorda used to say, “Play for the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back.”

On the other hand, compare his slick video to Joc Pederson’s beautiful statement on his departure from the Dodgers.

Paul Burns
Granada Hills

Who said the Dodgers didn’t have a plan when they fired those 50 or so lifelong employees? At a salary of roughly $50,000 per year, the savings earned by our “proud and historic” Dodgers equated to about a $2.5-million savings or roughly two weeks’ pay for Trevor Bauer’s new deal.

Greg Nersesyan
North Hollywood

The Dodgers’ obscene money signing of Trevor Bauer is a shortsighted nightmare. With six quality starting pitchers (Kershaw, Buehler, Price, Urías, May and Gonsolin) already in the fold and what should have been Justin Turner signed, the Dodgers had a quality, well-constructed cohesive bunch that could have easily duplicated their 2020 World Series victory. Instead, Bauer’s signing hampers the chances of bringing back Turner this year and Kershaw and Seager next year.

Maybe there are endless Dodgers fans willing to pay $15 for a Dodger dog and $50 for parking for signings like the Bauer one. Or increase their cable bill another $20 a month. I am not one of them.

Bob Goldstone
Corona Del Mar

So the Dodgers just spent $102 million on a pitcher with one excellent year (2018) and one Cy Young year (2020) in a nine-year career? One who is allegedly a bit difficult with an abrasive personality?

Fingers crossed!

Gary Emerling
Westlake Village

These rules are foul

While the various Covid testing protocols are certainly a necessity, seven-inning doubleheaders and extra-inning games that commence with a man already on second relegate the grand old game to the status of a Little League organization populated by spoiled and coddled millionaires. Ernie Banks, the man who famously enthused, “It’s a great day for a ballgame; let’s play two!” is audibly rolling in his grave.

Bill Waxman
Simi Valley

And Lonzo is gonzo

Magic was right, Ball was the right pick. He just had the wrong Ball. LaMelo is lighting it up!

Brian Howie Haueter
Ventura

Moving up

Now that USC has beaten UCLA, will the Trojans finally get their game “articles” out of the tiny three-inch box and perhaps go above the fold? Maybe even a picture? Or is that space still reserved for the Bruins only?

Phil Ronstadt
Burbank

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