Sports Letters

NFL looking for a few good referees

Obviously, the NFL is hiring officiating crews.

No experience required. Knowledge of the rules of the game optional. Equal opportunity employer; does not discriminate against incompetency. Level of ignorance could qualify you for bonuses by selection to playoff-officiating positions. Visually impaired given special consideration.

Jim Deans

Apex

Sendek is State's class-act coach

Isn't it time we give credit to the real coach at N.C. State, Herb Sendek? No funny glasses, selling trucks or making excuses for anything. He has made basketball at State a class program.

Can "Tomato" do that?

W.F. (Sonny) Godwin

Raleigh

Redskins merit same ink as Panthers

Now that the Redskins' season has ended, I hope the N&O will continue to maintain the exemplary balance it has shown in its coverage of the Redskins and Panthers.

As a Triangle football fan with divided loyalties, per Caulton Tudor, I will be happy to read, alongside the N&O's extensive coverage of the Panthers' preparation for this weekend's NFC Championship game with Seattle, all about the Redskins' offseason moves -- Joe Gibbs' future, Clinton Portis' shoulder and the rest.

Thanks for keeping the Triangle Redskins territory!

Nick Cariello

Chapel Hill

Canes writer blooms with team's success

Up until recently, the second worst job in the world had to be N&O sports writer Luke DeCock's position as the resident Hurricanes scribe.

Between the dismal years since the Stanley Cup playoffs and the "year without a season," I can't imagine anything worse than having to drive into work each day, and try to figure out yet another way to describe how the Canes had been beaten again. Not to mention the guilt he must have felt, knowing he was actually getting paid to do it.

For anyone who's been to a game this year (and I've been to five), not only must he be having a ball each day, looking for even more exciting adjectives to describe how we smashed this team or creamed that one, but I'm personally excited about the teams' wins and his writing.

Now he must feel like he's got the second best job in the world!

Ken Vrana

Cary

Wrestler Ric Flair deserves fair shake

In the media, you always hear about the sports icon. You never hear about the positive, only the negative of someone's actions, or even get their side of the story.

The great icon I'm referring to is Ric Flair. If you don't know the name, I say shame on you! Mr. Flair has been a professional wrestler since the 1970s and has entertained worldwide. It doesn't matter if you like or hate him, you should respect Ric Flair, since he is still going strong at the young age of 56.

The reason why I'm writing this is that we never got to hear Mr. Flair's side on what happened around last Thanksgiving in Charlotte with the other motorist. [Flair was accused of road rage.]

When hearing what happened in the news, no one heard the facts, they just heard the negative. We don't keep in mind the positive things sports icons do for their communities and worldwide.

Even if I wasn't a fan, I would still say to myself: where are all the facts, and did he even do this?

I respect Mr. Flair. I hope one day that I get to meet him, shake his hand and buy him a coffee or a protein shake. Even if I don't get to meet him, I hope he knows that people like myself still believe in him.

Christopher N. Reese

Cary