Irked by Burgo
The following letter is directed to The Sun’s former sports writer, Rick Burgo.
Dear Mr. Burgo: We (my father and I) read your article, “World level fail,” which was centered on your perceived failures of the World Cup. We would like to respectfully disagree with your opinions. First and foremost, your comparison of soccer to halfway sports like NASCAR is disrespectful, especially when your “American” sports like football feature players so morbidly obese that they require oxygen tanks on the sideline to continue to play.
In watching soccer, it is important to be patient, which is something American sports fans struggle to grasp, especially those who are accustomed to commercial stoppages in play to get up and grab beer and sandwiches. You criticize Maradona for being a controversial figure in sports, while former American sports legends like OJ Simpson and Lawrence Taylor are murdering and abusing people brashly. And the players that kids were once supposed to look up to, like Michael Vick and Marvin Harrison, are involved in the same types of situations.
You also say that “real football,” meaning American football, is an actual, real sport. Yet, the only people that use their feet to physically move the ball are typically, Eastern European or other international players with a background in soccer. In all honestly, although my father and I both love American football, it is erroneously named, and should actually be called something like American Handball. At one point, you state, “The only thing missing in the World Cup is lipstick and carryall bags.” I gather that this is a poorly worded shot at the diving and acting that takes place in soccer. Yet in the NBA, players are even worse when they drive the lane and flop to the side for fouls. Or in the NFL where players fall down when they receive contact from a stray hand in order to get a pass interference call.
The players in the World Cup are some of the best athletes in the world and I’m sure, if you met them face-to-face, you would not accuse them of wearing lipstick. You also accuse teams and coaches of childlike behavior. We have seen five-year-olds that live down the street from us that are more mature than famed U.S. coaches like Bobby Knight, and self-centered, egotistical players like Terrell Owens.
You ended your article by stating, “In the states though, we know sports. Real sports.” It was fairly obvious to us, and anyone else who read your article that you do not know real sports at all. We hope you can grow to be more open-minded in the future.
Michael and Troy McArdle
Sonoma
Lymphoma in Sonoma: 0esticides in our idyllic community
Editor: We are fast approaching the bittersweet summer event called the “Relay for Life.”
For a couple days, the community comes together and becomes one large family. We smile, laugh and celebrate together. We cry, embrace and deeply grieve together. All on a high school track and about the issue of breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma and other types of cancer.
But something is missing.
There is no mention of the pesticides that are used right here in our community. Lot’s of them. Hundreds and hundreds of gallons in vineyards. Some of those pesticides cause cancer in our children, our pets, livestock and wildlife.
That’s about to change. A strong swerve in the road is on the verge of taking our region into a new direction, one that leads to a more sustainable Sonoma County. A group of Sonomans, whose mission is to partner with agriculture, will work on transitioning Sonoma County from a heavy pesticide-use county to a drastically reduced one.
In addition, grapegrowers and farmers who are already growing organic or biodynamic will be actively supported and promoted. Those who wish to transition from pesticide use to growing grapes biodynamically will be given the same treatment.
We hope all will join us. Once this effort is underway, numerous Bay Area groups will promote and support wines grown without pesticides.
Recently, under the Obama administration, the National Cancer Institute produced a startling report on cancer in the U.S. – google the President’s Cancer Panel 2008-2009. You’ll see why we need to make an immediate change.
As the group leading this cause, MACH-Sonoma (Mothers Advocating for Children’s Health) is dedicated to going full-force to protect the little “chicks” of Sonoma and partnering with others.
Our main mission is to fiercely work to unite the agricultural community with mothers so that together we can support and promote sustainable agriculture and foster healthy agricultural systems. We are committed to the protection of the lives and health of California children, a commitment that need not impose economic hardship on those who work the land.
As a third-generation Californian whose grandparents farmed citrus and avocado in the San Diego area, and as someone who has lost a mother to breast cancer and leukemia, I am sensitive to both the needs of agriculture and personal health. We can have it all – a healthy way of growing grapes, healthy yards and healthy people.
MACH-Sonoma asks all those in the community who support the efforts of Relay for Life, to get on board with this new direction for our region. A Sustainable Sonoma County Panel will be created sometime this winter. Stay tuned.
The Relay for Life event will come to an end and we will go back to our lives. Let’s make a change to help prevent cancer in Sonoma County. The “Relay for Life” could be less about cancer, and more about celebrating and supporting our grapegrowers and farmers who feel a moral obligation to make a safer environment for young women and children, our little “chicks” of Sonoma.
Yannick A. Phillips is the founder of MACH-Sonoma. She and others are spearheading the Sustainable Sonoma campaign. Want to join? Questions? Contact Yannick at yphillips@comcast.net or (707) 933-0312.
Yannick Phillips
Sonoma