Following Caitlin Clark’s debut season and Pete Rose’s death, readers talk about each athlete. Regarding Sally Jenkins’ Sports piece on September 27, “Clark just creates space — for herself and the WNBA”:
“I’ve never seen a player this accomplished have so many doubters and haters.” No, this quote is not about Caitlin Clark. It’s a 2020 statement regarding LeBron James from Cleveland Cavaliers beat journalist Chris Fedor. Clearly, the controversy surrounding Ms. Clark is not new. Leaving aside the intrigues and conflicts, I’ll analyze the Clark phenomena from the lens of a basketball historian. In 1960, Sports Illustrated reported that NBA rookie Wilt Chamberlain had established records in every key statistic. Similarly, Ms. Clark broke WNBA records like bowling pins. In one season, Chamberlain single-handedly transformed basketball into a profitable endeavor. Sports Illustrated
Chamberlain was deemed to be as valuable to the National Basketball Association as Babe Ruth was to baseball. Following a record-breaking year at the University of Iowa, Ms. Clark injected new life into the ailing Indiana Fever franchise. This season, Ms. Clark appeared in all 13 of the league’s most viewed games. The Fever topped the WNBA in attendance, with an average of 17,036 at home and more than 15,000 on the road. The Fever began 1-8 but finished strong and made the playoffs, breaking a six-year skid. Ms. Clark and Aliyah Boston, last season’s rookie of the year, formed the league’s best pick-and-roll tandem. Kelsey Mitchell, who was incredibly quick, was the WNBA’s second-leading scorer following the Olympics. Ms. Mitchell made better shots from the field. and the three-point line, while Ms. Clark was second in the league in free throw percentage. Ms. Clark is skilled at scanning the floor while in the backcourt, then zipping a Patrick Mahomes-like laser that a streaking Ms. Mitchell takes in stride for a layup. Cold, dry statistics cannot capture the phenomenon that is Ms. Clark. Watching her is like watching Muhammad Ali in his 1960s heyday and thinking, “I’ve got to keep my eyes riveted.”
Using her head.
Last month, Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington punched Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the face while attempting to steal the ball, resulting in a black eye. Christine Brennan, a renowned sportswriter, questioned Ms. Carrington if she did it on purpose and whether she joked about it later in the game. These two queries provoked an attack on Ms. Brennan’s credibility, as reported in The Post’s October 2 Sports story, “When Clark remains the focus, WNBA players push back.”
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association accused Ms. Brennan of spreading “a false narrative that is designed to fuel racist, homophobic, and misogynistic vitriol on social media” and demanded the
The league plans to withdraw her press privileges.
In June, Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins wrote about Chicago Sky player Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul against Ms. Clark [“League’s inaction means it’s open season on Clark,” Sports, June 7] and warned: “The NBA league office knows what happens if you don’t penalize that kind of flagrancy: escalation, injury, or bench clearing. And the WNBA may face a nasty spiral as a result of its carelessness in this issue. It has made targeting Clark acceptable.”
With its apparent silence, the WNBA has also made targeting journalists acceptable. The beginning of a legacy?
I disagree with Candace Buckner’s Sports post from September 21, “Clark needs to embrace her status as an icon.”
One of the most endearing parts of Caitlin Clark’s climb to popularity is her unwavering love and dedication to the sport. From an early age, she was guided by her family and athletic activities, and she completely immersed herself in mastering basketball: learning basic skills, practicing and practicing, internalizing mental toughness and muscle memory, embracing and practicing coordinated teamwork, seeing the court, and absorbing the moment. Her pure sense of play, combined with her duties as a team member, leader, and mentor, make her entertaining, if not addictive to watch.
What else should we ask of Ms. Clark? She is already a role model for young people all around the world, as well as a bright example of immaculate skill to millions of adults like me. In an age when many so-called icons have sold their renown beyond what made them famous, let her — and us — to enjoy a simple connection. Another person enjoyed the game…
Regarding Rick Reilly’s October 2 op-ed “Pancakes with Pete Rose”:
I’m the same age Pete Rose was when he died, and I grew up idolizing the Cincinnati Reds’ hero. Mr. Rose, often known as “Charlie Hustle” due to his relentless energy and passion for the game, was unquestionably one of baseball’s greatest players. In so many respects, Mr. Rose threw prudence into
the wind by sacrificing his body to grab an extra base, or by crashing into the opposing catcher to score the winning run for his team. His 4,256 base hits eclipsed Ty Cobb’s record and might never be broken. Despite his stardom on the field, Mr. Rose was no shrinking violet off it. His betting on baseball kept him out of the Hall of Fame. However, this fan respectfully suggests that he be admitted posthumously. Henry A. Lowenstein, New York
… used his head
I thank The Post for its Pete Rose obituary [“Popular — then disgraced — hit king,” front page, Oct. 1]. Painful news. “Charlie Hustle” gone. “Mr. Baseball Entertainer” no more.
As a player, Mr. Rose didn’t look around for someone else to field a popup; he never leisurely walked to first base (or to any base). He played at one speed: as fast as he could go. His hustle entertained fans every minute he was on the field. His hustle attracted fans to baseball. Viewers got nine full innings of excitement.
Baseball was his universe; it didn’t matter whether it was a regular season game, an exhibition game or, of course, an All-Star Game. I remember the tsunami of condemnation when he collided headfirst with catcher Ray Fosse. Critics said Mr. Rose shouldn’t have tried so hard to score. Shame on Mr. Rose for injuring Fosse, I heard — and still hear. Does anyone remember that Mr. Rose injured himself on that play and had to miss three games? Maybe they should play the All-Star Game like the National Football League plays its Pro Bowl: Let’s not get anyone hurt by trying too hard.
And regarding Mr. Rose’s betting: Yes, he showed bad judgment then and afterward. But the punishment for it — a lifetime ban and exclusion from the Hall of Fame — was cruel and unusual for him, for his fans and for baseball. Mr. Rose was a flawed but towering giant of baseball.
Thomas Bickerton, Vienna
… and earned his legacy
My parents would call me to the living room to watch important world events. The fall of the Berlin Wall. The Challenger disaster. President Bill Clinton’s handshakes with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
And, when Pete Rose hit No. 4,192. Rest in peace, “Charlie Hustle.” Rick Reilly’s commentary [“Pancakes with Pete Rose,” op-ed, Oct. 2] was an interesting and insightful read about a player I idolized as a 13-year-old when he was a Cincinnati Red (and a teammate of my hometown-native Rawly Eastwick). As a South Jersey local, I was over the moon when Mr. Rose became a Phillie.
His fall from grace, in my book (and I literally had a scrapbook), did not come quickly. It wasn’t until it became irrefutably clear that he had bet on baseball for a long time — and denied it for an equally long time — that his image became tainted for me, too. When it was revealed more recently that not only had he cheated on his first wife but also that he allegedly had done so with underage girls, I was repulsed.
Mr. Reilly asserts that all Mr. Rose had was baseball, and banning him for life (and from the Hall of Fame) was unfair. Yet, it’s not anyone’s fault but Mr. Rose’s. Had he immediately admitted to betting on baseball and claimed he didn’t know it was illegal, he might have saved himself. That he denied his actions for years to me is not something we can just dismiss.
When Mr. Rose overtook Ty Cobb, he deserved it. He deserved his lifetime ban.
Lauree Padgett, Voorhees, New Jersey.
Pete Rose’s thorough profile in the Post did not include the story of when he was released from prison in Ohio for tax evasion.
Mr. Rose, aged around 50, was picked up by his son. Mr. Rose told his son to drive to the baseball batting cage, where the owner had gathered a gathering. Mr. Rose requested that the fastest pitching machine be set to its maximum speed. He then grabbed up a bat and blasted a powerful line drive on the first pitch, denting the machine.
Rose looked to the crowd. and said, “Some things never change!”
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