Letters

Tiger Woods' Game

Tiger Woods should thank his lucky stars that things have played out the way they have for him [SPORTS, Aug. 14]. He should stay silent about having to confront any real-world challenges like living from paycheck to paycheck. His brilliant smile and golf game are magic, though. Life is easier and more fun because he's around. THOMAS JIRGENSOHN Albuquerque, N.M.

I have been a fan of Tiger's since he was an amateur, and I get tired of everyone taking shots at him. You pinpointed the important issues and blocked out the unimportant ones. Tiger's accomplishments are so phenomenal that even his strongest opponents forget that he is merely mortal and entitled to mistakes. Thank you for capturing the person. BETTY JO SOLDANO Jamestown, N.Y.

It is too bad that Lance Armstrong did not receive the attention for winning a second Tour de France as a cancer survivor that Woods has got for changing his golf swing. If we compare the courage of each task, Tiger misses the green. PARKER BROWN Raleigh, N.C.

After Tiger won the British Open, I eagerly anticipated TIME's feature on him. Until I saw Tiger play, I found golf boring. The fact that non-golf lovers like me can be drawn to the game and develop an appreciation of it is a testament to his greatness as a player. Maybe when I'm 40, and can afford it, I'll take up golf. ALELI ROSARIO Cainta, the Philippines

How ridiculous for TIME to feature such a meaningless person as Woods and hail him as a hero simply because he had the nerve to change his swing in one of the most pointless and boring "sports"--hitting a ball with a metal stick. So what if he is good at what he does and gets paid millions? His contribution to mankind is still zero. RALPH GALLAY Plainsboro, N.J.

The way I play it, golf ain't no sport. At the first tee, after I load up my golf cart with a 12-pack of beer and a bucket of fried chicken (like 98% of the other hackers on the course), I am hardly the picture of an athlete. BERNIE KIRSNER Fontana, Wis.

Comparisons of Woods and Jack Nicklaus take on more significance with Tiger's recent achievements. It is difficult to equate one with the other, as golf equipment and courses have gone through some major changes over the past 40 years. But credit should be given to Nicklaus as the player who has done the most to raise awareness of the quality of play in golf. DON JOHNSTON Barrie, Ont.

Steps Against Terrorists

Your article about the 17 November group's terrorist activities in Greece [WORLD, Aug. 14] gave undeserved space to critics who accuse the Greek government of affording protection to these criminals. Critics have failed to produce credible evidence for their unsupported and thus irresponsible accusations. Greek police have worked for many years to track down terrorists and bring them to justice. Those efforts have recently been intensified in collaboration with the FBI and Scotland Yard. The government of Greece has also increased the reward for information leading to the dismantling of the 17 November group to $4.25 million. It has established hot lines through which individuals can anonymously pass on information about terrorist activities and has introduced a witness-protection program to help convict terrorists. The Greek government has given the highest priority to fighting terrorism. ALEXANDER PHILON Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Washington

Greece and the U.S. have lost great men to the unfair, cowardly attacks of terrorists over the past 25 years. And it is true that the police and various government officials have done little about it. But your reporter's hostile approach renders your point invalid. After all, Greece is a lot safer than the U.S. Innocent civilians are not under threat from 17 November attacks. In the U.S. one lives with a constant death threat from kids carrying deadly weapons, not to mention the country's alarming crime rates. SPYROS MICHAS Athens

Political Spackle

How interesting that both presidential candidates selected running mates who are the equivalent of political spackle [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 14]. George W. Bush chose someone to fill in the gaps in his intellect, while Al Gore selected someone to smooth over the holes in his party's morality. Unfortunately, the choices for President still remain equally poor. This is the saddest fact of all: in this country of 275 million-plus people, Bush and Gore are the two best men their respective parties can offer voters. Can that really be true? MICHAEL WAGMAN Hidden Hills, Calif.

A Mirror of Our Times

Note to George Dubya: so you think voters aren't smart enough to have got it right when they voted for Bill Clinton [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 14]? Face it: Clinton may not be much of a man, but he's a near perfect politician. American voters probably think they can't have one without the other. With the peace and prosperity we enjoy, Clinton is likely to be remembered as a fine President, victimized by our cultural obsession with celebrity scandal while being its ideal representative. He's the mirror of our times, the quintessential baby-boomer American--lofty ideals, a generous heart but no self-restraint. History could very well love him. HELEN STUTCHBURY San Diego

Smoothing Those Wrinkles

TIME should be credited for demystifying the antiwrinkle potential of today's nonprescription skin creams [BUSINESS, Aug. 14]. Your outside laboratory's independent analysis and the companies' responses to them were very revealing. We all recognize that in the end, there is significant subjectivity to the user's perception of success. Charles Revson, the legendary founder of Revlon, was probably quite right when he proclaimed, "We sell hope in a jar." ROBERT KOTLER, M.D. UCLA Medical Center West Los Angeles

Bring Back the Crossword

I love the challenge of your crossword puzzle [Aug. 7] while sitting under a tree in the yard in summer or in front of a warm fire during winter. I don't love the challenge in front of a computer screen. Please print it in your magazine again so that we don't have to spend our entire life in front of a screen! MARIE FOGE Novato, Calif.