Dick Groat should have been included somewhere on that list. He was the first athlete in Duke history to have his number retired. Groat averaged 26 points plus in his senior year in 1952, in an era when that kind of points per game was tough to achieve (no three-point line and no one-and-one bonus free throw). That same season, Groat accomplished a feat that was unprecedented and remains un-repeated; he led the nation in scoring and assists in the same season.

Apparently your voting panel falls into the same mind-set that probably has kept Groat out of the Hall-of Fame at Springfield: he played just one year in the NBA, before reluctantly choosing major league baseball as a career. Ask Groat’s freshman coach at Duke how good he was with "the big ball” in his hands. Red Auerbach is among his many admirers’ in basketball circles. Groat says Red taught him more about defense than anyone in the sport.

The fact that Dick Groat is not among Street & Smith’s top 100 players diminishes your publication’s credibility and reputation.

Bill Hillgrove

Dear Street & Smith's,
My wife purchased the Collector’s Edition of 100 Greatest College Basketball Players for me and I truly enjoyed the edition. I do have a few comments about the edition and feel that one major oversight occurred by omitting one player.

The player that should have been in the edition was Terry Dischinger that played for Purdue from 1960–1962. His accomplishments were:
-Averaged 29.7 points per game for his career.
-Averaged 14 rebounds per game for his career.
-First-team All-American in 1961 and 1962.
-Third-team All-American 1960.
-Member of Greatest Olympic Team in History 1960 at age 19.
-Fourth-leading scorer on Olympic Team with 11.8 average trailing only Jerry West (13.8), Jerry Lucas (17.0) and Oscar Robertson (17.0).
-Big Ten Scoring-Champion three years in a row.
-Three time NBA All Star.
-NBA Rookie of the Year in 1963.

If these stats look familiar, they are almost identical to Larry Bird No. 6, Jerry West No. 10, Bill Bradley No. 14, Rick Barry No. 30 and Bob Pettit No. 33. The only drawback to Terry Dischinger was that he happened to play in the Big Ten at the same time as one of the greatest big ten teams ever, the Ohio State team of 1960-1962 and this should not be held against what he accomplished.

Some players that I feel were good college players but were given more college credit because of their pro careers were: Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Isiah Thomas and Tim Duncan.

All in all, I think you did a great job and I enjoyed your publication. Maybe do a publication on those omitted from the publication.

Thanks for listening.

Ed Clift

Dear Street & Smith's,
First of all, I want to thank you for your great magazine. As I’m not into fantasy baseball, it is the only baseball magazine I look forward to buying … I have every issue I’ve bought since coming aboard in 1981. I especially look forward to seeing the updated lifetime stats feature, plus reading about the prospects for the upcoming year for my favorite teams.

One request, please. As you now make a point of majoring on covers for different regions (a great idea), please make an adjustment for Canada. I live on the West Coast (Victoria, B.C.) and have an extreme dislike for NY teams (especially the Yankees), and that’s the cover we get out here. In fact, I’ve loathed the Yankees since my ‘first’ world series … when Brooklyn and Johnny Podres defeated the Yanks in 1955!!

You used to produce a Canadian cover (Carter, McGriff, Galarraga, etc.). … Please do so again, or a West Coast team (like the M’s) is good for out west.

I understand economics probably dictates to your decision, but please change this for next year. I avoided buying the Canadian issue this year as I was going to California (where I bought the issue with Ortiz on the cover).

Thanks for reading this and considering a possible change.

Dave Goff
Victoria, British Columbia


Dear Street & Smith's,
Really enjoyed your top 100 College players issue but, how can you leave my guy, Xavier McDaniel, off the list? He was the first college player ever to lead the nation in both scoring (27.2) and rebounding (14.8) at Wichita State in 1984-85.

Additionally, he led the country in rebounding another season (14.4 in 1983). Wichita State was on probation and did not get a lot of TV time (they had a hell of a team), but this guy was a better college player than 25 guys on the list.

But, you did include our VP of Basketball Operations, Chris Mullin, on the list! Good job.

Raymond Ridder
Executive Director of Public Relations
Golden State Warriors


Dear Street & Smith's,
Regarding your Pro Football cover in Philadelphia, “How ya like me now, Rush?,” why do we keep having to go back to the Donovan-Rush Limbaugh controversy? It’s over, for God’s sake! Get over it!

I won’t be buying your rag this year (or any other year from now on).

Ryan Corcoran,
West Chester, Pa.


Dear Street & Smith's,
I read with interest your article entitled, “To Go Or Not To Go” on Pages 12-15 of the 2004 edition of Street and Smith’s Pro Football magazine. However, I am writing in objection to one line in the article.

On Page 15 under the subtitle, “Revisiting Osborne’s folly” the first line in the first paragraph says, “No NFL coach has opted for the two-point conversion to try to win a big game at its end when he can kick for the tie instead.” I respectfully dispute that statement.

In 1997, the Green Bay Packers visited the Chicago Bears in week seven of the season. While the Bears were 0-6 at the time, the Packers were 4-2 and very much in the playoff hunt. In addition, the fact these two teams share a huge rivalry makes this a “big game” in my eyes.

In that game, coach Dave Wannstedt elected to go for the two-point conversion near the end of regulation, passing on the opportunity to tie the score with an extra point. That two-point attempt failed and the Packers went on to win, 24-23.

Unfortunately, I’m a Bears fan, so I remember this ill decision all too well. I actually wish you would have mentioned this in your article, because Wannstedt deserved the criticism he received then and I wouldn’t have minded seeing him receive even more, despite the fact it’s seven years later!

Anyway, I honestly did enjoy the article but felt the need to point out what I felt was an inaccurate statement within.

Sincerely,

Kevin Burghardt
Janesville, Wis.


Dear Street & Smith's,
Quick story about my loyalty to S&S. I’m 51 and as a kid in the 1960’s I would go to the local news stand in Blairsville, Pa. waiting for S&S. The first cover I remember was Steve Spurrier without a facemask, which had to be around 1966. I can honestly say I have bought every edition since then.

John Smyth
Hoover, Ala.


Dear Street & Smith's,
My favorite college football annual has always been Street and Smith’s. That is the one I always purchase first, even though some years another one may be a little better. But I always come back to Street and Smith’s being my favorite. Maybe that is because I began reading it back in the mid 1950’s.

I am trying to find copies of the 1957, 1958 and 1959 College Football annuals. I don’t really need to purchase them, although that would be fine also. I am primarily interested to see if a person could access those issues and read them on-line, like you can with microfiche in a library for old newspapers. I was in high school those years in the Chicago area; and believe it or not, reading those late 1950’s issues had some impact on where I decided to go to college. I had earlier decided some of the schools I wanted to consider for college through the football write-ups. This had nothing to do with won-lost records but rather location and what writers occasionally included that dealt with the nature of a particular school.

I’d like to join those who have asked you to prove greater coverage of the division II and III schools. Frankly I enjoy following them more than the larger schools. Especially with division III, these players really are student-athletes. Even in division II, most have no hopes of going pro and they also tend to be students before they are football players. I just enjoy watching these kids play for the “fun of it.” While I follow it, I’m more and more turned off each year by what I see happening with Division I football. Enough editorial!

Thanks. Please let me know if there is any place I can find to re-read these issues.

Ron Oakes


Dear Street & Smith's,
Being a Delaware fan and a big I-AA supporter I look forward to your college football magazines every year. I’ve bought many magazines every year, but most, if not all have cut back or do not even mention I-AA football. Thus, I wrote to all of them to tell them I will not be buying their magazines anymore. I will only be buying yours. I hope in the further you see fit to expand your coverage of I-AA, as you have truly the best magazine of any on the newsstand today. And thanks for making Delaware your lead story, and hope you will add a picture or two of a Delaware player. Thanks again for your outstanding magazine.

George Allen
Newark, Del.


Dear Street & Smith's,
I recently purchased the 2004 college football issue which is entitled Agent Orange, Walter Reyes is Syracuse’s secret weapon on offense. I have been getting Street and Smith’s since 1987 and think it is the best publication of any college football and basketball editions by far.

Rick Harrison
Westfield, N.J.


Dear Street & Smith's,
I just picked up my S&S Pro Basketball (Love Shaq) cover … awesome! You guys just keep raising the bar! Layout, design, graphics are all outstanding! Give my congrats to your entire staff. If you have a reader advisory board or if you ever need any assistance along those lines, don’t hesitate to contact me … have a great day! Looking forward to the college basketball issue!

Kirk Jones
Tampa

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