There’s More Than One Winner in San Diego

Mike Downey’s column (June 3) on the misfortunes of various teams in Southern California was entertaining, but was overly negative and a bit out of focus.

I realize that it is easy to smite the downtrodden, and he was quite colorful and creative in doing so. And I know that a lot of his comments didn’t bear any factual weight to them, but I did want to take the opportunity to address one of those statements.

When he was talking about San Diego, he said that “the only winner in town is a guy who smears white cream on his lips and races yachts.” He was dead wrong. I’m sure that the University of San Diego basketball team would disagree with that assessment, and there is another basketball team in town that can prove that comment wrong year after year.

Athletes in Action basketball is regarded as one of the world’s best amateur teams. Although a 21-10 record qualified as a “down” year for the team last season, its record in the 1980s is 278-66, a winning percentage of .808.

Winners? I think that record qualifies.

Besides, AIA’s off-court work in high schools, prisons and military bases should give them that title. Why does a team always have to have a sparkling won-lost record before someone will call them a winner?

Even when writing a satire, you should be accountable for what you say. There is more than one winner in San Diego.

RUSS BLUNCK

San Diego

Blunck is the director of media relations for Athletes in Action.