Master of manipulation: Richie Whitt threw a tight, accurate spiral over leaping defenders with his latest column, "Invinci-Bill" (September 29). As a lifelong Dallasite, I've watched a local sports media that usually enjoys ripping the udders off local sacred cows with venom suddenly become "B-Whipped"...Bill-Whipped. From the moment he strutted into town as the self-anointed savior of America's Team, Parcells brought an East Coast swagger and invulnerability that has left the Dallas media in a catatonic, frozen state. His press conferences aren't "Q&A" sessions--they're lectures. Parcells may not be media-friendly, but you have to admit that the man is a master of manipulation. Watch how he answers most press conference questions with one of his own, reversing the role of reporter and subject. He never has to shoot the messenger--he simply disarms him. Quite a stark contrast to the apologetic, almost self-emasculating press conferences once given by Dave Campo and Chan Gailey.
But Parcells' widespread disdain and scorn for local reporters is just a sign of the times. In this age of the NFL Network, NFL Sunday Ticket, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News and its nonstop highlights, the Cowboys get more than their share of exposure, both nationally and locally. Parcells' press conferences are not only carried live on several local talk radio stations but some national cable TV sports networks as well, further reducing the role of local media to that of useless bystander. If no local reporters showed up to Parcells' weekly pressers at Valley Ranch, it likely wouldn't make the slightest difference to the Cowboys. You'd still see His Holiness deliver his weekly sermon on every sports cable station from Dallas to New York.
Neither Parcells nor the Cowboys give a crap about the Dallas media because they simply don't need it anymore.
David Marcus
Dallas
Backlash
Redefining "lame": Wow, an entire column demonstrating another definition of "lame" ("Best Reason to Never Pick Up Sports Day," Best of Dallas special issue, September 29). I was astonishingly unimpressed by this little rant. If you're going to slam someone else's sense of humor, then you should probably either demonstrate a sense of humor yourself or avoid the attempt entirely. Is that all you've got?
Vickie Cole
Arlington
Cuquita's takes plastic: Your award to Cuquita's restaurant ("Best Late-Night Restaurant") had incorrect information. Cuquita's accepts credit cards at both the Henderson location and the Spring Valley location. They have accepted credit cards for more than a year. This is a phenomenal restaurant with the best pozole and guiso de res in the world. Lemonade kicks ass, too.
Todd Williams
Dallas
Editor's note: Mr. Williams is correct. Cuquita's accepts credit cards. We regret the error.
Happy 25th: Congratulations on your 25th year! Thank you especially for the new magazine-type format for Best of Dallas. It is very well-organized, and the new format looks great and does not get newsprint all over everything.
Steve Zak
Dallas
Blasphemous: I am deeply offended by your advertisement on page 59 (September 29). It goes way beyond bad taste. If the businesses advertised on this page think it's OK, then I will never go into their establishments.
Don't get me wrong...I'm not a fanatic, but I am a Catholic and a Christian, and it's just not very nice to use Jesus Christ and his apostles in this manner.
Candace Jernigan
Via e-mail
ICEd
Immigration limbo: I have had similar problems with immigration ("Pretty Woman," by Glenna Whitley, September 29), and I would like to make a difference. There is so much that we have to go through that if every American knew what it was like, they would understand why there are so many illegals here. It is very expensive, and your normal people cannot afford even to start the legal immigration process. I have been working on my husband's case for four years, and we are still not done. He had to deport himself; he is now back on a K3 visa, but I have lost my home and everything that I worked so hard for. Try explaining that to your children--that our federal government did this to us. My husband had no record, had never been in any trouble and was brought here when he was a teenager. He had trouble talking and communicating with people while he was in Mexico. My cost so far is $150,000. Every day they are catching people entering the United States illegally, and they let them go to wait for a deportation hearing that they never go to, but we cannot let a man trying to do the right thing for his family change his status (who is married to a U.S. citizen). He has everything to lose and has lost everything, and we contiune to let these other people in and leave them to go wherever they please. What is wrong with our federal government?
Heather Hernandez
Garland
