In her article "Barry Blew it" [January 19], Jennifer Briggs took every opportunity to take pot-shots at Barry Switzer. C'mon, Jennifer, are you going to blame only the coach because, in your words, "The Amazing Cowboy Reign is Over?" Were we watching the same game?
Sure, Barry has made some mistakes, most of which he has owned up to. But it seems to me there were a few other Cowboys at Candlestick that day. The problem is that Cowboy fans, like you, have become so spoiled that you have to look for a scapegoat when something goes wrong. The fact is, with few exceptions, the Cowboys looked lousy that day. When I say "Cowboys," I mean the entire team and coaching staff. When you say "Cowboys," you mean Barry Switzer.
Wendy Vandiver
Dallas
Jennifer Briggs. Where did you find this woman and did she just start watching football last week? Blame Barry? Why? Is Ms. Briggs upset by the fact that an Okie, a Sooner Okie, is coaching her precious Cowboys? When you're dealing with a team the caliber of Dallas, how could any rational human being place the blame on one man?
Everyone contributed, win or lose, one way or the other. That is why they call it a team sport; a team effort. Anyone unbiased enough to follow the Cowboys knows the Cowboys beat themselves. Make no mistake about it: offense lost this game--an offense virtually unchanged in terms of its top producing people.
Sure, Barry cost his team 15 yards, and it was a dumb mistake. Barry, however, didn't throw any interceptions, he didn't fumble, he wasn't stripped, and he didn't forget that Michael Irvin wasn't the only wide receiver on the field. Dallas simply faced a better team for the first time in three seasons. Deal with it, Jen (and Dallas). They'll be back. The great ones always are.
D. Paul Golden
Dallas
What's really going on
In his recent letter to the editor [January 5], Thad Beaumont complained about the "pro-liberal" reporting, "absurd stories and innuendos concerning...Kay Bailey Hutchison and other Republicans," and the personals in the back of the paper. He also says that the paper should be "covered in plastic" and on the back of magazine racks.
I have read the Observer off and on since I was in college, and I don't think I have been corrupted by the paper. I like the "pro-liberal" reporting--the Observer continues to expose the Reunion Arena, the bronze steers, and other stories the Dallas Morning News won't cover. I figure that by reading both papers, I can cobble together some semblance of what is really going on in Dallas.
Jennifer Stephens
Denton
On behalf of all Christians, I apologize for people like Thad Beaumont, whose letter you recently printed. His self-righteous diatribe is an example of people running the Church today, people Christ himself reserved for his most stern condemnations. The Dallas Observer features the best writing in Texas. I look forward to reading it every week.
David Sparks
Lewisville
No local heroes at DTC
Once again, the Dallas Theater Center has another production, Avenue X ["Easy street," January 19], filled with out-of-town actors while the huge pool of excellent actors, designers, etc. that live in the area is snubbed.
Why should you care? Because, as a taxpayer, you are subsidizing the DTC. The City of Dallas owns and maintains the buildings and grounds the DTC uses. That amounts to several hundred thousand dollars a year. Add to that the cash given to DTC by the City of Dallas and the Texas Commission on the Arts, and you, the taxpayer, have given the DTC a considerable amount of money.
The DTC chooses to repay the taxpayer by importing actors instead of using the many professionals living in the area. Are these imported actors better? No, they just live somewhere else. You decide: you buy the tickets and pay the taxes. Should Dallas pay to import actors and ignore the many talented artists living here?
Thurman Moss
Dallas
