Golf ("Is Golf A Sport?" April 19-25), in my opinion, is the world's best game, but it's not a sport. By my own definition, sports (such as football, tennis and even ping-pong) require split-second reactions from their participants; games (such as golf, pool and bowling) do not. As to golf being boring-only to those (like C.J. Sullivan, I suspect) who have never played a round of it.
Dae
Russ Smith has the order of toughness in his example exactly backwards. Stickball involves almost no physical contact ("Lax Attack," April 26-May 2). Lacrosse is in the middle somewhere as it involves checking, but the players wear pads. Water polo involves an enormous amount of vicious unprotected contact that is rarely called by the officials because it's underwater and can't be seen. In the most famous water polo match 50 years ago at the Melbourne Olympics, the Hungarian water polo team fought a proxy resistance against their Soviet adversaries, the Soviet Army having just invaded Hungary to repress an uprising. The pool was filled with blood. Literally. Think that would happen in lacrosse?
Anonymous
I dare Armond White to write a film review without using the word "hipster" or invoking Steven Spielberg. I also dare him to start making sense at least once per issue. His reviews of Doug Atchison's Akeelah and the Bee ("Bee Season," April 26-May 2) and Hou Hsiao Hsien's Three Times-the former a schematic, cloying family flick, the latter a tricky, rewarding work from one of the world's most acclaimed filmmakers-emanate from deep, deep left field. At this point, Mr. White is up against the warning track. It's sad to see someone with such a vast and searching intellect lock it away behind an impenetrable array of code words, high-toned references (this week, it's Godard, De Sica and Charles Burnett), and pre-calibrated grumpiness.
Adam Nayman, Toronto
I am the writer/director of Akeelah And The Bee. I have not read many reviews for the film, as I typically find doing so to be unhealthy for myself as an artist. However, Mr. Armond White's analysis ("Bee Season," April 26-May 2) of my film was brought to my attention, and I wish to express to him my profound appreciation for his clear understanding of my goals with this picture. I wish others who write and think about film had his depth of understanding of film history and the manner in which African-Americans have been historically depicted in cinema. It is good to know that there are critics out there doing the job the way its supposed to be done: not simply recommending or not recommending films, but placing cinema in its proper context. Mr. White does honor to his profession.
Doug Atchison