Too much time on his hands

SENATOR ARLEN Specter, who has called for an investigation into the New England Patriots and "Spygate," argues that television and gate revenue will be lost if National Football League integrity is not maintained ("Specter calls for outside probe," Sports, May 15). He doesn't seem to grasp that we accept a certain degree of deception and cheating in all four major professional sports, and have other things to worry about.

Senator Specter appears to have lots of spare time since missing the memos about Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, unemployment, housing, oil pushing $130 a barrel, immigration, the care of our veterans, terrorism, the loss of personal freedom in America, and inflation not seen in 30 years.

If Specter wants to stomp out cheating in pro sports, he should go after the National Basketball Association. Cheating in that sport (traveling on every single play) has fundamentally changed the game and ruined it for a lot of people. Forget the war, joblessness, and the economy - America needs higher-quality sports entertainment! Also, has anyone noticed how professional golfers pretend to take honor in their sport so seriously? With the huge prize money at stake, I don't buy that for a second. Senator, if you have any more free time, please have the Senate Judiciary Committee investigate them too.

GEOFFREY KOEHN
Waltham

WHERE IS the media's outrage? For the second time this year Senator Arlen Specter has challenged NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's handling of the "Spygate" issue. Now, following Specter's recent conversations with former New England Patriots employee Matt Walsh, the senator is calling for a congressional investigation along the lines of the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

Must we educate Specter that use of steroids does constitute a crime, and that taping a team's signals, while against NFL rules, is not a criminal offense? Is this the same Republican senator who has criticized liberals for wasting government time and money? Perhaps the real issue is that the good senator knows that many Pittsburgh Steelers fans vote, and will support a "12th man" who will go after an AFC rival.

Should those hearings take place, perhaps one member of the committee will chime in, "Senator Specter, have you no decency?"

MARK DAVIS
Richmond, Calif.