Letter: Women not only bad announcers calling the games

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2002 | 8:59 a.m.

Poor Andy Rooney is taking whacks from the feminists about his objections to having female commentators at football games on TV.

I hold that all commentators are inept and boring. Most of them can't pronounce a four-syllable word like interception and have to say pick-off.

Lately I hear a touchdown referred to as "taking it to the house." This week it got worse -- they said the runner was "housing it." An opening in the line is referred to as a seam or a crease when it looks nothing like that, except possibly from a blimp.

(Meanwhile, football as the exclusive province of males may be in danger. Last week I watched our 10-year-old grandson play flag football. Both sides had girls on the teams. Some were faster than the boys and blocked, tackled and picked off passes.)

Rooney says that the only reason that female commentators are allowed on the sidelines is that they are pretty. I am not too old to appreciate that, but my hearing is failing and I can't hear the female voice very well. That does not matter, because I put all TV sports on mute.

LORRIN PETERSON