If you're going to review/blast any bands in the future, you might want to remove your head from your butt.
Michael Ipolyi
Coral Springs
'Twas the loudmouth who killed 'em: While what Gaspar González wrote about The First (worst) Team ("The First Team's Last Stand," November 29) was true, he left out one reason the guys have had falling ratings: Neil Rogers!
For years, Rogers has badmouthed the show and sports-talk radio in general. He's berated the hosts (an easy thing to do) but never told his audience that The First Team makes big bucks for WQAM-AM (560). González eluded to that when he wrote about the long blocks of commercials that ruin the show's continuity.
When callers to Rogers's show questioned his hypocrisy, Rogers simply lied on the air and said he had always said The First Team made money for the station. The truth is, he never made this statement! He's full of crap! In my opinion, only Jeff DeForrest belongs on the air. Steve Goldstein's voice is a nonstarter, and he shills for the Panthers, who probably pay for his lackluster talent on Panther pregame shows. Joe Rose is just a big goofball! While he knows about football (he's an ex-Dolphin), he doesn't know crap about other sports -- and is more interested in whether the jocks he interviews got laid last night than about sport.
While The First Team is generally lackluster and mundane, it is still much better than the two WQAM shows that feature degenerate gambling spreads: the Hank Goldberg and Ed Kaplan "Gamblers Anonymous Highlight Shows!" Throw in the already-dead-but-he-doesn't-know-it-yet Beano Cook once a week on the Hank Goldberg show and The First Team starts to look like a million bucks. Well, at least two bits!
In closing, while Neil Rogers is a great talent, he still is a negative, nasty, egomaniacal hypocrite whose followers would drink poison Kool-Aid if he asked them to -- especially his runt sidekick, George. His years-long negative attitude toward The First Team hasn't helped the hapless trio!
Harvey Slavin
Hollywood
... and finding Truth: Thank you so much for Wyatt Olson's September 6 article, "Hustling for Models." I was approached this past Sunday while waiting in line at a grocery store by an e-model scout who invited me to one of these "events." He seemed legitimate, had a business card, and even told me I wouldn't need to pay anything to become involved. He told me to bring photos of myself or they could take some at the event. I thought about it and decided to go. I checked out the Website, and everything seemed OK. However, that morning I read this article, and it saved me. I immediately decided not to go and ripped up his card. Thank you for that information -- it saved me a lot of grief!
Kelly Nason
Scottsdale, Arizona
Don't falsely accuse a fellow springbok: I am writing in response to a letter you printed back on July 26, "A Springbok of a Different Color." I too am South African currently living here in South Florida and find this letter writer to be coming from purely a one-sided view. I came across to the United States to further my education, as I wanted to expand my knowledge of different cultures and also to promote my beautiful country, as many people have little knowledge of it. The writer states that he/she was classified as being "colored," and I see no harm in this, as I am sure that he would not consider himself as being black or white. I am white and was also present during the last years of apartheid.
I am not saying that what was done was right, but many people, including myself, have long forgotten that one race is superior to another and look at South Africa now as being an equal-opportunity country. I am sure that I will never know what the writer went through while growing up, but I am open-minded enough to listen and take to heart what I hear. While in the United States, I too have had to withstand many accusations that I feel are unfair -- among them, that I am racist, and this is not true. I would love to get in contact with my fellow South African so we could share each other's views and perhaps even form a friendship here in South Florida, a long way from home.
Name withheld by request
via the Internet
