Give Credit to Thompson and His Strong Argument

Thanks to Jim Murray for challenging that great crusader, John Thompson.

As a high school basketball coach (of the frosh-soph team at El Segundo High School), I can sympathize with Thompson’s desire to keep all of his best current and future athletes eligible (no matter what color the athlete may be).

But college athletics are for college students, period. Athletics may be a way out of poverty for some, but sports should not be an excuse for lack of discipline in earlier education.

Perhaps Thompson meant undereducated rather than disadvantaged athletes. A 2.0 GPA and a 700 SAT score is a generous minimum for all high school students.

DAVID VAN PELT

El Segundo