Jordan assessment flawed

Editor:

Though I am hesitant to criticize any article appearing in the Arizona Daily Wildcat because of the time constraints and academic responsibilities placed on all staff members, I feel I must take exception with Th‚oden K. Janes' recent column on Michael Jordan.

His concluding statement that "he (Michael Jordan) still was more successful during his career than you or I ever even come close to being in ours," ruins an otherwise good column. While I share Mr. Janes' notion that we should "let Jordan be," I vehemently disagree with his statement that Jordan is more successful in his career than "you or I ever will be."

The stark truth of the matter is that Jordan is the most coached, pampered and overrated player in the game today. This is not to say I wish riddance of him Ä rather, I think he is good for the game. But never for one moment will I, or anyone else who knows a hill of beans about baseball, believe that Jordan deserved a chance to play professional baseball.

I can guarantee that if you asked coach Jerry Kindall if Jordan would have made his squad without the media circus, the answer would be a laugh. Even a humble little freshman like me, who was cut from the UA baseball team, can honestly say that I had a genuinely more successful baseball career than Michael Jordan. Without the aid of million-dollar coaches and state of the art equipment, and the label of being the world's greatest basketball player, I could smash an 85 mile-per-hour fastball 350 feet by the time I was sixteen. Now, just imagine how "successful" a guy who actually made the UA team must be.

I can associate with players who busted their ass for half of their lives and feel a little pissed off when somebody walks right into the pros. In the case of Michael Jordan, "luck" should replace "success."

Jordan Garrick

Undeclared Freshman

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