Conventional example of "ray of light" in cheating culture not so honorable

Feb. 22, 2012 — I take issue with an example you used in your recent article, “A culture that celebrates cheating.” You write, “Returning to the sports scene for a moment, there are ritual bows in the direction of Derek Jeter as the consummate sportsman, but a lot more time on ESPN is spent lavishing attention on cheaters: if you blink, you miss the transition between “they’re so naughty” and “they’re so great.””

It seems to me that Mr. Jeter is not exactly the quintessential example of someone who always plays the game honestly — perhaps you recall an incident of a hit batsman in Sept. 2010?

I think you need to look a bit harder to find the right person for the “they’re so great” category.

— Katherine Gallagher Robbins, Ann Arbor, Mich.