Athletes’ Appearances Can Be Deceiving

From Wimbledon, fawning, almost drooling over the new crop of young female tennis talent, Diane Pucin writes these descriptions of three different teenage up-and-comers: “Her bellybutton or most of her thighs” ... “her flat 16-year-old stomach” ... “her long legs are tan” ... “her tiny skirt flips up revealing tiny white shorts” ... (and) “a bit of her tummy shows in a cut-out part of her dress.”

If a man wrote this, would he not be skewered as flagrantly sexist? Is it less sexist when a woman writes it? As guest line judge, I’d call that obvious double standard a double fault.

Ted Green

Calabasas

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Reading Monday’s column by Chris Dufresne, I see that he remarks that the greens at the Booz Allen Classic were “softer than Craig Stadler’s midsection.”

Why does The Times print such statements? Would Dufresne be allowed to comment snidely on an athlete’s accent, or skin color, or religion, or sexual orientation? Of course not. And yet, if he wants to make a lame joke at the expense of someone’s weight, it passes without scrutiny. As a longtime subscriber, I’m disappointed in The Times’ lack of sensitivity.

Christopher Bates

West Los Angeles