Letters to Sports: Dodgers open playoffs with a bang! Then a thud …

The Gina Ferazzi photo on the front page of Thursday's Times Sports section tells you all you will ever need to know about "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." Chris Taylor rounds first, his arm thrust upward in triumph, and a shadowy Cardinals player slumps in the dugout, head in hands. That was a moment Dodgers fans will never forget.

Skip Nevell

Los Angeles

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Talk about tone-deaf, wet-blanket coverage! The Dodgers win a single-elimination game on Chris Taylor’s walk-off homer, only the fifth time that’s happened in the long history of Major League Baseball, and all Dylan Hernández can say is the Dodgers won despite Scherzer’s subpar outing. If the Dodgers go on to win the World Series, Taylor’s homer will rank with Kirk Gibson’s. That was the real story.

Don Gould

Claremont

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There is nothing like opening the L.A. Times and having the luster taken off a big postseason Dodger win. Dylan "Doom and Gloom" Hernández doesn't have a positive bone in his body, and Bill Plaschke puts a pox on the Dodgers by saying they will win it all.

Dave Snyder

Grand Terrace

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The absurdity of a wild champagne celebration for winning one game against a team that finished 16 games behind them is magnified by the fact that NBA players treat a conference championship trophy like it's radioactive. Celebrate championships, not baby steps to get there.

Bennett Beebe

Westwood

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Mr. Plaschke, while the team will be at least at even money to win it all, assuming they get by the Cardinals, I think you lessen the task’s difficulty. No matter what happens (lose the wild card, lose in another series, win it all) we have, again, enjoyed a great season that presented several challenges. Thank you to the players and coaches, all winners. And dear thanks to Mr. Kershaw who shows us all how to handle disappointment as a real human being.

Scott Hamre

Cherry Valley

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In 1988 when Mike Davis stole second, Kirk Gibson realized all he needed was a single, and he hit a home run. In 2021 when Cody Bellinger stole second, Chris Taylor realized all he need was a single, and he hit a home run.

Richard Sherman

Margate, Fla.

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Jack Clark and Ozzie Smith, meet Chris Taylor.

Ken Feldman

Tarzana

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Can Bill Plaschke please stop making predictions? He is 5-17 (.227) in predicting Super Bowl winners, including the Rams over the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII (the Rams lost). Before the start of the 2021 baseball season, he predicted that the Dodgers would be the greatest team in baseball history (they weren't). And before the start of the postseason, he predicted that if the Dodgers won the wild card game, they would win the World Series. If he's going to continue to make predictions, perhaps he can put his negative predictive powers to good use by predicting that our L.A. teams' opponents will beat them.

Alson Wong

Rancho Cucamonga

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Same old Dodgers, the five-hit wonders with 11 strikeouts against Giants in Game 1. Why is Bellinger still in the lineup? In April, Plaschke said this year's Dodgers could be the all-time best team. Recently Max Muncy in a postgame interview said, "We feel like we could win any game we want." Guess they don't want to. Maybe next year!

Bob Murtha

Santa Maria

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What’s more important: that the Dodgers are on the path to another World Series, or that their coverage brought back the real Sports section?

Mario Valvo

Ventura

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What didn't make any sense for Game 1 against the Giants was the fact Dave Roberts started Matt Beaty over Chris Taylor against Logan Webb. During the season, Taylor was four for 10 with a home run against Webb. How many hits did Beaty have against him during the season? You guessed it. The same amount you and I had. Thanks for doing your research, Dave.

Geno Apicella

Placentia

The Men of Troy

Trojan fans' dreams might very well come to fruition. Looks like Urban Meyer, the dancing machine, could very well be available real soon. And if they are in the market for a new offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly probably will be easy to pick up as well.

Kevin Flynn

Simi Valley

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With Cincinnati rolling over every opponent — including a smash-mouth win over Notre Dame — USC must pull all the strings to install Luke Fickell as their next coach. Name a building after him. Endow a scholarship. Build him that mansion in Palos Verdes. Do what it takes. All he does is recruit a bunch of tough-as-nails players unwanted by the Michigans and OSUs, mold them into super studs … and win.

Cy Bolton

Rialto

No defending Bruins

All the preseason hype was hot air. Fresno State exposed Chip Kelly’s always porous defense and ASU did the same. All four years has been a defensive disaster preventing any hopes of even a six-win, bottom-end bowl game. I know Kelly has a huge buyout, but four years of NO defense is completely unacceptable. Fans and followers, diminishing, deserve far better.

Gary McGinnis

Seal Beach

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Can UCLA place Chip Kelly and Jerry Azzinaro in the transfer portal?

Wes Wellman

Santa Monica

Age-old Lakers problem

Trevor Ariza, 36, is now injured and will be sidelined at least eight weeks. Laker fans, get use to this predicament as the season progresses with the AARP team of the NBA.

Wayne Muramatsu

Cerritos

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.