I cannot believe the cowards on the Board of Control of the WPIAL. Instead of punishing the culprits, they punish the administration of the schools involved.

Once again, we have shown through this single act, if you're a highly recruited athlete, sins are immediately forgiven, even when you don't ask for forgiveness.

It would appear that the almighty dollar rules again. Accountability is a lesson to be learned at home and reinforced in the schools. For this and many other reasons, I'm glad to be leaving Allegheny County.

FRANK McSTEEN
Verona

In what surely must be the ultimate put down, the league is now authorizing 60-year-old actors to suit up against the hapless Bucs. I would make sure that, in the truest sense of competition, the Bucs could also sign an old timer, and that would be Bob Gibson or perhaps the newly 'retired' Roger Clemens, who could dispatch [Billy] Crystal with one fastball strategically placed into his rib cage. I'd make sure that the 'cute' idea never came up again! We are trying to be a major league team here, Zelig ... or Selig. Where's Bill Veeck when you need him?

BOB BENNETT
Lauderdale By The Sea, Fla.

Enough! Jamie Dixon has been the Pitt basketball coach for five seasons. Why is his predecessor's tenure still coupled with his? We are well past the Howland/Dixon era and well into the Dixon era.

MARY REED
Park Place

If the Steelers organization can afford to pay this money to Ben [Roethlisberger], they can afford to pay for their own Entertainment Complex and not have their hand in the taxpayers' pockets to the tune of a $10 million handout. Enough already!

And the fact that your poll has the taxpayers saying he is worth it sickens me.

MARY DONOHUE
South Fayette

Does Ron Cook have a "stop-snitching" T-shirt in his wardrobe? His column on Andy Pettitte castigates him as a rat and a cheat, but Roger Clemens is merely a 'hilarious' liar.

Pettitte was facing perjury charges if he lied. I realize in this era 'not remembering' before Congressional committees thrives, but does Cook agree with the likes of Alberto Gonzales that it's better to 'mis-remember' than to tell the truth?

The truth is still the truth even if it hurts.

DEE TOMMARELLO
Brookline