Sports Letters: Thor point

Alan Ainsworth
Tuesday 22 September 1998 18:02 EDT
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Sir: Would you like a laugh? You would. OK then. I am a pagan (cue widespread ridicule) and my eye was caught by a sentence in your article on Mark McGwire on 5 September: "Even Thor would be a pygmy in comparison."

Really? I wouldn't go so far as to say I was offended by the unflattering reference to one of my gods in relation to a chemically enhanced beefcake, I'm used to it by now. I would not even bother writing this letter if I thought I could look forward to a sentence in your paper along the lines of Bradman, Ruth, Pele or Nurmi possessed powers which make Allah seem a pygmy in comparison. Of course, no such sentence would get by the most junior sub-editor, would it? Justifiably so.

Political correctness is annoying at the best of times. If you have to run things on PC lines at least try to do it with a certain amount of objectivity.

Alan Ainsworth

London

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