Readers sound off on the Super Bowl MVP, paper straws and invective against immigrants

Jalen Hurts shows america however to flooded adversity

Brooklyn: Jalen Hurts is present a Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP. Let that descend in. After years of perseverance, countless doubters and each situation thrown his way, helium has risen supra them all. On the grandest signifier successful football, Hurts delivered a show that volition beryllium remembered for generations. He didn’t conscionable win, helium dominated, starring his squad to triumph and cementing his spot among the game’s greats.

But this infinitesimal is astir much than 1 game. It’s a testament to resilience, determination and an unshakable content successful oneself. Hurts’ travel to the apical was filled with obstacles, setbacks and moments erstwhile others counted him out. His vocation has been a communicative of relentless grit. From his aboriginal days astatine the University of Alabama, wherever helium led his squad to a nationalist title quality arsenic a freshman, to the heartbreak of being benched successful the rubric crippled a twelvemonth later, helium faced adversity head-on. Many players would person crumbled nether the value of specified a moment, but Hurts supported his team, learned from the acquisition and came backmost stronger.

Through sheer determination and leadership, helium took bid of the Eagles discourtesy and led them to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl berth 2 years ago. Though they fell short, Hurts returned this play adjacent hungrier, adjacent much determined to decorativeness what helium started.

Hurts’ travel is bigger than football. It’s a connection to each athlete, dreamer and each idiosyncratic who has ever been told they weren’t bully enough. It’s impervious that setbacks are not the end, but alternatively stepping stones to thing greater. Kevin De La Cruz

Uncompetitive

Shaftesbury, Vt.: Super Bowl 59 was a bust for Kansas City, and they ne'er truly showed up. The refs didn’t help, with a mates of unspeakable calls against the K.C. defence giving the shot backmost to the Eagles truthful they could score. There was nary walk blocking for K.C., and the holes successful the violative enactment were large capable to thrust a tractor-trailer through. This crippled makes fans privation to cancel the Super Bowl for bully and conscionable determination connected to baseball. Party boys retired determination playing shot aft a large nighttime successful the edifice is what we got. Now we tin hide this catastrophe for the NFL and deliberation outpouring training! Tom King

No disrespect

Delhi, N.Y.: Jonathan Zimmerman’s impermanent nonfiction asking “Why is the K.C. squad inactive called the Chiefs?” (op-ed, Feb. 9) erstwhile different teams similar Washington and Cleveland person changed to little arguable names, portion somewhat comical considering the fantasized suggestion, is wholly off-base. The sanction Chiefs is nary much derogatory than the sanction “Presidents” oregon “Senators.” A main is simply a leader. For Native Americans, it is simply that and hardly controversial. Perhaps naming a squad “The Jews” is simply a spot hyperbolic, but determination is thing incorrect with the sanction “chief,” arsenic helium is simply a respected person of galore “real” Americans. Arthur Martello

Bathroom break

Hubertus, Wis.: You cognize things are atrocious erstwhile the commercials were much entertaining than the halftime show. While determination was conscionable excessively overmuch rap and crap being presented, it did springiness america each a bully accidental to deed the bathroom, sojourn the fridge and get backmost to the game. Finally, 1 representation was worthy a cardinal words: President Trump’s wide grin and Taylor Swift’s large frown! Bob Lobenstein

Straw stock

Nutley, N.J.: I confess that erstwhile I was younger, I foolishly followed erstwhile President Joe Biden’s proposal and purchased a banal of insubstantial straws. With a caller president, the cognition toward redeeming the situation has undergone a seismic shift. Trump’s pronouncements connected the superiority of integrative straws reek of his profoundly ingrained communal sense. I admit the mistake successful my thinking, but what to bash with my gross of insubstantial straws? May I suggest that the national authorities travel the customized of backstage corporations erstwhile a unsafe merchandise has been purchased by the consumer? Could the Trump medication institute a callback programme successful which each individuals who are successful this state legally could speech their insubstantial straws for integrative ones? Peter Griswold

Community health

Yonkers: Thank you, Democratic Women’s Caucus. During your Saturday greeting property conference, you made wide what is astatine stake. Critical funds for aboriginal puerility education, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health are frozen. This freezes probe needed for objective and immune therapy trials. Maternal health, Medicaid and anti-trafficking funds are frozen. What tin we do? Stay healthy. Eating a mostly plant-based fare keeps our humor pressure, humor sweetener and cholesterin levels low. Find like-minded folks to assistance you enactment connected the close steadfast track, similar HeartSmarts. Find america connected Instagram. Stay informed, enactment healthy. Alycia Bethea

Redundant reps

Saratoga, N.Y.: Checks and balances are gone. If the Republicans are conscionable going to motion similar bobbleheads to everything Trump proposes, past we don’t request them. Eliminate the House of Representatives and Senate alternatively of cutting services to those successful need. The full outgo to taxpayers to money Congress, including salaries, benefits and operational costs, is estimated to beryllium astir $5 cardinal a year. Shirley Smith

Critical caveat

Richmond Hill: In 1787, successful effect to a question from Elizabeth Willing Powel — “Well, doctor, what person we got, a republic oregon a monarchy?” — Benjamin Franklin answered: “A republic, if you tin support it.” Joseph Napoleone

Crisis disconnect

Western Springs, Ill.: Following the hottest twelvemonth connected grounds was the hottest January. A caller survey shows the past 15 years person warmed astatine astir doubly the complaint of the erstwhile 40 years. The statement of clime scientists, including those astatine large lipid and state companies, for much than 4 decades has predicted planetary warming from burning fossil fuels, which would origin much utmost weather. Their predictions person proved accurate. Recent destructive storms and wildfires are conscionable a sensation of overmuch worse to come. Yet, the world’s astir almighty person, the president of the United States, says clime alteration is simply a hoax and “drill, baby, drill” arsenic helium benefits from ample governmental contributions from fossil substance interests. The supposedly superb and visionary lineup of billionaires down him led by Elon Musk seems solely acrophobic with their short-term fiscal interests. Who volition archer the emperor that helium is wearing nary clothes? Richard Barsanti

Disability hire?

Dix Hills, L.I.: If Musk has Asperger’s syndrome, does that mean helium got his occupation done DEI? And if you travel that logic, should helium occurrence himself? Maybe I person excessively overmuch escaped time. Barbara Lorge

Compromised

Parkland, Fla.: Mayor Adams’ determination to let NYC agencies to assistance ICE officials successful pursuit of undocumented immigrants is intelligibly an enactment of desperation aimed astatine currying favour with Trump and his merry band. Adams, who started retired arsenic politician of the nation’s biggest sanctuary city, should cognize erstwhile helium is beaten and resign from office. His actions are truthful evidently a bid for receiving assistance from Trump successful the signifier of clemency for the assorted crimes helium has been accused of. Not lone has helium been a nonaccomplishment arsenic politician of NYC, helium is simply a turncoat funny lone successful self-preservation. Fortunately, I don’t judge helium volition execute reelection adjacent if helium dodges the law. John Squicciarini

Statistically wrong

Hyde Park, N.Y.: Congratulations to Voicer James McCaffrey for a missive that had lone 1 connection I needed to look up (philippic). He usually likes to spice up his letters with galore words that cipher uses successful existent conversation. That said, the schoolyard people connected his astir superior complaint against amerciable immigrants — execution — is precise lopsided. According to the Border Patrol’s website, determination were 60 successful 2020. There were 24,000 murders by U.S. citizens that year. In 2023, it was 29 against 3,000. I deliberation James should bash immoderate probe and not conscionable beryllium a bucket-head with a thesaurus. Jack Cregan

In the mail

Briarwood: To Voicer Anita Forgash: Since you already person the EasyPay elder card, you should person received a missive from MTA Customer Relations that included the OMNY card. If not, the EasyPay Account Service Center tin beryllium reached astatine 877-323-7433 oregon online astatine Easypaymetrocard.com. Hope this helps. Patricia Nuzzi