One Reader's Letter to Tom Hoffarth and the Los Angeles Daily News

As you may recall, Los Angeles Dodgers' baseball writer Tom Hoffarth wrote a stinging critique of the first-ever Los Angeles Supercross to take place in Dodger Stadium. The piece ran in Sunday's Daily News and painted a less-than-complimentary picture of both Monster Energy AMA Supercross and its fans. In case you missed it, here it is.

Since then Mr. Hoffarth has received hundreds of emails and letters over the article, for which he made a vague apology a few days ago. Here's one example of the letters written to the Daily News, by Racer X Online reader Krystle Watson, who gave Tom the business without being nasty.

Dear Mr. Hoffarth,

We have learned that in today's world, people do not research facts. They pick a part and gather bits of information that they then indulge themselves and others in, in such away that it is some how beneficial to them, sides with their beliefs, ect. So, in the event that you did not fulfill your job duties, I did it for you. Here are some facts you may want to re-work in your article, and you will no longer be the most hated journalist in an industry of approximately SEVERAL MILLION PEOPLE.

Fact number 1
Revenue
“I’m very excited for this,” said Michael Young, chief revenue officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I’m excited to expose this venue to millions of supercross fans across the world that have never had the opportunity to come to Dodger Stadium and hopefully convert them into baseball fans. This is an amazing sport and the growth of supercross is staggering, particularly in a time when many sports are shrinking.”

"I have all the confidence in the world in the Feld Motor Sports crew," said Hansen. "All we have to worry about is replacing the actual grass once the dirt is removed and from what I've been told, (Feld) is the best in the world at what they do so my anxiety level is extremely low."

"It's a popular sport, especially in Southern California, that often draws a crowd of 40,000 or more to a race. One of its leading venues is Angel Stadium in Anaheim, where in recent years supercross would hold three races early in the season."

Lets do the simple math. 40k spectators at probably $40 a ticket, $1,600,000. Not counting pit passes, not counted what Feld entertainment is renting the field for, not counting revenues for local businesses such as hotels, gas stations, shops, grocery stores, ect.

Fact number 2
The care they took in building the track, and the respect they treated the field with

http://framework.latimes.com/2011/01/24/time-lapse-video-dodger-stadium-filled-with-dirt/

"The Dodger's field is a hybrid Bermuda grass similar to what you'd find on a golf course fairway, and it's also been overseeded with a perennial rye for a deep, rich green. So how do they keep the stress level of the grounds keeping crew in a manageable range when bringing in between 6,500 and 7,000 cubic yards of dirt? Plywood will cover the infield area, and then the field gets covered in plastic. Road base will go on top of that, which kind of sets up on its own to create a barrier to protect the baseball stadium sand, which the Feld guys refer to as the "pay dirt"...because if it gets messed up, they have to pay. Finally, 500 truckloads of dirt...and that can happen even in inclement weather. After that? The track artisans at Dirt Wurx sculpt the track to spec."

"So how will they rehab the field once the event is over? By removing the sod and soil, which is a potential contaminant to the pure sand. They'll replace with new sand with the amount they take out, one-and-a-half to two inches thick. The new sod they'll bring in will only have an inch of soil. So they'll replace an inch, rototill it in to mix it, grade it out with lasers to set elevations, all within a quarter of an inch. Add a layer of pre-planting fertilizer, and the turf company will come and replace the old field with new sod. After a trim and some detailing, it's pretty much ready to go. The expected turnaround time for this one? Seven to ten days."


As far as the stereo typing goes, you claim you were not stereo typing, but writing in humor. I think you are 800 to 1 as far as opinions go. For future reference, I think the following, quoting your column, are entries that others may have felt offensive, or stereotyped. I myself am a blond female RACER, my bike does not sound like a "hog", I don't have a single tattoo, and I can assure you, I DO NOT ware leather ANYTHING.

"Dodger Stadium was transformed into a giant truck stop just outside of Blythe. It was a cross between a Bret Michaels concert, an NRA convention and hog-calling contest. "

"Big hair, meet big air. No tattoo was taboo. More leather than Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey. Dignity dug itself a hole and crawled into it."  <----- I have dignity Thanks.

"Really, what's the worst thing that could happen to a Dodger Stadium outfield buried in a symphony of sludge?" <----- I am sure there are worse things....

"This place, we always thought, had more specialness." <---- Merriam-Webster dictionary does not recognize this word... Just saying.

"a construction site taken over by a gang of Harley Davidson bikers" <---- I think Harley riders would be appalled by this!!! They don't wear full faced helmets! Nor do they ride a closed course!! They are free riders!!

"All that all the sod will be replaced. In due time"<--- The entire field can be completely laid with new sod, in 7-10 days. Google it.

"this self-infected wound" <--- OUCH. Oh wait... was that a funny?

"gladiators on their motorized scooters" <--- I think the verb age is Professional Racers on their Dirt Bikes. A scooter by definition, is a physically smaller machine, whose means are for transportation in a fuel efficient way.

"Hansen's greatest fear - that all these foreign rocks somehow get embedded into his infield dirt skin"<---- Hence the plastic liner, the plywood, and sand base, Oh ya, AND the fact that they are relaying the field.

"Who wants a swamp buggy race? A paintball tournament? A season of the TV show "Wipeout"<----- I think you wiped out on this one, Tom.

"Stay classy, Frank. This all comes with a price." <--- Yes because writing an article based on assumptions, stereotyping, and uninformed biased opinions, then covering up and attempting to be excused by the phrase of " sociological experiment" and "written in humor" is of utmost class. Let me ask you a question THOMAS... Did those words hurt when they come out sideways? Because over 800 of us don't feel you were speaking out your mouth.

KW

Refernces
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/22/sports/la-sp-supercross-dodger-stadium-20110122
http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specialness
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1015577-ama-supercross-coming-to-dodger-stadium.html
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1015577-ama-supercross-coming-to-dodger-stadium.html
http://framework.latimes.com/2011/01/24/time-lapse-video-dodger-stadium-filled-with-dirt/