Ditch Roman numerals for next Super Bowl

Now that Super Bowl LVII is behind us, will the NFL revisit the idea of using Roman numerals to denote these events? I’ll bet that XXXVII to XLVIII percent of fans have difficulty reading those numerals.

The NFL made deciphering them even trickier when they inserted the Lombardi Trophy in the midst of the logo, making it look like a Roman “I.” If the NFL wants to simplify a thing or II for Super Bowl LVIII in MMXXIV, I’m sure that at least XCVIII percent of their fans would appreciate the change.

— Al Cunniff, Catonsville

Transit redesign is a great (and overdue) idea

What a delight to read that Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr., Anne Arundel County Executive Stuart Pittman and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott are joining forces to re-imagine transportation in the Baltimore region (“It’s time to re-imagine public transportation for city, counties, Baltimore area leaders say,” Feb. 10).

For too long, we have labored under the antiquated assumptions that most people lived in the suburbs and worked downtown. We now find that work has been reimagined and, in addition to large employment centers such as the Social Security Administration and Johns Hopkins Hospital, there are many local employers as well as regional job centers. We need reliable transportation to large employment centers as well as reliable local transportation.

When I was younger and teaching in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to either take the bus to my school at Dupont Circle or ride my bicycle, both of which I did. I may be mistaken, but I find it unimaginable to think that a teacher in Baltimore would be able to do this today.

I am heartened to think that there are new voices at the table who will bring the broad range of ideas needed to move transit ahead in our region.

— Catherine Mahan, Towson

Former UMBC coach Jones a living legend

I enjoyed The Baltimore Sun’s pieces on Living Legends to celebrate Black History Month, especially the one about Darryl Hill, the first African American football player in the Atlantic Coast Conference (“25 Black Marylanders to Watch for 2023, plus 5 Living Legends,” Feb. 10). The University of Maryland rightly recognized him in naming the new football training complex the Jones-Hill House.

My college basketball coach, Billy Jones, is also a Living Legend as the first African American basketball player in the Atlantic Coast Conference, arriving on campus just a year after Darryl Hill. A Towson native, he led Towson High School to its only state championship in 1963 before bravely integrating the ACC and Maryland basketball. One can imagine the shameful things he had to endure on those Tobacco Road away games, including verbal abuse, threats and not being served in certain restaurants and hotels. It is hard enough to play major college basketball and be a full-time student. Bearing the load of being the “first” is unique pressure and we should not forget his legacy as well.

While those tough experiences surely took a toll, Billy Jones never let it drag him down or show bitterness. In 1974, at the age of 28, he became head coach at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and in only a few short years led that program to the the highest echelons of NCAA Division II basketball. He did it with grace, wisdom and caring for his student athletes, recruiting a diverse group of kids and pushing them to their limits to achieve success. He moved on from coaching to a successful career in human resources for Disney. His influence on the many young men who played for him continues to impact those people today.

I am proud to have played and worked as an assistant coach for Coach Jones. And, like Darryl HIll, he also richly deserved the honor of having the Jones-Hill House named after him. Billy Jones is another Living Legend whose legacy lives on today in important ways beyond having his name on a building. Thanks, Coach, and stay well!

— L.G. Connor, Ellicott CityThe writer is a 1978 graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County.