To the editor: As questions about leadership in Los Angeles sports institutions circulate, it is worth recalling the example set by Peter V. Ueberroth, who served as president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. In overseeing those Games, he made clear where his priorities lay, saying, “The integrity of the game is everything.” And because of his integrity and leadership, Ueberroth took office as commissioner of Major League Baseball later that same year.
Measured against that standard, one is left to consider what Ueberroth might have done under circumstances similar to those now facing Casey Wasserman (“Is Casey Wasserman too big to fail as LA28 Olympics chief?,” Feb. 12). Given how central public trust was to Ueberroth’s leadership, it seems likely he would have considered stepping aside, if necessary, to protect the credibility of the organization he served, as part of that responsibility.
At a time when confidence in public leadership remains fragile, Ueberroth’s example is a reminder that accountability and ethical stewardship still matter.
Christian B. Teeter, Los Angeles
This writer teaches global business and international economics at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles.
