Another sports novel worth reading is Bernard Malamud's "The Natural," baseball (1952). A gifted Jewish young man drawn into the game, his rise and fall. Great reading.
I grew up in a family of national-class athletes, including two who went to Olympic trials. I loved my sport experiences and the thrill of winning. I loved playing on teams.
With that experience, I think elite athletics is far too often pathological and destructive. Winners are often determined by genetic quirks (including pathologies where a Michael Phelps loves practicing).
I have watched the abuse of parents, and the near endless-stream of addicts and broken, abusive people.
There are certainly healthy elite athletes, but they emerge from healthy parents and healthy coaches. When we try to use metal and physical abuse to gain advantage, we go against humanity itself.
Terrific review! I appreciate the funny, ultimately melancholic and personal intro, the well-informed historical perspective of the genre and how "Underspin" figures. (I always felt my own underspins were cheap tricks ;)
Wouldn't it be better to fuck each other rather than look at porn and then Gather together in a group and talk about it? Or does that increase the likelihood of getting laid that night?
Another sports novel worth reading is Bernard Malamud's "The Natural," baseball (1952). A gifted Jewish young man drawn into the game, his rise and fall. Great reading.
That's a wonderful book and gets TOTALLY overshadowed by Robert Redford knocking the lights out!
Hold onto that novel! It will get bought and published one day.
I grew up in a family of national-class athletes, including two who went to Olympic trials. I loved my sport experiences and the thrill of winning. I loved playing on teams.
With that experience, I think elite athletics is far too often pathological and destructive. Winners are often determined by genetic quirks (including pathologies where a Michael Phelps loves practicing).
I have watched the abuse of parents, and the near endless-stream of addicts and broken, abusive people.
There are certainly healthy elite athletes, but they emerge from healthy parents and healthy coaches. When we try to use metal and physical abuse to gain advantage, we go against humanity itself.
Terrific review! I appreciate the funny, ultimately melancholic and personal intro, the well-informed historical perspective of the genre and how "Underspin" figures. (I always felt my own underspins were cheap tricks ;)
Wouldn't it be better to fuck each other rather than look at porn and then Gather together in a group and talk about it? Or does that increase the likelihood of getting laid that night?
Wow, beautiful review.
“Prometheus!”
noice
nicely done!