She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes.

Usually when an athlete gets a reputation it sticks with him, even when he's an old man.

I was a much better writer than I was an athlete. My college coach told me flat out, he said, "Deford, you write basketball better than you play it."

Hockey is the only place where a guy can go nowadays and watch two white guys fight.

I never wanted to be an editor. I never wanted to be a boss. I just wanted to write, and it didn't make any difference whether it was fiction or nonfiction or short stories or whatever. I just - that's what I was destined to do.

I think at its best, sport does bring us together.

I think there are white alumni out there who wouldn't mind having an African American president of their school, but would be reluctant to have an African American coach, because he represents the school so. I think it's just sheer backward racism.