..... it would be interesting to find out what goes on in that moment when someone looks at you and draws all sorts of conclusions.

The conventional wisdom is often wrong. Crime didn't keep soaring in the 1990s, money alone doesn't win elections, and - surprise - drinking eight glasses of water a day has never actually been shown to do a thing for your health. Conventional wisdom is often shoddily formed and devilishly difficult to see through, but it can be done.

I have a new way of doing things, and I don’t care if you think I’m crazy.

A fan is always an outsider. Most sportswriters are not, by this definition, fans. They capitalize on access to athletes. They spoke to Kobe last night, and Kobe says his finger is going to be fine. They spent three days fly-fishing with Brett Favre in March, and Brett says he's definitely coming back for another season.

Father: 'Anything but journalism.' I rebelled.

Sometimes constraints actually create success. Not being able to swim made me run. And running taught me the discipline I needed as a writer.

I became convinced that knowing lots of people was kind of skill, something that the diligent can overcome.