The SportsThink Weekly Review #65
August 26, 2022
Greetings, friends. Classes started up this week and while I’m already falling behind on work, it’s good to be back. Going back to graduate school, this is my 15th school year at the University of Texas. Damn. Modern university life is far from perfect (understatement there), but there’s something special about the energy on an American campus as it comes to life.
Three good reads this week, hope you enjoy!
I’ll defer to the article’s description here: In March, a van carrying members of the University of the Southwest golf team collided with a truck driven by a man with meth in his system. Nine people died. These are their heartbreaking tales. Predictably heavy, but very well told. Very humane. I’ve shared some Pearlman before and I’m quite looking forward to his upcoming Bo Jackson biography. If the name is familiar, it might be because HBO’s Winning Time—excellent show, cause of much irritation for Jerry West—is based on his book Showtime.
Two from Golf Digest??? Well, I went for the Pearlman and found/stayed for this. Maybe good to read back-to-back and cleanse your emotional palate a bit? I love stuff like this. The story of David Repetto, a (now) lawyer who caddied for a couple golfers in the titular tournament. With time to kill and a bit of curiosity, he tried tracking down those two golfers. Things snowballed from there: he tracked down 175 out of 200. Fun read. Even if you’re not a golfer, I think most of us can appreciate a good obsession.
The Beach Rats (Andrew Dubbins, Alta)
Fantastic history piece. On the outsized impact of a coterie Los Angeles area watermen (surfers, lifeguards, that sort of thing) who were amongst the earliest “frogmen” in the US military during World War II. These guys were the Navy SEALS before there were Navy SEALS. Kind of a big deal. I’m partial to this because it’s about home and the beach; it also aligns nicely with my own work on 20th century beach cultures…but I think it’s quality exceeds my bias? Just a cool story, very well told. Read this if you like military stuff, spy stuff, surf stuff, or just good stuff. If the intersection of beach culture and the military (amongst other things) is of interest, check out The World In The Curl: An Unconventional History of Surfing. One of my favorite surf histories, with fascinating nuggets throughout.
As always, thanks for reading. Please share the newsletter!
See you next week,
Tolga