Status Updates From Masters of the Games: Essay...

"I do not say that not to have shot the hook is never to have lived, but... the canter into the end zone to meet a floating touchdown pass, or the clean, crisp feel of a perfect block or tackle; the long straight drive or the precisely played approach shot to the green; the solid overhead; the pickup on a tricky short hop or the long ball down one of the power alleys. Different sports, different pleasures." (3-4)

"the hook is still the single most beautiful shot in the game. The rhythm and grace of it, the sway of the body off the pivot, the release of the ball behind the head and off the fingertips, the touch and instinct involved in its execution, make the hook altogether a balletic thing, and to achieve it is to feel one of the most delectable sensations in sports." (3)

"All learning of craft--which sport, like writing, most assuredly is--involves imitation, especially in the early stages; and I was an excellent mimic. By the time I was ten years old I had mastery over all the big-time moves: the spit in the mitt, the fluid infield chatter, the knocking of dirt from the spikes... the three bounces and deep breath before shooting the free throw" (2)