One of my all-time favorite pieces of sportswriting is Hunter S. Thompson's "The Temptations of Jean-Claude Killy". Originally commissioned by Playboy, and never published there because they thought he was, ah, unforgivably blunt, it is considered by many to be his first published piece of gonzo journalism. It preceded his better-known and more widely-read piece on the Kentucky Derby, and IMO it is the prescient business-of-sports piece of its time, and indeed, has stood the test of time in the interim, as the business of sports has grown bigger than nearly anybody could have guessed. It's available in The Great Shark Hunt and is a worthy read for any fan of sportswriting.
Nope, wc. Read about his death in the paper and went to ESPN to see his final column.
Thompson ruined my mind even before I got to the drugs and booze. I still thank him regularly.
K, rcade. Shotgun golf rules by the way. Live by the shotgun, die by the shotgun. Man. I don't know what fueled the man's rage, but I guess there was nothing that could put it out.
"a lot of people in the mood to play golf are also in the mood to shoot something" Legend. .
Dr Z. on HST
Apparently (and perhaps not surprisingly), HST had been planning his suicide for some time. It seems a little cold to do it while you're on the phone with your wife, though, huh?
Yeah it does. It seems so selfish too. I understand his body was falling apart, but that's still not fair to everyone else. Which may be square with HST's rules for life, but it's not cool.
All the comments from his son, who is the only family member I've seen quoted, indicate the family is no angry over the suicide or the method used. So why should we be second guessing?
