Saturday, May 07, 2016

The Best Thing Gheorghe Read This Week

Charlie Pierce is arguably the greatest living American writer, journalism division. He's almost certainly the most underrated. In addition to his stellar work at Esquire, where he ceaselessly skewers our increasingly absurd political process, he pops up from time to time at places like Sports Illustrated. This week was one of those times.

Pierce's remembrance of Pearl Washington, who died of a brain tumor on April 20, is among the most well-crafted gems of sportswriting I can remember. In it, we see a writer fully possessed of an understanding of moments, of Pearl's unique style, of the way sports moves us.

This paragraph, the piece's closing argument, is one of the finest evocations of the power of sports to bring joy I've read and lamentation for how we don't celebrate it today as we once did. It's Gheorghian in its essence, even if we could never write it as well Pierce. Read it and applaud:

"We’ve come in our time to demystify joy. We parse it, and sell it, and we manufacture it if we can’t find it any other way. It does not rise unbidden, the way it once did. It does not build, slowly and steadily.  It is presented, whole and rounded, for our consumption. But once there was a time when its origins were a mystery, its sources vague and unclear. And, when it arrived, it lingered. I heard about what Pearl Washington could do long before I saw it myself. He had made me happy in the abstract long before I saw him drop the shot against B.C. or put every Georgetown player into the MixMaster as the Garden steamed around him. I did not have to be sold on him. His legend had sold itself. That was the way it was once, when word-of-mouth was gospel. That was the source of the happiness I always will feel that I had the gift of watching the basketball in the hands of Pearl Washington, dead of brain cancer on Wednesday, at the age of 52."

16 comments:

zman said...

Pierce has a little Fairbank in him.

rob said...

fairbank might kiss you at the next obft for praise of that nature, z. fair warning.

Mark said...

Former 5 star recruit and former Notre Dame RB, Greg Bryant (was currently at UAB) was shot last night and died today in Miami. I saw him play in HS. Fucking tragic.

Danimal said...

Jesus.

Danimal said...

American Pharoah has planted his demon seed in 90 mares, at $200k per pop.

Danimal said...

Bryant is apparently still with is but in critical condition.

rob said...

bartolo colon is a magical, sexy beast

Clarence said...

Don't we feel as though that first line pertains to a quotient of the world that doesn't include denizens of the Gheorghe community? It is surely true for too many humans, but man, if anything we mystify joy here. Never do I find myself taking the air out of any blissful balloon. If anything, I keep it floating around long after its life expectancy. I don't even need to urge you guys on in that regard. This is what we do.

I love you guys.

-- Norman Dale & Clarence

rob said...

i think pierce is lamenting the packaging and production that tends to squeeze the joy out of our games. i think he'd feel at home here. until tr took off his shirt.

Mark said...

Bryant does appear to still be alive. Thank God. His story is tragic already without death.

If Pierce is lamenting the packaging and production, I can't get with him on that. In Pearl's day I'd barely get to see Steph Curry, Draymond Green or even Damian Lillard. They're out west and the NBA was only shown in small bites nationally. Seeing their brilliance is better than hearing about it. I'd rather have seen Cool Papa Bell than just hear stories, for example. I love Pierce. Follow him onTwitter and read most of his articles. Reminiscing over word of mouth over seeing with your own eyes is not something I'll endorse.

That said, I hope Pierce would love G:TB. I know it makes my life better.

zman said...

Brie Larson's breasts though.

zman said...

And that Old Navy ad blew my mind. It took 41 years to figure that out?

Mark said...

That dress Larson was wearing for the monologue!!! Bitties!!

zman said...

That's what I sayin

zman said...

Alicia Keys breakin em out too

zman said...

This song is an instant noodie bar classic.