I’ve always enjoyed Rick Reilly’s writing. His peculiar balance of brutally hilarious sarcasm and extraordinary feel-good stories that no one else seems able to find has kept him at the top of the sportswriting world for many years.
His latest article for ESPN, detailing Denver Nuggets’ coach George Karl’s battle with cancer, doesn’t really fall into either the “uber-sarcastic” or “feel-good” camp, but it’s must-read stuff all the same. The details of the treatment Karl must undergo on a regular basis are grueling. But his resilience and his refusal to be discouraged are impressive and more than a little inspiring:
By his car, I ask Karl if he’s scared to die.
Orthodox. Faithful. Free.
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“I’m scared every day,” he says. “Scared all the time. But my kids, my family, my staff, they keep me thinking positive.”
Anything good coming from all this?
“Oh, yeah. Lots. Sometimes, I feel the sunshine on my face and I just stop and think, ‘Damn, this feels good.’ I never used to think about sunshine, you know?”
He fairly beams saying it.