Today at GQ.com, Pete Beatty, aka @nocoastoffense, aka the guy who wrote that Pitchers and Poets essay on Jim Thome and ruin porn, turns his watchful eye toward Dirk Nowitzki.
Dirk’s workmanlike stardom has been outshone by lots of things over the course of his career: just this month for example, Russell Westbrook’s glasses, James Harden’s beard, Rondo’s elbow, Tractor Traylor and Macho Man dying too young. If the Mavs reach the finals, Udonis Haslem’s (fictional) sleep apnea might get more headlines than Dirk carrying the Mavs offense for a twelfth consecutive season.
Is there anything wrong with just being a worker? The awkward juxtaposition of competition and for-profit entertainment leaves pro (and big-time college) sports in America somewhere between pro wrestling and a soap opera—it’s rare that a player can captivate the public just by showing up, doing his or her job extraordinarily well, and going home.
Many athletes have been called boring over the years, but none quite like this.
Email
Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Follow on Tumblr
Mobile version
Random post
