Jeff Pearlman closes the door on John Rocker, and his guilt

Yeah, I will always think of Tiger when I think of Pierce, but not the other way around... Maybe Feinstein and Bobby Knight...

 

Brett Favre and Peter King.

 

Ty Cobb and Al Stump.

 

Definitely this.

I read this as not so much as a way to reconcile his guilt, but another way to shine the spotlight on himself again, like "Remember when I wrote this story that everyone paid so much attention to?"

And probably a little bit of a "Fuck You" to Rocker for the article that claimed Pearlman used slurs to help start Rocker on his rants.

 

The next 2 anniversaries are shaping up:

* 20 years -- Jeff and John finally meet again for a live Q&A and while they don't hug it out they shake hands and yuk it up for the cameras, and the moment is the final chapter in Jeff's 10th book called "Rocker".

* 25 years -- #30for30

 

I think if you read Brink, it does not tell you anything you didn't know going in about his abusive behavior. What it does give you are many positive qualities of Knight you might not have known existed. I don't think he should apologize for that book at all.

 

I always thought it was amazing that Knight hated A Season on the Brink so much. I went into it thinking Knight was a mean spirited bully. I left thinking that as well, but also left thinking that Knight had many positive qualities, few of which I knew about before reading the book.

 

I liked being reminded what a miserable fucking asshole Will Clark is.

As a teenager, I remember Clark storming off at a Giants picture day when his hat blew off and at a card show when a kid who was no older than 10 tried to talk to him as he signed an autograph and Clark said, "They're not paying me to talk to you." He wasn't yelling, but he was enough of a dick about it that the kid started crying. The show organizer said afterwards that Clark was the rudest player he ever dealt with.

 

I went from just thinking Knight was a dick to being fascinated with him after reading the book.

With Rocker, when he dies, if Pearlman isn't mentioned by name in the obit, the article will certainly be referenced. I think Season on the Brink would be similarly mentioned in Knight's obit.

I can't really think of another example of that.

 

Don Yaeger and Mike Price.

 

I'd enjoy hearing from Pearlman which was a more difficult ordeal, the Rocker one or the one that ensued after his Walter Payton book.

For as many people as get pissed at Pearlman like he's some sort of mean-spirited asshole "just trying to make money," he has always struck me as a guy that simply loves to spin a good yarn.

 

Wilstein and Mark McGwire?