The Coach and His Past

There's a cliche about stories that grab the reader by the throat. Very few stories actually do this without a letup at some point. I found no letup when I read this Gary Smith story. My son wanted me to play soccer and I kept telling him, "I'll be right out. Just let me finish this story." I think one of the reasons it's hard to stop reading a story like this is because Smith refuses to break the narrative with phrases like "critics say," or "so and so recalled." He just tells the damn story.