More On Access

Feinstein is known best for his sometimes long, padded, sappy books, but he does know a thing or two about access — and, like in this story, how to use small details to show bigger stuff: Last Saturday night, as has become tradition during this remarkable NCAA tournament run, the George Mason basketball team was having night-before-a-game dinner at an Outback Steakhouse. This wasn't just any dinner or any game: The next afternoon the Patriots would play Connecticut for a spot in the Final Four.

Liz Larranaga had happily ordered a salad, a small steak, a baked potato and a soda. Then she happened to notice that several people had ordered lobster tails to go with their steak.

"Jim, you think it would be okay if I had some lobster?" she said to her husband of almost 35 years. "It looks pretty good."

"You want lobster; you got lobster," Jim Larranaga answered.

When the lobster arrived, the man who was about to become America's Coach turned to everyone at the table and said with a smug grin, "I think Liz is enjoying being on scholarship."

To which, without missing a beat, his wife replied: "Don't you think I deserve it? I've been a walk-on for 35 years."