That's what Major League Baseball's steroid scandal was all about the hidden harm in competitive sports that sends the wrong message to the young.

I like to feel that I understand little things about sports.

My tastes in all things lean towards the arty and boring. I like sports documentaries about Scrabble players bands that play quiet unassuming music and TV shows that win awards. In that way I am an elitist snob.

I think having a vision can make someone an influential man. I'm not talking about acting or anything like that I'm talking about people I admire whether it's a writer or a musician or a sports figure or a politician whatever.

Louie and Seabiscuit were both Californians and both on the sports pages in the 1930s. I was fascinated. When I learned about his World War II experiences I thought 'If this guy is still alive I want to meet him.'

As you know the thing that I know the least about is the topic of sports.

I never really was that passionate about playing sports. But when I was at this Mt. Herman school I did have the ability to throw the frisbee. So when this sport evolved it was fun because I was good at it.

Some people train for certain sports and I want to train to be able to hold a super heavy electric guitar and carry luggage around myself because I always have to have 7 000 pairs of shoes. Who cares about sports?

I find interesting characters or lessons that resonate with people and sometimes I write about them in the sports pages sometimes I write them in a column sometimes in a novel sometimes a play or sometimes in nonfiction. But at the core I always say to myself 'Is there a story here? Is this something people want to read?'

It sounds like a cliche but it... you do sing about what you know about. And I grew up in a small town and I grew up in a place where your whole world revolved around friends family school and church and sports.