19 May 2011

Squash!

"Not surprisingly, squash, over the years, has been a haven for numbers of great eccentrics, and has built up a formidable amount of lore. There was the fellow, for instance--a scion of one of America's most prominent families--who would play at New York's Racquet & Tennis Club. After a postgame shower and change, he would appear in the handsome mahogany taproom of that venerable establishment and, precisely at 11:58, order two straight-up martinis. He would gaze lovingly at the twin glasses until the grandfather clock struck noon, whereupon he would gulp them down in quick succession. He would then return to the squash courts, taking on all comers until the hour of the apéritif had arrived."

Squash!, Laurence Shames, Town & Country, January 1990

2 comments:

v. Braun. said...

Ha, good man! I used to play some squash at the beginning of the 90s, too. Accidentally it's also one of the best work-outs because its so exhausting, yet one is only secondarily aware of the strain due to ones concentration on the game itself!

In true sports (as the British invented them), the fitness-aspect should never be the focus, that's why I also spurn gyms and things like jogging...

Main Line Sportsman said...

I mstill play weekly...but playing w/ 2 Martinis on board would certainly make me vomit on the "T"