Gospel According to ESPN : The Saints, Saviors, and Sinners of Sports

Thus, the Distilled Wisdom of Hunter S. Thompson, from the Good Doctor's Introduction to this book on the provocative convergence of religion and sports in America, and the rise of sports to its current prominent position as this country's ultimate secular religion. Who can argue? Who among us has not felt an awed hush upon coming out of those concrete tunnels and seeing, for the first time, the perfect green of Yankee Stadium? Who among us has sat in the cold of Lambeau Field in December ... yes, on a late Sunday morning ... and not felt ourselves to be part of a congregation of like-minded pilgrims? Who among us has seen Michael Jordan in flight and not thought it a miracle? Let he who is without a sense of wonder cast the first stone.

Jay Lovinger is a former managing editor of Life magazine and the founding editor of The Washington Post Magazine.