Welcome to Finkel's Fast Five #148. Thanks for reading and subscribing!  ONE  BARS - Remember great bars? Especially great sports bars? And no, I'm not talking about lame national chains. I'm talking about old school bars outside of downtown stadiums or colleges or just great sports dive bars near you. Mom and pop watering holes. They're dying.  Even famous bars that have been around for a hundred years are closing their doors for good. It's a story repeating itself all over the country and one of the all-time great sports writers, Steve Rushin, wrote an excellent longform piece this week chronicling their demise. It's a fantastic read, from Boston bars to Chicago bars and more. Enjoy this brilliant piece of writing.

TWO

 BOOKS - I don't know the exact number of authors whose book I will buy without knowing anything about it strictly because of their talent and writing skills, but Wright Thompson is on that list.  His new book, Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and Things That Last is about the caretaker of one of the most coveted whiskey brands in the world. More than that, it's about the rise and fall (and rise again) of a storied family's legacy. The perfect subject with the perfect author.

THREE

 PODCASTS - We're a little writer heavy this week, but I've been wrapping up the manuscript for my next book and when I'm in it like this I enjoy the camaraderie of listening to other writers talk shop... Especially the greats. In this case, John Feinstein.  Feinstein could easily be considered one of the godfathers of modern sports authors. He has too many bestsellers to count, his most famous of which was Season on the Brink. He was recently a guest on Jeff Pearlman's podcast (author of some awesome books as well) and he's an exceptional storyteller. It's probably a little author-nerdy, but you know, that's kind of what we do here on the FF5 sometimes. Take a listen.

FOUR

 FIGHTER JETS - We went to an air show a few days back and I saw an F-16 Viper for the first time in person and...  ...I'm not bragging or anything, but I took a sick video of the jet making a loop and someone near us was playing Top Gun music and it might be the greatest 30 seconds of fighter pilot film ever shot outside of the actual Top Gun movies. It'll take your breath away (see what I did there).

FIVE

 A great quote about flying:  "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."  - Leonardo Da Vinci

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"The basketball brotherhood in Seattle is just different. There's such a deep connection with each other and their city. I really enjoyed that feeling and I was happy to be apart of it. This story of the culture of basketball in Seattle is so pure."   - Kevin Durant, 10x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA Champion   "The fans are so loyal and so dedicated in Seattle. They give you a feeling of warmth and family. So many guys made it to the NBA from the area because of that feeling of family. Hoops Heist is the story of generations of NBA guys lifting each other and their community up".  - Gary Payton, Pro Basketball Hall of Famer, NBA Champion

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