Sometimes it takes an addict: Evel Knievel
Robert Craig (Evel) Knievel, motorcycle daredevil, dead at 69. The Economist asked why any sane man would continue sailing over cars despite crashing numerous times and breaking dozens of bones. The answer was buried in their story. Before his fame, he stole hubcaps, burgled and embezzled the money of a hockey team he was involved with. He made tens of millions, yet declared bankruptcy. Although married for years to his childhood sweetheart, he bragged of many trysts, gambled prodigally and--crucially--kept the liquor flowing. The last seemingly unimportant fact in the overall scheme of things probably explained everything else about Evel Knievel, from cheater to thief to reckless and overachieving hero to millions. He apparently died sober, having "found Christ" in ...
