Bruce McKinney recently ended his career in Microsoft soccer after arguments with coaches who ordered him to abandon outside activities and concentrate on his game. Known for his pinpoint passes and unexpected moves (but not for defense or shooting), McKinney was recruited 12 years ago by the languages team. Because of his lack of formal computer training, reporters have speculated he was originally hired as a “ringer” with no expectation that he would actually try to program computers. But to everyone’s surprise, McKinney built a successful programming career on the side. At first he wrote manuals for assembler, Basic, and C, later became a developer on C and FORTRAN products, and finally wrote programming books for Microsoft Press.
In the end, however, this dual career took its toll. Longtime observers agree that he has slowed down considerably in the last year. Fans attributed the problem to time wasted on nonsoccer activities. One angry teammate was more specific: “I blame it on Visual Basic. That language is driving him crazy.” The source said that McKinney hadn’t been to practice in weeks. “He’s gained 20 pounds, and there are rings under his eyes. We’re just not getting the goals and assists we expect from him.” When confronted, McKinney decided to start a new career on his own rather than change his habits.
In an interview after the sudden split, McKinney said he still thinks “futbol” is the most important thing but insisted it’s not the only thing. He plans to spend more time on soccer in his new life outside Microsoft but will continue to write programs and perhaps even articles. When asked whether programming and writing had damaged his game, he admitted that perhaps he’d had enough of Visual Basic for a while and wouldn’t be writing another book anytime soon.