More than any other popular singer, Jones had the ability to sink so far into a song that it never seemed to be a performance at all, just the sound of a man falling apart in front of you.

BBC: George Jones: A man falling apart in front of you

"We did a lot of things wrong, but when it was time to do something right, we did, " Cooley said, referring to Cotton and Kris Dunn's ability to sink two out of four free throws in the final 36 seconds.

WSJ: Cotton leads Providence past St. John's 62-59

In 1920, HBS innovated the case method of research and teaching where students literally sink or swim entirely on the basis of their ability to persuade peers that their analysis and recommended course of action is the right one for the company in question.

FORBES: HBS Alumni In The Global Economy

The costs of our dysfunctional health-care system have already helped sink our auto industry, are draining state and federal coffers, and could ultimately imperil our ability to sustain universal coverage.

NEWYORKER: Testing, Testing