Yes. I love to place gear (first climb ever was up the SE corner at Beacon). I never sport climbed for the first three or four years of climbing. Then started to sport climb and fell in love with that as well. Now I love both. There is a place for both. Sport climbing makes you strong for crack climbing.
Don....please come down and come climbing with me. We will go to Beacon and have a great day. I am sure we can get JH and Bill coe to join us.
Kevin