Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, a series editor reads pieces from hundreds of periodicals, then selects between fifty and a hundred outstanding works. That selection is pared down to the twenty or so very best pieces by a guest editor who is widely recognized as a leading writer in his or her field. This unique system has helped make the Best American series the most respected -- and most popular -- of its kind. Each year, The Best American Sports Writing, well established as the premier sports anthology, offers a winning combination of fascinating topics and top-notch writers. This year, Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly assembles an all-star lineup sure to captivate fans of sports and great writing. From baseball to bullfighting, from horse racing to school-bus racing, this collection has something for everyone. Reilly has chosen columnists and feature writers, household names and talented unknowns, and most importantly, pieces that delve behind the statistics, examining the people and emotions that make the game.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
A real disappointment:
There are a few good stories in this edition,but Reilly really dropped the ball more often than not. To many lengthy stories that just aren;t that interesting(Rae Carruth,moronic backyard wrestling)and far too many stories associated with death. Can we actually focus on the sports a little more? There are also too many articles on obscure topics.
Last Year in Sports:
As is always true with these annual "Best of ..." books, there are several notable omissions that deserved to be included, but there is enough good material to make it well worth its price. More than anything it is a nice reminder of all that went on in sports in 2001, with several well written profiles of athletes, events, and sports that may not have received much coverage but are still fascinating and interesting to learn about. If you like sports or sports writing, this is the best anthology available... more info
a couple interesting pieces and then SI cronyism:
Tom Scocca's story is worth the price of the paperback, but otherwise Mr. Reilly's logrolling of mediocre pieces by his colleagues drags down the overall quality of the book. There are some notable exclusions--check out the honorable mention pages-- that were sacrificed for some howlers from the SI crowd.
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