As a sports blogger I thought it be a good to read The Best American Sports Writing 2010 and I was not disappointed. Peter Gammons, who started his career in Boston, served as guest editor and as a Boston native I was pleased to see many of the stories being about Boston sports. I really enjoy this book series because it offers sports writing from many different perspectives.
The way the book series works is the editor Glenn Stout sorts through hundreds of submissions to picks what he believes are the best. He then sends them to the guest editor who picks around 20 of them to fill about 400 pages in the book. I only wish that the book could be longer because there certainly were pieces that were left out of necessity that should be read.
The way the book series works is the editor Glenn Stout sorts through hundreds of submissions to picks what he believes are the best. He then sends them to the guest editor who picks around 20 of them to fill about 400 pages in the book. I only wish that the book could be longer because there certainly were pieces that were left out of necessity that should be read.
Here is my list of my favorite four (Bobby Orr) stories. I had trouble picking only four, I could not imagine the trouble Peter Gammons had when Glenn Stout sent him the submissions to pick from.
Shadow Boxing by Wright Thomas. I really enjoyed this story because it was not only a piece of great writing but it gave the reader perspective about a life thats different from ours. The story follows the quest of a writer searching for a man, Jim Robinson, who boxed Muhammad Ali but no one seems to know what happened to Jim after the bout. Wright Thomas shows you the process he takes to find Robinson and his search yields him perspectives he could not have attained any other way.
The Offensive Play by Malcom Gladwell. I loved Blink and Tipping Point, so I was excited to read a piece about sports from Gladwell. Football concussions was a major theme in The Best American Sports Writing 2010 but this one stood out from the others because of the connections it made to the Michael Vick dog fighting scandal. Basically saying that the owners of dogs in dogfighting can be compared to the owners and the commissioner in the NFL who knowingly put their players in danger.
Chasing Jose by Pat Jordan. This gave us insight to the world of the writer dealing with amateur publicists and difficult sports starts trying to get an interview. Pat Jordan wanted to write a piece about Jose Canseco's second book but instead got to write a piece about an impossible athlete and the joke life he was living. This is a good lesson for up and coming publicists: don't unnecessary anger the media that is only trying to help you.
Failing Our Athletes by Bob Hohler. This story sheds light on the sad state of sports in the Boston Public Schools. I played sport in the suburbs of Boston and got every opportunity I wanted. However, kids in BPS have to share jerseys, don't have athletic trainers, and do not even have the facilities to practice in. A must read for any Boston native.
Overall I give the book 4.5/5 stars. If you love sports writing pick this book up.
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