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I look forward to this compilation every year, and I read it on business travel every spring. When I began the 2009 edition, however, I wasn’t impressed. The guest editor is Leigh Montville, a venerated Boston writer, and his intro is atrocious. It’s badly written, and its stupidly sentimental. It feels like something Montville wrote in about six minutes.
Then, I got to the stories. The first story is great — a heroic survival tale. But the second story is terrible, and it’s more than 20 pages. It just runs through a writer’s impressions of the 2008 sporting year, following basically the big events and providing some “insider” commentary.
Meanwhile, Montville was contributing little comments in italics at the end of each story. None of his comments add anything to our knowledge or sensibility. Here are examples of Montville’s observations: “He should do it every year.” “He is the best at what he does.” “No, I don’t want to read a story about the medicine ball.” “These kids break your heart.”
Pulitzer-worthy stuff, for sure. So at that point, I put the book down, assuming that either I’ve tired of the series or this year was just a stinker.
But I picked it up again, and I was charmed. There’s great stuff about immigrant kids in the U.S. and down-and-out youth in NYC, plus an interesting profile of the very intense Jack Nicklaus, and several deeply personal tales. In short, buy the book, and ignore the editor.
Rating: 4 / 5
The Best American Sportswriting is a fine series and a tribute to the Sportswriters and Editors who toil daily. 2009′s edition is top-notch!
Rating: 5 / 5
As my son is a sports fan and writer, this is a perfect book for him. We purchase the new version for him every year. Thanks for quick delivery and a pristine copy of the book. It saved me a trip to the bookstore to purchase it.
Rating: 5 / 5
I have almost every edition since 1991. The series editor maintains a very high standard. I am puzzled occasionally by the inclusion of stories that seem to have little relevance to sport (The Source of All Things: Royal Flushed). I am never sure whether this is due to changing times or the whims of particular guest editors. Nevertheless, the total package is excellent and I look forward to this publication each year with undiminished interest. It helps to be a fan of sports in general.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a book I purchase every year for my husband for Christmas, and have for the past 8 years or so. He’s never been disappointed. The writing is amazing (even got me interested in an article on golf, a feat I thought would be impossible) and varied, including as many different sports as it does writing styles. I highly recommend it to all fanatics of all kinds of sports who also enjoy reading without having to go through a whole novel. It’s also interesting to those of us who may have a few favorite sports but love to read!
Rating: 5 / 5