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The Best American Sports Writing 2013: Selected by Pulitzer Winner J.R. Moehringer from 350+ National Publications and Blogs
J. R. Moehringer, a Pulitzer Prize–winning feature writer and the author of The Tender Bar, has selected the best in sports writing from the past year. Chosen from more than 350 national, regional, and specialty publications and, increasingly, the top sports blogs, this collection showcases those journalists who are at the top of their game.
- GenresSportsEssaysNonfiction
432 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2013
22 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Moehringer
12 books1,027 followersJ.R. Moehringer is an American journalist and author. Born in New York City and raised in Manhasset, New York, he is a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times.
A 1986 graduate of Yale University, Moehringer began his journalism career as a news assistant at The New York Times.
He won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 2000.
A 1986 graduate of Yale University, Moehringer began his journalism career as a news assistant at The New York Times.
He won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 24, 2017
A sad but wonderfully written story about two sisters, their relationship and what happens in their lives while growing up. I would definitely read this again. I think I need to read it again.
June 17, 2014
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a sportswriter. I loved sports (still do), but was a terrible athlete, and since I had a talent as a writer it seemed a logical ambition. But I'm glad I didn't pursue it, as it seems to me that having to write about sports and all its warts would crush one's fandom. I mean, who wants to write about steroids, concussions, salary caps, and DUIs?
In The Best American Sports Writing 2013, edited by J.R. Moehringer, some of that comes through. The pieces here are all features--no game reporage, which is what I considered sportswriting when I was a kid. As series editor Glenn Stout puts it: "The kind of writing that was once 'only' about sports filled thousands of newspapers every day. That doesn't happen much anymore, because now readers ask for more; outcomes and easy answers are often not enough, and that includes writing that is only about sports. That is, I think, one reason that readers have undeniably fled from the kind of writing that once first came to mind whenever anyone mentioned the word "sportswriting."
In fact, very little in this book is about anything that happens on the field of play. The closest is "The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever," about a fellow that was going for a 900--that's three consecutive perfect games. There's also Karen Russell's "The Blind Faith of the One-Eyed Matador" (it also appeared in The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2013): "Soon everyone can tell from the bull's ragged breathing that the end is near. Padilla and the bull are staring into other's faces with an opaque intimacy...It's almost sunset now; the planks of blood down the bull's back look violet."
Of course, whether bullfighting is a "sport" is subject to debate, the same with strongman competitions, but "The Strongest Man in the World," by Burkhard Bilger, is fascinating nonetheless. On the other hand, bicycling is definitely a sport, but Bill Gifford's "It's Not About the Lab Rats" is all about Lance Armstrong's duplicity. It's the kind of thing I would have hated writing. The same for Jason Schwartz's "End Game," about Curt Schilling's financial woes.
The book is thematically arranged, so two "dead teen" stories (one is about a basketball player who dies on the court of a heart attack, the other a baseball player in a car accident) are back to back, as are a string of stories about long-distance running. One is Barry Bearak's "Caball Blanco's Last Run," about a long-distance runner who started a race in Mexico but died while running through the desert, another is Dan Koeppel's "Redemption of the Running Man," about a man who may or may not have run around the world: "What does it mean to run around the world? Give the idea a moment's thought, and you'll soon conclude that it is unimaginable, perhaps impossible," and then there's the simply titled "Running," a memoir by Cinthia Ritchie, that is one of the best descriptions of the joy of running I've read: "Growing up on a farm in northwestern Pennsylvania, I ran through the fields and pastures, down the hilly dirt roads, across the marsh and through the narrow, cold creek. Arms outstretched, eyes slit against the sun's glare. I ran in cheap Kmart sneakers, kicking them off in midstride, the grass warm and dry against my bare heels, callused tough and hard as an animal's. Sun hot, air smelling of hay and dust and sweet cow manure. I ran because I loved the feel of wind on my shoulders, loved my hair scattering my face, loved the wisdom of my knees instinctively bending to absorb the shock of rocks and hard, narrow gullies."
Some of the other best pieces here are "Did Football Kill Austin Trenum?" by Patrick Hruby, that details the growing crisis of concussions in football, and Wright Thompson's "Urban Meyer Will Be Home for Dinner," discussing the workaholic nature of college football coaches, notably Meyer, who left Florida because of stress but then went back to Ohio State, after his wife laid down a few rules.
On the more amusing side of things, we get Erik Malinowski on "The Making of 'Homer at the Bat,' the Episode That Conquered Prime Time 20 Years Ago Tonight," about the episode of The Simpsons featuring nine active major leaguers (and one of my favorite episodes), and Jeff MacGregor's "Waiting for Goodell," which re-imagines Beckett's play as about the NFL commissioner.
So if this isn't sportswriting as I imagined it, no descriptions of a ball in play, it is at least some very good writing. Covering sports isn't the same as it used to be.
May 4, 2014
as un-American as it sounds, I am most assuredly not a sports fan. Oh, I'll occasionally pass the time listening to a baseball game. And it's true that I have taken advantage of every opportunity to participate in various athletic activities, an experience I most definitely recommend. But I have no desire whatsoever to spend my weekends rooting for my favorite team and I'm lost when the conversation turns to the antics of our local sports heroes.
Why, then, did I choose to read a compendium of sports articles? Because they were chosen by an author who penned one of the finest books I've ever read, "The Tender Bar."
Surprisingly, this turned out to be an exceptional reading experience.
for one thing, the variety of sports it addresses is impressive. You'll find the usual suspects, of course: baseball, football, basketball, etc. But you'll also read about bullfighting, swimming, running, and bowling. (My father would have been thrilled; he went bowling almost every week. One of my fondest memories is of his teaching me to bowl during my high school days. Had I been physically able to do it, I suspect I would have kept up with that sport.)
With that said, the book really isn't about the sports per se. Rather, it is about the impact sports have on our day to day lives.
Some articles are downright inspiring. Bill Littlefield, host of WBUR's "Only a Game" profiles a retired detective who now spends his time volunteering at a gym where he makes a huge difference in the lives of young men who desperately need role models. Rick Reilly introduces us to a young quarterback, Carson Jones, whom I'll never forget. When he is approached by the mother of a developmentally disabled classmate whose life is being destroyed by bullies, he solves the problem not by kicking their butts, but by including her in his team's activities, thereby placing her in the camp of the "cool kids." Talk about brilliance!
Don't get the idea, however, that this is a Chicken Soup book about sports. Patrick Ruby's "Did Football Kill Austin Trenum" is a disturbing expose about the impact of violence on the field which should be required reading for every potential football player or parent of one. Another important contribution deals with drug use in sports, a topic which has been swept under the rug for far too long.
The most offbeat article in the group is one of the best, Eric Malinowski's "{The Making of Homer at the Bat, the episode That Conquered Prime Time Twenty Years Ago Tonight," which tells the compelling story of how a classic "Simpsons" episode was made.
For me, however, there are two pieces which stand out above the rest both because they are unique and because they provide much food for thought. Both deal with the little address topic of achieving balance in life. One is Gary smith's "Why Don't More Athletes Take a Stand,' which profiles a well rounded athlete who decides to join students in a hunger strike. It would never have occurred to me that taking such an action would be unusual for an athlete, but the article does a fine job of showing how hard it is for college players to achieve balance in their lives and how little support they sometimes get when they try to do so. "Urban Meyer Will Be Home for Dinner" by Wright Thompson, shows how the Ohio State coach turned his life around after realizing that placing sports above everything else and focusing only on winning were destroying his life. His current players are lucky that he is apparently now working on adjusting his perspective.
Even if you never look at the sports pages of your local paper, you owe it to yourself to pick up this amazing volume. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of the impact of sports on all of us. And the next time you are compelled to watch some sort of sporting event, i suspect it will be all the better because of this fine collection.
Why, then, did I choose to read a compendium of sports articles? Because they were chosen by an author who penned one of the finest books I've ever read, "The Tender Bar."
Surprisingly, this turned out to be an exceptional reading experience.
for one thing, the variety of sports it addresses is impressive. You'll find the usual suspects, of course: baseball, football, basketball, etc. But you'll also read about bullfighting, swimming, running, and bowling. (My father would have been thrilled; he went bowling almost every week. One of my fondest memories is of his teaching me to bowl during my high school days. Had I been physically able to do it, I suspect I would have kept up with that sport.)
With that said, the book really isn't about the sports per se. Rather, it is about the impact sports have on our day to day lives.
Some articles are downright inspiring. Bill Littlefield, host of WBUR's "Only a Game" profiles a retired detective who now spends his time volunteering at a gym where he makes a huge difference in the lives of young men who desperately need role models. Rick Reilly introduces us to a young quarterback, Carson Jones, whom I'll never forget. When he is approached by the mother of a developmentally disabled classmate whose life is being destroyed by bullies, he solves the problem not by kicking their butts, but by including her in his team's activities, thereby placing her in the camp of the "cool kids." Talk about brilliance!
Don't get the idea, however, that this is a Chicken Soup book about sports. Patrick Ruby's "Did Football Kill Austin Trenum" is a disturbing expose about the impact of violence on the field which should be required reading for every potential football player or parent of one. Another important contribution deals with drug use in sports, a topic which has been swept under the rug for far too long.
The most offbeat article in the group is one of the best, Eric Malinowski's "{The Making of Homer at the Bat, the episode That Conquered Prime Time Twenty Years Ago Tonight," which tells the compelling story of how a classic "Simpsons" episode was made.
For me, however, there are two pieces which stand out above the rest both because they are unique and because they provide much food for thought. Both deal with the little address topic of achieving balance in life. One is Gary smith's "Why Don't More Athletes Take a Stand,' which profiles a well rounded athlete who decides to join students in a hunger strike. It would never have occurred to me that taking such an action would be unusual for an athlete, but the article does a fine job of showing how hard it is for college players to achieve balance in their lives and how little support they sometimes get when they try to do so. "Urban Meyer Will Be Home for Dinner" by Wright Thompson, shows how the Ohio State coach turned his life around after realizing that placing sports above everything else and focusing only on winning were destroying his life. His current players are lucky that he is apparently now working on adjusting his perspective.
Even if you never look at the sports pages of your local paper, you owe it to yourself to pick up this amazing volume. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of the impact of sports on all of us. And the next time you are compelled to watch some sort of sporting event, i suspect it will be all the better because of this fine collection.
October 15, 2013
This book is filled with different stories, sports stories, but each one has a human touch to it. The first one is about a bull fighter and though I am not into that. This man was gouged by the bull on the left side of his face. It severed a nerve on the left side of his face so he could not talk or eat. Almost like a stroke. His wife and children trying to keep his spirits up but nothing would help. Finally she found a doctor who was willing to try to fix the nerve. He had the surgery and as he started to get better he decided that he wanted to get into the ring one more time. Like so many don’t won’t to stop until they sat it is time. He did and then he stopped. There is other stories about a young high school athlete who collapses on the basketball court. The electric paddles they had at the school was not charged. Don’t know if they would have worked because they found a problem with his heart. I did see this story on TV but the book story went into more detail. You got to meet the people who knew him and now miss him. There are many different type of stories. Some about running, there’s one about the friend of the Angel pitcher who died in a car crash and then he loses two more friends in a car crash. They had all grown up together and played baseball in a small town now he must continue on. The last story for me was the one that I could relate with. It is about football players but the part that no one talks about joint problems and pain medication. Though I did not play pro football I am dealing with joint pain in both knees loss of cartilage where it is bone on bone. So when he was doing this story I could relate. Then you have the teams who medicate to put the player back out there. Like any job when you start to complain you are feeling like you are going to get fired or in this case cut. So you either don’t say anything or you could end up hooked on some type of pain medication. Sad but true this does happen more than is reported and I hope more stories like this come out. Overall this was a great book.
October 8, 2013
This was the most depressing and uninspiring collection of essays I think I've ever read. I can't imagine how this was possible. In the Best American series of anthologies, a longtime series editor picks around a hundred of the "best" articles and essays that have been published over the past year. A guest editor selects around twenty of those hundred for publication in the collection. So how can a guest editor, no matter how inexperienced or rushed, compile a bad selection? However it happened, the 2013 edition is a mess.
There are at least three dead teenager stories, another in which someone is murdered by her lover, several tales of cheating and fraud, and a story of the search for a runner who disappears on a run and is found days later, dead. In another, a retired baseball star's descent into business failure is recounted, and then there's the sad tale of the many pro football players who are addicted to painkiller drugs.
More than a few stories were barely about sports at all. The murdered lover story made it into the sports collection because the couple involved played basketball in college. But the story has nothing to do with basketball or college sports. Another story (which is actually about depression) takes place against a backdrop of summer swimming at the lake.
And worst of all, there were essays that were boring. The story titled "Near Miss (The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever)" is dull. A Dallas barber bowls at his neighborhood alley every day, eventually rolls a perfect series, then has a stroke. He recovers, which is nice, but otherwise he is quite an uninteresting man.
Better to watch or play some actual sports than read these dreary tales.
There are at least three dead teenager stories, another in which someone is murdered by her lover, several tales of cheating and fraud, and a story of the search for a runner who disappears on a run and is found days later, dead. In another, a retired baseball star's descent into business failure is recounted, and then there's the sad tale of the many pro football players who are addicted to painkiller drugs.
More than a few stories were barely about sports at all. The murdered lover story made it into the sports collection because the couple involved played basketball in college. But the story has nothing to do with basketball or college sports. Another story (which is actually about depression) takes place against a backdrop of summer swimming at the lake.
And worst of all, there were essays that were boring. The story titled "Near Miss (The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever)" is dull. A Dallas barber bowls at his neighborhood alley every day, eventually rolls a perfect series, then has a stroke. He recovers, which is nice, but otherwise he is quite an uninteresting man.
Better to watch or play some actual sports than read these dreary tales.
April 18, 2018
I am always a fan of the yearly Best American Sports Writing compilations. It did not surprise me that nearly all the articles in edition were compelling reads from start to finish. I noticed a theme in this year where there were a few stories with underdog teams, and later it progressed to the emergence on concussion-related injuries in sports and later a few stories themed around running and a few other articles all coming together.
If you are not familiar with the series before it features a meticulously curated series of articles deemed the best sports writing of the year from countless entries of online and printed publications submitted. These are not everyday game recaps, but full-featured articles that are thoroughly researched and often cite multiple interviews throughout. These are not just from the four major sports in America, as the 2013 edition features standout stories from other sports such as a bullfighter surviving a near-death to recover and compete again to an article living up to the hype of its title of 'The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever.'
I wish I was not so backlogged on these as I continue to pick up each yearly installment and each year continues not to disappoint.
If you are not familiar with the series before it features a meticulously curated series of articles deemed the best sports writing of the year from countless entries of online and printed publications submitted. These are not everyday game recaps, but full-featured articles that are thoroughly researched and often cite multiple interviews throughout. These are not just from the four major sports in America, as the 2013 edition features standout stories from other sports such as a bullfighter surviving a near-death to recover and compete again to an article living up to the hype of its title of 'The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever.'
I wish I was not so backlogged on these as I continue to pick up each yearly installment and each year continues not to disappoint.
November 27, 2022
This one starts out with a BANG. Or bangs, plural. The first four articles will absolutely astound you with great storytelling and solid reporting/writing. After that, it's hit or miss, but with an impressive batting average (.384). I highly recommend the below list, a few of which can be found on Google:
THE BLIND FAITH OF THE ONE-EYED MATADOR (Russell)
THE MOST AMAZING BOWLING STORY EVER (Mooney)
THE LEGACY OF WES LEONARD (Lake)
MOURNING GLORY (Ballard)
THE GAME OF HIS LIFE (Segura)
THE MAKING OF "HOMER AT BAT" (Malinowski)
THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD (Bilger)
CABALLO BLANCO'S LAST RUN (Bearak)
GOAL TO GO (Siebert)
DID FOOTBALL KILL AUSTIN TRENUM? (Hruby)
#
THE BLIND FAITH OF THE ONE-EYED MATADOR (Russell)
THE MOST AMAZING BOWLING STORY EVER (Mooney)
THE LEGACY OF WES LEONARD (Lake)
MOURNING GLORY (Ballard)
THE GAME OF HIS LIFE (Segura)
THE MAKING OF "HOMER AT BAT" (Malinowski)
THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD (Bilger)
CABALLO BLANCO'S LAST RUN (Bearak)
GOAL TO GO (Siebert)
DID FOOTBALL KILL AUSTIN TRENUM? (Hruby)
#
April 19, 2014
This book is filled with compelling stories about amazing people, who all happen to be athletes.
Unlike previous editions of Best American Sports Writing, this one is not filled with profiles of sports' superstars (except for maybe the exposé on Lance Armstrong's suspect charitable foundation). It does, however, introduce us to a whole new slew of superstars - such as Juan Jose Padilla, the one-eyed Spanish bull-fighter, or Robert Garside, the man who has run around the world.
This edition is full of such great profiles, and exemplary writing.
Unlike previous editions of Best American Sports Writing, this one is not filled with profiles of sports' superstars (except for maybe the exposé on Lance Armstrong's suspect charitable foundation). It does, however, introduce us to a whole new slew of superstars - such as Juan Jose Padilla, the one-eyed Spanish bull-fighter, or Robert Garside, the man who has run around the world.
This edition is full of such great profiles, and exemplary writing.
May 21, 2014
Like any collection, you respond more to some than others, like some enough to finish and know when to skip over others. Some of the highlights, for me, were the three very different articles about High School athletes, particularly the one with the 25 year old baseball coach, the two female basketball players, the epidemic of painkillers in the NFL,the bullfighter guy and the phony marathoner, among others.
October 15, 2017
Learned so much that you don't get by a quick glance at ESPN. Covers how tough it is to get onto an NFL team, even if you are great. And in a different story, how you WILL be injured and possibly addicted to narcotics from the injuries inflicted. About some heart wrenching teens dying while pursuing sports they love. About all sorts of sports things. all very interesting and makes me think differently about sports heroes.
December 19, 2013
This edition proved that fiction writers are in so many ways superior to those trained journalistically. Karen Russell, of Swamplandia! fame, has the opening piece and it is the best. Moehringer opens this edition up well and turns it over to Russell.
There are many epic pieces in here, namely by Wright Thompson and Gary Smith, but Russell takes the cake.
There are many epic pieces in here, namely by Wright Thompson and Gary Smith, but Russell takes the cake.
August 11, 2016
For the most part, these were all very solid essays, with a few really standing out. Personal favorites included Russell's piece on bullfighter Juan Jose Padilla, Gary Smith's profile of Wonmon Joseph Williams, and David Simon's commentary on another dismal Orioles season. Could have done with fewer pieces on the heroic profiles, which seemed a bit generic, but overall, a satisfying read.
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December 29, 2013Cannot remember the last time this annual delight was this good! Just about every story is a page turner, including one on an apparent senior marathon cheater and others on the evergrowing problem of sports concussions.
October 7, 2014
I picked this up because it was edited by J.R. Moehringer. He succeeded in selecting stories that stick with you, although a lot of them are about athletes who die, especially high school athletes who die, so I'm left feeling depressed instead of uplifted.
June 5, 2014
This book contains articles on sports I am not familiar with. The highest praise I can give it is that I want to know more about the sports. Also, it is a superb 'dip into book' that provides high quality escapism from whatever you're doing. Enjoy.
March 10, 2015
I've been reading these collections of stories since 1993, and I enjoy the newest version every year. It has become the go to present for whoever draws my name for our Christmas exchange. Great writing. Great reading. Great times. Thanks again BASW.
January 18, 2014
Heartbreaking & heartwarming. One story after another that reminds me why I love sports.
January 29, 2015
Great writing. Interesting stories.
February 25, 2014
This wasn't my favorite edition, but included a lot of thoughtful and well-written articles that were worth reading.
February 26, 2014
somewhat underwhelming compared to previous editions, the selections on running and high school football concussions and the NFL perscription drug problem were my favorites
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December 17, 2018i'm didn't read this book, so I don't know what the books inside . but the cover look so cool
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2020
I love this series. It adds a human element to sports and all it's glory, reality, and nightmares.
August 3, 2021
These are always a good diversion for sports fans. This particular anthology had perhaps a little too much of a focus on running, but overall a good mix.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews