Fathers & Sons & Sports: An Anthology of Great American Sports Writing

by Buzz Bissinger, Donald Hall, Norman Maclean

Ever since the first caveman picked up the first rock and tossed it to the first caveson, sports has forged a powerful link between men. And ever since the advent of the sports pages, those experiences have been lovingly chronicled by exceptional writers such as Philip Roth, John Irving, Frederick Exley, and Norman Maclean. In Fathers & Sons & Sports: An Antology of Great American Sports Writing, ESPN collects the very best of those stories in one handsome volume--page after page of unforgettable tales about fathers sending their sons off to battle, sons who dared to challenge their fathers in competition, boys and men finding a common language in a shared passion. From the Little League diamond to the local fishing hole to the high school wrestling mat to the collegiate gridiron, from the backyards of America to the most famous stadiums in the world, the stories all share one thing: breathtaking insights into the bonds between sports and life. If you want to know what draws men to competition, this is the book for you, a stunning mix of observation and discovery, humor and pathos, literature and journalism, introduced by best-selling author and sports columnist Mike Lupica, who just happens to be a father and a son himself.

Genres: Sports

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2008

About the author

See also H.G. Bissinger

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A favorite of mine was the story of Pistol Pete Maravich. I knew it already but it was interesting to go back. It showed one common theme among many of these father son stories: obsession. Fathers push their sons to be great athletes. It works sometimes, but sometimes it does not.

Maravich had a basketball with him virtually all the time, including sleeping. He would dribble the two miles from his home to town. He had about 40 drills and exercises to make practice more fun. Here is one to try and imagine doing: He would bounce a basketball between his spread legs with two hands and catch it behind and then in front of him and keep going for long periods of time.

I also remember that Maravich was a gunner. He shot from everywhere, including half court. Anything to wrack up points. I can't believe his other teammates were always happy about that.

[Jeff French · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of essays on the relationship of fathers and sons as related to sports is very uneven: some are very good, most are s0-so, and a few hard to get through. The best are those written by fathers talking about their sons or sons discussing their fathers. The entries by third parties are generally weaker and lack the emotional appeal of the first person stories. I enjoyed the entry by Donald Hall, author of the book, "Fathers Playing Catch with Sons," but found the Paul Hoffman's tale of his chess-playing days as a child and his father's writing about them very entertaining. I had never encountered the notion of a "chess father" before! Anyone who had a sports-based relationship with a parent should find something to like here, but a "Parents and Children and Sports" for all possible gender combinations would have broader appeal and a greater range of depth of relationship. We can't forget all the moms who wash their sons' sports gear, after all, or the effort and the pride of parents of daughters in sports.

[Brittany Dailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most everything ESPN produces, this book was interesting and enjoyable. It covered a wide variety of sports and, at times, pulled at the heartstrings. Kudos to the selection team who chose the stories to include.

[David Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emotional to get through but this has some very nice stories.

[Aaron Hubbard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recently become a father I am looking forward to bonding with my son through sports (I pray that he likes them as much as I do). I have always enjoyed watching all different kinds of sports and like attending events whenever possible and look forward to the day when I can take my son with me.

This anthology had some really good stories. It is an easy read that doesn't take long to finish. The editor did a good job of compiling stories from all different kinds of sports ranging from fishing to wrestling and of course baseball. Any father who enjoys sports should gain something from this book.

[Tim Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this was a rather boring book. Some of the stories were completely pointless and seemed to contain no feeling whatsoever, not what I expected at all! That is with the exception of two: Senior Year was a good story, rather touching, albeit somewhat forgetable, but by far the greatest story in the book, and I'm not a golf fan is Holy Ground by Wright Thompson. I would dare anyone to read that story without crying like a little baby. Of the two and a half stars I gave this book, that accounts for two and a quarter of them.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any anthology, some good stuff, and some not so good stuff. Good one from Ron Reagan Jr. about beating dad in a swim match (and then later in an arm wrestling contest). Also some real clunkers, and some excerpts from larger books (which is annoying). Still, a good Fathers Day read.

[Brian]

saw this book in the ESPN center at the Disney Boardwalk e youth Chip Kessler