The Best American Sports Writing 2017: Guest-Edited by Howard Bryant―An Anthology of the Greatest Journalism on Triumphs and the Unpredictable Journey

by Howard Bryant (Editor), Glenn Stout (Editor)

“Excellent . . . A no‑brainer pickup for the sports collection.” —Booklist

For over twenty-five years, The Best American Sports Writing has built a solid reputation by showcasing the greatest sports journalism of the previous year, culled from hundreds of national, regional, and specialty print and digital publications. Each year, the series editor and guest editor curate a truly exceptional collection. The only shared traits among all these diverse styles, voices, and stories are the extraordinarily high caliber of writing and the pure passion they tap into that can only come from sports.   

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not really a collection of sports writing - a better name would be Best American Crime and War Reporting. But the writing is all really good, the stories are well-told, and I really enjoyed almost all of them. Look forward to the next one.

[Diane Hirt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never miss this yearly read for a book that is hard to put down. This year is no exception. The writers give a high octane performance with a ripley's-believe-it-or-not vibe. Loved it. Keep 'em coming. Although it helps, no need to even be a real sports fan to enjoy...just a fan of the sport of excellent writing.

[Lee Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of sports related stories. I especially was entertained about the mom posing as a HS cheerleader as this happened in my own town shortly after moving here.

[Lud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am somewhat reluctant to give a 4 star rating to this always excellent anthology, solely because of the 27 essays in the book, only 3 were written by women. This seems lower than in other years, although I'd need to check that out. The quality of the pieces were very good and thought-provoking; my favorite was about a marathon within the walls of San Quentin prison. Many of the articles addressed 'social issues' and sports, such as gender identity, the Kaepernick protest, exploitation of college athletes, etc. There have been some tremendous sports articles written by women at the end of 2017/early 2018, and I hope to see some of those in the 2018 edition.

[Amy Houghton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look forward to this annual compilation. Admittedly, I skimmed some essays. Several surprises (to me, anyway- Debi Thomas!, "Hit Man"), essays of political & ethical topics (Kaepernick, "Hooked for Life", "Too Fast to be Female"), some terrific profiles (William Perry, Dusty Baker, Steve Kerr, Tiger). Great variety.

[Tammy AZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoy long-form writing about sports and what is says about the human condition. This was an excellent selection but the two that stood out for me were the one about Steve Kerr and the one about Tiger Woods. Two completely different individuals, almost polar opposites, in how they live in the world.

[Brian Kolda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this series........always look forward to unexpectedly great writing from folks I haven't read before (and of course, the annual Gary Smith contribution, which always rocks). It was such a pleasure meeting Glenn in person at Grammercy Books in Columbus last night. What a nice guy. Looking forward to more from him!

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of sports stuff. I sort of follow women's basketball and occasionally watch tennis, golf, baseball, and men's basketball. So I don't know what an avid fan would think of this anthology which is often oriented toward the political and social issues reflected in sports rather than "pure sports" (whatever that is). Topics covered include the refugee crisis, human rights, exploitation of college athletes, gender identity, crime, family issues, etc. Given the current state of the world (sports world included) this sort of expository journalism is necessary. There are also some pieces which could be called "pure sport."

These essays come from a broad variety of sources (online and print) and are excellent, informative reads.

Advance reader copy via Goodreads

[David Frantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a goodreads giveaway.
A very diverse assortment of sports and stories,very well done!
Not only for sports enthusiasts but those who appreciate good writing.
This yearly anthology never fails.
I encourage everyone to add to their library.

[Debbie Smyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think last years collection was a bit better - but there is a great piece on Tiger Woods and an intense mystery piece about a missing long distance running. I also enjoyed David Remnick’s piece on Muhammad Ali and Telander’s piece on The Refrigerator.

[Stephen Prelewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

good stuff. uneven like most "best of..." collections. I look forward to the Best American Sports Writing, Short Stories, Essays, Mysteries, etc etc each year. Overall a solid set of books year after year. Look for them late September - early october each year

[Jono Hamer-Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid offering from this time-honoured franchise. Though it did feel like themes of crime, violence and injustice were very prominent; sometimes to the point of sensationalism. But overall great writing, thought-provoking and moving a lot of the time. Occasionally inspiring.

[Mary Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great choice of articles according to my son who is a sports writer

[Jarrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of thoughtful, well-written essays; surprisingly political and engaged with the larger world in interesting ways.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a pleasure. Standouts in this edition include pieces by Bomani Jones, Wright Thompson, and a co-written article by Luke Cyphers and Teri Thompson.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

My annual Christmas present, and one of the first books I read each year. A good addition to a wonderful series of anthologies that stretches back to 1991.

[Doug Stotland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read all of the BASW and rank this as average which means it’s a great read. The forward by Bryant is one of my favorites so far.

Palo Alto, CA

[Bob Cutler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as other years' compilations

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and wide-ranging anthology. That's typical of this series, and it's easy to take that for granted, but each annual volume continues to measure up to a very high standard. Many of the great modern American sports writers and essays have been anthologized here over the years, and the 2017 volume is no exception.

Rather than reading an anthology like this cover to cover, I tend to poke around and explore, reading whatever catches my eye. There are many fine essays. I'd previously read a few of these pieces, but most of them I was encountering for the first time. It was nice to see a mixture of fresh faces and veteran writers.

As a runner and cyclist, I was especially pleased by the amount of excellent writing on endurance sports.

A few pieces that I especially enjoyed: Jesse Katz's “26.2 to Life” (a marathon inside the walls at San Quentin); Alexis Okeowo's “The Away Team” (the Eritrean national soccer team); S. L. Price's “The Longest Run” (the Refugee Olympic Team); and Dan Barry's “Hit Man” (baseball player turned mobster Maury Lerner).

All in all, a great collection.

(Thank you to Mariner Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.)