The Best American Sports Writing 2002

by Rick Reilly (Editor), Glenn Stout (Series Editor)

Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, a series editor reads pieces from hundreds of periodicals, then selects between fifty and a hundred outstanding works. That selection is pared down to the twenty or so very best pieces by a guest editor who is widely recognized as a leading writer in his or her field. This unique system has helped make the Best American series the most respected -- and most popular -- of its kind.
Each year, The Best American Sports Writing, well established as the premier sports anthology, offers a winning combination of fascinating topics and top-notch writers. This year, Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly assembles an all-star lineup sure to captivate fans of sports and great writing. From baseball to bullfighting, from horse racing to school-bus racing, this collection has something for everyone. Reilly has chosen columnists and feature writers, household names and talented unknowns, and most importantly, pieces that delve behind the statistics, examining the people and emotions that make the game.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2002

Reviews

[Daniel Suhajda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it so much I bought 3 copies as gifts. I think my favorite was Almost a Hero about the German boxer Max Schmeling. But The Cuban Ali, Her Blue Heaven, A Name on the Wall, and The killing of Alydar we also very good.

[Ilga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories written way back when in 2002 or so - sports stories. (You get books written "way back when" when your major source is garage sales.) But it is a great read. There are a couple of stories that stand out: the one about the girl with cerebral palsy, and the one about the coach. But all of them are quite good.

Now I need to see if there are more recent ones too.

[Wynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should buy this book for one story, "Higher Education." It is the story of a black Catholic basketball coach who comes to an all-white Amish town in Pennsylvania. It is a must, must read.