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Fanatic: Ten Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die
The sport lover's ultimate road trip
When Jim Gorant, a Sports Illustrated staffer and lifelong sports fan, discovered that he had never attended a single one of sports' most iconic events, he wondered, What kind of sports fan am I, anyway? And if he had to pick the top ten, what would those events be? The result was a growing obsession, first with determining the events that should make the list and then with actually attending all of them. A personal challenge quickly evolved into a yearlong journey into the heart of sports.
From the Kentucky Derby to the Super Bowl, from a day game at Wrigley Field to a fortnight at Wimbledon, from the NCAA Final Four to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, Gorant takes us along for the ride, evoking the best (and sometimes the worst) sports has to offer. He enters the inner sanctum of NASCAR, watching the decidedly American pomp and circumstance perched atop an RV. He encounters a fire-eating Patriots fan at the Super Bowl. He sees Jack Nicklaus tee off at the azalea-lined Masters for the last time. He walks a fine line between the football rivals Ohio State and Michigan. And in the process he reveals why sports can so affect our lives.
Part adventure, part pilgrimage, Fanatic captures these ten unforgettable sports events in all their color and commotion. The perfect gift for sports enthusiasts, Fanatic is the next best thing to front row seats, and every bit as fun.
When Jim Gorant, a Sports Illustrated staffer and lifelong sports fan, discovered that he had never attended a single one of sports' most iconic events, he wondered, What kind of sports fan am I, anyway? And if he had to pick the top ten, what would those events be? The result was a growing obsession, first with determining the events that should make the list and then with actually attending all of them. A personal challenge quickly evolved into a yearlong journey into the heart of sports.
From the Kentucky Derby to the Super Bowl, from a day game at Wrigley Field to a fortnight at Wimbledon, from the NCAA Final Four to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, Gorant takes us along for the ride, evoking the best (and sometimes the worst) sports has to offer. He enters the inner sanctum of NASCAR, watching the decidedly American pomp and circumstance perched atop an RV. He encounters a fire-eating Patriots fan at the Super Bowl. He sees Jack Nicklaus tee off at the azalea-lined Masters for the last time. He walks a fine line between the football rivals Ohio State and Michigan. And in the process he reveals why sports can so affect our lives.
Part adventure, part pilgrimage, Fanatic captures these ten unforgettable sports events in all their color and commotion. The perfect gift for sports enthusiasts, Fanatic is the next best thing to front row seats, and every bit as fun.
- GenresSportsNonfiction
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2007
3 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Jim Gorant
10 books48 followersShortly after his birth in Brooklyn, New York, Jim's family decamped for the greener pastures of northern New Jersey. Other than the four years when he escaped to college in the distant metropolis of Philadelphia, he’s spent his entire life in the Garden State, where he still lives with his wife and two children.
Jim Gorant's career in magazine publishing began in 1990 with a job at Good Housekeeping and led him to Sports Illustrated, where he is currently a senior editor. In the interim he’s bumbled over seemingly every inch of the vast terrain that exists between those titles, holding staff positions at GQ, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics, and Power & Motoryacht. In the course of his daily responsibilities at those magazines and during two stints as a freelancer, he's fished everywhere from Alaska to Venezuela, snowmobiled 12,000 feet into the Idaho Rockies, dived on the Great Barrier Reef and played golf with honest-to-goodness celebrities. The high point came when he was escorted off the grounds of the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (a.k.a. Wimbledon). On the more serious side, he’s investigated anti-aging strategies, infant vaccinations, and the psychology and response to child abductions.
His writing has appeared in more than three dozen national magazines ranging from Men’s Health, Outside, and Popular Science, to Worth, the Robb Report, and the Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday Magazine, among many others. As an editor, he’s tinkered with the scribblings of everyone from Mike Lupica to Dan Quayle and worked on two Sports Illustrated books, Tiger 2.0 and The Golf Book.
Jim's original SI cover story on the dogs of Bad Newz kennels won the Humane Society’s Genesis Award for magazine writing. He is also the recipient of the John Southam Award and of multiple writing awards from both the Golf Writers Association of America and Boating Writers International. Prior to The Lost Dogs , Jim authored Fanatic: 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die , and he is also the co-author of Fit For Golf (with Boris Kuzmic).
Jim Gorant's career in magazine publishing began in 1990 with a job at Good Housekeeping and led him to Sports Illustrated, where he is currently a senior editor. In the interim he’s bumbled over seemingly every inch of the vast terrain that exists between those titles, holding staff positions at GQ, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics, and Power & Motoryacht. In the course of his daily responsibilities at those magazines and during two stints as a freelancer, he's fished everywhere from Alaska to Venezuela, snowmobiled 12,000 feet into the Idaho Rockies, dived on the Great Barrier Reef and played golf with honest-to-goodness celebrities. The high point came when he was escorted off the grounds of the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (a.k.a. Wimbledon). On the more serious side, he’s investigated anti-aging strategies, infant vaccinations, and the psychology and response to child abductions.
His writing has appeared in more than three dozen national magazines ranging from Men’s Health, Outside, and Popular Science, to Worth, the Robb Report, and the Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday Magazine, among many others. As an editor, he’s tinkered with the scribblings of everyone from Mike Lupica to Dan Quayle and worked on two Sports Illustrated books, Tiger 2.0 and The Golf Book.
Jim's original SI cover story on the dogs of Bad Newz kennels won the Humane Society’s Genesis Award for magazine writing. He is also the recipient of the John Southam Award and of multiple writing awards from both the Golf Writers Association of America and Boating Writers International. Prior to The Lost Dogs , Jim authored Fanatic: 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die , and he is also the co-author of Fit For Golf (with Boris Kuzmic).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 21, 2023
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This review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Fanatic: 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die
Vince Darcangelo, Special to the Rocky
Published June 22, 2007 at midnight
Book in a nutshell: Gorant, a Sports Illustrated editor and writer, lived the ultimate sports fanatic's dream: Over 14 months, he completed the definitive bleacher bum's to-do list, from going to the Super Bowl to catching opening day at Boston's Fenway Park. The result is this collection of ten, first-person essays - written in the populist vein of writers like Chuck Klosterman and Bill Simmons - that seek to answer the question: Why do we care about sports?
The answer comes in fragments rather than one unifying theory, but when you view the book as a gestalt, Gorant offers a solid defense of everyone who ever skipped work to catch a day game at Wrigley or tailgated outside Lambeau Field in subzero weather.
For diehards, Gorant's observations will serve as reminders, not revelations. Still, there's something endearing about his journey, be it his reconnecting with his youth or grappling with his mother's recent death. Ultimately, though, it's the characters he encounters that make Fanatic truly epic: like Rod Harrison, the story-telling NASCAR nut who once delayed a NASA shuttle launch, or Ignatius "Kelly" Giglio, the longest-tenured Boston Red Sox season ticket-holder who held his seats from 1935 until his death in 2005, but stuck around long enough to see his hard-luck team finally win the big one.
Best tidbit: "Fandom, for those converts to the sect, has become a basis for how we relate to one another, define ourselves, and foster the connections that make it possible to muddle through the entirety of our existence, not just the second half of a boring game."
Pros: Gorant's knack for imagery is more befitting a skilled painter than a sports journalist. His masterstroke is his description of the town of Wimbledon, "with its brick-lined streets that curve away like cart paths in a Euclidean landscape. And its old stone houses and tiny shops, with slate roofs that tile on top of each other like picturesque dominoes that have yet to be toppled."
Cons: The author philosophizes in fragments, which sometimes leaves thoughts unfinished within individual essays.
Final word: Gorant properly answers the question of why we care about sports. More importantly, he shows us why we should.
This review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Fanatic: 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die
Vince Darcangelo, Special to the Rocky
Published June 22, 2007 at midnight
Book in a nutshell: Gorant, a Sports Illustrated editor and writer, lived the ultimate sports fanatic's dream: Over 14 months, he completed the definitive bleacher bum's to-do list, from going to the Super Bowl to catching opening day at Boston's Fenway Park. The result is this collection of ten, first-person essays - written in the populist vein of writers like Chuck Klosterman and Bill Simmons - that seek to answer the question: Why do we care about sports?
The answer comes in fragments rather than one unifying theory, but when you view the book as a gestalt, Gorant offers a solid defense of everyone who ever skipped work to catch a day game at Wrigley or tailgated outside Lambeau Field in subzero weather.
For diehards, Gorant's observations will serve as reminders, not revelations. Still, there's something endearing about his journey, be it his reconnecting with his youth or grappling with his mother's recent death. Ultimately, though, it's the characters he encounters that make Fanatic truly epic: like Rod Harrison, the story-telling NASCAR nut who once delayed a NASA shuttle launch, or Ignatius "Kelly" Giglio, the longest-tenured Boston Red Sox season ticket-holder who held his seats from 1935 until his death in 2005, but stuck around long enough to see his hard-luck team finally win the big one.
Best tidbit: "Fandom, for those converts to the sect, has become a basis for how we relate to one another, define ourselves, and foster the connections that make it possible to muddle through the entirety of our existence, not just the second half of a boring game."
Pros: Gorant's knack for imagery is more befitting a skilled painter than a sports journalist. His masterstroke is his description of the town of Wimbledon, "with its brick-lined streets that curve away like cart paths in a Euclidean landscape. And its old stone houses and tiny shops, with slate roofs that tile on top of each other like picturesque dominoes that have yet to be toppled."
Cons: The author philosophizes in fragments, which sometimes leaves thoughts unfinished within individual essays.
Final word: Gorant properly answers the question of why we care about sports. More importantly, he shows us why we should.
August 1, 2013
In ’t kort: De ondertitel verklaart al veel: ‘Ten things all sports fans should do before they die”. Gorant, journalist van Sports Ilustrated onderneemt een pelgrimstocht langs 10 grote sportevenementen (op één na, Wimbledon, allemaal Amerikaanse. Uiteraard.). De Super Bowl, de Daytona 500-race, baseballwedstrijden bij de Chicago Cubs en de Boston Red Sox, de Kentucky Derby-paardenrace, een American Football-wedstrijd van de Green Bay Packers, de finale van het College Basketball-kampioenschap, allemaal passeren ze de revue. Inderdaad, allemaal dingen die ik zelf ook wel eens wil meemaken
Mijn oordeel: de introductie zet al onmiddellijk de toon. Gorant is een 40-jarige (ex?-)sportfanaat, die het supportersvuur uit zijn jeugd een beetje is verloren. Toen hij tiener was, leefde hij alleen voor sport, kende statistieken uit het hoofd, miste geen enkele wedstrijd van zijn lievlingsteams, weende en juichte bij hun prestaties. Door de jaren heen verschrompelde de bezetenheid, en dat vindt hij eigenlijk een beetje jammer.
Hey, that’s me ten voeten uit. Ik herinner me nog dat ik met een aftandse recorder zelf commentaar gaf bij het WK Veldrijden, toen gewonnen door – ik vergeet het nooit – Klaus-Peter Thaler. Maar mijn liefde voor de (Europese) sport is door de jaren heen getaand. Weg de live or die-liefde voor blauw-zwart (ik kijk nauwelijks nog naar wedstrijden, laat staan dat ik weet wie in de basis-elf staat), weg de obsessie met Belgisch basketbal (gestorven samen met Bavi Vilvoorde), weg het gepalaver over de rondjes-33 in het schaatsen (daar zitten de kids wel voor iets tussen, ik kan en mag nauwelijks tv kijken op zondagnamiddag).
Gorant start zijn pelgrimstocht bij de Superbowl, de Daytona 500 en de College Basketball-finale, waar hij overweldigd wordt door de massa en de studentikoze sfeer. Nadien wordt het wat meer “upper class” met de Kentucky Derby, het Masters-golftoernooi en Wimbledon (waar hij vruchteloos op zoek gaat naar de befaamde strawberries-and-cream) om te eindigen bij de rechtgeaarde supporters in Boston, Green Bay en Chicago.
Meer dan een pelgrimstocht is dit ook een zoektocht naar zichzelf. En dat geeft aanleiding tot wat introspectie van de lezer zelf, dus ook bij mij. En dat geeft het boek een onverwachte meerwaarde. Ook dit boek lag al lang klaar op de plank, en ook van dit boek heb ik me achteraf beklaagd dat ik het niet vroeger gelezen heb.
Eindoordeel: ****
Mijn oordeel: de introductie zet al onmiddellijk de toon. Gorant is een 40-jarige (ex?-)sportfanaat, die het supportersvuur uit zijn jeugd een beetje is verloren. Toen hij tiener was, leefde hij alleen voor sport, kende statistieken uit het hoofd, miste geen enkele wedstrijd van zijn lievlingsteams, weende en juichte bij hun prestaties. Door de jaren heen verschrompelde de bezetenheid, en dat vindt hij eigenlijk een beetje jammer.
Hey, that’s me ten voeten uit. Ik herinner me nog dat ik met een aftandse recorder zelf commentaar gaf bij het WK Veldrijden, toen gewonnen door – ik vergeet het nooit – Klaus-Peter Thaler. Maar mijn liefde voor de (Europese) sport is door de jaren heen getaand. Weg de live or die-liefde voor blauw-zwart (ik kijk nauwelijks nog naar wedstrijden, laat staan dat ik weet wie in de basis-elf staat), weg de obsessie met Belgisch basketbal (gestorven samen met Bavi Vilvoorde), weg het gepalaver over de rondjes-33 in het schaatsen (daar zitten de kids wel voor iets tussen, ik kan en mag nauwelijks tv kijken op zondagnamiddag).
Gorant start zijn pelgrimstocht bij de Superbowl, de Daytona 500 en de College Basketball-finale, waar hij overweldigd wordt door de massa en de studentikoze sfeer. Nadien wordt het wat meer “upper class” met de Kentucky Derby, het Masters-golftoernooi en Wimbledon (waar hij vruchteloos op zoek gaat naar de befaamde strawberries-and-cream) om te eindigen bij de rechtgeaarde supporters in Boston, Green Bay en Chicago.
Meer dan een pelgrimstocht is dit ook een zoektocht naar zichzelf. En dat geeft aanleiding tot wat introspectie van de lezer zelf, dus ook bij mij. En dat geeft het boek een onverwachte meerwaarde. Ook dit boek lag al lang klaar op de plank, en ook van dit boek heb ik me achteraf beklaagd dat ik het niet vroeger gelezen heb.
Eindoordeel: ****
June 13, 2013
Interesting book by Gorant. I have a feeling this same book could be written by a bunch of different people and we'd have a bunch of different lists, purely based on sports you like and appreciate. However, Gorant has his reasons for why he attends each event and I get why he chose Daytona, the Masters, etc even though I am not a fan of those particular sports. I liked reading about the histories of all the events and the culture around each event in the community--especially the wide differences in fans (local diehards vs. corporate ticket recipients).
If you take away one thing from this book, it's that these events (and honestly, most sporting events) are more enjoyable when you go with friends. I was looking forward to reading Gorant's review of the Super Bowl but was dismayed because it seems he doesn't have much fun after splitting ways with his friend who he came with, but who couldn't get a ticket. Gorant doesn't go with friends to all these events, but he does attempt to make friends along the way and even that seems to add to the experience.
One more thing: I was somewhat disappointed no hockey events were mentioned in the book, since it's the only major American sport not mentioned (the book wasn't limited to US sports/events but Wimbledon was the only foreign event). Gorant did mention that at the time he was writing the book the '05 NHL lockout was in effect so he couldn't have gone to an NHL event even if he wanted to; but he also mentions that the hockey playoffs (and baseball, basketball, etc) drag on for too long. Still, as I watch the Stanley Cup playoffs, it makes me sad hockey doesn't get its due! Maybe next time...
If you take away one thing from this book, it's that these events (and honestly, most sporting events) are more enjoyable when you go with friends. I was looking forward to reading Gorant's review of the Super Bowl but was dismayed because it seems he doesn't have much fun after splitting ways with his friend who he came with, but who couldn't get a ticket. Gorant doesn't go with friends to all these events, but he does attempt to make friends along the way and even that seems to add to the experience.
One more thing: I was somewhat disappointed no hockey events were mentioned in the book, since it's the only major American sport not mentioned (the book wasn't limited to US sports/events but Wimbledon was the only foreign event). Gorant did mention that at the time he was writing the book the '05 NHL lockout was in effect so he couldn't have gone to an NHL event even if he wanted to; but he also mentions that the hockey playoffs (and baseball, basketball, etc) drag on for too long. Still, as I watch the Stanley Cup playoffs, it makes me sad hockey doesn't get its due! Maybe next time...
July 22, 2012
I enjoyed going on this journey with the author. I am a sports fan, but not to the level that he is. I have followed a few teams devotedly through the years, but I only dabble in other sports from time to time. That said, I was just as interested in the events he visited that are not among my typical sports as I was in the sports I enjoy regularly. Gorant did a fine job of exploring the uniqueness of each event and venue and trying to capture the fan experience, both from an outsiders point of view and a true believer. I can't argue with his choices of events to include in his list of ten because every sports fan's list would be different. These all would make the lists of many fans, so that is all that is important. At the end of the day, I was inspired by the book and now all I want to do is throw myself into a game completely and live or die for my team. Thanks!
May 9, 2008
So I'm not generally a big reader of sports books (other than golf, obviously) but this one caught my eye: Fanatic: Ten Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die. Basically, the author designed a year of traveling around attending the sporting events that he considered to be on the list: the Super Bowl, The Masters, Wimbledon, the Final Four, Daytona, a couple baseball games and college match-ups. Some things were absent - it wasn't an Olympic year, for example. I really enjoyed his writing, though - it seemed like he was able to lose himself in the moment of a game while still retaining a fairly objective view. Quick read.
October 25, 2008
I read this summer 2007 after picking up a copy in Minneapolis at a PPL shop / 2nd hand store cheap.
It was good. I really liked it. It was very informative about sports and not the sport it self but the fans and the hoopla around the top events in sports. I'm not really a sports fan but it's a book I'll read again some day.
I recommend it, not just for sports fans but for those of us who are just on the edge of sports.
It was good. I really liked it. It was very informative about sports and not the sport it self but the fans and the hoopla around the top events in sports. I'm not really a sports fan but it's a book I'll read again some day.
I recommend it, not just for sports fans but for those of us who are just on the edge of sports.
June 2, 2016
Iconic sporting events for the real sports fan. The ten events covered are good selections and I enjoyed reading about them. This is an interesting book for those that are really into sports, but it will not be for everyone. I enjoyed it very much.
Want to read
February 22, 2010Gift for Dave
August 6, 2011
My personal top ten list would be a bit different, but the fact he was able to go to these events in one 15-month period is quite impressive.
December 20, 2008
fun book for sports lovers
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews