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An Accidental Sportswriter: A Memoir
Celebrated sports journalist Robert Lipsyte—the New York Times’ longtime lead sports columnist—mines pure gold from his long and very eventful career to bring readers a memoir like no other. An enthralling book, as much about personal relationships and the culture of sports as the athletes and teams themselves, An Accidental Sportswriter interweaves stories from Lipsyte’s life and the events he covered to explore the connections between the games we play and the lives we lead. Robert Lipsyte has been there—from the Mets’ first Spring Training to the fight that made Muhammad Ali an international icon to the current steroids scandals that rewired our view of sports—and in An Accidental Sportswriter he offers a fresh and refreshing view of the world of professional athletes as seen through the eyes of a journalist who always managed to remain independent of our jock-obsessed culture.
246 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 16, 2017
Robert Lipsyte, one of the most recognizable sports columnist and writers, details his life as a young boy to his early interactions with the sports world's most influential faces. We watch Robert grow as a person, while he freaks out meeting new stars every week. The memoir An Accidental Sportswriter, is an enjoyable read because of the relatability to Lipsyte's upbringings, and his very detailed storytelling.
Right off the bat Lipsyte is having the readers connect to his story, from being bullied on the playground to his relationship with his father. We certainly can all think of a moment that someone belittled us and we stood up for ourselves, that moment for Lipsyte came when he fought his childhood bully. Lipstye details the account in his memoir as a moment of “There were no rules in my mind, just survival and payback. All in or don’t bother,”(Lipsyte, page 20). As a young adult, I known most of us have had that moment where we restrain ourselves from going “all in”, while reading Lipsyte is that charter we wished to be but never were and we cheered him on as he stood up to his bully. The amount of reliability to Lipsyte is shown through his endless amounts of being starstruck or admiration towards sports icons. He mentions the likes of Muhammad Ali, to Wilma Rudolph but the one man who he founded his own writing on was Howard Cosell, an American sports journalist. He credits Cosell on his often controversial standpoint, Lipsyte says “I took his credo ‘you can't always be popular and right at the same time’ as a moral lesson and sometimes as a shelter when I was attacked for being a contrarian. In those days, it was rare for someone on TV or radio to stand up to public opinion. Cosell stood up. He was often called conversational because he wasn’t Bland,”(Lipsyte, page 80). We often as people live by the words of others of inspired us or those who have an influence on our lives, we take those words to heart because we’ve seen what those people have done and imagine what it can do for us. One thing every human being can relate to no matter the situation is the relationship with your family. Family seems to be the the first priority to most, so when we read about other families we can make a connection quickly. Lipsyte doesn’t mention much of his family till the end, this chapter revolves around this father, a man who you can tell from just a few sentences means everything to him. Lipsyte writes, “Whenever disaster struck, from illness in the family to carnage on the evening news, I’d call him. In 1963, when President Kennedy was murdered, I called Dad to make sure he was okay. After all, the old man was pushing sixty. I called him after 9/11 to make sure I was okay. After all, I was in my sixties. Being a frequent subway rider in New York, I even called him after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid. I said I was calling him to tell him we were all okay. I knew he would calm me down. After all, he was 100,”(Lipsyte, page 231). Lipsyte very easily is able to connect to the reader because we all get the worry when disaster strikes, as humans our intuition is the worry and call our families as soon as tragedy strikes. Robert Lipsyte's growth in character is relatable to all readers.
Robert Lipsyte’s influence from his sports writing translates into his story telling, detailed and to the point. Lipsyte was able to encounter many different personalities on his journey, when he describes moments you can clearly picture the moment and people evolved. While meeting the one and only Muhammad Ali, who lipsyte credits for his career, you feel as if you yourself has met Ali. He states “Muhammad Ali was my first big story. He put my name on page one. He made me a columnist. He was also the single most important sporting lens through which I learned about politics, religion, race, and hero worship. I've written far more about him in any other subject, and then watching him change and grow from fifty years I watched myself.---Loving Muhammad Ali has been easy. It's grasping what he stands for at any given moment that's been hard. Our journey began as a sheer Joy. The first time I ever saw him, I was standing with the Beatles,”(Lipsyte, page 61). As Robert talks about Ali, he almost defines, what makes Ali himself, which gives a reader more of an insight on their friendship and partnership. Not only was Lipsyte able to use diction to have the reader truly understand his ideas, he was straight to the point an wasn’t afraid to cause a little controversy. Lipsyte tells his adventure of writing Nigger, with Dick Gregory, he writes “ Once we decided on the table title, Nigger, he held his ground against the Publishing House. I love this dedication: ‘Dear Mama wherever you are, if you ever hear the word Nigger again remember their advertising my book,’---- The book has been in print for more than 45 years, and although the reviews were mostly good to great, thought title didn't help sales. Most blacks and fair-minded whites hated the title and found it hard to ask for the book by name. The right to like the title weren't about a by a black man's book. In retrospect I think it was a mistake, the destructive Defiance on both our parts these days, it's even harder to mention the title,” (Lipsyte, page 56). As he tells this anecdote, we see the hard cold reality that was the 60’s, no white man would've around advertising a book with that title, and he wouldn't ask for it either. Lipsyte's writing told the truth of racism and sexism, his take on the 1960 Olympics was a key point in the book. He states, “We covered a few women sports events at the Times then, except in the Olympic years; the Cold War with the Soviet Bloc was measured in medals as well as missiles, and women's medals counted as much as men. Thus, right after the willowy sprinter Wilma Rudolph won 3 gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Rome Olympics, she was brought to the Times office to be interviewed by the rookie on rewrite, me. She was a real story; an African-American polio Survivor and one of the most beautiful women in the world,”(Lipsyte, page 96). As a white male he was able to see the greatness in a women of color completing in the olympics, he says it straight up that women are just as important to the sports world than men are. Lipsyte’s writing is straightforward and to the point, afraid of no repercussions with his creative way of storytelling.
The content within a book is what makes a book good, either it’s character development, the imagery the author uses, a good developing plot and other traits. Robert Lipsyte in An Accidental Sportswriter, has the contente needed for a good read. He has a character that we can grow with a love, his rawness in character that makes him enjoyable and his storytelling. Overall, An Accidental Sportswriter is a good read for anyone looking for a different perspective on the sports world.
Right off the bat Lipsyte is having the readers connect to his story, from being bullied on the playground to his relationship with his father. We certainly can all think of a moment that someone belittled us and we stood up for ourselves, that moment for Lipsyte came when he fought his childhood bully. Lipstye details the account in his memoir as a moment of “There were no rules in my mind, just survival and payback. All in or don’t bother,”(Lipsyte, page 20). As a young adult, I known most of us have had that moment where we restrain ourselves from going “all in”, while reading Lipsyte is that charter we wished to be but never were and we cheered him on as he stood up to his bully. The amount of reliability to Lipsyte is shown through his endless amounts of being starstruck or admiration towards sports icons. He mentions the likes of Muhammad Ali, to Wilma Rudolph but the one man who he founded his own writing on was Howard Cosell, an American sports journalist. He credits Cosell on his often controversial standpoint, Lipsyte says “I took his credo ‘you can't always be popular and right at the same time’ as a moral lesson and sometimes as a shelter when I was attacked for being a contrarian. In those days, it was rare for someone on TV or radio to stand up to public opinion. Cosell stood up. He was often called conversational because he wasn’t Bland,”(Lipsyte, page 80). We often as people live by the words of others of inspired us or those who have an influence on our lives, we take those words to heart because we’ve seen what those people have done and imagine what it can do for us. One thing every human being can relate to no matter the situation is the relationship with your family. Family seems to be the the first priority to most, so when we read about other families we can make a connection quickly. Lipsyte doesn’t mention much of his family till the end, this chapter revolves around this father, a man who you can tell from just a few sentences means everything to him. Lipsyte writes, “Whenever disaster struck, from illness in the family to carnage on the evening news, I’d call him. In 1963, when President Kennedy was murdered, I called Dad to make sure he was okay. After all, the old man was pushing sixty. I called him after 9/11 to make sure I was okay. After all, I was in my sixties. Being a frequent subway rider in New York, I even called him after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid. I said I was calling him to tell him we were all okay. I knew he would calm me down. After all, he was 100,”(Lipsyte, page 231). Lipsyte very easily is able to connect to the reader because we all get the worry when disaster strikes, as humans our intuition is the worry and call our families as soon as tragedy strikes. Robert Lipsyte's growth in character is relatable to all readers.
Robert Lipsyte’s influence from his sports writing translates into his story telling, detailed and to the point. Lipsyte was able to encounter many different personalities on his journey, when he describes moments you can clearly picture the moment and people evolved. While meeting the one and only Muhammad Ali, who lipsyte credits for his career, you feel as if you yourself has met Ali. He states “Muhammad Ali was my first big story. He put my name on page one. He made me a columnist. He was also the single most important sporting lens through which I learned about politics, religion, race, and hero worship. I've written far more about him in any other subject, and then watching him change and grow from fifty years I watched myself.---Loving Muhammad Ali has been easy. It's grasping what he stands for at any given moment that's been hard. Our journey began as a sheer Joy. The first time I ever saw him, I was standing with the Beatles,”(Lipsyte, page 61). As Robert talks about Ali, he almost defines, what makes Ali himself, which gives a reader more of an insight on their friendship and partnership. Not only was Lipsyte able to use diction to have the reader truly understand his ideas, he was straight to the point an wasn’t afraid to cause a little controversy. Lipsyte tells his adventure of writing Nigger, with Dick Gregory, he writes “ Once we decided on the table title, Nigger, he held his ground against the Publishing House. I love this dedication: ‘Dear Mama wherever you are, if you ever hear the word Nigger again remember their advertising my book,’---- The book has been in print for more than 45 years, and although the reviews were mostly good to great, thought title didn't help sales. Most blacks and fair-minded whites hated the title and found it hard to ask for the book by name. The right to like the title weren't about a by a black man's book. In retrospect I think it was a mistake, the destructive Defiance on both our parts these days, it's even harder to mention the title,” (Lipsyte, page 56). As he tells this anecdote, we see the hard cold reality that was the 60’s, no white man would've around advertising a book with that title, and he wouldn't ask for it either. Lipsyte's writing told the truth of racism and sexism, his take on the 1960 Olympics was a key point in the book. He states, “We covered a few women sports events at the Times then, except in the Olympic years; the Cold War with the Soviet Bloc was measured in medals as well as missiles, and women's medals counted as much as men. Thus, right after the willowy sprinter Wilma Rudolph won 3 gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Rome Olympics, she was brought to the Times office to be interviewed by the rookie on rewrite, me. She was a real story; an African-American polio Survivor and one of the most beautiful women in the world,”(Lipsyte, page 96). As a white male he was able to see the greatness in a women of color completing in the olympics, he says it straight up that women are just as important to the sports world than men are. Lipsyte’s writing is straightforward and to the point, afraid of no repercussions with his creative way of storytelling.
The content within a book is what makes a book good, either it’s character development, the imagery the author uses, a good developing plot and other traits. Robert Lipsyte in An Accidental Sportswriter, has the contente needed for a good read. He has a character that we can grow with a love, his rawness in character that makes him enjoyable and his storytelling. Overall, An Accidental Sportswriter is a good read for anyone looking for a different perspective on the sports world.
July 17, 2014
dull and self indulgent
March 4, 2024
The early chapters covering his youth and nascent career are by far the most entertaining, exemplary of the majority of memoirs. That is what pushes this up to four stars. He sets up his perspective as a bullied outsider, a nerd, an "english major". Lipsyte doesn't back down from his enthusiastic iconoclasm as he shares his stories of Ali, Mantle and other public icons. He admires their talents, experiences his bubble burst from their cruelties and abrasiveness. He covers tennis, boxing, baseball and more - but always with a larger, political, analytical perspective. He's honest about his tumultous relationships with sports personalities and other reporters and columnists. More than once he describes himself as an "anthropologist". And he's unceasingly engaged and enthusiastic. Lipsyte is prolific, with several YA novels and writing not exclusively sports under his belt. Entertaining even for he mildest of sports fans.
March 31, 2020
For reasons I don't quite understand I like sports writing. I think the appeal comes from the characters, the presence of competition, the dedication of the athletes, and the quality of the journalists' writing. Lipsyte's memoir hits high moments when he writes about his professional relationships with Muhammad Ali, Howard Cosell, Mickey Mantle, and Billie Jean King; he talks about how each one changed the way sports was managed and covered and also changed society. He is more tentative about other themes, such as the jock culture, the unspoken agreements between sports writers and managers that left some topics ignored such as the use of steroids, and the abuse of early women journalists by their colleagues. I had trouble with Lipsyte's writing style, an odd combination of diffidence and confidence that irritated me.
July 9, 2024
Robert Lipsyte has led an interesting life, one worthy of a memoir. His work as a sports reporter and then columnist for The New York Times put him in contact with the most interesting subjects from the last half of the 20th century. Him sharing stories about Ali alone was worthwhile.
I confess, though, that it was hard to get through the beginning of the book because of his use of slurs to refer to gay and black people. Eventually, the context of those uses became clear. He wrote a book with Dick Gregory that uses the N-word as its title. He also did a great deal to shine a light on gay people in the world of sports coming out. Still, the use of a gay slur was so often used, it seemed to counteract his message.
He's not the most likable person, and he himself would probably agree with that. But he's had an interesting ride, and he can spin a good tale.
I confess, though, that it was hard to get through the beginning of the book because of his use of slurs to refer to gay and black people. Eventually, the context of those uses became clear. He wrote a book with Dick Gregory that uses the N-word as its title. He also did a great deal to shine a light on gay people in the world of sports coming out. Still, the use of a gay slur was so often used, it seemed to counteract his message.
He's not the most likable person, and he himself would probably agree with that. But he's had an interesting ride, and he can spin a good tale.
September 14, 2017
Did not know that much about Lipsyte's p.o.v. as a sportswriter so it was very interesting to find out who his chose as subjects and how politics/social justice/cultural anthropology drives his work. Insider stuff about sportswriters and the structures behind the games was also interesting.
September 28, 2021
Ebbs and Flows
This book has some excellent chapters, but was very uneven. The author was too eager to tell us about his righteousness on social issues and would go on tangents beating those drums.
I pushed my way through, and when I reached the end, I was happy to be there.
This book has some excellent chapters, but was very uneven. The author was too eager to tell us about his righteousness on social issues and would go on tangents beating those drums.
I pushed my way through, and when I reached the end, I was happy to be there.
June 6, 2011
Whereas I dragged out reading Ms. Gilbert's bestseller and never finished it, I read An Accidental Sportswriter in 3 days. It is a superb retrospective of an amazing rollercoaster ride of a life, and I enjoyed every page. I was never a sports fan but Lipsyte showed how sports infiltrated my life without my being aware of it. I found out everything I ever wanted to know about the major names, how they fit into the scheme of things; and got a great feel for the big swings in the evolution of sports and their historical dependencies on politics and finance.
But most impressive of all was Lipsyte's insistence that family and upbringing inform a man all his life. The final chapter, summing up his father's attitudes and influence on him, was simply amazing. I'm sure no other biography ends with a chapter on the subject's parents, and it works! A great ending to a terrific book. I recommend it to all sports fans, but also to readers who couldn't care less about sports. It is an excellent autobiography for everyone to enjoy.
But most impressive of all was Lipsyte's insistence that family and upbringing inform a man all his life. The final chapter, summing up his father's attitudes and influence on him, was simply amazing. I'm sure no other biography ends with a chapter on the subject's parents, and it works! A great ending to a terrific book. I recommend it to all sports fans, but also to readers who couldn't care less about sports. It is an excellent autobiography for everyone to enjoy.
April 19, 2012
A sort of biography through interactions with figures, both sports and not. Lipsyte has always approached sports writing from the outside, trying not to settle for the easy story, and this book explains why. He resented the jock culture, as he saw it, because he saw the locker room as full of bullies. He still thinks that way, it's clear, but he has found subjects to admire.
My favorite chapters were the later ones where he kind of steps back and takes a look at the state of sports journalism, for what it's worth, and the last chapter where he steps back even further and looks at his life and that of his father's. Very poignant.
My favorite chapters were the later ones where he kind of steps back and takes a look at the state of sports journalism, for what it's worth, and the last chapter where he steps back even further and looks at his life and that of his father's. Very poignant.
May 18, 2011
Lipsyte bites the hand that feeds him in this cranky memoir. Admittedly, most sportwriters are shills for the sporting establishment to some degree, but this author, in a belated attempt to avenge his alleged treatment by "jock" bullies in high school, tries to get even. It comes across as whiny.
In an attempt to live up to his "controversial" image, he savages most white middle-class athletes and lionizes black and gay sports figures, apparently solely based on color or sexual orientation. This is "journalism"? I think not.
In an attempt to live up to his "controversial" image, he savages most white middle-class athletes and lionizes black and gay sports figures, apparently solely based on color or sexual orientation. This is "journalism"? I think not.
March 18, 2012
Some of the chapters were more interesting than others, esp good to me those that involved the Civil Rights Movement and the women's movement and the author's numerous marriages. All in all, I thought the book did not hang together as well as it cld have. Felt to some degree like a series of essays.
One thing I liked about Accidental Sportswriter is that the author mentioned a number of his favorite books and thus I came away with a whole new reading list such as Lance Armstrong's autobiography.
One thing I liked about Accidental Sportswriter is that the author mentioned a number of his favorite books and thus I came away with a whole new reading list such as Lance Armstrong's autobiography.
January 1, 2012
Much like the Brad Paisley memoir I read earlier this year, Robert Lipsyte writes about his life by writing about other people, in this case the people he's written about. Done poorly, this could be a dull exercise in celebrity anecdotes, but Lipsyte traces how his relationships fit into or changed the way he approached his own life. I enjoyed both the stories and the insights.
(The last chapter about his father is especially touching, and it sounds like Sidney Lipsyte could have been a book all on his own.)
(The last chapter about his father is especially touching, and it sounds like Sidney Lipsyte could have been a book all on his own.)
February 14, 2012
smart and entertaining writer Father of sam lipsyte, robert lipsyte was a long time ny times sports reporter, but looked closely at the industry, at it's politics, money, drugs, racism, sexism, foolishness, human interests, labor relations, and even some box scores. Author was main man of dick gregory, Ali, cossell, the althlete "revolution" of the 1970's, billie jean king, and has lots of entertaining stories about baseball, boxing, and even hockey. Sports remineses for people who don’t like sports.
June 9, 2011
A fascinating look at a self proclaimed non-fan's look at his life as a sports journalist.
Lipsyte got a job as a NY Times copyboy in the sports department and turned it into a full time job as a sportswriter. As an outsider, his look at sports is different than sportswriters who are also fans (at least in his own mind).
The best parts of the book were about non-big time sports. The story of Chief Oren Lyon was fascinating. I also was taken by Gerard Papa and the Flames basketball story.
Lipsyte got a job as a NY Times copyboy in the sports department and turned it into a full time job as a sportswriter. As an outsider, his look at sports is different than sportswriters who are also fans (at least in his own mind).
The best parts of the book were about non-big time sports. The story of Chief Oren Lyon was fascinating. I also was taken by Gerard Papa and the Flames basketball story.
April 5, 2012
As a sports fan, I appreciate how well this book toes the line between sports, history, and the journey of a writer. Lipsyte's thoughtful writings on the stories behind the athletic events tell a tale of the bigger issues beyond the athletes and owners themselves. And more than anything, the reader is rewarded with insights into the progression of the career of a writer throughout the transformational 60s, 70s and 80s.
March 30, 2011
I enjoyed this quite a bit. I was thrown off a little bit by the departure from his own history to chapters on other people that he had covered in his career. Consulting the back cover, however, I learn that Lipsyte has gone 'beyond the usual memoir'. It was all either interesting or entertaining. The pieces on steroid use were both.
June 20, 2015
This book approaches sports journalism from an interesting angle. Lipsyte is smart and obviously socially aware. He's also very clear about how it was his duty to bring that awareness out in his writing. I didn't know much about him before reading this book, but it was very informative and illustrated the big pull that today's journalists feel between informing and entertaining.
September 14, 2016
This is a good book. The first half is excellent, honest and opinionated. The second half is less affecting and left me waiting, but still worth the time. Hard to dislike a sportswriter that's not a sports fan in this world of super sport ego's and incomprehensible idiots! Yes - Roger Clemens WAS an idiot.
July 20, 2012
This is a wonderful memoir by one of the foundational authors of YA literature. In addition to publishing THE CONTENDER in 1967, Lipsyte always was at the crossroads of most of the major sporting events in the last half of the 20th century.
Read
January 7, 2017Really interesting story about an incredible sportswriter. Some of it is a little jumbled, and kind of jumps all over the place, but the story and the wisdom within is truly wonderful. Lipsyte's stories make some of the greatest sports legends of all time more human. Superb.
May 24, 2011
funny & concise, this memoir gives a little personal & NY Times history. fun to unknowing read a book by father of one of my favorite current authors.
January 15, 2012
Really enjoyed this. The sort of book that makes me want to become a better writer.
Read
February 8, 2012I was enjoying this but cannot finish it right now
April 29, 2012
I really enjoyed Mr. Lipsyte's take on the world of sports and our "jockocracy." I also like that we both share admiration for Billie Jean King.
April 18, 2013
An interesting look back from one of the few 1960s sportswriters that Hunter Thompson excepted from the pack of otherwise fascist drunks.
September 4, 2011
Excellent questions about sportswriter's role in sports entertainment machine
July 25, 2012
My kind of sportswriter - human.
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