Sport Writing

[kilted exile]

Ok I know it is the "toys section" but I think there are a number of writers who get no respect solely because they write about sports. There are a number of great sports writers over the years such as Hunter S.Thompson and Hugh McIlvaney (I also have an article written by Robert Frost on baseball). Sports deal with the base of humanity (competition) and I have read better descriptive narrative & imagery from some sports writers than novelists. So does any one else have any favourite sports writers/articles?

[papayahed]

I always tried to catch Mitch Albom's columns, even though I haven't read any of his books.

[kilted exile]

Yeah albom's good, I also make an effort to catch Jason Whitlock's column when I can.

[Ecurb]

Best Sports Books:

1) Touching the Void by Joe Simpson. Mountaineering has produced great literature, and this is one of the best. The two best-selling mountaineering books are “Into Thin Air” and “Annapurna”, which are also excellent. But Simpson’s story is so dramatic, and his writing so terse and tense, that this is my pick.

2) The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling. Liebling’s prose is always excellent, and this book is one of his best. Had I never read it, I would not have known that “toddlers” were Regency boxing fans who used to walk the 50 miles from London for an important bout (boxing was illegal, so fights were held in the country).

3) The Glory of their Times, by Lawrence Ritter. This is an oral history of early 20th century baseball, collected by Ritter. Often imitated, never equaled.

4) Orlando Furioso by Anonymous. I include it because the action is kicked off by the notorious tournament in which Charlemagne’s knights joust against Argalia, Prince of Cathay, for the right to wed his sister Angelica. Many adventures follow.

5) The MacMillan Baseball Encyclopedia. No comments necessary.

Here’s is Sports Illustrated’s list from a few years back:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/features/2002/top_sports_books/1/

[Schokokeks]

So does any one else have any favourite sports writers/articles?
I'm not sure if he counts, since he is a novelist, but how about Nick Hornby ? Isn't Fever Pitch about Arsenal (spelling ?) London and enthusiasm for soccer in general ?

[AimusSage]

I'm not sure if he counts, since he is a novelist, but how about Nick Hornby ? Isn't Fever Pitch about Arsenal (spelling ?) London and enthusiasm for soccer in general ?
It's FOOTBALL, Cookie, FOOTBALL!, not soccer. :p

[kilted exile]

Remembered another good writer: Stephen Brunt, he writes for the Globe & Mail and has also written numerous books on boxing. He also currently has a book out about Bobby Orr, which has been near the top best-sellers list here.

[Boris239]

I've read a bunch of books about football- mostly written by famous players: Pele, Tony Schumacher, etc. Some of them were pretty interesting, although it is perfectly clear that the players haven't written them themselves.

I've read also couple of detective stories dedicated to horse races. Dick Francis is a good example of that.

[Schokokeks]

It's FOOTBALL, Cookie, FOOTBALL!, not soccer. :p
I know you're just saying that to confuse me, but nevertheless I have to admit you succeeded :p.

I'll have to ask somebody competent now:
Kilted, soccer is the one played with a round ball being kicked, and football is the American thing with the oversized almond and lots of clashes, right ? :D

[kilted exile]

I'll have to ask somebody competent now:
Kilted, soccer is the one played with a round ball being kicked, and football is the American thing with the oversized almond and lots of clashes, right ? :D

Well, first of all I like the idea that I am competent :lol: (possibly the first and last time that will be used to describe me.)

It is really only called "soccer" in North America (and by people who dont play the game) The majority of the world calls it football (you may know it also as fussball, calcio and the beautiful game).

The problem is that what the rest of the world would call American (or Canadian) Football on this side of the atlantic is just called football.

& if you think that is confusing you should know there are many diferrent sports which actually have football in the name eg Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League, Australian Rules Football, Gaelic Football, and the Eton Wall game.

Of course real "football" is the only one that should be called football as the feet are the main apendage used - the rest use their hands and probably were it not for the fact that there is a sport called "handball" may be called that.

**this is of course without going into the whole Hockey/Ice-Hockey dilemma :p

[Nightshade]

I'll have to ask somebody competent now:
Kilted, soccer is the one played with a round ball being kicked, and football is the American thing with the oversized almond and lots of clashes, right ? :D

WRONG!
Yes I know Im not kilted well I do own a kilt... ok I may still be in rambling mode, anywho no the egg shaped thing that is a bit like a rugby ball is American footbal, and what some peole consider soccer ( the round usually black and white ball ) is real football.

now my question Rugby and american football, are they the same thing only the rugby players do bother with all the padding?? :confused:
:D

[Virgil]

Speaking of football,

Super Bowl on Sunday!!!

[Nightshade]

Speaking of football,

Super Bowl on Sunday!!!

Right and whats that? one of my friends has been going on for weeks about how she cant see the super bowl becasue shes in the uk instead of home and she cant belive shes missing it, and she keeps going OMG so and so is out at which I just go "right yes and again I have no idea what your on about all my knowledge of american football comes from the films Radio and jerry Maguire."

[kilted exile]

now my question Rugby and american football, are they the same thing only the rugby players do bother with all the padding?? :confused:
:D

No not the same thing at all really, to begin with in Rugby you can only pass backwards.

[Virgil]

Right and whats that? one of my friends has been going on for weeks about how she cant see the super bowl becasue shes in the uk instead of home and she cant belive shes missing it, and she keeps going OMG so and so is out at which I just go "right yes and again I have no idea what your on about all my knowledge of american football comes from the films Radio and jerry Maguire."

It's the championship game. Biggest night in the US. Almost everyone will have game on.

[kilted exile]

Right and whats that? one of my friends has been going on for weeks about how she cant see the super bowl becasue shes in the uk instead of home and she cant belive shes missing it, and she keeps going OMG so and so is out at which I just go "right yes and again I have no idea what your on about all my knowledge of american football comes from the films Radio and jerry Maguire."

I believe the Super Bowl will be getting shown on SKY TV in the UK

[Schokokeks]

Well, first of all I like the idea that I am competent :lol: (possibly the first and last time that will be used to describe me.)
Now really, that's not true. I found you very competent when you once explained to me the e-coli water problem my village used to have; and I'm sure there'll be another occasion in no time :nod:.


It is really only called "soccer" in North America (and by people who dont play the game) The majority of the world calls it football (you may know it also as fussball, calcio and the beautiful game).
The problem is that what the rest of the world would call American (or Canadian) Football on this side of the atlantic is just called football.
Ok, thanks, that was very enlightening :D.


It's the championship game. Biggest night in the US. Almost everyone will have game on.
...including my boyfriend, who gets up in the middle of the night to see it live *shakes head in amazement* :rolleyes:.

[metal134]

I'm a HUGE sports nut, so I love to read about sports, mainly non-fiction, but I also like sports fiction.
I'm rather fond of Bill James. I don't agree with everything he says (in regards to Moneyball and the tradtional way, I'd say I'm half and half), but his writing is extrememly intersting none-the-less.
Also, being that I live in NE Ohio, I'm also partial to Terry Pluto. I don't know how well known he is on a national level (probably not very much), but he has written books on the Browns and Indians.

[kilted exile]

I am unfamiliar with Terry Pluto, what paper does he write for? Moneyball is one of the many books on my to read list (I am currently working my way through Sports Illustrated's collection of 50 years of baseball articles - which is a fascinating read for someone like myself who didnt grow up with the game).

Bill James is the "win-shares" guy right? I still havent formulated my exact opinion on that subject yet.

[metal134]

Pluto writes for The Akron Beacon Journal. I'm not suprised you haven't heard of him, I really don't think he's known too well on a national level.

As far as Moneyball, it's an interesting read as long as you keep in mind that Michael Lewis is being incredibley one-sided in the book; take what he says with a grain of salt.

Bill James; yeah, he's the win-shares guy. I don't know how much you know about it, but I'll geive you a synopsis. Basically the whoile concept of sabermetrics, a.k.a Moneyball, is that, in the past, scouts often lloked at players based on what they call tools; ability to make contact, power, speed, defense and arm strength. Whwen they scout these guys, they look at what they can do and what they can develop into based on these tools. Sabermetrics is basically all about numbers and that is the only way in which players are evaluated. And they look at not only well known stats like OBP, slugging, etc., but come up with complex formulas like win shares, PVR (Player Value Rating), etc. There's always been a big rift between the old schoolers and sabermetricians. Mainly because sabermetrics is purely empirical and pays no regard to things such as abilty to perform in the clutch, defense, etc. To me, the biggest sticking point in regards to sabermetrics is the disregarding of defense. I believe that it's extremely important (hell, the Indians woes last year were LARGELY due to the horrid infield defense). But not all sabermetricains are so apathetic about defense, Bill James has always placed a premium on it. In recent years though, there has been a marriage between the old and new schools and many GMs who are a little of both, incuding Indians GM Mark Shapiro.

[ennison]

A lot of the best journalists write about sport or have cut their teeth on it. Simon Barnes is a very good writer who writes articles about sport.

[Basil]

To me, the biggest sticking point in regards to sabermetrics is the disregarding of defense

Yeah, just ask the Detroit Tigers whether or not defense is important.

To me, the best part of Moneyball takes place in the afterword when he describes Joe Morgan's histrionic reaction to the book--a book Joe Morgan apparently never actually got around to reading....