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nicholasgrantgarcia's review
4.0
Liked this one a little less than I usually like books in this series.
Favorites:
Wampus Cats & Oyster Toads: A light-hearted, prideful, know-it-all review of catching world record fish.
Omaha Beach Has a Golf Course Now: A somber reflection on the commercialization of everything -- in 1994.
Whatever Happened to Ronnie Littleton?: A transportive and cautionary tale of the high school football star that flamed out.
Behind the Icy Glare: A moving and intricate look at the life of an NHL coach.
An Exclusive Club: A heartening and fascinating look behind the scenes at the lives of the men that break the mile barrier.
I found too many of the other stories in this one caustic, mean-spirited, unfunny, and about Tonya Harding. I suppose that was a product of its time -- still, a little less Tonya is usually a good thing.
Favorites:
Wampus Cats & Oyster Toads: A light-hearted, prideful, know-it-all review of catching world record fish.
Omaha Beach Has a Golf Course Now: A somber reflection on the commercialization of everything -- in 1994.
Whatever Happened to Ronnie Littleton?: A transportive and cautionary tale of the high school football star that flamed out.
Behind the Icy Glare: A moving and intricate look at the life of an NHL coach.
An Exclusive Club: A heartening and fascinating look behind the scenes at the lives of the men that break the mile barrier.
I found too many of the other stories in this one caustic, mean-spirited, unfunny, and about Tonya Harding. I suppose that was a product of its time -- still, a little less Tonya is usually a good thing.
lanikei's review
4.0
The more shorter stories, the more I seem to enjoy these collections. Not that I mind more in-depth pieces, but too many in a row make this a difficult book to read in fits and starts throughout my commute or at lunch.
This collection certainly reflected the sports issues of the time. Several articles about the baseball strike, a few about OJ (at least peripherally), and several about the Harding/Kerrigan scandal. While I'm sure that represents the year it was written, it also seriously dates the collection and the 3rd or 4th example of a story on the same topic got tedious and repetitive.
So this was a mixed bag in that I appreciated the shorter stories and was surprised by some of the snarky ones included, but I also found that much of the same ground was covered over and over again. I'm guessing this reflects on the editor for the year, since he selects the final pieces.
Still, I didn't feel like I had to slog through many stories, since even those covering the same topics weren't very long. I don't think this book really provides 'the best' in sportswriting, so I wouldn't suggest it to someone looking for an introduction to the widerange of writing that is out there about sports. But the pieces in the collection are pretty enjoyable, particularly if you're looking for information about the sports world of 1994.
This collection certainly reflected the sports issues of the time. Several articles about the baseball strike, a few about OJ (at least peripherally), and several about the Harding/Kerrigan scandal. While I'm sure that represents the year it was written, it also seriously dates the collection and the 3rd or 4th example of a story on the same topic got tedious and repetitive.
So this was a mixed bag in that I appreciated the shorter stories and was surprised by some of the snarky ones included, but I also found that much of the same ground was covered over and over again. I'm guessing this reflects on the editor for the year, since he selects the final pieces.
Still, I didn't feel like I had to slog through many stories, since even those covering the same topics weren't very long. I don't think this book really provides 'the best' in sportswriting, so I wouldn't suggest it to someone looking for an introduction to the widerange of writing that is out there about sports. But the pieces in the collection are pretty enjoyable, particularly if you're looking for information about the sports world of 1994.
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