The Top 100 Sports Books of All Time

[OSUsushichic]

In the early 1900s editor Maxwell Perkins told anyone who would listen that Chicago sports columnist Ring Lardner was the most talented writer he knew, high praise given that Perkins' stable included Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. It shouldn't have come as a shock, though. Many of the country's best writers have long been fascinated with sports, and that passion shows up in their prose. After all, when done right, sportswriting transcends bats and balls to display all the traits of great literature: incision, wit, force and vision, suffused with style and substance. Herewith the editors of Sports Illustrated's favorite sports books, compiled with love and reason, out of intense and sometimes unruly discussions.

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

(This is from 2002 -- could use some updating)

 

[BB73]

Despite being a fairly avid reader and a huge sports fan, I've only read 2 books on that list: Seabiscuit and Into Thin Air.

And the second one I liked less after learning that LLLLLoyd used it as a motivational ploy for the 1997 Vulvarines.

 

[coastalbuck]

I've read a lot of them. Bang the drum slowly and Instant Replay were very good. A lot of good ones weren't even on the list. I recommend highly My life on a napkin by Rick Majerus. Very good book and some classic Al Mcguire recollections included.

 

[stxbuck]

Of that list, I have only read Into Thin Air and Friday Night Lights(which is a lot different from the movie), despite being an avid reader.

Some other interesting sports books I would recommend are
-Every Week A Season
-the author spends a week in the 2005 football season w/ each of Colorado State,Wisky,ASU,FSU,Georgia,Tennessee,LSU,BC,Maryland-a really good inside look at a variety of big time programs and coaches-he also gets to spend the prep week for the LSU/OU Nat'l Championship game w/ the Tigers

-To Hate Like This is to Be Happy Forever
-the author is a UNC fanatic and goes to spend time w/ Duke fans to understand his hatred of Duke-kind of literary, but very good, and often funny

IMO, there are not enough good books on football written-it seems like hoops and baseball make writers wax poetic, not so w/ the gridiron

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

I hope the Mirage is somewhere near the top. That place is pretty nice.

:p

 

[ScriptOhio]

I haven't read any of them; however, I did listen to the Howard Cosell book. Years ago Odd Lots had a stack of the books on tape for something like $1 (or less?). It was kind of neat to listen to him read the book, as he did have an "unique voice". Although even at $1, it was still over priced.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

Reading is for pussies.

 

[Oh8ch]

The Top 100 Sports Books of All Time

There used to be a little barbershop in the Short North that was pretty square.

Reading is for pussies.

Obviously you don't know the truth about librarians. You have that backwards.

 

[tibor75]

Despite being a fairly avid reader and a huge sports fan, I've only read 2 books on that list: Seabiscuit and Into Thin Air.

And the second one I liked less after learning that LLLLLoyd used it as a motivational ploy for the 1997 Vulvarines.

Well, it worked. :(

 

[Buckeye Buh Nim]

I've read Seabiscuit and Golf in the Kingdom.

Seabiscuit was great, Golf in the Kingdom was like Jonathon Livingston Seagull.

If it were written today I suspect that The Greatest Game Ever Played would make the list. (much better golf book, don't know about the movie)