Jane Leavy's BASW 2011 picks are out

http://indiepro.com/glenn/index.php/the-best-american-sports-writing-2011/

I read a lot of sports journalism, and I'm annually impressed by how many things I haven't read end up in these collections.

Three thoughts:

1. Newspapers were relatively well represented, compared to some previous editions. Two from the Los Angeles Times, one from the Washington Post, one from the Boston Globe and one from the Philadelphia Daily News. In the Montville edition (2009), there were only two newspaper picks.
2. There seems to be a bigger focus than perhaps normal on reporting and hard-to-tackle issues, which is nice.
3. This book features a few stories focusing on women's rights, which is fine and perhaps needed. Leavy is the first female editor, and the pieces by Jenkins, Roberts and Haas were all excellent. (Those were of the 10 pieces I had already read featured here, out of 29.)

I recall reading Jason Fagone's Marvin Harrison feature in February 2010 and thinking, "If this piece doesn't get in, it's only because of the turnaround on BASW and a complete lack of emphasis on breaking news." I'm particularly glad that piece was included, considering all the aftershock it created.

 

Not bitter, because I know I'll never get in, but it would be nice to see the little guy get a bone once in a while. I'm sure there is some pretty damned good writing from circulations less than 250K.

EDIT: Holy crap, after going back to read this, is this what a soccer mom sounds like?

 

YOU ONLY COVER ME WHEN I WRITE FOR A PRESTIGE PUBLICATION

No, that never gets old.

 

Those guys try just as hard as all the big papers.

 

BASW is costing me a scholarship.

 

Come on. Don't make me go to the bookstore and leaf through the back, alphabetically, in breathless anticipation, only to ... oh, I'm such a fool. (Blood flushing to forehead.)

I mean, I've never done that.

Ahem. Where are the "notables" of 2010?

 

I prefer to think that they have to ask a writer's permission for inclusion in BASW, and they're afraid I'll say no.

 

Actually, my dog ate the submission you meant to send when your grandmother died during the postal strike.

 

Where can we find the list of honorable mentions for 2011?

Also, an idea for future editions: Block out the name of the author and the name of the publication. Every year, I'm convinced that some of the picks are swayed by the writer's reputation.

 

Notables released with publication. And for a number of years all submissions to the guest editor have been made blind. Whenever possible I give the Guest editor all submissions as word documents without notice of author, publication, or with any illustrations. When I can't get the story in a word doc, I try to block out any identifying information.

 

Those writers put in lots of hard work, too. They deserve to be recognized.

 

That's a great policy, Glenn, though I'm not sure anything besides rewriting could keep most people from knowing what Gary Smith wrote. Then again, he might be the only active sports writer that's unequivocally true for right now. Wright Thompson, maybe? Posnanski? Simers? Simmons?