The Best American Sports Writing 2013 Contents

Since galley/review copies are being distributed, I am happy to release the contents of BASW 2013. Please note that this year, as in every other year, the final selections are made by the guest editor, in this case J.R. Moehringer. As always, the guest editor is always welcome to include selections not put forward by the Series Editor, and all stories put forward by the Series Editor are done so blindly, not identified by either source or author. The “Notable Sports Writing of 2012″ will only appear in the print or e-book edition and will not be reprinted here.

www.glennstout.net

 

KAREN RUSSELL. The Blind Faith of the One-Eyed Matador
http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201210/one-eyed-matador

MICHAEL MOONEY. The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever
http://www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_Magazine/2012/July/The_Most_Amazing_Bowling_Story_Ever_Bill_Fong.aspx

THOMAS LAKE. The Legacy of Wes Leonard
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1194912/

CHRIS BALLARD. Mourning Glory
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1206189/

BILL LITTLEFIELD. The Gym at 3rd and Ross
http://onlyagame.wbur.org/2012/04/13/third-and-ross

KENT BABB. Arrowhead Anxiety
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/14/3371495/arrowhead-anxiety-turnover-off.html

JASON SCHWARTZ. End Game
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2012/07/38-studios-end-game/

BILL GIFFORD. It’s Not About the Lab Rats
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/athletes/lance-armstrong/Its-Not-About-the-Lab-Rats.html

NICOLE PASULKA. Eddie is Gone
http://www.believermag.com/issues/201209/?read=article_pasulka

JONATHAN SEGURA. The Game of His Life.
http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201205/manchester-united-game-of-his-life-soccer-football-gq-may-2012

ERIK MALINOWSKI. The Making of Homer at the Bat
http://deadspin.com/5886723/the-making-of-homer-at-the-bat-the-episode-that-conquered-prime-time-20-years-ago-tonight

BRIDGET QUINN. At Swim, Two Girls
http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/spring-2012/swim-two-girls

ALLISON GLOCK. At the Corner of Love and Basketball
http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/7985309/malika-willoughby-rosalind-ross-had-tragic-love-story-espn-magazine

RICK REILLY. Chy Johnson and Her Boys
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8579599/chy-johnson-boys

BURKHARD BILGER. The Strongest Man in the World
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/07/23/120723fa_fact_bilger

BARRY BEARAK. Caballo Blanco’s Last Run
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/sports/caballo-blancos-last-run-the-micah-true-story.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

MARK SINGER. Marathon Man
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/08/06/120806fa_fact_singer

DAN KOEPPEL. Redemption of the Running Man

CINTHIA RITCHIE. Running
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsportliterate.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FRunning.pdf&ei=gpL1UYrCPLTD4AOIoYHYBg&usg=AFQjCNH5eLaFq2zwzngkLTLDJCulFVWZEQ&sig2=U_RSGNQkAJZ0m9fikkGBQQ&bvm=bv.49784469,d.dmg

CHARLES SIEBERT. Goal to Go
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/magazine/the-hard-life-of-an-nfl-long-shot.html?pagewanted=all

DAVID SIMON. Fear the Bird
http://davidsimon.com/fear-the-bird-the-sports-illustrated-reprise/

GARY SMITH. Why Don’t More Athletes Take a Stand?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1201772/

PATRICK HRUBY. Did Football Kill Austin Trenum?
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/did-football-kill-austin-trenum/

WRIGHT THOMPSON. Urban Meyer Will Be Home for Dinner
http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8239451/ohio-state-coach-urban-meyer-new-commitment-balancing-work-family-life

PAUL SOLOTAROFF. The NFL’s Secret Drug Problem
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/the-nfls-secret-drug-problem-20121127

JEFF MACGREGOR. Waiting for Goodell
http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/11772/waiting-for-goodell

Thanks, Small Town Guy. All the links should be proper now.

 

But you missed JR's Intro...

 

Here's David Simon's.

http://davidsimon.com/fear-the-bird-the-sports-illustrated-reprise/

 

Glenn, I'll likely buy the book anyway but wanted to give everyone a chance to read what's in it.

 

Is there still this insistence that Stout get a subscription if you want to enter a story?
I had one I wanted to enter and got laughed out of the circulation office when I said they had to send a year's freebie.

 

Anyone, readers, writers, editors, could submit their stories for consideration and I'm pretty sure that's been the case since its inception. The subscription had nothing to do with whether or not you could submit your story.

 

Simon's is predictably awesome. Particularly the part where he describes watching part of the epic 1988 losing streak in the homicide unit of the police department. That gig, as anybody who appreciates great TV knows, led to Homicide: Life on the Street.

 

Respectfully, that Wetzel's column on Brady after the Super Bowl did not make it feels very wrong.

 

My picks from earlier this year:

I knew Hall's dogs story wouldn't make the cut. I feel as though the wrong Hruby story made it, though. The sports welfare one was probably the best thing I read last year. It was so important. I also agree on Wetzel's Brady story, which was the best deadline writing of the year. And I think Sokolove's Pistorius profile seems even more relevant now.

That said, I'm contented by most of the picks, especially the three overlapping ones. It is fairly stunning, though, that Grantland, Sports on Earth, The Classical, SB Nation Longform and the like all were snubbed.

 

Exactly.

 

That little disclaimer you write each year sure makes it sound like you have to have a subscription before a story is considered.