10 of the best sports books
It seems everyone has a little more time on their hands.
The recent “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order from Gov. Jay Inslee has most people confined to their homes, and only making essential trips to the grocery store or pharmacy. With the multitude of streaming services available, spending all day on the couch binging the latest documentary series is an easy option. There’s at-home workouts to do or chores that have been ignored for too long.
But might I suggest some reading?
Both myself and sports reporter Casey McCarthy are avid readers of sports books; the entire top row of my bookshelf is dedicated to sports, mostly basketball. As an English major, I do feel a duty to grind through the classics of literature. However, I derive the most enjoyment from reading when I am deep into a sports biography or learning about a single legendary season chronicled by a writer with unparalleled access to the team they’re covering.
In no order, here are 10 great sports books to read while stuck inside. Although Casey and I are huge basketball fans, there was an attempt to add variety to the list.
My choices
• “The Breaks of the Game” by David Halberstam (1981)
In the conversation for the greatest book about basketball, Halberstam follows the 1979-80 Portland Trailblazers season.
“The Breaks of the Game” provides deep access into the Trailblazers’ organization as Halberstam worked as an embedded reporter and traveled with the team during the season.
• “Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty” by Jeff Pearlman (2008)
Pearlman is my favorite sportswriter and I had to show some restraint not to choose him for all five of my picks. “Boys Will Be Boys” is a must-read for any fan of America’s team. The drama that surrounded the Dallas Cowboys during their heyday has to be read to be believed.
• “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” by Jeff Passan (2017)
Required reading for any up-and-coming pitcher, “The Arm” gives a detailed look at the science surrounding pitching and the grueling process of recovery from an arm injury. Passan is one of the most celebrated contemporary baseball writers in the country.
• “Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre” by Jeff Pearlman (2016)
I wasn’t a huge Brett Favre fan growing up, but I decided to read “Gunslinger” because of Pearlman’s thorough reporting. This biography gives an unfiltered view on one of the most beloved quarterbacks in NFL history.
• “Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever” by Jack McCallum (2013)
A book about the most star-studded basketball team in history, what else needs to be said? McCallum is another legendary sportswriter that was able to capture the fervor of the 1992 Dream Team.
Casey’s choices
• “The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy” by Bill Simmons (2009)
Simmons’ tome (752 pages) is perfect for any basketball junkie. The author’s wit and references make the 700-plus page book feel like a breezier read than it should.
• “Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series” by Eliot Asinof (2000)
The 1919 Black Sox are the most notorious team in MLB history. The fix of the 1919 World Series is recounted by Asinof in an updated telling of the scandal.
• “The Baron and the Bear: Rupp’s Runts, Haskins’s Miners, and the Season That Changed Basketball Forever” by David Kingsley Snell
Casey, a proud member of Big Blue Nation, shows his objectivity with this choice. The 1966 NCAA basketball championship game featured the powerhouse University of Kentucky against underdog Texas Western College (now UTEP). Texas Western, featuring an all-black starting lineup, beat Kentucky for the championship.
• “Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich” by Mark Kriegel (2008)
Maravich was one of the flashiest basketball players in history, but had a complicated life. A child prodigy, Maravich averaged over 44 points per game at Louisiana State University.
• “The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams” by Darcy Frey (2004)
The poetic nature of basketball can be found on the playground courts, most notably in New York City. “The Last Shot” gives a glimpse into the playground ballplayers of Coney Island and what it takes to break free of neighborhood constraints.