04/16/24
June 26, 2004
It's a gift: I'm looking for some really good sportswriting, either collections or a magazine that has consistently excellent writing, as a gift for the sports fan/participant who has everything (and who is also a damn good writer and appreciates good writing). Unfortunately, this guy has already read about half of the Best American Sports Writing collections, or I might be tempted to use them. I'd love a collection of the sportswriting of Hunter S. Thompson, but I don't think such exists. What else is out there? Any magazines with really excellent writing these days?
posted by lil_brown_bat to navel gazing at 07:06 AM - 7 comments
I received Dispatches from the Sporting Life by Mordecai Richler this past Christmas, and what I have read so far I enjoyed. Of course, Richler flavours slightly Canadian at times, but for the most part it is writing any sports fan will appreciate.
posted by smithers at 06:23 PM on June 26, 2004
I read Gary Smith's collection. Excellent series of character profiles of people such as Mike Tyson, Magic Johnson, etc. Recommended.
posted by Succa at 08:24 PM on June 27, 2004
The occasional article from the Observer is great (eg). Oh, and I never miss Steven Wells' writing for the Guardian.
posted by BigCalm at 03:17 AM on June 28, 2004
Simon Barnes is good in the Times - if he's into golf, my dad has recently been raving about the essays of Bernard Darwin (grandson of Charles), but I've not read them myself.
posted by JJ at 03:40 AM on June 28, 2004
George Plimpton on sports. Very literary and quite good fun.
posted by filthyboy at 02:34 PM on June 28, 2004
The Observer sports monthly is free, and most of it is online, but not the pictures. I would happily pay for it, if I had to.
posted by Fat Buddha at 05:23 PM on June 29, 2004
I'll point you to my post from way back listing two alternative sports journals/mags: Elysian Fields Quarterly (baseball) and Velovision (cycling). Haven't read them myself but they looked more literary than the mainstream mags.