bestof Page 4 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
My Dinner With Ali
Adapted from the original, which was published in 1989 in the Louisville Courier-Journal Magazine. Footnotes from the author (as told to Tommy Craggs) are included throughout the story, and a postscript from Glenn Stout, editor of Houghton Mifflin’s Best American Sports Writing series, follows. The ...
A Little Greedy, And Exactly Right: Red Smith On Secretariat
Red Smith is the most respected sports columnist we've ever had. In his prime, Jimmy Cannon, Smith's friendly rival, was certainly as well-known. Cannon, the Voice of New York, was an emotional, colloquial writer whose reputation, unfortunately, has faded. But Smith endures. What is it about his wri...
The Black Berets: Red Smith On The Olympic Black Power Salute
Red Smith is the most respected sports columnist we've ever had. In his prime, Jimmy Cannon, Smith's friendly rival, was certainly as well-known. Cannon, the Voice of New York, was an emotional, colloquial writer whose reputation, unfortunately, has faded. But Smith endures. What is it about his wri...
Night For Joe Louis: Red Smith On Rocky Marciano's Knockout
Red Smith is the most respected sports columnist we've ever had. In his prime, Jimmy Cannon, Smith's friendly rival, was certainly as well-known. Cannon, the Voice of New York, was an emotional, colloquial writer whose reputation, unfortunately, has faded. But Smith endures. What is it about his wri...
Miracle Of Coogan's Bluff: Red Smith On The Shot Heard ‘Round The World
Red Smith is the most respected sports columnist we've ever had. In his prime, Jimmy Cannon, Smith's friendly rival, was certainly as well-known. Cannon, the Voice of New York, was an emotional, colloquial writer whose reputation, unfortunately, has faded. But Smith endures. What is it about his wri...
Leroy's Revenge: Two Dogs, Father And Son, Fight To The Death
Originally published in the August 1975 issue of Texas Monthly. Reprinted here with permission. As the author explains in the postscript, names have been changed, and the final scene is a composite. ...
Can Dennis Rodman Survive Retirement?
Originally published as "No Rebound" on June 1, 2003, in The New York Times Magazine. Footnotes from the author are included throughout the story....
New Year's Baby
Check out this 1951 column by Red Smith on Mickey Mantle:...
Let it Bleed
Head on over to the Columbia Journalism Review for this appreciation of Red Smith by his son, Terence Smith:...
The Double Life Of A Gay Dodger
Originally published in the October 1982 issue of Inside Sports....
Thin Air: In The Mountains With Steve Carlton, Armed Conspiracist
Originally published as "Thin Mountain Air" in the April 1994 issue of Philadelphia Magazine. The story appears in The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan published by Persea books. A postscript with thoughts from both the author and editor follows....
The Brief Life And Complicated Death Of Tommy Lasorda's Gay Son
Originally published in the October 1992 issue of GQ, as "Tangled Up in Blue." A postscript from the author follows....
Grand Master
Spring brings with it a bum's rush of new sports books. This year, one of the most prized titles comes from the distinguished Library of America—American Pastimes: The Very Best of Red Smith (edited by Dan Okrent). Smith is our most venerated sports columnist and we'll have much more on him and this...
The Weight Of Tex Cobb's Belief
Here's the second of four Pete Dexter columns about Randall "Tex" Cobb's heavyweight title fight against Larry Holmes. Click here for part one. Originally published Nov. 24, 1982, as "Gifts Aren't Everything" in the Philadelphia Daily News, this column appears here with the author's permission. ...
The Night Tex Cobb Saved My Life
In November 1982, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Pete Dexter went to Houston to watch his friend Randall "Tex" Cobb fight Larry Holmes for boxing's heavyweight championship. In the coming days, we'll republish Dexter's four columns from the event. Below, you'll find the first one, originally publ...
What People Said About the Piece of Shit Video Game the NRA Made Six Years Ago
Welcome back to "Backhanded Box Quotes," a collection of measured, thoughtful criticism from the user reviews of Metacritic and elsewhere on the Internet. ...
What Were Your Favorite Sports Stories From This Year?
The year in sportswriting is almost over, which means that it is time to start making all kinds of "best of" lists. All the cool kids are doing it. We'd like to make a list too, and we'd like your help compiling it. Were there any pieces of sportswriting that you came across this year that you foun...
The Top 10 Most Visited Deadspin Stories Of The Deadspin Decade
One more rundown before we start talking about stuff in 2010. These are the top 10 most popular posts of the Deadspin decade (2005-2009). It's an interesting glimpse into the psyche of the internet viewer. (Low-to-high, as usual.)...
Let's Say Farewell To 2009 With Class
Okay, it's time to close. We'll be here tomorrow with a bunch of galleries, Deleted Scenes and Bowl game open threads for you to occupy yourself with while you nurse hangover/lay on couch/contemplate hitting the gym/try to quit smoking....
The Year In ... Sports Fella
Just like last year, we're showcasing the people, ideas and memes that made Deadspin 2009 shine. Today: Bill Simmons....