bookexcerpts Page 8 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
A Life And Death In Baseball Cards
The following is taken from Josh Wilker's wonderful memoir Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards. You can find more of Josh's writing at cardboardgods.net...
How Jim McMahon Terrorized New Orleans During Super Bowl XX
Today's selection comes from Michael Weinreb's book, Bigger Than The Game: Bo, Boz, the Punky QB, and How the '80s Created the Modern Athlete. This excerpt offers a glimpse into the aforementioned punkyness of the Bears' eccentric QB....
Why Aren't There More Good Baseball Movies?
The following is excerpted from Emma Span's 90% Of The Game Is Half Mental: And Other Tales from the Edge of Baseball Fandom, an account of one woman's love of baseball—from cheering along at home to being on the team beat and everywhere in between....
The Legend Of Black Superman: Billy Ray Bates, Flying High In The Philippines
In the 1980s, Billy Ray Bates, dubbed "the Legend" by Brent Musberger, washed out of the NBA and onto the shores of the Philippines, where for a few wild years his legend grew, both on the court and in the bars....
Taunting Tony Horton The Day After He Slit His Wrists: A Cleveland Fan Repents
The following is excerpted from Top of the Order: 25 Writers Pick Their Favorite Baseball Player of All Time, edited by Sean Manning and featuring essays by Matt Taibbi, Stefan Fatsis, and others. Here's Scott Raab, writing about former Indian Tony Horton....
Excerpt From <em>The Game From Where I Stand</em>: "Don't You Want A Sammy Sosa Body?"
The following is taken from chapter 8 of Doug Glanville's "The Game From Where I Stand." Read it, buy the book, and chat with Doug in a followup post at 2pm....
Excerpt From <em>Shit My Dad Says</em>: "Act Like You've Been There Before"
Below is a chapter titled "Confidence Is The Way To A Woman's Heart, Or, At Least Into Her Pants " from SMDS by Justin Halpern, America's premier chronicler of patriarchal affection. Buy the book, read the Tweets, pray for Shatner. Chat at 2....
A Prayer For Steve Bartman
The following is adapted from Will Leitch's Are We Winning? Fathers and Sons and the New Golden Age of Baseball....
Excerpt From Sarah Silverman's <em>The Bedwetter</em>
The following is taken from Chapter 1 of Sarah Silverman's memoir, The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee. Chat with her in a followup post....
Live Chat With Sam Lipsyte
Sam's down in the comments, awaiting both your observations on America's sham meritocracy and your penis humor. Go say hi. Don't forget to read the excerpt and buy the book....
Excerpt From <em>The Ask</em>: "... And I Pictured Titboning Vargina In A Rare Books Room"
Below is the first chapter of The Ask, by Sam Lipsyte, our funniest and foremost chronicler of fuck-up Americana. Read it and come back at 3 p.m. for a live chat with the author in a followup post....
Join Us Thursday For A Live Chat With Sam Lipsyte, Author Of <em>The Ask</em>
We'll have an excerpt Thursday from the great Sam Lipsyte's new novel, which is very funny and which I encourage you to read immediately. Sam will be by around 3 p.m. to say filthy things to you and discuss aggressively marketed nachos....
Book Excerpt: "Confessions Of A Washed-Up Sportswriter," From <em>Rules Of The Game</em>
Today's excerpt comes from a 1968 essay by Gary Cartwright, anthologized in Harper's Magazine's new sportswriting anthology, Rules of the Game, which we highly recommend....
Live Chat With Mark Bechtel
Mark's in the comments. Topics for discussion: Daytona, rubbing, smutty NASCAR romance novels, Richard Petty's loopy handwriting, the art of dodging fireballs on the speedway, Cale Yarborough's karate kick, the Swimsuit Issue, and why Mark is in Vegas right now....
Book Excerpts That Don't Suck: <em>He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back</em>
Today's selection is from Mark Bechtel's He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back, a romp through NASCAR's pivotal 1979 season. Watch the video below, read the excerpt, and chat with Mark at 1 p.m. in a followup post....
Book Excerpts That Don't Suck: <em>American Voyeur</em>
Today's comes from New York Times Magazine writer and Deadspin contributor Benoit Denizet-Lewis, author of American Voyeur. These are slices from his "Regular Guys" piece, which should be educational for most of you. Chat with him at 1 p.m....
Live Chat With Chris Ballard
Chris is in the comments below. Suggested topics for discussion: what Steve Kerr wrote on his shoes; LeBron's actual weight; Reggie Miller's portable massage tool; where to get a run in South Dakota; mushroom prospecting; that other basketball book....
Book Excerpts That Don't Suck: <em>The Art Of A Beautiful Game</em>
Today's comes from Sports Illustrated's ever-excellent Chris Ballard, author of The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA. Here's Chris on Kobe Bryant, basketball nerd. Chat with him at 1 p.m. in a followup post....
Tomorrow: Live Chat With A <em>Sports Illustrated</em> Writer Who's Actually Familiar With The Internet
Chris Ballard, SI wordsmith and author of The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan's Tour of the NBA will be here (and not some Geocities page at the far end of the Internet) at 1 p.m. Join us....
Book Excerpts That Don't Suck: <em>Monday Morning Quarterback</em>
Today's excerpt comes courtesy of SI writer Peter King's "Monday Morning Quarterback." Read along in the gallery below about Belichick's wizardry, then come back at 1 p.m. for the live chat in the follow-up post. Enjoy....