What do you think?
Rate this book
The Best American Sports Writing 1995
The foremost sports writing annual anthology gathers twenty-five articles, culled from more than 350 American and Canadian newspapers and magazines, covering a variety of sports and sports figures, from female gymnastics to veteran batter Ted Williams. Simultaneous.
356 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 1995
1 person is currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Dan Jenkins
82 books55 followersDan Jenkins was an American author and sportswriter, most notably for Sports Illustrated.
Jenkins was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended R.L. Paschal High School and Texas Christian University (TCU), where he played on the varsity golf team. Jenkins worked for many publications including the Fort Worth Press, Dallas Times Herald, Playboy, and Sports Illustrated. In 1985 he retired from Sports Illustrated and began writing books full-time and maintained a monthly column in Golf Digest magazine.
Larry King called Jenkins "the quintessential Sports Illustrated writer" and "the best sportswriter in America." Jenkins authored numerous works and over 500 articles for Sports Illustrated. In 1972, Jenkins wrote his first novel, Semi-Tough.
His daughter, Sally Jenkins, is a sports columnist for the Washington Post.
Jenkins was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended R.L. Paschal High School and Texas Christian University (TCU), where he played on the varsity golf team. Jenkins worked for many publications including the Fort Worth Press, Dallas Times Herald, Playboy, and Sports Illustrated. In 1985 he retired from Sports Illustrated and began writing books full-time and maintained a monthly column in Golf Digest magazine.
Larry King called Jenkins "the quintessential Sports Illustrated writer" and "the best sportswriter in America." Jenkins authored numerous works and over 500 articles for Sports Illustrated. In 1972, Jenkins wrote his first novel, Semi-Tough.
His daughter, Sally Jenkins, is a sports columnist for the Washington Post.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 12, 2013
The more shorter stories, the more I seem to enjoy these collections. Not that I mind more in-depth pieces, but too many in a row make this a difficult book to read in fits and starts throughout my commute or at lunch.
This collection certainly reflected the sports issues of the time. Several articles about the baseball strike, a few about OJ (at least peripherally), and several about the Harding/Kerrigan scandal. While I'm sure that represents the year it was written, it also seriously dates the collection and the 3rd or 4th example of a story on the same topic got tedious and repetitive.
So this was a mixed bag in that I appreciated the shorter stories and was surprised by some of the snarky ones included, but I also found that much of the same ground was covered over and over again. I'm guessing this reflects on the editor for the year, since he selects the final pieces.
Still, I didn't feel like I had to slog through many stories, since even those covering the same topics weren't very long. I don't think this book really provides 'the best' in sportswriting, so I wouldn't suggest it to someone looking for an introduction to the widerange of writing that is out there about sports. But the pieces in the collection are pretty enjoyable, particularly if you're looking for information about the sports world of 1994.
This collection certainly reflected the sports issues of the time. Several articles about the baseball strike, a few about OJ (at least peripherally), and several about the Harding/Kerrigan scandal. While I'm sure that represents the year it was written, it also seriously dates the collection and the 3rd or 4th example of a story on the same topic got tedious and repetitive.
So this was a mixed bag in that I appreciated the shorter stories and was surprised by some of the snarky ones included, but I also found that much of the same ground was covered over and over again. I'm guessing this reflects on the editor for the year, since he selects the final pieces.
Still, I didn't feel like I had to slog through many stories, since even those covering the same topics weren't very long. I don't think this book really provides 'the best' in sportswriting, so I wouldn't suggest it to someone looking for an introduction to the widerange of writing that is out there about sports. But the pieces in the collection are pretty enjoyable, particularly if you're looking for information about the sports world of 1994.
June 25, 2018
Liked this one a little less than I usually like books in this series.
Favorites:
Wampus Cats & Oyster Toads: A light-hearted, prideful, know-it-all review of catching world record fish.
Omaha Beach Has a Golf Course Now: A somber reflection on the commercialization of everything -- in 1994.
Whatever Happened to Ronnie Littleton?: A transportive and cautionary tale of the high school football star that flamed out.
Behind the Icy Glare: A moving and intricate look at the life of an NHL coach.
An Exclusive Club: A heartening and fascinating look behind the scenes at the lives of the men that break the mile barrier.
I found too many of the other stories in this one caustic, mean-spirited, unfunny, and about Tonya Harding. I suppose that was a product of its time -- still, a little less Tonya is usually a good thing.
Favorites:
Wampus Cats & Oyster Toads: A light-hearted, prideful, know-it-all review of catching world record fish.
Omaha Beach Has a Golf Course Now: A somber reflection on the commercialization of everything -- in 1994.
Whatever Happened to Ronnie Littleton?: A transportive and cautionary tale of the high school football star that flamed out.
Behind the Icy Glare: A moving and intricate look at the life of an NHL coach.
An Exclusive Club: A heartening and fascinating look behind the scenes at the lives of the men that break the mile barrier.
I found too many of the other stories in this one caustic, mean-spirited, unfunny, and about Tonya Harding. I suppose that was a product of its time -- still, a little less Tonya is usually a good thing.
November 19, 2019
Collecting the best sports stories of 1994. In 1994 baseball was on strike and there was no World Series. Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan was happening. Jennifer Capriati was attempting to make a comeback after her marijuana possession arrest and subsequent "addiction" drama. John Daly was beginning to be an issue for the golf Illuminati. Also, O.J.
Featuring writing from JA Adande, Wilbon and Kornheiser, Sally Jenkins, Mark Kram and James Ellroy (absolutely eviscerating the O.J. Simpson trial for GQ Magazine). Great collection, now out of print. Buy it if you can find it.
Featuring writing from JA Adande, Wilbon and Kornheiser, Sally Jenkins, Mark Kram and James Ellroy (absolutely eviscerating the O.J. Simpson trial for GQ Magazine). Great collection, now out of print. Buy it if you can find it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews