The Best American Sports Writing 2012

ESPN television personality Wilbon (former sportswriter, Washington Post; coauthor with Charles Barkley, Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?) takes the reins as guest editor of this annual showcase of notable American sports writing. He includes 20 magazine and newspaper articles of varying length, depth, and style from such print and online sources as ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, and other traditional sports publications, as well as The New Yorker and GQ. Articles on extreme athletes dominated last year's edition, but this year the collection primarily profiles athletes in mainstream team sports, including two tales of former NBA stars trying to salvage their careers in foreign leagues and three stories of former pros whose lives have been derailed or prematurely ended by on-the-field or on-the-ice head injuries. But the book's centerpiece and highlight is Taylor Branch's long, detailed Atlantic magazine article on the scandal-ridden big-money world of college athletics and the nebulous role and controversial actions of the NCAA. There are tragic and violent tales of child abuse, murder, and suicide in these pages, balanced by uplifting stories of second chances, indomitable spirits, and the importance of sports for small towns and entire countries alike.