The Best American Sports Writing 1993

This collection proves again that some of the best current American journalism is on the sports pages. The book contradicts Deford's assertion that sports writers should be held to a higher standard of craftsmanship because ``sports is rarely significant in the grand scheme of things. . . . '' For example, the battle over Islamic fundamentalism is at the heart of Kenny Moore's profile of Algeria's track stars Noureddine Morceli and Hassiba Boulmerka, a woman who must run in shorts, much to the outrage of the clerics. Mitch Albom takes an example of random gunplay on a basketball court and, through his fine reporting, elevates it to the level of tragedy. There's also a hilarious piece by Roy Blount Jr., detailing his humiliating experiences at a race-car driving school. Dave Barry brings a pleasantly irreverent spin to the over-covered joys of small-town minor-league baseball and Donna Tartt offers some insight into class struggle in high school in her reminiscence of her days as a cheerleader. Finally, if it proves nothing else, this volume reaffirms the excellence of the staff of Sports Illustrated ; the magazine is represented by four of the strongest articles in the book. Deford is an SI alum and a sports columnist for National Public Radio. (Nov.)