The Best American Sports Writing 2012

In his introduction to the latest edition of this series, sports media personality Wilbon yearns for the days when "the sportswriter was a pretty indispensible character" and laments that "now anyone who can text or Tweet can be a sportswriter." Perhaps that's why, among the 20 pieces of evidence presented here suggesting that long-form sportswriting is alive and well, Wilbon includes "The Two-Fisted, One-Eyed Misadventures of Sportswriting's Last Badass," Alex Belth's colorful Deadspin.com profile of the late old-school boxing writer George Kimball, who didn't want to die without having written something of worth. A dark undercurrent flows through most of these stories (of which only two originally appeared online), with frequent themes of murder, corruption, and falls from grace. No fewer than three%E2%80%94including posthumous profiles of NHL enforcer Derek Boogaard and NFL safety Dave Duerson %E2%80%94focus on the well-publicized effects of concussions. More revealing are John Brant's piece for Runner's World, in which famous marathoner Frank Shorter shares excruciating details about how his father, a popular physician, abused him; Michael Mooney's D Magazine profile of Texas Rangers' manager Ron Washington, who prefers his anonymity; and Jon Mooallem's short history of the high five for ESPN: The Magazine. (Oct.)