Review: The Year's Best Sports Writing 2025

Edited by Hanif Abdurraqib

Take it from me, this is not your father's Best Sports Writing book. 

Come to think of it, I've probably read almost of these sports anthologies books - compiled by at least three different publishers over the years - since the early 1950s. This is not your grandfather's Best Sports Writing (or Best Sports Stories, as it was called in those days) book. 

Way back when, most of the nation's sports writing came from newspapers and magazines - and it stuck to the traditional sports as a subject. The book's contents reflected that fact. Television changed the industry quite a bit, as more people could now see for themselves what happened in a particular game. Articles had to explain why something happened, as well as covering personalities and issues. The book reflected that. 

In recent years, of course, newspapers and magazines have fallen on hard times in recent years, and the number of possible candidates from those outlets for inclusion into anthologies has gone down. In the meantime, some of the good writing has migrated to the Internet. That's been a frequent source of material for these anthologies in recent years. Along the way, the range of stories has grown wider. That can often lead to a pleasant surprise for the reader, who learns about some area that falls under the sports umbrella - even faintly.

That's brings us to the 2025 edition, in which Hanif Abdurraqib serves as the editor. Abdurraqib wrote a book about basketball and growing up poor in America that won some noteworthy awards.Almost any semblance of traditional sources has been thoroughly blown up. Taking a bow for their stories are such outlets as The Lever, Noema Magazine, Island, Block Club Chicago, Basketball Feelings, Flaming Hydra, The Contrapuntal, The New Arab, and Ultiworld. That's not exactly The Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated.  

Meanwhile, the list of story titles brings to mind the slang definition of "woke." One side of our political divide uses it as praise for those who are aware of social injustice, while the other side considers it a putdown for those who are too politically correct. Consider a handful of entries from the table of contents. "Nothing is Gayer than My Love for Women's Basketball." "The Ballet School." "Death of the Hiker." "Imane Khelif: Refusing the Violent Fiction of Binary Gender." "The Worrying Road Ahead of Muslim Sportswomen Amid Hijab Bans and Discrimination." Not much traditional sports coverage is implied there.

I approached this book the same as I do with any anthology. I start reading every article, and see how long I last. That includes stories that would never appear in the sports section of a newspaper. Good writing is good writing, and some of the pieces kept me going right through the conclusion with ease. I hadn't heard about the controversy surrounding a San Jose State transgender volleyball player, but it's a fine recounting of a complicated story. The tale about a former drug addict who essentially has run his way to sobriety is a page-turner. "Scholar's Mate" takes a look at the game of chess in a very different way. A tribute to Rafael Nadal held my interest, although it has a bit more of an outside-in approach to the story. 

But others couldn't lure me in. It's going to take some work to draw a more traditional reader into stories about recreational roller-skating, or ultimate frisbee, or walking/hiking, or ballet.  

Therefore, "The Year's Best Sports Writing 2025" is more of a hit-or-miss collection than usual. There were too many misses for me to be very enthusiastic about the book's good-sized change in direction this year. However, adventurous readers might find some stories that that wouldn't find anywhere else, and take delight from the range. In short, see if you are up to the challenge before paying $21.95 plus tax for this. And I'll be interested to see what the overall reaction might be by the sports public. 

Three stars.

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Review: Moses Malone (2025)

By Paul Knepper

Author Paul Knepper has taken on a difficult assignment here. It's not easy to put all of the pieces together in the life and times of Moses Malone.  

The basketball superstar had all sorts of twists and turns in his career. Knepper documents many of them in his book, "Moses Malone." That's a good idea, since most Hall of Famers deserve some sort of biographical treatment ... and Moses wasn't the most forthcoming person in the world with his public. 

Certainly Malone's experiences as a youth explain part of the story. He grew up in single parent home in Petersburg, Virginia, as Moses' father was kicked out of the house by his mother at the age of 2. Mom did a heroic job of making sure that Moses had clothes on his back and food on the table, although the rest of the family joined together to help out too. 

As for Moses, he picked up basketball at the age of 13. By the time he was in high school, Malone had started to become good at the game - in part because he kept growing and growing (his 6-foot-10 eventually height was quite a contrast to his mother's 5-2 frame) and in part because he kept working at it. By junior year, he had led his high school to an undefeated season and a state championship. Malone had placed a note in a Bible that he'd be the best high school player in the country. After that season, he wrote another note that read he'd be the first person ever to jump from high school to the pros. 

The route was difficult everywhere but on the court. There the Petersburg school again went unbeaten, and Malone remained the top college prospect in the nation. That sent a barrel of scouts and coaches chasing after him, some offering "fringe benefits." Maryland eventually won that battle, but it was a short-lived triumph. The American Basketball Association was losing its battle with the more established NBA, and was desperate for players. A pro contract convinced Malone to skip college and join Utah of the pros. 

Malone was raw, of course, but no one outworked him - on the court or off. He was the most determined rebounder in the game, and most of his points came off offensive rebounds. Malone also worked year round to improve his game in all areas. When the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, Moses was thrown into limbo since his second ABA team, St. Louis, didn't enter the combined league. He went to Portland, which wanted to trade him since Bill Walton was already there. Malone was dealt to Buffalo, where problems with the coach and a dispute over playing time led to a quick trade to Houston. 

That's where everything clicked. Malone soon became a dominating force with the Rockets, leading them to the NBA Finals once and winning MVP and All-League honors. No one was anxious to play a somewhere mediocre Houston team, because Moses was capable of stealing a game. When contracts got in the way of that relationahship, Malone jumped to the Philadelphia 76ers. He was the missing link for the Sixers, who won the NBA title in 1982. Moses stayed through 1986, although Philadelphia couldn't duplicate the magic in that era.

We didn't know it yet, but - as Knepper effectively points out - Malone's best days were behind him at 30. Perhaps Moses had just worn himself down. He bounced through several teams with decreasing effectiveness in the years to come. Malone retired in 1995 after 21 years as a pro. He somewhat disappeared from the public eye at that point, serving as an assistant coach in the NBA briefly and playing lots of golf. Malone died at the age of 60 of heart disease. 

The book makes it clear that Malone was much better as a private friend than as a public figure. Moses certainly had a shy side that began as a child. That's not surprising for someone who was so tall, had a voice so deep it was difficult to understand, and some dental problems. Mix all that with the poor background and subpar schools, and some assumed that Malone simply wasn't that bright. But the superficial reading seems to be wrong. Many associates - including business people - say Malone actually was quite sharp on the court and off it. Teammates here recount how Malone often helped them adjust to the NBA game, and stayed friends in retirement - from stars to bench-warmers. 

Malone's biggest problem probably was with personal romantic relationships. He had too many of them, particularly when he was married. Malone also was charged with physical abuse of his wife, and was said to have made threats to her after the divorce. While it's tough to know the complete story from a distance, the episodes leave a very poor impression behind. Malone also had moments of great generosity and other moments of severe frugality. Moses wouldn't be the only basketball player to come out of poor surroundings without terrific money management skills. 

Malone died before getting his version of his life's events down on paper, and he probably wouldn't have been interested in doing so anyway. By definition, then, Malone's story has to be told more or less from the outside looking in. "Moses Malone" does feel a little like there's a hole in the middle of the story, but there's certainly value in finding out more about this basketball star who during the early 1980s was right up there with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in terms of ranking with the NBA's best.  

Four stars

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Review: Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown (2025)

By Bill Madden

One of the pleasures of the journalism business is the chance to talk to some of the veterans of the field about their years in the business. They've been around the block more than a few times, and have encountered a variety of interesting people and gone through all sorts of experiences. 

Bill Madden is one of those veterans. He's been around the professional ranks for about 55 years, depending on how you count. Madden has been on the baseball beat in New York for 50 of those years. It's time for him to empty out the notebook and search through the memory bank. 

The resulting book is "Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown." It comes across as the chance to have a nice, fun chat with the man himself.

While Madden has covered a variety of teams and sports over the years when necessary, his biggest job has been to follow the comings and goings of the New York Yankees. He arrived on the job at the New York Daily News shortly after George Steinbrenner took over as the team's owner. It's fair to say that there wasn't a boring moment for the first 20 years or so of Madden's work days. 

One never knew what Steinbrenner was liable to do in a given moment. He loved the attention handed out by newspapers, especially when it meant the Yankees were on the back cover of the New York City tabloids. Steinbrenner and Billy Martin attracted publicity like moths to a fly, even if they couldn't figure out how much they needed each other. 

There were other names added to the mix, of course. Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Dave Winfield, Ron Guidry, Rich Gossage, Graig Nettles. As Madden writes, he never had to worry too much about finding some material for a first-edition story - the piece that was designed to be printed in the newspaper before the game itself ended. Madden only had to walk around the clubhouse before a game with a pen, and stories would appear out of the ether. 

Madden used some of those stories in a few books earlier in his carer. It's safe now to tell some of the details attached to the anecdotes. For instance, when Madden was thinking about writing a book on teinbrenner, another Yankees' executive not only gave Madden permission to write it, but helped convince others in the organization to talk to the author freely about George's life. 

Speaking of Steinbrenner, Madden does a good job of recapping the story behind the owner's suspension in the early 1990s. I hadn't followed the details that closely, but Madden makes a very good case that Fay Vincent was quite arrogant during that process. That issue turned out to be one of the nails in the coffin of the Commissioner of Baseball, who was fired soon after that. 

Speaking of surprises, Madden also takes an interesting look here at the memorabilia scandals that hit sports (but mostly baseball) in the 1990s. Bill wrote a column on baseball cards for The Sporting News starting in the 1980s, and he began to explore that entire hobby as the years went by. Turns out corruption was quite rampant in that particular business, as some of the old-time merchandise was less than authentic. 

Madden only has one chapter that's something of a "get off my lawn" moment. It comes at the end, and it's about baseball analytics. You might have guessed that. He's not sold on the movement in that direction, particularly when it wipes the human element out of the game. Perhaps we are overdoing it in some cases, but analytics are simply one tool of many in the toolbox. 

The veteran starts the book with what might have been a better ending. He won the Spink Award for Career Excellence in baseball reporting in 2011, which essentially makes him a member of the Hall of Fame. It's a good launching point for some stories about the greats of the game. For example, Madden went on a car ride to Cooperstown once with Joe DiMaggio. When the Yankee Clipper was asked about Lou Gehrig, DiMaggio said he was a great team ... and added that Gehrig once had an affair with Mae West. Can't say I saw that coming.

"Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown" goes down quickly and smoothly. I zipped through it in a few hours. While Yankee fans probably are the target audience for the book, an interest in the Bronx Bombers isn't exactly a prerequisite for enjoying this. Most baseball fans will enjoy the conversation.

Four stars

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Review: Every Day is Sunday (2025)

By Ken Belson

The on-field world of the National Football League can be engrossing and addicting. It's designed, at least, in theory, to be unpredictable in its results - making the five-month season something of a thrill ride for followers. That's why stadiums are sold out, and why the list of the most popular television broadcasts in a given year are absolutely dominated by NFL games. 

Even so, the off-the-field activities can be fascinating as well - maybe not quite as fascinating as the games, but they have a huge impact on America's favorite sport. The NFL is all about growing the game, which translates to growing the profits for the owners. To be fair, the players also get a share of that money, so they usually aren't upset when revenues go up either. There's plenty of cash to go around. 

The New York Times decided some years ago that the league itself and its dealings were worth covering on their own. Ken Belson picked up that assignment, and he's been on the job since then. It's not like he's had much down time during that span. What's more, he's been taking notes and writing stories about what has gone on over the years. 

Now he's emptied the notebook and dusted off the files in order to write a book on those years, "Every Day is Sunday." It's a solid look back at what's been going on in that span and beyond. 

The stars of the show are three different men. One, naturally, is the Commissioner. Roger Goodell by most standards has been effective in that role. He knows that his major goal is to keep the owners' accountants happy, and by all accounts he has done that. The value of NFL franchises has grown tremendously in recent years. Owners were never exactly candidates for financial aid, but lately only the super-super rich needed to apply to join the NFL club as entry fees (the cost of buying the team) has flown past $1 billion and into the mid-10 figures range. We might not be far from going into 11-figures ($10 billion) in the relatively near future. 

There's some good background information here on Goodell, who never has been a particularly warm and fuzzy public figure. There have been some slips along the way, but they haven't forced the league to change course very often. It's good to read something about Goodell's personal story and his overall philosophy regarding the job. 

Coming in just behind Goodell in terms of importance to the book are two owners: Jerry Jones and Bob Kraft. They take different approaches but are still the Biggest Dogs in a room full of them at owners' meetings. The personalities, however, are different. Jones is something of a rebel, always taking care to put the Dallas Cowboys first on his agenda - even if it may not go over well with his partners. Meanwhile, Kraft is more conciliatory. He often tries to bring parties together in the best interest of everyone. That can be thankless, but he's done it well. Both men are in the 80s, and both men have maintained their leadership spots for quite a while. 

Colson dedicates a chapter to most of the big issues that have come up over the years, even going back in time. For example, the NFL's jump to Fox Sports in the 1990s had a seismic effect on the broadcasting landscape, and not just in sports. It proved to be a huge move for Fox as it tried (and succeeded) in becoming the fourth major broadcast network. There are stories about franchise moves, poor player behavior, collective bargaining, the Colin Kaepernick saga (which affected free speech standards and team/player relations), and the continued rise of the Super Bowl as a quasi-national holiday. That's a good list by anyone's standards. 

Closer to home here in Buffalo, it was with some interest that there were a couple of references to Buffalo Bills' owner Terry Pegula along the way. It's interesting to see how Pegula has leaned on Jones for advice and guidance in several league matters since arriving in the Owners' Club. Pegula's predecessor, Ralph Wilson, didn't get along that well with Jones on policy matters involving the league, so the newcomer has flipped the script. At one point, Colson describes Pegula trying to solve a problem involving the league with a proposal at a meeting which was not only wrong, but almost painfully wrong. Terry has never been a particularly good speaker anyway, and it sounds like Pegula's opinion in league affairs has zero sway with anyone else in the league.

"Every Day is Sunday" may not have any great revelations in it about league affairs. Still, for those who haven't been paying attention to what's been going on with the league between Sundays, this is a good course on that subject. Meanwhile, those who do enjoy coverage of the NFL as a whole will find the behind-the-scenes information passed along at times to be quite interesting. Put those two aspects together, and the result is a worthwhile read for most football fans. 

Four stars

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