Best books about sports

[mike salem]

I was reading an old post about what hooked us on HS football. It got me to thinking about books that I had read that captured some of those feelings. John Grisham is a tremendous author that writes mostly legal thrillers, but he's written several good sports books. Bleachers was my favorite sports book that he wrote about HS football. Playing for Pizza Is another good one about playing professional football in Europe. Calico Joe is a book about baseball that I really enjoyed. He has a newer book about basketball that I haven't read yet, but I want to check out called Sooley.

Have you guys read any good sports books?

 

[MaroonDude]

Junction Boys.

 

[BleedingNavy]

This is a great topic Mike. I have always enjoyed sports biographies and thanks to many I have a nice collection. The following is my top ten:

1. Quiet Strength: Tony Dungy - Leadership 2. When the Game was Ours - Bird and Magic, 3. Triumph:. Untold story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics by Jeremy Schaap, 4. Pete Rose:. My prison without bars, 5. Jim Thorpe: Lit by lightening, 6. Cobb:. Al Stump, 7. When pride still mattered:. Vince Lombardi, 8. Ball Four: Jim Bouton, 9. Season on the brink by John Finestein, 10 is a tie and they are just funny baseball books Bronx Zoo by R Goldenbock (1978-1979 Yankees, and I ain't no athlete Lady by John Kruk.

 

[schoolboard]

I loved Season on the Brink, and also A Season Inside. Which is funny, because I hate his speaking voice and change the channel whenever I hear it.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Though not technically a sports book, the book that I just completed centered around a high school football story.

“Just Plea”, by Michael Stagg

I guess it would fall under the category of a Legal Thriller, with a murder mystery thrown in. What made it so good was the fact that the author obviously has been around high school football because his descriptions and story were spot on with reality.

 

[Lion_4_life]

Top Dog.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

The Last Shot by Darcy Frey.

 

[gwb16]

My favorite, hands down...SNAKE...Ken Stabler. I wasn't a Raiders fan at all, but if you want to read a great book add that one to your list. I read non-stop. I read that 30 years ago? Still at the top of my all time favorites. If I still had my copy, I would mail it you, sadly, I recently did a purge and donated it to the thrift store.

 

[BleedingNavy]

My favorite, hands down...SNAKE...Ken Stabler. I wasn't a Raiders fan at all, but if you want to read a great book add that one to your list. I read non-stop. I read that 30 years ago? Still at the top of my all time favorites. If I still had my copy, I would mail it you, sadly, I recently did a purge and donated it to the thrift store.

@gwb16 you are spot on. Very good read. I thoroughly enjoyed the comedy and the details about his experience playing for Coach Bryant. Those Raider teams had some characters. Jack Tatum's book from that era was quite good as well. I believe it was called "They call me the Assassin".

 

[MaryGuzman]

Snake was one of my favorites for a while, but then I realized that fact-checking this book left out some key points. There are contradictions when the same story is mentioned in several places, and this happens for several stories. I'm not criticizing Snake's life, but I can't accept the lack of thoroughness in the research. That is why I suggest better reading "Popol Vuh" - trust me, this legendary work is more motivating.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I remember reading a biography of Lou Gehrig when I was in elementary school, and being so emotionally moved that it has stuck with me for life. I guess it was the first times in my young life that I learned that everything in life was not always happiness.

 

[EvelynRodriquez]

@MaryGuzman
This is a different kind of biography. It is said that part of the idea of writing the books was to show a different side of Ken Stabler than his NFL playing career. How about the book "Popol Vuh: A Retelling" by Ilan Stavans, I also want to praise this masterpiece. I learned on https://freebooksummary.com/category/popol-vuh about creating life from natural materials. The gods try to create us from mud, and later from wood. Moreover, the free book summary inspired me through such ideas to love sports more, because it is again about nature and our harmony with it through physical activity and body development. The book is worthy to be read.

 

[cutnjump]

Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer if you guys want a trip in the way back machine to the Lombardi Packers and other stories in Run to Daylight.

 

[used2coach]

The best books I've read about football include The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football, When Saturdays Mattered Most (The last golden season of Army Football), Friday Night Lights and What a Game They Played: An Inside Look at the Golden Era of Pro Football.

I'm an old guy. LOL

​

 

[OldIndian81]

Boys of Summer and also Bums about 50’s Brooklyn Dodgers; Loose Balls by Terry Pluto about ABA (some interesting parts about Virginia Squires remember them?). The Earl of Baltimore about the great Earl Weaver and his Orioles. Sea Biscuit and Cinderella Man - good movies, better books. Unbroken - not necessarily sports but about ‘36 US Olympian and WW II POW - stunning story of strength and survival. Not great literature but anyone remember the late 60’s/early 70’a NFL Punt, Pass and Kick series of books for kids? MLB had a series too - loved those, read and reread many of them.

 

[mike salem]

I remember reading a biography of Lou Gehrig when I was in elementary school, and being so emotionally moved that it has stuck with me for life. I guess it was the first times in my young life that I learned that everything in life was not always happiness.

Wait... They had books and school? You were young!?!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Wait... They had books and school? You were young!?!

Well…, actually it was scrolls and we gathered in the olive tree grove.
At least I had that. Bleeding Navy comunicated with grunts, and was struggling to learn how to use fire.

 

[MaroonDude]

My personal statement is "JV FOOTBALL RULZ!"

 

[Researcher27]

Ball Four by Jim Bouton