The Best American Sports Writing 2012

The Best American Series®

First, Best, and Best-Selling

The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected — and most popular — of its kind.

The Best American Sports Writing 2012 includes

PAUL SOLOTAROFF JEANNE MARIE LASKAS WELLS TOWER WRIGHT THOMPSON S. L. PRICE DAVE SHEININ JON MOOALLEM and others

This collection, guest edited by Michael Wilbon, goes beyond the headlines to deliver:

• Investigative Reporting: Hard-hitting pieces from top publications that uncover the truth behind the games, including the life and death of a hockey enforcer.
• CTE and Concussions in Sports: A critical look at the price of football, exploring the devastating effects of head trauma on NFL players like Dave Duerson and Fred McNeill.
• Unforgettable Athlete Profiles: In-depth portraits of sports icons, from the rise of prodigy Bryce Harper to the tragic fall of NBA star Allen Iverson.
• Surprising Sports Histories: Go beyond the box score with fascinating stories you’ve never heard, like the mysterious origins of the high five.