Losers

April 27, 2020
Pilon (The Monopolists), a former New York Times journalist, and New Yorker contributor Thomas (Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams) explore the significance losing and defeat has on the lives of athletes and fans in this thoughtful anthology that gathers works by 22 writers, both living and dead, including Gay Talese, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bob Sullivan, and Louisa Hall. “Ultimately, these are stories about resilience, risk, inspiration, about being knocked down and getting up,” the editors observe about their selections. In “The Sporting House,” Charles Bock explores the drug-tarnished fortunes of 1980s NCAA basketball star Lloyd “Swee’pea” Daniels, who turns his life around and eventually plays in the NBA. In “The Peanut Vendor and the Curse,” Samuel Graham-Felsen, who worked as a peanut vendor at Boston’s Fenway Park, writes of his life of disappointment until the 2004 Red Sox World Series win. Pilon explores the up-and-down career of Michigan MMA promoter Scott DiPonio in “Tomato Can Blues.” Gay Talese, in his 1964 profile of boxer Floyd Patterson, examines the former champion’s view of the emotional toll after his recent defeat by Sonny Liston before stepping into the ring again. This is a stirring tribute to losing, one of life’s greatest teachers, the editors conclude.

May 15, 2020
Essays from the realm of competitive sports focusing on losing, which "reveals something raw about what it means to be human." A few of the bylines are well known, especially Gay Talese (his oft-anthologized 1964 Esquire profile of Floyd Patterson) and Arthur Conan Doyle (1908 Olympic marathon). Refreshingly, though, most of the contributors are less well known to general readers, and their subjects range from obscure to famous. Some of the essays were previously unpublished while others appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, the Believer, and other venues. As a collection, the book holds together well even for non-sports fans, though some readers may wish for value-added material such as postscripts or updates. Pilon and Thomas, who both write for the New Yorker and other publications, each contribute an essay. In her piece for that magazine, Thomas focuses on the pressures of the professional tennis tour via a profile of Nick Kyrgios, the volatile Australian who cannot seem to reach his potential in front of tournament crowds. "At some point in every match," she writes, "he tends to do something brilliant--or he snaps." Pilon's piece, published in 2013 in the Times, is set in the world of low-level mixed martial arts, "shadow fighting circuits" that are "far from the bright lights of professional matches." For basketball fans, Charles Bock offers "The Sporting House," about an ill-fated star in 1980s Las Vegas, a time when UNLV was the best show in town. Baseball fans will enjoy Bob Sullivan's "Yankee Strike" and Abby Ellin's "Larry and the Ball." In "Banderillero," Barry Newman writes about bullfighting, an endeavor relatively unknown to American readers. Mike Pesca investigates the many faces of losing and how many "come so close they can taste it, only to be left lapping at the dust of their rivals." In the introduction the editors write, "this book is for the losers--which is to say, for all of us." They deliver.

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July 1, 2020

Often in sportswriting, wthe focus is on the winning team. However, here editors Pilon (The Monopolists; The Kevin Show) and Thomas (Louisa; Conscience) compile essays, some of which are previously published, that consider losing as it "reveals something raw about what it means to be human." The collected works are from writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Gay Talese, Bob Sullivan, Kevin Hall, Brian Platzer, Carla Correa, and Ryan O'Hanlon. Among those profiled are Floyd Patterson (competing 1952-1972), the first boxing heavyweight to regain the title after losing it; Dick Beardsley, runner-up in the 1982 Boston Marathon; Ralph Branca, whose 1951 pitch to Bobby Thomson resulted in the home run causing the Dodgers to lose the pennant; LeBron James and his inconsistent record in NBA Finals; the 1964 season of the Philadelphia Phillies and their loss of the pennant; and tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who defeated some of the best players but could not win consistently. Biographies of contributing authors are included. VERDICT A fascinating look at another side of sports, emphasizing those who lost games, matches, and tournaments, along with the pressures they faced and the ramifications of their losses. A wonderful choice for sports enthusiasts.--Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens Village, NY

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