2025 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award Winner in Sports"A brutal look at the tragedy of addiction . . . Details the one-time prodigy’s athletic highs in high school and college and his subsequent lows." —BooklistOne of the most misunderstood professional athletes of his generation, America’s “Robo Quarterback” finally sets the record straight, exposing his childhood trauma, battle with addiction, and path toward...

Could Steve Wright navigate the uneasy intersection between aggression and empathy without losing himself? The answer to this question determined the course of his NFL career and his life.Steve spent over a decade taping his knuckles and preparing for battle with the Cowboys, Colts, and Raiders. But his journey didn't begin or end there.In a world where masculinity is a moving target, Aggressively Human exposes a deeply personal quest to become a healthy, ...

**A GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLERAs a child, Murray Howe wanted to be like his father. He was an adult before he realized that didn't necessarily mean playing hockey.**Gordie Howe may have been the greatest player in the history of hockey, but greatness was never defined by goals or assists in the Howe household. Greatness meant being the best person you could be, not the best player on the ice.Unlike his two brother, Murray Howe failed in his attempt to follow...

Blood, guts, and glory-veteran players reveal the NFL you never see on TVBehind every glittering NFL game on television is a world of happy pain for a hundred men. NFL Unplugged lets you see that world through the eyes of the pros who live and sweat in it. Here are the places the cameras don't go: the locker room where coaches' speeches can deflate or motivate, the huddle where fart jokes vie with playcalling, the training camp where locusts and heat consp...

Crushing your enemies, driving them before you, and hearing the lamentations of their women? It doesn't get any better than this." –Eugene Robinson, ripping off John MiliusThat's the sentiment that surges just below the surface of Eugene Robinson's Fight – an engrossing, intimate look into the all–absorbing world of fighting. Robinson – a former body–builder, one–time bouncer, and lifelong fight connoisseur – takes readers on a no–holds–barred plunge into what fighting is all about...

The Olympic swimmer reveals the wild and challenging journey that took place between two gold medals: "Inspiring, humorous, and often profound."— People MagazineAnthony Ervin is an Olympic swimmer who won the gold at nineteen—and that may be one of the least interesting things about him. An athlete of Jewish and African-American descent who is also a practicing Buddhist, he auctioned off the medal he won in Sydney to help raise funds for victims of the 2004...

College soccer star Mark Zupan had been out drinking one night and had passed out in the back of his best friend's pickup truck when his friend got in the driver's seat, decided to take the truck for a spin, and accidentally crashed it. Thrown into a canal and stuck in frigid water for fourteen hours, Mark was finally rescued and learned soon after that he'd broken his neck. He'd most likely be a quadriplegic and spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, doctors told him. At first Mark's...

In his no-holds-barred, unapologetically controversial voice, New York Times bestselling author of You Herd Me! and sports personality Colin Cowherd gives an insider’s look into every aspect of sports, including behind-the-scenes scandals, inter-team rivalries, and players’ lives on and off the field.There’s a lot you don’t see or hear sitting high up in the stands. But Colin Cowherd knows what really goes on—and he’s not afraid to share the vivid...

She was the wild child of figure skating—graceful, rebellious, unforgettable. This is her story, in her own words.Nicole Bobek didn't just skate. She soared, spiraled, and crashed in ways the world could never look away from. With a ponytail flying and a wink to the judges, she captivated audiences in the 1990s, redefining what it meant to be a figure skater. But behind the sequins and spotlight was a girl fighting battles far from the ice—battles with identity, ex...

A New York Times bestselling author takes a rollicking deep dive into the ultra-competitive world of youth hockeyRich Cohen, the New York Times–bestselling author of The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse and Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football, turns his attention to matters closer to home: his son’s elite Pee Wee hockey team and himself, a former player and a devoted hockey parent.In Pee Wees...

Tennis! Feel the joy and love of the game. Wander through courts and locker rooms, where you'll find stories of tennis that aren't televised for the large dollars, but enjoyed just because it's a great game.Tennis is the ultimate social sport. To play, you need a partner, for doubles, three partners, and each partner will take you aside to tell you about his/her game.Okay, tens of thousands of words have been written about tennis. Discussions about equipment, strategy, cour...

The latest addition to the acclaimed series showcasing the best sports writing from the past yearFor over twenty-five years, The Best American Sports Writing has built a solid reputation by showcasing the greatest sports journalism of the previous year, culled from hundreds of national, regional, and specialty print and digital publications. Each year, the series editor and guest editor curates a truly exceptional collection. The only shared traits among al...