For the uninitiated, it might seem like sportswriting would appeal only to sports fanatics. Most Americans probably care less about a report on a baseball player's RBIs and OBP or WAR (Wins Above Replacement, anyone?) rather than tuning into the drama of a grand slam during the World Series.
But great sports writers capture much more than statistics — they also convey universal, human stories.
In "The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2024", guest editor Jane McManus has compiled the most compelling sports stories of the year into a single book. And while sportswriting has historically been dominated by male writers focusing on male athletes, this edition has a unique representation of women’s sports with stories from female writers.
“I haven’t gone through and counted everything out, but there’s more good writing about women and women’s sports now than it probably has been at any point,” she told the sports media site Awful Announcing. “And I kind of wanted to notice that and to pick up on that.”
We speak with McManus about the stories she chose to highlight, and why she found this year to be exceptional for women’s sports in particular.
GUEST:
Jane McManus, sports writer, founding executive director of the Center for Sports Media at Seton Hall University and guest editor of "The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2024"
