Crazyball

May 15, 2014

Sports seem to be more fertile territory for off-the-wall events, people, etc., than, say, accounting. Here, Wilner and Rappoport, two Associated Press writers with a combined total of almost 70 years covering virtually all sports and over 100 books written between them, take advantage of that fertility. They present their harvest in a series of vignettes covering all the madness from superstitions to bizarre plays, from great and not-so-great players and teams to Stengelese and Berraisms. Sports fans will recognize much of what the authors present, but there will also be something new for everybody. (How many are familiar with the All American Red Heads, a Globetrotters-like touring women's basketball team that crisscrossed the country for 50 years, beginning in the mid-1930s, metronomically defeating men's teams?) One might question the authors' inclusion of a long chapter on sports scandals in what is essentially a comedic offering. Their chapter on humorous sports movies also seems to run a bit too long (though it's regrettable that they omitted the 1951 film Rhubarb, the story of a cat who inherited a major league baseball team). VERDICT With these caveats, sports buffs will take delight in the craziness.--Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL

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