For a quarter century, the annual Best American Sports Writing has
showcased the greatest sports journalism of the previous year. This
year's guest editor, acclaimed author Howard Bryant, continues the
tradition, seeking out writing that best captures the unpredictable
journey of sports. Triumphantly and painfully, these stories reflect on
that journey, asking difficult questions about who we are, as
individuals and as a nation: What does it mean when a football player
takes a knee during the national anthem, who decides where the remains
of an American legend should rest, and how far will people go to reclaim
dreams that have long slipped away? Spanning different sports,
disciplines, and styles, these pieces are, above all, inspirational to
readers, writers, and athletes around the world, proof of the bonds and
breaking points that exist between and within us all.