If there's anyone doing sports who is even close, I haven't read
him.--Mike Royko. Ira Berkow's stories in the sports pages of the New
York Times transcend what we know as sportswriting. Mr. Berkow has a
clear understanding of the games he reports, but he also has a sharp eye
for the lives of the players, an appreciation of the larger social
context, and-not least-an affinity for the well-turned phrase. The
Minority Quarterback contains thirty-eight examples of his craft. His
subjects have often been touched, transformed, enriched, or, in some
cases, destroyed by circumstances that may have nothing to do with their
sports connection. The centerpiece of the book is Mr. Berkow's widely
admired story of a white quarterback who chose to play football at an
all-black college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and what happened to him.
Like most of his stories, it offers a surprising perspective and is
certain to provoke. But Mr. Berkow can also capture the playfulness of
Muhammad Ali, the dignity of Arthur Ashe, the intensity of Michael
Jordan, or the buffoonery of Marge Schott. He can report engagingly on
lunch at Lutéce with Chuck Norris, or describe the carnival atmosphere
of Jake La Motta's wedding in Las Vegas. The Minority Quarterback is a
book for anyone who loves good writing; for sports lovers especially,
these pieces are candy treats-but without soft centers.
