Contents

Foreword
Introduction by David Maraniss

Larry Brown. The White Coon
from Field & Stream

Derek Zumsteg. Bugs Bunny, Greatest Banned Player Ever
from USS Mariner.com

Oscar Casares. Ready for Some Futbol
from Texas Monthly

Chris Ballard. The Game of the Year
from Sports Illustrated

Dave Hyde. Filling in the Pieces of Jake Scott
from The South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Wright Thompson. Fading Away
from ESPN.com

John Klima. Deal of the Century
from The (Torrance, California) Daily Breeze

William C. Rhoden. An Unknown Filly Dies, and the Crowd Just Shrugs
from The New York Times

Jeff MacGregor. Let Us Now Raze Famous Men
from Sports Illustrated

Sally Jenkins. Only Medal for Bode Is Fool's Gold
from The Washington Post

Daniel Coyle. That Which Does Not Kill Me Makes Me Stranger
from The New York Times Play Magazine

Mimi Swartz. Polite When in Neutral
from The New York Times Play Magazine

Ian Frazier. Snook
from The New Yorker

William Finnegan. Blank Monday
from The New Yorker
Michael Lewis. What Keeps Bill Parcells Awake at Night
from The New York Times Play Magazine

Robert Huber. The Madness of John Chaney
from Philadelphia Magazine

Michael Wilbon. The Real Deal in So Many Ways
from The Washington Post

Bob Hohler. $neaker War
from The Boston Globe

Sara Corbett. Baseball for Life
from The New York Times Play Magazine

Eli Saslow. A New Game Plan
from The Washington Post Magazine

Eric Neel.The Saturday Game
from ESPN.com

Bryan Smith. Playing 4 Keeps
from Chicago Magazine

L. Jon Wertheim. The Ultimate Assist
from SI.com

Bruce Wallace. In Iraq, Soccer Field Is No Longer a Refuge
from The Los Angeles Times

Steve Friedman. A Moment of Silence
from Runner's World

John Brant. Team Hoyt Starts Again
from Runner's World

Paul Cullum. The Big Show by Little People
from The Los Angeles Times Magazine

Bill Buford. Talking Turkey
from The New Yorker

Contributors' Notes
Notable Sports Writing of 2006