Masters of the Games

There has long been an overlap between the world of sport and the literary realm – the names in the center of that Venn diagram include luminaries such as George Plimpton, George F. Will, Hunter S. Thompson and David Foster Wallace (among many others). There are multitudes of gifted writers whose love of sport is well-documented. The words can be downright compelling when these men and women bring their considerable talents into the land of athletic storytelling.

So it is with noted author Joseph Epstein, whose 25th book is “Masters of the Games”, a collection of essays and other writings concerning his lifelong love affair with sports. Epstein is well-known, well-regarded and remarkably prolific, yet despite an affection for sports that dates back to his Chicago childhood, this is his first book on the subject.

Consider it worth the wait.

This collection contains a wide assortment of nonfiction pieces both long and short. Some offer looks at individual athletes, either through his own analysis or via reviews of books by other writers; Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio and Michael Jordan all make for interesting subjects, though perhaps the best athlete-focused piece is the one featuring 1970s Bulls star Bob Love. There are also essays that discuss at length Epstein’s long-standing (and generally masochistic) fandom of all Chicago sports teams. His understanding of the nature of his fandom offers a reflection of our own sporting interests.

But it’s when Epstein personalizes that he’s at his most engaging. Stories about his boyhood predilection for sports and his self-recognized desire for style as opposed to substance on the playing field paint a wonderful portrait of the youthful sports fan of an era bygone. He waxes nostalgic about the sportswriting – novels, newspapers and magazines alike – that captured his attention as a boy. And he’s phenomenal when he offers his thoughts on the inherent irrationality of being a sports fan – particularly as the times have changed.

Square in the book’s middle, you’ll find three fiction pieces. All three short stories are skillful, though one – “The Goldin Boys,” about a doctor looking back on his time as boyhood friend to a pair of twin athletic standouts – outshines the other two.

Put it all together and it makes for a remarkable collection of one man’s legacy of fandom.

The book is not without its issues, however. The pieces assembled here are drawn from a long career; the wide-ranging time span of their respective first appearances does mean that there is occasional overlap – the odd anecdote or turn of phrase springing up in multiple places. More often than not, the shift in perspective with the passage of time gives these repetitions renewed relevance. It’s a minor criticism – if indeed it is a criticism at all – but it’s worth noting.

“Masters of the Games” is a book that will draw in the sports fan, with an understanding of the highs and lows that come with loving a game or a team. Joseph Epstein confesses to thousands of hours spent watching other people play games; despite his better judgment, he seems to have no regrets.

Except maybe the Cubs.

Finally Joseph Epstein has taken his immense talent and intelligence and directed them to writing something I understand: Sports. In “Masters of the Game,” Epstein has departed from topics such as the lives of writers, snobbery, ambition, de Tocqueville, and literary education to direct a book of essays at sports, its luminaries, and the happiness of being a spectator. Ah, the joy.

I have had occasion to admire Epstein’s works, especially those I understand. He is a most intelligent and prolific writer, occasionally controversial, but mentally superior to many writers out there and a marvelous voice on behalf of those who toil at games and those who admire the struggle.

In this, his twenty fifth book, he explains that sports is a noble outlet for “violent emotions, regaining adolescence, discovering metaphysical truths”…explaining why television sets glow all night and monstrous stadiums explode with lights and noise all over the world. And he reminds us of those who play or have played the game, the likes of Thorp, Cobb, Dempsey, and modern idols such as DiMaggio, Jordan, and Ted Williams. He has intelligent musings on gambling, Jewish athletes, performance enhancement, the effects of money, and even juggling.

His erudite introduction is a precursor of the intensity and attraction of the book. I can’t think of another writer who has as much insight and important things to say about sports. It’s an extremely intelligent commentary that will leave the reader with a highly inflated IQ. Sports aficionados won’t want to miss this one.