Sacred Records: Perspectives on the Records That Have Shaped Sports History

Rating:
Summary: Fun book for the sports junkie
Review: This is a neat concept for a book about sports records--instead of a stat-heavy treatment or a lightweight picture book, this book covers 12 of the most famous sports records of all time and solicits two essays on each, usually from different points of view.

So, for example, in the chapter on UCLA's record 88-game basketball winning streak, there are essays from Bill Walton (a major part of that streak as a player) and "The Heir's View" from Kent Benson, who played on the 32-0 Indiana team of 1976 (the last men's team to go unbeaten). For the chapter on Byron Nelson's 11 consecutive PGA tour victories, there are essays by Tom Watson (who knew Nelson) and a PGA contemporary of Nelson's. Nolan Ryan's career strikeouts record is reflected on by a broadcaster and by Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. Mark McGwire writes (dictates?) one on his own 1998 home run record...and on and on.

The reason why I downgrade it to 3 stars is that not everybody is a good writer or very articulate. Some are ridiculous, as with umpire Steve Palermo, who was particularly useless in commenting on Cal Ripken's streak. Palermo tries to claim that, when you think about it, the umpires are tougher than Ripken ("Umpires are out there all nine innings...players only played four-and-a-half innings." Sure, pal.) But overall, a neat concept, relatively well pulled off.