Because you (didn't really) ask, here are my ten all-time favorite sports books [A thread by the shitty author of nine of 'em] ...

1. A False Spring, by Pat Jordan: An all-time, all-time, all-time underrated piece of American writing brilliance. Pat is a former minor league hotshot-turned-scribe, and his prose in describing life in the bushes is magical. Trust me. https://www.amazon.com/False-Spring-Pat-Jordan/dp/0803276265

2. Luckiest Man, by @JonathanEig: The reporting is insane. Just insane. One of those books where you think you know a figure—and it turns out you knew nothing. https://www.amazon.com/Luckiest-Man-Life-Death-Gehrig-ebook/dp/B003L77UPW/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=luckiest+man+eig&qid=1586200462&s=books&sr=1-2

3. Namath, by @MarkKriegel: Mark is an artist, and this book is art. Truly. Mark's brilliant at digging into the psyche of a subject, delving into the aging icon. https://www.amazon.com/Namath-Biography-Mark-Kriegel-ebook/dp/B004IATD6K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=5RVFS89S7A7W&dchild=1&keywords=mark+kriegel&qid=1586200842&sprefix=mark+kri%2Caps%2C382&sr=8-3

4. The Bronx Zoo, by Sparky Lyle and Peter Golenbock: God, I l-o-v-e this book. Probably my first childhood dive into the athlete autobiography. https://www.amazon.com/Bronx-Zoo-Astonishing-Champion-Yankees/dp/1572437154

5. When Pride Still Mattered, by @davidmaraniss: You could give me 100 years, with all the research tools in the world, and I couldn't touch the depth, precision of this piece of brilliance. https://www.amazon.com/When-Pride-Still-Mattered-Lombardi-ebook/dp/B000FC0WOC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=V0DBUH4XQWNP&dchild=1&keywords=vince+lombardi+book&qid=1586201786&s=books&sprefix=vince+lombardi%2Cstripbooks%2C225&sr=1-2

6. Strong Boy, by @historyauthor: Just finished this a few weeks ago. Christopher Klein tells the story of John L. Sullivan in vivid colors—nearly a century after his death. https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Boy-Sullivan-Americas-Sports/dp/B0106HVCY4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=strong+boy&qid=1586201997&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

7. Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero, by @LeighMontville: When you read a book and you don't care about the subject—and then the subject grabs you and won't let go ... well, it's special. This book is special. https://www.amazon.com/Ted-Williams-Biography-American-Hero/dp/B00024YANW/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=leigh+montville&qid=1586202033&s=audible&sr=1-3

8. The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron, by @hbryant42: Perfect subject-author matchup. Howard is a historial disguised as a sports writer. Or vice versa. Either way, this book is brilliant, engrossing, perfect. https://www.amazon.com/Last-Hero-Life-Henry-Aaron/dp/0375424857/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586202173&sr=1-3

9. Loose Balls, by @Terrypluto: I modeled much of my USFL book after this gem about life in the old ABA. Just wacky and crazy stories galore from a journalist smart enough to let the subject speak for itself. https://www.amazon.com/Loose-Balls-Terry-Pluto-ebook/dp/B0053GHPGS/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=loose+balls&qid=1586202380&s=books&sr=1-2

10. The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High-Stakes Business of High School Ball, by @Ian_OConnor: Ian is a classy, understated pro who just REALLY knows how to do this. His recent Bill Belichick offering was riveting, and it led me to this underrated gem http://www.amazon.com/Jump-Sebastian-Telfair-High-Stakes-Business/dp/1594861072/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586202444&sr=1-7