Guest editor Dick Schaap shares this pleasure by presenting THE BEST AMERICAN SPORTS WRITING 2000. As the series' tenth birthday approaches, it is at the top of its game. In the past decade it has been hailed as "a must for any sports fan" and "a venerable institution" and has showcased promising new talents along with Pulitzer Prize winners such as David Halberstam, Richard Ford, and John McPhee. With the 2000 edition, Schaap, a best-selling author and Emmy Award-winning sports journalist, continues this tradition of excellence by bringing together the finest sports writing to appear in the past year. These pieces will delight fans of all athletic endeavors, from football to fishing, from basketball to birdwatching. From more than 350 publications, Schaap has chosen essays that reach beyond the scores to the people and emotions behind the game.