It was only after Sports Illustrated released its list of the top 100 sports books of all time that I realized just how many I'd read. Here are my abbreviated reviews of the 12 on SI's list that I've read...

(3) Ball Four, by Jim Bouton — The original tell-all, Bouton exposed myths of America's baseball heroes and illuminated the personal politics that interfere in any high-pressure industry. Among the most revealing anecdotes: the coach who instructed him to put on his hat back-to-front, because only the black players did it in the reverse.

(4) Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissinger — A season of West Texas football at Permian High School in Odessa, where the locals cared a lot about oil and the Panthers, and not much about else. You never heard them say "the n-word." They just called them niggers.

(7) Semi-Tough, by Dan Jenkins — A hilarious fictional tale of TCU football by the really, really un-PC author, who wrote mostly about college football and golf for Sports Illustrated. It's a frivolous read, unless you hope to get something out of the fact that one of the characters likes his ribs "barbequed, not chinked."

(8) Paper Lion, by George Plimpton — The wiry author goes through training camp with the Detroit Lions in the '60s. Ever wonder how an average person would fare on the gridiron against supremely conditioned athletes? Pick this one up.

(13) Loose Balls, by Terry Pluto — Where to start in this endearing account of the ABA? Baby announcer Bob Costas counting fans one by one? Fly Williams taking a plane to Austin, Texas when he was expected at Austin Peay in Tennessee? The owners pooling money just so one of their teams could draft Lew Alcindor? This was sports the way it oughta be: fun.

(14) Heaven is a Playground, by Rick Telander — The original Hoop Dreams. The heady author and former Northwestern football player balls one summer in Brooklyn. And another appearance from Fly Williams.

(17) The Breaks of the Game, by David Halberstam — An account of the Portland Trail Blazers' downfall after their 1979 championship season. This is where I gained a true understanding of a healthy Bill Walton's dominance.

(26) When Pride Still Mattered, by David Maraniss — The life and times of Vince Lombardi, who was the Giants' loss and the Packers' gain. How do you get to be a legend? You win. Everywhere.

(44) The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill James — I used to buy this annual statistical analysis every season, right around the time Don Mattingly was kicking ass and taking names all over the league.

(53) The Bronx Zoo, by Sparky Lyle and Peter Golenbock — Time in the Yanks' volatile clubhouse with the reliever who went from Cy Young to sayonara after Goose Gossage was acquired. You can't even write fiction as strange as what goes on between Lyle, Steinbrenner, Martin, Jackson and Rivers.

(67) Cosell, by Howard Cosell — How great was Cosell? Just ask him. But would you rather read an autobiography by another guy who took no chances and mailed it in to the publisher?

(70) The Last Shot, by Darcy Frey — The Marburys might soon be able to move out of the Coney Island projects if can't miss kid Stephon makes it to the NBA. But that's what they'd hoped for his older brother.

My favorites of the bunch? I would recommend Ball Four and Friday Night Lights to even non-sports fans. I also enjoyed greatly the following:

A Good Walk Spoiled, by John Feinstein — A year on the PGA Tour before Tiger, when anyone who brought his mettle could win big. Or lose his Tour card.

Playing Off the Rail, by David McCumber — The author bankrolls a relatively unknown pool shark with the idea of gambling their way to fortune around the country. You win some; you lose some.

Plus,

Nothing but Net, by Bill Walton; A Season Inside, by John Feinstein; Wilt, by Wilt Chamberlain; For the Glory, by Ken Denlinger; Tall Tales, by Terry Pluto, Flashing Before My Eyes, by Dick Schaap, Hell-Bent, by Skip Bayless, and a bunch that I would not recommend before these.