Presents essays about sports chosen from magazines and newspapers published in 2013, on topics ranging from bullfighting to basketball, baseball, and boxing.

Foreword / Glenn Stout -- Introduction / J.R. Moehringer -- The blind faith of the one-eyed matador / Karen Russell -- The most amazing bowling story ever / Michael J. Mooney -- The legacy of Wes Leonard / Thomas Lake -- Mourning glory / Chris Ballard -- The gym at Third and Ross / Bill Littlefield -- Arrowhead anxiety / Kent Babb -- End game / Jason Schwartz -- It's not about the lab rats / Bill Gifford -- Eddie is gone / Nicole Pasulka -- The game of his life / Jonathan Segura -- The making of "Homer at the bat", the episode that conquered prime time 20 years ago tonight / Erik Malinowski -- At swim, two girls : a memoir / Bridget Quinn -- At the corner of love and basketball / Allison Glock -- Special team / Rick Reilly -- The strongest man in the world / Burkhard Bilger -- Caballo Blanco's last run / Barry Bearak -- Marathon man / Mark Singer -- Redemption of the running man / Dan Koeppel -- Running / Cinthia Ritchie -- Goal to go / Charles Siebert -- Fear the bird / David Simon -- Why don't more athletes take a stand? / Gary Smith -- Did football kill Austin Tenum / Patrick Hruby -- Urban Meyer will be home for dinner / Wright Thompson -- The NFL's secret drug problem / Paul Solotaroff -- Waiting for Goodell / Jeff MacGregor -- Contributors' notes -- Notable sports writing of 2012.