Sports Illustrated's humorist Bill Scheft compiles the 100 'Best of the Best' from his renowned column 'The Show,' in this compendium that is sure to delight sports fans far and wide. If sports are the dessert of life, Bill Scheft delivers the cream pie to the face. In this classic collection of athletic wit, the Sports Illustrated-® columnist and former writer for David Letterman, riffs on every aspect of the sports world, leaving no stone unturned and no overpaid superstar unscathed. With his unique ability to integrate sports into everyday life, Scheft takes on everything from politics ('Did you catch the Democratic convention? I haven't heard that many empty promises in the Fleet Center since Rick Pitino left town.') to theft ('Despite his problems with the law, Allen Iverson jerseys are still flying off the shelves. And they've even sold a couple.') to television cross-promotion('At one point I could have sworn I heard Tim McCarver say July 31 was the deadline for 'Trading Spouses.''). With brand new additions and photo captions showcasing Bill's signature humor, The Best of 'The Show' is a look at the world of sports through a truly cracked-and hilarious-lens.
Novelist, columnist, television writer. During the last two decades, Bill Scheft has established himself as a versatile, singular and influential comedic voice.
His latest and most ambitious novel, EVERYTHING HURTS (Simon and Schuster), was published in April. In EVERYTHING HURTS, self-proclaimed "self-help fraud" Phil Camp, who accidentally achieved international acclaim writing under the pseudonym Marty Fleck, tries to seek relief from his unexplained chronic pain through the aid of another self-help guru, Dr. Samuel Abrun. Publishers Weekly raves: "Scheft scewers physical and emotional pain with a mercilessly comic touch and a bit of poignancy." And Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo marvels, "How rare it is for a novel to be both hilarious and profoundly moving."
Scheft's critically acclaimed first novel, THE RINGER, the story of a 35-year-old hired gun softball player whose life changes when he has to take care of his infirm sportswriter uncle, was optioned for film by United Artists, for whom he wrote the screen adaptation. His second novel, TIME WON'T LET ME, chronicled the chaotic resurrection of the prep school garage band The Truants, whose members try to reunite 30 years after learning the album they recorded in 1967 is worth $10,000. TIME WON'T LET ME was a finalist for the 2006 Thurber Prize for American Humor, the nation's highest honor for literary humor.
In addition to his long-form fiction, Scheft was widely known for his weekly humor column, "The Show," which appeared in Sports Illustrated for three years. A collection of his columns, THE BEST OF THE SHOW, was published in 2005.
After twelve years touring as a stand-up comedian, Scheft was hired as a monologue writer for Late Night with David Letterman in 1991. He was with the program for its last two years at NBC, then moved over to CBS in August, 1993 to work on Late Show with David Letterman. He served as head monologue writer for the Late Show until 2004, and during his 18 years with Letterman has been nominated for 15 Emmys. Which, ah, means he's never won.
Scheft has contributed humor essays and short pieces to the New Yorker, New York Times, Esquire, TV Guide, George, Talk, Slate, Modern Humorist, the collections Mirth of a Nation, 101 Damnations, May Contain Nuts, Howl, The Enlightened Bracketologist and a few other places that may or may not exist anymore.
A 1979 graduate of Harvard College, where he majored in Latin because he "thought the church was going to come back," Scheft began his professional career as a sportswriter for the Albany Times-Union before he came to the realization, "Hey, what the hell am I doing in Albany?" He moved to New York City in December, 1980.
He still lives in Manhattan with his wife, comedian Adrianne Tolsch,and the voices in his head.
