Customer Reviews

ESPN Sports Almanac 2008: America's Best-Selling Sports Almanac

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I believe I am an expert at reviewing reference books because as a freelance writer focusing on sports they are an absoulte essential in my line of work. I find it curious that one of the other reviews would be somewhat critical of the layout or design of this book.

All that matters to me is the volume and accuracy of information, and no sports book on the market compares to this one. If you simply want a "pretty picture book" then check out the Sports Illustrated Almanac. All sizzle, no steak with that one.

Every sports fan knows the personalities of ESPN and it's interesting to get their take on the year that was, but to me that's the gravy of this book. The web has so much information, but there are so many situations where I have to have the information at my fingertips and available in an instant. This book gives me that resource and if you compare it to any other printed sports reference out there, it's impossible in my opinion to conclude there is anything better.

I've been getting this sports almanac for over ten years now, and the 2008 edition is as solid as ever! The Year In Review by Mike & Mike is a fun read, and the Extra Points section touches on some of the stranger moments and quotes of the year. This almanac just seems to be more "readable," with a lot more personality than the other sports almanac out there -- plus it's bigger by over 150 pages!!

But of course, the foundation of any sports almanac is its statistics...and in my opinion, this is where the ESPN almanac continues to shine. It's accurate, comprehensive and easy-to-read. Already looking forward to the 2009 book!

The ESPN Sports Almanac has regressed to a more old-school format found in other yearly guides - whether news or sports - though the yearly analysis of each sport remains the best selling point.

The layout fails where it should be the strongest; the 2006-2007 Year In Review. It starts with a faux interview of Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, which leads to short pieces penned by Stuart Scott, John Anderson and Trey Wingo, that are dominated by head shots of each personality. The quick bits in Extra Points doesn't particularly work, but the section finally recovers with a Calendar that is very good reference. An insert of color photographs should have been included.

What cannot be denied is the wealth of information, which has been bolstered from past editions. But it seems to be a volume in transition, suffering from a lack of focus where it should be the strongest.

I purchased this item as a gift for a friend who is a sports fanatic. He loves it.