Fanatic: Ten Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: bleacher bums, Super Bowl, Red Sox, Augusta National (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

All true obsessives, whatever their object of adoration, love making lists. It's a way of trying to organize (or at least make sense of) the sprawling, life-controlling nature of their obsession. Sports Illustrated editor Gorant, being the kind of self-described "idiot" who has spent far too much of his life watching televised sports (any kind, "the more obscure, in some ways, the better") took his particular list and made it into a book. If Gorant's genial account of attending the 10 ultimate sporting events seems at times like little more than an excuse to get out of the office and make random alcohol-based friendships with assorted strangers, so much the better. As an exercise in vicarious frivolous fandom, Gorant's year-plus-long odyssey—he starts at the Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl in February 2005 and ends with Fenway Park's Opening Day on April 11, 2006—is serenely satisfying reading in the manner of a lengthy magazine article. Gorant's selection trends toward the obvious (a Packers game at Lambeau, the Masters, the Daytona 500) and the decision to include only one non-American event (Wimbledon) comes off as a little lazy. All that to the side, Gorant brings a fresh and appreciative eye to each event, whether it's the days spent lazing around an RV at the Daytona 500 with a self-described "family" of NASCAR fans or discovering how a relaxed afternoon game at Wrigley "could be all the romance a man needs." (June)
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Review

"Gorant offers a solid defense of everyone who ever skipped work to catch a day game at Wrigley or tailgated outside Lambeau Field in subzero weather." (Rocky Mountain News )

"If you can't make it to all these great events yourself, I urge you to read this book before you die." (Seth Davis, sports analyst for CBS, and staff writer at Sports Illustrated ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (June 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061861298X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618612987
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #963,764 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Interesting, Great Story-Teller, June 7, 2007

By	David M. Ingmire "daving313" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Jim has a great way of showing how people share their love of sport. Fantastic story-teller, very humorous and laugh-out-loud.
-"Ian"

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny AND Smart, June 30, 2007

By	Tobey Grumet (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jim Gorant really knows his stuff. If you love sports and could use a good laugh, don't hesitate to pick up this book and devour it from cover to cover. Bravo to Mr. Gorant for getting out there and giving us the real feelings behind these events.

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read just in time for summer, June 7, 2007

By	J. Mann "music junkie NYC" (New York City, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book being told it would be great even if I wasn't a sports fan. I am told Jim is very funny. After reading this book I realize both are true.
I am not much of a sports fan, but his writing is very engaging and entertaing in the same way Anthony Bourdaine(Kitchen Confidential) and David Searis(Me Talk Pretty One Day) are. He is also the same type of as humor as they are more akin to Bourdaine than Sedaris. I must admit to laughing out loud through every section of the book.
As for not being a sports fan he does a great job at bring you to the experience with his observatioons and gives the reader enough backgroud to get a good sense of the "experience". He keeps himself relatable to both sports fans and non sports fans alike with a great balance of passion and knowledge.
From his time with the people he meets in Daytona to the craziness of the Superbowl it seems he finds somthing that goes beyond just sports. He manages to find and look for a sort of good quality and in fans that is more human and less alienating than I would expect. He is introspective enough really breath in the experience. It's the perfect summer read and just in time for Fathers Day
(My dad is a sports fan)....I could recomend this to just about anyone!