Losers

Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard

De: Mary Pilon - editor, Louisa Thomas - editor

Narrado por: Jim Frangione, Kevin R. Free, Brittany Pressley, Maggi-Meg Reed, Sean Runnette, Steve West

“It's easy to do anything in victory. It’s in defeat that a man reveals himself.” (Floyd Patterson)

Twenty-two notable writers - including Bob Sullivan, Abby Ellin, Mike Pesca, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Louisa Hall, and Gay Talese - examine the untold stories of the losers and in doing so reveal something raw and significant about what it means to be human.

The locker rooms of winning teams are crowded with coaches, family, and fans. Reporters flock to the athletes, brimming with victory and celebration, to ask, "How does it feel?" In contrast, the locker rooms of the losing teams are quiet and awkward, and reporters tend to leave quickly, reluctant to linger too long around loss.

But, as sports journalists Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas argue, losing is not a phenomenon to be overlooked, and in Losers, they have called upon novelists, reporters, and athletes to consider what it means to lose. From the Olympic gymnast who was forced to surrender her spot to another teammate, to the legacy of Bill Buckner's 10th-inning error in the 1986 World Series, to LeBron James' losing record in the NBA Finals, these essays range from humorous to somber but all are united by their focus on defeat. Interweaving 14 completely new and unpublished pieces alongside beloved classics of the genre, Losers turns the art of sportswriting on its head and proves that there is inspiration to be found in stories of risk, resilience, and getting up after you've been knocked down.

©2020 Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A few of the bylines [in Losers] are well known, especially Gay Talese and Arthur Conan Doyle. Refreshingly, though, most of the contributors are less well known to general readers, and their subjects range from obscure to famous.... As a collection, the book holds together well even for non-sports fans.... In the introduction, the editors write, 'this book is for the losers - which is to say, for all of us.' They deliver." (Kirkus)

“Without the threat of loss, there is no meaning in sport. This new and thrillingly varied collection is as essential as the turf beneath your cleats.” (Ben McGrath, staff writer for The New Yorker)

“Pilon and Thomas explore the significance losing and defeat has on the lives of athletes and fans in this thoughtful anthology.... A stirring tribute to losing, one of life’s greatest teachers.” (Publishers Weekly)