Best Sports Books of 2008

Sports fans are not the easiest to shop for during the holidays.  Although there is a flood of paraphernalia for virtually every pro and college team, even the most thoughtful gift runs the risk of being set afire if its arrival coincides with a losing streak.  (I'd like to laugh at such insanity, but I'm too busy glaring at the Seattle Seahawks blanket I purchased back in September.)

Thus, since few die-hards worship the karmic game-day powers of their lucky book, I offer up my picks/gift recommendations for the best sports titles of 2008.  There's something for nearly every fan, as a wide range of readers can escape into a great book while their 2-11 team blows a halftime lead at home against the New England Patriots.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

--Dave

Top Sports Books of 2008

1) The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer

2) Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World

3) All for a Few Perfect Waves: The Audacious Life and Legend of Rebel Surfer Miki Dora

4) FreeDarko presents The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game

5) The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever

6) Yankee Stadium: The Official Retrospective

7) The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport

8) Sports Illustrated: Athlete

9) We Would Have Played for Nothing: Baseball Stars of the 1950s and 1960s Talk About the Game They Loved

10) Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship)