www.deadspin.com has a running series called "Stories that Don't Suck" where they link to well written articles (often having to do with sports) which can be found in their entirety somewhere on the web. It is by far the best thing about their website (even better than Drew's Funbags, which kick a sizeable amount of ass themselves) and has never failed to provide at least one piece per posting that has furthered my appreciation for the written word more than anything since turning on the subtitles during The Lord of the Rings in blu-ray. I think it's high time we here at www.thebaltimorons.com (tell your friends) stole the idea and occasionally put up links to writing that challenges you in a way our mindless drivel could only dream of.
Feel free to put up any links to pieces you've read in the comments section, it doesn't have to be sports related. I promise you I will read every single one of them, so long as they aren't links to purchasing a full book somewhere. Don't feel rushed though, any of the three of us will probably post one of these whenever we stumble across something particularly inspiring.
The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved by Hunter S. Thompson
A take on the most decorated horse race in the world by one of the craziest sons of bitches the universe has ever known. Much more of a commentary on the pagentry surrounding the derby than the derby itself. Seriously, there are over 7,000 words and only ten of them are "horse". Also, Hunter S. Thompson may have had a drug problem.
Gareth Thomas... The Only Openly Gay Male Athlete by Gary Smith
This is a great piece of writing because it focuses on what we can't learn ourselves (the incredible story of Thomas), less on what we should be thinking about ourselves (what this means for sports in general) and no time on trying to force morality down our throats. To keep something incredibly complex simple enough to feel; that's why writing can be gooder than television.
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