The Blackie Sherrod Collection (Contemporary American Sportswriters Series)
ea. vol: Taylor Pub. Co. (Sportswriter's Eye). 1988. $14.95. sports These two installments are part of a series featuring works by skilled American sports columnists. Although centered on his Floridian locale, Pope's writing proffers readers universal appeal. Starting with exemplary, innovative leads that are highly readable and clearly crafted, Pope covers a variety of sports from baseball and horse racing to football and fishing. The 1960s series, "On the Road with Cassius Clay," is especially noteworthy for putting sports within a social and political context. Sherrod's anthology includes samples published over the last 12 years in Dallas newspapers. His writing is consistently energetic and entertaining, with the hard edge of a no-nonsense "good old boy" from the Southwest. The collection is limited, however, by its concentration mostly on college and pro football, a regional flavor (subjects like local Texas high school athletes, Southern Methodist University, and the Dallas Cowboys), and an unoriginal, though lively, style. When considered as a set, the books give a full picture of the American sporting scene in the last 20 years, sometimes quite colorfully. The Pope collection, however, can stand alone and is highly recommended. Other volumes are also available. Thomas J. Reigstad, SUNY Coll. at BuffaloCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.