ALBOM A PLUM OF A DIVERSE WRITER; `MORRIE' JUST ONE OF MANY GOOD READS FOR THE SUMMER.Byline: TOM HOFFARTH The Media Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep". Some still refer to it locally as "The Friendly" -- a slogan from an ad campaign in the '70s. columnist extraordinaire ex·tra·or·di·naire adj. Extraordinary: a jazz singer extraordinaire. [French, from Old French, from Latin extra for the past 14 years and reigning media megastar, has a DiMaggio-esque streak going that may never be threatened. Remarkably, it has nothing to do with National Sportswriter sports·writ·er n. A person who writes about sports, especially for a newspaper or magazine. sports of the Year Awards (which is up to a dozen), the constant fear of being squished by Bill Conlon on ESPN's ``Sports Reporters,'' showing up to his weekly radio show on WJR-AM in Detroit (or his weekend show for ESPN Radio that can be heard on KVEN-AM 1450 in Ventura County) or traffic at his Web site (www.albom.com). More than a year and a half since its release - for the past 88 weeks - Albom's book called ``Tuesday's With Morrie'' (Doubleday; $19.95) has not only stayed on the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times Bestseller List for nonfiction, but consistently remains in the top five, hitting No. 1 in April 1998. Last year it was the top-selling nonfiction book in America. It's been printed in 22 languages and also is a bestseller in Japan, Australia, Brazil and England, where Albom has been predisposed the past two weeks covering Wimbledon. Oprah Winfrey, who bought the movie rights and produced the flick, has a release date set for four months from now. A sports book? Something about Maury Wills? Hardly. The subtitle - ``An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson'' - is much too simple an explanation about what's really packed into the 192 pages. The lesson? Hey, we can't give away the ending. If you haven't picked it up by now and spent the couple hours or so it takes to read it, do yourself a favor and flip the pages this summer. As for other hard- and soft-back summer reading - more specifically with sports as the focal point focal point n. See focus. - also consider these while the sun is a-blazin': Book: ``Cinderella Story: My Life in Golf,'' by Bill Murray with George Peper (Doubleday; $19.95, 211 pages). Why it smokes: We finally get a look into Murray's life in golf and how much his legendary role of Carl Spackler in the movie ``Caddyshack'' is autobiographical. Hearing Murray's voice as you read the words makes it work. Plus the photos of him and anecdotes about him others offer that are inserted through the title are heartwarming heart·warm·ing or heart-warm·ing adj. 1. Causing gladness and pleasure. 2. Eliciting sympathy and tender feelings: a heartwarming tale. Adj. 1. . Why it chokes: Consult a physician before reading. It's ``Chicken Soup chicken soup Chicken broth Folk medicine Jewish penicillin A fowl broth with a long tradition as a home remedy for URIs, which may be a nasal decongestant, inhibit growth of pneumococci in vitro, and stimulate immune responsiveness in WBCs Mainstream medicine A for the Golfer's Soul'' meets Hunter S. Thompson, a movie role Murray actually played from a script he actually wrote that didn't actually go anywhere. Kind of like the book. Great idea, but when someone this schizophrenic is asked to put his thoughts together. . . . At least he's got the acting career going for him. Book: ``Women's Soccer: The Game and the World Cup,'' edited by Jim Trecker and Charles Miers (Universe Publishing; $20, 96 pages). Why it smokes: Murray's book title might seem better suited for this one, but it's far from a rah-rah book about the U.S. National Team. This officially licensed product of the FIFA Women's World Cup The FIFA Women's World Cup is recognized as the most important International competition in women's football and is played amongst women's national football teams of the member states of FIFA, the sport's global governing body. (it even has the hologram See holographic storage. sticker) is a collection of features by those who cover the sport closest and gives extensive background to the current tournament while putting into context how it will shape the sport and the future of women's team athletics. Got to read it before next week's final at the Rose Bowl. Why it chokes: Looks like a book aimed at kids, but the younger ones might not pick up the rich text. Although the photos are impressive in themselves. Book: ``People Who Sweat,'' by Robin Chotzinoff (Harcourt Brace & Company; $22, 203 pages). Why it smokes: Chotzinoff finds people who, like herself, have suffered through years of ``terminal athletic mediocrity'' but find meaning in participation sports, such as the guy known as ``Little Fat Boy'' who constantly finishes last in triathlons. The best story, though, may be of a 52-year-old socialite from La Jolla who took up surfing a couple of years ago and finds herself catching waves with her son's friends, who can't help but address her in the ocean as ``Mrs. (last name withheld because she feels surfing is far too personal to reveal her identity).'' Why it chokes: Could make you feel guilty about watching TV after reading such nonsense. Book: ``The Complete Idiot's Guide to Betting on Horses,'' by Sharon B. Smith (Alpha Books; $16.95, 268 pages). Why it smokes: Isn't everyone an idiot when it comes to betting? Smith, the former ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network and NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. horse racing commentator, explains it to those who've only casually placed bets at the track but really want to go beyond silly hunches and an ignorance of terms and charts. Everything about the sport is covered in easy-to-digest terms, including a simple system for picking a horse that doesn't come with a guarantee, but could. Why it chokes: It's usually shelved in book stores in the games and humor section. And while it has a companion pocket-size edition ($7.95), are you really going to whip that out at Hollywood Park with all the other idiots looking at you? Book: ``The Best American Sportswriting of the Century,'' edited by David Halberstam (Houghton Mifflin; $30 hardcover, $18 softcover, 776 pages). Why it smokes: The annual series edited by Glenn Stout goes millennium-mania with this monster project that gives the esteemed Halberstam the final word on the best and the brightest sportswriting from the past 100 years. It's no small project. Why it chokes: First of all, it's 776 pages, not exactly beach-friendly. Halberstam's choice of 59 stories from 51 writers (many of whom are non-traditional sports pontificators, like himself) is topped by four scribes superior enough to be called the ``best of the best.'' A piece by Gay Talese on Joe DiMaggio published in Esquire in 1966 seems to be the ``Citizen Kane'' of this list. The implication that the best sportswriting doesn't come from those who do it for a living doesn't sit well here. Oh, and by the way, there are no columns included in the book from Mitch Albom, who is only mentioned in the back under, ``Notable sports writing and sports writers of the century.'' A ``best-of'' sportswriters book without Albom? Best to check the New York Times Bestseller List. That's where you'll find him instead. WHAT SMOKED ON LOCAL TV The top 10 Nielsen-rated sports events (with their share numbers) on L.A. television from June 24-30: EventDate Station Rt/Sh. x NBA Finals: San Ant. at New York Gm 5 6/25 KNBC KNBC Kings Norton Bowling Club 12.3/25 MLB MLB Major League Baseball MLB Minor League Baseball MLB Middle Linebacker (football) MLB Motor Life Boat MLB Matt Leblanc (actor) MLB Mother Love Bone (band) : Dodgers at San Diego 6/29 KTLA KTLA KCBS TV in Los Angeles 5.4/9 Wimbledon 6/26 KNBC 4.6/17 MLB: Dodgers at San Francisco 6/26 KTTV 4.3/14 MLB: Dodgers at San Francisco 6/25 KTLA 4.2/8 MLB: Dodgers at San Francisco 6/27 ESPN 3.6/7 Wimbledon6/27 KNBC 3.5/10 Wimbledon6/30 KNBC 3.0/11 PGA (1) (Professional Graphics Adapter) An early IBM PC display standard for 3D processing with 640x480x256 resolution. It was not widely used. (2) (Programmable Gate Array) See gate array and FPGA. : Senior Players Championship6/27 KABC KABC Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children 3.0/8 PGA: Buick Classic 6/27 KABC 2.8/8 Note: ESPN2's coverage of the U.S. Women's World Cup The Women's World Cup could refer to either the:
x One rating point equals 50,092 TV homes in Los Angeles; a share is the percentage of all the TV sets in use at that time. CAPTION(S): 6 Photos, Box Photo: (1--6) no caption (Book covers) Box: WHAT SMOKED ON LOCAL TV (See text) |
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