Raffle surprise! I have a new (different) book
Introducing "Why We Root: Mad Obsessions of a Chicago Sports Fan"
I’ve got a new book! Scroll down for details on how to win a paid subscriber-only book raffle.
Some of my favorite books were not written in a year.
They were written across decades.
Roger Ebert’s “The Great Movies.” Ellen Goodman’s “Making Sense.” Scoop Jackson’s “The Darkside.” Leonard Pitts’s “Forward From this Moment.” Mike Royko’s “One More Time.” Bill Simmons’s “Now I Can Die in Peace.” Hunter Thompson’s “The Great Shark Hunt” and “Hey Rube.”
All of these collections of columns and essays published across some portion of each writer’s career gives readers a rich, comprehensive perspective on not just the writer but on their most vital topics. The first columns I published were in high school at The New Trier News and have continued for the past 25 years, on a range of topics, none more vital than sports.
I love sportswriting. I recall a night with friends in a Wicker Park bar1 in 2010 after I published my Obama book, and two buddies were having an intervention of sorts.
“It’s fine,” they said. “I mean, it’s good! But it’s not you with sports.”
I think for a while I thought I had to do “better” than sports. Until I realized there was nothing better than sports. It touches every topic. I’ve written about all of them. Sports plus law, sports plus education, sports plus real estate, sports plus activism, sports plus history, and on and on.
But none of those “sports plus” topics are worth much if you don’t have what you have when you cut the plus.
Sports.
The games. The players. The stadiums and arenas. The heartbreak. The victories.
The fans.
I’ve always wanted to publish a collection of my work, and I’m starting with the topic as dear to me as any: sports fandom.
Here it is: Why We Root (Vol. 1): Mad Obsessions of a Chicago Sports Fan.
This collection of my sportswriting is all of my fan-based work. I’ll leave the deep-dive history pieces and so many player interviews for another day. This book is a celebration of fandom from the perspective of a diehard’s diehard. Me. The pieces in this book run from 1999 to 2023 and were published across 11 outlets, four of which folded and are not online, another of which basically folded and is basically not online either.
With the exception of Buehrle’s perfecto (which is at least referenced), Why We Root covers nearly every major Chicago sports event, team and player since 1991. MJ’s last shot. The Walter Payton Game. Kane winning the Cup. The White Sox bagging the city’s first World Series championship in 88 years. My Cubbies breaking our own drought — the famed 108 years. 17 Minutes. 17 Seconds.
Kerry Wood’s 20 Ks. Devin Hester’s 20 touchdowns. Derrick Rose’s 36-11. Brent Seabrook ending the Wings. Candace Parker’s homecoming. Scottie Pippen’s incredible 1994. Jay Cutler’s Earth-shattering arrival. The four complete games of Buehrle, Garland, Garcia and Contreras.
And the two bedrock sports events of my post-childhood fandom: The Bartman Game and Super Bowl XLI.
I am announcing the book next week, and right now I want to say thank you to everyone receiving this email, the paid subscribers of A Shot on Ehlo. You’ve believed in me and supported me and my itch to deliver you 6 Rings led me to move Why We Root up my production list in the meantime.
Raffle time! Two offers for newsletter subscribers
For you all, my paid newsletter subscribers, I’m going to raffle off five copies of Why We Root, results coming when I publish my Craig Hodges interview this week.
And while Why We Root retails on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $30, everyone on this list can get the book for $20 + no shipping charge.
At any time — next week, next month, next year, next decade — email me at readjack6@gmail.com with your mailing address for a signed, personalized copy. This is a standing offer whether you continue paying for this newsletter or not.
Lastly, courtesy of Ralph of MJ23Covers, I have 14 really cool MJ magazine stickers that make great bookmarks. Whether via raffle or purchase, I’m holding those for everyone here, first come first serve. (Thanks Ralph!)
Thank you so much to everyone here. I appreciate you all!
Best,
Jack
Salute to Eric Sirota and the first Warriors fan I knew, Luke Peterson.