Only a Game

It's only a game, Bill Littlefield's National Public Radio program tells us, trying to keep sports in perspective. And for all the deadly serious perspectives of sports commentators and fans, Littlefield's is perhaps the most realistic. It is certainly the most entertaining. Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, Littlefield's take on the games people play is as refreshing as it is enlightening. From baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett's untimely death, to pickup soccer games among misfit high-schoolers, to the most obscure nicknames and unusual mascots in college sports, the book collects memorable commentaries from Littlefield's popular NPR sports talk show as well as never-before-published essays. No matter the topic, Littlefield illuminates the dark corners and unlikely angles of sports with wry good humor and a lightly worn expertise that lets nothing pass.

Bill Littlefield has been the host of the syndicated National Public Radio sports show Only a Game since 1993. He teaches a course in the Humanities Division at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, where he also serves as writer-in-residence. Littlefield is the author of several books, including Baseball Days and Champions: Stories of Ten Remarkable Athletes.