Sports and society

In the wake of last week's dull conclusion to the poorly played Men's NCAA Tournament (I preferred watching the women's final and I had NEVER said that), and in anticipation of the World Cup that starts less than two months from now, The Monk offers two books for your consideration.

First, Franklin Foer's book, How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. Foer's book is really a string of essays on how soccer reflects and influences society, politics, economics, religion, etc. in Europe and Latin America, and why it does not do so in the US with case studies on the "Jewish Question" in the English Premier League, the perverse Protestant/Catholic schisms in Scotland and Ireland, high culture/low culture tensions in Italy, corruption in Latin America, fascism in Eastern Europe and more. It's an interesting set of stem-winders from a fairly trenchant writer.

Second, and better, is Adrian Wojnarowski's memoir of a season inside the St. Anthony's basketball program -- The Miracle of St. Anthony. Here's what I wrote in my Amazon review:

This is one of the better sports books I've read -- as good as the classic A Season on the Brink and it deals with a far broader spectrum of life.

In Jersey City is a dilapidated schoolhouse that was abandoned by it parish and left to fend for itself decades ago. The school is kept alive through the diligence and dedication of the two nuns that run the school, Sister Felicia and Sister Alan (no misprint), and the ability to raise funds of Bob Hurley. The latter is the coach of the most famous high school basketball program in the country -- one that gained its fame NOT by being a basketball factory (like Oak Hill Academy) but because Hurley is the Mike Krzyzewski and John Wooden of high school hoops.

As much teaching and training Hurley does, the program and the school are successes because Hurley has the most important priority in place -- his players come from the worst areas of Jersey City and graduate high school to go to either four-year colleges or junior colleges that will prepare them for four-year schools.

Wojnarowski is a veteran reporter in North Jersey, and one of the better ones in the area. He knows the demographics of Jersey City, the slums and projects that the kids come from, the broken families and the obstacles they have to overcome just to make it through Hurley's practices while also battling the lure of the streets and of college and AAU coaches who promise them more than they can deliver.

Wojnarowski gives in-depth profiles of nearly each Hurley (Bob, wife Chris, sons Bobby and Danny), and of most of the players, assistants, and the St. Anthony administration -- for whom keeping the school afloat is an impressive labor of love and devotion.

This is an outstanding work that is more a slice of social history than merely a "basketball" book or look inside the program. Wojnarowski's opus is great stuff. Highly recommended.