Gary Smith: One of the Great Writers of His Generation

We usually spend time discussing new gadgets or the latest online or mobile usage trend, but today, we're going to kick it old school. One of The Baron's great pleasures in life is reading the work of Gary Smith. Smith has worked for Sports Illustrated for the last 25 years and is one of the greatest writers of his generation. I know what you're thinking. He's just a sports writer. Well, he is a sports writer, but he's so much more than that. If you don't believe us, check out this review from The New York Times. In case you're too lazy to click over, they refer to him as "the most decorated journalist you’ve probably never heard of."

Smith, who has won four National Magazine Awards, just released a new book, Going Deep: 20 Classic Sports Stories. In it, he compiles his 20 favorite stories. I don't know which of his stories are in there -- other than a few listed in the above link. My personal favorite? The story about the black basketball coach who broke down barriers in a Mennonite community in Ohio. If you have the next 45 minutes free, you can read it here. Enjoy.