Ralph Wiley, a former writer for Sports Illustrated and a columnist for ESPN.com until his death on June 13, 2004, left behind a rich legacy of written work. This volume brings together Wiley's best feature stories from Sports Illustrated, columns from ESPN.com, his "Parting Shots" from the ESPN television show The Sports Reporters, and excerpts from his books and screenplays.
Whether musing about the meaning of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, presenting an intimate portrait of the O.J. Simpson he knew and worked with, or simply expressing his love of the game, Wiley had a unique and engaging style that made him not just a chronicler of American sports but of American life iself. As Spike Lee said in an interview shortly after Wiley's death, "Ralph was much more than a sports writer. He was a social critic."
Like the sports figures he wrote about, Ralph Wiley was larger than life. His passion for sports and for the written word was legendary. This collection, which includes a special essay by ESPN commentator and Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon, is a celebration of his indomitable spirit and his extraordinary skill as a journalist.
Ralph Wiley was a weekly columnist for "Page 2" on ESPN.com and a regular contributor to other ESPN productions. One of the original NFL Insiders on NBC, he also wrote articles for Sports Illustrated, Premiere, GQ, National Geographic, and many national newspapers. His books include Serenity: A Boxing Memoir and Why Black People Tend To Shout. He co-authored Born to Play with Eric Davis; Growing Up King with Dexter Scott King and the children of Martin Luther King Jr.; and, with filmmaker Spike Lee, By Any Means Necessary: The Trials and Tribulations of the Making of Malcolm X and Best Seat in the House.