The Thrill of Victory: Best Sports Stories from the Pages of «Maclean's»

Janet Money is a writer and policy analyst for the Canadian Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation in Toronto.

This compilation is part of a series of books based on archives of the
Canadian newsmagazine Maclean’s. It is an enjoyable collection of fine
sports journalism ranging from obscure pursuits such as synchronized
diving to Canada’s non-official national sport, hockey.

The earliest story in the collection, “Is Lacrosse What It Used to
Be?” by the late playwright, poet, novelist, and journalist Fred
Jacobs, is a grumpy tirade against those who maintain that lacrosse is
making a resurgence; in the author’s view, it never sagged in
popularity in the first place. The most recent piece—a profile by
James Deacon of Calgary Flames hockey star Jarome Iginla—is as
easygoing as the Jacobs piece is petulant.

In between those two pieces are decades of great sports writing.
Typical of mainstream sports journalism, most of it is focused on male
sporting exploits, and most of it is written by male sportswriters. That
said, Marci McDonald contributes an excellent profile of golfer Sandra
Post, and Eva-Lis Wouorio provides a glimpse into the figure-skating
life of former world champ Barbara Ann Scott.

Illustrated with archival photos, The Thrill of Victory is a volume to
be treasured.