ESPN Sports Almanac 2005: The Definitive Sports Reference Book

Sports is a huge part of my life, and I cannot tell you how many times I have referred to this book to settle questions and argurments. It gives the information in a no-nonsense manner that I like. I have watched many sporting events with this by my side. Thanks, ESPN.......how did we survive before there was an ESPN?

One of my professors uses this as a required textbook for his class, "History & Issues of Sports." He has been using it for several years, and the students are getting a textbook bargain for $10.00.

This superb publication (which I own several editions of), can end just about any argument when it comes to sports. It covers the major sports (football basketball baseball hockey), but what I really like about it is that it also covers an array of other popular sports, such as golf, gymnastics (two of my favorites)tennis, and horse racing. It goes into season records on baseball football basketball and hockey, and contains all-time records. I use it to help me decide which sportscards to invest in. The book contains bios on some sports celebrities, and also has coverage of major sports news events of the previous year. I highly recommend this book for the plain and simple fact that it is one of the most accurate sports reference books published. Plus, as most any of you know, it is put out by the fine folks at ESPN, the same people who have their own tv sports stations. Want to know who has made the most goals in hockey? It's right here. Want to find out who has struck out the most batters in baseball? It's right here. Would you like to find out who has won the most gold medals in either men's or women's gymnastics? Find it here. For me, this book is entertaining and informative. It would make an excellent Birthday/Christmas/Whatever gift for sports fans, and it's a plus for anyone doing research on sports.

While there's little in the way of original research, that's not the purpose of this book. It aims only to be a recap of the year in sports, as well as a historical reference, both of which it does well. The Olympic coverage is excellent, as is the recap of the 2004 baseball season. One thing ESPN does exceptionally well is baseball, and that shows in this book. The only negative to this item is that it plays too much on the ESPN brand - things like Sportscenter Top 10 lists are cute, but I'd rather just have the facts. Still, I'd recommend this as something for sports fans to keep on their bookshelves. Sure, you can find most of the info online if you know where to look, but it's nice to have convenient access all in one place.