A Fan's Notes

Frederick Exley's A Fan's Notes is a good hard look at sports fandom. The book's protagonist (also named Frederick Exley) is an alcoholic, in an out of mental hospitals, whose troubled and unfulfilled life centers on his role as a passive spectator — especially of the New York Giants and its quarterback, Frank Gifford. This book will have the uncomfortable shock of recognition for anyone with deep emotional attachments to their favorite teams.