The Fan's Savior Cometh

As editor of the popular sports blog Deadspin, Will Leitch writes and edits at least a dozen posts daily detailing the absurd, the sordid, and occasionally the sublime (we headlined our prior interview with Leitch, "Sports Bloggers' Benevolent King"). He tackles similar themes in his new book, God Save the Fan: How Preening Sportscasters, Athletes Who Speak in the Third Person, and the Occasional Convicted Quarterback Have Taken the Fun Out of Sports (And How We Can Get It Back), only with a slightly longer lead time—readers won't learn Leitch's take on the Mitchell Report or the Patriots' undefeated season between the covers—and without the rapid, raunchy, sometimes-hilarious commentary of his readers. Prevailing instead is Leitch's trademark bemused/earnest/common-sense tone. "Deep down, I love these games as much as anyone," he tells Gelf. "If there's an ethos to the site, it's that sports are diversion: They are supposed to be fun."