Good writing of 2014

An article ESPN had to apologize for, and that neither the author or publisher will discuss in public is one of the best stories of the year?

Yeah, I guess if you think a woman who used to be a man is the most terrifying, and shocking thing ever, then this is a great detective story.

Deadspin summed it up well:

The subject of this story, Essay Anne Vanderbilt, committed suicide during its reporting. But the story that Grantland finally ran months later was somehow immune to the gravity of what had happened. It was structured so that the reveal that Dr. V was transgender played for shock, with her suicide swept to the bottom of the piece, functionally serving as a footnote rather than an important component of the story. This was a comprehensive institutional fuckup.

He was clearly trying to tell me something, which is why he began emphasizing certain words. Every time he said "she" or "her" I could practically see him making air quotes. Finally it hit me. Cliché or not, a chill actually ran up my spine.

"Are you trying to tell me that Essay Anne Vanderbilt was once a man?"