Editor’s Note: “Sport in American History” is excited to cross-post Richard C. Crepeau’s “Sport and Society” column. This post was originally published on August 26, 2018. A full archive of his Crepeau’s columns can be found by clicking here. Every year at this time, the time being the coming of the college football season, we are treated to a…
By Robert J. Lake On the 16th August, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) approved a complete overhaul of the Davis Cup, the men’s international tennis championship dating back to 1900. A two-thirds majority among the 140 member nations approved the move to turn it from a competition involving several rounds of play throughout the calendar year…
Organized by Patrick Salkeld Starting August 27 and culminating on September 8, 2018, Serena Williams played in the 2018 U.S. Open. Williams faced Naomi Osaka in the Women’s Singles Final overseen by chair umpire Carlos Ramos on September 8. During the second set, Ramos “called a code violation for coaching” when he saw Williams’ coach…
Pesca, Mike. Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History. New York. Twelve Books, 2018. Forward by Malcolm Gladwell, notes, index. $28.00 paperback. Reviewed by Murry Nelson Upon Further Review may be the most uneven book that I have seen recently, with chapters (each 6-15 pages) by a myriad of authors on some…
By Timothy J. Lombardo A familiar refrain accompanied the Philadelphia Eagles’ unlikely trek toward Super Bowl LII. It was perhaps best explained by Ed Rendell. Predicting an Eagles victory, Rendell said, “This team reminds me of the 1993 Phillies, just a bunch of working stiffs, not glamourous whatsoever. So blue-collar.” Rendell was uniquely qualified to…
By Tanya K. Jones Whether one is playing or spectating, millions of people participate in one form or another. As springtime ends, it takes two sports in the U.S. with it; hockey and basketball. Despite the loss, American sports enthusiasts have baseball to lean on until the day comes when one sport rises above the…
Smith, Curt. The Presidents and the Pastime: The History of Baseball & the White House. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2018. Pp. 469. Bibliography. $29.95 hardback. Reviewed by Bob D’Angelo Politics and baseball are a delicious mixture. Curt Smith knows how to create a satisfying recipe. Smith, 67, a senior lecturer of English at the…
By Andrew McGregor Today I published a piece in the Washington Post’s Made by History section considering issues related to college football and how past reforms only temporarily addressed concerns about the sport’s safety. While I rely on some of my own research to make my argument, I mention a few developments in the history…
Sumner, David E. Fumbled Call: The Bear Bryant-Wally Butts Football Scandal That Split the Supreme Court and Changed American Libel Law. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2018. 11 b/w photographs, acknowledgments, four appendices, chapter notes, bibliography, index. Pp. 234. $35.00 softcover. Reviewed by Michael T. Wood In Fumbled Call, David E. Sumner recounts the events surrounding the…
Alou, Felipe, and Peter Kerasotis. Alou: My Baseball Journey. Forward by Pedro Martinez. Pp 336, 35 photographs, 1 illustration, and 1 index. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2018. $29.95 hardcover. A few years ago, a popular brand of beer (associated with one of the Major League clubs) ran a commercial that demonstrated the dramatic demographic…
Gietschier, Steven, ed. Replays, Rivalries and Rumbles: The Most Iconic Moments In American Sports. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2017. Pp. 205, Index. $95.00 hardcover, $17.96 e-book. Reviewed by Brett L. Abrams How appropriate during the year that Major League Baseball brought its All-Star Game to Washington, D.C., that a resident of the nation’s…
Editor’s Note: “Sport in American History” is excited to cross-post Richard C. Crepeau’s “Sport and Society” column. This post was originally published on August 3, 2018. A full archive of his Crepeau’s columns can be found by clicking here. Over the past few weeks, the tweets of three major league baseball players have made headlines. All three players wrote…
