Sport and Society-The Nassar Case

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 January 26, 2018. A full archive of his Crepeau’s columns can be found by clicking here. By Richard C. Crepeau The reaction to the statements made by victims at Larry Nassar’s trial has been dramatic…

Review of Modern Coliseum: Stadiums and American Culture

Review of Lisle, Benjamin. Modern Coliseum: Stadiums and American Culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017. Pp. 328, 76 illustrations, Notes and index. $34.95, cloth back. Reviewed by Frank Andre Guridy Benjamin Lisle’s Modern Coliseum: Stadiums and American Culture is a timely and important contribution to sports studies that helps us understand why urban elites…

Review of War of the Wheels

Withers, Jeremy, The War of the Wheels: H.G. Wells and the Bicycle . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2017. Pp. xii+237. Introduction, notes, bibliography, and index. Paperback: $29.95. Reviewed by Ari de Wilde In his War of the Wheels, Jeremy Withers, assistant professor of English at Iowa State University, adds to the increasingly impressive amount…

Dancing Oriental: Performance & Culture in the Early 20th Century

By Aishwarya Ramachandran Postcolonial theorist Edward Said suggested that defining the West through history requires acknowledging the Orient and the special place it holds in the Western experience.[1] The concept of Orientalism, in particular, has accompanied the notion that “the East is a career,” and thus to be interested in the Orient was to have a…

Review of Fire on the Track

Montillo, Roseanne. Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women. New York: Crown, 2017. Pp. 285. 15 photos & illustrations, chapter notes and index. $27.00 hardcover. Reviewed by Robert Pruter Author Roseanne Montillo does not have an academic sport history background, but rather a MFA degree in creative writing, a…

Travel Bans and Walls: A Look Back at Immigration Policy and Sport in 2017

By Paulina A. Rodriguez Burciaga Yesterday, in a discussion over immigration policies with senators and other lawmakers, president Donald Trump reportedly said, in reference to Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” suggesting that the U.S. instead welcome immigrants from countries such as Norway.…

A Year in Review: Nationalism in Sport in 2017

By Sam Winemiller Years down the road, when we reflect upon the intersection of U.S. politics and sport in 2017, the frame that will most likely dominate our remembrance will be that of resistance from athletes against the government and forces in power. Memories of Colin Kaepernick’s continuing efforts for social justice despite conspicuous unemployment,…