Hillman, Cory. American Sports in an Age of Consumption. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2016. Pp. 204. Notes, References, Index. $29.95 softcover. Reviewed by Rich Loosbrock Not even a casual observer of American sports could fail to see the element of consumption at any major sporting event. Jumbotrons scream at the spectators, splashing constant advertisements amidst the…
By Katherine Walden Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2017 season began over the weekend, with the reigning World Series Champion Chicago Cubs falling in the bottom of the 9th to their National League Central Division rival St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis expats in Cubs fan territory rejoiced. Elsewhere, San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner hit two…
By Andrew McGregor “One lesson to be learned in reaching an age where you are both a viable politician and a washed-up lineman is that past glories are not negotiable in the open market,” then Vice-President Gerald Ford wrote in Sports Illustrated in July 1974. “When you stop winning they not only start booing, they…
Landborn, Adair. Flamenco and Bullfighting: Movement, Passion and Risk in Two Spanish Traditions. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015. Pp. ix + 260. Appendices, glossary, notes, bibliography, and index. $45.00 paperback. Reviewed by Zachary R. Bigalke “What makes something a sport?” This is a question that vexes both casual fans and academics alike, and one which offers…
Fair, John D. Mr. America: The Tragic History of a Bodybuilding Icon. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2015. Pp. xiii+457. Notes, index, bibliography, and appendices. $35.00 clothback. Reviewed by Hunter M. Hampton I just defended my dissertation, and I am still a little mentally frazzled. This also means that my analytical reading is cranked up…
by Zachary R. Bigalke The ideology of racial democracy cast a long shadow over twentieth-century race relations in Brazil. First popularized by influential Brazilian scholar Gilberto Freyre, this theory presumed a level racial playing field that was paradoxically dependent on the whitening of the populace. Rather than helping to drive the country toward a multiracial…
Tonight, the first of two semi-final games in the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) will be held at Dodger Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, when the Netherlands takes on the 2016 runner-up Puerto Rico. Tomorrow, the United States will attempt to reach its first championship final in the tournament when it faces two-time WBC champion…
Cermak, Iri. The Cinema of Hockey: Four Decades of the Game on Screen. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2017. Pps. 333. Filmography, bibliography, and index. $39.95 paperback. Review by Nick Sacco Professional hockey’s popularity has grown immensely over the past thirty years, evolving from a fringe sport to one of the “big…
Reeder, Lydia. Dust Bowl Girls: The Inspiring Story of the Team that Barnstormed Its Way to Basketball Glory. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 2017. Pp. 304. Notes. $26.95 hardcover. Reviewed by Cat Ariail At first glance, 1932 appears to have been a banner year for Babe Didrikson. The so-called “Wonder Girl” romped to five titles at…
By Erin Morris, Guest Contributor Hockey season is coming to an end for teams across the country with league championships occurring every weekend. The professional women’s leagues in North America are no different. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) concluded their season on March 5 with Les Canadiennes de Montreal taking home the Clarkson Cup…
Sport in American History 