Description
Book SynopsisThe Chicago Sports Reader examines Chicago''s long and glorious history of recreational and competitive sport, and as the home of the finest sporting events and most loyal fans in the United States. Contributors explore why sports have been especially important in Chicago, how these sports were organized, and how sports promote not only a sense of community and hometown pride but also the agony of defeat and betrayal. This indispensable collection surveys the essential events and main teams in the city''s sports history--the Bears, the Cubs, the White Sox, the Black Hawks, and the Bulls--as well as great Chicago sports legends Red Grange, Michael Jordan, and others. The authors also examine more specialized sports such as racing, cycling, and women''s baseball. In addition to examining the highlights of Chicago sport,
The Chicago Sports Reader also acknowledges a few lowlights, such as the role of organized crime, the Cubs'' demise in 1969, and the infamous Black Sox scan
Trade Review“Classic essays. . . . Recommended.”--
Choice"Chicago wins! There is no comparable volume packing so much into it as
The Chicago Sports Reader. What a powerful line-up! Readers will savor its endless pleasures."--Michael H. Ebner, Lake Forest College and
Chicago Tribune All-Star Team of College Professors
"A fascinating collection . . . .
The Chicago Sports Reader provides a noteworthy account of interest to both the expert and sports enthusiast alike."--Dominic A. Pacyga, author of
Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago: Workers on the South Side, 1880-1922"An impressive roster of essays illuminating the compelling history of sports in the Windy City, from horse racing to hockey. A wonderful collection showing how sports and Chicago are interconnected for men and women of various social classes, races, and ethnicities."--Linda J. Borish, coauthor of
Sports in American History: From Colonization to GlobalizationTable of ContentsIntroduction: The History of Sports in Chicago
Steven A. Riess 1
1. Horse Racing in Chicago, 1883-1894: The Interplay of Class, Politics, and Organized Crime
Steven A. Riess 59
2. When Chicago Was Wheel Crazy
George D. Bushnell 81
3. The Car Race of the Century
Cord Scott 91
4. The Rise of the Spectator, the Coach, and the Player, 1895-1905
Robin Dale Lester 105
5. Black Entrepreneurship in the National Pastime: The Rise of Semiprofessional Baseball in Black Chicago, 1890-1915
Michael E. Lomax 147
6. News, Narratives, and the Black Sox Scandal: History's First Draft
Daniel A. Nathan 173
7. Red Grange and the Chicago Bears
John M. Carroll 199
8. The Dempsey-Tunney Fight
Bruce J. Evensen 233
9. Entrepreneurship and the Rise of the Chicago Blackhawks
John Chi-Kit Wong 253
10. Blocked Shot: The Development of Basketball in the African-American Community of Chicago
Gerald R. Gems 281
11. No Freaks, No Amazons, No Boyish Bobs
Susan K. Cahn 299
12. 1969 and the Chicago Cubs
David Claerbaut 317
13. Bittersweet Championships: Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls, and International Sports Marketing
Walter L. LeFeber 341
Contributors
353
Index
357
Illustrations follow page 252
