The Sporting World of the Modern South
About the Book
Engaging a medley of perspectives and methodologies, The Sporting World of the Modern South examines how sports map the social, political, and cultural landscapes of the modern South.In essays on the "backcountry" fighter stereotypes portrayed in modern professional wrestling and the significance of Crimson Tide coaching legend Paul "Bear" Bryant for white Alabamians, contributors explore the symbols that have shaped southern regional identities since the Civil War. Other essays tackle gender and race relations in intercollegiate athletics, uncover the roles athletic competitions played in desegregating the South, and address the popularity of NASCAR in the southern states.
Pairing the action and anecdotes of good sportswriting with rock-solid scholarship, The Sporting World of the Modern South adds historical and anthropological perspectives to legends and lore from the gridiron to the racetrack. This collection, with its innovative attention to the interplay between athletics and regional identity, is an insightful and compelling contribution to southern and sports history.
About the Author
Patrick B. Miller teaches history at Northeastern Illinois University. He is the coauthor of The Unlevel Playing Field: A Documentary History of the African American Experience in Sport and coeditor of Sport and the Color Line: Black Athletes and Race Relations in Twentieth-Century America.Reviews
"Illuminates the South's role in shaping the South. . . . Miller's collection of essays . . . consider the past role of sport in Southern distinctiveness and push historians to consider more heavily the role that sport continues to play."--J.R. Duke, Southern Register"Miller and his colleagues have made a valuable contribution to the study of southern sports. Students of southern history will find much of interest in this useful collection."--North Carolina Historical Review
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