In February 2012 we will publish Before the Curse: The Chicago Cub’s Glory Years, 1870-1945, which contains vintage newspaper accounts and historical essays on my favorite baseball team. I’ve been reading the […]
Category: sports history
George Kirsch: Opinionator
George Kirsch, author of the University of Illinois Press titles Golf in America and Baseball and Cricket: The Creation of American Team Sports, 1838-72, contributed an Opinionator column this week […]
Black Colleges and the NCAA Basketball Tournament by Charles Martin
Basketball fans around the country are being swept up this week in the annual “March Madness.” The first week of competition in the NCAA men’s tournament includes the infamous one-sided […]
Who is in charge of college athletic reform?
Ronald Smith, author of the new book Pay for Play: A History of Big-Time College Athletic Reform, has contributed an op-ed piece to the History News Network about the influence of […]
The NCAA plays a little defense
Both Inside Higher Ed and the Chronicle of Higher Ed published pieces this week on new NCAA president Mark A. Emmert’s comments related to the recent college football scandals. In the comments […]
The College Bowl Color Line by Charles H. Martin
‘Tis the season, for Christmas presents, holiday cheer, New Year’s resolutions—and college football’s never-ending parade of bowl games (35 in all this year)! When I began the research for […]
Inside Higher Ed interviews Pay for Play author
Ronald A. Smith, author of the new book Pay for Play: A History of Big-Time College Athletic Reform, was interviewed for the January 3, 2011, edition of Inside Higher Ed. […]
Taylor Bell on WGN-TV
Taylor Bell, author of the new book Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right: High School Football in Illinois, was interviewed August 27, 2010, on WGN-TV’s Midday News. […]
Benching Jim Crow on NPR’s Only a Game
On Saturday, August 28, University of Illinois Press author Charles Martin will be interviewed about his new book Benching Jim Crow: The Rise and Fall of the Color Line in […]
Holly Swyers on WGN
Holly Swyers, author of the new book Wrigley Regulars: Finding Community in the Bleachers, is scheduled to appear on WGN radio and television in the next few weeks. Tonight, August […]
T. Rex touchdown
In December we are publishing Ronald A. Smith’s new book Pay for Play: A History of Big-Time College Athletic Reform, which traces attempts at college athletics reform from 1855 through the […]
“Stephanie” by Holly Swyers
I interviewed Stephanie from Leftfield for Wrigley Regulars on July 10, 2005. We met for brunch at a place called Chicago Joe’s on Irving Park Road, and we talked for […]