Tag Archives: sports

February 2, 2018

Authors on Issues: The Political Football

Posted by michael
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 In this latest installment in our Authors on Issues series, Thomas P. Oates, author of Football and Manliness: An Unauthorized Feminist Account of the NFL, writes about the political and cultural force of the NFL.    The Political Football By Thomas … Continue reading →

September 27, 2017

Cheating for more than just NCAA basketball recruits

Posted by rkcunningham
in sports history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Cheating for more than just NCAA basketball recruits

It would be easy to call a significant part of the NCAA basketball landscape a cesspool of cheating, money, and other sins. Indeed, an oft-alleged mariner on those dark waters was told to hit the showers just this morning and takes … Continue reading →

May 16, 2017

Harry Edwards on fighting for black athletes and coaches, whether they like it or not

Posted by rkcunningham
in African American Studies, Olympic history, politics, sports history | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Harry Edwards on fighting for black athletes and coaches, whether they like it or not

An excerpt from the new introduction to The Revolt of the Black Athlete: 50th Anniversary Edition, by Harry Edwards. I believe that over the last fifty years, the facts, the relationships, and the conclusions drawn from them as portrayed in the … Continue reading →

April 6, 2017

Backlist Bop: Lifters and jaffas and twin killings and homers

Posted by rkcunningham
in sports history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Backlist Bop: Lifters and jaffas and twin killings and homers

I once tried to explain baseball to a British friend while we watched a Cubs game. By the sixth inning, after going aground on the dropped third strike and tagging up on a fly ball, I said that baseball, like … Continue reading →

January 19, 2017

Backlist Bop: Snobs, not so many slobs

Posted by rkcunningham
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              Outsiders, in general, consider January off-season for golf in the northern United States. The intemperate weather replaces the pond and sand trap with real hazards like frostbite and packs of ravening wolves. The … Continue reading →

October 6, 2016

Throwbacklist Thursday: Boogie Woogie Kugel Boy

Posted by rkcunningham
in american history, labor history, sports history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Throwbacklist Thursday: Boogie Woogie Kugel Boy

Today marks National Noodle Day, an observance that simultaneously celebrates a food most beloved of preschoolers and college students while making you wonder if this national day trend has gone too far. At UIP we take no stance on the question—it’s … Continue reading →

September 14, 2016

Release Party: The Rise and Fall of Olympic Amateurism

Posted by rkcunningham
in sports history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Release Party: The Rise and Fall of Olympic Amateurism

For decades, amateurism defined the ideals of the Olympic movement. No more. Today’s Games present athletes who enjoy open corporate sponsorship and unabashedly compete for lucrative commercial endorsements. Our new book by Matthew P. Llewellyn and John Gleaves analyze how this astonishing … Continue reading →

August 30, 2016

200 Years of Illinois: The Last Hambletonian

Posted by rkcunningham
in Illinois / regional, sports history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments Off on 200 Years of Illinois: The Last Hambletonian

On August 30, 1980, the last Hambletonian in Du Quoin got underway amidst local sadness and headlines that harness racing’s top event had scored big money in its move to the Meadowlands in New Jersey. That summer, Bill Haughton—in an emotional … Continue reading →

August 11, 2016

Throwbacklist Thursday: Seven Ring Circus

Posted by rkcunningham
in biography, sports history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Throwbacklist Thursday: Seven Ring Circus

Whether you consider the Olympic Games a triumph of human endeavor and achievement, or an appalling cesspool of corruption and drug experimentation, it is that rare mega-event that always grabs the world’s attention. The University of Illinois Press maintains a longstanding dedication to … Continue reading →

February 8, 2016

Q&A with Team Chemistry author Nathan Michael Corzine

Posted by sfast
in american history, author commentary, authors, sports history | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Q&A with Team Chemistry author Nathan Michael Corzine

Nathan Michael Corzine is an instructor in history at Coastal Carolina Community College. He recently answered some questions about his book Team Chemistry: The History of Drugs and Alcohol in Major League Baseball. Q: Are there any surprises when it comes to … Continue reading →