Major Problems in American Sport History: Documents and Essays (Major Problems in American History Series)

First a word about the "Major Problems" line: it is designed to be a text in college history courses. Each chapter is divided into two parts: 1) Primary sources 2) Two or three scholarly articles (usually written by an expert in the field). Each source or article is designed to act as a springboard for classroom discussion lead by the professor. In all, I like the format of the line of books and enjoyed it when a professor assigned it as a text. I'm so nerdy, in fact, that I've bought a couple books from the "Major Problems" lines to read for pleasure. This particular title in the series was compiled by a former professor of mine, Steven Riess. He succeeds in putting together a series of documents that enlighten, challenge opinions and, in all, provide a wealth of information while leaving no clear cut answers. Favorites include essays on why sports were restricted in colonial New England (because of religions reasons or for practical/safety reasons?), the interview with Muhammad Ali, and Chapter 14: The Business of Sport (highlighting the benefits, drawbacks and inside deals involved in big money major leagues). Riess also succeeds in giving legitimacy to the study of sport--think of all the money spent on tickets, all the air time, advertisements, etc. that are involved in modern sports. Sports IS a major part of American society and Riess helps to present its rich history and evolution. This is a college text book--not something one would take to the park with them on a Sunday afternoon to read under a tree, but this was not Riess' intention. Clearly, he hit the mark he was aiming for.