“Classic essays. . . . Recommended.”--<i>Choice</i> "Chicago wins! There is no comparable volume packing so much into it as <i>The Chicago Sports Reader.</i> What a powerful line-up! Readers will savor its endless pleasures."--Michael H. Ebner, Lake Forest College and <i>Chicago Tribune</i> All-Star Team of College Professors "A fascinating collection . . . . <i>The Chicago Sports Reader</i> provides a noteworthy account of interest to both the expert and sports enthusiast alike."--Dominic A. Pacyga, author of <i>Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago: Workers on the South Side, 1880-1922</i> "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 <i>Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization</i>
Contributors are George D. Bushnell, Susan K. Cahn, John M. Carroll, David Claerbaut, Bruce J. Evensen, Gerald R. Gems, Walter LeFeber, Robin Dale Lester, Michael E. Lomax, Daniel A. Nathan, Steven A. Riess, Cord Scott, and John Chi-Kit Wong.
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