This latest study by Gerald R. Gems provides readers with his usual excellent research and writing. Gems gives in-depth analysis of what sports have meant to both the city of Chicago and its varied inhabitants, scrutinizing how all manner of athletic undertakings have impacted a variety of racial, ethnic, and religious groups. This study shows not only how Chicagoan sport culture has brought communities together, but also how it has shaped local identities and contributed to the construction of civic space. This book should serve as a model for any study of a large metropolitan area’s relationship with all levels of sport for years to come.

- Jorge Iber, Texas Tech University,