Sports in Chicago

Elliott J. Gorn is Joseph A. Gagliano Chair in American Urban History at Loyola University. He is the author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prizefighting in America, co-author of A Brief History of American Sports, and editor of Muhammad Ali, the People's Champ.

• Preface / Elliott J. Gorn   vii1. Sports and Identity in Chicago / Gerald Gems   12. The Rise of Early Chicago Soccer / Gabe Logan   193. Closing Down the Open City: The Demise of Boxing and Horse Racing in Chicago / Steven A. Riess   434. Jewish Women, Sports, and Chicago History / Linda J. Borish   625. Baseball Palace of the World: Commercial Recreation and the Building of Comiskey Park / Robin F. Bachin   786. Serbs, Sports and Whiteness / Peter T. Alter   1137. "A Dirty Rotten Shame": The Black Sox Scandal and American Culture / Daniel A. Nathan   1288. The Plow That Broke the Midway: Bronko Nagurski / Timothy Spears   1459. "An Inalienable Right to Play": African American Participation in the Catholic Youth Organization / Timothy B. Neary   16410. An Athlete Dying Young: Kenny Hubbs, Memory, and the Chicago Cubs   Richard Kimball / 19711. The Social Logic of Boxing in Black Chicago: Toward a Sociology of Pugilism   Loic J. D. Wacquant / 20912. Recent Stadium Development Projects in Chicago: A Tale of Three Neighborhoods   Costas Spirou and Larry Bennett / 25213. Chicago Sports! You Shoulda' Been There: An Exhibition   John Russick / 271Epilogue: Where Hope Goes to Die   Elliott J. Gorn / 291Contributors / 305Index / 309

"An excellent collection of essays. . . . A useful addition to any library's sport collection."--Journal of Sport History "A fascinating collection (ably illustrated with wonderful archival materials) and well worth reading."--Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature "Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks, and Sox epitomize sports to most Chicagoans. This volume delivers this and much more. From the introduction of soccer by British immigrants and the racially integrated CYO teams to the forgotten legacy of Bronko Nagurski and the civic impact of sporting venues, Sports in Chicago takes readers beyond the Bull(s). A must-read for any fan of Chicago history."--Timothy J. Gilfoyle, author of Millennium Park: Creating a Chicago Landmark "At the intersection of Chicago sports and history lies this gem of a book. Rich in lore, wisdom, and insight, it reaches back into the past beyond even Bronko Nagurski--and believe me, that's as big a reach as the Cubs winning the World Series. One difference, though: the Cubs don't always succeed; Sports in Chicago does."--John Schulian, former Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist "Sports have their deepest meanings for local communities, and no city has a richer sports history than Chicago's. The Bears and the Cubs; the Black Sox and Bronko Nagurski; Soldier Field, Comiskey Park, and Wrigley Field; ethnic and racial neighborhoods and the Catholic Youth Organization--all made their mark on Chicago sports and on Chicago the city. This collection of essays is a fascinating photo album of that great city's great characters among its athletes and teams."--Michael Oriard, former NFL player and author of King Football: Sport & Spectacle in the Golden Age of Radio and Newsreels, Movies & Magazines, the Weekly & the Daily Press