Longlisted for the 2016 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing presented by PEN American Center Are today's professional athletes nothing more than selfish, greedy millionaires with no idea how ordinary people live? The common perception of today's professional baseball, basketball, football, and hockey players is of individuals always wanting more money and better working conditions. When it comes to labor issues in sports, the usual media spin portrays topics such as strikes by players and lockouts by owners as millionaires in dispute with billionaires; each group as self-interested as the other. However, as is often the case, the truth is vastly different. Sports and Labor in the United States demonstrates that players are often exploited by ownership and fight for matters of principle, not simply material gain. In accessible, nontechnical language, Michael Schiavone presents a comprehensive examination of labor relations in American professional sports and how they have evolved over time. Separate chapters on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL provide an overview and analysis of each sport from their organized beginnings up to the present day. Like no other work before it, Sports and Labor in the United States provides a comprehensive and detailed understanding of labor relations in American sports for scholars, those interested in labor issues, and sports fans.

In Whats My Name, Fool? sports writer Dave Zirin shows how sports express the worst - and at times the most creative, exciting, and political - features of our society. Zirins sharp and insightful commentary on the personalities, politics, and history of American sports is unlike any sports writing being done today. Zirin explores how NBA brawls highlight tensions beyond the arena, how the bold stances taken by sports unions can chart a path for the entire labor movement, and the unexplored political stirrings of a new generation of athletes who are no longer content to just ''play one game at a time.'' Whats My Name, Fool? draws on original interviews with former heavyweight champ George Foreman, Olympic athlete John Carlos, NBA player and anti-death penalty activist Etan Thomas, antiwar womens college hoopster Toni Smith, Olympic Project for Human Rights leader Lee Evans and many others. It also unearths a history of athletes ranging from Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali to Billie Jean King, who charted a new course through their athletic ability and their outspoken views.

Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization, Second Edition, journeys from the early American past to the present to give students a compelling grasp of the evolution of American sporting practices. This text provides students with insights into new and alternative perspectives, examines sport as a social and cultural phenomenon, generates a better understanding of current sport practices, and considers future developments in American sport. The second edition includes the following enhancements: • The final chapter highlights sport in the twenty-first century and gives students an updated view of contemporary sport. • Content about the progressive era now makes up two chapters and provides students with a clearer understanding of this instrumental period. • New “People and Places” and “International Perspectives” sidebars introduce key figures in sport history and provide students with a global understanding of sport. • Time lines with major sport and societal events and milestones provide context in each chapter. • More than 150 images provide historical authenticity and relate people and events to the accompanying text. • Chapter objectives and discussion questions help students absorb and apply relevant content. • An ancillary suite helps instructors prepare for class with an instructor guide, test package, and presentation package. This comprehensive resource delivers coverage of sport by historical periods—from the indigenous tribes of premodern America, through colonial societies, to the era of sport in the United States today. Sports in American History, Second Edition, examines how women, minorities, and ethnic and religious groups have influenced U.S. sporting culture. This gives students a broader knowledge of the complexities of sport, health, and play in the American experience and how historical factors, such as gender, ethnicity, race, and religion, provide a more complete understanding of sports in American history. The easy-to-follow material is divided into 11 chronological chapters starting with sporting practices in colonial America and ending with globalized sport today, making it ideal for a semester-long course. The second edition maintains dedication to providing authentic primary documents—including newspapers, illustrations, photographs, historical writings, quotations, and posters—to bring the time periods to life for students. An extensive bibliography features primary and secondary sources in American sport history. Sports in American History, Second Edition, is unique in its level of detail, broad time frame, and focus on sports and the evolving definitions of physical activity and games. In addition, excerpts from primary documents provide firsthand accounts that will not only inform and fascinate readers but also provide a well-rounded perspective on the historical development of American sport. With sidebars offering an international viewpoint, this book will help students understand how historical events have shaped sport differently in the United States than in other parts of the world.