Considers how to locate America in the sporting world and how 'American Sport' should reflect the vast networks of expertise, finance, and performance moving out from American athletic body as well as the influx of talent coming from abroad. This book is intended for scholars of culture, politics, and sport.

This insightful volume considers - How to locate America in the sporting world: in the traditions and rituals of a national pastime or in the baseball academies run by American professional teams in the Dominican Republic? With the athletes that carry a flag in Olympic ceremonies or among the executives in the boardrooms of Nike? The contributors argue that "America" is located in these familiar sites and practices but also and increasingly in these novel contexts, where the bodies, strategies, and aspirations of others are becoming subject to American ludic, agonistic, and moral orders. Collectively, their contention is that American sports as a category needs to be reconsidered, to take into account the extensive networks of expertise, finance, and performance moving out from American athletic institutions as well as the ever increasing influx of talent coming from abroad that sustains American collegiate and professional athletics. As America strives to balance cosmopolitan objectives with resurgent nationalism, it is critical to consider "American sports" from within and without. This book will be of great interest to scholars of culture, politics, and sport.

(1) Prologue: the Paradoxes of American Games from Within and Without. Benjamin Eastman, The University of Chicago. (2) Why Baseball, Why Cricket? Differing Nationalisms, Differing Challenges. Boria Majumdar, Latrobe University and Sean Brown, Northeastern University. (3) Let the Games Begin: Sport, U.S. Race Relations and Cold War Politics. Damion Thomas, University of Maryland. (4) Capturing Racism: An Analysis of Racial projects within the Lisa Simpson vs. University of Colorado Football Rape Case. Todd Crosset, University of Massachussets, Amherst. (5) The Opposite of Losses: Where Lies the Soul of American Sports? Holly Swyers, The University of Chicago. (6) Making the World Safe for Baseball: Reflections on Internationalism in Cooperstown and World Baseball Classic. John D. Kelly, The University of Chicago. (7) Prototype: In search of the Perfect Senagalese Basketball Physique. Michael Ralph, The University of Chicago. (8) Baseball in the Breach: Notes on Defection, Disaffection and Transition in Contemporary Cuba. Benjamin Eastman, The University of Chicago. (9) Latinizing the 'National Pastime' Alan Klein, Northeastern University. (10) Epilogue: It was all a dream wasn't it? Michael Ralph, The University of Chicago.