The Olympic Games is a unique event centering global interest on its host city. The financing of the Games has changed dramatically since Munich (1972) and economic interests and effects are increasingly paramount. It is therefore an anomaly that accurate economic analysis and comparison is not readily available. This is the most detailed study on the economic implications of recent and future Olympic Games over four decades. Holger Preuss analyses the most important issues surrounding the hosting of the Olympics, and its wider economic effects, including: * financial gigantism of the Olympic Games * commercialisation and its control * problems associated with achieving the Olympic requirements and standards * the economic legacy of Olympic Games * the feasibility of developing countries staging future Olympic Games * detailed post Olympic analysis of financial figures * conclusions on the economic related achievements of respective Organising Committees. Academics and researchers of sports economics, international economics, international business and competition will all find this fascinating book of great value. The rigorous and authoritative analysis ensures valuable information will be available for future bid cities, and in a wider context, any city planning to bid for a major sporting event. It will also appeal to those interested in the broader context of the Olympic Games and concerned by their commercialisation and gigantism.

Located in the United States, NBC (National Broadcasting Company) is the biggest and most powerful Olympic network in the world, having won the rights to televise both the Summer and the Winter Olympic Games. By way of attracting more viewers of both sexes and all ages and ethnicities than any other sporting event, and through the production of breathtaking spectacles and absorbing stories, NBC's Olympic telecasts have huge power and potential to shape viewer perceptions. Billings's unique text examines the production, content, and potential effects of NBC's Olympic telecasts. Interviews with key NBC Olympic producers and sportscasters (including NBC Universal Sports and Olympics President Dick Ebersol and primetime anchor Bob Costas) outline the inner workings of the NBC Olympic machine; content analyses from ten years of Olympic telecasts (1996-2006) examine the portrayal of nationality, gender, and ethnicity within NBC's telecast; and survey analyses interrogate the extent to which NBC's storytelling process affects viewer beliefs about identity issues. This mixed-method approach offers valuable insights into what Billings portrays as "the biggest show on television".

After many years of being an also-ran in the National league, the Pittsburgh Pirates' fortunes changed dramatically following the 1899 season after a monumental deal with the Louisville Colonels. The addition of star players such as Fred Clarke, Honus Wagner, Tommy Leach and Deacon Phillippe allowed Pittsburgh to become the first baseball dynasty of the twentieth century as they won National League pennants in 1901, 1902 and 1903. Without question, the 1902 Pirates aggregation was the greatest of those three squads. This definitive historical account examines the record-breaking 1902 Pittsburgh season, the politics that shaped baseball's landscape during that time period and the players who were responsible for allowing that squad to claim its rightful place in baseball history.

At the global level, sport is ruled by a set of organizations including giants such as the IOC (Olympics), FIFA (soccer), and the IAAF (athletics) as well as sporting minnows such as the World Armsport Federation (armwrestling). Many of these bodies have been surrounded by controversy during their histories, after having to adjust to the realities of commercial sport.
This important book analyzes the evolution of modern sport, examining the ways in which sporting organisations have adapted over the years to accommodate changing environments. Themes covered in this impressive volume include:
* sources of sports revenue
* organising global sporting events such as the Rugby World Cup
* differences and similarities between global sporting organisations
Forster and Pope have created an important book, which seriously analyzes sports organizations from a political economy vantage point for the first time. Of interest to students and academics studying the economics of sport, the book is also written in a style that makes it accessible for those with a general interest as well as for global sporting bodies themselves.

This narrative history of minor league football teams in Connecticut during the 60s and 70s is based on extensive newspaper and periodical research and interviews with nearly 70 former players, broadcasters and journalists. Only a few players - such as Marv Hubbard, Lou Piccone and Bob Tucker - emerged from the minors and made it to the NFL, but many more played for as little as $25 per game in their quest to make it big, or just to have fun playing the game they loved. Wealthy men like Pete Savin and Frank D'Addario got to live their dreams by owning teams in Hartford and Bridgeport. In the days before cable television saturated the media with live sports, small town fans turned out to support their local heroes, often men who worked on construction crews during the week, and stopped by the diner Sunday morning to talk football. Now in their 60s, 70s and 80s, these men share their stories of a simpler era; the good times, like the Hartford Knights' 1968 ACFL championship season, and the long bus rides and missed paydays that were as much a part of minor league ball as first downs and interceptions.

The last time the Chicago Cubs played in the World Series, World War II had just ended. The last time they won a World Series, World War I had not yet begun. But from 1906-1910 the Cubs not only played in the World Series four of the five years, they won two World Championships, as well. It was a time when the Cubs ruled baseball, and no one could have imagined the roller coaster adventures that were ahead for this grand old franchise. In The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty: Before the Curse, Hal Bock tells the story of this legendary team, the characters who were central to its success, and the misfortunes which have plagued the team ever since. Stars such as pitcher Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown and the double-play combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance are profiled, as are opponents who caused the Cubs unending headaches, like superstar pitcher Christy Mathewson and immortal shortstop Honus Wagner. A chronology and cast of characters set the stage for the reader before Bock delves into the early history of the Cubs and the assembly of what would become a dynasty. With talent to spare and just a little bit of luck going their way, the Chicago Cubs were unstoppable. But when an angry fan issued a curse on the team during the 1945 World Series, some believe it marked the beginning of the end for this storied franchise. Featuring 100-year-old images from historic baseball cards, profiles of Hall of Fame legends, and a foreword by Cubs supporter and TV star Joe Mantegna, The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty will appeal to all baseball fans, but especially to those always-passionate Cubs enthusiasts from around the nation.

The first book to introduce both the sustainable development of sport and the use of sport for sustainable development Sustainability, and social and environmental responsibility, are centrally important issues in all sectors of economy, society and education Introduces key theory and real-world applications Multi-disciplinary perspectives, drawing on business and management, development studies, environmental studies, sociology, psychology and political science Includes expert practitioner voices in every chapter, from sport and other sectors Includes international case-studies throughout

Few people hunting today are really aware of the history of their sport. This concise book shows how this much misunderstood sport has survived and flourished through the centuries of change, to the benefit of the fox and its environment.

So comprehensively has Arsene Wenger rebranded Arsenal Football Club that it is possible to forget the 100-plus years of history that came before him. Yet there remain curious parallels that glue together the club's past and present: just as the modern team is built on outsiders, born far from the confines of N5, so too was the original side of 1886, created by economic migrants from the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland, looking to prosper in London. Now for the first time in paperback, and using photographic and written archives of the "Daily Mirror" (including rare and unseen material), "When Football Was Football - Arsenal" takes us on a nostalgia-packed journey through the club's evolution from its beginnings as a south London munitions factory team, through the nurturing of some of the game's fabled characters. From notorious chairman Henry Norris to the great innovator Herbert Chapman, and the players from Brylcreem Boy Denis Compton, wee Alex James, Charlie George and Frank McLintock, up to the fresh-in-the-memory figures of Tony Adams and Ian Wright (perhaps the last bastion of a pre-modern Arsenal). Key images that will engage and delight readers include: 1930 - Arsenal win their first trophy, the FA Cup at Wembley; 1968 - Pat Rice working on a fruit stall; 1982 - "Champagne" Charlie Nicholas living up to his nickname. The book draws a line in the sand at the advent of the Premier League, when Arsenal, and football, were carried along on a wave of ruthless commercialism. Packed with evocative, atmospheric photos depicting bygone eras, "When Football Was Football - Arsenal" reminds us of how things used to be - and leaves the reader to decide which they prefer.

The stage is set for the Beijing Olympiad to be the greatest mega-event, sporting or otherwise, in history. Still, the issues taxing many minds include whether the Beijing Games will be successful; whether they will be wrought with and wrecked by troubles; and who they will benefit. What value will the 2008 Games be to the people of China? Will they mainly serve the purposes of the dominant political, economic and cultural groups at and between the local, regional and global levels of modern social life?

The Beijing Olympiad examines these among other questions, providing a range of original insights of interest to an array of scholars, researchers and students from Sports Studies to Sociology, Politics, Economics, International Relations and Legal Studies.

How did the Olympics evolve into a multi-national phenomenon? How can the Olympics help us to understand the relationship between sport and society? What will be the impact and legacy of the Olympics after Tokyo in 2020? Understanding the Olympics answers all these questions by exploring the social, cultural, political, historical, and economic context of the Games. This thoroughly revised and updated edition discusses recent attempts at future proofing by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the face of growing global anti-Olympic activism, the changing geo-political context within which the Olympics take place, and the Olympic histories of the next three cities to host the Games - Tokyo (2020), Paris (2024), and Los Angeles (2028) - as well as the legacy of the London (2012) Olympics. For the first time, this new edition introduces the reader to the emergence of 'other Games' associated with the IOC - the Winter Olympics, the Paralympics, and the Youth Olympics. It also features a full Olympic history timeline, many new photographs, refreshed suggestions for further reading, and revised illustrations. The most up-to-date and authoritative textbook available on the Olympic Games, Understanding the Olympics is essential reading for anybody with an interest in the Olympics or the wider relationship between sport and society.

The stage is set for the Beijing Olympiad to be the greatest mega-event, sporting or otherwise, in history. Still, the issues taxing many minds include whether the Beijing Games will be successful; whether they will be wrought with and wrecked by troubles; and who they will benefit. What value will the 2008 Games be to the people of China? Will they mainly serve the purposes of the dominant political, economic and cultural groups at and between the local, regional and global levels of modern social life?

The Beijing Olympiad examines these among other questions, providing a range of original insights of interest to an array of scholars, researchers and students from Sports Studies to Sociology, Politics, Economics, International Relations and Legal Studies.

Gender equality is one of the founding democratic principles of the EU. However, recent studies of the Federation of Olympic Sports in Europe have shown that women occupy only fourteen percent of decision-making positions in sport organizations. This book presents a comprehensive and comparative study of how various regions and countries of Europe have addressed this lack of gender diversity, discussing which strategies have brought about change and to what extent these changes have been successful. With contributions from leading sport sociologists, covering countries such as Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the UK, it provides a foundation for future policymaking, methodological analyses and theoretical developments that can result in sustainable gender equality in European sport governance. Gender Diversity in European Sport Governance is important reading for scholars and students in the fields of sociology of sport, sport management, sociology, gender studies and studies of organization, management and leadership. It is also a valuable resource for policy makers in the EU, as well as national sport organizations and activists.

Acknowledging China's established status as a global sporting superpower, this is the first book to systematically investigate sport policy in that country. With a focus on sport development in the most recent three decades, Sport Policy in China explores a wide range of topics in Chinese sport, including elite sport development, professional sports, major sports events, sport for all, the political context within which sport is interiorised and the distinctive sporting status of Hong Kong. It examines the debates around policy, globalisation, diplomacy and soft power, as well as the significance of the principle of 'one country, two systems'. With international appeal, this book is a valuable resource for students and researchers in the fields of sport policy, sport management, sport development and sport sociology.

It's time we all stopped whining and learned a thing or two from The Toughest Cyclists Ever. Including:

Stephen Roche, whose cure for exhaustion was to go up a gear and fight harder, all the way to the ambulance. Eddy Merckx, who hurt himself so badly in breaking the Hour record that, he estimated, he shortened his career by a year. Beryl Burton, who crushed her (male) rival's morale with the offer of a piece of liquorice, before speeding past to victory. Nicole Cooke and Edwig Van Hooydonck, who rejected dope and became legends.

The Hardmen tells the stories - the good bits, anyway - of the 40 most heroic Cyclists ever. Their bravery, their panache and their Perfect Amount of Dumb.

It reminds us that suffering on a bike liberates us from our daily lives, and that, in the words of Lance Armstrong 'pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever'; proof that even assholes can be insightful.

One of the greatest changes in the sports world in the past 20 years has been the use of mathematical methods to analyze performances, recognize trends and patterns, and predict results. Analytic Methods in Sports: Using Mathematics and Statistics to Understand Data from Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Other Sports, Second Edition provides a concise yet thorough introduction to the analytic and statistical methods that are useful in studying sports. The book gives you all the tools necessary to answer key questions in sports analysis. It explains how to apply the methods to sports data and interpret the results, demonstrating that the analysis of sports data is often different from standard statistical analyses. The book integrates a large number of motivating sports examples throughout and offers guidance on computation and suggestions for further reading in each chapter. Features Covers numerous statistical procedures for analyzing data based on sports results Presents fundamental methods for describing and summarizing data Describes aspects of probability theory and basic statistical concepts that are necessary to understand and deal with the randomness inherent in sports data Explains the statistical reasoning underlying the methods Illustrates the methods using real data drawn from a wide variety of sports Offers many of the datasets on the author's website, enabling you to replicate the analyses or conduct related analyses New to the Second Edition R code included for all calculations A new chapter discussing several more advanced methods, such as binary response models, random effects, multilevel models, spline methods, and principal components analysis, and more Exercises added to the end of each chapter, to enable use for courses and self-study Full solutions manual available to course instructors.

'I was never as proud to be part of a team as I was being part of that team.' PAT JENNINGS By the end of the 1970s, the Northern Ireland football team was in the doldrums. Against a background of civil unrest, the team had endured long periods of playing all their games away from home and had just finished bottom of the British Championship for the fourth successive year. Two years later they walked onto the pitch against France to play for a place in the 1982 World Cup semi-finals. In Fields of Wonder, Evan Marshall charts Northern Ireland's incredible World Cup journey in thrilling detail, from the appointment of Billy Bingham as manager and the winning of the British Home Championship in 1980 through the ups and downs of the qualifying stages, and that night of pulsating drama against Spain in Valencia. Based on interviews with manager Billy Bingham and with many of the players, including Pat Jennings, Martin O'Neill, Gerry Armstrong and Norman Whiteside, and told against the backdrop of the Troubles, this book vividly captures the struggles, spirit and magic of Northern Ireland's 1982 World Cup campaign.

The first book to examine and define the geopolitical economy of sport Addresses one of the biggest issues in contemporary sport: the intersection of power, money and politics Includes contemporary international cases from five continents

Sport is both a global business and a vehicle for social inclusion and community development. This book examines key performance areas in sport management that cut across cultural, economic and geographical borders, from both commercial and social justice perspectives. Written by leading sport management and sport development scholars from around the world, the book highlights international management challenges, suggests appropriate management practices, and raises questions to stimulate further debate. From a commercial sport management perspective it explores key topics including the management of sport communication in an age of digital media, crowd funding in sport, managing government and commercial alliances, and managing power and politics in sport. From a social justice perspective, it examines issues including sport volunteer management, the management of sport for inclusion, and academic partnerships in international sport management. Offering an authoritative survey of contemporary international sport management, as well as signposts for future research and practice, this is fascinating reading for all students, researchers and practitioners working in sport management or sport development.

Sport Integrity examines sports integrity from a range of disciplinary perspectives that will help to enhance the reader's understanding of this burgeoning problematic in sports management. Securing and promoting the integrity of sport has become one of the critical tasks for the governance and management of sport at professional, elite and non-elite levels. Threats to the integrity of sport manifest themselves in an array of guises, and include problems such as match-fixing, corruption, and the poor governance and management of sport. To reflect these diverse difficulties, this volume brings together authors from different nationalities to examine specific problems from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Together, these contributors enhance the empirical and theoretical foundations of sports integrity and place ethical considerations at the heart of the discussions to improve the management of sport. Sport Integrity will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners of sport management, sport and ethics and sports governance. The chapters were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Global Sport Management.

An awesome festival of sporting excellence and competition, the Olympic Games have now evolved into a major international event with great cultural, political, economic and social importance.

The Olympic Games Explained is an introductory guide to the history and meaning of the four-yearly phenomenon that is the modern Olympic Games. The book provides a comprehensive overview of 'Olympism' from its Ancient Greek origins through the beginnings of the International Olympic Committee to the global Olympic Movement in the twenty-first century.

Each chapter offers a range of study tasks and review questions to help students develop their understanding of key concepts in Olympic studies.

The Olympic Games Explained represents a comprehensive introduction to the central themes and background of the modern Games. This includes a consideration of ancient games, the modern revival at the end of the 19th Century and the progressive development of the Games throughout the 20th Century. The text considers a range of topics including: - The Ancient Olympics - The Media and the Olympics - Olympic Marketing and Sponsorship This Multidisciplinary text will seek to incorporate the theme of Olympism into other subject areas such as geography, history, art, media and business studies and draws specifically from the rich historical contribution of Britain to the Olympic movement. In order to enhance students learning experiences, the book will be complemented by a dedicated website offering access to unique archive and other document sources. this book aims to bring to its audience the best Olympic educational expertise available.

In a sporting world dominated by media and money, an understanding of sport branding is an essential skill for any sport manager. Success means being able to 'brand' - and therefore differentiate - a sport club, player, code, or event in a highly competitive entertainment market. For anyone seeking to understand or manage sport, this book offers an immediate and salient insight into the complex and dynamic process of creating a powerful sport brand. The book explains how a sport brand goes beyond just an identifying badge, reinforced by a name or a logo that helps sport consumers recognise a product or an organisation. It reveals how a brand becomes linked with consumers' opinions and perceptions of a sport product and the organisation that owns it. Readers will learn how to create a powerful brand that has both recognition in the market and strong associated imagery, by imbuing it with a spirit of the past through appeals to tradition, by endowing it with human qualities of emotionality, thought, and volition, and through the use of characters, colours, texts, and symbols. It also provides a brief guide to the new domains of digital sport branding and social media. Concise, informative, and entertaining, this is an essential resource for anyone exploring or practising the business of sport.

Glory, Glory Lane is the life-affirming history - including a momentous last season - of a world-famous football stadium, home to Tottenham Hotspur for 118 years. A Victorian structure turned wraparound 21st-century all-seater, it became a theatre of dreams for supporters all attracted by teams which played the 'Spurs way' to achieve glory. The Lane gave a stage to a conveyor belt of legends from Cameron to Alli via Nicholson, Blanchflower, Greaves, Hoddle and Klinsmann. It provided unforgettable memories in unforgettable atmospheres - heart-lifting, heart-breaking, nerve-racking. Its story veers from founders obsessed by Harry Hotspur to Harry Kane via Harry Redknapp; through matches, personalities, ground developments and threatened closure, all with first-hand accounts. It's hard to imagine how a new GBP750m stadium can ever replace the edifice which shut its gates for the last time after Spurs played Manchester United in May 2017, having created a daunting legacy.

In 2017 the Olympic Studies Centre of the German Sport University organized a workshop on Sport Development and Olympic Studies. This book resulted from the presentations and discussions they engendered around identifying new international collaborative research fields and deepening research on the Olympics, the Olympic Movement and sport development. The effective application of the hermeneutical method unifies the chapters. The interpretive strengths of this method sharpen the analytical perspective of the chapters, with the strict requirements for the use of primary sources meaning that the contributors have conducted extensive archival research. Assuring thematic coherence, the studies assembled for this book focus on the analysis of processes of continuity, transformation, and development across four areas: sport institutions and their policies; commissions within and policies of governing bodies of sports; legacy discussions; and sport events within the summer and winter Olympic Games transformed into political and cultural spectacles. Bringing together experts in the field, Sport Development and Olympic Studies will be of great use to scholars of Sport Development, Sport History, The Olympics and Sport Sociology. This book was originally published as a special issue of The International Journal of the History of Sport.