A Sporting Time

A classic of scholarship, A Sporting Time rewrites the narrative of how Americans embraced sports. Melvin L. Adelman argues that modern sports began its rise long before the close of the nineteenth century. Focusing on games like baseball and cricket, turf sports like horse and harness racing, and competitive activities ranging from rowing to billiards to boxing, Adelman shows how American athletics became increasingly organized and commercialized. He also traces the emergence of national standards and competition, specialized player roles, the growth of sports information systems, and the ideological sanctions that promoted the moral and social benefits of sport.