The Ideals of Global Sport

[E]ach study is well constructed and carefully debunks the hyperbolic and grandiose claims that politicians and sport officials regularly make about 'their' events . . . This is a fascinating book to dip into and useful for sport academics and cultural sociologists alike who will be interested in the semantics and word play around the idealistic aims of the game makers and the host nations' populations who directly experience the negative effects of sport mega events..The book makes a strong case that there is a responsibility to call global sport events to task on their stated claims at the very least. -Cultural Sociology Does international sport actually strengthen international understanding and human rights? Any discussion of the future of the beleaguered modern Olympics and other major events, in the current climate of growing xenophobia in many countries, must critically consider this question. This well researched, insightful collection of historical case studies, ably organized with memorable aphorisms by editor Barbara Keys, does exactly that. It is indispensable reading for scholars, journalists, and policymakers alike. -Bruce Kidd, former Olympian and honorary member of the Canadian Olympic Committee This book provides a highly readable, fascinating, and valuable set of essays, which together demonstrate in rich detail the gap between the rhetoric and reality of sport's moral discourse. It is essential reading for anyone-student, researcher, or sports fan-who wants to know more about the international politics of contemporary sport. -Professor John Horne, coauthor of Sport and Social Movements: From the Local to the Global The Ideals of Global Sport upends the familiar claim that sports possess a transcendent power to make the world a better place. Through a series of excellent case studies, it shows us the layered ways in which such claims are invoked, contrasted with the more complex realities on the ground. It is a timely intervention. -Mark Philip Bradley, University of Chicago