Sports and the American Presidency

Explores the relationship between US presidents, sport and athleticism in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries Offers an up-to-date overview of the developing and symbiotic relationship between the nation's Commander in Chief and some of the nation's most popular pastimes Traces the connection of sports and the presidency from Theodore Roosevelt to Donald Trump Analyses the relationship between the presidency, sports, and individual athletes, including themes such as fandom, advocacy of sports, and active participation Includes exciting new research from emerging scholars, alongside analysis from more established voices in the field This book presents an overview of the symbiotic relationship between US presidents and some of the nation's most popular pastimes. Starting with Theodore Roosevelt's significant role in linking the presidency with advocacy of and active participation in sports, this book traces how occupants of the White House continued to develop these connections in various guises across the following century for both pleasure and political purposes. Split into three thematic sections, the book approaches the topic from different but related angles to create a multidimensional portrait of the evolving relationship among the US presidency, sports and individual athletes, from the dawn of the twentieth century through to the Trump administration.