Any book appearing in the midst of a severe recession discussing the use of sports and culture to rebuild cities might seem to be either irrelevant or insensitive. Some could consider it irrelevant because its focus seemingly ignores the quintessential issue of our day: “How does America restart its economy?” Other people might consider the book insensitive in that it analyzes sports, culture, and entertainment— what some might consider frivolous luxuries—at a time when millions of people have lost their jobs and homes. When I began this book, I, like many of my academic colleagues, did not believe a complete collapse of the nation’s financial system was imminent. We.
