National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball And the Rest of the World Plays Soccer (Paperback)

by Stefan Szymanski (Author), Andrew Zimbalist (Author) "When British soldiers in Afghanistan and southern Iraq wanted to befriend the locals, they played a soccer match..." (more)
Key Phrases: presumed antitrust exemption, collective selling, competitive balance problem, United States, Football League, World Cup (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A superb new book that compares the economics of the sport business in different countries." -- The Economist

"An entertaining and informative read." -- The Sports Economist

"Fascinating reading for fans and sports business industry professionals alike." -- Arne Rees, UEFA Head of Strategy and Business

Product Description
In their innovative book, National Pastime, Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist compare the histories and institutional structures of baseball—the U.S. national pastime—and soccer—the major sport in the rest of the world. Their indepth, cross-cultural assessment of these huge mega-businesses, particularly Major League Baseball and the English Premier League, examines what makes each sport successful and details how administrators in each can learn from the other. Since National Pastime was first published, Malcolm Glazer, the owner of an American football team, took over one of the biggest soccer clubs in the world; Major League Baseball staged the World Baseball Classic in imitation of the soccer World Cup; and the leading soccer clubs in Europe have threatened to form an independent league modeled after the U.S. major leagues. The updated paperback edition contains a new preface, which provides fresh insight into the ongoing globalization of these great national pastimes.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 263 pages
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815782594
• ISBN-13: 978-0815782599
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #409,280 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Home run analysis of sports economics, April 5, 2006

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer (Hardcover)

Soccer and baseball enjoy fervent followings and generate wads of cash, so this study of the two games' economics and culture is as welcome as a towering home run (or a nifty goal). Economists Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist compare and contrast the two sports' business models in a way that will fascinate anyone who is interested in athletics or international business. The authors offer a fascinating history of these sports, complete with plenty of telling anecdotes that are sure to enlighten even devoted fans. The only gripe is that the writers sometimes bog down in scholarly phrasing when the reader might prefer more active prose. Still, we recommend this intriguing study to anyone who specializes in sports business - or even just buys a ticket to a game now and then.

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent for those interested in the Sociology/history of sport, May 15, 2009

By	R. J. Pendlebury "robp" (california) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer (Hardcover)

excellent for those interested in the Sociology/history of sport.
intelligently written but not light reading.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for international sports fans, January 30, 2009

By	Timphoto (Leixlip, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer (Hardcover)

I loved this book. It covers what may seem like some fairly obscure history on the origins of soccer and baseball, but it is fascinating to look at the various social forces that have led to these dominant athletic events.
It addresses a lot of material, including class distinctions, labour rights, unbridled capitalism that adopts regulations to save itself, and national pride.
It is very clever for the authors to make such a readable and indeed entertaining book while still presenting the very serious issues that influenced these "games."