Michael Mandelbaum is a sports fan who thinks--not only about his favorite teams, but about the significance of sports in the lives of people who can't miss a game. Reaching into the history of America's three favorites--baseball, football, and basketball--Mandelbaum looks at how these sports have changed with the years, the American tendency to idolize athletes, and what exactly we need from sports and how sports gives it to us. He attempts to answer--among others--the questions: How is watching sports similar to addiction? Why do half of all Americans watch the Super Bowl? What is the relationship between sports and violence? Mandelbaum is known for his fresh and witty writing, and THE MEANING OF SPORTS is full of humorous anecdotes, profound insights, and vividly described personal experiences.
