Out August 10: Summer 2011 of AQ on Sports in the Americas

Americas Quarterly: Sports in the Americas
Summer 2011

Visit www.AmericasQuarterly.org to learn more and subscribe.

Sports in the Americas—and in the world—are more than just a pastime. They mean big revenues for sponsors, media and teams, link far-flung communities, and increase nations’ global prestige. And they can serve as an engine for socioeconomic development.

The next issue of Americas Quarterly—to be released on August 10 and available in all Barnes & Noble bookstores beginning August 15— explores all these dimensions—themes brought into sharp focus with Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

In an exclusive interview and photo series AQ features the favorite charitable causes of Mia Hamm, Lorena Ochoa, Albert Pujols, Lionel Messi, Tony Gonzalez, and Marta Vieira.

Andrew Zimbalist of Smith College argues that Brazil’s infrastructure may not be ready in time for the World Cup and Olympic games, and, worse, that it will never recoup the $1 trillion it is investing to host them. AQ also looks at how sports can promote community development and foster social inclusion, with Fabian Koss of the Inter-American Development Bank discussing the sports-for-development model among youth. Baseball historian Rob Ruck uncovers the seamy side of Major League Baseball’s recruitment of young players in the Dominican Republic, and Andres Schipani contrasts the use of sports to improve U.S. relations with China and the Soviet Union and the complete lack of similar efforts with Cuba. 

Beyond sports, Anthony DePalma reveals how leadership and management have marginalized the Organization of American States (OAS) and outgoing Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela reflects on how the region—and U.S.-Latin America relations—have changed. 

In This Issue:

COVER STORY

Good Sports
Mia Hamm (soccer), Lorena Ochoa (golf), Albert Pujols (baseball), Lionel Messi (soccer), Tony Gonzalez (U.S. football), and Marta Vieira (soccer) talk to AQ about their favorite charitable causes.

FEATURES

Sports Populism
SIMON KUPER
Fans like their teams—but not necessarily the politicians who support them.

Brazil’s Long To-Do List
ANDREW ZIMBALIST
Can Brazil build the massive infrastructure it needs to host the Olympics and the World Cup?

CHARTICLE: Ping-Pong Diplomacy
ANDRES SCHIPANI
It worked for the U.S. and China. Could it work with Cuba?

Covering Sports in Latin America
LISA DELPY NEIROTTI AND JEFFREY BLISS
The fierce battle over sports media rights.

Hearts, Minds and Bottom Lines
SIMON WARDLE
Fans and profits.

GOOOOOL...for Development
FABIAN KOSS
Getting kids in the game—and out of trouble.

PHOTO ESSAY: Scissors Dancers
NICOLAS VILLAUME
Peru’s extreme sport.

Baseball’s Newest Farm System
RICHARD FEINBERG
A Nicaraguan baseball academy offers more than just hitting and fielding.

Baseball’s Recruitment Abuses
ROB RUCK
Unscrupulous agents prey on young Dominican players. It’s time to clean up their mess.

CHARTICLE: Latinos and Hispanics in U.S. and World Sports
WILDA ESCARFULLER
A brief history of achievement.

There But Not Equal
JUAN C. CAPPELLO
Women athletes must be promoted and awarded in the same way as their male counterparts.

AQ UPFRONT

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Hemisphere
ARTURO VALENZUELA
The U.S. moves beyond traditional diplomacy.

Is the OAS Irrelevant?
ANTHONY DEPALMA
Old burdens, new challenges.

Madame Officer
SABRINA KARIM
Peru’s anti-corruption gambit.

ASK THE EXPERTS
Does hosting sporting events promote social and economic development? Larry Rohter, Mick Cornett, Robert A. Baade, and Marty Markowitz respond.

DEPARTMENTS:

Panorama: South America’s Dakar Rally, microcaliente telenovelas, Ten Things to Do in Kingston, and more.

Hard Talk: Should Latin America expand nuclear energy? Nils Diaz and Marcelo Furtado respond.

Innovators/Innovations: Juan Pablo Mellado revives Chilean cooking. Oscar Salazar helps executives master social media in Mexico. David Luna pursues grassroots politics in Bogotá.  Victor Quijada remakes traditional ballet in Montréal.

Dispatches from the Field: Caroline Stauffer looks at how discontent in a remote Peruvian jungle town was reflected in the presidential election.

Policy Updates: Darío Hidalgo on bus rapid transit. Kathryn Wade on natural disaster preparedness. Ricardo Cotta Ferreira on Brazil’s agricultural boom.

Fresh Look Reviews: Javier Santiso looks at the internationalization of Spanish corporations. Sergio Aguayo reviews Jorge Castañeda’s newest book. Rachel Sieder on security in Guatemala City.

Just the Numbers: Foreign direct investment in Latin America.

Visit www.AmericasQuarterly.org to learn more and subscribe.