Events

‘If you’re not first, you’re last’, Sport, Film and Donald Trump: Launch of SPORT AND FILM (2nd Edn.; Routledge, 2026) by Seán Crosson

https://uvic-cat.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lWz9M1smQm2tNxfp9_cYnw#/registration

Sports films have grown over the twentieth century and into the twenty-first to occupy an important and influential place in popular culture. The increased presence of sport on various streaming platforms since the first edition of Sport and Film appeared in 2013 speaks to the ever-growing popularity and influence of such depictions. This new revised and expanded edition of the book responds to these developments, and includes a new chapter on sport documentaries, a consideration of Russian sport cinema, new pedagogical features – including review questions, proposed projects, case studies, and definitions of key terms – to enhance the reader’s understanding, and a consideration of the significance of sport and sport cinema with regard to the election of businessman and media personality Donald Trump as President of the United States.

Donald Trump has carefully aligned himself with sport throughout his emergence as a major political figure, culminating with his attendance at the 2025 NFL Super Bowl, the first sitting President to do so. However, it is noteworthy how American sport cinema has itself chimed with Trump’s rhetoric while connecting with his support base. This talk, delivered as part of the Sport and Politics Research International Network (SPRING) seminar series, will examine some relevant productions in this respect – including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) - and examine the place of sport and cinema in the rise of Donald Trump.

Sport and Film (Routledge, 2026; 2nd Edn,) is now available to order and download at https://www.routledge.com/Sport-and-Film/Crosson/p/book/9781032294803

A dedicated website with further resources is available at sportandfilm.eu