Power Players: Sports, Politics, and the American Presidency

Journalist Cillizza (The Gospel According to the Fix) underwhelms in this fluffy look at how American presidents have related to playing or watching sports. After a prologue that highlights Theodore Roosevelt’s role in the survival of tackle football—he believed it could serve as “training for a future as a soldier”—Cillizza flashes ahead to Dwight Eisenhower, a “golf obsessive” who “loved golf so much that he risked his life playing it—literally.” Eisenhower had a heart attack in 1955 following some bad rounds, though Cillizza acknowledges the pressures of “war, the presidency, [and] America’s expectations” may have had something to do with it. Other sections cover Richard Nixon’s fondness for bowling and how JFK used his swimming prowess to save fellow servicemen in WWII. Cillizza explains that George H.W. Bush played horseshoes to exercise his hypercompetitiveness and build relationships with the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev and Queen Elizabeth. Those curious about Donald Trump’s relationship with pro wrestling will find answers here, as well. Despite entertaining moments, though, this entry is glutted with distracting filler (for example, the last section lists the top sports movie underdogs of all time because Joe Biden likes “the role of the underdog”) and sacrifices depth for breadth. It’s diverting, but not much more. (Apr.)