Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The American sports stadium, for all its raucous glory, is an overlooked centerpiece--a veritable temple--of our national culture. A hallowed ground for communal worship, this is where history is made on grass, artificial turf, hardwood, and even ice; where nostalgia flows as freely as ten-dollar beers; where everything thrills, from exploding fireworks to grinning cheerleaders. In The Arena, "an altogether new and riveting sports classic" (Josh Wilker), intrepid sportswriter Rafi Kohan crisscrosses the country, journeying from one beloved monument to the next. As he finagles access to the unexpected corners and hidden corridors of our most frequented fields, he discovers just what makes them tick--and what keeps us coming back time and time again.

Beginning with the "old-timers," Kohan pays his respects to Chicago's ivy-laced Wrigley and Green Bay's lovable Lambeau, which have creakily adjusted to the twenty-first century while maintaining those age-old quirks fans have prized for generations. Juxtaposing these cherished time capsules with mighty new mammoths like Dallas's shiny AT&T Stadium, Kohan examines the often-punishing realities of how they are built, from architectural ambition to controversial funding and political strong-arming.

Meanwhile, just outside the turnstiles of these commercial cathedrals, whole ecosystems flourish, buzzing with charming merch men and cutthroat ticket scalpers. Trips to Cleveland's Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena illuminate such shadow economies, revealing the remarkable impact a team--and even just a single player (yes, we're looking at you, LeBron James)--can have on an entire city. With infectious enthusiasm and wit, Kohan also explores the behind-the-scenes logistics and deeply ingrained traditions within these bustling facilities, cracking open a secret world of unforgettable characters--groundskeepers, mascots, halftime performers--who work tirelessly to make the live event worth the price of admission.

If you've ever wondered how they coordinate those fighter jet flyovers with the national anthem, how many hot dogs they serve in a day at Citi Field, how boozy pregame tailgates are kept in line, or what on earth AstroTurf is made of, look no further. As rowdy and rollicking as its subject, The Arena is a must-read for diehard fans, shameless bandwagoners, umpires, broadcasters, groundskeepers, culture junkies, tailgaters, and anyone else who's ever eagerly headed off to the ballpark to catch a game.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Before We Begin (Or: Preface) (p. ix)
• Chapter 1 Taking the Oath (Or: The Old-Timers) (p. 1)
• Chapter 2 Super Subsidize Me (Or: The Newcomers) (p. 41)
• Chapter 3 All the Ticket Men (Or: Beyond These Walls) (p. 82)
• Chapter 4 "As Far as the Eye Can Seem Toilets" (Or: Straight to the Dome) (p. 112)
• Chapter 5 Ed Mangan's Burden (Or: Field of Dreams) (p. 141)
• Chapter 6 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Gross (Or: Fans Behaving Badly) (p. 174)
• Chapter 7 Identity 101 (Or: Col-lege!!) (p. 206)
• Chapter 8 The Other Side of the T-Shirt Cannon (Or: Are You Not Entertained?) (p. 229)
• Chapter 9 The Secret Life of Stadiums (Or: Let's Get Logistical) (p. 270)
• Chapter 10 Sex. War. America. (Or: For God and Country) (p. 303)
• Chapter 11 Ghost World (Or: Life After Sports) (p. 328)
• Acknowledgments (p. 363)
• Index (p. 367)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This wide-ranging meditation on the significance of sports in American society views its topic through the ecosphere of the modern stadium or arena. The journey starts at two venerable stadia: football's Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI, and baseball's Wrigley Field in Chicago. These two venues strive to maintain tradition while making necessary updates to keep pace with contemporary reality. The story ends with two decommissioned pleasure palaces in their useless ruin: the Pontiac Silverdome, MI, and the Astrodome, TX. In between, journalist -Kohan surveys the current landscape of publicly funded and subsidized palatial dream parks that hold U.S. cities hostage for fear of losing their "big league" status. Kohan embeds himself with several figures involved in stadium life, including ticket scalpers, team mascots, halftime entertainers, grounds workers, and a changeover crew that converts an arena from basketball court to concert stage. Through Kohan's investigation, we see the weight of these expensive monuments in our communities and how they relate to the public expression of not just sports fandom, but who we are as a people. -VERDICT A unique and readable perspective on the impact of U.S. sports stadia and arenas.-John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Kohan, a contributing editor at the New York Observer, delivers an addictive, detailed look at the lives of sports arenas-how these increasingly elaborate structures are funded, how they're maintained, and the kinds of tailgating and sideshow events that take place in and around them. Kohan is a lively, funny writer who eschews theory for experience, venturing to the stadiums themselves and tagging along with the people who give these places life. At the Green Bay Packers' venerable Lambeau Field, he takes the Lambeau Oath and swears to "drink Wisconsin beers until the cooler is empty"; he nervously assists a chair-stacking acrobat during a halftime performance at a Rutgers University basketball game; and he helps construct the Prudential Center's ice just before a New Jersey Devils game. Throughout, Kohan exhibits a genuine desire to learn more about even the most overlooked of arena workers, such as Raymond Smith, who used the Louisiana Superdome for sanctuary during Hurricane Katrina and now sells beer there. Kohan's curiosity and empathy are infectious as he demonstrates how human this corporate aspect of sports can be. He has created an immersive, informative work that will delight and enlighten a wide range of readers. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Kohan has mixed feelings about today's sports stadiums and the culture that has grown up around them. On one hand, as the subtitle indicates, he is charmed by the antics that go on inside and outside the stadiums, particularly the older ones. Yet he is chagrined by the destructive financial manipulations, at all levels professional, collegiate, and Olympic that drive the construction of newer, municipally funded stadiums. The book is at its most entertaining when Kohan gets into such matters as the arcane dealings of ticket-scalpers in Boston (where the Red Sox' long-sought World Series win killed the scalping business) and Cleveland (where Lebron James' return was an unprecedented boon). His discussion of the various forms of turf found in today's stadiums is also fascinating, as is the surprisingly detailed analysis of all things nonathletic involving stadiums, from the vending industry through flyovers. The text is at its most horrifying in its descriptions of what happened in the New Orleans Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Kohan is overly fond of footnotes, which break up the narrative flow, but his account is comprehensive, accurate, and often quite funny.--Levine, Mark Copyright 2017 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

An inside look at the secular cathedrals where we hold our sporting massesand celebrate with unrepentant excess.In this highly compelling book, New York Observer contributing editor Kohan deeply explores the myriad facets of the places where our sports teams play their games. Part history and sociology, part ethnography, and part journalismsometimes straight shoe-leather, sometimes participatory, and oftentimes a little bit gonzothe book features many of the behind-the-scenes questions you have always had and a few that you never considered. What is it like to be a stadium mascot or the halftime entertainment? Or a groundskeeperand where do they get that turf? How does ticket scalping work in the age of the internet? What happens to a stadium that falls out of use or that never really fulfills its promise to begin with? And how do they deal with all that food and beer? Kohan is an entertaining tour guide, and while his reporting is top-notch, he also takes a deep dive into the literature on stadiums from antiquity to the present. He loves sport but is no fan of stadium boondoggles. He respects the military but wonders about the justification for the increasing amount of jingoistic paeans to the military on game days. His travels took him to stadiums and arenas across the country, from sparkling new gems to old classics like the Big House in Ann Arbor or Wrigley Field in Chicago. The author embedded himself with grounds crews and supervisors, working folks and management, making the most of the impressive access he was granted at facilities across the country. Each chapter takes a kaleidoscopic look at its topic, with the author effectively merging ground-level and bird's-eye views. Kohan brings the modern sporting arena to life in this fine exploration of the "corners of American stadiums that aren't necessarily hidden but are almost assuredly unseen." Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.