A south in the north: emplacing the south in the American national myth

Abstract

As part of a larger project concerning the men's World Cup of soccer in American culture, I examine media coverage of a single player on the US national team: Georgia – born forward Clint Mathis. Texts constructed this player's persona through a discussion of his unique style and southern identity. I analyze the construction of American national and southern regional identity within this coverage underscoring how the formation took place on both an internal (national) and external (global) scale.

Keywords:

• national identity
• sport
• racial identity
• space/place
• American South

Notes

1. Rasheed Wallace, an African American player for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA, has a reputation for contentious relationships with referees. He led the league in technical fouls for several seasons including a record-setting 41 in 2000–2001.

2. For example, he began playing organized soccer at age three, joined the Olympic Development Program at the age of nine, and played on an Amateur Athletic Union team at the age of 14 before moving on to college and professional soccer.