Celebrating a Decade of Intellectual Development—and a Vision for the Future of Communication and Sport

Abstract

We are committing a cardinal sin in the sports world. They say you should never follow the legend, as the comparison will inevitably prove unflattering. Yet, as we take over as co-editors of Communication & Sport from its founding editor, Lawrence Wenner, we seek to build from the strong foundation he laid over his 10 years at the helm. Of course, both of us served as Associate Editors over this time period, so we have witnessed the growth of this journal to the place it now occupies: a PROSE award for best new social science journal along with a growth in submissions (over 200 per year), published pages (over 1000 per year). and the impact factor (currently 3.178) and rankings. Thus, we see our goal as one of expansion more than reinvention, refining more than rebuilding. The journal’s vision keeps expanding, and we are honored to be along for the ride. The journal also enjoys relationships with three key communication associations: the International Association for Communication and Sport (IACS), the International Communication Association (ICA), and the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). Each entity occupies a unique yet complimentary space in the development of communication and sport, and we will depend on each to promote and expand the vision of what this journal can accomplish. New editors are often queried about editorial vision. Particularly in co-editing situations, questions also arise about the division of roles and potentially differing priorities of the co-editors. While we bring different skill sets and epistemologies to the fore, we also fortunately share a common conceptualization for our roles as co-editors.