End Riff

ED: You know, Brian, it’s certainly the case we’re used to the arts playing a diplomatic role. And we’re even used to the exchange of athletic teams of different levels helping knit countries together. But I can’t really think of another instance in which a sport has played such a central diplomatic role as ping-pong diplomacy did. Why do you think that this was the singular example of sport being used to really do the heavy lifting of international diplomacy?

BRIAN: Ed, I think that there are two reasons here. One is that the gap between the United States and the People’s Republic of China politically simply seemed insurmountable. The Soviet Union, as you know, was our bitter enemy throughout the Cold War. But, for the most part, we talked to the Soviet Union. We even negotiated settlements with them from time to time.

We simply had no relationship with the People’s Republic of China. There was nothing there. There was nothing to work with there. The second reason, I think, has to do with how little knowledge each society had about the other society. So something that’s associated with regular people being at home in America suburban life like ping-pong was very effective for getting the people on each side of this great divide interested in each other, curious about each other.

And, of course, because each side knew nothing about each other, there was a great curiosity on both sides.

ED: You know, that’s interesting, Brian, because it’s certainly the case that the Americans and the Chinese not only did not know each other, what they did know about each other really led them to profoundly distrust each other. And sports are important, but sports are only a vehicle for other kinds of power.

BRIAN: Well, that’s right, Ed, but I also think we have this very strong belief that we can separate the two. You know, it’s so common to hear, oh, we shouldn’t pollute sports with politics. We’ve got to keep politics out of sports. Well, as it turns out, Ed, it’s hard to escape the long reach of politics. It pretty much penetrates most of what we do.

ED: And it’s pretty hard to escape the long reach of sports, too, so it’s not surprising that they get entangled.

BRIAN: I wouldn’t argue about that, Ed.

That’s going to do it for today. But you can keep the conversation going online. Let us know what you thought of the episode or ask us your questions about American history. You’ll find us at Backstoryradio.org or send an email to Backstory@virginia.edu.

We’re also on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter at Backstory radio. And if you like the show, feel free to review it in Apple Podcasts. Whatever you do, don’t be a stranger.

ED: Today’s episode of BackStory was produced by Tony Field, Andrew Parsons, Kelly Jones, Emily [? Charnock, ?] Bruce Wallace, and Nina Earnest. Our staff includes David Stenhouse, Emily Gadek, and Ramona Martinez.

Additional help came from Sam [? Olmschneider, ?] [? Angelie ?] [? Bishosh, ?] Sequoia [? Carillo, ?] Emma Gregg, Courtney [? Spahnya ?] and [? Erin ?] [? Thielly. ?] Our theme song was written by Nick Thorburg.

Other music in this episode came from [? Ketsa, ?] Paddington Bear, and [? Jazar. ?] Jamal Millner is our technical director, Diana Williams is our digital editor, and Joey Thompson is our researcher. And a special welcome to story stories new senior producer, David Stenhouse.

BRIAN: Backstory is produced at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. We’re a proud member of the panoply Podcast Network. Major support is provided by an anonymous donor, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the provost’s office at the University of Virginia, the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.

JOANNE: Brian Balogh is Professor of History at the University of Virginia and the Dorothy Compton professor at the Miller Center of Public Affairs. Ed Ayers is Professor of the Humanities and President Emeritus at the University of Richmond. Joanne Freeman is Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University. Nathan Connolly is the Herbert Baxter Adams Associate Professor of History at the Johns Hopkins University. BackStory was created by Andrew Wyndham for the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.