ALTA Streaming of Brainstorm Series: Sam Ellis: Sports and Geopolitics in the 21st Century

Join us at the Alta branch where we will be live streaming the next speaker, Sam Ellis, in our Brainstorm series.

From Roman emperors staging gladiator spectacles to modern leaders orchestrating World Cups and Olympics, politicians have long used sport as a tool of image and influence. But can sports be more than a cultural tool? In the 21st century, stadiums, tournaments, and athletes serve as platforms for projecting military might, winning allies, and reshaping global influence. The world order is shifting, and sports are front and center. 

Sam Ellis is a journalist, video director, editor, and animator. He's currently the showrunner and creator of “Search Party,” a YouTube channel that covers sports and geopolitics. Ellis has produced explainers on the world's thorniest geopolitical stories, from the rise of Vladimir Putin, turmoil in the Middle East, and the international drug trade, to the world of sports, the rise of England's Premier League, and the socialist roots of the NFL. But he's most interested in the intersection of the two: Why no one wants to host the Olympics, the warlord using MMA to raise an army, and how Mongolia conquered sumo wrestling.  

The Brainstorm Series is a collaboration between Teton County Library, The Jackson Hole News&Guide, and The Center. Funding for the series is provided by The Teton County Library Foundation & Friends.