Controversies of the Sports World - Hardcover

Putnam, Douglas T.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0313305587 ISBN 13: 9780313305580

Publisher: Greenwood, 1999

Synopsis

Contemporary life in the United States would be difficult to understand withouth examining the pivotal role sports have played in it. Controversies of the Sports World is designed to take readers of all ages into the heart of the tensions and conflicts that arise from the wide-ranging enterprise that now dominates the lives of millions of people. The controversies explored include such issues in sports as recruitment procedures, steroid and other drug use, discrimination against women, discrimination against African Americans, and violence.

Each of sixteen chapters analyzes the background and current status of a specific controversy illuminating how the games we play and watch affect, and are affected by, the world beyond the playing fields. Putnam presents opposing arguments on the sources and nature of each controversy, providing readers with an understanding of the causes and effects of sports controversies. He also presents a picture of how the people who inhabit the sports world―athletes, coaches, parents, agents, fans, team owners, corporate sponsors, and public officials―pursue their often clashing agendas in a manner that makes conflict inevitable and ongoing. References and Resources sections at the end of each chapter provide readers with annotated cites that will lead them to the sources they need to further explore particular aspects of each topic. The detailed index includes names, places, and teams, as well as concepts which students, teachers, and interested readers can use and explore.

About this title

About the Author

DOUGLAS T. PUTNAM is a Fantasy League Commissioner and attorney who works for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio in Columbus. He is a former contributing editor of The Lincoln Library of Sports Champions and a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association.

Reviews

YA-A log of the remarkable journey that sports has made in American society. The best of these essays explore the mood, tension, power, muscle, and underlying economic enterprises that dominate the world of athletic endeavor. In short, Putnam's mastery of these topics is what makes this book a must read for teens participating in sports on an intramural and professional basis. The author examines 16 controversies centered around recruitment, player power, religion, contracts, the role of African-American athletes, discrimination against women, weight, steroid and other drug use and abuse, violence, and fans and fanatics. Much can be gained by studying the past and present in order to forge a new future. References, resources, and a detailed index that includes names, places, and teams appear at the end of each section.
ayo dayo, Chinn Park Regional Library, Prince William, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313305587
• ISBN 13: 9780313305580
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272