ABSTRACT
After four books and countless numbers of articles, it is clear that something might be going on here. Pros and Cons, The Dark Side of the Game, Athletes and Acquaintance Rape, and Public Heroes, Private Felons all explore the supposed epidemic of crime within American sports. Turn on the TV and Geraldo Rivera is interviewing Kathy Redmond about Kobe Bryant or the Colorado sex scandal. Neither events are seen as aberrations, but as just another incident within a long string of athletes committing crimes. Listen to the radio or turn on the computer and there’s an endless array of commentary on the misbehavior of today’s athletes. If these were the only sources of information about crime and sports, one would have to conclude that America’s athletes are out of control, preying on women while disregarding America’s laws, all the while remaining above the fray of accountability and consequences because of celebrity, class, and media power.
