ABSTRACT
People who subscribe to the Dominant American Sports Creed and accept the idea that sport builds character are likely to believe that athletes and coaches generally do what is expected, right, and good. Furthermore, those who make sports figures their heroes see these people as paragons of virtue to be honored and emulated. The fact is that real athletes and coaches frequently fail to meet these ideals of character, conformity, and virtue. The golden triangle creates temptations, pressures, conflicts, and perhaps even a sense of arrogance that may lead both stars and more ordinary athletes and coaches to break the rules of sport and sometimes the laws of society. This social deviance is a major focus of this chapter, and we will see that the perpetrators may be individuals or organizations.
