Sports Scandals

Cheaters, gamblers, drugs, and violence. Sound like the latest action/adventure film? It is most likely playing in a stadium, ice rink, track field, basketball court, or ballpark near you. We're talking about the larger-than-life scandals that often surround and sometimes engulf the world of sports. Covering everything from the little leagues to college and professional sports, this indespensable book offers students an intriguing, readable guide to the most notorious scandals in American sports history.

Each chapter focuses on a specific category of scandal, including race-related, gender-related, drug-related, violence-related, recruiting and academic-related, and coaching scandals. Insightful, in-depth entries offer and overview of the historical and cultural context, what occurred and who was involved, as well as the response to the scandal. Entries within chapters clearly outline the diversity of viewpoints surrounding the scandal as well as the associated ethical, moral, and legal issues. Highlighting why sport scandals matter to athletes, to coaches, to teams, to organizations, to the media, and to the public, this volume is an ideal resource for both ready reference and for reading cover-to-cover.

Peter Finley is an Assistant Professor of Sport and Recreation Management in the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University, where he specializes in sociology of sport and sport ethics. He is the author of several publications about sport-related issues, including use of the Web for recruiting, privacy rights, and a variety of other sociology of sport topics. The Finleys are co-authors of The Sports Industry's War on Athletes (Praeger, 2006).

Laura Finley is adjunct faculty in the Women's Studies program and Director of the Center for Living and Teaching Peace, which provides training and consultation on topics relevant to creating and sustaining a more peaceful world. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Western Michigan University, as well as two degrees in Education. Dr. Finley has presented at numerous national and international conferences and is the author or co-author of five books and many journal articles and book chapters.

Jeffrey Fountain is Assistant Professor of Sport and Recreation Management in the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University, where he specializes in sport marketing, sport finance, and organization and administration of sport. He recently created a course on sport in popular culture that examines the issues and roles of sport in the movies, on television, and in the print media. His current research focuses on purchasing power and how increasing costs of sporting events is affecting sports fans.