Biographies & Memoirs, Sports & Outdoors, Popular Culture, Sociology 

Theory, culture & society 

Why are sport stars central to celebrity culture? What are the implications of their fame? Proceeding from a broadly based discussion of heroism, fame and celebrity, Smart addresses a number of prominent modern sports and sport stars, including Michael Jordan (basketball), David Beckham (football), Tiger Woods (golf), Anna Kournikova and the Williams sisters (tennis). He analyses the development of modern sport in the UK and USA, demonstrating the key economic and cultural factors that have contributed to the popularity of sport stars, while examining issues such as race and gender, the impact of professionalization, growing media coverage, the role of agents and the increasing presence of commercial corporations providing sponsorship and endorsement contracts. This book situates the sport star as the embodiment of the various tensions of age, class, race, gender and culture. It argues that sporting figures possess an increasingly rare quality of authenticity that gives them the capacity to lift and inspire people. The book is a major contribution to the sociology and culture of sport and celebrity. - from Amazon 

Heroism, fame and celebrity in the world of sport -- The development of modern sport in Britain and America -- The professionalisation of modern sport -- Media, sponsorship and sport stardom-- Corporate culture and the branding of the sport star: Nike, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods -- Cultures of sport stardom: David Beckham and Anna Kournikova -- Concluding remarks: sport stars, authenticity and charisma. 

Includes bibliographical references and index.