The Popular Anti-Icon in American Sports

Table Of Contents

• Cover
• Titel
• Copyright
• About the author
• About the book
• This eBook can be cited
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Online Video Clips
• List of Abbreviations
• I Introduction
• Sports as Part of Critical Cultural Analysis
• The Phenomenon of the Sports Hero – Teaching Values by Example
• Mediatization of the Sports Icon
• Popular Anti-Icons in Sports
• Structure of the Study
• II The Evolution of the Sports Icon and the Anti-Icon in the USA
• 1 The Beginnings of Organized Sports in America
• The Emergence of Sports and the Discourse about Its Benefits
• A Potent Sports Ideology at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
• 2 The Creation of the American Sports Icon
• 2.1 Walter Camp – The ‘Father of American Football’ as Sports Hero Maker
• Walter Camp’s Role in Football as a Member of the Rules Committee
• Walter Camp’s Novel Views on Football
• Walter Camp as the Creator of the ‘All-American Team’
• Walter Camp’s Vision of the Ideal Athlete – A Model for the Sports Hero
• 2.2 Journalists as the Creators of a Sports Hero Narrative
• Football’s Narrative Formula in the Newspaper and the Heroic
• 2.3 Frank Merriwell as the Prototypical Model of the Sports Hero
• Frank Merriwell’s Roots
• Frank Merriwell’s Success and Influence
• Frank Merriwell as the Prototypical Sports Hero
• Frank Merriwell as an American Sports Hero
• 2.4 The American Sports Icon in the First Half of the Twentieth Century
• 3 Mediatization of Sports and the Increasing Visibility of Anti-Heroic Elements
• Early Anti-Heroic Elements
• TV and the Mediatization of Sports
• The Mediatization of Athletes and Its Influence on the Anti-Heroic
• 4 What Makes Anti-Icons Fascinating?
• Fascination with the Phenomenon of the Anti-Icon
• Sports as a Carnivalesque Field
• III Joe Namath – The Prototype of a Popular Anti-Icon in Sports
• 1 Introducing Joe Namath
• 2 Framework of the Case Study
• 3 Becoming an American Icon – “Broadway Joe” and Super Bowl III
• The ‘Myth’ of Joe Namath – ‘Guaranteed’ Victory
• 4 Joe Namath – Sonny Werblin’s ‘Star’ as a Result of Fabricated Publicity
• Signing Joe Namath – The Beginning of the Image Creation
• The Public Staging of Joe Namath
• The Creation of the Image of “Broadway Joe”
• Conclusion – Sonny Werblin’s ‘Star’ Strategy Accomplished
• 5 Off the Field – Joe Namath’s Anti-Iconic Elements
• Excessive Lifestyle
• Personal Appearance and Style
• Vietnam Draft Controversy
• Conclusion – Joe Namath as Football’s Polarizing Anti-Icon
• 6 Success on the Field as the Prerequisite for Becoming a Popular Anti-Icon
• The Construction of the Early Career – The Odd One Standing Out
• The Build-Up for Super Bowl III – The Path to Heroism
• Post-Super Bowl Years – Perseverance as a Heroic Quality
• Conclusion – Joe Namath’s Heroic Image
• 7 Joe Namath’s Formative Years – The Construction of an Odd Hero
• Living Conditions and Family Situation
• Father Figures and Mentors in the Formative Years
• A Sports Hero in the Making
• Lifestyle – A Rebel with a Cause
• Conclusion – The Construction of an Odd Hero
• 8 Joe Namath and the Media – Namath’s Media-Framed Anti-Iconic Image
• 8.1 The Media’s Use of Joe Namath
• Print Media
• Television
• Joe Namath’s View on the Media
• 8.2 Joe Namath’s Use of the Media
• The Beginnings of the Commercialization of Joe Namath
• The Full Commercialization of “Broadway Joe”
• “Broadway Joe’s” Other Means of Commercialization
• 8.3 Conclusion – The Framing of Joe Namath’s Image
• 9 Joe Namath’s Life after Football – From Wild to Quiet Anti-Icon
• The Quiet Anti-Icon
• Health and Alcohol – The Fall of an Icon
• Joe Namath in Recent Popular Culture
• Conclusion – Joe Namath’s Post-Career Legacy
• 10 Conclusion – Joe Namath as a Popular Anti-Icon in Sports
• IV Dennis Rodman – The Second Coming of Joe Namath
• 1 Introducing Dennis Rodman
• 2 Framework of the Case Study
• 3 Dennis Rodman’s ‘Epiphany’ as the Impetus for the Anti-Iconic
• 4 Dennis Rodman’s Heroic Narrative – A Specialized Hero
• Specialization as the Basis of the Heroic Narrative
• Athletic Success as the Visible Expression of the Heroic
• Childhood Construction – The Story of a Child Saved by Fate
• The Continuation of the Heroic Narrative in Oklahoma
• Early Controversies – Larry Bird Comments and Bad Boy Reputation
• 5 The Metamorphosis into ‘Dennis the Freak’ – the Anti-Icon
• Body Art as an Expression of the New Self
• Wild Lifestyle
• The Beginning Commercialization – Madonna as Publicity Mentor
• Sex and Sexuality – Challenging the Concept of Masculinity
• Book Signings – Completing the Transformation into an Anti-Icon
• The Role Model Controversy
• The Polarizing and Mythical Freak
• Conclusion – Parallels between Dennis Rodman and Joe Namath
• 6 The Mediatization of Dennis Rodman’s Anti-Iconic Image
• The Anti-Icon in the Media
• Media Exposure in Sports Magazines and Popular Culture
• Advertisements as a Means of Marketing the Anti-Iconic Image
• Autobiographies as Image Drivers
• Conclusion – The Mediatized Anti-Icon
• 7 ‘Dennis the Menace’ vs. Athletic Success
• ‘The Kick’ – Endangering the Possibility for the Heroic
• Athletic Prowess and Successes as the Savior of the Iconicity
• Conclusion – Substance despite Outrageous Behavior and Style
• 8 Post-Career Life – The Continuation of Being an Oddity
• Wrestling – The Continuation of the Grotesque
• Anti-Iconic Lifestyle and Alcoholism
• Continuing Commercialization of the Grotesque
• ‘The Diplomat’ – North Korea and Kim Jong-un
• 9 Conclusion – Dennis Rodman as the Second Coming of Joe Namath
• V Barry Bonds – The Atypical Popular Anti-Icon in Sports
• 1 Introducing Barry Bonds
• 2 Framework of the Case Study
• 3 Barry Bonds – The Rise of a Patriotic Hero after 9/11?
• The Patriotic Hero and a Symbol for Excellence and Hope
• The Perceptible Anti-Iconic Narrative
• 4 The Creation of the Anti-Icon
• Example #1: “The Importance of Being Barry”
• Strike and Divorce – Solidifying the Poor Reputation
• Example #2: “America will never love Barry Bonds”
• Example #3: “He Loves Himself Barry Much”
• Further Examples of Iconoclastic Coverage after the 2001 Season
• Anti-Iconic Construction in the Biographies
• The Fascination of the Enigmatic and Polarizing Figure
• Conclusion – Barry Bonds as the Anti-Icon
• 5 Barry Bonds – The Superstar of the MLB
• The Heroic Construction of the Formative Years
• Success in the MLB as Proof for the Heroism
• Conclusion – Barry Bonds’ Place in Baseball History
• 6 Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Asterisk
• ‘Totally Juiced’ – Early Steroid Allegations
• BALCO Investigations – Barry Bonds and the Game of Shadows
• The Asterisk – Qualifying Heroic Achievements and Records
• Conclusion – Doping as the Final Entrenchment of the Anti-Iconic
• 7 The Mediatization and Commercialization of the Anti-Icon?
• The Effect of the Early Reputation Problems
• BALCO and Its Impact on the Commercial Value
• Conclusion – The Unmarketable Anti-Icon
• 8 Conclusion – Barry Bonds as the Atypical Popular Anti-Icon in Sports
• VI Conclusion – The Popular Anti-Icon in American Sports
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements
• Series index