Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Athletes and coaches, especially professional ones, have evolved into celebrity superstars as bright as those in film and stage. Their celebrity status depends upon widespread publicity, which invites public scrutiny and a host of hangers-on eager to tap into a celebrity's income, and which brings their individual rights into conflict with the First Amendment rights of the Press. In a series of legal decisions, celebrity athletes have been catalysts for change in defining the limits of privacy, defamation, publicity, and property rights. Professor Fields looks at six court cases involving prominent sports celebrities: Coach Wally Butts, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame; pitcher Warren Spahn, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame; quarterback Joe Montana, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; African American Don Newcombe, the only major league baseball player to have won the rookie of the year, most valuable player, and Cy Young awards; golf pro Tiger Woods; and hockey player Tony Twist, a league leader in penalty minutes. The cases are not fascinating because of the athletes, but also because of the stories they tell, involving lies, libel, invasion of privacy, and the commercial use of names and images. In addition, because celebrity athletes were involved, the legal cases themselves were celebrity events"-- Provided by publisher.

"Sports figures cope with a level of celebrity once reserved for the stars of stage and screen. In Game Faces , Sarah K. Fields looks at the legal ramifications of the cases brought by six of them--golfer Tiger Woods, quarterback Joe Montana, college football coach Wally Butts, baseball pitchers Warren Spahn and Don Newcombe, and hockey enforcer Tony Twist--when faced with what they considered attacks on their privacy and image. Placing each case in its historical and legal context, Fields examines how sports figures in the U.S. have used the law to regain control of their image. As she shows, decisions in the cases significantly affected the evolution of laws related to privacy, defamation, and publicity--areas pertinent to the lives of the famous sports figure and the non-famous consumer alike. She also tells the stories of why the plaintiffs sought relief in the courts, uncovering motives that delved into the heart of issues separating individual rights from the public's perceived right to know. A fascinating exploration of a still-evolving phenomenon, Game Faces is an essential look at the legal playing fields that influence our enjoyment of sports"-- Provided by publisher.

Description based on print version record.