ABSTRACT
We commence this chapter with an example that encapsulates many of the issues for any analysis of sport representation – stardom and celebrity, national identity, race, class, gender, risk and the body. In 2010, Nike distributed a 3-minute advertisement called Write the Future. According to the web video analytic company, Visible Measures, it proved to be one of the most successful viral ads ever, achieving a new record of 7.8 million views in its first week. The advertisement features very fast cutting, and although the initial impact is compelling, it requires repeated watching to work out what is going on. A great deal is compacted into three minutes. It encapsulates key elements of live sport – the stars and the action, the immediacy and uncertainty, the drama and mythology, success and failure, blame and redemption, dream and nightmare.
