ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses that issues of deviance are often tied to media representation, because the media are a significant part of the process of identifying and defining deviant behavior. It reviews literature about the media. The chapter discusses the side of athletics in which the media glorify athletics and athletes as heroic, celebrity figures. It addresses the deviant side of athletics and athletes, for example, intentional violence on and off the field of play, particularly against women, and injuries that plague athletes but with which athletes are nonetheless expected to play. The chapter explains how the aspects of sports cause difficulty for the media with respect to issues of acceptable versus deviant behavior. The issues of heroism and deviance pose a problem for sports media. The media have a penchant for stories about scandal, crime, and deviance, and of late there has been no shortage of such stories involving teams and players.
