Contemporary life in the United States would be difficult to understand withouth examining the pivotal role sports have played in it. is designed to take readers of all ages into the heart of the tensions and conflicts that arise from the wide-ranging enterprise that now dominates the lives of millions of people. The controversies explored include such issues in sports as recruitment procedures, steroid and other drug use, discrimination against women, discrimination against African Americans, and violence. Each of sixteen chapters analyzes the background and current status of a specific controversy illuminating how the games we play and watch affect, and are affected by, the world beyond the playing fields. Putnam presents opposing arguments on the sources and nature of each controversy, providing readers with an understanding of the causes and effects of sports controversies. He also presents a picture of how the people who inhabit the sports world—athletes, coaches, parents, agents, fans, team owners, corporate sponsors, and public officials—pursue their often clashing agendas in a manner that makes conflict inevitable and ongoing. References and Resources sections at the end of each chapter provide readers with annotated cites that will lead them to the sources they need to further explore particular aspects of each topic. The detailed index includes names, places, and teams, as well as concepts which students, teachers, and interested readers can use and explore.