Athletes in Scandal and Endorsement Deals

All civilizations have celebrated the athletic achievements of their most accomplished citizens, from the ancient Greeks contesting the first Olympic Games to the jousting knights of medieval Europe, and societies have typically rewarded their most elite athletes with superior status, financial incentives, and social standing. Within the realm of modern American athletics, our nation's unique blend of personal liberty and capitalistic ambition has long created a class of professional athletes who are revered as heroic figures and who are compensated commensurately. The multi-million dollar guaranteed contracts which are now de rigueur for American athletics are also accompanied by lucrative endorsement deals which are lavished on the most famous players within each sport or league. While the phenomenon of private companies paying athletes to publically endorse products is nothing new, as Babe Ruth proved during his heyday in the 1920's by shilling for everything from...
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