Sex, Violence & Power in Sports: Rethinking Masculinity

Following the heels of accusations against O.J. Simpson and the murder of Columbian soccer player Andres Escobar, and with a made-for-talk-shows title, could this book possibly be legitimate? You bet: men's studies scholars Messner (Power at Play) and Sabo (Jock), who have taught and written about the subject for more than a decade, have never been more serious than in this collection of essays and articles that address the relationship between sports and violence. Examining the male identity and the ways racism, sexism, homophobia and self-abuse manifest themselves on the field, in the locker room and through the media, Messner and Sabo offer chilling statistics and anecdotes to demonstrate the impact of popular practice and attitudes on individuals and society. If the collection is marred by some jargon-filled academic pieces and the authors' self-congratulatory feminism, it is still powerful. It is never more powerful than when the authors, both self-described jocks, look back at the brutalizing competition; the ostracization that is ``team spirit'' in its most virulent form; and the desperate contests in which points are kept on the scoreboard of women's bodies. Photos. (Sept.)