Boys Gone Wild: Fame, Fortune, And Deviance Among Professional Football Players

by Eric M. Carter

Overview

Boys Gone Wild examines why some professional football players participate in deviant, and sometimes illegal, behavior while others do not. According to Carter's research, nearly one in three professional football players have been charged with serious crimes. Carter gained access into an exclusive group of National Football League players, interviewing and surveying 104 participants. His qualitative data revealed three core themes: deviance, anomie, and social ties. A substantial number of players had prior experience with deviant and illegal behaviors. Many reported problems coping with how drastically their lives changed (i.e., anomie) upon entering the NFL. Moreover, virtually fifty percent reported being unhappy with their life—despite being wealthy and famous. It appeared that some level of anomie was present in a number of these players' lives; however, players that had strong ties to various social groups appeared less likely to succumb to anomie and deviance. Supporting the qualitative data, the quantitative findings revealed that anomie was one of the significant predictors of law-breaking players. Carter suggests that many of the players were involved in behaviors that could be labeled anomic deviance. Furthermore, the findings supported the primacy of social ties and support in buffering anomie and deviance in the lives of professional football players.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761846550
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	07/16/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	6.07(w) x 9.24(h) x 0.43(d)

About the Author

Eric Carter, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of sociology at Georgetown College, where he is working on research in the areas of sport and ethics, sustainability, and community. He lives in Kentucky.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Acknowledgements
Chapter 3 Chapter One- Introduction: Consequences of American's Obsession
Chapter 4 Chapter Two - It's Lonely (Anomie) at the Top: Theoretical Interpretations of Deviant Behavior
Chapter 5 Chapter Three - Accessing the Lives of Professional Football Players: Stories Revealed
Chapter 6 Chapter Four - Illegal Procedure: Seeing Patterns of Deviance
Chapter 7 Chapter Five - Out of Bounds: Seeing Patterns of Anomie
Chapter 9 Chapter Six - Inside the Huddle: Patterns of Social Support and Ties
Chapter 10 Chapter Seven - Moving the Chains: From Observation to Quantification
Chapter 11 Chapter Eight - The Final Score: What the Numbers Mean
Chapter 12 Chapter Nine - Key Considerations for the Future: Social Control or Emporwerment
Chapter 13 Index
Chapter 13 About the Author