Game Faces : Sport Celebrity and the Laws of Reputation

Sports figures cope with a level of celebrity once reserved for the stars of stage and screen. In Game Faces , Sarah K. Fields looks at the legal ramifications of the cases brought by six of them—golfer Tiger Woods, quarterback Joe Montana, college football coach Wally Butts, baseball pitchers Warren Spahn and Don Newcombe, and hockey enforcer Tony Twist—when faced with what they considered attacks on their privacy and image. Placing each case in its historical and legal context, Fields examines how sports figures in the U.S. have used the law to regain control of their image. As she shows, decisions in the cases significantly affected the evolution of laws related to privacy, defamation, and publicity—areas pertinent to the lives of the famous sports figure and the non-famous consumer alike. She also tells the stories of why the plaintiffs sought relief in the courts, uncovering motives that delved into the heart of issues separating individual rights from the public's perceived right to know. A fascinating exploration of a still-evolving phenomenon, Game Faces is an essential look at the legal playing fields that influence our enjoyment of sports.| Title Contents Acknowledgments Preface 1. The History of Celebrity and the Laws of Reputation and Speech 2. Lies, Libel, and Football: Coaches as Public Figures Butts v. Curtis Publishing (1967) 3. Stop the Press: A Baseball Legend and Biography Spahn v. Julian Messner, Inc. (1967) 4. Super Bowl Icon or Marketing Tool? Montana v. San Jose Mercury News (1995) 5. Owning a Face: Publicity and Advertising Newcombe v. Coors Brewing (1998) 6. Art versus Image: The First Amendment versus the Right of Publicity ETW v. Jireh Publishing (2000 7. What's in a Name? Comic Books and Hockey Doe v. TCI Cablevision (2003) Conclusion Notes Index | "Recommended."— Choice "Sarah Fields' work on the history of sports and law dispels all doubt about the legitimacy of sports law as a field of study. Game Faces presents a convincing argument that cases about sports have made unique and important contributions to the law of privacy and free speech."—Erin Buzuvis, Western New England University "Sarah Fields combines her talents as a historian and a lawyer to guide us to and through the intersection of sport, celebrity, and the law. The precision and depth of this study is a gift to all interested in the rights of privacy and the control of one's public image."—Richard C. Crepeau, author of NFL Football: A History of America's New National Pastime | Sarah K. Fields is an associate professor in communication at the University of Colorado—Denver. She is the author of Female Gladiators: Gender, Law, and Contact Sport in America . "Athletes and coaches, especially professional ones, have evolved into celebrity superstars as bright as those in film and stage. Their celebrity status depends upon widespread publicity, which invites public scrutiny and a host of hangers-on eager to tap into a celebrity's income, and which brings their individual rights into conflict with the First Amendment rights of the Press. In a series of legal decisions, celebrity athletes have been catalysts for change in defining the limits of privacy, defamation, publicity, and property rights. Professor Fields looks at six court cases involving prominent sports celebrities: Coach Wally Butts, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame; pitcher Warren Spahn, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame; quarterback Joe Montana, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; African American Don Newcombe, the only major league baseball player to have won the rookie of the year, most valuable player, and Cy Young awards; golf pro Tiger Woods; and hockey player Tony Twist, a league leader in penalty minutes. The cases are not fascinating because of the athletes, but also because of the stories they tell, involving lies, libel, invasion of privacy, and the commercial use of names and images. In addition, because celebrity athletes were involved, the legal cases themselves were celebrity events"-- Résumé de l'éditeur "Athletes and coaches, especially professional ones, have evolved into celebrity superstars as bright as those in film and stage. Their celebrity status depends upon widespread publicity, which invites public scrutiny and a host of hangers-on eager to tap into a celebrity's income, and which brings their individual rights into conflict with the First Amendment rights of the Press. In a series of legal decisions, celebrity athletes have been catalysts for change in defining the limits of privacy, defamation, publicity, and property rights. Professor Fields looks at six court cases involving prominent sports celebrities: Coach Wally Butts, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame; pitcher Warren Spahn, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame; quarterback Joe Montana, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; African American Don Newcombe, the only major league baseball player to have won the rookie of the year, most valuable player, and Cy Young awards; golf pro Tiger Woods; and hockey player Tony Twist, a league leader in penalty minutes. The cases are not fascinating because of the athletes, but also because of the stories they tell, involving lies, libel, invasion of privacy, and the commercial use of names and images. In addition, because celebrity athletes were involved, the legal cases themselves were celebrity events"-- Provided by publisher "Sports figures cope with a level of celebrity once reserved for the stars of stage and screen. In Game Faces, Sarah K. Fields looks at the legal ramifications of the cases brought by six of them--golfer Tiger Woods, quarterback Joe Montana, college football coach Wally Butts, baseball pitchers Warren Spahn and Don Newcombe, and hockey enforcer Tony Twist--when faced with what they considered attacks on their privacy and image. Placing each case in its historical and legal context, Fields examines how sports figures in the U.S. have used the law to regain control of their image. As she shows, decisions in the cases significantly affected the evolution of laws related to privacy, defamation, and publicity--areas pertinent to the lives of the famous sports figure and the non-famous consumer alike. She also tells the stories of why the plaintiffs sought relief in the courts, uncovering motives that delved into the heart of issues separating individual rights from the public's perceived right to know. A fascinating exploration of a still-evolving phenomenon, Game Faces is an essential look at the legal playing fields that influence our enjoyment of sports"-- Résumé de l'éditeur Title 6 Contents 10 Acknowledgments 12 Preface 16 1 The History of Celebrity and the Laws of Reputation and Speech 24 2 Lies, Libel, and Football: Coaches as Public Figures Butts v. Curtis Publishing (1967) 42 3 Stop the Press: A Baseball Legend and Biography Spahn v. Julian Messner, Inc. (1967) 66 4 Super Bowl Icon or Marketing Tool? Montana v. San Jose Mercury News (1995) 84 5 Owning a Face: Publicity and Advertising Newcombe v. Coors Brewing (1998) 104 6 Art versus Image: The First Amendment versus the Right of Publicity ETW v. Jireh Publishing (2000 124 7 What’s in a Name? Comic Books and Hockey Doe v. TCI Cablevision (2003) 142 Conclusion 162 Notes 172 Index 204