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To build a real-life person or animal into astronomical proportions to the point that their very lives are passed around like a folk tale is not an easy task. As seen with athletes such as Babe Ruth, the concept is not far off as the stories surrounding them can build to the likes of Jesus as someone recounts an interaction that changed their life forever. As many attempt to construct the story of their heroes to be God-like, the expectations can also cause their downfall. Two different cases of this myth building escapade comes from Tom Wolfe's article, The Last American Hero , about NASCAR legend, Junior Johnson, and Gary Smith's article, The Chosen One , about Tiger Woods. From Wolfe the legend that is Junior Johnson is one that had helped to popularize stock car racing in the early years. To paint the portrait of Johnson Wolfe states, " In this legend, here is a country boy, Junior Johnson, who learns to drive by running whiskey for his father, Johnson, Senior, one of

The nervous jitters that are embedded into championship games are enough for a player to break down from the pressure, but when the clock winds down the intensity picks up as you edge closer to the end. Dependent on the result, a player can be overcome with pure joy or be wrought with despair. Both feelings can last an eternity as one team celebrates while the other contemplates what could have been. An ingredient that makes the victory all the more sweeter is when you claim it from those that were supposed to end you. Not only did the Los Angeles Kings during the 2011-2012 playoffs bring to life what it meant to be an underdog, but they completely shattered the expectations that were placed upon them. As the lowest seed in the Western Conference during the playoffs, the Kings never held home ice advantage in any of the four series that would eventually lead them to the Stanley Cup. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs a team needs sixteen total wins to claim the top prize, but Los Angeles

The role of an athlete is to not just entertain, but to be something more than the shell of a human. Two athletes that were able to encapture their audiences were Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay. Even though the two athletes were similar in nature with their cockiness, Ali was discriminated for his actions while Ruth was this untouchable legend. Writer Grantland Rice in his article,  Game Called, romanticizes the life that Babe Ruth had led up to his death. The perspective of Ruth on the people is summed up when Rice states, "But Ruth was something more than a great ballplayer. He was an emblem, a symbol. No other athlete ever approached his color, not even the colorful Jack Dempsey, who had more than his share". The idea of believing in Ruth as something more than an athlete is great and all, but the actions of Ruth in the article can be perceived as despicable for anyone. Such as driving recklessly or hitting an officer, then being able to get aw

On the outside looking the world of sports seems glorious with the amass of fans following the every move of the demigods that grace the fields. Not all the spectators are solely interested on the players' actions, but the world that they belong to as well. Writer Max Taibbi in his article,  Why Sports Are for Losers,  sums up a major dilemma for sports fans in stating, "It’s hard to think of a better description of a business in which each year, only one team out of 30 or 32 actually wins…". As cynical as the observation is, this is very truthful for sports fans. The plight of the sports fan is to either ride off the high of winning the league championship or world tournament or writhe in agony to an extent at the thought of an early exit. The want to redo the past differently is inherent in sports while awaiting for the new season to arrive with an outcome that will favor a single team each year. That reason is what drives fans like Taibbi to scorn something that they