{"product_id":"9781101458921","title":"Bigger Than the Game: Bo, Boz, the Punky QB, and How the '80s Created the Celebrity Athlete","description":"\u003cb\u003eA mesmerizing look at the year when American athletics went corporate, villains replaced heroes, and sports stars became superstars. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Greed and excess defined the 1980s, and the sports world was no exception. Shifting from the love of the game to the love of money, athletes made the transition from representing honor and humility to becoming brash and branded. Capturing the stories of headliners who capitalized on this trend, \u003ci\u003eBigger Than the Game\u003c\/i\u003e charts the rise (and sometimes spectacular fall) of four athletes over the span of one of the most dramatic eras in sports. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Meticulously researched, with stirring, you-are-there reporting, \u003ci\u003eBigger Than the Game\u003c\/i\u003e assembles a cast that includes Jim McMahon, who took the Chicago Bears to Super Bowl glory despite his penchant for partying and his aversion to following the game plan; Brian Boswoth, the university of Oklahoma linebacker who mugged for the cameras while calling the NCAA a communist organization; Bo Jackson, who pursued promising careers in both pro football and baseball; and Len Bias, poised to ensure the Boston Celtics' dominance but died of a cocaine overdose just one day after the draft. Also packed with portraits of folk heroes such as \"Refrigerator\" Perry and Michael Jordan, \u003ci\u003eBigger Than the Game\u003c\/i\u003e offers a riveting ride for every sports fan.","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47300789534960,"sku":"9781101458921","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781101458921_p0.jpg?v=1763687042","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781101458921","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}