Sports Corruption

When billions poured into the neglected east London borough hosting the 2012 Olympics, a turf war broke out between crime families for control of a now valuable strip of land. Using violence, guile and corruption, one gangster, the Long Fella, emerged as a true untouchable. A team of local detectives made it their business to take him on until Scotland Yard threw them under the bus and the business of putting on 'the greatest show on earth' won the day.

Why are sports and politics so closely linked? Just what kinds of corruption and dodgy deals go on behind closed doors?Sportswashing is a growing trend used by countries and organizations to improve their public image and distract from their negative actions. The terminology may be new, but the concept is as old as time. Read this book to gain a deeper understanding of the dark side of sports, including the corruption, cheating, and impact of sportswashing on society and democracy. The topics covered will give you insight into the inextricable link between sports and politics, the ...

Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell is surfer and former war reporter Chas Smith's wild and unflinching look at the high-stakes world of surfing on Oahu's North Shore - a riveting, often humorous, account of beauty, greed, danger, and crime. For two months every winter, when Pacific storms make landfall, swarms of mainlanders, Brazilians, Australians, and Europeans flock to Oahu's paradisiacal North Shore for surfing's Triple Crown competition. Smith reveals how this influx transforms a sleepy strip of coast into a lawless, violent, drug-addled, and adrenaline-soaked mecca.

She was hired to confirm a death. Instead, she uncovered a killing machine. In the sun-drenched, money-soaked world of Wellington, Florida—where white fences gleam and blue ribbons are worth fortunes—a champion dressage horse drops dead overnight. The official cause? Colic. The insurance payout? Over a million dollars. For Nola Gallagher, former cop turned private investigator, the case should be routine. But when an anonymous message insists “It wasn’t the colic that killed him,” Nola finds herself pulled into the darkest corners of elite equestrian sport—where horses are ...

Every sport has its unique, rich, and captivating history. But they also have a dark side. One that they don’t want you to know about. For every story of a local hero becoming an international sporting star, there is also a story of corruption, shame, and suspicion. But where can you hear about these incredible and captivating stories? Right here. Crossing the Line will tell you all about some of the biggest sporting scandals, from match-fixing to cheating, and everything in between. This book will tell of famous stories of cheating in sports, the motivations behind them, and the ...

A portion of the proceeds from Front Row Seat will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease research and the Positive Coaching Alliance to help coaches lead and develop America’s future leaders. America's youth sports industry has changed dramatically over the past two decades. The days of playing for your town or local YMCA team, be it baseball, soccer, basketball or lacrosse were coming to an end.

The financial system is a delicate ecosystem seeded with landmines. What if government and corporations used the bond market in a way that avoided transparency? Financial Catastrophic events don't just happen, it takes mistakes, corruption, and a catalyst. Unlikely bed fellows, Stan and Paige Jackson, a political power couple, Ezzy King, heiress of the King Citrus Corporate Empire, and Sheriff Bill Bolek find themselves in an apocalyptic world wrought with dangerous obstacles after they are thrown into financial chaos. Follow these characters as they navigate through double-dealing ...

What can Roger Federer teach us about the secret of longevity? What do the All Blacks have in common with improvised jazz musicians? What can cognitive neuroscientists tell us about what happens to the brains of sportspeople when they perform? And why did Johan Cruyff believe that beauty was...

'Jaw-dropping revelations . . . The incredible story of [Man United] laid bare in new book' – Daily Mail 'A gripping tale, full of insight. Blackhurst is an enormously talented writer' – City A.M. From Chris Blackhurst, the former Editor of the Independent, comes The World's Biggest Cash...

A high school quarterback and his family are embroiled in an abhorrent crime and its cover-up—a bold new novel that confronts American hero-worship and its irreversible consequences. HUMPTY-DUMPTY SAT ON A WALL . . . Darius Rodgers is the king of Steubenville, Ohio. Invincible, untouchable: a...

The Phantom of the Pavilion by K. A. Wijeratne In the crumbling cricket ground of Maduwila, whispers from the past refuse to fade. When jaded sports journalist Laki Perera stumbles upon a half-forgotten scandal buried beneath the lush spin of Sri Lankan cricket, he finds himself haunted—literally—by the ghost of Ranjith "Rana" Abeysekera, a prodigious spinner whose mysterious death decades ago was written off as disgrace. As Laki joins forces with his estranged daughter Madhavi and fiery investigative reporter Shyamali Peiris, the trio uncover a tangled web of match-fixing, political ...

After a shocking accident, Silas Tucker’s legendary football career is suddenly over. ​Humbled, but never defeated, he returns to his backwoods hometown, Cross Rivers, North Carolina, where his father was murdered. ​He goes back to what’s left of his family and their small, struggling...

Alejandro Valverde - the 'Green Bullet' - was a symbol of Spanish sport. Supremely talented, hard-working beyond belief, he was ranked no.1 in the world four times before retiring in 2022. He is a champion of undeniable charisma and immense achievement - and yet also a convicted doping cheat. Appearing in a list of encoded names, Valverde was one of many at the heart of a doping ring for elite sportsmen. Discovered by Spanish police in the infamous Operacion Puerto, the revelations contained in the operation threatened to rip cycling apart.

In this compelling new book, relying on original reporting from the most dangerous corners of Rio to the halls of power in Washington, DC, Dave Zirin examines how sports and politics are colliding in remarkable fashion in Brazil, opening up an international conversation on the culture, economics, and politics of sports.

Football is big business in the United States, but it plays largest in Texas. In Texas, football money is BIG money, and the best players start young. During high school, college scouts come calling, but they're only seeking winners. Nobody likes to lose. Due to past scandals, the local high school plays under court-ordered supervision. How far will they go to recruit the king of youth football?

Das Gesicht des IOC ist ein Deutscher. Seine Geschichte und die des immer wieder kriminellen IOC laufen seit Jahrzehnten parallel. Hier wird sie erstmals erzählt. Thomas Bach ist der Mann arabischer Scheichs und chinesischer Staatskommunisten, und vor allem: der Olygarch Putins. Dieser investigative Report verwebt die Stränge von Sport, Politik, Geld und Propaganda. Es ist eine Reise durch mehr als 40 Jahre IOC, die in der Wahl Bachs und dessen Russland-freundlicher Politik mündet.

Ob es um die dubiosen Geschäftspraktiken von internationalen Spitzenklubs wie dem FC Barcelona, Manchester City oder Paris Saint-Germain geht, um die Ausbeutung von Jugendspielern oder die Vertuschung von Straftaten: Die Gier im Fußball kennt kaum noch Grenzen. Die SPIEGEL-Journalisten Rafael Buschmann und Michael Wulzinger geben neue, exklusive Einblicke in die zunehmend mafiösen Strukturen im Spitzenfußball und erzählen dabei auch die Geschichte des Mannes, der durch seinen Mut die spektakulären Enthüllungen erst möglich gemacht hat - und dafür nun im Gefängnis sitzt.

Dass es in der Welt des Fußballs immer weniger um den Sport und immer mehr um schmutzige Geschäfte geht, ahnen die Fans nicht erst seit den Skandalen um die Fifa und die vermeintlich gekaufte WM 2006 in Deutschland. Die "Football Leaks" bieten nun erstmals Einblicke in die Schattenwelt der Branche, offenkundig wird die grenzenlose Gier, die hinter den Kulissen des Weltfußballs herrscht.