"A rollicking guided tour of one extraordinary summer, when some of the most pivotal and freakishly coincidental stories all collided and changed the way we think about modern sports"-- Summer, 1984. The nation watched Michael Jordan grow from college basketball player to professional athlete and star. ESPN rose to media dominance as the country's premier sports network. The first modern, commercialized, profitable Olympics took place in Los Angeles. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry raged, Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe reigned in tennis, Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon made pro wrestling a business, and Donald Trump pierced the national consciousness as a pro football team owner. Wertheim shows how summer, 1984 was the moment when sports began to morph into the market-savvy, sensationalized, moneyed, controversial, and wildly popular arena we know today. -- adapted from jacket Provided by publisher.

Introduction -- Be like Mike -- The great one -- Are the games dead? -- Johnny Mac and Martina -- The Trump card -- Larry versus Magic -- Heir Jordan -- There's a draft in here -- Joy in Wrigleyville -- Wax on, wax off -- The sham of amateurism -- Strokes of genius -- Swooshing in to woo Jordan -- Down goes Tyson -- The dream team -- The victory tour -- The all-sports, all-the-time network -- The brawl to end it all -- The summer of the Mac -- Let the games begin -- Super Saturday -- Mike and Nike -- Wait till next year -- Be like Mike -- Conclusion.