Dominators: The Remarkable Athletes Who Changed Their Sport Forever

The 20th century saw the birth of a new kind of hero - the professional athlete. As radio and television transformed simple games into events, amateurs were transformed into larger-than-life figures, their exploits and images beamed around the world in an instant. Within this new world, a special breed of athlete appeared, the best of the best - athletes capable not only of succeeding in their sport but of changing it forever. They are "The Dominators." We all know their names: Babe Ruth, perhaps the first superstar athlete, re-wrote the record book for batters for decades to come. Muhammad Ali turned the insular world of professional boxing into one of the highest-profile sports on the planet. Michael Jordan changed the game of basketball by adding an aerial component that is now standard. And Pele turned soccer into "the beautiful game." These are just four of the 34 athletes covered in The Dominators. They come in all shapes and sizes and from every background, but have one thing in common: before them, their sport was one thing; after them, it was something else indeed.George Tracz is the author of 'Dominators: The Remarkable Athletes Who Changed Their Sport Forever', published 2004 under ISBN 9781894622462 and ISBN 1894622464.