The athlete's role in our society is overvalued; there is no intrinsic worth to playing a game."" Taking off from such a premise, Dickey proceeds to censure and debunk, indict and blackball, practically every area of the plastic (elastic) world of big time jockism. He levels coaches/owners Charles Finley, Al Davis and George Allen; sports-casters Gowdy, Schenkel, Gifford and Cosell; the Super Bowl, basketball playoffs, the NCAA and Little League; artificial turf, season tickets and flashy uniforms. The author does make some sensible suggestions along the line -- the use of instant replay to supplement referees; an abbreviated baseball schedule (but to 69 games?) -- yet, they go almost unnoticed in the carnage of all those athletic supporters.