Court Justice by Ed O’Bannon with Michael McCann

COURT JUSTICE by Ed O’Bannon with Michael McCann is subtitled “The Inside Story of My Battle Against the NCAA.” In this non-fiction work, O’Bannon describes his decision to participate in a class action suit and seek compensation for the use of his image after seeing himself and his UCLA teammates portrayed in a video game.  I know that this book, which is written in a simple conversational tone, will interest those students who are passionate about paying student athletes and protecting their rights. For me, COURT JUSTICE is a unique twist on that issue and an appealing read as it details O’Bannon’s efforts to stand on principle and fight for fairness for college athletes. He also includes a section with a dozen recommendations and ideas for reform. In this season of the Olympics and its own rather distorted view of “amateurism,” it seems especially appropriate to spend some time reading and reflecting on COURT JUSTICE.