A Bittersweet Walter Payton Biography

Today's prototypical athletic phenom is covered by recruiting websites well before he's old enough for his learner's permit. By the time he's been featured in Sports Illustrated, he's already received his 500th text from a D-I coach. Then if/when he makes it, his entire life is uncovered by the media, with any remaining morsel of information self-published via his Twitter, Facebook, and blog. The same goes for professional athletes who reigned pre-blogosphere, as today's sports media plays catch-up and quickly squeezes from their lives any revealing details by their fifth biography and 11,568th interview.