Now it seems that for the very first time, the country's most famous sports star may not be from the ball park after all.

CNN: A different ball game for superstar jockey Joel Rosario

Anyone who has had access to a newspaper knows this isn't the first time some member of the company's stable of galactic star sports figures has been a target of serious allegations.

WSJ: Nike: The Big Business of Fairy Tales

That is still less than a top American sports star such as basketball's Michael Jordan can command, but perhaps not for long.

ECONOMIST: Passion, pride and profit