“This need to escape via the hero has been described variously…as: an identity voyage, psychic mobility, and dream relaization.”
“[There are] three main directions hero worship can take: reinforcement, seduction and transcendence. Reinforcement keeps the individual within the social structure and directs him[/her] toward socially approved goals. Seduction keeps the individual within social bounds but tempts him[/her] to break the rules. Transcendence takes the individual outside of societal structure and provides him[/her] with a new identity, new experiences, and new norms.”
“The hero as a social model should be consistent in his[or her] behavior, and should be considerably better in a positive sense than most of the other members of society”
Taken from the article “The Sport Hero: An Endangered Species”
Brad Fortier 