Modern sports – problems and contradictions

Modern sports is analysed as a social complex important for youth to reciprocate in economic and spiritual spheres of society and influencing professional sports policies. Special attention focuses on the problems and contradictions of modern sports especially strong today demanding attention of society. Analyzing the attitude of Russians to the phenomenon of “professional sports” and of “professional sportsmen” the authors found: the image of professional sportsmen was positive and the image of professional sports was accepted by respondents with a very negative connotation. These images had a strong echo in the media. Discussed are also phenomena in sports, which are impossible to give one-dimensional definition: orientations on record, media, impetuous commercialization, dope.