Dave Zirin is a sports columnist and the author of several books. But he's not a normal sports columnist. He writes about the intersections of sports and politics. As he points out, some people think that sports stars should just keep their mouths shut about politics. But it is impossible to separate sports from politics. Politics affects every part of our lives, whether people know it or not. And sports is also a big part of American culture, so its inevitable that sports and politics are constantly influencing each other.
His books talk about many classic political sports stories:
-- Jackie Robinson (and Roberto Clemente) fighting for integration in baseball, and the country as a whole
-- Muhammad Ali being banned from boxing in the U.S. for refusing to fight in Vietnam
-- the Black Panthers on the podium at the Olympics (and all the athletes who supported them that didn't get as much press)
-- the many swindles where rich team owners convince taxpayers to pay for stadiums at which they can't afford to attend the events
-- Barry Bonds and the steroids debate
These are just a few examples. If you're into sports or politics, and especially if you're interested in both, then definitely read his books "What's my name fool" and "Welcome to the Terrordome", available on his site at http://www.edgeofsports.com/
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
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1 comment:
I love sports and it's far reaching effects it has on society as a whole. I've ordered Zirin's books off of Amazon and look forward to reading them.
Thanks!
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