Synopses & Reviews
Sportscaster Howard Cosell dubbed it rule number one of the jockocracy”: sports and politics just don't mix. But as the celebrated alt-sportswriter Dave Zirin shows, politics has entered the modern sports arena with a vengeance. From Jeremy Lin and the national uproar about Asian American stereotypes to the Penn State sexual abuse scandal, the NFL lockout, and LeBron James's aspirations to join the One Percent, this timely and hard-hitting new book reveals the many ways that sports have become the third rail of U.S. and world politics, where the raw quest for political power plays out before an audience of millions in prime time.
Game Over offers new insights and analysis of headline-grabbing sports controversies, as well as less visible but equally fascinating struggles on and off the field, including the efforts of gay and lesbian athletes to gain acceptance, female athletes fights to be more than sex symbols, and a new trend among athletes everywhere to assert their collective bargaining rights as union members. Game Over is a must-read for anyone sports fan or not interested in understanding how and why professional sports have been wrested away from fans to become a political spectacle.
Review
A damning indictment of all that is corrupting sports and a song of praise for athletes standing up for human rights and decency.” Kirkus
Synopsis
Sportscaster Howard Cosell dubbed it rule number one of the jockocracy: sports and politics just don t mix. But in Game Over, celebrated alt-sportswriter Dave Zirin proves once and for all that politics has breached the modern sports arena with a vengeance. From the NFL lockout and the role of soccer in the Arab Spring to the Penn State sexual abuse scandals and Tim Tebow s on-field genuflections, this timely and hard-hitting new book from the conscience of American sportswriting (The Washington Post) reveals how our most important debates about class, race, religion, sex, and the raw quest for political power are played out both on and off the field.
Game Over offers new insights and analysis of headline-grabbing sports controversies, exploring the shady side of the NCAA, the explosive 2011 MLB All-Star Game, and why the Dodgers crashed and burned. It covers the fascinating struggles of gay and lesbian athletes to gain acceptance, female athletes to be more than sex symbols, and athletes everywhere to assert their collective bargaining rights as union members. Zirin also illustrates the ways in which athletes are once again using their exalted platforms to speak out and reclaim sports from the corporate interests that have taken it hostage. In Game Over, he cheers the victories but also reflects on how far we have yet to go. Combining brilliant set pieces with a sobering overview of today s sports scene in Zirin s take-no-prisoners style, Game Over is a must read for anyone, sports fan or not, interested in understanding how sports reflect and shape society and why the stakes have never been higher."
About the Author
One of the UTNE Reader's 50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Our World,” Dave Zirin is a columnist for The Nation, SLAM magazine, and SI.com. He is the host of Sirius XM's popular weekly show Edge of Sports Radio and a regular guest on ESPNs Outside the Lines and on MSNBC. His previous books include A Peoples History of Sports in the United States and Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love (both available from The New Press). He lives near Washington, D.C.