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.