Zirin, Dave 1975(?)-

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Zirin, Dave 1975(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1975; married; has children.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Washington, DC. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Sports commentator and writer. "The Score," sports commentator. Guest commentator on a number of sports television and radio programs.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Sportswriter of the Year, Press Action, 2005 and 2006.

WRITINGS:

What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States, Haymarket Books (Chicago, IL), 2005.

My Name Is Erica Montoya de la Cruz (for children), Books for Young Learners, 2006.

Muhammad Ali Handbook, MQ (London, England), 2007.

Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports, foreword by Chuck D, Haymarket Books (Chicago, IL), 2007.

Columnist for SI.com, Prince George Post, SLAM. Contributor to periodicals, including Nation, Newsday, Baltimore Sun, Dallas/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle, CBSNEWS.com, Pittsburgh Courier, Source, Common Dreams, College Sporting News, basketball.com, alternet, Black Sports Network, Counterpunch, Dodgers Dugout, sports-central.org, San Francisco Bay View, Z-Net, International Socialist Review, War-Times, football.com, Fairmont Post, Afro-American, and Los Angeles Times.

SIDELIGHTS:

Dave Zirin is a sports commentator and writer. He has appeared on a number of sports television and radio programs across the United States and Canada, commenting on sports games and the sports industry itself. He also contributes commentary and columns to a number of periodicals. What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States, Zirin's first book, was published in 2005. In it Zirin makes comparisons between the contemporary state of American sports with how it was in the distant past, highlighting how a number of problems, including racism, sexism, homophobia, cover-ups and tax-payer and consumer gouging, have not been remedied. In a Catholic New Times review, Ralph Nader found Zirin to be "a passionate sports fan and activist who fights for the integrity of sports while enjoying the comraderie of rooting for teams, delighting in the breathtaking artistry of athletes, and admiring the intricate strategy of coaches" and the athletes themselves. Nader continued, describing the book as "a living history serving as a backdrop for issues today, with an eye toward inducing future change on and off the playing field." Nader concluded that those who read this book "will not soon forget Zirin's wakeup call." A contributor to the Midwest Book Review concluded: "More than highly recommended; if you read only one sports book this year, make it" this one.

Zirin published Muhammad Ali Handbook in 2007. Although reportedly a personal fan, Zirin takes a neutral stance on the life of this boxing great, covering both the ups and downs of his career and personal life. Andrea Lewis, writing in Progressive, noted that the book is "beautifully produced."

Zirin also published Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports in 2007. Here Zirin uses Hurricane Katrina as a backdrop to cover a range of issues in the sports world, including steroid use, race, baseball recruiting in the Caribbean, basketball's hip-hop culture, and how politics overlaps with sports. Lewis, again writing in Progressive, concluded of his look into the world of sports that "Zirin persuasively argues that, like it or not, the multibillion dollar sports-industrial complex is a powerfully influential part of our culture that is deeply in need of Zirin's brand of progressive critique." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews took note of Zirin's "compelling arguments" throughout the text. The reviewer concluded, however, that "Zirin displays a witty writing style, but the book lacks focus and too often presents conclusions that, while provocative, aren't supported by sufficient evidence." David Leonard, writing in Colorlines Magazine, found that the book "elucidates the ways in which sports provide a window into the broader injustices, inequalities, and paradoxes that define contemporary American life." Leonard commented that aside from pointing out the injustices and contradictions, "what is striking here, and with the entire book, is Zirin's determination to expose … the ways in which athletes excel on the field and empower their communities off of it, celebrating what is beautiful and inspiring in sports."