Scan barcode
wdudley89's review against another edition
1.0
Dave Zirin is the worst kind of ideologue. Dead certain of the truth of his political perspective, he imposes it on everything he encounters, sucking the beauty and joy out of sports.
librarylapin's review against another edition
4.0
Dave Zirin's fascinating sports history never disappoints. The politics of sports is fascinating and rarely talked about. Zirin infuses humor and fact for a great read.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. This is not the kind of book I would usually read but I did enjoy it. The chapters on the history of sports and resistance in the US were pretty interesting, even for a non-sportser like myself. The later chapters (reprints of Zirin's essays) were sometimes a little too detailed for my interest.
chadstep's review against another edition
3.0
A little light on the historical interpetation, a bit heavy-handed on the moral implications makes for a less than strong read on socialism and sports. Sorry.
joshkilner's review against another edition
4.0
Dave Zirin is a passionate writer. He’s also unapologetic about his views on professional sports. His writing is thoughtful and engaging and I find his books hard to put down.
In "What’s My Name, Fool," Zirin details the many injustices that people of colour have dealt with throughout the history of North American sports, as well as the brave athletes who fought against racism, sexism and homophobia.
Many of the inequities that those professionals faced are still very present today. Athletes like Colin Kaepernick are continuing the fight for equality started by John Carlos, Tommie Smith & Toni Smith.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about sports history and the crossover of professional sports and politics.
In "What’s My Name, Fool," Zirin details the many injustices that people of colour have dealt with throughout the history of North American sports, as well as the brave athletes who fought against racism, sexism and homophobia.
Many of the inequities that those professionals faced are still very present today. Athletes like Colin Kaepernick are continuing the fight for equality started by John Carlos, Tommie Smith & Toni Smith.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about sports history and the crossover of professional sports and politics.
phidaq's review against another edition
4.0
I discovered Zirin via his Edge of Sports podcast a few years back and believe he is the tops at combining sports and politics. It is about the only palatable way to view sports for me at this point, after logging a ton of hours as a mere watcher and lover of the numbers. This book is a great introduction to his writing, as it collects short articles about a variety of sports. Didn't matter at all that I was way late to the original printing, since these issues are still relevant. And thanks to Zirin's doggedness all these years, they are getting increased exposure.
lesliethewanderlust's review against another edition
4.0
I only read the chapter on the 1968 Olympics because of a term paper I was writing. It was very interesting to read maybe when the school work lessons I ll finish the rest.
writesdave's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.75
A compilation of Zirin's columns from The Nation magazine, it feels dated now but the overarching message remains—there's more to sport than meets the eye. Zirin champions principled athletes for taking their stands and does so in an angry-yet-articulate and entertaining way. He dives deep into protests from the past and present, needles the mass media for indulging in hagiography and praises the rare athlete with a worldview.
Sometimes Zirin gets bogged down in being clever and quippy, and you can't blame a modern sportswriter, raised on ESPN SportsCenter, for going for the gag and descending occasionally into minstrelsy. But Zirin is a sports writer for the times, a voice we all need to rise above bread and circuses.
Sometimes Zirin gets bogged down in being clever and quippy, and you can't blame a modern sportswriter, raised on ESPN SportsCenter, for going for the gag and descending occasionally into minstrelsy. But Zirin is a sports writer for the times, a voice we all need to rise above bread and circuses.
mregis's review against another edition
5.0
I think the George Bush jokes would have been funnier if I wasn’t five when he was president