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How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down
The New Press
February 2013
On Sale: January 29, 2013
240 pages
ISBN: 1595588159
EAN: 9781595588159
Kindle: B00A6DB9T2
Paperback / e-Book
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Non-Fiction
Sportscaster Howard Cosell dubbed it βrule number one of the jockocracyβ: sports and politics just donβt 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 Tebowβs on-field genuflections, this timely and hard-hitting new book from the βconscience of American sportswritingβ (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 todayβs sports scene in Zirinβs take-no-prisoners style, Game Over is a must read for anyone, sports fan or not, interested in understanding how sports reflect and shape societyβand why the stakes have never been higher.
 Media BuzzAll Things Considered - March 30, 2013
On Point - February 4, 2013
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