Dave Zirin 2317425 226096965 2008-07-16T20:27:59Z PhilKnight 1812441 small protection icon {{protected|small=yes}} ==Career== '''Dave Zirin''' commentates on varied sports-related matters from a left-wing point-of-view. Zirin champions athletes and issues which might be overlooked by corporate sports media and addresses the tendency of the media to objectify and employ athletes as pawns in money-making efforts. His column, Edge of Sports, appears on [[Sports Illustrated]]’s website and he is the host of [[XM]] satellite’s weekly show, Edge of Sports Radio. Zirin is a frequent contributor to ''[[The Nation]]'', a columnist for [[SLAM Magazine]], [[The Progressive]], and the [[Philadelphia Weekly]]. He is a regular [[op-ed]] writer for the [[Los Angeles Times]]. His first book, ''What’s My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States'' ([[Haymarket Books]]) has entered its second printing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenation.com/directory/bios/dave_zirin |title=The Nation > Author Bios > Z > Dave Zirin |accessdate=2008-06-26 |format= |work= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edgeofsports.com/bio.html |title=Edge of Sports -> Bio |accessdate=2008-06-26 |format= |work= }}</ref> Zirin has taken his blend of sports and politics to the television program [[CNBC]]’s ''[[The Big Idea with Donny Deutch]]'' where he discussed steroid use in [[baseball]] with [[John Rocker]] and [[José Canseco]]; [[C-SPAN]]’s ''[[Book TV]]'', and the [[WNBC-TV|WNBC]] Morning News in [[New York City]]. He is also a monthly commentator for Canadian sports channel [[The Score (television network)|The Score]]. He has also been on numerous radio programs including [[Air America Radio]]'s ''On the Real'' with [[Chuck D]] and [[Gia’na Garel]], ''The [[Laura Flanders]] Show'', ''[[Radio Nation]]'', [[ESPN Radio]], [[Stars and Stripes Radio]], [[WOL-AM|WOL]]’s ''The [[Joe Madison]] Show'', [[Pacifica Radio]]’s ''Hard Knock Radio'' and ''[[Democracy Now]]'', among others. He is also the Thursday morning sports host on [[WBAI]]’s “Wake Up Call with Deepa Fernandes”. Zirin's new book is Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports, published by Haymarket Books in June 2007. He is working on “A People’s History of Sports,” a sports-related volume in the manner of [[Howard Zinn]]'s [[A People's History of the United States]] series for [[The New Press]]. In addition to “What’s My Name, Fool?” for [[Haymarket Books]], he has also published “The Muhammad Ali Handbook” for MQ Publications. Zirin is also the published children’s book author of “My Name is Erica Montoya de la Cruz” (RC Owen). In addition, he is working on a sports documentary with Barbara Kopple’s Cabin Creek films on sports and social movements in the United States. Zirin’s writing has been printed by [[The Los Angeles Times]], [[CBS News|CBSNEWS.com]], [[Pittsburgh Courier]], [[The Source (magazine)|The Source]], Latinosports.com, [[Common Dreams]], The College Sporting News, basketball.com, [[Alternet]], The Black Sports Network, ''[[Counterpunch (newsletter)|Counterpunch]]'', ''Dodgers Dugout'', [[San Francisco Bay View]], [[Z net]], ''[[International Socialist Review]]'', War-Times, and The Afro-American. ==Barry Bonds Steroids Controversy== Zirin maintains the opinion that the aggressive hatred toward the use of [[steroids]] by [[Barry Bonds]] is in large degree due to racism. In 2004 Zirin wrote “The greatest case for reasonable doubt lies in Bonds' very late career success. His unparalleled middle-aged majesty screams his innocence.”<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.counterpunch.org/zirin03272004.html |title=Reasonable Doubt: Why Barry Bonds is Not on Steroids |author=Dave Zirin |date=2004-03-27 |accessdate=2008-06-26 |format= |work= }}</ref> However, in an undated interview, Zirin claims “I never wrote that I "believe Bonds has never done steroids."” He continues: “unlike oh so many others, the man never actually failed a steroids test. Is there a ton of circumstantial evidence that the man juiced? Absolutely. But he is still the best player I've ever seen. The best player of what will go down as the anabolic era.”<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=No_Softballs:_Dave_Zirin |title=No Softballs: Dave Zirin |accessdate=2008-06-26 |author=Dan Lewis |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> Zirin claims that, rather than steroid use, “much of the reaction to Bonds is simply bad old-fashioned racism”.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edgeofsports.com/2007-06-19-264/index.html |title=THE UNFORGIVEN: Jack Johnson and Barry Bonds |accessdate=2008-06-26 |author=Dave Zirin |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> Articles and Interviews Concerning Bonds: * [http://www.counterpunch.org/zirin03272004.html Reasonable Doubt: Why Barry Bonds in Not on Steroids] (March 27/28, 2004) *[http://www.isreview.org/issues/50/steroids.shtml The Juice and the Noose] (November/December 2006) * [http://www.edgeofsports.com/2007-06-19-264/index.html The Unforgiven: Jack Johnson and Barry Bonds] (June 19, 2007) * [http://www.edgeofsports.com/2007-08-09-277/index.html Barry Bonds: Steroids, Scapegoats and Sweet Satisfaction] (August 9, 2007) * [http://www.edgeofsports.com/2007-11-15-296/index.html Indicted!: Barry Bonds Busted by a Broken System] (November 15, 2007) * [http://www.edgeofsports.com/2008-05-12-344/index.html Bosses’ Boycott: The Bonds Vanishes] (May 12, 2008) * [http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=No_Softballs:_Dave_Zirin No Softballs: Dave Zirin] (undated interview) ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.edgeofsports.com The Edge of Sports] {{DEFAULTSORT:Zirin, Dave}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]