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Even if you are not a sports fan, Zirin is a compelling writer because he exposes the politics -- particularly race, class and exploitation -- behind the attempt to brand professional and collegiate sports as apolitical "Disney style" profit machines.

An online reviewer of "Welcome to the Terrordome" heaps praise on Zirin's progressive insights into the world of sports in America:

Though the media is saturated with discussions on all facets of sports, it is still not totally OK to talk in a pointed or more than passing (and often seemingly obligatory) manner about how sports reflect, reinforce, and have the ability to challenge discourses surrounding race, gender, sexuality, class, age, nationhood, etc. Indeed, doing so publicly is likely to get a "just shut up!" response. It's as if Jackie Robinson solved racism and Billie Jean King conquered gender inequities--their contributions are unyieldingly praised without a commitment to continuing their larger political projects.

For those of us who do not unquestioningly take what information we are given by the mainstream sports media industry, it's nice to know that someone like Dave Zirin is out there providing an alternative--and extremely important--perspective. Zirin's new book, Welcome to the Terrordome, which takes its title from a Public Enemy song (and which includes and introduction by Chuck D), extends and enriches several of the discussions he has been writing about for years on his well-regarded website, [...], through his 2005 book What's My Name Fool?, and in various other venues. Zirin's insightful, clear, and often humorous essays, like Chuck D's brutally honest lyrics, "rope a dope the evil with righteous," welcoming readers to the "terrordome" that is the contemporary American political landscape and clearly showing sports' various roles in these circumstances--covering topics ranging from Barry Bonds to the NBA's anxiety over Hip Hop.

However, it is also important to note Zirin's subtitle: "The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports." Zirin sincerely believes in sports and their ability to challenge political circumstances. For instance, the Superdome, featured on Welcome to the Terrordome's cover and slyly referenced by its title, illustrates this pain, politics, and promise.

From the Publisher, Haymarket Books:

From the Don Imus scandal to the stormy marriage between hip-hop and the NBA; from the �baseball factories� of the Dominican Republic to the inspiring legacy of Roberto Clemente�Dave Zirin looks past the shiny surface to what�s really happening in the locker room, the boardroom, the arena, and the stands.

�Welcome to the Terrordome.� Public Enemy�s 1989 hip-hop anthem was a call to arms against a world�and a popular culture�gone mad.

A real Terrordome emerged in the New Orleans Superdome in the horrifying aftermath of Hurricane Katrina�a gruesome collision of sports and politics as thousands sat stranded in a sports arena where most could never have afforded even the cheapest ticket.

Today the �Terrordome� is a twenty-first century sports world that is frightening, ridiculous, horrifying, and inspiring�all before the next commercial break. Within these pages you�ll find heroes and villains. You�ll find oppression and protest. And you�ll find an engaging and provocative look at the world of sports like no other.

From Dave Zirin's website, edgeofsports.com:

This much-anticipated sequel to What's My Name, Fool? by acclaimed commentator Dave Zirin breaks new ground in sports writing, looking at the controversies and trends now shaping sports in the United States-and abroad. Features chapters such as "Barry Bonds is Gonna Git Your Mama: The Last Word on Steroids," "Pro Basketball and the Two Souls of Hip-Hop," "An Icon's Redemption: The Great Roberto Clemente," and "Beisbol: How the Major Leagues Eat Their Young."



BUZZFLASH REVIEWS