Dave Zirin

  • The Mormon Church played an instrumental role in getting California's Prop 8 passed. But the church has faced opposition in the past--from athletes. January 6, 2009

  • What's easier for an African American male: Becoming president of the United States or an NCAA Division I football coach? December 19, 2008

  • There's nothing like an NFL player shooting a hole in his own leg in a packed nightclub to become our latest walking, talking weapon of mass distraction. December 8, 2008

  • The controversial owner of the Dallas Mavericks is in trouble with the SEC--maybe because of his conflation of populism with personal profit. November 25, 2008

  • One sports columnist's thesis that Black athletes are responsible for Barack Obama's success is embarrassingly wrong. November 19, 2008

  • NFL great Jim Brown transcended the spotlight of sports and entertainment, devoting his political life to empowerment in the Black community. November 12, 2008

  • Denver Broncos player Brandon Marshall was ready to join the euphoria over the election of the first Black president--but his teammates stopped him. November 10, 2008

  • While his father Henry was demanding $700 billion to bail out the banks, Merritt Paulson asked for $85 million from taxpayers for a new sports complex. October 27, 2008

  • The image of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, their black-gloved fists raised at the Mexico City Olympics, has grown in power over the last 40 years. October 21, 2008

  • Sarah Palin’s attempt to score political points with hockey fans missed the mark by a wide margin. October 14, 2008

  • Sports has become a foolproof way for politicians to show voters that they are "salt-of-the-turf" Americans. October 9, 2008

  • In a high-pressure sport like football, where contracts aren't guaranteed, and any play can be your last, depression lurks like a blindside linebacker. October 2, 2008

  • Dallas Mavericks All-Star Josh Howard is being raked over the coals for daring to say what more than a few athletes think. September 22, 2008

  • The death of Don Haskins would make news throughout the sports world, even if all he ever did was coach college basketball. September 18, 2008

  • So much discussion of sports is about sanding off, beautifying or simply obliterating anything that might be seen as political. September 10, 2008

  • Witness the massive padlock, hugging the doors of the Superdome. That will tell you all you need to know about Hurricane Gustav and the federal government's response. September 3, 2008

  • The moment they stepped on China's soil, the U.S. media made a choice about what questions wouldn't be investigated, or even asked. August 27, 2008

  • There's the beauty of the Olympic Games, and there's the ugly pervasive undercurrent that can leave you queasy. Both things are especially true of women's gymnastics. August 22, 2008

  • The audacious gesture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics still holds the power to upset all the right people. August 13, 2008

  • A public relations catastrophe could be in the making if dissenters manage to break through the media blockade surrounding the Olympics. August 6, 2008

  • In classified reports on anti-death penalty activism compiled by the Maryland State Police and Department of Homeland Security, I am known as "Dave Z." July 21, 2008

  • The Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game looked like it was out of 1946, before Jackie Robinson integrated the game. July 18, 2008

  • A former NASCAR inspection official has filed a $225 million lawsuit alleging "racial and sexual harassment and wrongful termination. July 15, 2008

  • Two corporate raiders and NBA Commissioner David Stern have teamed up to throw an elbow at Seattle basketball fans. July 9, 2008

  • Don Imus has made another obnoxious bigoted comment, but he's trying to hang onto his job by claiming he's a misunderstood anti-racist. July 1, 2008