Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down

We have all been led to believe that sports and politics don’t mix, or at least that they shouldn’t mix. Sports, after all, is one thing in which people of differing opinions can come together in unison and show that, in spite of their differences in beliefs, philosophies, etc they at least share a common love of sports entertainment. But politics, however, has made its way into sports in more ways than people realize, and this ugly truth is the focus of this book, Game Over.Sports have been corrupted by politics and social norms and this book touches on many of them. Whether it’s a general controversy like the lack of pay for college athletes or a more specific incident like the Green Bay Packers and their support for the unionization and collective bargaining rights of public workers, this book shows that politics and sports have always been together, to one degree or another. It’s like a strained marriage where both parties continue to remain united in matrimony, even when they know both sides would be better off if they could sever the ties.Certain parts of this book seem more meaningful than others and anyone who follows sports or is involved in sports will likely come away with a different section that they felt was best. I really liked the chapter about Joe Paterno and the boatload of atrocities that took place while he was head coach at Penn State. This situation showed how important money and economic power and prestige are to a college, or really anything else. People were more than willing to look the other way because Paterno was well liked and, most importantly, a tremendous success who brought money to the university.The one thing you will not gain insight about from reading this book is the more recent sports and political controversy involving kneeling during the national anthem. This is likely the incident that is most fresh in everyone’s mind, but this book was published several years before this took place. I would love to read a follow up book from this author to get his take on this controversy and other happenings of recent years.I prefer my sports to be free from politics but like with most things, we should know by now that the two are inextricably mixed and will likely always be this way, at least to an extent. Game Over is a good primer on the injustices that continue to plague the sports world and a good motivator for us all to work for continued change.

"Game Over" by Dave Zirin offers a penetrating critique of the corporate sports industry and its relationship with international struggles against injustice, discrimination and inequality. The articles were written over the past three years and have been updated with fresh commentary and analysis. Full of novel insights into the politics of sport, this highly original, thoughtful and timely book will interest sports and non-sports fans alike.'Foreward: Scribes and Superheroes' by Michael Eric Dyson lauds Mr. Zirin for his work demonstrating why we need to go beyond the sports page to understand the significance of competitive sports to our contemporary lives. The Introduction, 'Pre-Game' introduces us to the problem of the athletic-industrial complex and how the wall between sports and politics has been breached of late. In the ten chapters that follow, Mr. Zirin explores these issues with remarkable skill and acuity.'Occupy the Sports World' compares and contrasts the NBA and NFL players associations' various responses to owner lockouts with lessons learned from the Occupy movement. 'Soccer and the Arab Spring' highlights the critical role of soccer fan activism in the struggle for democracy in the Middle East. 'Today's World Cup and Olympics: Invictus in Reverse' discusses how mega sports projects are deployed as a form of shock doctrine to remake urban landscapes into corporate-friendly zones of spectacle and consumption. 'Zombie Teams and Zombie Owners' lambastes the shameless sports franchise owners who have grown rich from public subsidies while many host communities suffer through hard times. 'Here Come Los Suns' heralds the principled stand of the Phoenix Suns against Arizona's draconian anti-immigrant laws; while chastising Major League Baseball for failing to move the 2011 All-Star game out of the intolerant state.'Joe Paterno' is a cautionary tale about a sports program that overtook and ultimately ruined the integrity of an institution that was supposed to be dedicated to education, not amusement. 'The NCAA's Whiff of the Plantation' rips the NCAA for its unconscionable exploitation of student/athletes for the benefit of corporations and institutions. 'Sexuality and Sports' is a powerful, extended essay on changing attitudes and what still needs to change; including brief histories on women, men and gays in sport; how the modern athlete was modeled to be an agent of militant American empire; and other interesting revelations. 'Racism Today in Sports' remonstrates against the latent racism that still exists in hockey and other sports while applauding the remarkable breakthrough achieved by Jeremy Lin. 'Post-Game' reflects on the political and cultural significance of sport and encourages us to stand up for what's right.I highly recommend this outstanding book to everyone.

Zirin, a sportswriter for The Nation and SI.com, explores how politics has recently begun to infiltrate the previously apolitical sports world.I think I totally missed the boat on what this book was actually about when I picked it up. I thought it would be about "sports politics" (i.e. the politics of the NCAA and putting on the Olympics), and he does touch on that kind of stuff briefly. But, this book was actually about real (vs. sports) politics becoming more connected to the sports world and how athletes SHOULD use their platform to speak out about politics.He covers comparisons of the recent NFL and NBA lockouts to Occupy Wall Street and the Wisconsin fight over labor laws (seriously?? this comparison was a HUGE stretch), the Penn State scandal, LGBT tolerance in sports, and the big business of building pro sports stadiums, among other things.As a fan, I enjoy watching sports for the love of the game and to escape the pressures of daily life...and, I get totally turned off when politics gets shoved in my face at a sporting event or while watching one on TV. So...I essentially disagree with the entire premise of Zirin's book and was annoyed to be reading it.I also felt like he was ranting at me the entire time and that, for a sports journalist, he came across as hating sports.The one article I did find interesting was about the debate over whether NCAA athletes playing revenue-generating sports should be compensated in some way given the money they make for their schools. This was the type of topic I expected to read about in this book. Other than that, I couldn't wait to be finished with Game Over. Don't waste one second of your time on this one.For more reviews, check out my blog, Sarah's Book Shelves.