The sharp-edged social analysis of independent journalist Dave Zirin has led the Washington Post to describe him as the “conscience of American sports writing.”  Zirin writes about the economics and politics of sports in columns and books, including the provocative 2013 release, Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down.

In his talk, Zirin will analyze the politics of sports—including the shady side of the NCAA, the struggles of gay and lesbian athletes to gain acceptance and female athletes to be more than sex symbols, and athletes’ use of collective bargaining rights as union members.

Zirin is also the author of Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games We Love; A People’s History of Sports in the United States; Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports; and What’s My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States. He also collaborated with Olympic runner John Carlos on The John Carlos Story.

Zirin is the host of Sirius XM Radio’s popular weekly show, Edge of Sports Radio. His work is also featured in the film “Not Just a Game: Power, Politics and American Sports.”

The event is sponsored by the Texas Program in Sports and Media.

For more information contact Robert Jensen, rjensen@austin.utexas.edu.

Location: University of Texas, Belo Center for New Media, Briefing Room (BMC 5.208), corner of Guadalupe and Dean Keeton