Dave Zirin talking about his book "Welcome to the Terrordome" at the Rising Tide Conference by Maitri
Sports editor for The Nation magazine, Dave Zirin, and writer of such books as Welcome to the Terrordome, has a new film coming out on DVD called "Not Just a Game." The film examines how it is nearly impossible to separate politics and sports and keep sports isolated from politics. It reminds viewers of the vibrant history of sports and how big moments in sports history have been defined by the politics of the time.
Zirin said in a Q&A appearance on ESPN with Scoop Jackson, "The film is about the way politics and sports are forever enmeshed/entangled with one another. The historic relationship between the sports world and American women is one part of that story. But no matter the "ism" we're talking about -- racism, militarism, sexism, commercialism -- the point of the film is that there is politics and promise woven throughout. For Bobby Riggs, there is Billie Jean King; for Avery Brundage, there is Muhammad Ali. For the caricature of Pat Tillman, there is the real flesh-and-blood man Pat Tillman. Sports is the closest thing to a national language we have. So the results of these battles for social justice inside sports have serious repercussions in the real world."
Here is a preview for the film. And, for more information on the film, here is the link.
