Dave Zirin

Sports Editor

Dave Zirin is the sports editor at The Nation. He is the author of 11 books on the politics of sports. He is also the coproducer and writer of the new documentary Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL.

The Fraternal Order of Police Wants Off-Duty Cops to Be Armed Inside a Stadium Near You

The Fraternal Order of Police Wants Off-Duty Cops to Be Armed Inside a Stadium Near You The Fraternal Order of Police Wants Off-Duty Cops to Be Armed Inside a Stadium Near You

Using Paris as a pretext and sports as backdrop, the FOP wants to be armed on NFL Sunday, which will make all of us less safe.

Dec 3, 2015 / Dave Zirin

How ‘Creed’ Saves Rocky From Himself

How ‘Creed’ Saves Rocky From Himself How ‘Creed’ Saves Rocky From Himself

Ryan Coogler revives an otherwise moribund franchise by showing the importance of black voices behind and in front of the camera.

Nov 30, 2015 / Dave Zirin

Ezekiel Elliott and the Overdue Thaw of College Football Politics

Ezekiel Elliott and the Overdue Thaw of College Football Politics Ezekiel Elliott and the Overdue Thaw of College Football Politics

Meet the new normal in college football.

Nov 25, 2015 / Dave Zirin

On the Death of Takoma Park’s Anita Datar in Mali

On the Death of Takoma Park’s Anita Datar in Mali On the Death of Takoma Park’s Anita Datar in Mali

My neighbor was killed by terrorists in Mali. The values she lived tell us a great deal about how to respond.

Nov 21, 2015 / Dave Zirin

When Stadiums Become Potential Killing Fields

When Stadiums Become Potential Killing Fields When Stadiums Become Potential Killing Fields

To attack a stadium is to attack not just people but the ideas of magic and escape in a difficult world.

Nov 18, 2015 / Dave Zirin

vigil in Place de la Republique

‘Ne Vous Laissez Pas Manipuler’ AKA #StayWoke ‘Ne Vous Laissez Pas Manipuler’ AKA #StayWoke

To “stay woke” in the aftermath of the Paris attacks is an act of conscious resistance against an ugly tide.

Nov 15, 2015 / Dave Zirin

The Missouri Tigers and the Hidden History of Black College Football Activists

The Missouri Tigers and the Hidden History of Black College Football Activists The Missouri Tigers and the Hidden History of Black College Football Activists

The strike against racism by Mizzou football players was brave, historic, and profoundly significant—but it wasn’t unprecedented.

Nov 12, 2015 / Dave Zirin

3 Lessons From University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe’s Resignation

3 Lessons From University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe’s Resignation 3 Lessons From University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe’s Resignation

The administrators created a world in which universities revolve socially, politically, and economically around the exploited labor of football. Now let them reap what they sow.

Nov 9, 2015 / Dave Zirin

Missouri Tigers

Black Mizzou Football Players Are Going on Strike Over Campus Racism Black Mizzou Football Players Are Going on Strike Over Campus Racism

In a game changer that could bring down a university president, the Missouri football players are showing just how powerful their labor is.

Nov 8, 2015 / Dave Zirin

Fight Transphobia and Move the Damn 2017 Super Bowl

Fight Transphobia and Move the Damn 2017 Super Bowl Fight Transphobia and Move the Damn 2017 Super Bowl

The idea that the Super Bowl must never be affected by politics flies in the face of the game’s own history.

Nov 5, 2015 / Dave Zirin

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