13 Teams: One Man's Journey with the WNBA Review

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(More customer reviews)Alex Chambers' book about his journey around the WNBA is a beautiful read. Alex conveys his experience eloquently enough to bring the reader along for the experience, while maintaining enough of the reader's perspective to answer any questions that might arise. The story flows smoothly from excitement to frustration to joy to sadness, and back again. It begins as a story should, providing a great deal of exposition. People who are just learning about the WNBA (or those who have never embraced the league before) stand to enjoy this book. Die - hard fans will enjoy having a new way to engage the players and teams that they already know and love. Even the bumps in the road are handled with good humor. I had a good time with this book.

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"Well, he said he started, became a fan in 2000. He's just been a fan of the game ever since."-Carolyn Peck, ESPN Commentator"I think its great to have fans that are that passionate, who care about (the league)that much to invest their time, their energy, their summer vacation to follow the WNBA." -Donna Orender, WNBA President (2005-2010)"Oh, the journey dude? Man vs. Wild, WNBA style!" -Diana Taurasi, Phoenix MercuryMy name is Alex Chambers, and I love women's basketball.Yes, it really is that simple. Now come to think of it, loving the game is that simple; being a fan, well, that's another story. The difficulty in being a fan of women's basketball might lie within the struggle to find a televised game, or media coverage you don't have to dig for. It could mean sifting past paragraphs and even pages of negative comments on message boards or blogs to get to a recap of a recent game. Even still, it could be that when I wear my home team's jersey, people ask me, "Is that a professional sports team?"It might also have to do with the fact that (drum roll please) I'm a guy.In 2009, I traveled to all thirteen WNBA arenas. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to meet some of the athletes in the WNBA as well as many passionate fans. This is the story of my twenty-eight day, twelve thousand mile journey, filled with adventure and amazing experiences.

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Days of Grace Review

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(More customer reviews)I met this gentleman briefly. We were travelling on "Southern Airlines" between Atlanta and Birmingham. Both the man and the airline are gone. He was gracious, a man of dignity. As his memoir unfolds one can't help but be inspired by his example of courage, discipline and responsibility. Many knew him as a great tennis champion, but the book reveals the man, a father, a husband, a social activist, a religious spiritual being. It is a poignant testament to a beautiful being. He died of aids contracted through a blood transfusion. Most touching is his letter to his daughter, in which he says," Don't be angry with me if I am not there in person, alive and well, when you need me......... whereever I am when you feel sick at heart and weary of ife, or when you stumble and fall and don't know if you can get up again, think of me. I will be watching and smiling and cheering you on." This is a man who mastered his destiny. The book contains beautiful photos shared by his wife, a gifted photographer. The book is a remarkable legacy to his family and to all who recognize greatness. Excellent and enjoyable reading.

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Jocks: True Stories of America's Gay Male Athletes Review

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(More customer reviews)As mentioned by other reviewers, this book is not intended to titilate or be an erotic novel. Rather, it is a group of true stories of coaches and athletes at the high school, college and beyond levels of competition. Perhaps because I heard about the nature of the book from a friend before I bought it, I was not suprised and certainly not disappointed. So to those who are looking for some stories about sex-crazed jocks in a locker room, try somewhere else.
The wonderful thing about this novel is that Woog's discussions really allow you to see the different reactions of both athletes and their friends and families when confronting the "gay issue." Some have good experiences; others not so good. Some are totally out; others are not out to a majority of those they work with. The reader can definitely see that being gay and being an athlete are not necessarily at odds as much of our society would have us believe.
I actually had the pleasure of meeting one of the interviewees. One of my friends who plays hockey in both straight and gay clubs knew the interviewee prior to being included in the book. It was even more amazing to meet and talk with him on several occasions to see that the book was accurate. Neither sports nor being gay are all he's about. He's one of the fortunate ones who is comfortable about all aspects of his life. And I think that Dan Woog has done a great job of showing that throughout his book.
Take a chance; you'll enjoy it.

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Whatever It Takes: Women on Women's Sport Review

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(More customer reviews)A wonderful anthology by women writing about their personal passions. Each piece stands by itself. The range of sports is wide--basketball, baseball, track, climbing, ice skating...each piece from a unique angle. I'm a woman and I love sports, but I was still surprised by the consistent high quality of the writing and by how much I enjoyed almost every piece.

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Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics and Promise of Sports Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're tired of reading the same type of takes on sports - the rambles full of pop culture references that pretend to stand for real commentary, the reactionary critiques of the sports villain of the week, read Welcome to the Terrordome. You'll most likely spend half your time laughing and the other half amazed that Mr. Zirin has been reading your mind.
It doesn't take much experience reading sports columnists, or listening to them talk on TV, to come away with a pretty grim view of the sports world. The profession seems to attract a sort of bitter, fatalist heckler who wants to forget that it's not just a game. Well, it isn't just a game - it's an industry, one that sometimes gets to write its own rules but more often has to live in the same world we all do - the one with pain, politics and promise.
Dave Zirin has the perspective and vision to put these pieces together, to see how the sports world meshes and collides with the real world. And when he heckles - which he does often, and with panache - it's cutting but not cruel.
There's a strong current of humanity in Dave's writing. This isn't a lunkhead screaming from the cheap seats, it's someone who wants to see excellence and fairness at all levels of sport - the field, the office, the media. With all the time and money we spend on it, that's the least we can ask.


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"Dave Zirin is the best young sportswriter in America."—Robert Lipsyte

This much-anticipated sequel to What's My Name, Fool? by acclaimed commentator Dave Zirin breaks new ground in sports writing, looking at the controversies and trends now shaping sports in the United States—and abroad. Features chapters such as "Barry Bonds is Gonna Git Your Mama: The Last Word on Steroids," "Pro Basketball and the Two Souls of Hip-Hop," "An Icon's Redemption: The Great Roberto Clemente," and "Beisbol: How the Major Leagues Eat Their Young."

Zirin's commentary is always insightful, never predictable.

Dave Zirin is the author of the widely acclaimed book What's My Name, Fool? (Haymarket Books) and writes the weekly column "Edge of Sports" (edgeofsports.com). He writes a regular column for The Nation and Slam magazine and has appeared as a sports commentator on ESPN TV and radio, CBNC, WNBC, Democracy Now!, Air America, Radio Nation, and Pacifica.

Chuck D redefined rap music and hip-hop culture as leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy. Spike Lee calls him "one of the most politically and socially conscious artists of any generation." He co-hosts a weekly radio show on Air America.

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What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm not a sports fan. I have sports ADD, but I love this book. Think of it as a People's history of Sports, like Howard Zinn's book, People's history of America.
Dave Zirin, a sports commentator for Air America Radio, takes you through some of the history of how sports and sports stars have helped change America for the better, about the integration of all-white, racist baseball, about how Mohammed Ali helped move the cause of African Americans forward...
I started browsing this book out of curiosity and discovered it was intensely fascinating and moving, that at times, it touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.
I've become a Dave Zirin fan.

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"Zirin is America's best sportswriter."—Lee Ballinger, Rock and Rap Confidential

"Zirin is one of the brightest, most audacious voices I can remember on the sportswriting scene, and my memory goes back to the 1920s."—Lester Rodney, N.Y. Daily Worker sports editor, 1936–1958

"Zirin has an amazing talent for covering the sports and politics beat. Ranging like a great shortstop, he scoops up everything! He profiles the courageous and inspiring athletes who are standing up for peace and civil liberties in this repressive age. A must read!"—Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive

"This is cutting-edge analysis delivered with wit and compassion."—Mike Marqusee, author, Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties

Here Edgeofsports.com sportswriter Dave Zirin shows how sports express the worst, as well as the most creative and exciting, features of American society.

Zirin explores how Janet Jackson's Super Bowl flash-time show exposed more than a breast, why the labor movement has everything to learn from sports unions and why a new generation of athletes is no longer content to "play one game at a time" and is starting to get political.

What's My Name, Fool! draws on original interviews with former heavyweight champ George Foreman, Olympian and black power saluter John Carlos, NBA basketball player and anti-death penalty activist Etan Thomas, antiwar women's college hoopster Toni Smith, Olympic Project for Human Rights leader Lee Evans and many others.

Popular sportswriter and commentator Dave Zirin is editor of The Prince George's Post (Maryland) and writes the weekly column "Edge of Sports" (edgeofsports.com). He is a senior writer at basketball.com. Zirin's writing has also appeared in The Source, Common Dreams, College Sporting News, CounterPunch, Alternet, International Socialist Review, Black Sports Network, War Times, San Francisco Bay View and Z Magazine.

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