"Dave Zirin is an incredibly talented and courageous writer, the sort of scribe sorely needed in America in these early days of the twenty-first century. With Zirin no topic is sacred, no argument is ever evaded, no search for truth, real truth, is ever suppressed. That marks, to me, Dave Zirin as a uniquely American writer who understands that freedom of speech, the desire to be free, means nothing if we don't exercise that freedom muscle every single day of our lives."
- KEVIN POWELL, author of Someday We'll All Be Free

"Dave Zirin proves that he is the only sports writer who can stand tall where athletes and ideas meet and deliver a knockout."
- Eddie Mustafa Muhammad; Former Heavyweight champion and founder of the boxing union J.A.B.

"David Zirin is one of the best young sportswriters in the country today. Zirin never backs off on raising a larger perspective about the human and social implications of sport as we practice it in this country. He does this with considerable intelligence and deft writing skills. I know of no other commentator on the world of sport today who effectively puts it all together the way Zirin does. David is a pleasure to read."
- David Meggyesy; Western Regional Director NFL players Association

"Dave Zirin is one of the brightest, most audacious voices I can remember on the sports writing scene, and my memory goes back to the 1920s. A rare combination of social awareness, sports savvy and highly readable writing skills."
- Lester Rodney; Sports Editor, N.Y. Daily Worker, 1936-'58

"Dave Zirin is that rare thing - a writer who combines a passion for sport, deep knowledge of its history and a fearlessly radical critique of the role the rich and powerful play in it. This is cutting-edge analysis delivered with wit and compassion."
- Mike Marqusee; Author Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties

"Dave Zirin is that rarest of commodities in sports writing: an original voice. His writing reveals the ever present but ignored bridge between sports and struggle. It will be loved by both athletes who hate politics and activists who hate sports . As for progressives who are closet sports fans, finally here is a book for you."
- Mary Ratcliff , Editor San Francisco Bayview (National Black Newspaper of the Year)

"Dave 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!"
- Matt Rothschild; Editor The Progressive

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- Lamont Germany; Producer & Host SportsRap; WEAA 88.9FM Baltimore, MD

"Zirin doesn't get bogged down in heavy theorizing. He writes with compassion, humor and a sabre-like sharpness that deftly shreds owners and mainstream sportswriters alike. He's the new Lester Rodney. And that's very high praise, indeed."
- Jeffrey St. Clair; co-editor CounterPunch; author Been Brown So Long It Looked Like Green to Me: the Politics of Nature

"Dave Zirin is truly an amazing writer. At BlackSportsNetwork.com, we had been looking for writers who could deliver sharp and insightful stories that speak first and foremost to African American sports fans. Dave has continually delivered thought provoking ideas that offer a unique difference from the mainstream sports landscape. A rare talent indeed!"
- David Cole CEO/Publisher Black Sports Network

"In the tradition of Lester Rodney and Ralph Wiley, Dave Zirin bridges the gap between social issues and pop culture with a smooth blend of radical passion and street smart prose. He's the thinking man's sports fan and the sports fan's thinking man."
- Mickey Z. Kickboxer, Yankee fan, and author of four books, including "The Seven Deadly Spins: Exposing the Lies Behind War Propaganda" (Common Courage Press)

"Zirin has unique wit, vast sports knowledge and delightful candor. It is refreshing to see someone who can cut through the fluff and get to the heart of any sports issue. You want sports with an edge? You picked the right place."
- Ed DeMayo; CEO basketball.com

"Dave Zirin is an absolute treasure. Agree or disagree (and I often disagree) you always walk away thinking about what you read"
- Bill McCaffrey

"When it comes to the intersection of sports and politics, Dave Zirin is the wittiest and most engaging essayist writing today. He is a must-read for the politically-interested sports lover who believes that athletes are people, too."
- Bryan Sacks, publisher, Breakaway Monthly

"Dave Zirin has a zest for sports AND social change. This make him a unique interpreter of the effects our various national pastimes have on our social consciousness. Zirin understands in a way that few do how the popular culture of sports not only reflects our world but also sometimes shapes it. He's a fresh and exciting voice in the game of sports journalism."
- Lou Plummer; Military Families Speak Out

"Dave Zirin is the rare writer who treats athletes as citizens, not as spectacles. Worldly but not cynical, political but not preachy, never sentimental and frequently hilarious, Zirin's columns show a side of sports that the owners and the marketing execs do not want you to see."
- Chris Toensing, editor Middle Eastern Report

"Sports is rather like art, music, food, travel, movies, holidays, and everything else in a capitalist society. It is corrupted by profit and markets but it also has a heart, mind, and soul that we can appreciate. Dave Zirin looks at all sides of sports. He loves the essence, but he hates the corporate stench. He explains both with a clear, concise, caring, and wise style that is well worth reading."
- Michael Albert, editor Z-Net

"In an era when sports columnists write the predictable and strive to be controversial, Dave Zirin is one of the few who is both original and real. Zirin goes beyond the front page and the overdone and instead delivers to his readers interesting stories with a unique perspective."
- Mario Scalise, The Chicago Sports Review

"Sports is far more than bread and circuses, far more than a mere distraction. Dave Zirin shows us not only that sports can be a window through which we can examine the complex workings of race and class in this twisted, commercialized culture, but that it can also be a site of resistance. Zirin finds that resistance in each and every sport, at both amateur and professional levels, and he even traces a history of struggle that informs today's battles. If I was a religious believer, I'd say that Dave Zirin is the second coming of Lester Rodney, but I'm not, and, besides, they're both Jewish. But I have no doubt that Rodney's spirit fills Zirin's soul. Lucky us!"
- Peter Rachleff; Professor of History Macalester College; Author 'Hard-Pressed in the Heartland'

"When it comes to the politics of sports, I'd read this book first. Dave Zirin writes well and he knows what he's talking about. With passion and insight, he cheers athletes struggling to make sports democratic and fair, and makes clear which owners and institutions need to be benched."
- Clay Steinman, Professor Humanities and Media and Cultural Studies; Macalester College

"Sport in the US today is big business, and no one exposes the powerful interests who use it for profit and propaganda better than Dave Zirin. He identifies with and gives voice to those athletes and players who have become symbols of resistance. Zirin represents the very best of a new generation of radical journalists--a committed campaigner for social justice as well as a passionate writer. Whether or not you are a sports fan, you owe it to yourself to read his work."
- Professor Phil Gasper, Notre Dame De Namur University contributor to International Socialist Review and Counterpunch