Dave Zirin, Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports. (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2007) Pp. 258.
In short, if you are not an extreme leftist socialist looking to read a polemic work that reinforces your already tightly held beliefs – rather than one that provides new perspective – then don’t bother with this book.
What is billed as a book about sports and society written by a man “angry at all the right things” is in fact a 258 page missive that explains how George W. Bush and the Iraq War have and are ruining both sports and the world.[1] Throughout the book, in fact, Zirin makes only two new and insightful points relevant to sports and society. The first is that Barry Bonds has become a pariah for steroids when his possible PED use is not even remotely the worst thing that has happened to baseball. The second is the interesting story of the dull thud that greeted Sheryl Swoopes when she revealed that she was a lesbian.
The insanity of publicly funded stadiums and the social double standard of gays and lesbians are two significant problems in American culture, but for whatever reason are dulled as Zirin lumps them in with unoriginal discussion of the duality of the NBA’s hip-hop culture; a fence-sitting discussion of how the Olympics are both the root of all racist and sexist evil as well as a liberal wet dream; a view of international soccer and baseball that reveals a phenomenal lack of perspective; and a rather specious reconstruction of Pittsburgh Pirates great Roberto Clemente.
Because the book was published in 2007 it is hard to expect Zirin’s discussions to be exceedingly topical, but his arguments were bland and tired even then. Much as neoconservatives wield a specific tone and approach when hammering home their nearsighted points (coughGlenBeckcough) Zirin bludgeons his readers with the pompous, arrogant pseudo-intelligence that seems to drip from all über-left tracts. The promotional quotes that litter the book are provided by what I’m sure is a who’s who of counterculture minds and independent coffee drinkers, but I have heard of barely three of them. One reviewer goes so far as to refer to “Zirin’s…rapier wit”. If taking uncreative potshots at the establishment is rapier wit then I’m fucking Mark Twain. Also typical of hyperleft epistles is the flurry of platitudes from a “who’s that?” cast of progressive ‘stars’ and 18th century Europeans.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t disagree with many of Zirin’s points, nor do I agree with all of them. The problem is that in the world of New Media we might have to start shooting the messengers since there’re more of them than ever but the message never changes, no matter what side you’re on. I hate to rain on everyone’s parade, but anger and a media outlet don’t make your right or intelligent, they just make you angry and visible.
"Because the book was published in 2007 it is hard to expect Zirin’s discussions to be exceedingly topical..." should read "[b]ecause I am reviewing this book four years after its publication, it is hard to expect Zirin's discussions to be exceedingly topical..." Otherwise, great review. Condescending, but great.
ReplyDeleteExcellent correction. I struggled so mightily with trying to be calm and objective in reviewing this that I'm surprised it's the only major error.
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