Dave Zirin: Debunking the Myth that Sports and Politics Don’t Overlap

Sports has a rich tradition of resistance politics. Such sports luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Billie Jean King and Pat Tillman all have their political side, and their actions have been integral to this country’s struggle for racial equality, gender equality and peace at home and abroad. Sports creates a safe language to discuss many otherwise difficult topics—topics that team owners hate because they break the apolitical rules of “jockocracy.” In this video, The Nation’s Dave Zirin, guest editor of the recent Sports Issue, dissects the overlaps between sports and progressive culture, urging the next generation of both sports fans and progressives to heed these intersecting histories. For more videos visit TheNation.com