Bad Sports - by Dave Zirin (Paperback)

About the Book

"This book is a look at the big business and immoral practices behind professional sports. The fastest growing sector of today's sports audience is the alienated fan ... Those sitting in the owners' boxes are increasingly placing profit over players' performances and fan loyalty. This book cuts through the hype and bombast to zero in on tales of abusive, dictatorial owners who move their teams thousands of miles away from their fan base, use their stadiums as religious and political platforms, or hold communities ransom for millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund their gargantuan stadiums."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Funny, engaging, and sharply pointed in his appraisal of the sports complex bankrupting our cities, the celebrated author of A People's History of Sports in the United States returns with a hard-hitting indictment of big business and the corrupt practices that are ruining the sports we love.

When attending a baseball game becomes a luxury reserved for the wealthy few and cities build multi-million dollar stadiums while letting their bridges crumble, the price of sports in this country demands reassessment. Bad Sports cuts through the hype and bombast to give us a portrait of sports ownership as irresponsible as the financial shenanigans that drove the nation to the edge of economic ruin. From the outrageous use of public funds for stadium construction to the use of these spaces for religious and political platforms, Dave Zirin raises vital questions about misplaced priorities and moral abdications among the politicians we elect and the owners of the teams we root for.

Speaking out in clear and passionate terms for the rights of any taxpayer and sports fan, Zirin returns America's favorite pastimes back to where they belong--in the open and for the people.

About the Author

One of UTNE Reader's "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Our World," Dave Zirin is a columnist for The Nation, SLAM Magazine, and The Progressive. His many books include A People's History of Sports in the United States, Game Over, Bad Sports, and The Kaepernick Effect (all published by The New Press). Host of Sirius XM's popular weekly show Edge of Sports Radio and a regular guest on MSNBC, CNN, and ESPN, he lives near Washington, DC.