Dave Zirin

Sports Editor

@EdgeofSports

Dave Zirin is the sports editor at The Nation. He is the author of 11 books on the politics of sports. He is also the coproducer and writer of the new documentary Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL.

Ben Wallace, #3 of the Detroit Pistons, holds up the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy as he celebrates with teammates after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 100-87 in game five of the 2004 NBA Finals on June 15, 2004.

How the Pistons Clawed Their Way to Two Titles How the Pistons Clawed Their Way to Two Titles

On this episode of the Edge of Sports podcast, another installment of the Basketball Butterfly Effect.

Feb 9, 2024 / Podcast / Dave Zirin

Musician Kiana Ledé at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on February 3, 2024, in Toronto, Canada.

When Wearing a Sweater Is Antisemitic When Wearing a Sweater Is Antisemitic

The singer Kiana Lede wore a black-and-white cardigan to sing the US national anthem, riling up the reactionary right and supporters of the Israeli state.

Feb 6, 2024 / Dave Zirin

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft looks on prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins on September 11, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla.

In the Fight Against Antisemitism, Robert Kraft Is Part of the Problem In the Fight Against Antisemitism, Robert Kraft Is Part of the Problem

The foundation run by the owner of the New England Patriots has purchased a Super Bowl ad titled “Stop Jewish Hate”—but it’s the foundation that is helping to fuel antisemitism.

Jan 31, 2024 / Dave Zirin

Patrick Ewing #33 battles Chris Webber #2 of the Washington Bullets for the tip-off, 1995 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Md.

Basketball Butterfly Effect: Why Haven't the Knicks Won a Championship in 50 Years?  Basketball Butterfly Effect: Why Haven't the Knicks Won a Championship in 50 Years? 

On this episode of the Edge of Sports podcast, Arya Shirazi joins the show for another installment of Basketball Butterfly Effect.

Jan 29, 2024 / Podcast / Dave Zirin

Colin Kaepernick, #7 of the San Francisco 49ers, talks with Aaron Rodgers, #12 of the Green Bay Packers, after their game on October 4, 2015, in Santa Clara, Calif.

What Naomi Klein Taught Me About Aaron Rodgers What Naomi Klein Taught Me About Aaron Rodgers

We all have doppelgängers, and we now know Colin Kaepernick’s is Aaron Rodgers.

Jan 23, 2024 / Dave Zirin

An ESPN microphone before the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 25, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism? The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism?

ESPN’s dogged but underappreciated reporters keep getting laid off—and now a main target of their investigations may become the new boss.

Jan 17, 2024 / Dave Zirin

Basketball Butterfly Effect: Why Didn’t LeBron Ever Play Kobe in the Finals?

Basketball Butterfly Effect: Why Didn’t LeBron Ever Play Kobe in the Finals? Basketball Butterfly Effect: Why Didn’t LeBron Ever Play Kobe in the Finals?

On this episode of the Edge of Sports podcast, Arya Shirazi joins the show for another installment of Basketball Butterfly Effect.

Jan 16, 2024 / Podcast / Dave Zirin

Former Palestinian football player Said al-Kurd carries recovered medals from his destroyed family home where eight of his family members were killed following an Israeli shelling attack in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 30, 2023.

Will the IOC Do Anything About the Killing of Palestinian Athletes? Will the IOC Do Anything About the Killing of Palestinian Athletes?

Israel killed a Palestinian Olympic coach in an air strike. It turned a stadium into an interment camp. But the International Olympic Committee will not act unless we make it.

Jan 10, 2024 / Dave Zirin

A truck carrying a sign calling the president of Harvard a disgrace drives around Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on December 12, 2023.

How DEI Programs and Liberal Politics Are Failing Gaza How DEI Programs and Liberal Politics Are Failing Gaza

Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, as they exist in education, are failing, because they emphasize personal feelings over the need to collectively organize.

Jan 4, 2024 / Dave Zirin

A young person holds a sign that reads “Anti-Zionism is not Anti-Semitism” during a “Freedom for Palestine” protest march that drew thousands of participants on November 4, 2023, in Berlin, Germany.

How Zionism Feeds Antisemitism How Zionism Feeds Antisemitism

Our best hope against antisemitism is to defeat Israel’s dual campaign to raze Gaza and bind our fate as Jews to that insidious project.

Dec 5, 2023 / Dave Zirin

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