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.

Philadelphia Eagles' Malcolm Jenkins raises his fist during the national anthem on Thursday, August 17, 2017.

Chris Long Makes the Gesture We’ve Been Waiting For Chris Long Makes the Gesture We’ve Been Waiting For

“I thought it was important that athletes with my skin color stood up with others protesting for racial equality.” With that line, a conversation has been changed.

Aug 18, 2017 / Dave Zirin

Trump at Trump Tower

Trump’s Message to the Country: #NotAllNazis Trump’s Message to the Country: #NotAllNazis

The press conference of August 15th will live in infamy.

Aug 15, 2017 / Dave Zirin

The badge of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.

The Deportation of Teen Soccer Star Lizandro Claros The Deportation of Teen Soccer Star Lizandro Claros

Feeling the effects of the Trump era, from youth sports to the pros.

Aug 15, 2017 / Podcast / Dave Zirin

Counter-protesters rally against white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017.

Will Charlottesville Provoke White Athletes to Stand Up Against Racist Hate? Will Charlottesville Provoke White Athletes to Stand Up Against Racist Hate?

Want to demoralize the fascist right? We need their white athletic heroes telling them to go to hell.

Aug 14, 2017 / Dave Zirin

A Black Lives Matter supporter holds a sign in front of the NFL headquarters as part of a demonstration on February 16, 2016.

Activists Are Rallying for Colin Kaepernick, but Aiming Far Higher Than One Man’s Career Activists Are Rallying for Colin Kaepernick, but Aiming Far Higher Than One Man’s Career

Protesters will rally for racial justice and free speech outside the NFL headquarters on August 23.

Aug 9, 2017 / Dave Zirin

ICE arrest

An Elite Soccer Team Protests ICE After Their Teammate Is Detained An Elite Soccer Team Protests ICE After Their Teammate Is Detained

Lizandro Claros had a soccer scholarship waiting for him, but Trump’s agenda turned a promising future on its head.

Aug 7, 2017 / Dave Zirin

Ray Lewis (52) chases San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the NFL Super Bowl XLVII game on February 3, 2013.

Colin Kaepernick Finally Has a Shot at Getting Signed, but a High-Profile Trump Apologist Stands in His Way Colin Kaepernick Finally Has a Shot at Getting Signed, but a High-Profile Trump Apologist Stands in His Way

The embattled quarterback is often derided as “divisive”—but it’s Ray Lewis who is dividing Baltimore.

Aug 2, 2017 / Dave Zirin

A worker assembles a football helmet in Lowell, Massachusetts.

The NFL’s Concussion Calamity The NFL’s Concussion Calamity

Dr. Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation on a groundbreaking new study on CTE.

Aug 1, 2017 / Podcast / Dave Zirin

NFL team helmets on display at the NFL Headquarters in New York on December 3, 2015.

New Concussion Report Calls the NFL’s Future Into Question New Concussion Report Calls the NFL’s Future Into Question

Dr. McKee looked at the brains of 202 former football players and 87 percent of them were found to have the condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Jul 26, 2017 / Dave Zirin

Colin Kaepernick answers questions at a news conference on August 26, 2016.

Inside Colin Kaepernick’s Trip to Africa Inside Colin Kaepernick’s Trip to Africa

Scholar Ameer Loggins recounts their experiences on the continent.

Jul 25, 2017 / Podcast / Dave Zirin

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