In this edition of Academics In Cars (#7) with Dave Zirin we discussed his work as a sports journalist, his newest books about Jim Brown and with Michael Bennett, the politics of celebrity and much more!
AUDIO ONLY:
NOTE: Mentioned also is the presentation (and unfinished article) from the Passing the Ball: Race and Sports conference at Temple University in 2013, Sports Talk Radio and North American Apartheid
Wow! That factoid about Trump’s attempt to join the league of NFL owners speaks volumes about his actions today re the NFL protests! And RGIII???
This informative “car”- versation conjures memories of the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City; wherein, two African American men, 24 year old Tommie Smith, winning the gold [ 1st place] in the 200 meter run and 23 year old John Carlos, winning the bronze [3rd place] medal in the same event. Both men were supporters of the Olympic Project for Human Rights [OPHR], formed by black sports people, who would then stand on the winners podium with bowed heads and raised clenched fists during the U.S. national anthem in an international stance of black consciousness. “Meanwhile back at the ranch”, in a placating posture, “the Olympic authorities persuaded George Foreman, the new 1968 Olympic heavyweight boxing champion to wave a small American flag during his medal ceremony. An FBI report claimed that Foreman’s victory over a Soviet fighter and subsequent patriotic display”gave every American an emotional lift”.[Redemption Song; Mike Marqusee]. Yeah, right, gave every American whose brains were already dulled with tunnel vision a lift. After the Olympics, the FBI, who would later engineer the murder of Fred Hampton, the revolutionary chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, arranged for Foreman to receive an award from the Freedom Foundation, which was linked with the J. Edgar Hoover Foundation. Tommie Smith and John Carlos were ejected from the Olympic village, banned from the games and vilified at home, much like today’s blackballing of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, for taking a knee in protest of police killings of black and brown people throughout the United States. All in all the Machiavellian philosophy of the book called ‘The Prince’, in which he argued that a “prince”, that is to say someone wielding power may use immoral means to secure his ends, seems to be alive and well in America.
Zirin’s made a living on bringing a gameball to the playground and seeing where it will get him…..
Great interview . Dave Ziren does good work. Dr.Ball, when are we going to see Dr, Carr in the passenger seat?
Really good dialogue between Mr. Zirin&Dr. Ball! I’ve read the John Carlos story…AWESOME!! I had the opportunity to see DZ interview Dr. Carlos in person this past March in NYC regarding the book. All I can say is Dr. C let the truth be told. For those of who are so conscious of you missed it, then you slept hard and need to awake a tad bit earlier.
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