What-s My Name- Fool- Sports and Resistance in the United States Description:

What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States review:
1 stars (Whites Who Think They Know Blacks) - I always have to thank white people for helping us niggers on how to read and interpret Black history. Zirin's book is full of such nonsense. The Jackie Robinson drama is a case in point. The FACT is that a man whose professional function is to hit a cow-covered ball of yarn & rubber with a polished twig ought not be representing the Black race in ANY forum--THAT is the OUTRAGE! Zirin loves Jackie Robinson, but whilst gov't whites imposed apartheid on ALL Blacks in America, Robinson chose to promote the white side against a Black man, Paul Robeson, who openly condemned ALL racism within the American SYSTEM. Robinson was used and abused by his handlers, and to choose white supremacy.



And Zirin says nothing of Robinson's role in the demise of the Negro Leagues. Whites, like Zirin, who like to apologize for Blacks who "play ball" with racism just call them "complicated"--apparently too "complicated" for us field niggers to understand.



Zirin's assessment of what will solve Black people's problems is irrelevant. Some oblique reference to "multiracial unity" is so facile and glib it is comical. He is as out of place making these comments as Robinson was in front of the HUAC. "Ownership" of sports for whites seems to work for them just fine, thank you. Mr. Zirin's book contains not a single condemnation of the current racist ownership regime. In fact, I'll buy the book that names the names of the racists in the sports world and deciphers their many schemes and acts of white treachery--but it is not forthcoming from Zirin or anyone else who benefits from the status quo. Economic monopoly of Black talent works for them--and it will work even better for us! In any event we'll tell you AFTER we try it, OK Mr. Zirin? We''ll let you know.
2 stars (What gives books by journalists a bad name.) - As one who reads and writes sport, and is a political progressive, I was looking forward to a book that took on the sports establishment. I found this book a great disappointment, however. It reads as if it were slapped together in a hurry without much thought given to organization or coherence. This is one more book that begs the question: what do today's editors do? Certainly they don't edit. Zirin weakens his thesis by repeatedly overstating the case, stretching the point, and taking cheap shots. I wish he would have put some more time and effort into this. Dave Meggyesy (who did the forward) wrote a much better book. Read Harry Edwards or Jack Scott if you're interested in this topic.
5 stars (Even better than the cover suggests) - I could write a book about how good this book is.



I skip school, sleep, and basic hygiene habits to

read it.



The issues discussed are not merely those of the

American sports fan's interest, but the interest of

the American.



If I could be one person in this world besides Tom

Hanks, I would probably be Dave Zirin.



If you are a human who plans on living in this world

for an extended period of time, I recommend that you

read this book.



Everything down to the structure of the book is very well thought out, with chapters within chapters to

keep ADD kids like myself entertained.



If we are going to wave the flag of a country that

claims to be a place where freedom, liberty, and

equality run rampant, then we should first work

toward erasing racism, sexism, bigotry, and all

other forms of injustice and hate in our own

cultures.



Thank you, Dave Zirin, for opening my eyes to the

truth about sports and their relationship to

everything else that goes on in our lives.