Dave Zirin on the risks and rewards for the activist athlete

This week on The Limits, Jay talks to author and editor Dave Zirin about the intersection of sports and politics. Dave has written 11 books on these topics, covering the many ways that activist athletes have unveiled larger systemic issues of racism and injustice in America. Dave gets into it with Jay on overlooked female athletes like Wyomia Tyus and Brittney Griner, on whether the NFL is better safeguarding players from longterm brain damage, and the hypocrisy of criticizing the business of sports while remaining a lifelong fan.Dave also talks to Jay about Colin Kaepernick, whose taking of the knee in 2016 sparked protests across America, and the framing of Dave's latest book, The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World. Dave has a different take on Kap's NFL journey than last week's guest, Stephen A. Smith. He argues instead that the NFL was setting Colin Kaepernick up to participate in a media circus--and Kap has chosen not to be a clown. For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Dave talks more about how Colin Kaepernick's taking of the knee inspired his predecessors to speak out more about their own history of activism. Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy