Perhaps that is the problem that found me waiting for him to make his point. Unfortunately his thesis isn't supported well in this short volume. While it may work for non-sports fans, this book is severely lacking for me. Having read a number of Dave Zirin's books, I was greatly disappointed in the references to radical politics and struggle and how sports plays this role. In fact he seems to point to how sports is not the place for radical politics and struggle more often than not. From suggesting how Michael Jordan was unable to question even the sweatshops of Nike because of the capitalist nature of sports and endorsements that require a player to stay in line if they want to be well off into their retirement.
Despite what I feel is a blatant lack of support for his thesis, Hern is able to demonstrate a number of examples of positive social interaction in sports. From a transgender sports writer in baseball to Muhammad Ali to the NHL's work to prevent bullying; especially with regards to LGBTQ; there are a number of positive attributes to his book. Even though he throws names out there that will probably boggle the minds of non-sports fans and even admits so but he follows as wanting to make sure that book is accessible to sports fans as well and these names help him make his point.
With all the negatives and the some positives, this book is good for the audience it was written for as another example of the possibilities of sports in our world presenting a space for positive struggle and radical politics.
