One of the most provocative sports journalists working today will talk about the cultural politics of sports Feb. 18 at West Virginia University .

Dave Zirin will speak onSports, Racism and Resistanceat 3 p.m. in Room 172 of the Coliseum. The public talk is part of a lecture series sponsored by the International Center for Performance Excellence in WVU s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences .

Dave Zirin is that rare breed of journalist who approaches sport with irreverence and a critical social conscience,said Steven Pope, ICPE director.He tackles the thorny issues of racism, sexism and social injustice within sport from the perspective of an activist and an outsider.

Zirin, Press Actions 2005 and 2006 Sportswriter of the Year, writes for The Nation, the Progressive and SLAM Magazine and is a regular op-ed writer for the Los Angeles Times. He is the host of XM satellites weekly show,Edge of Sports Radio,and is the Thursday morning sports voice on WBAI s award-winningWake Up Call.

In addition, his writing has appeared in numerous other newspapers, and he has been featured on many national television news programs such as ESPN sOutside the Lines, MSNBC sMorning JoeandThe Rachel Maddow Show,and CNBC sThe Big Idea.

Zirin is the author of three critically acclaimed books:Whats My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States,Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics and Promise of SportsandA Peoples History of Sports in the United States.

For more information, contact Pope at ” Steven.Pope@mail.wvu.edu rel=nofollow> Steven.Pope@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-0880.