Author Robert Lipsyte said of sportswriter and analyst David Zirin, that he is “the smartest and gutsiest sports writer in America.” Students will do a close read of an except from Zirin's book Game Over that reflects on how sports and politics mix today leading to a rhetorical analysis essay.

• Students will read, listen to, and view supporting video and audio clips while learning the necessary elements to establish their argument on the theme of the unit, the intersection between sports and politics.
• They will show mastery of the standards at the end of the lesson through a SOAPSTONE Analysis, a purpose graphic organizer, short paragraph assessments, a Socratic seminar, and a written timed essay scored on an AP English-style rubric.
• The longer video used in the resource is the documentary, "Not Just a Game."
• There is a short paragraph writing opportunity about sports and politics.
• Students will listen to and read Bill Moyers' interview with Dave Zirin; they will complete an evaluation of ethos, logos, and pathos.
• There is a lesson on the rhetorical situation of the essay “How James Brown Saved CBS’s Pre-Game-Show-From-Hell” by Dave Zirin.