Column Archive

The NFL Responds to the Sandy Hook Massacre. Should We Listen?

After the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the NFL and its players made an effort on Sunday to recognize the collective grief shaking the country. There was a moment of silence at all 14 NFL games in remembrance of the 26 people, including 20 children, mercilessly gunned down. The New England Patriots also made a statement, wearing a helmet sticker with the Newtown city seal and a black ribbon. They in addition pledged to donate $25,000 to help the each family affected by the tragedy. But it's what the Patriots didn't do that speaks volumes and perhaps says more than they intended. Normally after the team scores at home, their "end zone militia", dressed as revolutionary war soldiers, shoots 20 muskets in the air. There were no guns fired, thankfully, on Sunday night.

"I am not backtracking at all": Bob Costas in his own words

When Kansas City Chiefs Jovan Belcher killed the mother of his child Kasandra Perkins and then committed suicide in front of his coach on Saturday, most of Sunday’s NFL coverage avoided direct commentary. Bob Costas did not. The veteran NBC sports broadcaster used 90 seconds at halftime of NBC’s top rated Sunday Night Football program to talk about "perspective" and, quoting a column by Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock, the problems with the “gun culture” in the United States. This ignited the fury of the right wing some of whom have called for his job. Then after appearances on The Dan Patrick Show and The O'Reilly Factor there are now liberals who believe Costas is backtracking from his earlier remarks. I spoke to Bob Costas this morning to set the record straight.

How Can They Play? Murder, Suicide and the National Football League

The NFL has a long and shameful history in handling tragedy. The league played as planned on the Sunday after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. They were going to play the Sunday after 9/11 until the New York Jets rebelled and Major League Baseball cancelled its own schedule forcing the NFL to follow suit. Now we have another example of a sport absent of perspective.

Rest in Power, Marvin Miller

Marvin Miller, the legendary leader of the Major League Baseball Player's Association, passed away today at the age of 95. Mr. Miller never played the game, but he may have had more influence on baseball than anyone else in this half of the century. As executive director of the Players Association from 1966-1982, he brought a world of experience garnered in the tough steelworkers’ union to bear on baseball labor relations, and his knowledge, organizational ability, and resolve completely overmatched the owners and their representatives. During his tenure the average players salary increased from $19,000 to over $240,000. Today the Baseball Players Union is acknowledged as one of the strongest labor organizations in the United States. Below is my 2004 interview with Mr. Miller and at 87, you will see that he still had the fire.

Killing Hope: Why Israel Targets Sports in Gaza

Why is targeting sports stadiums and youth sports facilities always a part of Israel Defense Force strategy when attacking Gaza?

Citizen’s Arrest: The Case for Putting Jeffrey Loria Behind Bars

Jeffrey Loria should consider himself put on notice. The Miami Marlins owner needs to be arrested, prosecuted, and placed behind bars so he can no longer feed upon the good will, tax dollars, and public infrastructure of South Florida. Loria is the Ebola Virus of sports owners, settling in different locations and leaving nothing behind except legions of cynical former fans.

Nine-Year-Old Girl Plays Football, Kicks Ass and Maybe Changes the World

Few 9-year-old girls are described as a “young—very young—Walter Payton.” But that’s what people are calling Sam Gordon of South Jordan, Utah. Gordon has become an Internet sensation after the spread of viral videos showing her shredding Pee Wee football defenses with a series of dynamic touchdown runs.Her rather overwhelming awesomeness, however, raises far more interesting questions: Why do we still segregate so much of youth sports based on gender? Does the practice of doing so actually stunt female athletic potential? Would ending gender segregation foster a higher level of athletic excellence?

2012 Elections Heralded by Sergio Romo's Shirt

Last night’s election results revealed to masses of people that this is a fundamentally different country than they perceive from the alternative reality constructed by Rupert Murdoch and Rush Limbaugh. It’s defined less by the narrow hatreds of the powerful than by a younger generation that’s more diverse, more open, more courageous and, frankly, more interesting than those at the levers of power. The sports world reflected this real-world reality in full force last week in the person of Sergio Romo.

With Love: Postpone the Damn Marathon

Most of my family and friends in this world still live within the city borders. All are safe and unharmed but that doesn't mean Sandy left them undamaged. My mom is sofa-surfing because her building is without power. My buddy Alex may have lost his job because it's taking four hours to get through the Lincoln Tunnel. My friends from Staten Island feel like they "want to die" after hearing about the two toddlers pulled from their mother and into the flood. This is no time for a race.

James Harden, The NBA and the Myth of Small Markets

In a trade that shocked the most snark-encrusted NBA observers, the Oklahoma City Thunder shipped their hellaciously talented, hirsute guard James Harden to the Houston Rockets for an assemblage of spare parts. Harden, the reigning sixth-man of the year, made up along with teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the core of the defending Western conference champions. This electric young team with title hopes just unilaterally disarmed because they claimed to be a poor small market club unable to meet the contract demands of the 23-year-old star.The reasons however for not signing Harden are a colossal sham.