Column Archive

On the Racing Death of Indy 500 Champion Dan Wheldon

After Sunday’s racing death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Dan Wheldon, there has been an instant call for some kind of reform. But it’s hard to imagine what could be done to make open-wheel racing safer. But without a union for drivers, it's hard to see how that can be a reality.

Dr. John Carlos Raises His Fist With Occupy Wall Street

Last night I had the privilege of introducing 1968 Olympian Dr. John Carlos to the General Assembly at Occupy Wall Street. This morning I had the duty of introducing John Carlos to Sen. Chuck Schumer in the MSNBC green room. Both were unforgettable experiences.

The Legacy of Al Davis: Oakland Raider, Urban Raider

Al Davis's legacy is complicated, brilliant, and worth examining beyond "Just Win Baby!"

If the South Would Have Won: The NFL and Hank Williams, Jr.

In our segmented, culturally segregated, 5,000 channel era, the NFL might be the last entertainment product that tries to be all things to all people. The problem lies when they hire "all people" and "all people" open their mouths. Witness, Hank Williams, Jr.

Occupy the NBA

After decades of corporate greed run amok, a viral clarion call has sounded to strike back and “occupy everywhere”. What started as several dozen people saying they would "occupy Wall Street" has become a national movement. Now we have thousands of people who are part of Occupy Boston, Occupy DC, Occupy Los Angeles, Occupy Las Vegas, even Occupy Nebraska.  Now it’s high time to take this movement and bring it to the locked out National Basketball Association. We need to “Occupy the NBA.”

Oh, These Poor, Billionaire NBA Owners

By the time you read this, the lockout could be over. Also, by the time you read this, I could be dunking right after finishing my four-minute mile. The owners have locked the doors and will not reopen them until the Players Association can, to quote David Stern’s own words, “guarantee profitability” for every team. Stern’s favorite subject these days is how the billionaires he represents are just losing money hand over fist. These are the wronged parties: the hard-working, exploited, victimized chief executives sacrificing their hard-earned fortunes just to overpay their ungrateful players and provide us simple fans with entertainment. Now I shall puke.

Troy Davis, John Carlos, and the Moment that Still Matters

On September 21st, the day that Troy Davis was executed in Georgia, 200 very angry Howard University students pumped their fists in front of the Barack Obama’s White House and chanted “No Justice, No Vote.” At that moment, I understood why an image from 1968 still resonates today. It was 43 years ago this week when Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists on the Olympic Medal Stand and, along with supportive silver-medalist Peter Norman, created a moment seared for all-time in the American consciousness.

Nebraska Cornhusker Fans Chop-Block Pipeline

I'm returning from Nebraska, where the state university's Cornhusker football team is treated as something akin to religion. In Lincoln, Nebraska football is truly the only game in town and the Cornhuskers football program has rewarded this devotion with a long record of success. The team has certainly brought championships, but not necessarily politics. Until now.

Where was the Pat Tillman Story on NFL Sunday?

The late Pat Tillman, former NFL player and Army Ranger, was hardly mentioned on the NFL's 9/11 Sunday. The reasons are sadly apparent.

The NFL will remember 9/11 in all the wrong ways

Ten years ago, on the first Sunday after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the NFL did something truly heroic and generous: nothing. The league willingly ate millions of dollars and cancelled the games out of respect for the unfolding tragedy. As 9/11 morphed into a decade-long “Global War on Terror”, the league has, to put it mildly, failed to show similar restraint.