Column Archive

John Carlos Stands Up to an NFL Slur

The NFL may say officially that “Redskins” “is not a slur,” but 1968 bronze medalist and medal-stand protester John Carlos, a man who has had more than a few invectives tossed his way over the years, disagrees.

Pure Poison: The UCSB Shooting, Ray Rice and a Culture of Violence Against Women

I try to look at the ways in which violence against women is excused and glossed over in professional sports, sending messages to their young, male audiences that this is somehow just part of being like their game-time heroes. This weekend, the day before the shooting, saw yet another one of those moments that should make the National Football League burn with shame, and take account for the role they play in creating this culture.

Pelé Said What?

By criticizing the 2014 World Cup and the spending priorities of the Brazilian government, soccer legend Pelé has accomplished the rarest of feats in twenty-first-century sports media: he has shown the capacity to shock and surprise.

‘There Will Be No World Cup’: Brazil on the Brink

For people just tuning in, the idea that people in Brazil would be protesting the 2014 World Cup makes about as much sense as New Yorkers’ rebelling against pizza. And yet here we are, less than one month before the start of the Cup, and demonstrations bear the slogan #NãoVaiTerCopa, or “There will be no Cup.”

Donald Sterling and Anderson Cooper: Meet the Wolf of Crenshaw

The question still lingers every time Adam Silver issues another apology to Magic Johnson. It lingers as owners find the highest of possible high horses to condemn Sterling’s latest embarrassment. It lingers when former Commissioner David Stern—assumedly from retirement in Colonel Kurtz’s old compound—praises Silver’s actions: Why was Donald Sterling coddled for so long? Why were all of his words and deeds—deep in racism, rich with misogyny—ignored by the NBA? 

Michael Sam Gets Drafted, and the NFL Has Issues

If Michael Sam’s sexuality’s being an inhibitor to his draft status is not your starting point for understanding all of this, I believe you’re lost without a compass. This is not to argue that all general managers in the NFL are homophobic. It’s not about what kinds of prejudice lurks in the hearts of individual executives. It’s about a systemic problem in an NFL that loathes independent thinkers, fears political controversy, and hates “distractions.”

No Sympathy for Shelly Sterling

Doc Rivers gave a passionate speech in which he said, “We needed that. The adversity is good for us.” If adversity is what they want, then coddling Rochelle Sterling guarantees more of the same.

Whitewash: How The NY Times Just Rewrote The History of Sports

Timothy Egan has an op-ed in the New York Times calling sports "the most progressive force in America." The truth is not nearly so neat.

What Helped Bring Donald Sterling Down? A Threatened Strike Against Racism

Almost a century ago, WEB Du Bois called for workers actions not for higher wages or medical benefits but against racism. He believed that if the power of wealthy bigots could be crippled economically, then racist laws would go by the wayside. The importance of the "strike against racism" is rarely taught in school, but a critical part of our history. 

The Sterling Ban: 10 Takeaways From Adam Silver’s and Kevin Johnson’s Press Conferences

We learned a great deal today from the back-to-back press conferences of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and National Basketball Players Association liaison/Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Let’s count it down.