Column Archive

The Florida State Seminoles: The Champions of Racist Mascots

It’s easy to oppose the name of the Washington Redskins and call for owner Dan Snyder to change his beloved bigoted brand. But what about the Florida State Seminoles?

Jovan Belcher’s Murder-Suicide: Did the Kansas City Chiefs Pull the Trigger?

Jovan Belcher's murder-suicide of Kasandra Perkins should have been a story for our times and a reference point from where we measure every overblown “scandal” in sports. Instead, with a chilling uniformity, the NFL moved on like it was just a commercial break in the action. That is what made the news of a lawsuit levied against the Kansas City organization by Belcher’s mother Cheryl Shepherd last week so important. 

Dear NFL Owners: It’s Not Your Coaches. It’s You.

Weep not for the tossed out coaches who are being paid millions to leave a twenty-hour a day job that seems like a toboggan ride to an angioplasty. Instead, save your tears for the fans, because this annual NFL colon cleanse should not blind us to a blaring truth. The problem with these franchises runs far deeper than whatever alpha male with pretensions of Patton is roaming the sidelines.

Is it Getting Better? Chris Kluwe, Aaron Rodgers and LGBT Rights in Sports

In terms of football stature, it is difficult to imagine two more different players than former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and Green Bay Packers All-World quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In terms of courage in the face of homophobia, it is also difficult to imagine two more different people than Chris Kluwe and Aaron Rodgers.

What will the “Billie Jean Delegation” mean for LGBT Rights in Sochi?

Anyone who opposes the draconian anti-Gay laws in Russia, and supports the emerging movement of LGBT athletes in the sports world, should take serious note of the latest news out of Washington DC. President Barack Obama’s White House has chosen their official delegation for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The faces representing of the United States will include out-and-proud tennis legend Billie Jean King and out-and-proud two-time Olympic hockey player Caitlin Cahow.

Peyton Manning: A Dreadful, Uninspired Choice as Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year

What a remarkable sports year this has been. What an utterly uninspiring choice Peyton Manning was for Sports Illustrated to make: as dry and flavorless a selection as one of those damn Papa John’s pizzas he never stops shilling. If anything, his selection represents the gap that exists between the mainstream sports journalism and the narratives bubbling beneath their noses. Especially in advance of Brazil's World Cup in 2014, Sports Illustrated needs to step down from the press box and smell what is really going on. Either the magazine needs to reevaluate its mission, or we can just dispense with the drama and give next years prize to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. By their metric, he seems to be due.

Mandela’s Uses of Sports: Resistance, Reconciliation and Rebranding

The sports world's tributes to Nelson Mandela just tell the tale of the great conciliator, the man with the beatific smile who went to prison for twenty-seven years and emerged believing that “people learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” There was another Mandela whose political relationship to the sports world was far more controversial and confrontational.

Ten Takeaways from The Winston Case: In This World, You Want To Be Jameis Winston, Not Trayvon Martin

Ten Takeaways from news that Florida State’s star quarterback, and shoe-in Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston will not be charged with rape after a year long investigation.

Redskins Owner Dan Snyder Says ‘Some of My Best Friends Are Navajo Code Talkers!’

Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins and under fire for profiting off a dictionary-defined racist name, used the national television cameras of ESPN to honor the Navajo Code Talkers. These were Navajo soldiers during World War II who used their language to create coded messages to be used over radio that could not be cracked by the Axis Powers. Their presence last night allowed Mike Tirico to bring up the entire “name controversy” on a terrain that made Dan Snyder look like he was honoring their heritage.

Racist Attack at San Jose State, the Holy Ground of the Black Athlete’s Revolt

The shock and rage come from hearing about an African-American student violently tormented by his three white housemates at San Jose State University. The shock and rage becomes sadness, however, because this is not just any old university. This is San Jose State, also known as Speed City, also known as the place where John Carlos and Tommie Smith won NCAA national championships, learned the skills to set Olympic sprint records, and learned the politics to compel them to raise their fists at the 1968 Olympics.