Column Archive

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.

Pat Tillman, the Boston Marathon and the Tale of Two Anniversaries

Two wrenching anniversaries loom in the world of sports. Both are in many respects conjoined by the dominant narratives of the twenty-first century. Both show how the military adventures of the last decade have even breeched the escapist sanctity of the sports page. Both contain elements of tragedy, honor and courage. But you can be sure that one of these anniversaries will get a whole hell of a lot more attention than the other.

Bigots Will Learn: You’re Not Going to Scare Henry Aaron

Henry Aaron, now 80 years old, was in the news again this week. We just passed the fortieth anniversary of his famous home run number 715 off of Al Downing and reporters readied the puff pieces, but Aaron was not in a puffy mood.  Aaron, just like in his playing career, transgressed his image as a stoic who did not encroach on the world outside the diamond and spoke his mind.

On the Death and Life’s Work of the Unconquerable Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter

For a man who spent nearly four decades of his seventy-six years under the restrictive eye of the US correctional system, few have ever touched as many lives as Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. The world-class boxer turned wrongfully accused prisoner, turned advocate for the rights of the unjustly incarcerated, has succumbed to cancer, but his memory and work will endure as long as there are people outside and inside the prisons of the world fighting for justice.

Ten Years Later: Questions Still Surround Pat Tillman’s Death

When someone dies of decidedly unnatural causes, two words come immediately to mind: “closure” and “accountability.” The idea is that by holding the perpetrators of a crime accountable, we can both provide a measure of closure for the family and friends of the deceased as well as limit the possibility of such a fate befalling our own loved ones as well.

Brazil’s World Cup Will Kick the Environment in the Teeth

As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, a topic that plagues the country is the impact hosting these games will have on the local environment and various ecosystems. Despite efforts by soccer’s ruling body, FIFA, to “greenwash” the games—by holding “green events” during the World Cup, putting out press releases about infrastructure construction with recycled materials and speaking rhapsodically about the ways in which the stadiums are designed to capture and recycle rainwater—the truth is not nearly so rank with patchouli oil.