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All Hail the Recession Bowl
All Hail the Recession Bowl

February 2, 2009
In the most jaw-dropping, gut-twisting, Super Bowl ever played, the Pittsburgh Steelers escaped by the skin of their gold and black unis,winning 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals, with two lead changes in the last two minutes and thirty seconds. In normal times, it would be a staggering upset for the actual game to overshadow our annual Mardi Gras for millionaires and carnival of commercialism that attends it. But in penny-pinching 2009, football was at the center of the spectacle. And a good thing, too: otherwise, in living rooms across America, the enormity of America's first Recession Super Bowl would have been just too grim.

When Tiger Woods Came to Washington
When Tiger Woods Came to Washington

January 28, 2009
Among the many quirky, independent movie stars and suave entertainment icons appearing at the pre-inaugural Lincoln Memorial concert for Barack Obama, Tiger Woods stood out like George Will in the West Village.

Politics on the pitch: When Gaza and Sports Collide
Politics on the pitch: When Gaza and Sports Collide

January 26, 2009
Days before the ceasefire halted the carnage on the Gaza strip, the Israel-Palestinian conflict exploded all over the world of sports.

Alonzo Mourning: The Edge of Sports Interview
Alonzo Mourning: The Edge of Sports Interview

January 16, 2009
".... our world right now is in turmoil, and it starts with our leadership.  You got over 1.2 million Americans this year who've lost jobs; thousands and thousands of people who've lost their homes, education is in total disarray, as well as our health care system.  So, I knew there needed to be some type of change for the better."

No Justice, No Play? Gaza Anger Overwhelms Hoops Contest
No Justice, No Play? Gaza Anger Overwhelms Hoops Contest

January 9, 2009
We have officially entered uncharted waters. Never before in my years of reporting has a sports team been forced to abandon the field of play due to political protest from fans. Never before have fans become the central actors in turning a sporting event into a political melee.

Breaking New Ground: Politics and Sports in 2008
Breaking New Ground: Politics and Sports in 2008

January 5, 2009
2008 will be remembered as teh year when the wall between sports and politics, which we are told is as immutable as Gibraltar, was not only challenged, but thoroughly breached.

Latter Day Protest? Proposition 8 and Sports
Latter Day Protest? Proposition 8 and Sports

December 29, 2008
As supporters of Gay Marriage are have discovered, it's never easy to be on the Mormon Church's enemies list. But the Church has been challenged in the past. Just ask Bob Beamon.

Enduring Dixie: College Football Today
Enduring Dixie: College Football Today

December 18, 2008
In 2008 we are faced with a question: What is the easier path for an African-American male, becoming president of the United States or an NCAA Division I football coach? The answer reveals something sordidabout college sports, as well as university presidents and the boosters who back them.

BOOKS! JEWELRY! MUSIC! It's the Edge of Sports Holiday Picks
BOOKS! JEWELRY! MUSIC! It's the Edge of Sports Holiday Picks

December 12, 2008
BOOKS! JEWELRY! MUSIC! Even in these tough economic times, there are independent and radical writers and artists that need our support. Here are some gift ideas that will impress, but will also support people doing important work to keep commodification at bay

Burress and the Bloomberg
Burress and the Bloomberg

December 8, 2008
Plaxico Burress is in some serious NYC hot water. But in an act of staggering hypocrisy, it’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg that’s turning up the heat.