Column Archive

Hurricane Katrina and the Revival of the Political Athlete
Hurricane Katrina and the Revival of the Political Athlete

August 14, 2015
After Hurricane Katrina, athletes spoke out in rage for the first time in decades. It can’t stop and it won’t stop.

Why the Police Killing of Football Player Christian Taylor Matters
Why the Police Killing of Football Player Christian Taylor Matters

August 10, 2015
Without the resilience of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the shooting of this unarmed black man would have gone unnoticed.

A Year Since The Killing of Michael Brown, a Year of Sports Being Shaped by Struggle
A Year Since The Killing of Michael Brown, a Year of Sports Being Shaped by Struggle

August 6, 2015
The last year since Ferguson has seen a profound intersection of sports and politics, in the shape of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The Water in Rio Is Full of Sludge and Rotting Fish—And Olympians Are Supposed to Swim in It
The Water in Rio Is Full of Sludge and Rotting Fish—And Olympians Are Supposed to Swim in It

August 3, 2015
Athletes who participate in water sports will carry an infection risk of 99 percent.

Why Tom Brady Is Worth Defending
Why Tom Brady Is Worth Defending

July 31, 2015
A conversation about Tom Brady and union power with the NFLPA’s George Atallah.

Why Boston Was Compelled to Pull Its 2024 Olympic Bid
Why Boston Was Compelled to Pull Its 2024 Olympic Bid

July 30, 2015
The crumbling of Boston’s 2024 Olympic bid is a victory for activists and a loss for the city’s most entrenched business interests.

Sports as political money laundering is nothing new. But it's difficult to think of an example as brazen as Scott Walker's stadium deal for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sports as political money laundering is nothing new. But it's difficult to think of an example as brazen as Scott Walker's stadium deal for the Milwaukee Bucks.

July 22, 2015
Sports as political money laundering is nothing new. But it's difficult to think of an example as brazen as Scott Walker's stadium deal for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Serena Williams Is Today’s Muhammad Ali
Serena Williams Is Today’s Muhammad Ali

July 14, 2015
As a political symbol and an athletic powerhouse, Serena Williams is "the greatest" in her sport.

Why I’m Done Defending Women’s Sports
Why I’m Done Defending Women’s Sports

July 6, 2015
While I’m being asked why “no one cares,” the Women’s World Cup is getting ratings that would make the NBA or MLB weep with joy.

The Confederate Flag, the Washington Football Team, and the Owners Who Love Them
The Confederate Flag, the Washington Football Team, and the Owners Who Love Them

July 5, 2015
I t may be literally the least they could do, but it’s a victory for human decency that the Confederate flag will no longer be available at Walmart, Amazon, Sears, and eBay. Even though it is heartbreaking that it took the murder of nine people to get ghouls like Nikki Haley and Lindsay Graham as well as their corporate masters to see it as a public-relations liability, it also raises a question. If the Confederate flag is too toxic to sell, then how can Amazon and Walmart continue to peddle the merchandise of a Washington football team that bears the name of a racial slur?