Column Archive

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

Athletes who participate in water sports will carry an infection risk of 99 percent.

Why Tom Brady Is Worth Defending

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

Why Boston Was Compelled to Pull Its 2024 Olympic Bid

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.

Serena Williams Is Today’s Muhammad Ali

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

Why I’m Done Defending Women’s Sports

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

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?

African Artistry and Anger at the Women’s World Cup

In a fashion both powerful and heartbreaking, the three African teams have left an indelible impression on the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Proposal: The Bree Newsome Olympic Challenge

Bree Newsome showed remarkable political courage. She also perhaps gave a template for reimagining sports.

Steve Spurrier Was Right: We Need to Get Rid of ‘that Dang, Damn Confederate Flag’

It is a rare day when we wonder what NCAA coaches are saying about racial justice and social change. But this is a moment to pay close attention. The Charleston Massacre at Mother Emanuel Church, an act of white supremacist terrorism—no matter what the FBI believes—has publicly revived the demand that the Confederate flag come down from the Columbia Capitol grounds.