Full Archive

In Defense of Etan Thomas

Read Washington Times sports columnist Tom Knott's repellent piece about Etan Thomas and both my and Etan's response.

Cops vs. Jocks: The Shooting of Steve Foley

Varsity Ruse: High School Football Today

THIS WEEKEND, the new Disney film "Invincible" opens in theaters across the country. It's based on the true story of Vince Papale, who in 1976, at age 30, became the oldest rookie in the history of the National Football League. Its story line speaks to the frustrated aspirations of millions of former high school football players whose dreams of playing in college, let alone professionally, weren't realized. They constitute a new American sports archetype: players who fell just short of making it to college-level football.

The Problem with Troops and Hoops

There's something profoundly unnerving about USA Basketball's motivational tactics for the 2006 world championship--having players spend time with wounded Iraq veterans.

You Can Keep the Faith

You're a Good Man, Larry Brown

Why Today I Wear My Zidane Jersey

Imagine Michael Jordan in his last game, with the score tied in overtime, knocking out his defender with a punch to the throat. Imagine Derek Jeter in game seven of the World Series, at bat with the bases loaded, thrashing the opposing team's catcher over the head with his bat. Our collective shock would only be exceeded by disappointment. No one, fan or foe, would want to a see a great player end their career in an act that speaks to the worst impulses of sports: when hard competition spills over into violence.

French Soccer and the Future of Europe

The story of the 2006 World Cup has been the resurrection of France. After a lackluster performance in its first two games, the French team shocked the football watching world -- otherwise known as "the world" -- by upsetting Spain and then dethroning Brazil, the second time in three World Cups the French have knocked off the global kings of "the beautiful game."

The NBA Draft: Prom Night Gets Political

This column has argued that pro-sports were on the precipice of reflecting the divisions, polarization, and anger in our society. The NBA draft last night gave a terrific window to this emerging trend: both inside and outside Madison Square Garden.

Racism Stalks the Cup

The most watched tournament in the universe, the World Cup, opens today amid fears that an open and violent racism could upstage the games, humiliate its German hosts, and provide an international platform for Neo-Nazi swill. The rising number of attacks on non-whites in Germany, combined with a spate of racist sloganeering and taunting of black soccer players throughout Europe, has set the stage for an unprecedented display of racism on a global sports stage.