Sports

Hall of Fame Shut-Out

Peter Dreier & Kelly Candaele

A conspiracy of management cronies is blocking 91-year-old union pioneer Marvin Miller from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hold China Accountable on Darfur

Ruth Messinger & Jerry Fowler : Darfur

Don't let Olympic fever obscure the role China plays in the Sudanese government's reign of terror, rape and killing.
Can NASCAR Be Saved From Itself?

Dave Zirin

Mauricia Grant, the first black, female inspection official in NASCAR history, is suing her former employer for sexual and racial misconduct. It may be the best thing that's ever happened to the sport.
Grand Theft Hoops: The Stealing of the Sonics

Dave Zirin

Two Oklahoma corporate raiders have stolen one of Seattle's most beloved sports franchises with an unlikely accomplice, the NBA's commissioner, David Stern.
Nader Tackles Sports

Dave Zirin : Ralph Nader

It's a little known fact, but Ralph Nader is seriously interested in sports, which is why he believes there should be a Bill of Rights just for the fans.
Well, There You Go. Imus the Bigot Is Back

Dave Zirin : Race, Ethnicity & Religion

Is Don Imus irredeemably stupid or just a run-of-the-mill racist?
The Last Angry Man

Jeff Kisseloff : Books

Eliot Asinof, blacklisted author of Eight Men Out, created a lifetime of work celebrating rebels and victims of injustice.
Did You Know The Nation Has a Sports Writer?

Habiba Alcindor

Sports make a great framework for examining politics.
A Conversation With NBA Union Man Billy Hunter

Dave Zirin : Unions

Billy Hunter has a progressive spine and a background that has taken him from working with Huey Newton to sitting across the table from the most formidable commissioner in sports, David Stern.
Can Soccer Stop the Violence?

Dave Zirin : South Africa

In South Africa ethnic violence against foreigners is beginning to spread and the growing voice of opposition comes from an unlikely source--soccer stars.
'Like He Died Twice': Mary Tillman's Lonely Quest

Dave Zirin : Iraq War

The mother of Pat Tillman reflects on how the Pentagon has distorted the truth about his death and the NFL has exploited the tragedy.
Blogged Down

Dave Zirin

Some sportswriters just don't get it.
Why Do We Care About the NFL Draft?

Dave Zirin

For fans, the pigskin meat market is mindless fun, but for young players, football is no fantasy.
Can the Golden State Warriors Save Oakland?

Dave Zirin : Jails & Prisons

The Warriors will miss this year's NBA playoffs, but they can still be winners by reaching out to at-risk youth in Oakland.
Olympic Flame Out

The Editors : China

Boycotts of the Beijing Olympics are easy. What's harder is moving China towards meaningful progress on human rights.
Sportswriters Swoon Over DC Ballpark

Dave Zirin

A ballpark for rich folks displaces the poor. But the Washington Post fails to utter a discouraging word.
Who's Got Game?

Robert Lipsyte : Feminism & Women

A new book advocates equality for men and women on the playing field. But is that still a field of dreams?
Carrying a Torch for Tibet

Dave Zirin

Protest is as much a part of the Olympic tradition as lighting the torch.
China's Olympic Delusion

Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom : China

Cracking down once again in Tibet, China seeks to control the script on its flawed human rights record, yet still be regarded as a suitable host for the Olympics. Dream on.
Lame Duck Pitcher

Robert Lipsyte

Roger Clemens has done his damage, to himself and to baseball--and we will see him go down.
Steroid Circus on Capital Hill

Dave Zirin

Roger Clemens's face-off with lawmakers moved the guardians of our democracy far beyond the absurd.
We Might Be Giants

Dave Zirin

A Patriots Super Bowl win was written in the stars. But every once in a while, the double-digit underdog can win.
White Noise on the Golf Channel

Dave Zirin

After days of dithering, the Golf Channel finally suspends a commentator who joked about lynching Tiger Woods. What took them so long?

2007

The Mitchell Report Is a Fraud

Dave Zirin

George Mitchell's long-awaited report on steroids in baseball slanders players, gives owners a pass and never acknowledges its author's conflicts of interest.
Sports 2007: It Was a Very Bad Year

Dave Zirin

Michael Vick's sentencing to twenty-three months in prison caps a depressing and scandalous year for professional sports.
The Rockies Get Off Their Knees

Dave Zirin : Religion

As baseball's most sanctimonious team heads to the World Series, the Colorado Rockies are playing down their holier-than-thou image.
The Fall of Marion Jones, Inc.

Dave Zirin

The sports establishment is shocked, shocked at her steroid-fueled Olympic wins. But didn't they also play a role?
Getting Real About China

Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom : China

From product safety to piracy, human rights and the Olympic Games, isn't it time we started being realistic about the way we treat China?
Season of Scandals

Robert Lipsyte : Iraq War

Sportswriters hyperventilate over scandals big and small. But when a football hero and Bush critic is shot three times at close range in Afghanistan, by friendly fire, why does no one bat an eye?
Bonehead U

Nicholas von Hoffman : Higher Education

Forget about raising money for actual teaching or research. Institutions of higher learning would rather troll for money for their sports teams.
The Sick Knicks

Dave Zirin

Exposed in court as sex harassers, the coach and owner of a storied basketball team have turned Madison Square Garden into a toxic workplace.
Those Cheating Patriots

Dave Zirin

In an era of technology-driven sports, the question of what is and isn't cheating can get pretty murky. But Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots were caught red-handed.
Cleaning Up After the Orioles

Dave Zirin : Wages & Hours

Thanks to some major-league grassroots organizing, workers who keep Baltimore's Camden Yards pristine are close to winning the right to a living wage.
Give Bonds His Due

Dave Zirin

It's official: He's the new home run king. Will the media ever get over it?
Soccer Lions of Mesopotamia

Simon Maxwell Apter : Iraq War

Don't buy the argument that Iraq's triumph in the Asian Cup is a miracle moment brought to you by Uncle Sam.
NBA: When Fans Blow the Whistle

Mark Japinga

Smelling blood in the unfolding Tim Donaghy scandal, some sports fans have embarked their own rabid brand of investigative journalism on--where else?--YouTube.
Olympic Dreams and Nightmares

Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom

In the best of all possible worlds, 8-8-08 will be the luckiest of dates for China, as the Olympic Games put the country on display. Or it could become a real nightmare.
Who Let the Dogs Out on Michael Vick?

Dave Zirin

With the indictment of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback on federal conspiracy charges for running an alleged dogfighting operation, the media went into attack mode.
Reclaiming Sports

Dave Zirin

Political struggle and its relation to sports is a question not of the past but of the future.
High Impact: What Football Owes Its Players

Dave Zirin : Health & Disease

Congressional hearings about head injuries in the NFL raise questions about the consequences for old-timers and present-day players.
Sheffield Strikes Out on Latino Players

Dave Zirin

Slugger Gary Sheffield's intemperate remarks about the black/Latino divide have rattled batting cages and plunged baseball into the immigration debate.
SI Cooks the Books

Jonathan Cohen : Racism & Discrimination

Sports Illustrated's "all time" team is unfairly skewed to honor major league players from the segregation era at the expense of equally deserving players from the Negro League.
Jason Giambi, Truthteller

Dave Zirin

Jason Giambi finally got around to telling the truth about baseball and steroids. So naturally, Major League Baseball is out to smear him.
The Home-Run Wars

Robert Lipsyte : US Foreign Policy

Babe Ruth's big bang changed baseball forever, giving America a thrilling symbol of power and an itch for the quick fix at the ballpark and in the world. Why can't we just ban the bomb?
Football and Nikki Giovanni at Virginia Tech

Dave Zirin

Tragedy uncovers the diverse world of a school that had been known only for football.
Nappy-headed Hos of the World Unite!

Barbara Ehrenreich : Feminism & Women

What aroused Imus's twisted admiration and antagonism was the reality of strong, determined, aggressive women.
Rutgers Team Is an Instrument for Change

Carol Jenkins : Feminism & Women

The fact that the media is astonished that the Rutgers athletes are articulate and smart is a tragedy.
Don Imus and the State of Women's Sports

Dave Zirin : Feminism & Women

It's been thirty-five years since Title IX was passed, and women athletes are still battling the kind of sexism Imus espouses.
John Amaechi's Timeout

Dave Zirin : Gay & Lesbian Issues & Activism

The openly gay former NBA star speaks eloquently against homophobia, the war in Iraq and racism.
Descent into March Madness

Robert Lipsyte

Robert Lipsyte takes a shot at the corruption, exploitation and hypocrisy of the NCAA championships.
Out of the Closet and Onto the Court

Dave Zirin : Gay & Lesbian Issues & Activism

Former NBA player John Amaechi's admission that he is gay exposed the league's compassion and bigotry.
The Church of Football

Robert Lipsyte : Cultural Criticism & Analysis

If the holiest day on the American calendar is Super Bowl Sunday, Vince Lombardi and Joe Namath were its early saints. So what does that make Pat Tillman?
A Tale of Two Coaches

Dave Zirin

Kudos to Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy for being the first two black coaches to lead teams to the Superbowl. But hold the applause for the NFL.
The High Cost of the Home Team

Nicholas von Hoffman : Higher Education

Big-money athletics cannot help but sabotage what our colleges and universities are for: instruction and research.
Muhammad Ali: The Brand and the Man

Dave Zirin : Peace Activism

The day The Champ turned 65 was marked by the release of a line of snack foods bearing his image. Lost in the hype was Muhammad Ali's proud history as a war resister.

2006

Brawl in the Garden

Dave Zirin

Carmelo Anthony pays the price for the melee between the Nuggets and the Knicks, but it's NBA commissioner David Stern who should be benched.
Nascar Values

Robert Lipsyte : Electoral Politics

The Democrats won the House and the Senate because the Republicans lost the garage. How Nascar fans helped turn the tide of the election.
Michigan-Ohio State Fever

Dave Zirin : Michigan

As the two top-ranked college teams clash on Saturday, the world stops, vote-counting is halted in a tight Congressional race and cities brace for violence.
NBA: The Political Season

Dave Zirin

Take time out to acknowledge the return of the NBA--and the beginning of a political season of sorts for NBA players with a social conscience.
Baseball in the Ashes

Dave Zirin

The last time the Detroit Tigers faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, the Motor City was literally aflame. What's evident this time is that the city never rose from the ashes.
Saints and the Superdome

Dave Zirin : New Orleans

The hype-masters of sports would have us believe that the return of the New Orleans Saints to the Superdome is a sign of a city on the verge of resurrection. It's not.
Screamin' at the Machine

Dave Zirin : Journalists & Journalism

We should be cheering at sports events and screaming at politicians. But these days, it's vice versa. Now that ESPN's Screamin' Stephen A. Smith is acting like a pundit, things could change.
Sneakers for Social Justice?

Dave Zirin : Sweatshops

New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury is getting props with a $14.98 sneaker designed to appeal to low-income kids. But the criticism he's endured over sweatshop labor shows it's hard to do good.
Troops and Hoops

Dave Zirin : US Military

There's something unnerving about USA Basketball's motivational tactics for the 2006 world championship--encouraging players to spend time with wounded Iraq veterans, in hopes of enhancing teamwork and patriotism.
You Can Keep the Faith

Dave Zirin : Radical Religious Right

Major League Baseball's new "Faith Days" campaign is about more than family-friendly Christian entertainment with a twist of commerce.
Baseball Begins to Listen to Sweatshop Foes

Dave Zirin & Derek Tyner : Labor Organizing & Activism

After pressure from the local newspaper and the City Council questioning the use of sweatshop labor to create Pittsburgh Pirates regalia, Major League Baseball seems willing to listen to activists' complaints.
World Cup: Party On

Simon Kuper

If there is any message to be gleaned from the World Cup, it is that soccer has finally shed its freight of machismo and anguish, attracting a global audience of fans who simply want to have fun.
Hey Guys, It's Just a Game

Dave Zirin & John Cox

Soccer's not for wimps, but Team America and its fans have brought a decidedly militarist mindset to the World Cup.
The Rockies Pitch Religion

Dave Zirin : Humor

The Colorado Rockies recruit Christian players and claim God is at work on their game. Major League Baseball woos evangelicals with special "Faith Days at the Park." Something's going on here, but it has nothing to do with God.
Ricky Williams Dreams of Canada

Dave Zirin : Humor

Former Heisman trophy winner and ganja-smoking peacenik Ricky Williams is contemplating the sweet life in the Canadian Football League. Here's hoping he finds it.
Using Soccer to Kick Iran

Dave Zirin & John Cox : Iran

To World Cup aficionados, soccer is a beautiful game, but to ideologues in the United States and Europe, it's a convenient political weapon against Iran's nuclear ambitions. Talk about spoilsports.
This Bud's Not for the World Cup

Nicholas von Hoffman : Corporations

Soccer fans in Germany struck a blow against US corporate blandness by turning up their noses at the notion that Budweiser is the official beer of the games.
Bonding With the Babe

Dave Zirin : History

Bashing Barry Bonds has become a national sport, as the flawed slugger nears matching Babe Ruth's record. But hasn't anyone considered the faults of the Babe?
Sacrifice Play

Dave Zirin

By selecting George Mitchell to head a steroids inquiry, Major League Baseball keeps the focus strictly on players, not on the owners who silently encourage abuse.
The Odd Couple

Gene Seymour : Cultural Criticism & Analysis

In Sound and Fury, sportswriter Dave Kindred examines the intersecting lives of Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell.
A Whole New Ball Game

Dave Zirin

Major League Baseball owners may gripe, but the World Baseball Classic provides a glimpse of an alternative future for our national pastime.
Olympic Swagger

William Greider : US Foreign Policy

Swagger was America's chosen posture at the Winter Olympics. Once again, sport imitated life: boasting got us nowhere at the Turin games or in the world.
The Olympics We Missed

Dave Zirin : Media Analysis

The Winter Olympics are to NBC what icebergs were to the Titanic. Jingoistic, condescending coverage missed the real drama.
The Value of a Number

Dave Zirin : Latinos

Racial tensions between black and Latino players have been exposed in the ongoing controversy over how to honor Roberto Clemente.
The Slave Side of Sunday

Dave Zirin

On the eve of the Super Bowl, former cornerback Anthony Prior raises hot-button allegations of racism in the National Football League.

2005

A History of Violence

Stuart Klawans : Israel

Munich is a first-rate spy thriller featuring an assassin who reveals his soul. Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain gives two extraordinary actors time and space to develop a rare emotional interplay. Match Point puzzles with a dirty-minded energy. And Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong is true to the Depression-era original.
The Silencing of Carlos Delgado

Dave Zirin : Iraq War

The New York Mets' squelching of first baseman Carlos Delgado's longstanding protest of the war in Iraq during the seventh-inning stretch speaks volumes about how the rules of the game have changed on political dissent.
The Fight to Save Stanley Tookie Williams

Dave Zirin : Crime

As the clock ticks down to former gang leader Stanley Tookie Williiams's scheduled execution on December 13, football great Jim Brown is helping lead the fight to convince Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to grant clemency.
The Champ Meets the Chump

Dave Zirin : George W. Bush

When George W. Bush met Muhammad Ali at the White House last week, the Champ had one last rope-a-dope up his sleeve. You don't have to guess who won this match.
The Ring Cycle

Gerald Early : Non-Fiction

When Joe Louis defeated Nazi sympathizer Max Schmeling in 1938, it was the boxing match that reverberated across the world. Three new books chronicle the match and all the racial and political turmoil of which it was an emblem.
The Soccer Star and the President

Dave Zirin : Argentina

Who is Diego Maradona, and how did a former Argentinian soccer star become the nemesis of an American President?
Sheryl Swoopes: Out of the Closet--and Ignored

Dave Zirin : Gay & Lesbian Issues & Activism

WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes has just come out of the closet. But why didn't anyone care?
Say It Ain't So, Big Leagues

Dave Zirin : Corporate Responsibility & Accountability

Strip-mining the Dominican Republic for talent, Major League Baseball periodically plucks one lucky boy from his home and family and gives him a dream for a better life. But what happens the other 99 left behind in "baseball factories," still hoping?
Pat Tillman, Our Hero

Dave Zirin : Media

War hero and former NFL star Pat Tillman was not the GI Joe icon created by Pentagon spinmeisters. He was a fiercely independent thinker convinced that the war in Iraq was illegal. Bereaved military families, also angered at Pentagon exploitation of their loved ones, are joining the critical chorus.
Etan Thomas Rises to the Occasion

Dave Zirin : New Orleans

Washington Wizards power forward Etan Thomas is using his swoosh-adorned status as a sports star to speak out on the gross negligence of the Bush Administration.
What's My Name, Fool?

Dave Zirin

The history of how social struggles have exploded onto playing fields is vibrant, thrilling and very real.
Visible Man

Greg Tate : Television
Show Me the Money!

Gene Seymour : Non-Fiction
Blood Simple

Stuart Klawans : Judaism & Jews