NFL

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins lies on the ground after colliding with Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter on September 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

NFL Head Injuries Are Part of the Product NFL Head Injuries Are Part of the Product

The league creates spectacles that distract from the dangers—but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

Sep 20, 2024 / Dave Zirin

Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins and Jaylen Waddle #17 celebrate after Hill's receiving touchdown on September 8, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Prior to the game, Miami-Dade police pushed Hill face down on the concrete and handcuffed him.

Police Violence, Tyreek Hill, and the NFL Owners Who Bankroll Brutality Police Violence, Tyreek Hill, and the NFL Owners Who Bankroll Brutality

The NFL does not cross the police. The NFL partners with the police.

Sep 9, 2024 / Dave Zirin

Delegates hold “Coach Walz” signs during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on August 21, 2024.

The Dark Side of the Democratic Party’s Embrace of Football The Dark Side of the Democratic Party’s Embrace of Football

The hypermasculinity and violence of football connects to Kamala Harris’s bellicose convention speech. It could repel young voters.

Aug 26, 2024 / Dave Zirin

An interior view of the betting odds video board at the Westgate Superbook ahead of the Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on February 9, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Is Sports Gambling a Public Health Crisis? Is Sports Gambling a Public Health Crisis?

Why a progressive approach might be a national intervention.

Jun 5, 2024 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

Harrison Butker at commencement

Harrison Butker Is a Jerk, a Bigot, and a True Representative of the NFL Harrison Butker Is a Jerk, a Bigot, and a True Representative of the NFL

In a brief commencement speech, the Kansas City kicker managed to be racist, sexist, and homophobic. The NFL’s response is revealing.

May 16, 2024 / Dave Zirin

O.J. Simpson at his 1995 trial

O.J. Simpson Was a Rorschach Test for America O.J. Simpson Was a Rorschach Test for America

Society / April 11, 2024 O.J. Simpson Was a Rorschach Test for America Most people saw the Hall of Fame running back not as a person but as symbol for what was wrong with the c…

Apr 11, 2024 / Dave Zirin

Smoke billows during the Israeli bombardment of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 12, 2024.

The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre

During the year’s biggest television event in the US, Israel launched an attack on Rafah, hoping Americans wouldn’t notice. Now, the strikes are part of NFL history.

Feb 12, 2024 / Dave Zirin

Crowds jam into Caesars Sports Book at Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino to bet on the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nev.

The Super Bowl of Gambling The Super Bowl of Gambling

The gambling industry has consumed the sports world, so of course, the Super Bowl is in Las Vegas.

Feb 9, 2024 / Dave Zirin

The San Francisco 49ers mascot, Sourdough Sam, leads the team onto the field at the start of the game between the Washington Commanders and the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, December 24, 2022, in Santa Clara, Calif.

Who Were the Real 49ers? Who Were the Real 49ers?

Fans of the San Francisco 49ers may feel like their team name is less racist than the “Chiefs,” but given the bloody history of the Gold Rush, they shouldn’t be so smug.

Feb 9, 2024 / Simon Moya-Smith

An ESPN microphone before the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 25, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism? The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism?

ESPN’s dogged but underappreciated reporters keep getting laid off—and now a main target of their investigations may become the new boss.

Jan 17, 2024 / Dave Zirin

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