Monday, October 17 2011
The Last Bullfight in Catalonia
The bullfighter, who only minutes beforehand faced death with grace and fearlessness, covers his face and begins to cry. He is the triumphant hero of a collective failure.
Thursday, May 26 2011
When Superheroes Die
The death of Randy Poffo, aka Macho Man Randy Savage, once again revealed the dark history of professional wrestling. A history replete with drug abuse, murder and suicide. In this essay a writer and fan explores the varied reactions to Savage's death; a death which created more questions than answers.
Wednesday, April 14 2010
No Crossover: An Interview with Steve James
Sports, prejudice, and the tumultuous, fascinating life of Allen Iverson are all the focal-point of Steve James' latest, touching sports documentary. James speaks to PopMatters about race in America, Fox News, and the subjectivity of films themselves.
Thursday, February 18 2010
ESPN: Changing the Way Americans Think About Sports
ESPN changed the course of American sports culture by providing access to national and international events 24 hours per day and cultivating the entertainment potential of sporting events and personalities.
Tuesday, February 9 2010
Must See TV No More?
“You’ve created a fetish around watching the commercials, and not going to the kitchen or the bathroom during the commercials. That’s a pretty amazing thing to have done,” says Turow. But is the phenomenon sustainable?
Wednesday, February 3 2010
Imperial Movements, Round-by-Round
It was not long ago that Filipinos and Puerto Ricans were the gloveless, unprotected, and militarily inferior populations fighting for their lives.
Tuesday, September 22 2009
Killing the Pain: Mourning the Death of Andrew “Test” Martin
Did my cheers contribute to his eventual demise? Did my persistent taunting and raging encouragement urge him to push himself too far, breaking his muscle and bones that ached with a pain that would not shrink?
Thursday, January 15 2009
The Ultimate Disappointment
The Ultimate Fighting Championship owes its rise to prominence to America’s most recent guilty pleasure: reality TV.
Tuesday, October 21 2008
LeBron James and the Beat Book
If beat reporters keep churning out books on 'Bron, why aren't we learning anything? These books represent the current state of the beat book -- and indicate it may be in serious trouble.
Wednesday, October 8 2008
Manny Dread
Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox, unkempt and screwy as all hell, went up against the always clean-cut New York Yankees and bested them in a hair-versus-square contretemps.
Friday, October 19 2007
Bill Simmons and the New Sports Journalism
How has sports writing evolved in a world where sports fans are inundated with more information than they can possibly process? ESPN columnist Bill Simmons may be the best case study.
Friday, September 28 2007
Can 50,000 Football Fans Be Wrong?
A 'new democracy' is one way to describe MyFootballClub — no other team has ever been run via Internet voting alone — yet fan-powered schemes have secured control for supporters at countless sporting clubs.
Friday, August 10 2007
True Blue, a Diary: The Lonely Life of a Stateside Everton Fan
For true sport fans, no matter where you are, who you're with, what time it is, or what game you're watching, it's just you and your team.
Thursday, May 17 2007
Friday, April 20 2007
Carrying Jackie’s Torch: The Players Who Integrated Baseball—and America
No matter how great their RBI or batting average, neither Jackie Robinson nor the other black players could escape the racism, insult or injustice of the times.
Wednesday, April 18 2007
In Praise of the Internet and Spring (Training)
Spring training is that wonderful time of year when the regular hierarchies of baseball and business are bleached out of the game, and it can all be seen on the Internet.
Friday, April 13 2007
A Great Day for Hockey
The Penguins' future in Pittsburgh wasn't the only thing on the line when a deal to build the team a new arena was announced.
Thursday, March 15 2007
A New Day for the NBA?
Tim Hardaway has made it especially easy to view John Amaechi as heroic, the Rosa Parks of Black British Ballers.
Wednesday, March 7 2007
Inside a Chicago Fan’s Super Bowl Scuffle
Chicago sports fans suffer from a chronic self-induced nostalgic obsession, passed down from generation-to-generation, which destroys any chance for realistic expectations.
Friday, February 16 2007
The Fast and the Curious
Media Darling Danica Patrick may never take the checkered flag. But does that matter?
