Allen Barra

Allen Barra writes about sports for the Wall Street Journal and TheAtlantic.com. His next book is Mickey and Willie--The Parallel Lives of Baseball's Golden Age.

The Time Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays Did a Dual Interview for <i>Esquire</i>

The Time Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays Did a Dual Interview for Esquire

In 1968, in the twilights of both greats' careers, the magazine asked the pair to evaluate each other's achievements—and the resulting story was affectionate, funny, and poignant. More »

How Matt Harvey Became the Most Exciting Pitcher in Baseball

How Matt Harvey Became the Most Exciting Pitcher in Baseball

By choosing not to micromanage the 24-year-old's game, the Mets have taken a wiser, healthier course of action than other franchises have with their young pitchers. More »

Actually, Jason Collins Isn't the First Openly Gay Man in a Major Pro Sport

Actually, Jason Collins Isn't the First Openly Gay Man in a Major Pro Sport

Major-league baseball player Glenn Burke was comfortably out to his teammates and friends in 1976—but back then, it was the press that wasn't ready for a gay male athlete. More »

Hey, Hollywood: Not Every Great Baseball Movie Needs a 'Big Game'

Hey, Hollywood: Not Every Great Baseball Movie Needs a 'Big Game'

Some ideas for films about America's pastime that, unlike 42, don't culminate in miraculous home runs More »

What Really Happened to Ben Chapman, the Racist Baseball Player in <i>42</i>?

What Really Happened to Ben Chapman, the Racist Baseball Player in 42?

He told me he always wanted to be recognized as a great player. But his harassment of Jackie Robinson will now forever define his place in history—as is fair. More »

Is the NCAA Tournament Bad for College Basketball?

Is the NCAA Tournament Bad for College Basketball?

March Madness, which ends tonight, is as popular as ever. The sport itself, though, isn't. More »

NFL Free Agency Isn't Betrayal&mdash;It's Good Business Sense

NFL Free Agency Isn't Betrayal—It's Good Business Sense

Don't blame players who leave their teams for better contracts: More than ever, franchises exploit the salary cap to discard stars, hire unknowns, and make a buck. More »

A Devil, a Guinness Brewer, and a King: In Praise of 'At Swim-Two-Birds'

A Devil, a Guinness Brewer, and a King: In Praise of 'At Swim-Two-Birds'

This St. Patrick's Day, get acquainted with Irish author Flann O'Brien's 1939 book of stories within stories within stories. More »

The Underappreciated True Story of 48-Year-Old Boxer Bernard Hopkins

The Underappreciated True Story of 48-Year-Old Boxer Bernard Hopkins

One of the oldest successful boxers ever began his career after leaving prison 20 years ago. More »

The Biggest Ongoing Scam in Professional Sports Is in Miami

The Biggest Ongoing Scam in Professional Sports Is in Miami

He's swindled taxpayers by demanding new facilities, trading away high-value players for cheap young prospects, and pocketing the leftovers. More »

A Team of LeBron James Clones Would Beat a Team of Michael Jordan Clones

A Team of LeBron James Clones Would Beat a Team of Michael Jordan Clones

But neither man would rate as the greatest player in basketball's history. More »

Why Don't More People Care If NFL Players Dope?

Why Don't More People Care If NFL Players Dope?

As Ray Lewis's non-scandal showed, performance-enhancing drugs may be widespread in football—but fans don't mind. More »

The Better Team Lost the Super Bowl

The Better Team Lost the Super Bowl

As the 49ers learned, it's hard to win a game by screwing up small stuff. More »

The Pro-Football Hall of Fame Needs to Stop Ignoring Jerry Kramer

The Pro-Football Hall of Fame Needs to Stop Ignoring Jerry Kramer

Even with an outstanding football legacy, the Lombardi-era Packers guard still hasn't gotten his due. More »

My Newfound Sympathy for Lance Armstrong Fans&mdash;and Hatred for Lance

My Newfound Sympathy for Lance Armstrong Fans—and Hatred for Lance

It took the Oprah interview for me to truly understand the devotion he inspired. More »

The Ugly Final Fight for the Super Bowl

The Ugly Final Fight for the Super Bowl

Both the 49ers and Ravens prevailed Sunday with two late-game comebacks in enemy territory. More »

The Meaningless Hoax Before Manti Te'o's Meaningless Hoax

The Meaningless Hoax Before Manti Te'o's Meaningless Hoax

Sometimes, people harmlessly lie to the press. Then the truth comes out. Then we all forget about it. More »

The Atlanta Falcons: The NFL's New 'Team of Destiny'

The Atlanta Falcons: The NFL's New 'Team of Destiny'

Two seeming longshots faced off spectacularly Sunday, and it was the less-hyped one who prevailed. More »

The Agony and the Ecstasy of the NFL's Wild Playoff Weekend

The Agony and the Ecstasy of the NFL's Wild Playoff Weekend

It was as dramatic a set of games as you could have hoped for—or, if you're a Redskins or Colts fan, feared. More »

Does Football Have a New Best-Ever Running Back?

Does Football Have a New Best-Ever Running Back?

It may, if Adrian Peterson overcomes some big hurdles in the last two games of his so-far-incredible season. More »

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