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 MLB All-Star Game Continues Its Slide Toward Irrelevance

The MLB All-Star Game Continues Its Slide Toward Irrelevance

Need proof? This is the second year in a row Albert Pujols isn't on the roster. More »

From Soccer to Tennis to Cycling, Spain Is Suddenly Dominating Sports

From Soccer to Tennis to Cycling, Spain Is Suddenly Dominating Sports

The country that produced Rafael Nadal and several Tour de France winners may be on its way to capturing the European soccer championship. More »

Just How Bad Was the Scoring of the Pacquiao-Bradley Fight?

Just How Bad Was the Scoring of the Pacquiao-Bradley Fight?

Understanding what went wrong at the most controversial boxing match of the year More »

Roger Clemens's Long, Expensive, and Probably Useless Trial

Roger Clemens's Long, Expensive, and Probably Useless Trial

Federal prosecutors want to convict someone—anyone—for using performance-enhancing drugs. More »

How Baseball Jargon Became Nonsense

How Baseball Jargon Became Nonsense

Announcers once used simple, straightforward language. Now they rely on terms like "walk-off home run." What happened? More »

Marilynne Robinson's Small, Rich Body of Work

Marilynne Robinson's Small, Rich Body of Work

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author has written just seven books over the course of her career, but her slow care is part of what makes her great. More »

David Robertson: The Answer to the Yankees' Post-Rivera Pitching Woes

David Robertson: The Answer to the Yankees' Post-Rivera Pitching Woes

The reliever is the team's best hope now that their legendary closer is injured. More »

The NFL Draft Is Still a Crapshoot

The NFL Draft Is Still a Crapshoot

All the algorithms in the world can't predict who will succeed and fail in pro football. More »

'Dempsey and Firpo': The Greatest American Sports Painting

'Dempsey and Firpo': The Greatest American Sports Painting

A lithograph of George Bellows's masterpiece is up for auction this week. More »

The Strange, Glorious Pedigree of 'Justified'

The Strange, Glorious Pedigree of 'Justified'

The FX series, based on Elmore Leonard's novels, takes inspiration from Hemingway, Westerns, and crime-novel classics. More »

Both the NBA and the NCAA Want to Keep Athletes in College for Too Long

Both the NBA and the NCAA Want to Keep Athletes in College for Too Long

The organizations want to make players wait an extra year before they can go pro. More »

The Legend of Bert Sugar, Boxing's Larger-Than-Life Chronicler

The Legend of Bert Sugar, Boxing's Larger-Than-Life Chronicler

Remembering the writer, who died this weekend at age 75 More »

The NFL's Punishment of the Saints Is Harsh, Nonsensical, and Hypocritical

The NFL's Punishment of the Saints Is Harsh, Nonsensical, and Hypocritical

The league is maintaining the pretense that one player taking another player out of a game isn't what defensive football is about. More »

Why Peyton Manning's Move to Denver Won't Work

Why Peyton Manning's Move to Denver Won't Work

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is too old, and the Broncos are too weak. More »

How the NCAA Basketball Cartel Seized Its Power

How the NCAA Basketball Cartel Seized Its Power

The college tournament was once run by a different organization—before a scandal cleared the way for new association to take control. More »

Wilt Chamberlain: The Babe Ruth of Pro Basketball

Wilt Chamberlain: The Babe Ruth of Pro Basketball

He electrified the sport at a time when few people were paying attention. More »

Hey, Jets: Don't Sign Peyton Manning

Hey, Jets: Don't Sign Peyton Manning

An aging, injured quarterback won't fix the team's woes. More »

Derek Jeter's Uncertain Future

Derek Jeter's Uncertain Future

The Yankee great will turn 38 this summer—and no major league team has ever won a pennant with a 38-year-old shortstop. More »

How Did Bill Parcells Not Make the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

How Did Bill Parcells Not Make the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

The snub highlights the many flaws in the HOF selection process. More »

Joe Paterno's Disappointing Last Decade at Penn State

Joe Paterno's Disappointing Last Decade at Penn State

Why did the legendary coach keep going, even after his best days were behind him? More »

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Photos of Tornado Damage in Moore, Oklahoma

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