Football Has Always Been a Battleground in the Culture War
The NFL has become increasingly central to how America perceives itself, which means that sport and politics can never be divorced.
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Hannah Mckay / Reuters Simona Halep’s Dazzling Wimbledon Victory
The 27-year-old Romanian underdog handily defeated the formidable Serena Williams in a final that echoed a classic 2008 match.
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Popperfoto / Getty Wimbledon’s First Fashion Scandal
One hundred years ago, a player shocked spectators with her “indecent” dress—not the last time attire has distracted from athleticism in tennis.
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AP / Francisco Seco The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Biggest Battle Is Yet to Be Won
Some 1 billion people tuned in to the games this year, making the USWNT’s victory even more crucial in their upcoming legal fight for equal pay.
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Benoit Tessier / Reuters One Question Hanging Over the World Cup Final
As the United States and the Netherlands prepare to face off, teams and fans wonder whether VAR—or instant-replay reviews—will decide the champion.
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Francisco Seco / AP The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Is in the Finals. Here’s Why It Matters.
It’s not just about the game—these athletes are playing with something more to prove.
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Toby Melville / Reuters What the Men Can Learn From the Women at Wimbledon
The young male players trying to unseat the “big three” of tennis should look to upstarts such as Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka for a lesson on how to translate talent into titles.
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Tyler Kaufman / AP Why the Anthony Davis and LeBron James Pairing Will Be Different
Two of the NBA’s best players have teamed up in the league’s glitziest and most history-rich locale, each with a legacy to burnish and an unhappy narrative to reverse.
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Jazzercise, Inc. The Fitness Craze That Changed the Way Women Exercise
Fifty years after Jazzercise was founded, it is still shaping how Americans work out—for better or for worse.
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Kyle Terada / USA Today Sports / Reuters A Historic NBA Championship for the Raptors
The Golden State Warriors were hampered by injuries, but the league’s newest victors were built to seize on the opportunity.
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Kyle Terada / USA TODAY Sports Kevin Durant’s Disastrous Comeback
After Golden State’s star forward injured his Achilles tendon in the NBA Finals, the team’s decision to let him play is facing scrutiny.
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Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME The Turbulent Journey of Metta World Peace
A new documentary about the athlete formerly known as Ron Artest moves beyond his—and the NBA’s—most notorious moment: 2004’s “Malice at the Palace” brawl.
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Troy Taormina / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters Kevin Durant’s Inessential Greatness
The Golden State Warriors forward is an unstoppable scorer and matchup nightmare—and without him, the team is on the doorstep of another championship.
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Jeff Swinger / USA Today / Reuters The Change That Could Make the NBA Playoffs Watchable
The postseason is lagging in action and viewership. A skunk rule could be the solution.
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Aaron Gash / AP Giannis Antetokounmpo Is Thinking Like the MVP
The Milwaukee Bucks’ do-everything prodigy has simplified his approach and become the NBA’s best player.
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Jonathan Ernst / Reuters Why Tiger Woods’s Masters Win Was Different This Time
The most appealing aspect of the golf pro’s 15th major championship is that it doesn’t quite signal a return to dominance.
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Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Why Female Surfers Are Finally Getting Paid Like Their Male Peers
For the first time in its history, the World Surf League requires that cash prizes be uniform for men and women. But gender inequality isn’t completely eradicated from the sport.
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Brad Mills / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters MLB’s Bold Efforts to Remake Baseball
Opening Day 2019 finds the league tinkering with the sport to draw younger audiences—and weighing which aspects of the game are essential.
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Rick Scuteri / USA Today / Reuters Baseball’s Best Player Deserves More Than $430 Million
Mike Trout just signed a record-breaking contract extension with the Los Angeles Angels. What he really needs is a team that can win championships.
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Mike Carlson / AP The U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team Makes a Really Good Case for Equal Pay
In a new lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, the athletes say they earn just a fraction of what their less successful male counterparts make.
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Chuck Burton / AP Why Zion Williamson Is Poised to Change the Course of NCAA History
It’s clear that the Duke freshman doesn’t need the league as much as it needs him. This makes the phenom uniquely positioned to revolutionize the game.
