Sports

Where Did ‘Synchronized Swimming’ Go?

More than 30 years after its Olympic debut, the sport was rebranded as “artistic swimming”—a controversial move that athletes fear could backfire.

• Vicki Valosik
• August 7, 2021

Watching Olympic Skateboarding Among 20 Skeptical, Aging Skaters

Skateboarders like myself feared that the activity’s mainstream debut would change our culture. Instead, we left our mark on the Games.

• Nic Dobija-Nootens
• August 5, 2021

What Simone Biles Understands About Greatness

In walking away from an Olympic event, the world’s best gymnast rejected the false dichotomy between personal well-being and professional excellence.

• Robert O'Connell
• July 28, 2021

The Haunting, Ambivalent Olympics Opening Ceremony

The proceedings did anything but distract from the distressing reality surrounding this year’s Tokyo Games.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• July 23, 2021

Why I’m Supporting England at Euro 2020

The squad has transformed culturally since the last time the English were champions. I’m rooting for the future it represents.

• Clint Smith
• July 9, 2021

The Near-Holy Experience of Watching Euro 2020

This year’s tournament has been unlike any I’ve ever witnessed, a reminder that when soccer fans enter a stadium, it becomes a church.

• Clint Smith
• July 2, 2021

The Ugly Side of NBA Fandom Can No Longer Be Ignored

The post-pandemic return of spectators should be an opportunity to reset their antagonistic relationship with athletes.

• Robert O'Connell
• June 2, 2021

The Best Losers in America

Forget the Lions or the Clippers or even the Knicks. No team in all of American sports is better than the Mets at being the worst.

• Devin Gordon
• April 1, 2021

Hockey Has a Gigantic-Goalie Problem

Never before in the NHL’s history has a tail so wagged the dog.

• Ken Dryden
• February 15, 2021

Tom Brady’s Tone-Deaf Perfection

Last night’s Super Bowl was supposed to be a pleasurable diversion for weary Americans. Instead, the quarterback annoyed viewers with his flawlessness.

• Michael Weinreb
• February 8, 2021

The Emotional Miseducation of Tiger Woods

A new HBO documentary zeroes in on the immense psychological toll it took for the legendary golfer to go from prodigy to phenom.

• Hannah Giorgis
• January 15, 2021

When Your Hometown Team Gets a New Identity

Black fans of the Washington Football Team are adapting to a new future for their beloved franchise—and reckoning with its past disregard of Native Americans.

• Hannah Giorgis
• November 26, 2020

It Had to Be the Lakers

Love them or hate them, the NBA’s most storied franchise was the right team for this moment.

• Ross Andersen
• October 11, 2020

This Woman Surfed the Biggest Wave of the Year

Here’s why you probably haven’t heard about it.

• Maggie Mertens
• September 12, 2020

The Coronavirus Is Revealing Football’s Human Cost

Amid a global pandemic, the NFL’s non-guaranteed contracts force players into a familiar choice: stay safe, or stay on the field.

• Robert O'Connell
• September 10, 2020

The NBA Had It Coming

The Milwaukee Bucks’ going on strike and disrupting their season at one of its most crucial inflection points proves that the players’ activism is no longer a fringe movement.

• Michael Weinreb
• August 27, 2020

The NBA’s Uneasy Return Follows an Age-Old Script

The league’s insulated relaunch in Florida amid the pandemic has a surprising antecedent.

• Danny Chau
• July 30, 2020

My Soccer Fandom Is Out of Shape

A lifelong fan took in yesterday’s Manchester City–Arsenal game, and struggled to connect with his onetime obsession.

• James Parker
• June 18, 2020