This week, we’re sharing stories from Anand Gopal, Óscar Martínez, Erica Lenti, T.J. Quinn, and Matt Zoller Seitz.
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The Secret MVP of Sports? The Port-a-Potty
“Tailgating had become a new American tradition, with attendance at college football games alone surging from 18.9 million in 1950 to almost 30 million in 1970, and a need for portable bathrooms was inevitable.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: Lost soul, copy that, missing beats, muzzled watchdogs, and a ramblin’ man.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: gambling’s grip, a story of plumes and poachers, bemoaning American tourists in Rome, a magical history tour, and a fake poultry flinger.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Laura Nahmias, Victor Luckerson, Arianne Shahvisi, Roberto José Andrade Franco, and Apoorva Tadepalli.
A Q&A with Julian Brave NoiseCat, a Journey Into a Fabled Forest, and Our Top 5
We learn a lot as we move along; if we’re lucky, we might shed some old wisdom for better understanding.
The (Un-)Happiest Place on Earth and the Week’s Top 5
“I left Trip House at 8:12 on Saturday morning, having not been murdered, and drove to the Magic Kingdom. The woman at the ticket window asked if I’d come to Disney World to celebrate anything special, and I laughed. If I answered that question truthfully — using unmagical words like ‘genital,’ ‘student loan,’ and ‘gentrification’ […]
The Incredible Story of Ray Caldwell, the MLB Pitcher Who Survived a Lightning Strike to Finish a Game
“Caldwell is on his back, arms spread wide, out cold on the mound. The lightning strike had hit him directly.”
Finding Strength in What’s Routine (and Our Top 5)
It’s a small miracle, I think, to experience a shift in perspective toward empathy. Being intentional about it is a small risk, a small assignment if you will, with the potential for a modest but meaningful personal reward.
Boxer Patricio Manuel, a Transgender Pioneer, Is Still Looking for His Next Fight
“Manuel sees sports as the latest front in a culture war that fought — and lost — previous battles over same-sex marriage and trans bathroom bills.”


