“The former Ferrari driver lent his name to the strangest F1 video game in history. Or did he?”
Sports
Bad Cards
“How a $168,000 Michael Jordan rookie card rocked the $15 billion trading card industry.”
Elite Young Runners Are Becoming Freakishly Fast. Welcome to ‘Trackflation’
“Four-minute miles are almost routine. Middle schoolers are beating college runners. Inside the youth track boom that’s turning kids and teens into speed machines.”
The Hydration-Break World Cup
“How much can fans conveniently forget in order to enjoy the games? The answer, evidently, is a lot.”
Name of the Father
“A wiseguy’s son steps out of his father’s shadow—and into the boxing ring. But the legacy of organized crime isn’t so easy to leave behind.”
How Austin’s Sandlot Baseball Scene Became a Magnet for Indie Rockers, Filmmakers, Designers, and Brands
“If you build it, they will come.”
Inside the Shaolin Monastery that Helped Build Victor Wembanyama
“This is the story of how 34 generations of Shaolin warrior history trained a once-in-a-generation NBA superstar.”
The Wayfinders
The Marshall Islands’ first national soccer team discovers what “home” can mean—on a field in Arkansas.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: the jaws of history; war and piece(s); the last day of camp; stay a while; picture me rollin’.
Turfin’ Safari
“Growing grass for the 2026 World Cup has been a years-long science project. Here’s how it’s going, from B.C. to Tennessee.”
