Featuring stories by Willa Köerner, Robyn Ross, Ariel Sabar, Julian Lucas, and Dan Moore.
Sports
How to Start a Professional Sports Team, Win Games, and Save the Town
“After the A’s announced they were leaving Oakland, a pair of lifelong fans set out to do something audacious: start a beloved pro baseball team of their own. Remarkably, they pulled it off. Now the Oakland Ballers need to survive.”
“It’s Time to Play Ball, British Style”
“A hot dog, a Pimm’s cup and two national anthems: The cultural dissonance of watching America’s pastime in London.”
Meet The New Kingpin
“With the rise of Bowlero, private equity has come for bowling — will your neighborhood alley ever be the same?”
Surfing the American Dream
“There’s a new fad in the sport I love. I should have hated it. Deep in a mega-mall, I surprised myself by how much it stirred in me.”
A Racial Slur and a Fort Myers High Baseball Team Torn Apart
“The avalanche of broken relationships within this baseball community at Fort Myers High . . . served as a microcosm for a polarized country.”
Behind F1’s Velvet Curtain
“If you wanted to turn someone into a socialist you could do it in about an hour by taking them for a spin around the paddock of a Formula 1 race.”
The Wild West of NBA Jump Balls
“Basketball’s most iconic tradition is also one of its oldest and most curious events, characterized by the same foggy rule interpretations, quirky styles, and chicanery as the first jump balls ever tossed.”
Air Jordan Is Finally Deflating
“The brand’s rise and fall, and rise and fall again.”
The Political Street Fighters Of Israeli Soccer
“A soccer rivalry between an idealistic fan-owned club and a powerhouse’s racist hooligans reflects Israel’s continuing march towards right-wing extremism.”
