Even if you’ve never tiptoed near the shrine of powerlifting, you’ll find something to love in Lauren Michele Jackson’s obituary of the iconic Westside Barbell founder. And if you have? The same — plus you’ll leave wondering why the writing about strength sports can’t always be this lyrical. The place became a home for big […]
Sports
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Art of Passing
“When their heads are right, the best passers are the good-vibes guys of the league. Joy curators. Misters Congeniality. They make you happy. They let you touch the ball. They trust you. They think you’re good enough. They think you can help. Some combination of stunt-person, illusionist, actor, detective, and circus performer. They raise the […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
How ‘Sex and the City’ Sent Me Down a Fake Baseball Rabbit Hole
“The iconic show’s reboot, and 25th anniversary, gave me the perfect mystery to solve during the MLB lockout. Here’s what I found.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
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.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Truth Is Elusive in Attack on a French Soccer Star
“The assault of a top women’s player made headlines, with masked men, a metal bar and the arrest of a teammate. But weeks later, new details suggest the original story might have been wrong.”
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I Had a Chance to Travel Anywhere. Why Did I Pick Spokane?
“After 18 months of pandemic parenting isolation, the writer Jon Mooallem knew just where the cure might lie: a minor-league baseball game in eastern Washington.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
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.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
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.”
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The Story of Honoring Negro League History and a Search for Buried Treasure
“But the numbers will never tell the true story of the Negro Leagues. They just won’t. For me, it is about context. I don’t want the legend of these athletes to ever die.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Plot to Kill the Olympics
“Just as the pandemic inspired political and social change the world over, so, during the course of 2020, did many of the bigger Olympic sports experience a quiet remaking.”