Everybody Knows NBA Players Smoke Marijuana
Athletes, the media, and marijuana: On organizational authority and racial framing in sport.
Imagining an America Without Sports
What if we eliminated the institution of sport—from the high school level to the pros? Ten academics from around the country weigh in.
The Case for Studying Sports
This introductory column is the first in a new running series, where each week a current event in sports will be examined from a sociocultural perspective.
Why I Lived Alone in a Cabin for Six Months
Sam Riches went looking for solitude in nature, hoping to find his Jack London moment—but after half a year, he came back with a slightly different conclusion: self-reliance is overrated.
The Worst Free-Throw Shooter
Why do some of the greatest basketball players ever struggle with an uncontested shot from just 15 feet away?
The Woman Who’s Teaching the NHL How to Skate
As one of the only female coaches in all of the four major professional sports, Barb Underhill is carving out an important legacy, both on and off the ice.
How We Set Up Our Professional Athletes to Fail
For every Michael Jordan, there's at least one Keon Clark. Or an Allen Iverson. Or a Junior Seau. The machinery of professional sports churns through its athletes and spits them out on the other side.
Inside the World of Competitive Laughing
Sam Riches went to the Canadian competitive laughing championship. He met a 103-year-old man, a one-eyed person named Eyeborg, and a bunch of people trying to elevate the pursuit of joy into a sport.