There was a time when horse racing was gloriously inefficient, which is to say human. A man in a wrinkled… Read more
Category: Sports
They Are Team USA Too
There are times in sport when beauty is obvious. A gymnast floats. A skater lands as if gravity signed a… Read more
The Quiet Reinvention of America’s Last Shared Event
On certain February Sundays the country pauses and performs a ritual that feels older than it is. Families gather, food… Read more
The Ninth Inning of American Patience
The game unfolds the way it always has, without apology, without hurry, without the slightest concern for what the rest… Read more
Who is Simona de Silvestro and why you want to know.
There are many ways to become an Olympian, and they tend to follow familiar lines. Childhood specialization. Early promise. A… Read more
The World Cup Was Built on Cities It Locked Out
When Philadelphia learned it would host World Cup matches in 2026, city officials projected the usual benefits: tourism revenue, global… Read more
The Moral Difference Between Effort and Outcome
American life has developed a convenient habit: we treat outcomes as moral verdicts. If you succeed, you must have earned… Read more
An Open Letter to the WNBA and Its Stakeholders
Commissioner Engelbert, WNBPA leadership, team owners, and members of the basketball community: I am writing as a longtime supporter of… Read more
What Happens When Apple, Cadillac, and Democracy Walk Into a Pit Lane
Night in Las Vegas behaves like a living thing. The Strip glows with gold and neon. Light swallows the stars…. Read more
The Big Ten’s Payday Loan
College football functions as civic ritual as much as sport. The stadiums resemble cathedrals. The rituals resemble holidays. Generations of… Read more