Dave Ewers scores during the Aviva Premiership Ruby game

Changing the Chiefs: How an online campaign got a rugby team to ditch their racist branding

The Exeter Chiefs are among England’s oldest and most storied rugby teams – and based on its recent logo and branding alterations, one of the most controversial.

On Feb 7, 2023 by Chris Jaworski

three men standing in a stadium

‘I don’t think you know that black lives matter’: How cricket found a critical moment to address its institutional racism

Cricket became the first sport back after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and used the moment to connect with Black Lives Matter.

On Jan 6, 2023 by Jeremy Blackmore

laptop and smartphone screen with mobile app for betting in hand with blue Presser rectangle

Win or lose: Chinese smartphones and WhatsApp enable offshore betting, newfound income, and hope for young Zimbabweans

Young bettors in Zimbabwe are connecting on WhatsApp and betting on the World Cup — even though it's illegal.

On Dec 17, 2022 by Ray Mwareya, Deogracias Kalima

Vicky Losada (Barcelona) of Spain,Tobin Heath and Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC) of USA during the friendly match between Spain and USA at Rico Perez Stadium in Alicante, Spain on January 22 2019

‘Protect your players’: How the digital public square contributed to NWSL’s great reckoning

It took reporters' exposes, players and fans taking to Twitter, and a pair of sobering investigations to try to fix women's soccer. Has it been enough?

On Dec 16, 2022 by Meg Swanick

Nike Blazer 77

2002: The year of the magical basketball shoe

Kids in 2002 wanted to be like Mike. But then they wanted to be like Allen Iverson, too. And some just wanted vintage Chuck Taylors.

On Dec 12, 2022 by Hannah Borenstein

Senegal fans at the world cup

‘Just inviting a heart attack’: A quest to reverse the African jinx at the World Cup

Friday's match pits the robber against the robbed in what's been called "the biggest robbery in World Cup history."

On Dec 1, 2022 by Chidinma Iwu

curacao presser future goals students

In an era of soccer cynicism, a legendary European club partners with a resort chain in Curacao to teach kids and clean the ocean

On Nov 25, 2022 by Kristi Eaton

Elton Jantjies

How the arrest of a South African rugby star bared racist fangs of the sport’s fans

South African rugby star Elton Jantjies' arrest highlighted online tensions reflective of the nation's Apartheid past.

On Nov 3, 2022 by Ray Mwareya

Homepage article image

‘We’re not gonna take it’: Designers and jersey merchants go online, offering USMNT fans a better way to rep at the World Cup

People don't like the jerseys Nike created for the U.S. team going to the World Cup. A few of them decided they'd just make their own.

On Oct 27, 2022 by Phil West

world cup online betting graphic

How online betting will change the World Cup experience for fans

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will feel a little bit different to American sports fans. You can bet on it. Literally.

On Oct 21, 2022 by Ian Quillen

Tony Smith

Life after sports: The challenging transition from pro athlete to normal person

Without their sport at the center of everything they do, retired professional athletes risk losing their sense of purpose and self-identity.

On Apr 28, 2022 by John Scott Lewinski

man in luchador mask reacting to phone in hand

How an early internet niche created a new generation of lucha libre fans

'It changed the entirety of wrestling culture as we know it.'

On Apr 21, 2022 by Danny Acosta

New York Knicks' Mitchell Robinson, left, and Orlando Magic's Ignas Brazdeikis battle for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game, in Orlando, Fla

‘We here’: How Knicks superfans forged a new era of coverage for their favorite team

'To have this voice, as an African American, and that influence, means everything to me.'

On Apr 10, 2022 by Lee Escobedo

Bobsled team with USA on helmet

How Elana Meyers Taylor became U.S. bobsledding’s barrier-breaking quarterback

'It's hugely important for people to see people who look like them.'

On Feb 10, 2022 by Kahron Spearman

The Prancing J-Settes

‘Thrill of a billion eyes’: The Prancing J-Settes of Jackson State gracefully continue a rich legacy of sisterhood

As the team turns 50, a look at what it means to be a J-Sette in 2021.

On Dec 31, 2021 by Kahron Spearman