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Rio Olympics: 11 Black Athletes in Less Popular Sports Who Are Worth Your Time
The Summer Olympics are more glamorous than their counterpart every four winters. And of all the competitions being held in Rio de Janeiro over the next two weeks, none are more familiar than basketball, gymnastics, swimming, and track and field. They are the Mount Rushmore of Summer Olympic sports. But athletes will compete in roughly…
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40 Black Athletes to Watch at the Rio Olympics
After all the discussions about crime, poverty, pollution, corruption and the Zika virus, it’s now time to shift our attention to the actual games at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. More than 11,000 athletes representing more than 200 countries will compete in 42 Olympic sports beginning Friday. In total, there will be…
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Can Serena Get Her Groove Back?
Serena Williams turns 35 in September, which is hard enough to believe by itself. But part of her birthday celebration could include capturing the modern record for major championships if she wins the U.S. Open earlier that month. Williams can tie Steffi Graf’s mark (22 majors) with a victory at Wimbledon, which begins Monday. Last…
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LeBron James Quiets the Haters and Cements His Legacy
LeBron James isn’t an Alpha, a Kappa, an Omega or a Sigma. But his tale of rising and falling and rising yet again reads like a classic Greek drama that fraternity brothers might study in college. The plot twists have been numerous and surprising. In a work of fiction, they would strain our ability to…
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The Real MVP: TV Movie About Wanda Durant’s Life Offers a Powerful Tribute to Single Moms
Superstar Kevin Durant was sniffling, getting teary-eyed and speaking with a cracked voice toward the end of his acceptance speech in 2014 after winning the NBA MVP award. And he hadn’t even mentioned his mother yet. He was talking about his brothers, his friends and his grandmother, thanking them for their love and support as…
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The 72-10 Chicago Bulls: Where Are They Now?
The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, greatly enhanced by Michael Jordan’s return after a two-year hiatus, won an NBA record 72 games en route to three consecutive titles. The Golden State Warriors, led by the incomparable Steph Curry, have tied Chicago’s mark and can break it Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzles in the regular-season finale. There…
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Ken Burns Wipes Away the Myths to Reveal the Real Jackie Robinson in His New Documentary
It’s never too late to make amends, even 69 years after the fact. The Philadelphia City Council proved as much on March 31, when it unanimously passed a resolution honoring Jackie Robinson and officially apologizing for the treatment he endured while visiting in 1947, the year he broke Major League Baseball’s color line. “Unfortunately in…
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Who Cares About Haters When You’ve Got Wins? The Cam Newton Story
Those who dislike Cam Newton have their reasons. His bright-white smile—as flawless as the Carolina Panthers’ 13-0 record—is a good place to start. Misery loves company, and Newton clearly would ruin the best pity party. The quarterback’s effervescence as he runs roughshod over the league gets on some folks’ nerves. If his smile is “fake,”…
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Arthur Ashe: 40 Years After His Historic Wimbledon Win, His Legacy Lives Beyond the Tennis Court
“I don’t want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments.” —Arthur Ashe Tennis was our introduction to Arthur Ashe, and he took over from there. He used the platform to become a civil rights activist, a human-rights champion and a model for black thinker-athletes. The sport turned our attention to the native of Richmond, Va.,…
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Not for Kids: Is Football Too Dangerous for Our Boys?
It’s the mentality in football: Playing hurt. Playing in pain. Playing with a concussion. NFL star Emmitt Smith recently said that he did it. His peers did it. And others will continue to do it. It’s part of the sport. But it’s that part that’s also taking parents who had been sitting on the fence…
