League of Fans

Field of Schemes

Sonics co-owner: We wanted OKC all along – wait, are you writing this down?
August 14, 2007

“Throw another move threat on the fire: Yesterday, Seattle Sonics minority owner (and billionaire natural gas mogul) Aubrey McClendon told the Oklahoma City Journal Record that he was ‘under a self-imposed gag order’ regarding operations of the team – then yammered at length about it, including the statement: ‘We didn’t buy the team to keep it in Seattle; we hoped to come here. We know it’s a little more difficult financially here in Oklahoma City, but we think it’s great for the community and if we could break even we’d be thrilled.’” . . . | more

Reporting for the New York Times, Sally Wadyka focuses on a consensus statement released recently by the American College of Sports Medicine. Wadyka writes that it was a joint effort by sports medicine practitioners, team doctors and sports psychologists “to inform team physicians, coaches and athletic trainers about the important link between stress and injury.”

by Dave Zirin

Pity the poor soul that sets to write a great sports novel. It can feel like trying to train a goldfish to fetch. Sisyphus might find pushing that rock up the hill a more fruitful task. What makes penning a sports novel such a perilous pursuit?

As reported by Mark Segraves of WTOP, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and DC Council Chair Vincent Gray want to sell corporate naming rights to parts of DC public schools. Fenty said: “I think it’s a good thing. I think there should be public-private partnerships in schools. I don’t think the government should just try and do everything themselves.”

By Dave Zirin

Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the last place on earth I would have expected a “structurally deficient bridge” to collapse, but it happened. As sure as the levees broke in New Orleans, the bridge is no more. Now the state of Minnesota is living a nightmare where people I speak with are alternately devastated and furious: two parts tears, one part rage, with the ratio shifting by the hour.

By Dave Zirin

Dear LeBron:

At the tender age of 22, you have the galactic talent to make us wonder if a mad scientist had Magic and MJ genetically spliced. But talent ain’t wisdom. In a recent interview, you said that your goal in sports was to become “the richest man on earth.” You also told ESPN, “I’m trying to be a global icon…on the level of Muhammad Ali.” These dreams are compatible only if you choose to emulate Ali the icon and not Ali the man.

The NFL has said it has had to inform some churches, theaters, schools, museums, casinos, hotels and other organizations of copyright limits placed on Super Bowl viewing parties. Yet sports bars and other businesses that televise sports as part of their everyday operations are exempt.

The NFL caught the attention of the media and drew nationwide resentment when they sent a letter to an Indianapolis church prior to Super Bowl XLI, demanding the cancellation of the church’s party. The ramifications of such an organizational crackdown could be far reaching. Many churches across the country ended their Super Bowl party plans upon hearing the news from Indianapolis.

Gale Courey Toensing writes a nice summary for Indian Country Today on activities in 2006 regarding the American Indian mascot issue.

The loss of David Halberstam in a traffic collision in Menlo Park, California, deprived our country of a great reporter and a great man. His journalistic sweep, manifested through original writings in articles, books and interviews, came with a knowledge of historical roots to contemporary events.

Memo to Imus: You’re Fired
Dave Zirin
Edge of Sports
April 12, 2007

Time for Jackson, Sharpton to Step Down
Jason Whitlock
AOL Sports
April 13, 2007

UPDATE

Outrageous Words, Outrageous Deeds
Ralph Nader
In the Public Interest
April 16, 2007