NFL

An ESPN microphone before the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 25, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism? The NFL May Buy a Stake in ESPN. Is This the Death of the Network’s Journalism?

ESPN’s dogged but underappreciated reporters keep getting laid off—and now a main target of their investigations may become the new boss.

Jan 17, 2024 / Dave Zirin

stadium NFL tottenham ravens played titans took a moment of silence to

The NFL Prays for Israel and Ignores Palestine The NFL Prays for Israel and Ignores Palestine

A few football fans started chanting “Free Palestine” during a moment of silence for the Israeli dead. It was a cry for Palestinian lives to matter as much as Israeli ones.

Oct 16, 2023 / Dave Zirin

Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants runs down the field holding football

Time to Stop Running Time to Stop Running

NFL running backs are in the same fight as all laborers: the struggle to be treated as humans, not “cattle.”

Jul 26, 2023 / Dave Zirin

Jim Brown sits on the sideline, his helmet off.

Jim Brown’s War Within Himself Jim Brown’s War Within Himself

The passing of the football great is an opportunity to speak about his tangled legacy.

May 22, 2023 / Dave Zirin

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackso

Lamar Jackson Made the Billionaires Blink Lamar Jackson Made the Billionaires Blink

After a two-year odyssey, the MVP quarterback scores a contract that was even more about power than about money.

May 2, 2023 / Dave Zirin

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson’s Sin: Not Playing Their Game Lamar Jackson’s Sin: Not Playing Their Game

The incredibly talented quarterback can’t find a new team. It reveals the ugly way NFL owners do business.

Mar 31, 2023 / Dave Zirin

members of the Connecticut Sun team kneel during the playing of the national anthe

The New Era of Backlash in Sports and Politics The New Era of Backlash in Sports and Politics

Trump opened up the world of sports to the hard right.

Mar 1, 2023 / Dave Zirin

Buffalo Bills players and staff pray for their teammate Damar Hamlin during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Cincinnati, which was postponed 59 minutes after Hamlin collapsed.

Is It Time to Cancel Football? Is It Time to Cancel Football?

Now, as the Super Bowl looms, is it time to turn your back on football? Or would you prefer to “man up” and leave any qualms about its violence in the dust of recent history?

Feb 10, 2023 / Robert Lipsyte

Stefon Diggs, #14 of the Buffalo Bills, leaps for a pass, with Jaire Alexander, #23 of the Green Bay Packers, in pursuit, October 30, 2022. (Joshua Bessex / Getty Images)

Heartbreak Is Life: Reflections of a Football Fan Heartbreak Is Life: Reflections of a Football Fan

Like life, football is ultimately about loss, struggle, grace, danger, and finding joy wherever we can.

Feb 10, 2023 / Photo Essay / JoAnn Wypijewski

The Enduring Stench of Jerry Jones’s Politics

The Enduring Stench of Jerry Jones’s Politics The Enduring Stench of Jerry Jones’s Politics

The owner of Dallas Cowboys has never hired a Black head coach—and the team hasn’t won a championship in 27 years.

Jan 24, 2023 / Dave Zirin

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