Throughout the physical trials and tribulations of MMA fighting, fighter Fallon Fox has encountered a level of difficulty many of her competitors haven’t had to contend with. Fox came out earlier this year as a transgendered woman. This has created quite a bit of controversy, as few viewers truly understand the implications of her gender. [...] Read More

The Augusta National Golf Club has, for the first time in its 80-year history, opened its membership to women [1]. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and financier Darla Moore were extended invitations to become the first female members of the prestigious club. Both women accepted the offer. Augusta National has undergone scrutiny for its longstanding [...] Read More

The NCAA handed Penn State University an unprecedented punishment Monday morning due to the university’s failure to properly report sexual abuse allegations against one if its former assistant football coaches. The university must pay $60 million to organizations that focus on the detection, prevention and treatment of child sexual assault. The Nittany Lions are also [...] Read More

  The coming out of U.S. Olympic soccer star Megan Rapinoe has earned national media attention since it is still rare for major international or professional athletes to announce that they are gay. Rapinoe told USA Today in a July 9 article previewing athletes for the upcoming 2012 London Summer Olympics that while she never [...] Read More

In the past couple of weeks, a few individuals and organizations have demonstrated how sports can serve as an emotionally uplifting tool. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offered Eric LeGrand an NFL contract. Greg Schiano, the new coach of the Bucs, was previously the coach at Rutgers University, where LeGrand was a standout linebacker [...] Read More

I was recently asked by former colleague Aaron Geiger, the publisher of the literary blog but.if.and.that, to offer my perspective on some of my favorite African-American sports literature that was to be included in a compilation of African-American literature reviews for Black History Month. While I could have written extensively on the many books I’ve [...] Read More

News of the tragic death of nearly 100 people who were involved in a riot following an Egyptian soccer match is the most recent example of a far-too-common occurrence of fans allowing their enthusiasm for their favorite teams to morph into illegal behavior. Levels of fandom have always been in existence, with quite a bit [...] Read More

In light of the ongoing scandal surrounding former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, a recent article in ESPN The Magazine stresses the importance of a transparent, united approach to preventing sexual abuse of children who participate in sport. In the article, titled “Not my coach. Not my town.,” Emmy-winning author Wayne Drehs encourages parents [...] Read More

A leader without moral actions isn’t a real leader. That’s the essence of the current situation at Penn State University, where the campus and community is engrossed in arguably the most morally reprehensible story in college athletics (and there have been plenty). By now everyone is likely familiar with the back story of former Penn [...] Read More

Is there a limit to rivalry in sports? Should there be? Whether they’re cheering injured opponents or booing a “Hockey Fights Cancer” promotion featuring opposing players, diehard sports fans can often seem callous. And while it’s obvious that they’re really cheering for their team’s increased chances of victory, or really booing their rivals and not [...] Read More