Sports

The NBA isn't the only organization drawing criticism for the China-Daryl Morey controversy. ESPN now looks like the Worldwide Leader In Sports Compromisers, as its television commentators treat the controversy with kid gloves. Deadspin's Laura Wagner points out that ESPN has a working agreement with Tencent, a large Chinese internet company that covers the NBA, and may not want to anger its…

Tuesday’s “Democracy Dies in Darkness” Washington Post print edition ran a strongly-worded editorial condemning the supposedly woke NBA for showing more interest in pleasuring the murderous Chinese regime than defending freedom. But there’s a catch to all this in that The Post’s sales department has exhibited a penchant for periodically offering an insert entitled “China Watch,” which is produced…

One would have presumed that woke, anti-Trump NBA coach Steve Kerr would be making a stand against all things authoritarian. After all, he’s one of the bigger virtue-signallers in the sports world. Yet when faced with the actual fascism of China policing the speech of his American colleagues, the Golden State Warriors coach has nothing at all to say. Maybe it’s just a lefty’s residual soft spot…

To left-stream media in Missouri, free speech extends to inflammatory actions by athletes, but not to Republican politicians who comment on those activities.

John Branch’s ostensible sports column on the front of Thursday’s New York Times Sports section welcomed the return of pro basketball, “Unlike Most Leagues, the N.B.A. Gets Real.” But Branch is being slippery. When he lauds “meaningful conversations” he appaerntly only means liberal political activism. For instance: "[Steve] Kerr...does not keep his gun-control beliefs to himself. [Gregg]…

Casting aside interests in fair reporting this weekend, ESPN W's feature story on U.S. track and field star Gwen Berry attempts to justify her shameful protest at this summer's Pan American Games in Peru. Inspired by her war veteran father and the late Michael Brown of Ferguson fame, Berry won the hammer throw and raised her fist on the victory stand during the playing of the national anthem.

Just forget about all that bad blood between Colin Kaepernick and football fans. The former NFL quarterback is a money maker and the league that made a record $15 billion last season is embarrassing itself by blackballing Kaepernick, writes Terence Moore of Forbes magazine.

With the NFL's quarterback injury toll mounting, the volume on media calls for Colin Kaepernick's return to the NFL has risen to a deafening roar this week. His apologists always call for NFL teams to sign him when a quarterback goes down with an injury, but they've really ratcheted up the anger and intensity in the past couple days. USA Today's Nancy Armour and ESPN First Take's Max Kellerman…

While beefing about Major League Soccer (MLS) banning the anti-fascist Iron Front banner at its games, retired NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes in a UK Guardian rant that curtailing the free speech of athletes or fans is not consistent with our vision of democracy. His is a slanted view of democracy, though, because he also says that if sports leagues allow fans to wear MAGA hats or play the…

Media disdain for model citizen Tim Tebow is so ridiculous that on Monday Carron J. Phillips, of The Shadow League blog, compares him to law-breaking actress Felicity Huffman. She got 14 days in jail, a $30,000 fine and community service for conspiracy to fix her daughter's SAT scores. Tebow, who angered the Left by going on ESPN Friday to say he opposes pay for college athletes, is "convicted"…

Sports writers and sports casters are lining up to take a whack at Tim Tebow for his opposition to payola for college athletes. Several from ESPN alone took shots at him Friday. The topic flared up this week after California lawmakers unanimously passed the so-called Fair Pay to Play Act, which if signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will enable athletes to make money off their own name, image…

Another test of ESPN's shaky "no-politics" rule is underway, as First Take's Stephen A. Smith today announced he's invited Colin Kaepernick to come onto the show as a guest. ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro is trying to force the network to stick to sports, but was directly challenged by Dan Le Batard earlier this year and now by Smith trying to lure Kaepernick onto the First Take set. Smith said he…

The Deadspin blog has been hating on President Donald Trump throughout his presidency, and today writer David Roth gave him a fresh, sarcastic blistering. In writing about Trump's brain and his sports-related remarks at a Monday campaign rally in North Carolina, Roth said the president has a sulky childishness and elevates landing the 2026 World Cup for America and his friendships with members of…