sports — Bunk History

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The Battle Between Baseball and Cricket for American Sporting Supremacy

We could have had a very different World Series.

by Daniel Crown via Atlas Obscura on October 19, 2017

How the Cubs Won

Four books contend with the lifting of the 108-year old curse.

by Jack Rakove via Public Books on October 3, 2017

From Louis Armstrong to the N.F.L: Ungrateful as the New Uppity

The belief endures, from Armstrong’s time that visible, affluent African-American entertainers are obliged to adopt a pose of ceaseless gratitude.

by Jelani Cobb via The New Yorker on September 24, 2017

The NFL’s Pending Hall of Fame Problem

If everyone is breaking records, then who goes to Canton?

by Kevin Clark via The Ringer on August 4, 2017

The Role of HBCUs and the Black Press in the Rise of the American Tennis Association

Historically black colleges and universities hosted all but six ATA tournaments from 1927 to 1968.

by Rhiannon Walker via Andscape on August 4, 2017

Athlete Activists

The autobiography of NBA star Craig Hodges contains lessons for the pro athletes who are speaking up today.

by Jules Boykoff via Public Books on May 12, 2017

How African-Americans Disappeared from the Kentucky Derby

In the 19th century – when horse racing was America’s most popular sport – former slaves populated the ranks of jockeys and trainers.

by Katherine Mooney via The Conversation on May 4, 2017

The Drugs Won: The Case for Ending the Sports War on Doping

Two former anti-doping professionals think the fight against performance-enhancing drugs is doing more harm than good.

by Patrick Hruby via Vice Sports on August 1, 2016

The 1879 Yale Football Team posing for a photo with captain Walter Camp.

What Would the Father of American Football Make of the Modern Game?

Walter Camp praised the sport as a way to toughen up élite young white men. Despite changes to the game and society, his legacy remains.

by Ian Crouch via The New Yorker on November 19, 2015

Negro League Baseball

A primary source set and teaching guide created by educators.

by Jamie Lathan via Digital Public Library of America on October 14, 2015

The Secret History of Chief Wahoo

Brad Ricca dives into the history of the Cleveland Indians' name and the creation of "Chief Wahoo."

by Brad Ricca via Belt Magazine on June 19, 2014

John L. Sullivan Fights America

In 1883, heavy-weight boxing champion John L. Sullivan embarked on a tour of the country that would make him a sports superstar.

by Christopher Klein via The Public Domain Review on April 30, 2014

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”: The Story of Katie Casey and Our National Pastime

The little-known story of one of the best known sing-along songs, and its connection to women's suffrage.

by George Boziwick via Our Game on October 8, 2013

Sports Illustrated cover featuring a model in a swimsuit.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

An intellectual history.

by Bryan Curtis via Slate on February 9, 2010

Dock Ellis against a psychedelic background

Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No

The story of the legendary pitcher and his 1970 drug-fueled no-hitter.

by James Blagden via Victory Journal on November 11, 2009

Locker-Room Liberty

Athletes who helped shape our times and the economic freedom that enabled them.

by Matt Welch via Reason on May 1, 2005

A man making fists, ready to box.

Storm of Blows

In the 1890s, boxing went from lower class brawling to upper class show of masculinity.

by Melissa Haley via Commonplace on January 1, 2003

Lee Elder

Black Champions: Interview with Lee Elder

His experiences with racism and golf, from death threats in Memphis to breaking the sporting color barrier in South Africa.

via American Archive of Public Broadcasting on July 16, 1985

Althea Gibson with a tennis racket on her lap.

Black Champions: Interview with Althea Gibson

How being introverted and focused on work helped an athlete navigate a prejudiced sports culture.

via American Archive of Public Broadcasting on October 21, 1984

Sydney Sweeney in a boxing ring as Christy Martin in the film "Christy."

The Real Story of Christy Martin, the Trailblazing Boxer Who ‘Created a Sport That Did Not Exist’

A new biopic starring Sydney Sweeney as the legendary athlete chronicles Martin’s fights in and outside of the ring.

by Mary Randolph via Smithsonian Magazine on November 5, 2025

Native American activists protesting the former mascot and name of the Washington Commanders.

The Annotated History of a Slur

Digging through dictionary archives to uncover the slowly changing meaning of “redskin.”

by Stefan Fatsis via Defector on October 13, 2025

Georgia Bulldog Football team warms up at their stadium.

A Historian’s Notes on College Football’s New Money Era

College football’s NIL era has freed athletes but fueled chaos, soaring costs, and fan backlash.

by James C. Cobb via Zócalo Public Square on September 18, 2025

Althea Gibson holding her tennis racket at the London airport.

Ahead of the Game

Althea Gibson, one of the great tennis players of the twentieth century, made segregation in her sport untenable.

by Sasha Abramsky via New York Review of Books on September 4, 2025

Still frame from a slow motion sequence in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde shows actress grimacing inside a vehicle.

How Slow Motion Became Cinema’s Dominant Special Effect

The turbulent late sixties saw the technique’s popularity explode—and it’s been helping moviemakers engage with the unsettling tempos of modern life ever since.

by Scott W. Stern via The New Republic on June 27, 2025

African American baseball team photo.

How Baseball Shaped Black Communities in Reconstruction-Era America

On the early history of Black participation in America's pastime.

by Gerald Early via Literary Hub on May 1, 2025

The Naval Scientist Who Wanted To Know How Football Players Would Survive Nuclear War

It wouldn’t take much, the fan explained, just some radioactive material inside the players, who would then undergo a physical examination.

by Chris Roberts via Defector on January 24, 2025

Jimmy Carter receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1977.

Here’s How Jimmy Carter Changed Higher Education

He tackled segregation in the nation’s public colleges and fraud in student-aid programs, and established the Department of Education.

by Kelly Field via The Chronicle of Higher Education on December 29, 2024

The sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium’s first opening day.

Major League Baseball’s Historical Quest to Entice Middle- and Upper-Class Fans to the Park

MLB’s focus on wealthier fans stands in stark contrast to rhetoric about the ballpark that had long called it a site of egalitarian intermixing.

by Seth S. Tannenbaum via Process: A Blog for American History on October 15, 2024

Illustration of Willie Mayes holding a baseball bat, while men watch from the city.

A Giant of a Man

The legacy of Willie Mays and the Birmingham ballpark where he first made his mark.

by Eric Wills via The American Scholar on October 10, 2024

Picture of a baseball card of designated runner, Herb Washington.

Speed Kills

Two striking reminders of the game-changing potential of great speed and its limited value unless accompanied by other essential skills.

by John Thorn via Our Game on October 7, 2024

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