***ONLINE READING ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE POSTED BY 5 P.M. FRIDAY OF THE PREVIOUS WEEK***
Week 16: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Nov. 28
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on pro athletes as sports heroes, Esquire, Oct. 29, 2013
- Alex Rodriguez and Lance Armstrong are not heroes — they are cheaters, Thom Loverro, The Guardian, Aug. 13, 2013
- One Role Model to Another, Karl Malone, Sports Illustrated, June 14, 1993
Week 14: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Nov. 14
- Baseball’s culture clash: Vast majority of brawls involve differing ethnicities, Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, Oct. 1, 2015
- In ever-changing USA landscape, USMNT vs. Mexico a complex rivalry, Grant Wahl, Sports Illustrated, Oct. 7, 2015
- Jeremy Lin row reveals deep-seated racism against Asian-Americans, Hadley Freeman, The Guardian, Feb. 12, 2012
- To Italian-Americans, ‘He Was Someone Just Like Us,’ Bonnie DeSimone, Chicago Tribune, March 9, 1999
- Language Is Still a Barrier for Nomo, Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, March 25, 1997
Week 13: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Nov. 7
- Tim Tebow and Jason Collins: A Tale of Two Athletes, Peter Roff, U.S. News & World Report, April 30, 2013
- If Tim Tebow Were Muslim, Would America Still Love Him? Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Huffington Post, Dec. 14, 2011
- The Brandon Davies Dilemma: Can Religion and College Sports Co-Exist? Jake Simpson, The Atlantic, March 4, 2011
- Increasingly, Football’s Playbooks Call for Prayer, Joe Drape, The New York Times, Oct. 30, 2005
Week 12: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Wednesday, Nov. 2
- Atlanta Radio Host Unloads Ugly Twitter Tantrum on Female ESPN MLB Analyst, Dan Carson, Bleacher Report, Oct. 7, 2015
- As women break barriers, more opportunities must follow, Shira Springer, The Boston Globe, Sept. 13, 2015 (be sure to click “Continue Reading” after the first page so that you read the entire article)
- Is football ready for a woman? Andrea Adelson, ESPN.com, Oct. 16, 2013
- Stop Celebrating Women’s Dunks, LZ Granderson, espnW, May 29, 2013
- 9 Ways Women Get on the Cover of ‘Sports Illustrated’, Eleanor Barkhorn, The Atlantic, July 10, 2011
Week 11: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Oct. 24
- For Those Keeping Score, American Women Dominated in Rio, Jere Longman, The New York Times, Aug. 22, 2016 (also watch the embedded video, “Sexism in Olympics Coverage”)
- The 1995 Connecticut Huskies: The Team That Made Women’s Basketball, Brendan Prunty, The Big Lead, March 12, 2015
- How the Women Won, Jere Longman, The New York Times Magazine, June 23, 1996
WEEK 10: Complete by the start of class on Wednesday, Oct. 19
- The Meaning of Serena Williams, Claudia Rankine, The New York Times Magazine, Aug. 15, 2015
- Mia Hamm, Soccer Star, to Retire Tonight, Jere Longman, The New York Times, Dec. 8, 2004
- Mrs. Billie Jean King! Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, May 19, 1975
- Babe Part 2, Nancy Williamson, Sports Illustrated, Oct. 13, 1975
WEEK 9: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Oct. 10
- Tommie Smith, John Carlos join 2016 US Olympic team at the White House, Jill Martin, CNN.com, Sept. 29, 2016
- You cannot glorify Muhammad Ali and vilify Colin Kaepernick, New Jersey Star-Ledger editorial board, Aug. 30, 2016
- Alex Haley Interviews Jim Brown, Playboy magazine via http://www.alex-haley.com, February 1968 (Focus on the introductory text, through to the start of the Q&A, and then on all questions below and including the one that starts with “Throughout your first year at Syracuse…”.)
- Bill Russell, Civil Rights Hero and Inventor of Airborne Basketball, Doug Merlino, Bleacher Report, April 29, 2011
WEEK 8: Complete by the start of class on Monday, Oct. 3
- Commissioner Landis Wouldn’t Let It Happen, Other Owners Didn’t Want It to Happen, so It Was Up to Him to Integrate Baseball, Bob Nightengale, Los Angeles Times, March 31, 1997
- Rooney Rule in reverse: Minority coaching hires have stalled, Mike Sando, ESPN.com, July 19, 2016
- Fear of a Black Quarterback: How Cam Newton has stretched the sports world’s racial barriers, Tommy Craggs, Slate, Jan. 15, 2016
- Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and racial identity in sports, Mike Wise, ESPN.com, Sept. 5, 2015
WEEK 7: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Sept. 26
- In search of the glue that holds the South together, Jim Galloway, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 22, 2015
- Ghosts of Mississippi, Wright Thompson, ESPN, 2012 (read all three chapters — this is long, so budget significant time)
- Texas Western’s 1966 title left lasting legacy, Frank Fitzpatrick, ESPN Classic, Nov. 19, 2003
WEEK 6: Complete by the start of class on Wednesday, Sept. 21
- Last Week Tonight With John Oliver: Stadiums, HBO, July 12, 2015
- With Braves Set to Move, a Broader Look at Atlanta, Kim Severson, The New York Times, Nov. 16, 2013
- Where the Fans Rule, Andrew Brandt, MMQB, July 2013
- What the Dodgers Meant to Brooklyn, Yuval Rosenberg, WNYC News, July 26, 2010
WEEK 5: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Sept. 12
- The Olympics Have Always Been Political, J. Weston Phippen, The Atlantic, July 28, 2016
- The Miracle on Ice, Gerald Eskenazi, The New York Times, Feb. 10, 2010
- Political football: Mike Leach, Donald Trump and coaches on the stump, Brent Schrotenboer, USA Today, June 8, 2016
- Dennis Rodman returns after visit to North Korea, Jethro Mullen and Yuli Yang, CNN, Jan. 14, 2014 (watch this video before reading the article)
- Zhuang Zedong, Skilled in China Foreign Relations and Ping-Pong, Dies at 72, Douglas Martin, The New York Times, Feb. 11, 2013
WEEK 4: No online readings this weekend
- This would be a good time to catch up on reading in the required text. If you’re midway through Chapter 2 at the end of this week, you’re on schedule.
WEEK 3: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Aug. 29
- After Petition, Greg Louganis Gets His Wheaties Box, Richard Sandomir, The New York Times, April 4, 2016
- Change We Can Believe In: The Importance of Brewers Minor Leaguer David Denson’s Decision to Come Out, Michael Baumann, Grantland, Aug. 17, 2015
- What happens when a sportsman comes out as gay? Jim White, The (London) Telegraph, July 21, 2015
- Is Caitlyn Jenner the wrong honoree for ESPYs’ Courage Award? Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, July 15, 2015
- Fallon Fox on life as a trans athlete: ‘The scope of vitriol and anger was mind-blowing,’ Jos Truitt, The Guardian, Feb. 16, 2015
WEEK 2: Complete by the start of the online discussion on Monday, Aug. 22
- Women’s World Cup joy: Abby Wambach and her wife are just another couple celebrating, Lauren Gambino, The Guardian, July 6, 2015
- ESPN apologizes for report on Michael Sam’s showering habits, Chris Chase, USATODAY.com, Aug. 27, 2014 (watch the video in addition to reading the article)
- Every FCC Viewer Complaint About Michael Sam Kissing His Boyfriend, Barry Petchesky, Deadspin, June 18, 2014
- I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot, Chris Kluwe, Deadspin, Jan. 2, 2014
- Outspoken Weir Will Be Quiet on Russian Law, Juliet Macur, The New York Times, Oct. 23, 2013
- Boycott Sochi? Dave Zirin, Grantland, Aug. 1, 2013
- To ask or not to ask, LZ Granderson, May 30, 2013
- Why NBA center Jason Collins is coming out now, Jason Collins, Sports Illustrated, April 29, 2013
- Same Sex Marriages: What’s the Big Deal? Brendon Ayanbadejo, Huff Post, May 24, 2009
WEEK 1: Complete by the start of class on Monday, Aug. 15
- ‘Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too’: That quote has haunted Michael Jordan for decades. But did he really say it? Laura Wagner, Slate, July 28, 2016
- WNBA Players Speak Out After League Rescinds Fines for Supportive Shirts, Ryan Cortes, The Undefeated, July 25, 2016