Football Won’t Save Tua Tagovailoa From Himself
No mechanism exists for the NFL or anyone else to decide how many concussions are too many.
Sports
Tua Tagovailoa’s Impossible Choice
It’s hard to know whether the NFL star must step away from the game, even after his fourth concussion.
What Happened to the Politically Conscious Black Athlete?
Many Black sports stars refused to be silent during the 2020 election. This time around, silence seems to suit them just fine.
The Modern Olympics Invented the Marathon
A 19th-century philologist turned a Greek legend into a sport.
A Dam-Break Moment for Women in Olympics
Forty years ago, women competed in the first Olympic marathon—and set a powerful precedent for female athletes in all sports.
The Olympics Could Have Avoided the Ugly Boxing Debate
Questions about unfair advantage won’t just go away.
The Crybaby Olympics
Sports have always had sore losers. But based on this year’s Games, athletes seem to be getting worse at losing well.
Elite Athletes Could Be Less Single-Minded
Paying a little more attention to life outside of sports could benefit their mental health, during competition and after.
Sports Stories for the Sports-Averse
A collection of Atlantic articles on what makes athleticism a deeply human endeavor
A Skeptic Attends the First Modern Olympics
The games didn’t always inspire global patriotic fervor.