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I would say that white people clearly believed something like that and promoted that ideology around sports in the United States. I would say black people believed it too, but they believed it for different reasons. They believed it because OK, in sports, if I’m given the fair opportunity, I can show what I can do because it was the belief by both parties, for a long time, that sport…

While NFL players, coaches and owners largely banded together Sunday in support of peaceful protest during the national anthem, another weekend staple, NASCAR, took a much different approach. Two NASCAR team owners — Richard Childress and Richard Petty — warned employees that any anthem demonstration would result in discipline, while NASCAR itself released an ambiguous statement Monday trumpeting both the pre-race ceremony and “the right to peacefully express one’s opinion.” The full…

“Sports are a unifying influence in our society, bringing people of differing backgrounds and beliefs together. Our respect for the national anthem has always been a hallmark of our pre-race events. Thanks to the sacrifices of many, we live in a country of unparalleled freedoms and countless liberties, including the right to peacefully express one’s opinion.”

Olympic regulations could make it tough for U.S. athletes at the upcoming Winter Games to take on President Trump in the manner that NFL players did over the weekend. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” U.S. Olympic Committee leaders — gathered in Park City, Utah, for a media summit…

Maybe you scored a seat right behind the backstop, hoping for nothing more than a pleasant evening at the ballpark. And maybe that outing with friends is interrupted by a foul ball hurtling your direction at 105 mph. Maybe the ball strikes a young girl who has to be taken to the hospital, while the batter — the New York Yankees’ prized rookie, Clint Frazier — watches in horror, thinking…

Last week, I slipped away from Disrupt for a couple of hours to watch a Giants game at nearby AT&T park — or, more precisely, watch a Giants game through an iPad. It was a small gathering hosted by Major League Baseball that points toward a possible future for fandom that’s exciting and fascinating, all while bringing out the crotchety old tech journalist in me that’s hidden not too far…

American gold medalist Tommie Smith (center) and bronze medalist John Carlos raise their fists in the air in a black power salute during the playing of the U.S. national anthem at the 1968 Olympics. Anonymous/AP hide caption toggle caption Anonymous/AP American gold medalist Tommie Smith (center) and bronze medalist John Carlos raise their fists in the air in a black power salute during the playing of the U.S. national anthem…

CAA CAA lands an incredible 11 agents on this year’s most powerful list, including, from left, No. 21 Jimmy Sexton, No. 9 Pat Brisson, No. 41 Aaron Mintz, No. 44 Steven Heumann and No. 16 Nez Balelo. With escalating media rights deals, rising salary caps and massive infusions of cash into professional sports leagues, athletes’ contracts are bigger than ever, and the sports agency business is booming. The firms featured in Forbes’…

Shutterstock In our daily lives, we are surrounded by incredible amounts of sports coverage, yet we often fixate on countless negative stories about collegiate and professional athletes, teams and leagues. Fan obsession with damaging topics versus positive headlines is troubling. Thankfully, there are many ways the sports industry amplifies feel-good stories that are key to building healthy communities. Public relations is a marketing vehicle that is underutilized in highlighting cheerful…

In the mid- to late 2000s, I remember going to games at old Yankee Stadium and feeling a sort of amorphous peer pressure during the pregame singing of the national anthem and seventh-inning renditions of “God Bless America.” Among fans, there was an almost belligerent tendency to self-police, to ensure all those in attendance rose and removed their caps. It always made me feel uncomfortable in the stands, even as…

NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with sports journalist Bruce Schoenfeld about the history of black athletes using their platforms for political protests.

President Donald Trump tweeted he was proud of NASCAR because no drivers, crew or other team members protested during the national anthem Sunday prior to a race at New Hampshire Motorspeedway. “So proud of NASCAR and its supporters and fans. They won’t put up with disrespecting our Country or our Flag – they said it loud and clear!” Trump tweeted Monday. Several team owners and executives had said Sunday they…

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Last week, I slipped away from Disrupt for a couple of hours to watch a Giants game at nearby AT&T park — or, more precisely, watch a Giants game through an iPad. It was a small gathering hosted by Major League Baseball that points toward a possible future for fandom that’s exciting and fascinating, all while bringing out the crotchety old tech journalist in me that’s hidden not too far…

The pitcher comes set. Enacts his delivery. His offering sails wide of the plate. Just like the last one, he thinks. He checks over his shoulder, glancing at the scoreboard that displays the strike zone, the pitch speed, and the exit velocity of batted balls. Yup. Instant feedback and validation, right there, right as soon as the ball leaves his hand. To think, this is only practice — yet all…

CINCINNATI — Nobody on the Red Sox kneeled or sat during the national anthem yesterday. Nobody locked arms, either. If this news surprises or disappoints you, consider baseball players usually trail the pro sports pack when it comes to being outwardly vocal on divisive social issues. It’s as if Jackie Robinson in the ’40s and Curt Flood in the ’70s was enough outside of maintaining their formidable players’ union. For…

Sports, to President Trump, has long been about the spectacle more than the spectators. He has a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame, and briefly and unsuccessfully owned a team in the USFL, the would-be competitor to the NFL that flamed out in the 1980s. But Trump loves winners, and he is also keenly aware of sports’ ability to inflame passions. The president knew exactly what he was doing…

It’s a demand that anyone who has ever written about sports has heard; an old refrain from readers who just want you to stay in your lane: “Stick to sports.” Any time analysis strays from the confines of a field or locker room to, say, what one thinks of the latest U2 album (it’s bad) or our current political climate (also bad), the call comes out: “Stick to sports.” Sports,…

Facebook may have openly distanced itself from live streaming prime-time sports. But soccer chiefs believe it’s only a matter of time before the social network will rival broadcasters for rights, and the world’s biggest sports will be watched regularly on Facebook as well as Amazon and Google. Facebook did, after all, attempt to get the digital rights to cricket’s Indian Premier League earlier this month. Meanwhile, Amazon is getting ready to live…

Inside sports business Word last week that a planned $600 million renovation of KeyArena could be exempted from a city bylaw prohibiting sports subsidies has raised eyebrows locally. But two creators of Initiative 91 said what’s most important is whether the bylaw’s “spirit’’ was followed during the city’s negotiation with Los Angeles-based developer Oak View Group (OVG). Nick Licata and Chris Van Dyk said much has changed since I-91 was crafted…