The Man Who Broke Physics
Even before competing in his first Olympics, 21-year-old Ilia Malinin has transformed the sport of figure skating.
Sports
The Return of Athlete Outrage
“I think that when human lives are at stake, it’s bigger than anything else,” the basketball star Breanna Stewart said.
The Sports Conspiracy That’s Too Easy to Believe
When the 49ers lost in the playoffs, some fans embraced a theory about electromagnetic waves instead of facing reality.
The End of the Underdog in College Football
In 2026, the best teams are no miracle.
The Question That the Lawyers Representing Trans Athletes Didn’t Answer
The oral arguments for Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. were meandering and unsatisfying.
An Underappreciated Variable in Sports Success
Sometimes athletes just get lucky.
Is Victor Wembanyama Too Tall?
Why it’s hard to watch the NBA’s most promising young talent
What Do You Think of Barry Bonds Now?
He was baseball’s ultimate slugger—and its biggest heel. Two decades after the steroid scandal that upended his career, America still doesn’t know what to do with him.
The WNBA Superstar Who Left the Game in Her Prime
Maya Moore walked away from basketball to focus on social-justice activism. Was it worth it?
The Most Difficult Position in Sports
Quarterbacks are generals, idols, spokesmen, psychologists, and egomaniacs—and they’ve never been more beloved.