No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough. We’ve got a long way to go, for us as a society and for us as African-Americans, until we feel equal in America. | | | | Ali lands a punch on the Beatles in Miami in 1964.
(Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images) | | | | |  | “No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough. We’ve got a long way to go, for us as a society and for us as African-Americans, until we feel equal in America.”
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| | rantnrave:// Did you see LEBRON JAMES' monologue Wednesday? Let me give you a moment. It's remarkable. James is honest and vulnerable. The most famous athlete in the US using his podium to speak about racism after his LOS ANGELES home was vandalized with a racial epithet. James used the platform to denounce that bigotry, but also to expose it and to bring it out into the open -- referencing the decision by EMMITT TILL's mother to have an open casket to show the world its brutality. We have seen the sports world grow increasingly political in the last two years and debated the merits of that, wondering whether the media and athletes should stick to sports. James' words were an expression of a simpler truth: Sports isn't sticking to sports anymore because the rest of life is inescapable. It has gotten political because there's no part of life that isn't. For a long time, the sports world was closed off by its own doing. The executives who run leagues, teams and networks -- mostly white men who make the rules -- were not representative of greater society. When the political climate turned, endangering the rights and norms they value -- and it became good business to speak about it -- they changed the rules. But James points out that for him and many others, "hate in America, especially for African-Americans, is living every day." His bout with racism came on the same day someone left a noose in the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, and during a period where hate crimes are rising. For generations, fans have used sports to project their emotions. Is it wrong to now use sports as a platform to talk about what's affecting the country? Is this the kind of conversation we want to keep out of sports? Or is this what we want sports to be about?... It's here. One of the most anticipated NBA FINALS in league history starts today. CAVALIERS-WARRIORS III. LeBron vs. CURRY and DURANT. The Cavaliers and Warriors tower over the rest of the NBA. Their rivalry is a battle of the league's best players, its biggest sneaker spokesmen, and of ideas. And there is an NBA title at stake. SportsSET: "The Thrillogy: Cavaliers and Warriors Meet Again"... ESPN announcer ANISH SHROFF pulled at my heartstrings with this essay about his mom. | | | - Mike Vorkunov, curator |
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 | REDEF |
| The Cavaliers and Warriors tower over the rest of the NBA. Their rivalry is a battle of the league's best players, its biggest sneaker spokesmen, and of ideas. And there is an NBA title at stake. | | |
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 | recode |
| Also, the tech giants will control live sports. | | |
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 | Sports Illustrated |
| The Warriors swept their way to the Finals, where they'll once again meet the Cavs, who lost only once in the East. Not everyone thinks such dominance is helping the game. | | |
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 | The Undefeated |
| He’s grown in Cleveland, in part because of a daughter born five months early. | | |
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 | MMQB |
| The game’s health depends on mitigating concussions and trauma caused by subconcussive hits. That’s why the NFL has incentivized the equipment industry with $60 million and called for a better overall helmet within three years, and position-specific helmets within five. | | |
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 | Bloomberg |
| Facing high travel demand, airlines are cutting back on the number of planes and crews available to charter, leaving colleges and some pro sports leagues scrambling. Jennifer Bulla, who manages travel for Ohio State, spent “a sleepless week” after United Airlines canceled its agreement to fly the Buckeyes in 2017 and 2018. (It has since reconsidered.) | | |
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 | Esquire |
| Former world chess champion, political activist, and author of 'Deep Thinking,' 54. | | |
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 | The Baltimore Sun |
| Cahree Myrick, a seventh grade student at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, is Baltimore's first national chess champion. He honed his skills at the Reflection Eternal Barbershop in Baltimore's Barclay neighborhood. | | |
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 | Racked |
| The Hadids have enough to do. | | |
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 | SportTechie |
| During live action, stats and fantasy points appear above each player as the basket is scored off an alley-oop. There are animation options that enable users to make a custom highlight of Blake Griffin dunking a cloud as lightning strikes. A screen can be automatically identified. Recommended and trending highlights are available on-demand. | | |
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 | Bon Appétit |
| This is the story of Quest, the protein bar that went from a side hustle to a billion-dollar company in under five years. | | |
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 | Vocativ |
| Nike's quest to break the two-hour marathon mark has sparked a debate on its legitimacy and what running is really about. | | |
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 | Los Angeles Times |
| Baseball has been Cal State Fullerton's only consistent winner. | | |
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 | Vice Sports |
| In her playing career, South Africa's Portia Modise scored more international goals than Messi or Ronaldo. If she were a man, she'd have the world at her feet. Instead, she's fought sexism and homophobia at every turn. | | |
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 | The Guardian |
| Its influence on mainstream pop culture has been felt for decades, yet film and TV’s take on the sport (we’re looking at you, "Animal Kingdom" and "Point Break") have fallen woefully short. | | |
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 | Bleacher Report |
| Summer has unofficially started, but there is plenty to chew on around the league. Is the NFL ready to start talking about why Colin Kaepernick can't find work? | | |
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 | Inside Lacrosse |
| Just outside of Boston, Mass., on Monday, May 29, 2017, ESPN broadcaster Anish Shroff made his debut as play-by-play commentator for the NCAA Championship Game, Maryland's 9-6 victory over Ohio State. Here, he shares his story about the emotional cross-section that the time, place and task represented for him and his family. | | |
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 | B/R Mag |
| Whether it's LeBron hunting down a fast-break layup or Manu stuffing James Harden at the buzzer-how and why clutch does (and doesn’t) happen. | | |
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 | The New Yorker |
| Deford combined the folksy idioms of classic Dempsey-age sportswriters with a sophisticated searching curiosity about what impels people. | | |
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 | Yahoo Sports |
| How great was the 1980 Louisiana super team? It had its own private jet, as well as future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Joe Dumars, and big-ticket stars Hot Rod Williams and Benny Anders. | | |
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 | YouTube |
| | | | Vivaldi recomposed by Max Richter |
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