April 25, 2007· The late writer David Halberstam earned most of his accolades with hard-hitting accounts of American political issues and institutions, but he also gave us great books on sports. He applied rigorous journalism to sports writing.
April 18, 2007 · The unusually chilly April is proving to be a cruel month for baseball players. It's not really a surprise that a disproportionate number of major leaguers come from warm-weather climates. Cold temperatures are not ideal for the boys of summer.
April 11, 2007 · No one person is bigger than the sport? Nonsense. What about Tiger Woods or Roger Federer? And world-record smasher Michael Phelps is not only bigger than swimming, he may be bigger than the Olympics.
April 4, 2007 · As the baseball season begins, here's a question for the powers that be: Why doesn't Major League Baseball join other sports in using instant replay to review close calls?
March 28, 2007 · Had an earful of overused sports words? Let's start vilifying cliches by referring to them only by their first letter. For example, "momentum" could become the M-word.
March 21, 2007 · Pity Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Like the late basketball great Wilt Chamberlain, A-Rod has extraordinary talent and MVP status. But he is not loved by the fans.
March 14, 2007 · The NCAA men's basketball tournament gets underway Thursday. It's a field padded with big-conference also-rans who have taken spots from more deserving teams with lesser pedigrees.
March 7, 2007 · Last month, we asked listeners to help name the late, great racehorse Barbaro's younger brothers. They came back with nearly 2,000 suggestions, including Paint the Town Red, Coup de Ville and Price of Love. Web Extra: Suggested Names and Also-Rans
February 28, 2007 · For many athletes, New York City is an intimidating place to play. Fans have high expectations and aren't afraid to boo players who disappoint them. If you can take it there, you can take it anywhere. And booing might just be a very healthy thing to do.
February 21, 2007 · Former NBA player John Amaechi made news recently when he announced that he is gay. But why do so many gay male athletes keep their sexual orientation a secret? Is it a fear of teammates, or of public reaction?
February 14, 2007 · Choosing baby names is hard, especially when the babies are brothers of a legendary racehorse. Barbaro's newest brother will be born this spring. What would you name the new foal? Web Extra: Help Name the Foal
February 7, 2007 · Top high school prospects must now wait at least a year after graduating before entering the NBA draft. The league says players benefit from the experience. But it may be more about marketing.
January 31, 2007 · Forget all the hype about the announcers, the commercials and the half-time show. There's another reason people tune in to the Super Bowl: they want to see who survives. It's the great American reality show.
January 24, 2007 · Some in Congress are asking why more money from "revenue sports" doesn't go to education. The truth is, big-time college sports are for purposes of amusement, not academics. And that isn't likely to change.
January 17, 2007 · Major League Soccer has high hopes that superstar David Beckham will bring in more fans to American soccer. But if sports history is any guide, boosters will be disappointed.
January 10, 2007 · When Birmingham Southern gave up athletic scholarships, freshman applications increased, more students tried intercollegiate sports and alumni contributions soared.
Frank Deford is the senior contributing writer at Sports Illustrated. His commentaries run each Wednesday on NPR.
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