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Cord-cutters threaten the existence of regional sports networks

May 26, 2023
Lost cable fees mean reduced rights payments to teams. It's uncertain how it will all play out, says Ben Strauss of The Washington Post.
In March, Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts via Getty Images

Pickleball’s popularity presents equity challenges for city governments

Apr 11, 2023
For many major cities across the United States, pickleball’s rise in popularity shows equity gaps in infrastructure.
A pickelabll court located in Brooklyn, New York. More than 4.8 million people played the sport in 2021, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

As women's sports grow in popularity, so does the bar that only airs women's matches

Apr 7, 2023
"Spaces like this are really important for not just sports and not just representation, but for the people who come to be a part of that community," said Jenny Nguyen, owner of the Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon.
Celebrating the bar's first anniversary, Nguyen reflects on the The Sports Bra's place in the community.
Courtesy Dorothy Wang

College stars' name and image deals vs. the health of athletic departments

Mar 15, 2023
The channeling of NIL cash to athletes poses a risk to athletic department funding. Author Bruce Schoenfeld explains.
As March Madness rolls around, author Bruce Schoenfeld discusses how NIL deals are affecting funding for college athletic departments.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

At The Sports Bra in Portland, it's all women's sports, all the time

Dec 5, 2022
"All we were doing was changing the channel," says Jenny Nguyen, founder and owner of The Sports Bra.
The interior of The Sports Bra, a bar in Portland, Oregon, which shows off flags and paraphernalia from a variety of women's teams.
Courtesy Shannon Dupre

Can Los Angeles repeat its past Olympic success?

Nov 28, 2022
Mayor Eric Garcetti says the city's existing infrastructure and innovative approach will allow the 2028 Games to mirror the financial victories of 1984.
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti (right) with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and IOC leader Thomas Bach in 2017. Garcetti says LA's existing infrastructure will help it reduce costs and deliver a surplus during the 2028 Games.
Buda Mendes/Getty Images

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Inside the "kafala" migrant labor system

The system has come under scrutiny over alleged human rights and labor abuses during the construction preceding the World Cup.
Foreign laborers make up the overwhelming majority of Qatar. The country's "sponsorship" system has come under scrutiny from human rights activists in the leadup to the World Cup.
Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

How expensive is it to host the World Cup or Olympics?

Nov 3, 2022
The upcoming soccer World Cup in Qatar is unlikely to recoup its economic costs and might be costly to the country's image too.
For most cities, hosting large, global events is a pricey endeavor with questionable economic benefits. Qatar is unlikely to recoup its costs for the upcoming soccer World Cup, according to professor Victor Matheson.
David Ramos/Getty Images