NFL

Militarized Super Bowl Abuses Truth of Pat Tillman's Life and Death

by William Astore

Tillman’s statue captures the essence of a man full of life. His death by friendly fire in a misbegotten war, made worse by the lies told to the Tillman family by the U.S. military, reminds us that the essence of war is death. The NFL, as a sponsored partner of the Pentagon, would like us to forget.

Medical Historians: We've Been Taught to Forget What We Used to Know about Head Injuries in Sports

Stephen Casper, Emily Harrison and Jeremy Greene argue that league-affiliated researchers who claim the jury is out about whether head injuries in competition contribute to long-term cognitive and mental deterioration are ignoring a long archive of medical studies that solidifies the link. 

1957 Jerry Jones Photo Shows How Close The Past Really Is

"We know, at least in the abstract, what happened in the days and years after this photo of Jones was taken. He was there and he is here."

Former Star Keyshawn Johnson: Football Hall Must Honor "Forgotten Four" Integration Pioneers

Kenny Washington, Marion Motley, Woody Strode and Bill Willis reintegrated the NFL in 1946, breaking a "gentlemen's agreement" among the owners not to sign Black players. 

Ryan Russell: Jon Gruden Emails Should Have Shocked Me. They Didn't

"The long delay in disclosing these emails, coupled with their conversational nature, suggests that others in the N.F.L. are, at best, tolerant of these divisive views. At worst, they share them."

The NFL Must Learn Lessons About Inclusion from Women's Sports

by John Howard

If the NFL is sincere in wanting to fight against entrenched homophobia, it should follow the example of women's sports (and be prepared to make partnerships and investments with LGBTQ organizations inside and outside of sports.

Where Did The Term ‘Redskins’ Come From?

Monday’s announcement that the D.C. region’s football team would be abandoning the Redskins brand marks the end of a decadeslong push to shift the team away from the historically racist and oppressive term.

A Brief History of The Word ‘Redskin’ And How It Became a Source of Controversy

Its origins extend back to the 18th century, long before it became the name of a football team.

100 Years of NFL History in Objects

100 years of football history through artifacts from the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Would Frederick Douglass Take a Knee?

by Roy E. Finkenbine

What the answer to that question should tell us.

Battles over patriotism, Pledge of Allegiance in schools span a century

by Randall Curren and Charles Dorn

Seventy-five years ago, at the height of America’s involvement in World War II, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that guaranteed public school students’ right to refuse to stand in patriotic salute.

Donald Trump’s Shameful Use of the “Star-Spangled Banner” Is, Alas, an American Tradition 

by Michael J. Pfeifer

It’s one we should have put to an end long ago.

Trump said protesting NFL players ‘shouldn’t be in this country.’ We should take him seriously.

by Martha S. Jones

Black Americans have been threatened with deportation before. It never ends well.

The NFL Told Teams to Stand During the National Anthem in the 1960s

Here's how one player protested.

The Forgotten Origins of Politics in Sports

by Kenneth Cohen

Black athletes didn’t “politicize” American sports. They’ve been a battleground from the very beginning.

Cheerleaders taking a knee aren’t dishonoring the flag

by David B. Parker

Why the president of Kennesaw State University might want to reconsider his criticism.

Flip-Flopping on Free Speech

by Jill Lepore

The fight for the First Amendment, on campuses and football fields, from the sixties to today.

Trump’s NFL Tirade Is a Distraction from Real News – Like the World Hunger Crisis

by William Lambers

Hunger threatens Puerto Rico and famine threatens 4 other nations.

The history of singing the national anthem before NFL games

The history of playing the national anthem before sports games has strong ties with honoring the armed forces.

The Forgotten Story of the Men Who Broke the NFL’s Color Barrier

“No one has bothered to tell this story,” Mr. Greenberg said. “So I said, we’re telling the story through them, and their families.”