When I think about relevance — what matters, what moves us, what shapes our future — I return to the power of sport as a force for transformation. Sports have taught me teamwork, grit, sportsmanship, and the value of showing up — especially when it’s hard.
After graduate school, I rode my road bike across America. For massive stretches at a time it was just me and the road facing an...
In the words of famous philosopher Charles Barkley, “College athletics is so f—d up right now. I don’t know what they’re gonna do to fix this thing. It’s out of control. I don’t know how you’re gonna put toothpaste back in the tube.”
He’s right, but despite its flaws, the current system appears to be working for many in the ecosystem:
The coaches , many of whom have huge multi-...
My first L.A. sports heroes weren’t just featured in the morning paper. They were the actual stars of the newspaper themselves: The morning sports columnist.
Jim Murray. Doug Krikorian. Allan Mallamud. Their words told me everything I needed to know about whether Magic and the Lakers could finally beat Boston, why Fernandoma- nia was important to my city, and whether the Triple Crown...
The more things change, the more sports stay the same. Sort of. There’s more money involved, the global stage is smaller, and the scandals more salacious. But they remain a unifying story, provoking a singular kind of collective joy and despair, anticipation and exclamation — the same emotions that make for a great PR campaign. In a world increasingly influenced by AI and misinformation,...
In the ever-evolving luxury playbook, brands are betting big on sports to drive relevance and reach. In the last year, they have been flooding the zone — sponsoring sporting events, tapping athletes as brand ambassadors, campaign stars and design collaborators, immersing in leagues by designing uniforms, merch and trophy cases, and even investing in teams themselves.
The athletes...
A sporting event is never just a game. It’s a reflection of who we are — our aspirations, our challenges, our drive to push boundaries. People of every background, belief, and ability come together in one place, at one time, to witness something bigger than themselves. All of us remember the buzz of high school sports and the joy of cheering on our hometown teams. For example, I’m thinking of...
Thirty-four years ago Mariah Burton Nelson, a former Stanford basketball player, wrote a book called Are We Winning Yet? How Women are Changing Sports and Sports are Changing Women. My response to her question was included in a column I wrote for the Oakland Tribune called “A Victory on Ice.” Like Nelson, I explored the ongoing inequities in women’s sports focusing on the stereotypes...
Walk into the Intuit Dome and the first thing you notice is what you don’t notice. No lines. No waiting. Concessions bill you automatically, so you can grab nachos and head straight to your seat. The friction of old stadiums disappears before the game even begins.
Then you look up. A sea of Clippers fans fills The Wall, a vertical section of 4,700 people roaring in unison. Above it...