Sports

Baseball, like religion, can teach us something about enchantment
By Jacob Lupfer — April 6, 2022
(RNS) — As MLB’s delayed season begins, we're reminded that truth, beauty and enchantment matter.

Yeshiva University basketball team ends unforgettable era
By Luis Andres Henao and Jessie Wardarski — March 10, 2022
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — In the locker room after the game, some players — and even their usually stoic coach — choked back tears.

‘If you build it they will come’ no longer works for baseball — or organized religion
By Bob Smietana — March 4, 2022
(RNS) — Faced with declining audiences and a troubled product, baseball — like organized religion — has turned on itself.

It’s beyond time to remove bans on religious attire from sports uniforms
By Simran Jeet Singh — March 4, 2022
(RNS) — Kids shouldn't have to choose between love of sport and love of religion.

Rams or Bengals? The annual divining of the Super Bowl victor through sacred texts.
By Joshua Hammerman — February 11, 2022
(RNS) — My record is impeccable.

Five stories NBC probably won’t cover at the Beijing Olympics
By Ashwin Verghese — February 4, 2022
(RNS) — NBC owes the victims of China’s oppression equal time.

France moves closer to banning veils in sports competitions
By Samuel Petrequin — January 20, 2022
(AP) — The French soccer federation already bans women from wearing headscarves in official matches, as well as at competitions it organizes.

US official latest to comment on NBA owner’s dismissal of Uyghur genocide
By Joseph Hammond — January 19, 2022
(RNS) — Nury Turkel, an official with USCIRF, has condemned recent statements from Palihapitiya, a billionaire venture capitalist and a small stakeholder in the Golden State Warriors’ NBA franchise.

Supreme Court to hear case of praying ex-football coach
By Associated Press — January 14, 2022
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Friday it will hear the case of a former Seattle-area football coach who was removed from his job because he refused to stop praying on the field. Former Bremerton High School coach Joe Kennedy’s lawyers say the religious beliefs of their client, who is Christian, “compelled him to […]

Kardashian West helps fly Afghan women soccer players to UK
By Jill Lawless and David Keyton — November 18, 2021
A plane chartered by the reality star and carrying more than 30 teenage players and their families, about 130 people in all, landed at Stansted Airport near London.

Three Jewish players set a World Series record by walking onto the field
By Jonathan Weiler — November 1, 2021
(RNS) — Two Braves and one Astro represent the largest contingent of Jews ever to take the field in a single World Series.

Coach Mark Richt in conversation with Maina Mwaura
By Maina Mwaura — October 28, 2021
(RNS) — Former college football coach Mark Richt talks with Maina Mwaura about his Parkinson’s diagnosis; his new book, ‘Make the Call’; and how his faith has shaped his decisions on and off the field.

NBA’s Enes Kanter targets China, Nike over Uyghur genocide
By Joseph Hammond — October 26, 2021
(RNS) — Kanter, one of the most visible Muslims in the NBA, donned a pair of custom shoes Monday with the slogans ‘modern day slaves’ and ‘no more excuses’ emblazoned on them.

Illinois passes legislation to allow student athletes to wear hijab without waivers
By Emily McFarlan Miller — September 24, 2021
(RNS) — The Inclusive Athletic Attire Act allows all student athletes to modify their uniforms in keeping with their religion, culture or personal preferences for modesty.

Chaplain provides friendly face, spiritual and mental support to Olympians amid unusual Games
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 6, 2021
(RNS) — 'We are much quicker to recognize mental or spiritual needs as being as important as physical,' said Stuart Weir of Verite Sport.