Longread #439 -- The Dawn of Bodybuilding -- 1/16/14

"The Dawn of Bodybuilding" by Paul Solotaroff
Published in Men's Journal, February 2012

Eric

Longread #419 -- Good to the Last Drop -- 12/11/13

"Good to the Last Drop" by Jen. A. Miller
Published in the Magazine on Medium, December 5, 2013

Eric

Longread #357 -- Rise of the Shuttlecock -- 7/30/13

This article from Seattle's alternative weekly newspaper looks at the often-overlooked sport of badminton. The description of the game's history and the dynamics that are driving its recent growth make this an interesting and enjoyable read.

"The Rise of the Shuttlecock" by Brandon Kiley
Published in the Stranger, July 24, 2013

Eric

Longread #352 -- I Trusted 'Em -- 7/22/13

The NCAA system of amateur athletes is broken. Usually, the primary reason cited for why this is the case is the gap between the revenue that college players deliver (millions to universities and other organizations) and the reward that they receive (college scholarships). This article highlights another flaw in the system regarding how player injuries are handled and the lack of obligations that schools have to their players.

"'I Trusted 'Em': When NCAA Schools Abandon Their Injured Athletes" by Meghan Walsh
Published in the Atlantic, May 1, 2013

Eric

Longread #339 -- Hawks Win! -- 6/25/13

HAWKS WIN!!!!!

"Beyond Belief: Hawks Make History With Comeback" by Joe Posnanski
Published on NBC Sports, June 25, 2013

Eric

Longread #326 -- Depressed Sports Fans -- 5/31/13

This one is dedicated to fans of the Detroit Red Wings who lost a riveting Game 7 earlier this week against the Chicago Blackhawks. Though I was elated with that outcome, unfortunately, I can say that I've been the depressed sports fan many, many times and have shown traits of almost all of the 20 types listed here.

Enjoy this entertaining read and have a happy Friday!

"The 20 Types of Depressed Sports Fans" by Sean McIndoe
Published on Grantland, May 21, 2013

Eric

Longread #319 -- NACHOS! -- 5/17/13

Gotta love 'chos at the ballpark. Even if they are served out of a helmet or found discarded under someone's seat.

Happy Friday!

"The History of Baseball Stadium Nachos" by K. Annabelle Smith
Published in the Smithsonian Food & Think blog, May 7, 2013

Eric

Longread #309 -- The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved -- 5/3/13

In honor of tomorrow's Kentucky Derby, here's Grantland's presentation of a classic article by Hunter S. Thompson about Derby weekend.

Happy Friday!

"Director's Cut: ‘The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved’ by Hunter S. Thompson" by Michael MacCambridge
Published on Grantland, May 4, 2012

Eric

Longread #299 -- Sports Reporting -- 4/19/13

The nature of sports journalism has changed a lot in recent years, but some elements stay the same including the fact that many athletes are, for lack of a better term, a pain-in-the-ass to deal with. Today's longread is about how one columnist turned the tables in a classic piece of sports writing.

Happy Friday!

"Director's Cut: ‘Oh, No! Not Another Boring Interview With Steve Carlton,’ by Diane K. Shah" by Michael MacCambridge
Published on Grantland, September 21, 2012

Eric

Longread #291 -- Baseball -- 4/8/13

Today is the Kansas City Royals home opener, which always represents a certain level of excitement as a new season -- and new hope -- springs anew. However, with a team like the Royals, after so many years of disappointment, it's sometimes hard to remember why we get so fired up by the return of baseball. In this post from Jeff Sullivan, who writes largely about another flailing franchise (the Seattle Mariners), he explores the way that baseball's uncertainty lures us in and gives meaning to our lives as fans.

The part about Franklin Gutierrez refers to a player for the Mariners who several years ago was seen as the face of the franchise and then has missed extensive playing time as a result of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (no joke) and other largely fluke-y injuries.

"Franklin Gutierrez Is Baseball" by Jeff Sullivan
Published on USS Mariner, April 5, 2013

Eric

Longread #242 -- The Dawn of Bodybuilding -- 1/25/13

This article looks at how the sport of bodybuilding exploded from Venice Beach, California and also led to the creation of the Gold's Gym franchise. While only a few people go to the lengths that these bodybuilders did (and still do), it's interesting to me the way that this story influenced the way that people think about exercise and going to the gym. It's also crazy to me that Arnold ended up being the Governor of California, but that's another story altogether.

"The Dawn of Bodybuilding" by Paul Solotaroff
Published in Men's Journal, Feb 2012
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/print-view/the-dawn-of-bodybuilding-20121118

Eric

Longread #237 -- The Longest Hunger Strike -- 1/18/13

This is a fascinating story about the ethics of force-feeding prisoners who are on a hunger strike. The author provides a valuable insight into a topic that is complicated by the many competing imperatives of the state, individual freedom, religion, and the institution of medical practice. It's also a story that I find tremendously troublesome not only because of what happens to prisoners like the one in the story but also because this is an issue that I have virtually never heard raised before.

"The Longest Hunger Strike" by Ann Neumann
Published in Guernica Magazine, January 15, 2013
http://www.guernicamag.com/features/the-longest-hunger-strike/?src=longreads

Eric

Longread #235 -- Basketball Diaries -- 1/16/13

I've been thinking about sports a lot recently (in large part as a result of Longread #221), and as a result, I enjoyed reading this article about basketball in Afghanistan. I thought it used the first-person effectively and offered an important perspective on the way that sports gain meaning in different cultural contexts.

"Basketball Diaries, Afghanistan" by Peretz Partensky
Published in n+1, December 5, 2012
http://nplusonemag.com/basketball-diaries-afghanistan

Eric

Longread #234 -- Friday Night Tykes -- 1/15/13

In honor of playoff football, I'm posting this longread about youth football in Texas. The commitment of time, emotion, money, and infrastructure to football in Allen, Texas is truly astounding. I want to believe that it is all justified by the lessons of teamwork, discipline, and healthy competition that kids can learn playing this game, but the cynic in me recoils when hearing how football-crazed this town is.

"Friday Night Tykes" by Bryan Curtis
Published in Texas Monthly, January 2013
http://www.texasmonthly.com/cms/printthis.php?file=feature3.php&issue=2013-01-01%3Fsrc%3Dlongreads

Eric

Longread #225 -- Snow Fall -- 1/2/13

This longread tells a riveting and terrifying story, but that isn't why it has generated significant buzz on the internet. What really sets this article apart is not its content but its structure and delivery. The New York Times has published many excellent articles that have been featured on this blog, and with its growing focus on the digital realm, the Times has also looked for ways to make its content more appealing and more informative. With this "interactive" longread, they've hit a home run. The multimedia design of this story isn't just a nice layout; instead, it is an effective use of text, pictures, and graphics to help keep the reader engaged and deepen his or her understanding of the article. Reading through the entire piece takes awhile, but it's worth it for the story itself and for the glimpse it provides into what the direction of online longform journalism may look like in the near future.

"Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek" by John Branch
Published in the New York Times, December 20, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

Eric

Longread #221 -- Eliminate Sports Welfare -- 12/26/12

Today's longread looks at one of the darker sides of sports in America. While we often think of the joys of going to sporting events or the camaraderie of being a sports fan, this article shows how commonly we (as taxpayers) are getting fleeced in order to line the pockets of team owners and players. I love sports, but I have no sympathy for owners who complain whenever these financial incentives are threatened. I strongly agree with Hruby -- let's eliminate sports welfare. It may not solve the much larger fiscal problems facing our country, but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

"Let's Eliminate Sports Welfare" by Patrick Hruby
Published by Sports on Earth, December 12, 2012
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/40595178/?src=longreads&buffer_share=8c5d5

Eric

Longread #209 -- Tough Mudder -- 12/6/12

Today's longread is a profile of the Tough Mudder races and the business team behind them. As the number of races -- 5Ks, 10Ks, half and full marathons, triathlons -- has increased (at least judging by the number of event t-shirts seen in public), it is not surprising that certain events have seized on the level of difficulty as a means of differentiation. One one hand, I understand the appeal of Tough Mudder and the concept of pushing yourself to an extreme. On the other hand, though, I've spent way too much time in physical therapy to risk injuring myself in circumstances like this. For me, the benefits simply aren't worth the risks.

Beyond just analyzing the psychology of participating in Tough Mudder, this article also looks at Tough Mudder as a business. Clearly, effective marketing has been essential as they've found a way to effectively stoke people's competitive fire.

If you're interested in another extreme race that puts Tough Mudder to shame but that isn't focused on building a business, check out Longread #147.

"Tough Mudder: Mud, Sweat & No Tears" by Josh Eells
Published in Men's Journal, October 2012
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/print-view/tough-mudder-mud-sweat-no-tears-20121030

Eric

Longread #183 -- Chasing Armstrong With Truth -- 10/29/12

I've mostly stayed away from the Lance Armstrong story because I felt like there was little good that would come out of it. I'm not a cycling fan, so I didn't have a strong opinion about Lance or doping in the sport, and as a baseball fan, I feel somewhat desensitized to finger-pointing arguments about performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Because of everything Armstrong came to represent with regard to his foundation and experience with cancer, I think I largely chose to focus on what had been accomplished outside of cycling. With the most recent reports of his doping and the loss of his Tour de France titles, I saw it as more of the same back-and-forth between Lance and his past competitors still bitter about his winnings (whether doped or not).

This article from David Carr changed my perspective on the issue in two ways. First, I learned that the people who have been working to expose Lance's doping are not angry former competitors. Instead, for the most part they are individuals with few resources and no real financial interest in the case. A few small voices who refused to tolerate cheating kept repeating their message and working to expose the truth. If anything, it was Armstrong's camp that used heavy-handed tactics to try to manipulate the way that the case was covered in the media. Second, I learned that, at least based on the information from the most recent reports  Armstrong was involved in more than just individual doping. He cheated systematically, conspired to keep it hidden, and also encouraged others to cheat with him. It is easy to argue that a PED user harms only him/herself, but it seems that this was not the case with Armstrong.

Even if you are sick of hearing of this whole case, I encourage you to read Carr's piece on the bloggers and non-traditional journalists who would not stand by while the traditional media ignored the evidence.

"Chasing Armstrong With Truth" by David Carr
Published in the New York Times, 10/28/12
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/business/media/chasing-lance-armstrongs-misdeeds-from-the-sidelines.html?pagewanted=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0&pagewanted=all

Eric

Longread #165 -- Bleacher Report -- 10/3/12

A number of articles that I've posted recently have dealt with how information is created, distributed, stored, and processed. As has been stated by countless observers, the internet has dramatically changed the way that we access information, although the implications of those changes is certainly up for debate. This longread looks at how the internet in general but more specifically one website -- Bleacher Report -- has changed the nature of sports reporting. The lessons from the Bleacher Report example may also shine a light on the direction that we may see in other areas of reporting. Essentially, the Bleacher Report model is driven almost entirely by what can generate pageviews (and thus advertising dollars). Stories are crowd-sourced, which is code for the fact that they are typically produced for free by writers with limited journalistic experience. Moreover, these stories are commonly written to fit a particular headline or set of keywords that Bleacher Report algorithms indicate will generate the most traffic.

This is a highly-profitable model but one that in my opinion seriously degrades the quality of sports reporting online. That said, as the Sinclair Lewis letter of note indicated, it's important to be wary of casting off a site like Bleacher Report (or alternatively, only embracing more "institutional" reporting sources) simply because it doesn't fit the traditional model of what is understood as good sports writing. 

This also begs the question of why we are so attracted to hyperbole. Why can't we look away and just not click on the links to these articles? Why are we so drawn to reality TV shows that feature actors and actresses who represent the most extreme versions of different stereotypes? When did this attraction start? Are sites like Bleacher Report simply catering to the market? Or are they also actively involved in creating this type of market demand? 

"How Bleacher Report Made Crap Journalism Pay" by Joe Eskenazi

Published in the Seattle Weekly, October 3, 2012

http://www.seattleweekly.com/content/printVersion/1814736/

Eric

Longread #148 -- The Chiefs and the Mafia -- 9/10/12

The blog is back after a week-long hiatus. Since last weekend was the start of the NFL season, I felt an NFL-related longread was appropriate to start the week off right. While it's been a long time since my hometown Kansas City Chiefs won a playoff game, there was a time when they were among the league's best teams. While winning Super Bowl IV is a high point for the franchise, this story describes how it went even further in altering the powerful role of the mafia in KC. 

"Chiefs’ Super Bowl win played part in tripping up organized crime in KC" by Kent Babb

Published in the Kansas City Star, August 25, 2012

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/25/3775704/chiefs-super-bowl-win-played-part.html

Eric