N.F.L.

In a Reversal, Lionel Messi Says He Will Stay With Barcelona

Lionel Messi is still angry with Barcelona. He is still frustrated with Barcelona. But, in a sudden and dramatic reversal, he said Friday that he is not prepared to go to war with Barcelona and, so, will stay after all. In a decision confirmed by the club via Twitter, Messi withdrew

N.F.L.

2020 Sep, 04

How Layshia Clarendon, Athlete and Activist, Spends Sundays

Last February, Layshia Clarendon was preparing to move from Oakland, Calif., to Brooklyn to play basketball for the W.N.B.A.’s New York Liberty. “The fact that we were going to live in Brooklyn, and play in Brooklyn, I was like, ‘This is so dope,’” said the star guard, who identifies as nonbinary

N.F.L.

2020 Sep, 04

Scrambling Across State Lines to Play During the Pandemic

Mario Sanchez thought his only option was to leave. Covid-19 had claimed the life of his grandfather. It led his father, who tested positive for the coronavirus last month, to isolate for 14 days in the basement of the family home in Olathe, Kan. And it ended Sanchez’s dream of winning

N.F.L.

2020 Sep, 03

Lawmakers Ask N.F.L. About Race Norms Used in Concussion Settlement

Last week, two Black former N.F.L. players raised questions about potential racial bias in how their applications for dementia claims in the concussion settlement were evaluated. Now Congress is looking into the matter. On Wednesday, four Democratic members of Congress sent the N.F.L. a list of questions about the race-based benchmarks

N.F.L.

2020 Sep, 02

Bria Hartley Found the Right Fit With the Phoenix Mercury

It takes more than big names to win games in the W.N.B.A. The New York Times is talking to players across the league who are making an impact in their own way. Bria Hartley has been like many working mothers during the coronavirus pandemic. Her 3-year-old son, Bryson, has been right

N.F.L.

2020 Aug, 31

The Bryan Brothers Retire as They Played: Together

On opposite coasts but still on the same wavelength, the identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful men’s doubles team in tennis history, are retiring at age 42, effective immediately. “We just both feel it in our guts that it is the right moment,” said Mike Bryan, the older

N.F.L.

2020 Aug, 27