Dec 24th, 2008 · John Mackey had a distinguished career with the Baltimore Colts. He now has dementia, and his wife, Sylvia, has stood by him and urged the league to help other athletes with dementia. Commentator Frank Deford says football is an intense team game — but it's Sylvia Mackey who is an outstanding teammate.
Dec 3rd, 2008 · The economic downturn may force pro sports leagues to re-examine their business model, says commentator Frank Deford. And the leagues might look to Hollywood for inspiration: Top athletes would still command huge contracts, but lesser players could see their salaries reduced.
Nov 12th, 2008 · For years, many of the best foreign athletes have come to the United States to advance their careers. Commentator Frank Deford sees a reverse trend: elite athletes leaving the U.S. to play abroad.
Nov 4th, 2008 · Artists and athletes, celebrities and scribes, the talented and the tainted promiscuously link arms and promenade in this exuberant collection of portraits from the Vanity Fair archives.
Nov 3rd, 2008 · High school football is a rite of passage for many young athletes. But what does a school do if there aren't enough players to field a team? At Meeteetse High School in rural Wyoming, the answer was to cut by nearly half the traditional 11-member squad.
Oct 29th, 2008 · Black baseball players in this year's World Series have been asked repeatedly about how to sell the game to young black athletes. But a close look at their names — and the names of black athletes in other sports — gives some clues about a disparity.
Oct 15th, 2008 · Commentator Frank Deford introduces a new character to his weekly sports commentary. The Duchess is a sports connoisseur who sees the grace and beauty in athletics. But lately, she's been distressed by all the spitting she sees in Major League Baseball.
Oct 8th, 2008 · This week, seven classical teens take the stage at Reed College's Kaul Auditorium in Portland, Oregon, where a 15-year-old harpist plays Carnival of Venice variations, an athletic young violinist offers up music by Beethoven, and a self-proclaimed moody pianist pours her heart into dances by Bach