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rantnrave:// If you were worried about watching the NCAA tournament at work, you can stop. You can tell your boss it's good for the job. But maybe not if you work at the Department of Defense. ... Forget the Friday news dump. Indiana created the NCAA tournament tipoff news dump, firing Tom Crean right after the first game began. If you want to hide your decision, why make it at all? ... College kids these days, with their organic this and quinoa that. ... The definitive fried chicken bracket. But none of them tops Willie Mae's Scotch House in New Orleans. ... A big question for teams these days is how to improve the fan experience. Every step of the consumer process, from ticket-buying to the way out the exit door, is a way to connect. The White Sox did it right with their tickets. They turned something simple into a collector's item and a small reason to buy the tickets themselves. ... Do MMA journalists need to collectivize and form an association like MLB or NFL writers? ... Steve Penny finally resigned as USA Gymnastics CEO. It took long enough. The organization has been besieged by sexual assault accusations that it allegedly ignored. It faces serious questions about whether it protected its teenage athletes. This is a first step. ... The Steve Jobs of shoulder pads. ... The least-liked governor in the U.S. was at a tournament game Thursday rooting against the school from his home state. ... YouTube is in the esports world. It invested in FACEIT. At this point, it's easier to list which tech giant hasn't stepped into that realm.
Sports champion T-shirts, delivered just after the buzzer
In today's on-demand society, fleeting attention spans require instantaneous satisfaction.
Eben Novy-Williams | Bloomberg
When Congress whiffed on reforming the NCAA
Forty years after a sensational investigation, the collegiate sports behemoth remains answerable to no one.
Ben Strauss | POLITICO Magazine
Inside the cult of Nike, the reigning champion of March Madness
Nike has always been at the forefront of athletic performance. Now, it's also a leader in thoughtful design, and it's become a fetishized pop culture fixation with everyone from sneakerheads to Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons.
Alice Rawsthorn | W Magazine
The NFL owes Congress, and the public, some answers
A lawsuit filed by former players about the league's prescription drug practices opens a rare window into how the NFL operates, and its impact on public health.
Sally Jenkins | The Washington Post
What it's like to call a boxing match when a riot breaks out
Like Andrew Golota-Riddick Bowe in 1996, fans started brawling after a recent fight in Montreal between Brandon Cook and Steven Butler. The commentators who called those fights discuss the mayhem.
Corey Erdman | Vice Sports
"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."