I didn’t watch the Super Bowl last night. My allegiance doesn’t lie with the New England Patriots or the Philadelphia Eagles. My concern is with the hyper-masculinity that is celebrated and rewarded within the sport so many people love... To continue reading this article, please ...read more
White Republican voters are in the middle of a slow motion Civil War redux and instead of simply lopping off part of the country and declaring themselves free from the United States and its annoying ban on slavery, the are walling themselves off in an alternate reality. There, ...read more
I was at a bar on Sunday when I saw the Minnesota Vikings crushing it during the second quarter of their playoff game against the New Orleans Saints on the TV. I didn't think too much about it since I figured they had the game in the bag. It wasn't until Monday that I learned ...read more
Not too long ago, I oriented my week around watching football on Sundays. I used to plan weekends so that I could fall asleep as late as possible on Saturday night just so I would have to spend as little time as possible in a pre-football world on Sunday. I was the prototypically ...read more
Today, Penn State University is celebrating Joe Paterno Day – the first time the school is honoring the late football coach since he was fired for his role in enabling the systematic rape of children. This here isn’t going to be a hot take – this take is room temperature at ...read more
Even if soccer ('football' to rest of the world) isn't your cup of tea, you've probably heard that international organizing body FIFA (The Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is one of the most corrupt organizations on the planet. So corrupt in fact that top ...read more
There's nothing quite like being asked by a female reporter what your mother would think of you on live television after saying "You’re lucky there’s not a fucking vibrator in your ear like in England, because it happens all the time”: Bravo to Shauna Hunt who confronted ...read more
Line up four white guys in a row. According to a poll I cited yesterday, one of those four white guys thinks he's smarter than black people. Based on his genetic whiteness alone, he thinks he's automatically smarter than the apparently less evolved black population. Around the ...read more
Last week, it was reported that former referee Mike Carey hadn't officiated a Redskins game since 2006 because he had discretely told the NFL he was uncomfortable with their name. This week there's another bit of heartening sports news to share in hopes that it helps balance out ...read more
The two-game suspension of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for domestic violence has provoked angry reaction from fans and commentators, but ESPN's Stephen A. Smith wants to remind everyone that the ladies should be sure not to "do anything to provoke" violence from men. ...read more
Even though I hadn't been watching the World Cup semi-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands on Wednesday, I leapt to my feet upon receiving word from my SportsCenter app that they were heading to a shootout after extra time of a 0-0 game, turned on the TV, and saw ...read more
Life and Other Four Letter Words: G O A L Imagine the whole world is in stuck in an elevator together. It’s tense and crowded. We’re all standing shoulder to shoulder holding in our farts. It’s hot in the elevator and tempers are high because we all hate each other. Some of us ...read more
Donald Trump says he's thinking about buying the Buffalo Bills, which means that Donald Trump will not be buying the Buffalo Bills -- at least not a notable stake anyway. Less than a week after longtime owner Ralph Wilson died, Trump told a Buffalo radio station, "I mean, the ...read more
Last night, most of the civilized world watched the Seattle Seahawks crush the Denver Broncos 43-8 to win the 47th Superbowl, which took place in the cultural mecca of East Rutherford, New Jersey. This is almost guaranteed to be exclusively what coworkers, polite acquaintances, ...read more
In the T.S. Eliot poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker wonders if things that take great efforts are worth it if they are doomed to be misunderstood in the end. And as Denver Broncos Mike Adams reads the endless supply of articles about his most recent comment ...read more
Another Monday is here and that means it's time to head back into the trenches. Ben has graciously agreed to allow me to return to work myself here, on an of course probationary basis. I'll try to be on my best behavior. Here's what you might want to read this morning to catch ...read more
Britain and America are both sports proud nations. Their national identities are built partly on the sports they created, and every weekday and weekend millions of citizens sit glued to their television sets watching their favorite athletes compete against each other. Americans ...read more
By Bryce Rudow “It’s one thing to want something, but it’s a whole other ballgame to know why you want it.” These are the opening words of The Will To Win, a documentary/sly marketing piece produced by NFL Films and Gatorade about Robert Griffin III’s rehabilitation process ...read more
I have just returned from a short trip to back to the motherland and couldn't help noticing the change in the demographics of the plane I flew out on. Around half of the passengers on this direct flight from London to Accra were now white! Of course it was mainly the half sat in ...read more
Last week on our podcast, Bob Cesca threw out the question of whether it was a good idea for liberals to take on football and demand changes when it comes to the safety of players. He made a great point about how doping may be part of what's creating monsters on the field so ...read more
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo. By Mike Biggz The NFL’s Super Bowl may seem like an unlikely venue for a debate over gay rights, but comments from players of the opposing teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, have put a spotlight on the ...read more
Welcome to this week's edition of The Daily Banter Mailbag! Today, Bob, Ben and Chez discuss the Next Sarah Palin, Jim Nabors' Marraige and our Super Bowl favorites. The questions: 1) With Sarah Palin now out of the picture, which TV-ready Republican crazy will step up and be ...read more
It might be MTV, but this truly is an amazing moment. A black, gay rugby player at Ohio State University comes out to his team mates in front of cameras, and in effect, the nation. I don't think the effect of this type of bravery can be underestimated - an act like this will give ...read more
I'm sorry, hockey? They may play that up in Canada and whatnot, but here in America we play football. This is a nation with lingerie football, not lingerie hockey. Are we not Americans? STAND AND FIGHT AT THE FIFTY YARD LINE FOR YOUR NATION!!! ...read more
The Redskins cut WR Brandon Lloyd. I caught almost as many passes as he did last year. ...read more
