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Free Agent

Jason Russell on sports. And, occasionally, on how economics and politics get mixed up with sports. But mostly, just sports.

Two Alabama football players chase after a Michigan football player running down the sidelines. | Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire DET/Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

NCAA

College Football Is a Fun, Glorious Mess. These 7 Changes Would Make It Even Better.

How to fix the conferences, the rules, the playoffs, and more

Jason Russell | 8.26.2025 10:45 AM

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred standing at a lectern with a microphone. His image is cut out and placed on a sepia-toned background of a manual baseball scoreboard. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Tampa Bay Times | ZUMA Press | Newscom | Andreblais | Dreamstime.com

Sports

Rob Manfred Can't Fix Baseball. But These 4 Changes Might.

Plus: College football insanity, fans jailed in Venezuela, and the benefits of betting

Jason Russell | 8.19.2025 10:45 AM

Against an orange background, Michael Phelps has a huge smile as he holds up his gold medal in his right hand,a nd Simone Biles waves with her right hand with a big smile as a gold medal hangs around her neck. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Agência Brasil | Fotografias | Fernando Frazão | Wikimedia Commons | Stockholm Paris Studio | Unsplash

Sports

Keep Government Funding—and Political Meddling—Far Away From Olympic Athletes

Plus: Congress might blow up the pro sports business model, and Las Vegas is struggling

Jason Russell | 8.12.2025 10:31 AM

A man standing on a soccer field wearing an Olympique Lyonnais jersey turns to face the camera. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall |  Icon Sport/LECOEUR Philippe / Agence FEP/Sipa USA/Newscom

Sports

The Lawyers Are Taking Over Soccer

Plus: surviving Philadelphia, and fixing sports

Jason Russell | 8.5.2025 11:05 AM

A distraught fan holds his head in his hands on the left side of the image, with a baseball field and stadium seating in the rest of the image. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Antonio Guillem | Jason Stitt | Dreamstime.com

Sports

How Sports Tickets Got So Expensive—Or Did They?

Plus: regulating college sports, forgiving baseball’s legends, and Happy Gilmore 2

Jason Russell | 7.29.2025 10:50 AM

Lloyd Howell Jr. waves, standing in front of J.C. Tretter, both wearing suits and standing in front of Super Bowl LVIII logos. | John Angelillo/UPI/Newscom

Sports

NFL Players Union Head Lloyd Howell Resigns After $2,426 in Strip Club Receipts Scrutinized

Plus: WNBA players want a raise, and Trump wants Redskins?

Jason Russell | 7.22.2025 10:00 AM

Ichiro reaching out to catch a baseball in his glove, mirroring an image of a player on the wall, with the 2003 All-Star Game logo in the background. | JEFFERY PHELPS/KRT/Newscom

Sports

Your Favorite Sport's All-Star Game Sucks

The differences between teams raised the stakes, but now they’re gone.

Jason Russell | 7.15.2025 10:20 AM

A weather image of an overview of Hard Rock Stadium during a football game, with many Notre Dame football players on the ground in white jerseys and gold helmets, and a large video board in the right side of the stadium. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Midjourney. Photo: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire 573/Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

There's No Good Reason for Cities and States To Build or Subsidize Sports Stadiums

“There's no such thing as a free stadium,” says J.C. Bradbury. “You can't just pull revenue out of thin air.”

Jason Russell | 7.8.2025 11:00 AM

J.C. Tretter in his full Cleveland Browns football uniform walking off the field with his helmet in his hand. | Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire DCT/Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

Why the NFLPA Kept Damning Collusion Evidence From Its Own Players

Plus: NHL labor news, wrestling regulations, and F1: The Movie.

Jason Russell | 7.1.2025 11:25 AM

Profile angle photo of Sen. Ted Cruz's bearded face. | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Sports

Sports Absolutely Do Not Need Politicians More Involved

Plus: A case for gambling freedom, the NHL’s tax dilemma, and a soccer movie.

Jason Russell | 6.24.2025 10:55 AM

Lionel Messi in a pink Inter Miami CF jersey preparing to kick a red, white, and blue soccer ball while three Al Ahly FC players close in. | Kyodo/Newscom

Sports

Why You Should Care About the Club World Cup (If Your Team or Rival Is In It)

Plus: a players union failure, immigration for the World Cup, and Welcome to Wrexham.

Jason Russell | 6.17.2025 10:50 AM

A football player in a white Texas uniform laying on the ground, with his arms and legs splayed out as if he's been making a snow angel, except there are photoshopped dollar bills all over the ground. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | ChatGPT/Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire DKB/Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

Amateur Hour Is Over: College Athletes Can Get Paid by Schools

Everything you need to know about the House settlement and the new rules governing payments to college athletes.

Jason Russell | 6.10.2025 10:30 AM

A presnap photo of a football game between Texas and Georgia, with Texas in their white jerseys and Georgia in their red ones. An SEC banner looms in the background with a slogan in all caps: "IT JUST MEANS MORE." | Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire DKB/Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

The SEC (the Sports One) Is Acting Like It's Invincible

Plus: Sports teams are writing it off, motorsports documentaries, and the NBA and Stanley Cup finals.

Jason Russell | 6.3.2025 10:30 AM

A man in the foreground, wearing swimming goggles and a swimming cap with the Greek flag on it. A few people are in the audience in the background, sitting. | Oscar J. Barroso/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Sports

The Steroid Olympics Are Coming

Plus: Brett Favre, Monaco, and an unprecedented media ban.

Jason Russell | 5.27.2025 10:20 AM

An orange background, with bouncing pingpong balls plus a basketball, hockey puck, and a baseball. | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Andrew Leyden | Aldo Di Bari Murga | Winterling | Dreamstime.com | Grok | Midjourney

Sports

How To Kill Draft Lotteries Without Encouraging Tanking

Plus: the tush push, Pete Rose, and Eddie Vedder.

Jason Russell | 5.20.2025 9:45 AM

The stage for the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery, with podiums and representatives for each team in the lottery, and a wall behind them with their logos. | Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post/MEGA / Newscom/DBNYC/Newscom

Sports

Draft Lotteries Suck for Die-Hard Fans

Plus: Yetis, The Seat, and a political letter that will make your eyes roll.

Jason Russell | 5.13.2025 10:00 AM

Bob Baffert standing to the side of a horse, with his hand on the horse's nose. | Ryan C. Hermens/TNS/Newscom

Sports

Stop Subsidizing the 'Sport of Kings'

Plus: A ridiculous tax carveout, Trump backs D.C. stadium, and Shedeur Sanders

Jason Russell | 4.29.2025 10:45 AM

Rory McIlroy walking on a putting green while spectators sit and stand behind a rope on the far side of the green. | JOHN ANGELILLO/UPI/Newscom

Sports

The Masters Ticket Lottery Is Dumb

Plus: Paying college athletes, sports betting isn’t bad, and pickleball?

Jason Russell | 4.15.2025 11:00 AM

The logos of Nike, Formula 1, Adidas, Manchester United, and the Atlanta Braves on top of a red arrow pointing to the bottom-left corner of the image. | llustration: Eddie Marshall | Jittawit Tachakanjanapong | Dreamstime.com

Tariffs

Tariffs Come for Your Jerseys, Gym Clothes, and Sports Team

Plus: Formula 1, Backyard Baseball, and The Great 8 vs. The Great One.

Jason Russell | 4.8.2025 10:00 AM

The Auburn basketball team (and others) wearing hats and t-shirts that say FINAL FOUR on them. One player is holding a trophy and another is throwing confetti in the air. | MIKE ZARRILLI/UPI/Newscom

Sports

March Madness Isn't Dead

Plus: Fix the NIT, NFL kickoffs, and more.

Jason Russell | 4.1.2025 10:30 AM

The backswing of a Shohei Ohtani swing. | Yuji Arakawa/Creative 2/AFLO/Newscom

Sports

Labor Strife Looms Over MLB Opening Day

Plus: Untenable in Tampa, Cinderella didn't show up for March Madness, TGL, and more.

Jason Russell | 3.25.2025 12:35 PM

A basketball player in white Michigan State jersey holds his hands over his head with his mouth agape. There is another Michigan State player in the background, as well as a bouncing basketball and Wisconsin cheerleaders. | Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire DAL/Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

Betting Makes March Madness Better

Plus: Why the selection committee did a good job, sports ticket prices are spiking, and more.

Jason Russell | 3.18.2025 7:00 AM

An overview of Hard Rock Stadium during a football game, with many Notre Dame football players on the ground in white jerseys and gold helmets, and a large videoboard in the right side of the stadium. | Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire 573/Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Biden Administration

Biden Makes Last-Ditch Pass at Interfering in College Sports

Even if the Trump administration quickly undoes it, it’s a precedent for future administrations.

Jason Russell | 1.17.2025 4:51 PM

Shohei Ohtani running while wearing a gray Dodgers uniform and a blue batting helmet. | Kyodonews/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Sports

Athletes Find New Way To Avoid Taxes

Restructured contracts may help franchises who have a certain competitive disadvantage.

Jason Russell | 1.11.2025 6:30 AM

Camden Yards, the ballpark for the Baltimore Orioles, is packed with fans. | Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire 749/Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

Baltimore Orioles Owners Demand Even More Unnecessary Taxpayer Money

Apparently $600 million to improve a very nice stadium isn’t enough.

Jason Russell | 8.12.2023 7:00 AM

A Houston Texans player runs with the football, trying to evade a Tennessee Titans player. | Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire DHH/Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

Stadium Subsidy Stupidity Hits New Record

Taxpayers are on the hook for $1.26 billion for a new stadium in Nashville.

Jason Russell | 4.26.2023 3:00 PM

topicsports | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson; Source image: hiloi/iStock

Sports

There Will Be Sports in Space

Space Dodgeball, anyone?

Jason Russell | 11.15.2022 8:00 AM

iconphotossix025035 | Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire DGM/Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

Someone Placed a Record-Setting Super Bowl Bet From His Phone

But he still had to drive two hours to do it in a legal state.

Jason Russell | 2.13.2022 7:00 AM

iconphotosfive676671 | Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire CEY/Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire/Newscom

Sports

States Move To Force Sports Teams To Play the National Anthem

Three states have advanced constitutionally questionable laws.

Jason Russell | 6.16.2021 5:20 PM

csmphototwo739230 | Scott Serio/Cal Sport Media/Newscom

Sports

Everyone Should Be Able To Bet on the Kentucky Derby From Anywhere

Six states don’t allow any horse racing bets, but others still make it difficult.

Jason Russell | 5.1.2021 8:00 AM

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