Sports Perspectives

Cam Newton plays for Bill Belichick now, and the possibilities are endless

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton celebrates a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018.<br>Jeff Siner, Charlotte Observer/TNS

The New England Patriots signed Cam Newton to a one-year, incentive-heavy contract — a no-risk, immense-reward deal that gives the Patriots a singular talent to replace Tom Brady.

Fans cheer during the Ford 400 NASCAR race to determine the winner of the Nextel Cup at the Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., on Nov. 19, 2006.<br>Mark Elias/Bloomberg

PERSPECTIVE

NASCAR looks to a new audience after month of controversy

NASCAR has long struggled to expand its fan base across socioeconomic and regional divides from the South. Public stands against racism are one step.

Team owner Richard Petty, right, stands with driver Bubba Wallace prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., Monday, June 22, 2020.<br>John Bazemore/AP

COLUMN

In following Bubba Wallace, NASCAR rightly walked away from a despicable history

The NASCAR drivers who marched on the track at Talladega Superspeedway had a certainty in their step that felt momentous. They weren't just walking with Wallace. They were walking away from something: a past.

In a July, 2019 photo, driver Bubba Wallace tosses a football with fans during a weather delay at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway<br>Nigel Cook/TNS

OPINION

Noose in Bubba Wallace's garage stall is a defining moment for NASCAR

Hate, not heritage. Pure hate. What else could prompt a person, or multiple people, to place a noose in the garage stall of Bubba Wallace, the man who nudged NASCAR into finally outlawing the Confederate flag?

Flags are a common sight inside a NASCAR track, but the one on the bottom right is no longer permitted.<br>TNS

ANALYSIS

Confederate flag long has flown in the face of NASCAR's hopes for broader appeal

From the time NASCAR set its sights on becoming a major league sport with national reach, the Confederate flag has been a part of a Southern heritage the sport's executives have tried to shed.

Bob Kalsu, left, and Don Steinbrunner were the only NFL players killed in the Vietnam War.<br>TNS

PERSPECTIVE

Remembering NFL players Bob Kalsu and Don Steinbrunner, who died in Vietnam

Buffalo Bills guard Bob Kalsu and Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Don Steinbrunner were the only professional football players to lose their lives in battle during the Vietnam War.

An empty Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, home of the Chicago White Sox, on Friday, May 8, 2020.<br>TNS

COLUMN

Baseball can't lose its standing in these difficult times

Baseball may no longer be America's pastime, but during times like these its symbolic power, imbued in its history, may be greater than all other sports combined.