For the Love of the Game | The Walrus
Newsletters
Subscribe
Donate
Sections
Latest Stories Business Environment Society Politics Arts & Culture
Explore
Newsletters Events Listen Games Magazine The Walrus Lab
Support
Donate Subscribe Merchandise The Walrus Plus Annual Report The Walrus Gala
Follow
Twitter LinkedIn YouTube TikTok Facebook Instagram Bluesky
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Manage Subscriptions
POPULAR   →
Regional Bureaus
Trade War
Rare Minerals
Politics
Games
Skip to content

The Walrus

Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation

[hmenu id=2]
  • home
  • Articles
    • Business
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Arts & Culture
    • Society
  • Special Series
    • Hope You’re Well
    • For the Love of the Game
    • Living Rooms
    • In Other Worlds: A Space Exploration
    • Terra Cognita
    • More special series >
  • Events
    • The Walrus Talks
    • The Walrus Video Room
    • The Walrus Leadership Roundtables
    • The Walrus Leadership Forums
    • Article Club
  • Subscribe
    • Renew your subscription
    • Change your address
    • Magazine Issues
    • Newsletters
    • Podcasts
  • The Walrus Lab
    • Hire The Walrus Lab
    • Amazon First Novel Award
  • Shop
  • Donate

For the Love of the Game

In a new series, The Walrus explores the ecstasy, the agony, and the complex motivations behind why we cheer

A collage of Wayne Gretzky merchandise
Uncategorized

The Sports Collectible Market Is Booming. Is It about the Money or the Memories?

July 29, 2021August 4, 2021 - by Sheena Rossiter

Rookie cards are selling for millions and NFTs are thriving. The question isn’t just how big the bubble will grow but what will happen once it pops

Read More
A collage depicting Olympic athletes standing in a line, a $1,000 bill and a hand holding a cell phone.
Uncategorized

Why Olympians Are Struggling to Get Sponsorships

July 21, 2021July 21, 2021 - by Alex Cyr

You can be the fastest in the world, but when you’re competing against influencers for corporate cash, athletic performance isn’t all that matters

Read More
Two Black men stand in a harvested field under a cloudy sky. They are dressed in football uniforms printed with colourful African ­textiles. They are standing apart and facing away from each other, attached by a set of chains on their backs.
September/October 2021

Artist Esmaa Mohamoud Examines How Pro Sports Profit from Black Athletes

July 9, 2021January 30, 2022 - by Connor Garel

Sports bring people together in living rooms, in crowded bars, and in the streets. Mohamoud seeks to expose the monstrous underbelly of all that winning

Read More
A hand with its fingers crossed accompanied by text that reads, "Please make the playoffs or I snip a toe a fan."
Sports

The Team, the Fan, and the Severed Toes

June 23, 2021February 16, 2023 - by David Swick

What’s a person to do when their team loses year after year? For one diehard fan, it meant chopping digits

Read More
Above: Hands holding up a soccer ball. Below: Hands holding up phones
Sports

When Sports Fans Change the Game

June 16, 2021January 20, 2023 - by Shireen Ahmed

Equal pay across genders, renaming racist teams—owners are finally listening and boardrooms will never be the same

Read More
Portrait of George Armstrong in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey against a blue background.
July/August 2021 / Memoir

The Paradox of Being a Leafs Fan

June 9, 2021October 10, 2024 - by Waubgeshig Rice

Generations of Indigenous fans have followed the Toronto Maple Leafs through close calls and decades of despair. Ultimately, it’s the hope that connects us

Read More
A photo collage of sports fans cheering. The words "for the love of the game" are over the image.
Uncategorized

For the Love of the Game

June 9, 2021July 29, 2021 - by The Walrus Staff

In a new series, The Walrus explores the ecstasy, the agony, and the complex motivations behind why we cheer

Read More

Our Latest Issue

The July/August 2025 cover of The Walrus magazine featuring an image of a woman reading a book while listening to music. She is sitting in a room filled with plants that also has a window through which a city skyline can be seen. July/August 2025

Explore how tariffs are testing ties between Northern neighbours, the death of the middle class musician, Afghanistan’s lost generation, and more.
The Walrus newsletter
Stories this good should be paywalled—but they’re not. Sign up today.
View all newsletters
The Walrus

About The Walrus

About Us Our Staff Contact Us Careers Fellowships Submissions Advertise with Us

Events

Get Tickets The Walrus Talks The Walrus Gala Get in Touch

Subscribe

Customer Care Purchase a Subscription Renew Your Subscription Games Newsletters Shop The Walrus Store

Podcasts

Articles The Conversation Piece The Walrus Podcasts

The Walrus Lab

Amazon Canada First Novel Award Content Services Podcast Services Our Clients Get in Touch

Follow Us

Twitter LinkedIn YouTube TikTok Facebook Instagram Substack Bluesky

Support Independent Canadian Reporting and Storytelling

The Walrus
Accessibility Help Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

© 2025 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved.
Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001

© 2025 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved. Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001
Accessibility Help Privacy Policy Cookie Policy
© 2023 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved.
Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001

​​The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

The Walrus uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Learn more or change your cookie preferences.

×

Fund Canadian journalism to help you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.


×

Fund Canadian journalism to help you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.


×

Fund Canadian journalism to help you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.


×

Fund Canadian journalism to help you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.


×

How’s The Walrus?

As the executive director, I am frequently asked this question. These days, I reply: “The Walrus was made for this moment.” From on-again, off-again trade news and negotiations to a new prime minister, we are committed to Canada’s conversations. We launched six regional bureaus earlier this year to ensure comprehensive coverage across this great country of ours. But we can’t do this alone. As a non-profit newsroom, this work isn’t possible without our readers’ support. If you believe in Canada’s stories, support our paywall-free journalism with a donation today.

Our team is small, but our commitment is big; just like our country. Every story we publish is the result of writers, artists, and editors going the extra mile (well, kilometres) to bring Canada closer together through compelling, fact-checked, and regionally grounded reporting.

Thank you for your support.

Jennifer Hollett
Executive Director, The Walrus


How’s The Walrus?

As the executive director, I am frequently asked this question. These days, I reply: “The Walrus was made for this moment.” From on-again, off-again trade news and negotiations to a new prime minister, we are committed to Canada’s conversations. We launched six regional bureaus earlier this year to ensure comprehensive coverage across this great country of ours. But we can’t do this alone. As a non-profit newsroom, this work isn’t possible without our readers’ support. If you believe in Canada’s stories, support our paywall-free journalism with a donation today.

Our team is small, but our commitment is big; just like our country. Every story we publish is the result of writers, artists, and editors going the extra mile (well, kilometres) to bring Canada closer together through compelling, fact-checked, and regionally grounded reporting.

Thank you for your support.

Jennifer Hollett
Executive Director, The Walrus

×