sports | The Walrus

A photo of a Toronto basketball court without hoops

Thanks to the Raptors, basketball has never been so popular. But the lack of high-quality facilities tells a troubling story

Cartoon panel where two children pack snow in the shape of the Stanley Cup, but by morning, the sculpture has melted.

Ask an Expert / November 2021

Ask a Hockey Expert: Will a Canadian Team Ever Win the Stanley Cup Again?

October 12, 2021November 24, 2021 - by William Foster

A sports management researcher explains what it would take to end the nearly three-decade dry spell

For the Love of the Game

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

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

For the Love of the Game

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

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.

For the Love of the Game / September/October 2021

Artist Esmaa Mohamoud Examines How Pro Sports Profit from Black Athletes

July 9, 2021October 18, 2021 - 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

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

For the Love of the Game

The Team, the Fan, and the Severed Toes

June 23, 2021October 18, 2021 - by David Swick

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

Above: Hands holding up a soccer ball. Below: Hands holding up phones

For the Love of the Game

When Sports Fans Change the Game

June 16, 2021October 18, 2021 - by Shireen Ahmed

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

Portrait of George Armstrong in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey against a blue background.

For the Love of the Game / July/August 2021

The Paradox of Being a Leafs Fan

June 9, 2021June 15, 2021 - 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