The Sports Column

Leslie Monteiro: Everybody in NYC is excited about the , right? Not this New Yorker. Why? The owner. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/heres-one-new-yorker-who-isnt-rooting-for-the-knicks-to-nab-that-elusive-nba-crown/ (cover photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Here's One New Yorker Who Isn't Rooting for the Knicks to Nab That Elusive NBA Crown - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media Why, you ask? A big reason is owner James Dolan.

Christopher Brunozzi: 1976, 50 years ago, was a great year in sports. Here are a few of the events, teams, and names that made it so. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/1976-50-years-ago-in-sports-part-1/ (cover photo of Sparky Anderson, manager of the World Series-winning )

1976, 50 Years Ago in Sports (Part 1) - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media In 1976, Americans were celebrating the Bicentennial, America's 200th Anniversary. Here's some of what happened in the world of sports.

Sandra Del Cid: Let me count the ways why I love Caitlin Clark. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/oh-yeah-im-a-caitlin-clark-fan/ (photo courtesy The Today Show)

Oh, Yeah! I'm a Caitlin Clark Fan - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media Here's why.

Leslie Monteiro: Questions abound about the circumstances surrounding Claude Lemieux’s death. Some of the speculation I understand, while other depictions I don’t. Here's my take. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/lemieuxs-sudden-passing-brings-cte-again-to-the-forefront-of-public-attention/ (cover photo courtesy YouTube by way of Entertainment Tonight)

Lemieux's Sudden Passing Brings CTE (Again) to the Forefront of Public Attention - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media Hockey great Claude Lemieux’s death stunned the hockey world last week. He was in Montreal immediately before his death, carrying the torch into the arena to fire up the Montreal Canadiens fans in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. And then, he was gone.

James Charlier: WOW! That's the only word to describe Game 7 of the Western Conference Final. What a performance by the . https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/nba-finals-begin-tonight-but-can-spurs-knicks-series-top-game-7-of-the-western-final/ (cover photo courtesy CBS 17)

NBA Finals Begin Tonight, But Can Spurs-Knicks Series Top Game 7 of the Western Final? - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media In Game 7 of the Western Conference Final, the Thunder and Spurs delivered some of the greatest sports television I've ever witnessed. Both teams produced scoring runs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exploded with points in the second half, and turnovers added to the drama. What an incredible game!

Jon Hart: If you haven't seen "King Richard" (about the Williams family, focusing on father Richard), I encourage you to give it a watch. It's educational and informative, explaining a lot about the sisters' rise to tennis stardom. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/will-smith-rules-as-tennis-boss-king-richard/ (cover shot, HBO MAX)

Will Smith Rules as Tennis Boss "King Richard" - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media With thirty singles Grand Slams between them, sisters Venus and Serena Williams are two of the greatest of all-time. But they’re not the focus of Westbrook Studios/Warner Brothers Pictures' King Richard. Instead, their father, the controversial, outspoken Richard Williams (played by Will Smith), i...

Peter Turnbull: While players and supporters do not expect perfection, they do demand consistency, and that is not happening currently in football. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/premier-leagues-set-piece-chaos-was-predictable/ (cover photo courtesy GiveMeSport)

Premier League’s Set-Piece Chaos Was Predictable - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media Premier League referees have long allowed wrestling matches to develop at corners and free kicks. Shirt pulling, blocking runs, grappling, holding attackers, backing into goalkeepers, and outright manhandling have slowly become normalized. Players now expect it because officials have long tolerated....

Arthur Solomon: "Sports aren't political." "Sports bring people together." C'mon! Beyond naivete, there's a larger question, and here's my answer: America should NOT be competing against adversary countries. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/should-the-u-s-play-ball-with-adversaries/ (cover photo courtesy TRENDS)

Should the U.S. Play Ball With Adversaries? - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media My opinion is that we should not, and here's why.

James Charlier: Good to see the back in the . Tall hill to climb, though, to claim their first championship since the days of Reed, Frazier, Monroe, and Bradley. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/knicks-finally-back/ (cover photo courtesy Posting & Toasting)

Knicks, Finally Back - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media Long time coming for the Knicks, in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Jon Hart: I'm excited about the , and it reminds me of the time I was a Knick ... well, not for real. I was a Fake Knick on film. https://thesportscol.com/2026/06/i-was-a-fake-knicks-fan-for-aziz-ansari/ (cover graphic courtesy of "Grind and Privot" on YouTube)

I Was a 'Fake Knicks Fan' for Aziz Ansari - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media The Knicks doing what many of us thought they'd never do reminds me of the time I was filmed as a Knicks fan for Aziz Ansari’s Master of None. Here's how it went down. (BTW, Go Knicks!)