For NPR Sports Correspondent Tom Goldman, covering sports means more than just talking scores. It's about illuminating the people who make sports happen. As NPR's only sports correspondent, Goldman's beat covers the entire world of professional sports - in the U.S. and abroad. It's a broad assignment for one person, but Goldman admits enjoying the challenge. "It plays into one of my greatest strengths as a journalist: I'm extremely open-minded. I enjoy doing a story about something I know nothing about. It brings a freshness that I hope is conveyed in the final story," he explains. His reports can be heard on all NPR News programs.
Recent Stories
The International Olympic Committee has stripped Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi of his gold medal from the Beijing Games. In taking his medal for the 1,500 meters, the IOC said Ramzi committed anti-doping violations. Four other athletes were also sanctioned for doping.
For Sunset High School's band, Friday night games help prepare for Saturday competitions. That's when band parents and friends cheer for these champions from Portland, Ore., as lustily as football fans and when judges rate musicianship and movement.
The suspected link between football head injuries and brain problems has been the subject of great debate, and it played out again at a hearing Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league and said that the care of retired players was a priority.
The years of hard hits have left former NFL player George Visger with severe memory loss. His doctors warn his brain problems could get worse quickly. While he struggles with his short-term memory, his days as a star high school lineman are vivid and special.
Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been dropped from a group seeking to buy the NFL's St. Louis Rams. News that Limbaugh may be part owner of the team sparked criticism because of his past comments that many consider offensive.
The NFL's woeful, winless St. Louis Rams are the talk of the sports and news media because conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh reportedly is part of a group interested in buying the team. There've been some strong statements in light of Limbaugh's racially charged comments in recent years.
Football is often called controlled mayhem, and we have the officials to thank for the controlled part. But any self-respecting football referee would prefer to be invisible during play. "The best game is one where the officials are totally incognito," say high school football ref Rick Gilbert. But take a close look. There's more than black and white stripes.
Former professional football players are being diagnosed with Alzheimer's and similar diseases at an alarming rate, says a study commissioned by the NFL. Head injuries have long been a concern of NFL players, and this report has put the league in a tough situation.
In Unity, Ore., the Burnt River Bulls play in the 8-man football High Desert League — and they often turn out their minimum number of players. But that's not the only challenge the team faces: The majority of the players are international — and they're still learning the basics of the game, not to mention English.
Scroll NFL and college football rosters and you'll see the distinctive names from the Pacific Islands. With their traditionally broad, solid bodies and competitive nature, Polynesians have distinguished themselves at the elite levels of the game. Many start at high schools in Utah.
Reigning U.S. Open men's tennis champion Roger Federer was upset in Monday's final match by Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.
Thousands of people turned out Friday night to watch the Aplington-Parkersburg High School football team play — and win — its first game since 1975 without legendary head coach Ed Thomas. A former player has been charged with shooting Thomas to death in June.
Tiny Aplington-Parkersburg High in Parkersburg, Iowa, plays its first game Friday since the slaying of its beloved coach, Ed Thomas, allegedly by a former player. The coach was a pillar of the community, and was instrumental in rebuilding efforts after Parkersburg was devastated by a tornado last year.
The 1936 Berlin Olympics are best remembered for Jesse Owens, who triumphed in a dramatic duel in the Olympic long jump against Germany's Luz Long. Although the story of that competition and the men's friendship has been passed down over the years, it may be more myth than reality.
As the superstar golfer heads into the last major tournament of the year, his attitude is getting some attention. His early exit from this year's British Open was less than gracious. Woods is known for being intensely focused and competitive, but some worry that his attitude is bad for the game.
