FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — An instant after a violent collision on Saturday evening in the pivotal, hard-fought game between New England and Buffalo, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman lay motionless on the turf as if unconscious. It was, Edelman said hours later, a ruse. When he slammed into Bills defensive back Jordan Poyer while running a […] More
MANCHESTER, England — It has reached the stage, now, when it comes to gauging Pep Guardiola’s mood, his state of mind, where no detail can be overlooked. It is not just Guardiola’s words — scouring the Manchester City manager’s public comments for signs of hidden meaning, clandestine messages — but examining his behavior, too. He […] More
For the last eight weeks, our N.F.L. playoff simulator has explored every possible scenario, letting fans daydream about improbable outcomes like the Browns making the playoffs or the Buffalo Bills getting a bye week. Normally, there are so many ways a season can end that we use very large numbers to describe them. But now, […] More
As with any great American endeavor, women have been in football from the very beginning. As far back as 1926, women were playing the sport, albeit as halftime entertainment during home games of the Frankford (Penn.) Yellow Jackets. Since then, women have populated bandstands, infiltrated sidelines, officiated games, coached and owned teams in the National […] More
Mesut Özil is slowly disappearing from China. An online forum dedicated to him has closed. He has been scrubbed from the version of Pro Evolution Soccer, the video game, that is available in the country. Arsenal’s last Premier League game, at home to Manchester City, was not broadcast on Chinese television. It is not clear, […] More
DOHA, Qatar — Finding a way to accommodate soccer’s free-flowing, alcohol-infused fan culture with the traditions and religious beliefs of an overwhelmingly Muslim country like Qatar remains one of the significant challenges facing the emirate as it prepares to host soccer’s World Cup in 2022. Just ask Walid Shafiey. A Muslim who is strict about […] More
The explosion of young black quarterbacks with phenomenal athletic ability and passing acumen has become the rage of the N.F.L. As defenses in the league have become more athletic, offenses have made an adjustment at the sport’s most important position. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award last […] More
With the N.F.L. schedule shifting from one game on Thursday to three games on Saturday, the shape of Week 16 is a bit different from the rest of the season, and the stakes are awfully high for the teams still trying to make the playoffs. Eight of the 12 postseason teams are already known, but […] More
