2016 has been a terrible year for fans of universally-beloved pop stars and liberal democracy. But it has also been a pretty good year of ‘tent at VICE Sports. Here are 16 of our favorite stories from the last twelve months:
Party Next Door: How the Young Bucks Revolutionized Professional Wrestling
Mike Piellucci
Videos by VICE
WWE has a larger stranglehold on professional wrestling than ever before. Two brothers found a way to beat the machine, and show how independent wrestlers can succeed on their own terms.
The Rio Games Were an Unjustifiable Human Disaster, and so are the Olympics
Aaron Gordon
Like the other Olympics before them, Rio 2016 proved that the IOC is blithely indifferent to the waste, corruption, and human wreckage the Games leave in their wake.
Remembering Bruno, the Problem Bear That Overshadowed the 2006 World Cup
Brian Blickenstaff
The first bear on German soil in almost two centuries wandered across the border during the 2006 World Cup. German citizens were divided on what to do with the problembär.
Loser Takes All: The Philadelphia 76ers, the Process, and Belief
David Roth
During the lean years of The Process, the Sixers didn’t give their fans much more than faith that things would someday be better. It was more than enough.
Ordinary Bat Touches Greatness, if Only For One Night
Sean Newell
A-Rod vigorously dried off his bat between his legs last night.
Friday Night Lights Out: The Case for Abolishing High School Football
Patrick Hruby
A Nevada school board candidate wants to eliminate high school football, and a handful of others are making a medical, ethical, and financial case against America’s favorite prep sport. Their arguments are unpopular. But are they right?
A Girl in the Boy’s Locker Room
Katelyn Burns
I don’t regret growing up as an athlete. But not everything about sports is healthy, and for me, as a transgender woman, the locker room was toxic.
The House that Built Cam
Eric Nusbaum
The Holy Zion Center of Deliverance church played an integral part in Cam Newton’s upbringing. We visited the church, where Cam’s father Cecil Newton was a reluctant host.
How Swing Dancing Faced Its Sexual Assault Scandal
Aaron Gordon
In a blog post last year, one woman accused Steven Mitchell, a living legend in the swing-dancing world, of using his position to prey on women; soon more victims came forward. The allegations shook the community, but have they changed anything?
The Rise and Fall of Gerd Bonk, the World Champion of Doping
Brian Blickenstaff
East German weightlifter Gerd Bonk took the highest documented quantity of anabolic steroids in his quest for a gold medal. He was a victim of the greatest, widest reaching, and most sociopathic scandal in sports history.
I Thought Golf Betrayed Me: A Former Pro Talks About Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse
Anya Alvarez
Anya Alvarez is a former LPGA golfer and an advocate for victims of child sex abuse. As part of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, she shared her story with VICE Sports.
Breaking Kayfabe: An Inside Look at the WWE’s Business Empire
Ian Frisch
WWE is one of the most unlikely entertainment empires in US history, but CEO Vince McMahon’s ambitions and management style have left many wondering if the company can continue to grow.
Throwback Thursday: Cory Lidle’s Widow on his Plane Crash and How She Carries On
Mike Piellucci
Videos by VICE
Ten years after New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle died in an airplane crash, Melanie Lidle-Heyward is doing her best to live the way her husband did.
Unusual Suspect: The Rise and Fall of Owen Hanson, USC Athlete and Alleged Drug Kingpin
Eric Nusbaum
In a decade, Owen Hanson went from playing football and volleyball at USC to being the subject of a major FBI investigation into drug-trafficking, money-laundering, and illegal gambling.
Kevin Durant Can Do Whatever The Hell He Wants
Sean Newell
Sportswriters are up in arms because they don’t like that Kevin Durant did what he wanted.
Four Years a Student-Athlete: The Racial Injustice of Big Time College Sports
Patrick Hruby
While the NCAA’s rules governing college athletes are colorblind, the impact of amateurism is anything but—disproportionately costing black football and men’s basketball players and benefiting white stakeholders by as much as $2 billion a year.
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Also, here is this one:
Some Sports Related Donald Trump Photos for You to Enjoy
David Roth
Some photos of Donald Trump watching various sporting events, and … 10 years since this picture, which is interesting in oh so many ways.
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