The drama of modern free agency has become as much a part of professional sports as the games themselves. But it wasn’t always that way. Today’s free agents owe a big debt of gratitude to Curt Flood.
Matthew Spolar
Matthew Spolar is a Producer at Retro Report. He has covered a range of issues, from sports to genetics to politics, including web series looking back at the historic import of past political conventions and campaign ads. He previously covered state politics in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
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DNA Clues Solve Crimes . . . With a Privacy Cost
DNA information that is available on genealogy websites is doing more than satisfying curiosity – it’s solving crimes.
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Athletes vs. Injustice: Protests in Sports
When N.F.L. players, starting with Colin Kaepernick, took a knee during the National Anthem to protest they ignited an uproar over injecting politics onto the playing field.
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The NFL Draft 20 Years After Manning-Leaf: How Teams Try to Pick a Winner
After the 1998 NFL draft produced one of the greatest busts in history, what have we learned about the science of evaluating human talent – on and off the field?
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Louis Armstrong And The Black Celebrity’s Dilemma
As America’s jazz icon, Louis Armstrong was seen as a smiling, easygoing entertainer. But in 1957, he invited controversy by speaking forcefully on behalf of his fellow African Americans, putting him in a position familiar to many Black athletes today.
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What Jesse Owens’s Story Tells Us About Sports and Politics
NFL players have been derided for injecting politics into the country’s favorite sport. But, when convenient, America has also celebrated black athletes for acting as political emissaries.
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Lessons From the 2004 Democratic Convention: Obama’s Speech
Sometimes the most important speech at the convention isn’t delivered by the nominee.
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Upheaval at the 1860 Democratic Convention: What Happened When a Party Split
Some issues are too fundamental for a party to withstand, and the consequences can last for a generation.
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Lessons from the 1912 Republican Convention: Birth of the Modern Primary
The animosity between William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt changed the primary process forever.
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Lessons from the 1968 Democratic Convention: Under the Shadow of Protests
There are important lessons to be learned from the Democrats’ 1968 Chicago convention.
