Bubba Wallace Is Ebullient, Defiant and Comfortable

By BY JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports After his breakthrough win in NASCAR’s top series, only the second such victory by a Black driver at that level, Wallace talked about learning to shut out ugly noise and to focus on what matters most.https://nyti.ms/3uRWhZl

N.F.L. Will Allow Six Social Justice Messages on Players’ Helmets

By BY MICHAEL LEVENSON from NYT Sports The decals, with messages such as “Stop Hate” and “Black Lives Matter,” are part of the league’s efforts to show solidarity with players who have protested against racism and police brutality.https://nyti.ms/2WVnPk5

Q&A: Siya Kolisi on Rugby, Race and What’s Next for South Africa

By BY JOE RITCHIE from NYT Sports As South Africa’s rugby team prepares to host the British and Irish Lions, we talk to Siya Kolisi, the team’s first Black captain, about the Springboks and growing up in a poor township.https://nyti.ms/3yOh3d1

The Liberty’s Role in Making W.N.B.A. Players ‘Top Dogs’ of Activism

By BY SETH BERKMAN from NYT Sports Five years ago, players were fined for wearing unapproved shirts to protest the fatal shootings of two Black men. The league has since embraced players’ desire to speak out against social injustice.https://nyti.ms/3yoW4O4

A Year of Protest. But What About Progress?

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports For 11 months, players across England have taken a knee to highlight racial injustice. But some fear the leagues who endorsed the protests will move on without making meaningful changes.https://nyti.ms/2Qw7iQi

Kelly Loeffler Is Done in the Senate. But What About in the W.N.B.A.?

By BY SOPAN DEB AND KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports Loeffler, who co-owns the Atlanta Dream, lost her Senate race on Tuesday, renewing questions about whether she has a place in a league where many players want her gone.https://nyti.ms/2MJDoGh

How Putting on a Mask Raised Naomi Osaka’s Voice

By BY ELENA BERGERON from NYT Sports She used her time away from competing during the pandemic to reflect on the world and her place within it. When the time came to speak, she approached it in her own distinct way.https://nyti.ms/3oUQy0K

Talking About Race Made Two N.F.L. Teammates Partners in Activism

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports The friendship between Ricardo Allen, an undersized cornerback, and Matt Ryan, the heralded quarterback, has shaped the Falcons’ activism against racial injustice.https://nyti.ms/39ATStp

Amid Workplace Complaints, New York Road Runners Parts Ways With Its C.E.O.

By BY MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports Michael Capiraso led the organization that puts on the New York City Marathon to record revenues but became the subject of anonymous complaints about the organization’s attention to diversity and social justice.https://nyti.ms/3lqg9wi

On Running While Black, With More Hope Than Before

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports As Black Lives Matter signs popped up in recent months, our columnist grew less wary of running in predominantly white neighborhoods. But is that optimism premature?https://nyti.ms/3kSE2fT

As a Coach and a Cop in Minneapolis, Where Would He Draw the Line?

By BY KURT STREETER AND TIM GRUBER from NYT Sports While his city struggles with the pandemic and wounds laid bare by George Floyd’s killing, Charles Adams embodies the everyday people trying to make change.https://nyti.ms/2Hxf2Nk

N.B.A. Season Like No Other: ‘One of the Worst, Strangest Years’

By BY SCOTT CACCIOLA from NYT Sports Coronavirus and conflict, protest and mourning: Five people tell what they learned about basketball, and themselves, in a turbulent season that changed the N.B.A.https://nyti.ms/2Sb7l19

Michael Jordan’s Big Play in NASCAR Could Help Diversify Its Fan Base

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS from NYT Sports A self-described fan of the sport, Jordan will form a team with Bubba Wallace as the driver, possibly helping to draw African-American interest in a largely white sport.https://nyti.ms/2GcUZTK

Maya Moore, W.N.B.A. Star, Marries Man She Helped Free From Prison

By BY CHRISTINA MORALES AND KURT STREETER from NYT Sports Ms. Moore took a break from basketball to help free Jonathan Irons. His conviction on burglary and assault charges was overturned in March.https://nyti.ms/2FJhzTH

N.F.L. Kicks Off Season With Nods to Unrest and Focus on Anthem

By Unknown Author from NYT Sports Several teams stayed in the locker room for the pregame playing of the national anthem, while some players knelt during it or wore decals and shirts against hate and racism.https://nyti.ms/3ingjE2

The N.F.L. Pledged to Start on Time. These Changes Made It Happen.

By BY BEN SHPIGEL from NYT Sports The league stuck to plans to open its season on Sept. 10 even as pandemic spikes, player opt-outs and racial unrest forced alterations.https://nyti.ms/35mzbzf

Authentic Won the Kentucky Derby, Run Without Fans

By BY JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports The race in Louisville ran with a smaller field than usual, no spectators and despite protests nearby over the police killing of Breonna Taylor in the city earlier this year.https://nyti.ms/334vhbs

Authentic Won the Kentucky Derby, Run Without Fans

By BY JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports The race in Louisville ran with a smaller field than usual, no spectators and despite protests nearby over the police killing of Breonna Taylor in the city earlier this year.https://nyti.ms/334vhbs

What to Watch at the 146th Kentucky Derby

By BY JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports The race in Louisville will have a smaller field than usual, no spectators and run as protests continue nearby after the police killing of Breonna Taylor in the city earlier this year.https://nyti.ms/3h4lSpA

What to Watch at the 146th Kentucky Derby

By BY JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports The race in Louisville will have a smaller field than usual, no spectators and run as protests continue nearby after the police killing of Breonna Taylor in the city earlier this year.https://nyti.ms/2Zb5NIB