‘I Got Them Off the Hook by Winning’

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports Lee Elder forced golf forward by winning his way into the Masters tournament in 1975, the first Black player to do so, laying a path for Tiger Woods and others.https://nyti.ms/3lrWwa6

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

Quarterbacks Are the N.F.L.’s Biggest Investment. Why Won’t It Listen to Them?

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS from NYT Sports From Aaron Rodgers to Tom Brady to Patrick Mahomes, quarterbacks are trying to push football’s status quo. The results have lagged behind stars’ achievements in other sports.https://nyti.ms/2X4FDsZ

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

A Minneapolis High School Football Team and Its Coach Move On

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports Charles Adams, a former police officer, and the Minneapolis North team are warily moving forward after the Derek Chauvin verdict offered a rebuke to one police killing in their community.https://nyti.ms/3aEtFKo

A Brooklyn Artist Wants Sports Fans to Wear Their Names

By BY BEN OSBORNE from NYT Sports A Brooklyn artist uses sports iconography to commemorate Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and other Black victims of violence.https://nyti.ms/3uodok2

For Pro Athlete Leading Social Justice Push, a Victory and Uncertainty

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream helped galvanize opposition to one of her team’s owners, Senator Kelly Loeffler, who has criticized Black Lives Matter. But the Capitol riot underscored the work ahead.https://nyti.ms/2LlqNZm

For Pro Athlete Leading Social Justice Push, a Victory and Uncertainty

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream helped galvanize opposition to one of her team’s owners, Senator Kelly Loeffler, who has criticized Black Lives Matter. But the Capitol riot underscored the work ahead.https://nyti.ms/3oCG2vl

With Each Run, a City Shaken by Racism Is ‘Finding the Greater Good’

By BY ANNA KATHERINE CLEMMONS from NYT Sports The route William Jones III designed 15 years ago through predominantly Black neighborhoods in Charlottesville, Va., has become the impetus for a diverse running group that’s grown since the summer.https://nyti.ms/3hjepon

It’s 2020. Indigenous Team Names in Sports Have to Go.

By BY KURT STREETER from NYT Sports The Chiefs, Braves, Blackhawks and Seminoles need to follow the Cleveland baseball team in dropping their offensive names.https://nyti.ms/3avq95R

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

N.B.A. Players Meet With Pope Francis on Social Justice Efforts

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS from NYT Sports The players and officials from their union were invited last week to discuss their campaign at the Vatican.https://nyti.ms/372e3gV

How Trump Lost Sports as a Political Strategy

By BY JERÉ LONGMAN from NYT Sports After George Floyd’s death, many athletes and sports leagues pushed back more forcefully against the president’s demand for standing during the national anthem, and he shifted away from the issue.https://nyti.ms/3eObNNQ

How the Most Socially Progressive Pro League Got That Way

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS AND NATALIE WEINER from NYT Sports The women of the W.N.B.A. have made it a hotbed of activism, leading the way for higher-profile professional leagues in combining social action and sports.https://nyti.ms/356RLcS

The N.B.A. Season’s Hollywood Ending Still Leaves Questions

By BY MARC STEIN from NYT Sports There’s a champion (Lakers) and a tally of players with the coronavirus (zero). But as for a date (?), location (??) and salary cap (???) for next season, no one is sure.https://nyti.ms/2H1NajP

Timeline: A Year That Changed the N.B.A.

By BY SOPAN DEB AND SHAUNTEL LOWE from NYT Sports Major trades and a chaotic free agency period shifted the N.B.A.’s hierarchy.https://nyti.ms/34efI1s

Inside One N.F.L. Team’s Attempt to Turn Protest Into Action

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports The Falcons, who play in the home city of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., are making voting rights a priority this season.https://nyti.ms/33CzgfN

Hockey, Rocked by Racist Acts, Embraces Black Lives Matter Campaigns

By BY MORGAN CAMPBELL from NYT Sports To a degree not seen before, players are kneeling for the United States national anthem and speaking out publicly on fighting racism, with backing from the National Hockey League.https://nyti.ms/2F9BhYo

On Opening Day, a Rarity for M.L.B.: Support for Black Lives Matter

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports Players and coaches knelt before the national anthem, and teams played a message of unity at the first two games of the 2020 season.https://nyti.ms/3fXY1rF

Should Racial and Ethnic Slurs Count in Scrabble Tournaments?

By BY DAVID WALDSTEIN from NYT Sports The fight against systemic racism has taken aim at Scrabble. An agreement is at hand to bar offensive terms, though some players endorse using them for points.https://nyti.ms/38FH56v