The Nigeria Women Football League has announced an official ban of lesbians from Nigerian women’s soccer.  Dilichukwu Onyedinma, a member of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) announced earlier this week that “Any player that we find is associated with [lesbianism] will be disqualified.”  The ban violates FIFA’s anti-discrimination policies, which states “Discrimination of any kind against a ... Read More

I can’t get behind elaborate touchdown dances or emotionally overwrought ESPN documentaries, but I’ll always appreciate the hard work of the mascots on the sidelines. One of my earliest sports memories is being nuzzled by the Phillie Phanatic as I played a pre-game show on the field with my elementary school band. (Popularity: I haz it.) And at my alma mater, inflatable mascot (and John McCain doppelganger) Baldwin the Eagle was ... Read More

9-year-old starting quarterback Sam Gordon is the star of the Gremlin youth boys tackle  football team. Sam’s stats: 1,911 rushing yards, 8.2 yards-per-carry, 25 touchdowns, 65 tackles.  According to Sam’s dad, Brent Gordon, there were 172 kids who tried out for a Gremlin team, and Sam tested the fastest in every single speed and agility drill. There’s no doubt about it: Sam is a football star. Oh, yeah. And ... Read More

  In case you’re anything like me and know nothing about football, you may not know about Shannon Eastin, who has just made sports history. On Sunday night, she refereed the game between the St. Louis Rams and the Detroit Lions, making her the first-ever woman to referee a NFL regular season game.   There was a lot of positive energy surrounding the first female referee, though some of it was admittedly a little sexist. Pittsburgh ... Read More

Yesterday, the infamous Glass Ceiling got a another pretty big crack in it: Shannon Eastin is the first woman ever to referee a National Football League game. Touchdown! Last night, 42-year-old Eastin presided over the game between the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers. It was pretty great to see a woman in the traditionally masculine black-and-white uniform. Eastin, previously a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference referee crew ... Read More