Will Leitch Author Archive
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Will Leitch

Contributing Editor

Will Leitch has been a contributing editor at New York since 2008, covering sports and film. He is the author of six books, including the Edgar-nominated novel How Lucky and The Time Has Come.

  1. games
    Tom Brady Won’t Be the Last 40-Something SuperstarIt’s not just science that has enabled so many old athletes to remain dominant.
  2. games
    How Not to Lose Your Shirt Gambling on SportsNew Yorkers can now wager their 401ks on a Russian table-tennis match. Hooray?
  3. games
    The Decade That Defined the KnicksTalking with Chris Herring, whose new book looks back at the ugly-great teams of the 1990s.
  4. games
    The Supreme Court Couldn’t Slow College Football DownMonday night’s thrilling championship game was another sign that the sport, which appeared to be in trouble a few months ago, is healthier than ever.
  5. games
    Antonio Brown and the Specter of CTEThe wide receiver’s erratic behavior has rekindled a conversation the NFL doesn’t want to have.
  6. games
    The 10 Biggest Sports Stories of 2021Ohtani and Giannis were almost enough to make us forget about COVID for a while.
  7. games
    Professional Sports Are Learning to Live With COVID. We’re Next.The Omicron variant demands a more nimble approach to the virus.
  8. games
    Everybody Loves StephA sports megastar with seemingly zero haters is a rare and beautiful thing.
  9. games
    Enes Kanter Freedom Is Diluting His Own ActivismThe NBA journeyman has served as a strong moral compass for the league, but now he seems more interested in going on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
  10. games
    Everyone Used to Hate Coach KWhy are once widely reviled sports figures so often redeemed in the public eye?
  11. games
    What to Know About Baseball’s Looming Labor DisasterMLB players and owners are at each other’s throats, and the possibility of the first work stoppage in a quarter century is very real.
  12. games
    Why Nobody Should Want to Play for New YorkIt’s a hell of a sports town, but there are better places to join a team.
  13. games
    Aaron Rodgers Fooled UsHis anti-vaccine ravings offer another hard lesson about our distorted perception of athletes.
  14. games
    Almost All the Complaints About the World Series Are WrongGrousing about late-night games and too many relief pitchers just makes you sound old.
  15. games
    The Aggrieved World SeriesThe Astros and Braves both have fan bases defined by resentment — a perfect fit for 2021.
  16. games
    The NBA Would Like You to Stop Talking About Kyrie IrvingThe league is now a culture-war lightning rod, even as its on-court product dazzles.
  17. games
    Jon Gruden’s Emails Are the Tip of the IcebergHis disturbing messages are a small part of a larger investigation — one that could reveal the true rot at the center of the NFL.
  18. games
    We’ll Never Hate Anyone Like This AgainSunday night’s Brady-Belichick showdown was a reminder that their era of NFL archvillainy is unlikely to be replicated.
  19. games
    Kyrie Irving and the Downside of Player EmpowermentAnti-vaxxers are testing the NBA’s unique egalitarian approach to its stars.
  20. games
    What Sports Learned From the Pandemic It Thinks Is OverLessons from the last 18 months.
  21. games
    Dave Zirin Thinks the Kaepernick Era Is Just BeginningTalking with the veteran sports journalist about his new book, which examines how the activist quarterback transformed the sports landscape.
  22. vulture lists
    The 26 Best Movies About GamblingFrom Uncut Gems to California Split, many of our favorite films revolve around big bets.
  23. games
    Unfortunately, Roger Goodell Deserves Some CreditEveryone’s favorite punching bag has steered the NFL back to sheer dominance with a single-minded focus on making money.
  24. games
    Javy Baez Should Have Remembered Why Fans BooThe Mets player’s strange overreaction to being jeered is understandable but misguided.
  25. games
    College Football Is the Wild West NowAs a new season kicks off, it’s clear that the Supreme Court–weakened NCAA isn’t really in charge anymore.
  26. games
    The NFL Should Require Fans to Get VaccinatedSome sports leagues are making it more difficult for players to avoid being inoculated. That’s not good enough.
  27. games
    Ten Takeaways From a Very Weird Summer OlympicsHow these Games did and did not stand out.
  28. games
    The Unbridled Joy of Watching Olympic Sports You Know Nothing AboutIt’s refreshing to be in sheer awe of athletes instead of nitpicking them to death.
  29. tokyo olympics
    Athletes Aren’t the Ones Injecting Politics Into This OlympicsWhile most Americans are happy to marvel at the athletic achievements, a small minority of bad-faith blowhards are rooting against Team USA.
  30. games
    The Superhumanity of Simone BilesNo one has been under more pressure at these Olympic Games, and no one could have handled it better than she did.
  31. games
    The Olympics Will Reel You In AgainThe Games still make for spectacular television, even with no fans and COVID cases surging.
  32. games
    Babe Ruth Was Never This VersatileShohei Ohtani isn’t just baseball’s most exciting player, he might be the key to the sport’s future.
  33. games
    Sports Are Already Getting Less PoliticalFor better and worse, the post-Trump era is looking like a return to a less opinionated time across the world of athletics.
  34. games
    The Extremely Selective Outrage Around Baseball CheatingMLB’s “sticky stuff” crackdown is a reminder that when it comes to bending the rules, hometown fans are always forgiving.
  35. games
    The NCAA Looks Like a Dead Organization WalkingJustice Brett Kavanaugh, of all people, has stuck a dagger into college sports’ unjust business model.
  36. games
    This Was the Biggest Challenge of Kevin Durant’s CareerMaybe he can quiet some of the haters after almost single-handedly defeating the Bucks in Game Five.
  37. games
    Jon Rahm’s COVID Disaster Is a Great Vaccine PSASome athletes are still inoculation reluctant. Maybe watching a golfer lose more than a million dollars will help.
  38. games
    Let’s Have a Good-Faith Discussion About Naomi OsakaHer abrupt exit from the French Open over anxiety around press conferences does not lend itself to a simple narrative.
  39. games
    Fans’ Bad Behavior Isn’t New. The Outrage Over It Is.Players have been complaining about how they’re treated by fans for years, and now they’re finally being heard.
  40. games
    The Extremely Welcome, Slightly Jarring Return of Sports CrowdsWith screaming fanatics back in the mix, games are no longer a pale imitation of themselves.
  41. games
    The Dynamic NBA’s Future So BrightAs the playoffs begin, the league looks to be on solid ground — despite the political haters.
  42. games
    States Are Starting to Fix the NCAA — For the Wrong ReasonsCompetition, not morality, is driving legislation that allows college athletes to make some money.
  43. games
    Kevin Durant Needs to Win It AllIt’s the only way his big move to Brooklyn will truly pay off.
  44. vulture lists
    Tom Clancy Movies, RankedNot all Jack Ryans are created equal.
  45. games
    Last Year’s NFL Draft Was a Charming Oasis. Now the Circus Is Back.This year’s big event is set to bring back the hype nobody missed.
  46. games
    Why Everyone Is Enraged About the European Super LeagueEurope’s top soccer teams are forming an exclusive new league just for themselves — and even their biggest fans are now in open revolt.
  47. games
    The Knicks’ Revolutionary CompetenceIn what feels like a miracle, the perpetually embarrassing squad is showing signs of life.
  48. games
    Major League Baseball Has Not Gone WokeThe league’s decision to move its All-Star Game out of Georgia was a cold business calculation, not a statement of principle.
  49. games
    Baseball Can’t Screw Up Its Big 2021 OpportunityThe sport has a chance for a banner season — but a treacherous labor war looms at the other end.
  50. games
    Who You Should Root For in March Madness (Not Oral Roberts)A totally harmless guide for the extremely casual fan.
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