Southpaw Report

Southpaw Report is a weekly newsletter focused on left-leaning perspectives in sports, culture, and political reporting. It offers original insights and commentary that connect leftist ideologies with current sports events, covering topics like athletes' involvement in anti-racist movements and labor issues within Major League Baseball. Each edition is divided into three parts: a main feature report, a "Go Deeper" section that provides additional articles and essays for more context on the week's highlighted topic, and "Rodney’s Roundup," which showcases the top political sports journalism from the week.

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Articles

They Did It

May 27, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Calder McHugh

Dear readers,Over the course of our 166 (!) issues, there’s been no issue that has preoccupied us more than the relationship between the NCAA and its athletes. This week, the organization reached an historic, $2.8 billion settlement that, if approved by a judge, will pave the way for schools to begin to pay their athletes directly. That’s the topic of our Southpaw Memorial Day edition this week. Before we get to it, though, we’d like to send a quick note about the newsletter in general.
Doc and JJ and LeBron

Apr 21, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Calder McHugh

Dear readers,For the main event today, Ian has a dispatch on how sports media is actually doing something right — for once. He’ll use the first person in that piece. But before we get into that I (Calder) — the other author of this newsletter — want to talk quickly about a remarkable sports experience that I had since we were last in your inbox. I was fortunate enough to score tickets to attend Dwight (Doc) Gooden’s retirement ceremony at Citi Field with my parents.
The Anthem War Comes for Its Own

Apr 7, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Ian Ward

Dear readers,The two sports that typically bring us the most joy — baseball and basketball — both left us feeling a bit disappointed this week. The Mets and the Nationals got off to uninspiring starts in the new MLB season, and the Knicks’ long-shot title hopes evaporated on Thursday after Julius Randle had season-ending surgery. It’s tough going out here, but at least we got to watch some great hoops at the college level — most notably the LSU-Iowa women’s Elite 8 matchup on Monday.
Don't Bet on Major League Baseball

Mar 24, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Ian Ward

Dear readers, We hope the basketball fans among you are enjoying the latest edition of March Madness, which, depending on how things shake out for the NCAA, could also be the last. (We’re kidding, mostly . . . ) With MLB’s Opening Day just around the corner, though, our eyes are squarely fixed on baseball — and thanks to a brewing gambling scandal, so are everyone else’s. Let’s get to it. -Calder and IanIt’s been about 35 years since Major League Baseball had an honest-to-God betting scandal.
Major League Baseball's Wardrobe Malfunction

Mar 10, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Ian Ward

Dear readers,It’s official: the members of Dartmouth’s men’s basketball team have chosen to unionize with SEIU Local 560 by a vote of 13-2. (We can’t lie — we’re a little curious about the two holdouts.) While it might not seem like a big deal that a bunch of Ivy Leaguers have joined a union, the implications of the team’s decision could be far-reaching.
Anthony Rendon doesn't love his job

Feb 25, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Calder McHugh

Dear readers, Major League Baseball’s Spring Training officially kicked off this week — praise be to the Baseball Gods — which means that, after four long, cold months of inactivity, the baseball media is circling the wagon for juicy scoops and buzzy gossip. This week, they sunk their teeth into Los Angeles Angels’ third baseman Anthony Rendon, who broke the cardinal rule of sports media: he said something interesting. Let’s get to it.
NLRB to NCAA: College Athletes Are Employees

Feb 11, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Ian Ward

Dear readers,Happy Super Bowl Sunday. In a break from Southpaw tradition, we won’t be bashing on the NFL or the Super Bowl today. Instead, in keeping with some of our recent reporting about the NCAA, we’re discussing a fascinating development in the world of college sports. Last issue, we reported on the NCAA’s refusal to acknowledge the plain fact that its athletes are employees, even as the conference devises increasingly hair-brained schemes to allow athletes to earn money.
ESPN Hits a New Low

Jan 14, 2024 | southpaw.substack.com | Ian Ward

Dear readers,In our final edition of 2023, we asked if sports are still political, as leagues and athletes crawl back into their apolitical holes. Well, the first weeks of 2024 have seen some high-profile clashes between sports and politics — though they’re not necessarily the kind that we were hoping for. Our piece this week is about one particular clash at ESPN. Happy reading. -Ian and CalderThe Worldwide Leader in Sports is having a rough couple of weeks.
The 'WITCH HUNT' Comes for the New York Mets

Oct 8, 2023 | southpaw.substack.com | Sally Jenkins |Sharda Ugra |Ian Ward

Dear readers,When one of our favorite teams becomes the subject of a major controversy, like the New York Mets did this week, the first emotion we feel is dread. The second feeling, however, is excitement — that we will at least have some lively fodder for Southpaw. We hope you enjoy reading about the cause of Calder’s latest Mets-induced agony. -Ian and CalderOn Monday, despite the conclusion of one of the most disappointing seasons in 15 years, things were looking up for the New York Mets.
Why Can't We Watch the U.S. Open?

Sep 10, 2023 | southpaw.substack.com | Jesus Jimenez |Jesús Jiménez |Kurt Streeter |Ian Ward

Dear readers, Happy Sunday. Before we get into our main item this week, a quick programming note: Next week will be our 150th edition of Southpaw, which is a milestone we’re quite proud of. With a few exceptions, we’ve published a newsletter every week for the past three years — even as the two of us moved cities, started our careers, changed jobs, and tried to maintain reasonably robust social lives. We’re grateful to all of you, our readers, for sticking with us.