Victory Journal - The Journal of Sport & Culture interview cup of nations Eto’o, Drogba, and other close encounters with football royalty and rivalry at the 2008 African Cup of Nations. interview the business of being swagg For the modern sports fan, the double life of the gamer isn’t as hard to grasp. photo target practice Protection dogs, protective suits and the canine sport of kings. art high court An oral history of master portraitist Barkley Hendricks and his almost forgotten “Basketball Paintings.” wizard mode Louise Wagensonner’s day job is finding a cure for AIDS. In her off hours, she's one of the world's best women pinball players. art gymnasium Ascendant South African painter Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi uses the workaday routines of gymnastics to explore the performance of racial identity. photo cod balls A summer with the Orleans Firebirds in the most storied amateur league in baseball. longform higher ground Mother and son mountaineers chase glory, and each other, across the deadliest mountains of the Himalayas. longform pit stop Brehanna Daniels is making auto racing history. But making history isn't easy. interview outside in Elizabeth Cambage is the one of the WNBA’s biggest stars, long hailed as the future of the league. But is that enough for this force of nature? art amazing grace It's one of the strangest sports movies ever made. The story behind it is even stranger. longform national pride The Kosovo Gymnastics Federation may not win gold any time soon. But sometimes, just getting to the Olympics is enough. art five dimes Sean Creighton left West Virginia for Costa Rica and made a fortune as a bookie. Then he vanished without a trace. longform there will be blood Going to jail for armed robbery should have ended Nick Gage's career. Instead, it turned him into an indie wrestling icon. longform queen of darts Essen's Dutch Open was a chance to see stars Deta Hedman and Mikuru Suzuki in rare form. It was also one hell of a party. art Madam Ram Georgia Frontiere had long been labeled a floozy. But when she became an NFL owner in 1979, she was labeled a murderer. longform the last pinareo San Cristbal was once a soccer stronghold. And despite a sharp decline over the last decade, its citizens still cling proudly to this legacy. longform cosmic cars Detroit is famous for its cars and its music. The city's street racing culture spans both world. And it's ready to go legit. art the wrong man Oghogho Ayo Agbonkpolo came to America to play college basketball. But the dream was never his to chase. longform the brothers aguayo Roberto and Ricky Aguayo were supposed to be a kicking dynasty. But the strangest job in sports is never that predictable. longform freestyle Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder has Olympic gold and NCAA championships. But for Snyder, there's more to the sport than winning it all. art Do or Die On the last day of the '78 season, George "Iceman" Gervin and David "Skywalker" Thompson battled for the scoring title in the closest race in NBA history. longform serie nacional The departure of a generation of players has left Cuba’s talent pool uncharacteristically shallow. But as two unlikely foes clash, the thirst for a title remains strong. longform soccer at the end of the world How does a nation with a tiny population and a frigid climate compete against the soccer superpowers? By cultivating its natural resources. longform the riders Racing bareback horses is a centuries old Native American tradition. Now, marketed as “America’s first extreme sport,” it’s reaching new audiences. longform here come the knights The Vegas Golden Knights were supposed to be the league's worst team. Instead, they're in the playoffs, with cast-off goalie Marc-Andre Fleury leading the way. longform the perfect game Super Bowl LII was as good as football gets. And that's because we may never stop talking about it. longform ain’t this what they’ve been waiting for? Meek Mill's "Dreams and Nightmares" has galvanized the Eagles and their city. But the rapper, currently incarcerated, may not even be watching. longform eli manning, coming and going When the Giants benched Manning, it was a reminder that all quarterbacks are mortal, writes David Roth. longform always close enough Tony Romo isn't afraid to get it wrong. And in the NFL, this makes him stand out. art the enthusiast 2 Chainz isn't the first rapper to mention bowling in his lyrics. But in his case, it's a perfect fit. longform name of the father A wiseguy’s son steps out of his father’s shadow—and into the boxing ring. But the legacy of organized crime isn’t so easy to leave behind. longform ahead of ourselves David Roth on how the Philadelphia 76ers and their fans learned to win by losing. longform a political education Ray Schoenke started campaigning for George McGovern in 1971 because he wanted to make a difference. The experience ended up changing his life. longform harry edwards is not who you think he is Dr. Harry Edwards' sociology of sports has defined and fiercely guarded the terms of "fair play" in America. longform jumpin’ joe Joe Caldwell was a star at the dawn of the modern NBA. Then the sport took everything from him. longform the wow series This World Series has been baseball at its best, says David Roth. It also shows us everything baseball could be going forward longform to lose is to love Rooting for the Clippers always ends in disappointment. But maybe that’s the point. film 9 quarter circle ranch Grandson of a Marlboro man, Kameron Kelsey moves his herd of horses up and down the Rockies the old cowboy way. longform the bigger picture The Warriors are already the NBA's next great dynasty. What's left for them to accomplish? film five a side Watch the real-life inspiration for Argentinian artist Martin Gordopelota's football fantasies. longform a league apart David Roth on why we need the NBA more than ever right now. longform a stranger comes to town Josh Allen showed up in Laramie an unheralded quarterback prospect. Now he’s garnered national attention for making plays no one else can. longform uganda’s hardball heroes How one high school team put a nation on the map. longform what the future is worth David Roth on Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese phenom who could redefine baseball. photo moving day When the Falcons played their last game in the Georgia Dome, the parking lot was a party for the ages. longform getting used to it David Roth on what the NFL has to offer and what it really stands for. longform a stadium scam moves forward For months, a group of local Cleveland activists fought the city's plan. What changed? longform venus on the verge Chloé Cooper Jones on what a US Open win would mean for Venus and the sport she’s shaped. longform money’s worth Mayweather's self-appointed nickname speaks volumes about the values of the man. film the last peaceful place on earth Filming Speed Week on the transcendent space-time plane of Utah’s Salt Flats. longform that august feeling David Roth on Jay Cutler's return to the NFL, the dog days of summer, and sports at the end of the world. photo founding father The grandchild of the self-described "photo-storyteller" Lucien Aigner looks back at his pioneering career in photojournalism. longform born to ride Born cycling royalty, Ignazio Moser walked away from the sport three years ago. Now he's back on his bike in Red Hook. art stadium club The life, times, and art of Mark Mulroney's autograph chase. longform double jump For these world-class competitors, it's all checkers, no chess. longform how putin hacked world football Vladimir Putin has quietly taken control of the beautiful game using every trick and tactic in his locker, and World Cup 2018 will be his greatest work of political propaganda ever. art footloose Argentine artist Martin Gordopelota's vision of ftbol celebrates the idiosyncratic neighborhood traditions of the beautiful game. longform the deal of the draft Whether it's new players starting their careers or familiar faces in new places, the NBA Draft is never low on action. longform fight town Inside Ghana's mythological boxing kingdom of Bukom with Malik “Bukom Snake” Jabir. photo strong side As we look forward to the Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, a look back at intimate portraits of the Brown University Bears all their rugged glory. photo western front The ways of an increasingly rare American species, the cowboy, are carefully maintained by the traditions of the Kelsey family dude ranch. longform lebron is not at home LeBron wasn't at his L.A. home when it was defaced with a racial slur this week. And the reality is, no level of achievement is enough to make people of color feel at home in America. longform surviving the sixth Anthony Joshua is a survivor, and because of that, the young boxer is now the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion. photo sawdust Every July, men and women come to a small town in the Chequamegon National Forest toting their handsaws, axes, chainsaws, and climbing spurs in search of glory at the lumberjack world championships. longform a runner's will On the eve of the 121st Boston Marathon, Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai sat alone in his hotel room and quietly prepared to race the greatest marathoners in the world. That included himself. longform arise, winged lions! After over a decade, Venezia FC are back in Serie B, Italy's second division. Their return has not been easy, but it has been spectacular, strange, and fascinating to watch. interview homes of forgotten legends Using film and a 4x5 view camera, photographer Andrew Dolgin points his lens at empty high school tracks that were once home to American Olympic gold medalists and world record holders in their format longform the long game Yes, baseball is the slow sport. And its future depends on playing the long game. longform shattering the ice ceiling The USWNT has scored an historic victory for hockey. We should all be grateful they did. longform the costacos brothers How a scrappy, independent label's posters changed the way we looked at sports forever. film becoming danny “the miracle man” jacobs In the mid-2000s, director Nick Strini and Victory EIC Chris Eisenberg documented rising boxing star Danny Jacobs, "The Miracle Man." longform grandmaster When James Canty enters the McDonald’s on Chicago’s South Side, nobody takes notice. But the Master chess player is there on a mission. longform fields of clay Artist and filmmaker Azod Abedikichi introduces us to the weird, wild, and psychedelic world of sports claymation. longform house of worship Photographer Geoff Winningham documents the heady days of pro-wrestling on the local circuit. longform fan fiction The weird, true story of how writer Dave Tompkins inadvertently created his own version of fantasy football. longform the cannibal Eddy Merckx, "the Cannibal," is one of the greatest cyclists in history. He's also muse to two masters of cycling cinema. Here is their story. longform let there be no exceptions How an Olympian’s experience exposes the fragility of American immigration policy. longform kyle lowry and the power of profanity Kyle Lowry's weaponization of words in Trump's America. longform aftermath What is the legacy of an Olympics? What happens after it's gone? Photographers Jon Pack and Gary Hustwit document the cities and towns as they adapt to the aftermath. longform russ against the world Nathaniel Friedman unpacks Russell Westbrook's complicated character. longform american pastimes What does Raymond Pettibon's sports art tell us about the American dream? longform never die Spencer Seabrooke wanted to break a slacklining record. The only problem was that if he failed, he'd die. photo five hundred Filled with idiosyncratic traditions and patriotism, the Indy 500 is one of the greatest spectacles in American motorsports. Antonio Santos photographed the massive raceway's most iconic moments. longform the ballad of mike d’antoni Watching the Houston Rockets this year, it’s easy to forget how narrowly Mike D’Antoni avoided coaching perdition. longform siempre verde Atletico Nacional and Chapecoense were to play the Copa Sudamericana final today. Instead they're united by tragedy. photo knees & elbows Once of interest only inside the country's borders, Muay Thai, the centuries-old martial art-cum-national pastime of Thailand is changing along with the global landscape. longform donald trump is america’s first soccer president Trump is trying to ruin soccer, but soccer is used to his brand of ruin. film toback vs mailer: the incident Betting, boxing, and boozing: the weird, true story of the writer rivalry between Norman Mailer and James Toback. longform blood sport Cleon Peterson makes confrontational art that picks apart the power structures of violence, tapping into centuries of competitive combat, even as it looks at the world of today. longform eye of the tiger How did Joe Montana help Tiger Balm become a household name in the United States? Writer Benjamin Meadows-Ingram explores the history of the cult sports ointment and its most prominent champion. photo life in a small town Soccer is a way of life in the tiny town of San Marino. Big things are in their grasp, and each year is another chance to get closer to their dreams of succeeding on a national level. photo ice age Last year, Long Island's beloved Islanders made a controversial move to Brooklyn, but would their fans remain loyal? Photographer Nils Ericson was there to document their early days at Barclays. film the best last best plane ride ever October 1986: the New York Mets beat the Houston Astros in the NLCS, in one of the most dramatic series ever. What happened after was a mind-boggling display of debauchery. photo seeing daylight Every year, New Yorkers flock to Madison Square Garden for the most unexpected spectacle: a gritty rodeo in the heart of Manhattan. longform love bites Finnish artist Riikka Hyvnen unlocks the secret language of roller derby bruises, and the stories they tell. longform why does lebron james love america so much? Writer Nathaniel Friedman dissects LeBron James' complicated relationship with America. longform farmer’s son Clay County, Kentucky's illustrious basketball program has a first family: the Farmers—but can they step out of the shadow of long gestating turmoil and controversy? photo the trust Photographer Daniel Arnold explores the unique relationship between the Green Bay Packers and their biggest fans—who also happen to own part of the team. photo dust to glory Bali's annual buffalo race celebrates the end of the rice harvest with specially bred, colorfully dressed buffalos and their jockeys careening around a dirt track. photo unleashed Every winter, the crown jewel of the competitive dog circuit, the Westminster Dog Show comes to Madison Square Garden, giving the most well trained canines a chance to strut their stuff. longform paul pogba deserves better Paul Pogba can be the best player of his generation and bring titles back to Manchester United. This breaks writer Peter Macia's heart. film claressa At the 2012 Olympics, Claressa Shields did what no one had ever done before: she became the first US woman to win a gold medal in boxing. Now, with everyone watching, she has to try to do it again. longform flag bearer Teddy Riner is a charismatic judoka. He's also an Olympian and a French icon. But how does a man that big move that gracefully? And what does it mean to carry the weight of a country on your back? longform islanders New Zealand's All Blacks can't stop winning, but why and how are they so good? Writer Phil Lutton and photographer Derek Henderson take a look at the U20 team that has come to define Rugby greatness. longform russell westbrook still doesn’t care what you think Writer Nathaniel Friedman examines what might have compelled Russell Westbrook to stick with Oklahoma City for another season. longform the alternates What does it really mean to be an Olympic alternate? Writer Tim Struby explores the hidden lives of the greatest athletes who might never compete for their country. photo sepak takraw The Thai sport of takraw crams the motions of soccer, the format of volleyball, and the scrappiness of hacky sack into a court the size of a motel swimming pool. longform tour de force Writer Carrie Battan explores how Misty Copeland is pushing the art of ballet and the human body into the future. photo feast of burden Each year, competitive eaters descend on Coney Island to do the unthinkable: eat as many hot dogs—and their accompanying buns—as humanly possible in just a few short minutes. longform I don’t have to be what you want me to be Iconic moments in Muhammad Ali's life told through the quotes that made him a legend. longform homecourt Syrian Jewish tennis player David Mizrahi has a promising career ahead of him, but first he must decide between his chosen sport and religion. photo skywalkers In the Adirondack Mountains, a group of brave ski jumpers spend their summers perfecting their craft, launching off staggering jumps onto the grass and dirt below. longform lifecasting Writer Brendan O'Connor profiles John Ahearn, the New York-based artist whose sculptures found their way to a wall in Caguas, Puerto Rico. longform American Lawn David Mellor's Major League Baseball dreams were crushed on one unfortunate day. Then he found an innovative new way to change the game. film when the king held court By the early '70s, Elvis Presley’s constant touring, hard living, and penchant for overeating had taken their toll. His personal doctor came up with the perfect solution: Take up racquetball. longform Double Vision—Photographing Baseball In Cuba Two photographers search for the beating heart of Cuban baseball, and come back with new perspectives on an old tradition. longform Master of Puppets After working with Jim Henson, Bonnie Erickson entered into an unexpected career in professional sports: creator of some of the most iconic mascots of all time. photo Eights The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge is one of England's most storied competitions, and it's gone largely unchanged for 186 years–until now. photo The Decision Thon Maker, the 7'1" Sudanese-Australian center, has been honing his basketball skills in snowy Orangeville, Ontario–with a promising future in the NBA all but guaranteed, his path is still uncertain. longform North Siders A city is never one thing. It can be good or bad, right or wrong. It changes from day to day and year to year, but in Chicago the consistency of failure is historic.A city is never one thing. film El Porvenir Abelardo Olguín Cuevas still practices the brutal pastime of cockfighting that his grandfather taught him, as growing controversy and declining interest threatens to make the sport he loves extinct. photo The Dawn Patrol Huntington Beach High School's surf team is focused. They begin practice at dawn, and keep fine-tuning their technique until just before the first school bell rings. longform Bruce Davenport Jr: The Game is Mine From his home in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, artist Bruce Davenport Jr constructs a vibrant, dense world of boxing matches and marching bands. film Glory Days: W.E. Nola After losing everything to Hurricane Katrina, Warren Easton's Fighting Eagles entered the Louisiana Superdome for the second time, gunning for their first state title since World War II. photo Patriot Games Fifty miles north of New York City, along the banks of the Hudson River, future US Army officers dedicate what little free time they have to rigorous varsity sports. longform The People’s Champs Chicago's inner city baseball team Jackie Robinson West won the most heavily covered Little League World Series in years—and then it all started to fall apart. film Glory Days: Wings II The Bronx's Wings Academy reached New York's PSAL semifinals five times in its short history, but always fell short of a big win. In 2015, they made it for the sixth time. film Glory Days: Lethal Leon Leon Lawson III is on his way to becoming a world class boxer, but first he has to manage the expectations of his family of fighters as he gears up to represent the USA in the Junior Men's WC. longform The Boys from Donetsk FC Shakhtar Donetsk is one of the most successful football clubs in Europe—its youth academy among the finest in the world. But Shakhtar’s very existence and identity has been ripped apart... photo Grand prix More than most competitions, Formula I stands outside of time. David Rathman's watercolors of the 2013 Montreal race are testament, at once intensely focused and yet innocently pastoral. photo Les Poneys The most prestigious weekend in European thoroughbred racing takes place in early October, on the banks of the Seine. longform Tennis for Savages Handball was in Jerome Liebling's blood. The legendary photographer spent much of his life documenting its practitioners, from Brooklyn to Miami Beach. photo The End of October The final night of baseball's 2013 season was emotional for the city of Boston. There wasn't just a World Series to be won, but ghosts to be buried. photo Takedown The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships is more heartland soul than big-ratings dance. In March 2014, photographer Nils Ericson went to Oklahoma City to witness the American gladiators firsthand. longform LeRoy Neiman: Through Line One of 20th-century America’s best-known painters was also an incredible sketch artist and sports journalist. photo Dover In September of 2014, NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series brought the world’s best drivers to Delaware’s legendary Monster Mile. photo Mersey Sides Everton v. Liverpool is one of the oldest local rivalries in organized sports, and a hallmark of the English Premier League's season. photo Football Files NFL Films is pro football’s id. It helped create the sport’s heroes, and popularized them. It also kept one of everything. film Kite Fight Look up! The skies above Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela, are teeming with pipa battles. Filmmakers Guilherme Tensol and Leandro HBL explored Brasil’s other great sporting culture. photo The Squad The same late-April weekend that the NFL holds its annual college draft, the Dolphins pick the women who will be the team’s cheerleaders for the upcoming season. photo Fighting Eagles Warren Easton is the oldest public high school in New Orleans. In the fall of 2014, its football team was in the midst of a renaissance when photographer Christaan Felber came to document the squa longform The Legend of Panther Girl Wrestler Ann Casey's life is the stuff of pulp dreams. She broke cultural barriers, kissed Elvis, was shot by drug dealers and came back to win The Belt. film Wings Hope rarely shines in Bronx high-school basketball. Yet filmmaker Will Robson-Scott found a ray at Wings Academy, an unlikely contender for the PSAL crown. photo The Game The University of Michigan Wolverines vs. the Ohio State University Buckeyes. On November 30, 2013 their story took yet another turn. photo Divine Stampede The world's oldest horse race takes place on the Piazza del Campo in Siena, twice a summer. Alessandro Simonetti photographed the pageantry, intrigue and violence; Bud Schmeling added the words. photo Maccabi In May 2014, guard Tyrese Rice led Maccabi Electra of Tel Aviv to an astronomical 51st Ligat HaAl crown, and to upset wins over CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid in the Euroleague Final Four. film The Perfect 18 A short film by Mickey Duzyj about Rick Baird, who achieved a sporting feat more rare than pitching a perfect game in the Majors: shooting 18 in putt-putt. photo Athleta Original The brand that immortalized the canarinho kit of Brasil's national futebol team famous stands silent, filled with evidence of beautiful games and memories it inspired. longform El Duque – “La Gran Fuga” “The Great Escape!” The amazing (and true) story of how pitcher Orlando Hernandez defected from Cuba, before becoming a World Series hero. photo Transition Game Basketball's evolution, from all-white to African-American-dominated, coincided with the Civil Rights struggle; and art has quietly documented that historical occurrence, then and now. film Fast Eddie and the Boys Transplanted New Yorkers find a fountain of youth on the handball courts of Flamingo Park, Miami Beach. This rediscovered short doc brings us deep into the universe glimpsed in photo The Greatest In 1966 and again in 1970, photographer Thomas Hoepker was granted almost-unprecedented access to Muhammad Ali.The results are a full-bodied portrait of one of the 20th Century's most iconic athletes. interactive the check heard ’round the world January 1976. Philadelphia Flyers v. CSKA Moscow. The Cold War. The soul of hockey at stake. Story by Dave Hollander, drawings by Stephen Halker. film Jimmy Snuka – “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka was a Fijian prince who in the 1980s became one of wrestling’s most admired stars, Superfly. film Texas Six Deep in the heart of Lone Star, Friday night’s gridiron lights burn brightly—even amid the quietude of desolate places. photo Young Lions Is the future of African basketball being sown at a non-profit academy in a small Senegalese town? Photographer Alessandro Simonetti documented West African hoop dreams and realities. photo First Month in Brooklyn November 2012, the month that big-time basketball finally came to Kings County. Anthony Blasko’s camera documented the Nets, as the team made a new home at the corner of Atlant photo Joutes Nautiques The Mediterranean town of Sète is the de facto capital of maritime jousting, a sporting tradition that dates back to the 15th century. Photographer Christopher Anderson infiltrated th © 2021 VICTORY JOURNAL™ TERMS OF USE PRIVACY STATEMENT SUBSCRIBE Stories Shop About Stockists Sign up for the Victory Newsletter for alerts on new stories, events and editions SIGN UP BY SIGNING UP YOU AGREE TO VICTORY JOURNAL’S TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY STATEMENT