The NBA has been zealously pursuing international conquest during David Stern's 36-year reign as commissioner. Basketball is the second fastest growing sport in India, with 4 million now playing the game. Read more»

The US embraced the World Cup, but what happens in the 4 years until the next one? Read more»

Lance Armstrong rode into Paris on Sunday, ending his historic run in the Tour de France with a whimper, not a bang. And that may have been a good thing too. Because the way Lance's 2010 Tour has gone, the most likely bang would have been a headfirst crash into the Arc de Triomphe. Read more»

From golden boy to forgotten man, Justin Rose rises from the ashes of English sports to show the Open who's boss. Read more»

We should be grateful that South Africa 2010 turned out to be an alluring celebration of game and country. Hell, by Sunday the vuvuzelas had begun to sound like late Miles Davis. Read more» 2

The World Cup 2010 semifinals displayed contrasting styles of soccer and produced two worthy finalists in Spain and the Netherlands who appear poised to produce an exhilarating climax to the tournament on Sunday. Read more» 1

Drama promised in semifinals between Germany and Spain, Netherlands and Uruguay Read more»

While Lance Armstrong might well top a list of the most admired American athletes of the past decade, he probably wouldn't fare quite as well on a list of the most liked. Read more» 3

Recent converts to both the U.S. soccer team and the World Cup may not yet have fully grasped some of the implications of the American defeat. After all, we are a “wait till next year” nation. But what makes the World Cup so compelling is that it requires you to wait an eternity — four more years — for your next fix. Read more»

Of all the expectations for World Cup 2010, perhaps the most heartfelt was that an African setting might lead to an African breakthrough. Instead South Africa has witnessed an African fiasco: so far the six African teams have combined for just one win in a dozen games. Read more»

The first 16 games in South Africa show few goals scored and a quirky new ball that may be making them harder to come by. Read more»

The last time Tiger Woods played the U.S. Open at California's famed Pebble Beach course back in 2000, his performance ranked among the most memorable — Sports Illustrated called it the greatest ever — in the long history of his sport. Read more»

It is a maxim of American football that "a tie is like kissing your sister." But in the rest of the world, a tie can be something far, far better, and even beautiful. The U.S. opened with a 1-1 draw against England, a tie that, for the underdog Americans, was even better than kissing Angelina Jolie (or, if you prefer, Brad Pitt). Read more»

To the faithful few who followed American soccer fortunes long before David Beckham blessed us with his presence, the young Landon Donovan went from the American wunderkind to its wuss with remarkable speed. Donovan now hopes to make his mark on the world stage in a more indelible fashion than with his first World Cup romp. Read more»

It always seems hyperbolic when writers insist that the World Cup hopes of a nation rest on any single player. But in the case of England – with its desperate desire, after 44 years, for another Cup championship – and its 24-year-old superstar, Rooney, it seems a bit understated. Read more»