Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff
130 Years of Basketball as a Global Movement

One hundred thirty years ago, the first basketball game played outside North America was held in Paris, France, the first step in a global movement recently celebrated with World Basketball Day—one that Philadelphia now has a unique tie into thanks to its very own Batman, the 76ers’ French swingman Nicolas Batum.

130 Years of Basketball as a Global Movement
Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff
Through the Hoop: Lessons from Basketball ...

Even though baseball is the dominant sport in Taiwan and its neighbors, basketball offers up interesting lessons in how sports diplomacy can be used to promote greater gender equality.

Through the Hoop: Lessons from Basketball Diplomacy
Basketball, Sports Diplomacy
Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff
Can Hoops Diplomacy Take-Over Africa?

That’s a bit of a provocative question, but one that lent itself well to a workshop I co-directed with Dr. J Simon Rofe last week at the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS University of London.

Can Hoops Diplomacy Take-Over Africa?
Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff
Welcome: Our Interconnected (Sports) World

Hello there, and welcome! I’m glad you stopped by.

This space is designed as a general catch-all for my ideas and what inspires me across the international sports-, history-, and communications worlds.

Why focus on these three “hats”? Many people silo these off into individual industries. But in fact, from my professional experiences as well as what I’ve learned in the field, today’s sports, communications, and history worlds are in fact intricately intertwined.

Welcome: Our Interconnected (Sports) World

World Cup

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Resumption of Rivalries: Women's Football in France a Year After the World Cup

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Resumption of Rivalries: Women's Football in France a Year After the World Cup

Yesterday the world’s most dominant football club returned to square-off against its biggest rival in a grinding match, delayed by a power outage but finally won at the nail-biting end on penalties. The footballeuses of Olympique Lyonnais (OL) Féminin clenched their ninth Coupe de France title, eeking past Paris Saint-Germain Féminine as the rain streamed down in Auxerre, and earning their 30th championship trophy, according to L’Équipe’s statisticians. But has the pandemic pause negatively impacted women’s football in France, stunting the momentum of last summer’s FIFA World Cup?

"This Storm Is What We Call Progress"

"This Storm Is What We Call Progress"

In more normal times, we’d be in the midst of the 2020 European Championship, but instead this week the Football Scholars’ Forum continued our Summer Series dissecting David Goldblatt’s new tome, The Age of Football: Soccer and the 21st Century, with yours truly as moderator for the chapter on European football.

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#WorldGotGame

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#WorldGotGame

If you haven’t followed the FIBA World Cup in China this month, you’ve missed out on some great games. That’s because competition has tightened significantly, somethingI France captain Nicolas Batum articulated to me at the start of Les Bleus’ training camp.

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How Do They Make Les Bleues?

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How Do They Make Les Bleues?

A lot has changed since the early 2000s when the first wave of female footballers emerged from Clairefontaine, among them legendary icons Laura Georges, Louisa Nécib (Cadamuro), Camille Abily, and Amandine Henry. So: what does the Pôle France Féminin du football look like today? 

Women’s World Cup Countdown

We’re finally here, one week before the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in France. And all eyes are on Les Bleues to see if they can continue the magical journey begun last summer by their male counterparts in Russia. 

Blaise Matuidi, France’s Soldier in the Shadows.

It may seem strange, but in addition to the headliners such as Kylian Mbappé,  Paul Pogba,  and  N’Golo Kanté—one of France’s key players at this World Cup is a player who has only started in three of the six games the team has played through the semifinal.

Read more at The Athletic or full pdf (here). 

 

World Cup Kickoff: The Irony of Looking Backward to Celebrate the Future

World Cup Kickoff: The Irony of Looking Backward to Celebrate the Future

I’m back from a sports week in France ahead of the World Cup and am struck by the irony of nostalgia for the past—in this case, 1998—which very much celebrated the future.

What I'm Watching 2018

What I'm Watching 2018

Hello, and happy new year! May yours be merry and bright. I usually take the first week of the year to take stock of how the “best of” the past year puts greater focus into events of the coming one.Thus, here’s my watch list for the first half of the year. They’re less predictions and more things to take note of…though, if I’m honest, should things work out, I hope you give me some credit for my foresight!