newyorker.com / .newyorker-com-sporting-scene

There are classic moments in this subgenre of deflated fandom that you may have seen before, even if you do not love or pay much attention to sports.

The New York Yankees quietly brought a physics experiment to the plate. Then came the home-run barrage.

An elbow-injury epidemic has become an existential threat to the sport, prompting the M.L.B. to brainstorm new solutions, such as the use of a heavier ball.

As a Purdue Boilermakers fan, I've experienced plenty of heartbreak during the N.C.A.A. tournament. Was it a matter of skill, or of chance?