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rantnrave:// What is the threshold for avoiding the Trump effect? Almost every athlete who has been aligned with him has been criticized for it. It can be a reputation spoiler. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots are known as Trump's team, and roasted for it. Under Armour suffered after CEO Kevin Plank publicly supported Trump. Rory McIlroy has admitted second thoughts after he got flack for golfing with Trump. Supporting the president is basically anathema in the NBA. Can Peyton Manning avoid it? He has generated a clean public profile for himself. He's one of sports' premier pitchmen -- a star who bridges the blue and red state divide. He had enough social capital that he was able to evade any serious blowback when decades-old sexual assault accusations resurfaced in 2016. Sunday, Manning went golfing with the president. So what happens now? He's no longer in the NFL, but he still matters to the league. He could eventually land in a TV booth or on a pregame show, or run a team. If any league's fans and establishment could forgive a star's relationship with Trump, it's the NFL, where tolerance for progressive politics is low. But it's still a risk for Manning. There's intrigue for Trump as well. Politicians frequently use athletes for campaigns or policy initiatives -- President Obama made a habit of it. Trump has leaned on athletes and coaches for support, but for how much longer will they be willing to join him? ... Buzzfeed's Alex Kantrowitz sums up why TV networks are willing to shell out huge dollars for sports in one tweet. ... This NBA Finals makes you wonder about the limits of the human spirit. If LeBron James can't win, how can the rest of us beat the odds? It's like watching Bruce Wayne try to climb his way out of that hole. OK, not quite. It's unfair to hype this series as LeBron vs. the Warriors. Perhaps more fitting: Warriors > LeBron. We may be seeing the best performance ever by a player for a losing team. ... The Warriors are like the 2007 Patriots. Can they remain undefeated? ... Interesting, and odd, story on Jerry Stackhouse by Scott Cacciola. The former NBA star has been recording his life for the past 20 years. What compels someone to do that? Stackhouse says he wants to save his memories. Does he get tired of constantly being watched? Beyonce does this, too. We already live curated lives. Does this take away the pretense that we're not?

The former NBA player uses the latest video gear to record all, even the team he just coached to a championship. To what end? That's a good question.

Scott Cacciola | The New York Times

Every day, Raul Flores crosses a bridge over the Rio Grande for the chance to play football -- and have what his mother hopes will be a better life.

Kent Babb | The Washington Post

Nike and Under Armour have long fought for shelf space at retailers. Lately, though, they have been quibbling over another coveted spot: a weed-strewn running track in Nike's backyard.

Sara Germano | WSJ

Alex Honnold has become the first climber to free solo Yosemite's 3,000-foot El Capitan wall.

Mark M. Synnott | National Geographic

The Atlanta Braves executive became the first black man to run a Major League Baseball team -- but few have followed in his footsteps in the last 40 years.

Alex Putterman | The Atlantic

"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."

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