Tom Goldman

Tom Goldman is NPR's sports correspondent. His reports can be heard throughout NPR's news programming, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and NPR.org.

With a beat covering the entire world of professional sports, both in and outside of the United States, Goldman reporting covers the broad spectrum of athletics from the people to the business of athletics.

During his more than 20 years with NPR, Goldman has covered every major athletic competition including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals, golf and tennis championships, and the Olympic Games.

His pieces are diverse and include both perspective and context. Goldman often explores people's motivations for doing what they do, whether it's solo sailing around the world or pursuing a gold medal. In his reporting, Goldman searches for the stories about the inspirational and relatable amateur and professional athletes.

Goldman contributed to NPR's 2009 Edward R. Murrow award for his coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and to a 2010 Murrow award for contribution to a series on high school football, "Friday Night Lives." Earlier in his career, Goldman's piece about Native American basketball players earned a 2004 Dick Schaap Excellence in Sports Journalism Award from the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University and a 2004 Unity Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association.

In January 1990, Goldman came to NPR to work as an associate producer for sports with Morning Edition. For the next seven years he reported, edited and produced stories and programs. In June 1997, he became NPR's first full time sports correspondent.

For five years before NPR, Goldman worked as a news reporter and then news director in local public radio. In 1984, he spent a year living on an Israeli kibbutz. Two years prior he took his first professional job in radio in Anchorage, Alaska, at the Alaska Public Radio Network.

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Sports
5:28 pm
Thu June 13, 2013

Game 4 Of The NBA Finals A Moment Of Truth For Lebron James

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 6:35 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Conventional wisdom holds that LeBron James of the Miami Heat is the best basketball player on the planet. But despite all that talent, he's had some struggles on the court, most notably now in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. James has failed to crack 20 points in any of the three games so far and at times he's looked indecisive against a very good Spurs defense.

As NPR's Tom Goldman reports, tonight's game is a moment of truth, as LeBron James and the Heat try to even the series.

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Sports
4:41 am
Wed June 12, 2013

Spurs Outshoot Heat, Take 2-1 Lead In NBA Finals

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 5:53 am

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

One thing is certain in this year's NBA finals: Both the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs sure know how to recover after a loss. After losing a close Game 1, the Heat throttled San Antonio by 19 points in Game 2. Then last night San Antonio returned the favor and then some. The Spurs' 36-point blowout was highlighted by a record-setting three-point shooting barrage and more good defense on a struggling LeBron James.

From San Antonio, NPR's Tom Goldman reports.

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Sports
5:23 pm
Fri May 31, 2013

Olympian Bestowed 9-Year-Old Gold Medal

Originally published on Fri May 31, 2013 9:23 pm

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Nearly nine years after the Athens Summer Olympic Games, American shot putter Adam Nelson has been declared a winner at those games. NPR's Tom Goldman has the story of an Olympic dream come true at last.

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Sports
5:30 am
Sat May 11, 2013

Sports: Playoff Picks, Tragedy In Sailing

Originally published on Sat May 11, 2013 10:11 am

Host Scott Simon speaks with NPR's Tom Goldman about the week's sports news, including the NBA basketball playoffs and the death this week of Olympic gold medal sailor Andrew "Bart" Simpson while training for the America's Cup.

Sports
4:42 am
Mon April 15, 2013

Australian Adam Scott Wins Golf's Masters

Originally published on Mon April 15, 2013 1:28 pm

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Australia is celebrating its first Masters champion. Hard to believe, but the great Australian golfer Greg Norman never did this. Adam Scott did, yesterday. He's 32 and outlasted both the field and the weather to win a playoff against the 2009 Masters winner Angel Cabrera.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: You know those classic, gorgeous scenes, late on a final round Sunday at Augusta? Sun low in the sky, shadows reaching across the 18th green? Yesterday was just like, except for the shadows and sun.

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Sports
7:34 am
Sun April 14, 2013

A Controversial Drop Puts Woods Behind On Final Day Of Masters

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 11:04 am

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

It is the final round of The Masters today. American Brandt Snedeker and Argentine Angel Cabrera share the lead at 7 under par. Pre-tournament favorite Tiger Woods is four shots behind, which isn't bad considering what he went through yesterday. From Augusta, Georgia, NPR's Tom Goldman reports on how golf's greatest major almost lost its greatest player.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Fore, please. Tiger Woods now driving.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)

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Sports
5:02 pm
Sat April 13, 2013

Down To The Putt: Golf Analytics Gain Traction

Originally published on Sat April 13, 2013 6:09 pm

Numbers crunching has become a big deal in sports. Analytics have been slower to take hold in the tradition-bound game of golf, but it is happening. NPR's Tom Goldman reports on the phenomenon from the tournament most steeped in tradition, the Masters.

Sports
5:01 am
Wed April 10, 2013

UConn Wins 8th National Championship Over Louisville

Originally published on Wed April 10, 2013 7:20 am

The University of Connecticut has won the women's NCAA basketball championship, beating Louisville 93-60. Louisville was trying to become just the second school to win both the men's and women's titles. But the Cards couldn't duplicate the Louisville men's championship from Monday night.

The Two-Way
2:44 pm
Tue April 9, 2013

Giant-Killing Louisville Women Look To Keep Charmed Run Alive

Originally published on Tue April 9, 2013 7:34 pm

Tonight, there's a chance for a rare double in NCAA Division I college basketball.

As we reported earlier, if the University of Louisville scores a victory in the women's championship game, it will be only the second school to capture both the men's and women's titles in the same year.

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Sports
6:43 am
Mon April 8, 2013

Women's NCAA Basketball Championship Game Is Set For Tuesday

Originally published on Mon April 8, 2013 10:09 am

Transcript

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: And this is Tom Goldman in New Orleans where the Louisville women's team continued its surprising run through the tournament. It followed up stunners over Baylor and Tennessee with a 64 to 57 come-from-behind semi-final win over California last night. Louisville guard Antonita Slaughter made six out of 10 three-point shots and head coach Jeff Walz was left to explain, again, how the Cards are doing it.

JEFF WALZ: And we're figuring out a way to pull them out and win and play well at the right time.

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