Lawrence Lease
Bio
Alaska born and bred, Washington DC is my home. I'm also a freelance writer. Love politics and history.
Stories (265)
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18 Teams, 18 Ultimatums: The One Move Every NFL Non-Playoff Team Must Make in the 2026 Offseason
While 14 NFL fan bases get to strap in for the chaos and joy of a Super Bowl chase, the other 18 are left staring into the offseason mirror. No confetti. No champagne. Just hard questions, tougher answers, and the uncomfortable truth that standing still is the fastest way to fall behind in today’s NFL.
By Lawrence Lease23 days ago in Cleats
We Shall Never Surrender: The Speech That Turned Britain’s Darkest Hour Into Defiance
There are speeches that explain history, and then there are speeches that intervene in it. On June 4, 1940, Winston Churchill delivered one of the most consequential addresses ever spoken inside the House of Commons. Britain had just pulled off the miracle of Dunkirk—an evacuation that saved more than 330,000 Allied troops from annihilation. But make no mistake: this was not a victory. France was collapsing. Nazi Germany looked unstoppable. Invasion felt inevitable.
By Lawrence Lease23 days ago in FYI
Wild Card Weekend 2026: When the NFL Stops Pretending
Wild Card Weekend is the moment the NFL sheds its politeness. The regular season, with all its caveats and context, is over. No more talk about “building,” “progress,” or “next year.” By January 2026, the league has entered its most unforgiving phase. Win, and you move on. Lose, and everything you spent four months constructing is suddenly up for debate.
By Lawrence Lease23 days ago in Cleats
From One-Off Championships to a National Obsession: A History of the NFL Playoffs
The NFL Playoffs didn’t begin as the meticulously branded, billion-dollar spectacle we know today. In fact, for much of the league’s early history, there weren’t playoffs at all—just a championship game, and sometimes not even that. What eventually became America’s most-watched sporting event evolved slowly, shaped by controversy, expansion, television, and an ever-growing appetite for high-stakes football.
By Lawrence Lease23 days ago in Cleats
Venezuela, Greenland, and the Rules-Based Order’s Autopsy
In the immediate aftermath of the U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, the global reaction split almost exactly the way you’d expect. Governments with ideological or geopolitical ties to Caracas rushed to condemn the move. Brazil’s Lula called it an “extremely dangerous precedent.” Colombia’s Petro and Chile’s outgoing president Gabriel Boric echoed the concern. Russia, without a trace of irony, warned of a “return to lawlessness.”
By Lawrence Lease24 days ago in FYI
Iran Is Next! Here's Why
This week, global attention has been hijacked by one foreign-policy story—and no, for once it isn’t Venezuela. It’s Iran, and by every available indicator, the country is teetering on the edge of a crisis unlike anything it has faced in decades.
By Lawrence Lease25 days ago in FYI
The Australian Open Marks The Beginning of The New Year
The Grand Slam That Starts It All Every January, while much of the world is still shaking off winter, tennis fans turn their attention south—way south—to Melbourne. That’s where the season truly begins with the Australian Open, the loudest, hottest, and most unpredictable major on the calendar.
By Lawrence Lease28 days ago in Cleats
Top 6 Open NFL Head Coaching Jobs
Every NFL head coaching opening is, by definition, a dream job. There are only 32 of them. You’re at the absolute peak of the profession. Win enough games, and you’re hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Lose enough, and you’re back on TV breaking down film with perfect hindsight.
By Lawrence Lease28 days ago in Cleats
The Australian Open Marks The Beginning of The New Year
The Grand Slam That Starts It All Every January, while much of the world is still shaking off winter, tennis fans turn their attention south—way south—to Melbourne. That’s where the season truly begins with the Australian Open, the loudest, hottest, and most unpredictable major on the calendar.
By Lawrence Lease30 days ago in Cleats
