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Welcome to Wednesday!

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The GIST: While we should be focused on celebrating the record viewership numbers rolling in from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC), instead, we unfortunately have to discuss Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales forcibly kissing Spain’s star player, Jennifer Hermoso, during her team’s WWC win celebration on Sunday.

The latest: Backlash over the incident — which Hermoso said she “did not enjoy” — was swift, leading to a half-hearted “apology” video from Rubiales that multiple government officials in Spain, including the acting prime minister, deemed insufficient.

• Acting second deputy prime minister, Yolanda Díaz, has said Rubiales should resign, calling his excuses “useless” and saying that Hermoso was “harassed and assaulted.”

• Rubiales’ astounding audacity also comes amid his ongoing support for controversial Spanish head coach Jorge Vilda, in spite of ongoing player protest regarding the alleged toxic work environment under him.

What’s next: Amid numerous calls for Rubiales to step down, Spain’s football federation (which retains the sole power to fire Rubiales) announced yesterday that they will hold an “Extraordinary General Assembly” this Friday to discuss the incident.

• Furthermore, a damning report from Spanish newspaper Revelo alleges Rubiales and Vilda asked Hermoso to appear in the aforementioned apology video multiple times, but she refused.

• Even worse — the statement Hermoso gave defending Rubiales after the incident was reportedly written and circulated by the federation without her approval. What the actual eff.

The GIST: In perhaps the biggest heist story since Nicolas Cage stole the Declaration of Independence, the NY Knicks filed a lawsuit against the Toronto Raptors and their parent company, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), on Monday, alleging that the Raps’ new head coach and a former Knicks scouting employee conspired to steal thousands of videos and other scouting information over the past few weeks. Wild.

The details: The lawsuit alleges that the stolen info includes “secret, proprietary information critical to the Knicks’ efforts to maintain a competitive advantage over their rivals, including the Raptors.”

• The suit names Ikechukwu Azotam, who worked for the Knicks from 2020 to 2023, as the “mole,” claiming he sent confidential Knicks files to the Raps after he was recruited to join Toronto’s staff. Bing bong bonkers.

What’s next: Among other unspecified damages, the Knicks are seeking that the Raps refrain from engaging in further acts of misappropriation, as well as a determination that the alleged violations were “willful and malicious.” Meanwhile, MLSE and the Dinos “strongly denie[d] any involvement in the matters alleged.” Sounds like the drama is just tipping off.

The GIST: MLB placed Tampa Bay Rays sensation Wander Franco on paid administrative leave yesterday while the investigation into allegations that he had a relationship with at least one underage girl continues. Horrifying.

The details: Earlier this month, social media posts surfaced alleging that the 22-year-old shortstop and 2023 All-Star had a relationship with a minor. Franco did not travel with the team on their road trip the day after the allegations went viral and has not seen the field since.

• What’s more, while Franco was expected to be the face of the franchise for years to come, the organization is now removing all signage featuring the shortstop from their home park, Tropicana Field.

• Plus, MLB isn’t the only entity investigating the matter. Authorities in the Dominican Republic, where Franco is from and the alleged relationship reportedly took place, have also launched their own investigation.

What’s next: Likely a lengthy wait. Previous investigations under MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy have taken months to be resolved. And from there, the punishment can vary — MLB has suspended 18 players since adopting the policy in 2015, and those suspensions ranged anywhere from 15 to 324 games.

• But it’s safe to assume Franco’s will be on the longer side, with one report suggesting he may never play in the majors again.

The GIST: The WWC kept footy fans on the edge of their seats for an entire month, notching a major victory in women’s sports history. And now that the hardware’s been hoisted, our pals at Ally want to keep building on that momentum.

The action: Ally’s 50/50 Media Pledge is a commitment to pouring in real resources that will tangibly grow the game. One example? Ally’s media commitment through their sponsorship with the NWSL, where WWC stars will battle for the league title through November 11th.

• So, like Ally, channel that passion from country to club play — there’s no telling how far we can go together. LFG, again.

The last month of the WWC has given us plenty of masterpiece performances on the pitch. If you want to celebrate in similarly artful fashion, check out the Topps UEFA Women’s Champions League collection, which drops today.

• These cards don’t just immortalize the world’s biggest fútbol stars — they celebrate their greatness with truly stunning designs. Putting the beauty in the beautiful game.

⚽ U.S. Open Cup: Inter Miami CF vs. FC Cincinnati — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — Paramount+

• Lionel Messi isn’t done yet, folks. The GOAT will look to lift the Herons to their second Cup final this month as they now compete in this tourney, which featured all of the pro American clubs. Pass the cookies, please.

🍁 LPGA: CPKC Women’s Open — Tomorrow through Sunday — Peacock

• Beautiful British Columbia will play host for this weekend’s tournament, where 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion, American Allisen Corpuz, will contend for a piece of the $2.5M purse.

⛳ PGA Tour Championship — Tomorrow through Sunday — ESPN+

• The final weekend of the FedEx Cup playoffs tees off, featuring current leader, American Scottie Scheffler, among the 30 remaining golfers looking for glory in the Peach State.

After a newsletter heavy with WTFs, let’s focus on some self-care. What’s your favorite way to decompress when the going gets tough? Vote below or reply to this email and let us know.

On Monday, we asked which upcoming women’s soccer event you’re most excited about. 42% of GISTers voted for the Paris 2024 Olympics, 26% voted for the NWSL Championship, 17% voted for NCAA Soccer, and 15% voted for National Team friendlies. So much footy, so much fun.