The GIST - Blazing trails wherever she goes

This little life ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Sports News
From The GIST Team

Hump day!

Grab a donut and channel your inner Ben Affleck as we juggle today’s sports news.

Quote of The Day
Quote My guess is that he won’t apologize. I hope I’m wrong.
Jimmy Kimmel poses on the red carpet.

— Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, calling out NY Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers for implying that the American television host was affiliated with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Rodgers has yet to apologize for his remarks. So much for eliminating distractions.

The Latest
College Football Playoff

🎓🏈 If you can gaze into the future

Michigan football celebrates their championship game win as confetti falls.
Source: Michigan Football/X

The GIST: And just like that, the final four-team College Football Playoff (CFP) has come to an end following No. 1 Michigan’s dominant 34–13 national championship game win over No. 2 Washington on Monday.

  • Now with 227 days until the fun kicks off again, there’s plenty of time to speculate about what’s next for CFP teams and NCAA football at large.

What’s next for the players: The NFL for a number of them. Michigan running back Blake Corum had two touchdowns in the title game, earning him offensive MVP honors and boosting his stock ahead of April’s NFL Draft. And while Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled on Monday, the Heisman Trophy runner-up will still likely hear his name called in the first round.

What’s next for Jim Harbaugh: Perhaps the NFL, too. Michigan’s head coach didn’t let a little cheating scandal stop him from leading the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997, and now that he’s reached the promised land, rumors are swirling that he might return to the pros, where he last helmed the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014.

What’s next for NCAA football: Not the NFL, but some major changes. Monday marked the end of the CFP format as we know it, with the four-team model giving way to a 12-team, bracket style tourney next year.

  • Teams will also be competing in different conferences: amid conference realignment chaos, the Pac-12 will cease to exist as teams bolt for the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC. New era, who dis?
Buzzer Beaters

🏀 Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, news that comes just three weeks after he returned from a 25-game suspension.

  • Meanwhile, Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton will miss at least two weeks after straining his hamstring on Monday. Ouch.

💰 The Miami Heat signed head coach (HC) Erik Spoelstra to an eight-year, $120M-plus contract extension yesterday, the most-ever committed money for an NBA HC. Not too bad for the kid from the video room.

🏒 The PWHL signed its first U.S. premier partner yesterday, making Colorado-based Woody Creek Distillers the official spirits of the league. Pour it up, pour it up.

🏈 Following two consecutive losing seasons, the Tennessee Titans fired HC Mike Vrabel yesterday, much to the shock of his former players.

⚾ The Miami Marlins hired Rachel Balkovec as their farm director yesterday, placing the history-making former minor league manager in charge of the team’s player development. Blazing trails wherever she goes.

⚽ The Washington Spirit hired Jonatan Giráldez — one of Spain’s most impressive coaches — as their new HC yesterday. Giráldez will join the team in June after contending for a fifth consecutive Liga F title with his FC Barcelona Femení squad.

Mid-Week Watching
PWHL Toronto forward Emma Maltais celebrates after scoring on PWHL New York.
Source: PWHL Toronto/X

🏒 PWHL: Toronto vs. Minnesota — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — YouTube

  • League-leading scorer Grace Zumwinkle and undefeated Minnesota take on Toronto, with a simultaneous U.S. vs. Canada showdown happening in the Big Apple, where New York faces Montréal. On Wednesdays (and every day), we watch women’s hockey.

🏀 NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Boston Celtics — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — NBA League Pass

  • It’s a battle of the best, with the Western Conference–leading Timberwolves taking on the Eastern Conference top dog Celtics, pitting Minnesota super-scorer Anthony Edwards against Boston’s brick wall defense, helmed by breakout star Derrick White. Pop that corn.

⛳ PGA: Sony Open — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel

  • World No. 90 Gary Woodland will make his grand return to the PGA Tour following September brain surgery, competing for an $8.3M purse in sunny Hawaii. Aloha, indeed.
The GIST's Picks

Recs from our roster!

🏳️‍⚧️ What to shop

The GIST's Protect Trans Athletes merch. Join us in making a statement and standing for inclusivity in sports.

🎙️ What to level up

Your podcast rotation. If you need some non-sports recs, check out Apple’s list of the most popular shows in 2023.

📚 What to read

The Long Game by New York Times best-selling author Elena Armas. Our first GIST book club pick of the year follows a disgraced soccer exec’s journey coaching a children’s team in a small town. Join the club and read along on Fable today.

Fun & Games

Question of the Day

After a record-setting opening week, the PWHL is just heating up. So, we want to know: which of the league’s six teams are you cheering for?

On Monday, we asked for your early thoughts on who will win the Super Bowl. The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers were tied at 31%, 22% voted for the Buffalo Bills, and 16% said the Dallas Cowboys, while one GISTer emailed in support of the Green Bay Packers. Only time will tell.

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Check out the sweet GIST rewards here

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Click the "Share The GIST" button below (or use your unique referral link below) to share

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Share The GIST with people like your friends, co-workers and family

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Join the community, get hooked up with swag, and repeat

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Older messages

Tough day for the no one watches women’s sports crowd

Monday, January 8, 2024

Lights, camera, action ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sunday Scroll: It all comes down to this

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Red alert: Open for cute photos of dogs ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

And for the grand finale

Friday, January 5, 2024

It's been waiting for you ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

New year, same GIST

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Back like we never left ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

New Year, New League

Monday, January 1, 2024

The PWHL's first puck drops today ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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