The Sportsletter - Coco's Flag Duty & Roundball Rock

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BY JEFF YODER

JULY 25, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Bonjour 👋

Paris is packed with athletes and ready for takeoff. We’ll preview the opening ceremony in tomorrow’s weekend edition, but rugby and soccer got things started early.

In Today’s Edition: The Team USA women’s flag bearer makes Olympic history while spy drones and pitch invasions stole headlines at the Games. Plus, TNT loses out on the NBA media deal, the MLS All-Stars get blown out, and the Mets are kings of New York after sweeping the Yankees.

Letter Rip!

BREAKING NEWS 🚨

📺 NBA Reaches Media Rights Deal

The NBA has signed a new 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon. The announcement comes one day after Warner Bros. (TNT) attempted to renew their deal with the league, but ultimately failed. That means a sad goodbye for TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA,’ but welcome back to NBC and that iconic theme song. Roundball Rock, anyone?

🏈 Key NFL Holdouts

Several veteran players seeking new deals are holding out at NFL training camps. The top names include WR CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), EDGE Haason Reddick (Jets) and OL Trent Williams (49ers). Others like WR Brandon Aiyuk (49ers), RB Alvin Kamara (Saints) and QB Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) are “hold-ins,” meaning they’re at camp but limited at practice.

OLYMPICS 🏅

Gauff Clap: Coco Gets the Flag 🇺🇸

Photo: Joe Scarnici / Getty Images

20-Year-Old Tennis Star Coco Gauff Becomes Youngest Team USA Flag Bearer in Olympic History

Coco Gauff was selected as the Team USA women’s flag bearer yesterday, and she represents a piece of history for the United States. The reigning U.S. Open champion and World No. 2 tennis player is just 20 years old — the youngest Team USA flag bearer in Olympic history. She’ll carry the banner with NBA legend LeBron James, 39, at the opening ceremony on Friday. The Gauff-James combo reveals a stark contrast in age with a multi-generational approach. Gauff is making her Olympic debut while LeBron enters his fourth and final Olympics. The tennis phenom was initially named to Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but she was forced to drop out due to a positive COVID-19 test. Gauff will lead the women’s tennis team consisting of Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins and Emma Navarro.

“I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA… I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is – at a moment where we can bring athletes and fans together from around the world.” — Coco Gauff

Gauff will launch her Olympics debut on Saturday in a doubles match with Pegula.

WaPo: Gauff, 20, to Become Youngest U.S. Flag Bearer in Olympics History

OLYMPICS 🏅

Olympic Hors D'oeuvres (Appetizers)

Photo: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

Early Pool Play Appetizers Arrive as the 2024 Paris Olympics Begin

Bienvenue! Ready for the fun? While Friday brings the official start of the 2024 Games, big team pool play events are already underway. Yesterday saw the launch of Olympic action (not exhibitions, these games actually count) with rugby and soccer drama. There was also a pitch invasion — already?! — and a spy operation that headlined a wild day. Let's take some bites:

🏉 Rugby Sevens is Downright Fun

Forget the 0-1-1 record out of the gate for Team USA (1 draw, 1 embarrassing TKO against Fiji in the photo above), rugby is not for the faint of heart. I’ve found my favorite early-round Olympic sport. Team USA salvaged a draw with France (12-12) before getting thrashed by Fiji (38-12). To be fair, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia look terrifying. I’ll throw Ireland in there, too.

🇨🇦 Canada’s Spy Operations

The Canadian women’s soccer team had an assistant coach and an analyst removed from the Olympics after Team New Zealand said their practice was interrupted by a spy drone. Canada’s head coach Bev Priestman eventually removed herself after the debacle. Canada apologized. The two teams will meet this morning (11:00 am ET).

⚽️ Soccer Match Goes Off the Rails

Another day, another fan invasion. 🇲🇦 Morocco stunned 🇦🇷 Argentina (2-1) in a bizarre sequence Wednesday after a 106th-minute game-tying goal by Argentina was overturned for offsides. The call came over an hour after play was suspended due to a fan invasion on the pitch. There were flares, bottles and all sorts of chaos.

🇫🇷 France Starts the Party

France started the party with a packed house in Marseille and a soccer win over the USA (3-0). It was nil-nil at half before the French captain Alexandre Lacazette struck the opening goal to spark a barrage in the second half. The woes continue for U.S. men’s soccer.

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HIGHLIGHTS

⚽️ MLS All-Star Game

Liga MX def. MLS All-Stars (4-1)

The scoreline looks bad, but the MLS All-Star team actually fired more shots (and shots on goal) than their Liga MX counterparts Wednesday night in Columbus. Cucho Hernandez scored the only MLS goal — a first-half equalizer to notch the score at 1-1 — before Liga MX put on a finisher’s clinic. The players from Mexico’s top division scored four goals on just six shots on frame.

MLS Skills Challenge

MLS Shooting Challenge

MLS Goalie Wars Competition

⚾️ MLB

Rockies Hang 20 on Red Sox (20-7)

Colorado Ties Franchise Scoring Record

Padres Pound Nationals (12-3)

Friars Catch Fire With 20 Hits

Mets Mash Yankees (12-3)

Sweep Full Subway Series for 1st Time Since '13

OLYMPIC STORYLINES

🏅 Team USA Athletes Who Can Win Gold

More than 500 athletes will be representing the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and dozens are expected to bring home a gold medal. (Bleacher Report)

🏅 Light It Up! Snoop Carries the Torch

The 16-time Grammy nominee, Snoop Dogg, will serve as the torchbearer through the final stretch of Saint-Denis before Friday’s opening ceremony. (CBS Sports)

🏅 Arrivals Aflutter at Olympic Village

Athletes from around the world have arrived in the City of Light, and social media is aflutter with snippets from the Olympic Village. (NBC Sports)

NEWS 📰

🏅 Salt Lake City, Utah to Host 2034 Winter Olympics After French Alps in 2030 (B/R)

🏀 Knicks & Head Coach Tom Thibodeau Agree to 3-Year Extension (ESPN)

⚾️ Brewers’ Christian Yelich Lands on IL With Back Injury (CBS Sports)

🏈 Rose Bowl Wants Out of Expanded CFP Semifinal Rotation to Keep Jan. 1 Date (Yahoo! Sports)

🏒 Oilers Make Controversial Decision to Hire Stan Bowman, GM Tied to Blackhawks Scandal (Sporting News)

🏀 Rookies Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Top WNBA Jerseys, Merch Sales Grow by 500 Percent (SI)

🏅 Dancers Call Off Strike Threat Ahead of Olympic Opening Ceremony (USA Today)

🏈 Bill Belichick Turned Down Assistant Role on 49ers’ Staff (B/R)