The GIST - Karma is the guy on the…
From The GIST Team
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Happy NFL opening weekend!
The Taylor Swift fan club Kansas City Chiefs started the gridiron party last night, topping the Baltimore Ravens 27–20. But the festivities have only just begun, with a full weekend of wins ahead and a newsletter full of sports news below. Keep calm and scroll on.
Quote of The Day
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HI 👋🏾 HATERS!!!!!! I love it | |
— LA Laker LeBron James, giving the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark well-deserved props after she silenced her critics with her second triple-double (a WNBA rookie record) in Wednesday’s 93–86 win over the LA Sparks. Icons love to celebrate iconic sh!t. |
The Latest
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US Open |
🎾 Game, set, match
The GIST: Honey Deuce season is almost over, but before it officially comes to an end, the US Open has three days of action — today’s men’s semis, tomorrow’s women’s final, and Sunday’s men’s final — on the docket.
- Best of all? Two first-time US Open winners will be crowned by the weekend’s end. Brilliant.
Today’s men’s semis features an All-American clash: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is in strong form in Queens, pushing past his recent doping scandal and fighting for a chance to win his second career major following January’s Australian Open win. His 3 p.m. ET opponent? No. 25 Jack Draper, the first British man to advance to the semis since 2012.
- But prime time promises fireworks because tonight at 7 p.m. ET, two red, white, and blue buddies are facing off in the US Open semis for the first time in 19 years: No. 12 Taylor Fritz vs. No. 20 Frances Tiafoe. Expect a real racket at Arthur Ashe.
No. 6 Jessica Pegula taking on No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka for first major title: Pegula defeated unseeded Karolína Muchová in three sets last night, clinching a spot in tomorrow’s final against Sabalenka. Following a dominant hardcourt year that included her first Grand Slam win at the 2024 Australian Open, Sabalenka is the player to beat, dropping just one set this tourney.
- Pegula has never made it this far in a Grand Slam, but after taking out No. 1 Iga Świątek (pronounced SHVEE-ON-TIK) in the quarters, the American just may leverage the home crowd energy to leave Flushing Meadows on the 7 train with a new piece of hardware.
USWNT superstar Alex Morgan’s retirement |
⚽ End of an era
The GIST: USWNT striker Alex Morgan is hanging up her boots, retiring as one of the most dangerous goal scorers in American women’s soccer history and leaving the women’s game in a stronger, more equal place than she found it.
- Here’s a look at Morgan’s iconic career by the numbers before her final match with the San Diego Wave this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
🩷 13: Two things are iconically Morgan: pink pre wrap headbands and the number 13, which she rocked on her jersey from her early days as speedy Baby Horse to her final years as USWNT captain. No wonder she and Taylor Swift are pals.
🇺🇸 224: The number of Morgan’s national team appearances since her 2010 debut. Morgan notched 123 international goals during that time, making her the fifth all-time best USWNT scorer. Making moms proud.
🏆 4: Morgan won four international trophies in her illustrious career, including two FIFA Women’s World Cups (2015, 2019), an Olympic gold (2012), and one Olympic bronze (2021). *sips tea*
🎉 2013: The year Morgan became an NWSL champ, winning the league’s inaugural title with the Portland Thorns. Nearly a decade later, Morgan won the 2022 NWSL Golden Boot, awarded to the league’s top scorer, with her hometown expansion team, the San Diego Wave, and led the team to their first NWSL Shield (awarded to the team with the best regular season record) the next season.
🫰 $24M: Beyond her numerous accomplishments on the pitch, what best defines Morgan’s legacy is her fight for equality in the women’s game, exemplified by the $24M settlement the USWNT won after a lengthy legal battle against the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay. Morgan was among the first players to sign her name to the lawsuit in 2016.
- Morgan also never backed down when it came to supporting her fellow players, becoming a crucial witness in the NWSL workplace abuse reckoning and forever advocating for respect for women’s sports. There will never be another.
Buzzer Beaters: PARALYMPICS EDITION
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🥇 Oksana Masters is her. The summer and winter Paralympic royal successfully defended her H5 road race crown to claim her second straight gold, giving her 19 total medals (nine gold) across 12 years of Paralympic competition. Queen sh!t.
🐐 With Wednesday’s silver medal win in the women’s 100m T54, Tatyana McFadden has become the winningest American track and field athlete of all time (Olympic or Paralympic), amassing 21 Paralympic medals dating back to the 2004 Athens Games. Simply iconic.
🦽🏀 Brian Bell brought his A-game to lead the red, white, and blue to a dominant 80–43 semifinal win over Canada in men’s wheelchair basketball, setting up a gold medal finale against Great Britain tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- On the women’s side, Team USA topped Great Britain 59–52 in Wednesday’s quarter-final, and they’ll look to keep the momentum going in this morning’s 10 a.m. ET semi clash with the People’s Republic of China. Hoop to it.
🏐 Thanks to a gritty four-set semis victory over Brazil yesterday, Team USA will play for their third straight sitting volleyball gold medal when they take on China in tomorrow’s 1:30 p.m. ET championship match. Servin’ it up.
🏊 Twenty years after topping her first podium at the 2004 Athens Games, six-time Paralympian Jessica Long captured gold once again in the women’s 400m freestyle S8 on Wednesday, her 30th (!!!) career medal at the Games. One of one.
- Elsewhere, Morgan Stickney (women’s 100m freestyle S7) and Christie Raleigh-Crossley (women’s 100m freestyle S9) both swam to silver to continue the Americans’ winning ways in the pool.
💪 Three cheers for shot putter Noelle Malkamaki, who set a new world record on her way to earning the gold medal in the women’s shot put F46 class.
🥈🥉 Long jumpers Derek Loccident and Jarryd Wallace leaped to the silver and bronze, respectively, in men’s long jump T64, with Loccident winning his first career Paralympic medal. Soarin, flyin’.
Weekend Watching
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🏈 NFL: Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles — Tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET — ESPN
- The NFL’s opening weekend continues with the league’s first-ever game in Brazil. The loaded Birds are hoping to kick off the season on the right foot after last year’s epic collapse, while the youthful Pack’s impressive 2023 has them looking like a title contender.
⚾ MLB: Cleveland Guardians vs. LA Dodgers — Tonight at 10:10 p.m. ET — MLB.TV
- Schedule an afternoon nap because two of baseball’s best teams start a three-game series tonight as Shohei Ohtani’s historic bid for a season with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases continues. Batter up.
🎓🏈 NCAA football: No. 3 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 10 Michigan — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET — ESPN
- The reigning national champs face their first true test of the season when they host the top-three Longhorns. Will Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers’ offense take care of business? Or will a Michigan D that secured an 86-yard pick-six in their Week 1 win stifle the burnt orange attack?
⚽ NWSL: Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit — Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET — CBS
- After Spirit rookie phenom Croix Bethune’s devastating season-ending injury, the team will lean even more on Ballon d’Or nominee forward Trinity Rodman in this pivotal matchup against fellow triple espresso member and nominee forward Sophia Smith and the Thorns.
NFL quarterbacks (QBs) have one of the hardest jobs in sports, working year round to memorize plays and perfect their passes. Playing pro football is a grind, but it’s easy peasy for fans to get in on the action by placing Pick’em entries with Underdog Fantasy.
- There are only two choices in Pick’em — higher or lower — as in, will Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud throw higher or lower than 277.5 passing yards in Sunday’s season opener against the Indianapolis Colts?
- Ready to place your entry? Download the Underdog Fantasy app and use promo code GIST to claim your Free Pick and a First Time Deposit offer with up to $1,000 in bonus cash. Underdog(s) on top.
The GIST's Picks
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Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
🎾 How to channel that Grand Slam magic
With Topps’ new Chrome Tennis trading cards. You may not be squaring up to Coco Gauff, but you can still get closer to the game with collectibles signed by the best tennis players in the world.*
🎥 What to get ready for
Starting 5. The just-announced Netflix series promising courtside clips of LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and more NBA stars from their 2023–24 season drops October 9th. Bring ya a$$.
🎙️ What to listen to
Unapologetically Angel, the new podcast from WNBA rookie Angel Reese, which promises unfiltered conversations and a star-studded guest list.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Serve's up.
Fun and Games
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Question of the Day
Only one WNBA playoff spot remains with 16 days left in the regular season. Which of the five teams below will secure that final postseason ticket? Cast your vote below and let your voice be heard!
Older messages
Special Edition: Touchdown call the amateurs
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Everything you need to know before the 2024–25 NFL season kicks off
Are you not entertained?
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Merry NFL eve
Sweet sweet fantasy baby
Friday, August 30, 2024
Hut, hut, here we go
Paralympics Edition – Camera? Passport? Where are we going?
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
We're going to Paris!
All’s fair in love and basketball
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Baby let the games begin
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