π Happy Friday! Let's sports.
Today's word count: 1,286 words (<5 minutes)
π Happy Friday! Let's sports.
Today's word count: 1,286 words (<5 minutes)
Now that breakdancing is an Olympic sport ... what could be next? Source: Giphy
The emergence of esports, breakdancing's Olympics debut (coming in 2024!) and the daily musings in "The Ocho" got me thinkingβ¦
Sport, defined:
Some thoughts:
The bottom line: There will always be activities that exist on the fringe of sports. In that case, perhaps the best definition comes from the Australian Sports Commission: A sport is a sport if it is ... "generally accepted as being a sport."
Masahiro Tanaka getting a champagne shower. Photo: Elsa/Getty Images
The Yankees captured their first AL East title since 2012 with a resounding win over the Angels last night, while also joining the Astros as MLBβs second 100-win team.
AL Division leaders:
AL Wild Card:
NL Division leaders:
NL Wild Card:
* A team's magic number represents the combined number of (a) wins needed by that team and (b) losses by its closest competitor in order for them to clinch the division.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. β Gardner Minshew II threw 2 early TDs as the Jaguars beat the Titans, 20-7, in a Thursday night slop-fest marred by so many penalties that even Tom Brady turned it off.
WASHINGTON, D.C. β Mystics star Elena Delle Donne was officially named WNBA MVP last night. Somehow, despite her becoming the first player in league history to join the 50/40/90 club, it wasn't unanimous. Crazy.
NEW ORLEANS β With 18 seconds left in a 31-31 game against Houston, Tulane looked ready to take a knee and send the game to OT β¦ but they faked it!! And then they won on a crazy play!!! Sports!!! Relive the madness.
Duke freshman Cassius Stanley broke the program's record for highest vertical leap β a record set last year by Zion Williamson (45 inches). Looks like we've got another freak in Durham.
The Indians played 19 games against the Tigers this season and won 18 of them β the most wins against an opponent in MLB history. P.S. ... The Yankees were nearly as dominant against the Orioles this year (17-2).
LAFC's Carlos Vela leads MLS with 28 goals, but LA Galaxy's Zlatan Ibrahimovic (26) and Atlanta FC's Josef Martinez (26) are closing in with a few weeks left to play. All 3 players are in action tomorrow (see schedule).
Photo: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
No. 11 Michigan at No. 13 Wisconsin (-3.5)
No. 8 Auburn at No. 17 Texas A&M (-3.5)
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 3 Georgia (-14.5)
Go deeper: Week 4 picks, predictions, schedules (SI)
Billie Jean King. Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images
46 years ago today, 29-year-old Billie Jean King beat 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) in a nationally televised match that promoters dubbed the "Battle of the Sexes."
Last night, Houston QB D'Eriq King set the FBS record for most consecutive games with a pass TD and rush TD (15 games).
Answer at the bottom.
π° She Won Athletes' Hearts. And Robbed Them Blind (Alex Prewitt, SI)
"The same people who years ago entrusted her with millions β from Ricky Williams to Dennis Rodman to Travis Best β wince today at the mention of her name. They'll tell you how she left them broke. ... How she's a forgery of the American Dream. And every athlete's worst nightmare."
π A Behind The Scenes Look At How The Clippers Won Kawhi Leonard And Paul George (Arash Markazi, LA Times)
Doc Rivers: "We just showed him guys that we thought would match him and when he saw Paul George's name he said, 'I want to play with him.' β¦ We did know that Oklahoma City wanted to break their team up, so that helped, but we didn't know if we could get him."
π The Golden Age of Black College Football Lost to Integration (Tyler Tynes, The Ringer)
"Football helped to develop a bountiful idea of black identity within these communities. It became the athletic representation of black culture, and success on the gridiron held the possibility of equality, on and off the field."
Giphy
Please enjoy this video from 1941 introducing a new water sport called "paddle polo," which appears to be water polo β¦ on paddle boards.
Enjoy the weekend,
Kendall "Is a weekend round of golf a sport?" Baker
Trivia answer: Tim Tebow