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Good morning! Don’t wreck anyone today.
Top Cinq: An Olympics parfait
Can the Olympics happen every year? I know, I know, the fact that they happen every four years (well, every two years in between Summer and Winter editions) make them more special, but, man — that was a fun month.
There were too many great moments to fit into one newsletter, so here goes an impossible top-five list … reverse chronologically, because I am a weak man who can’t decide what’s best:
5. U.S. women’s hoops dominance, then drama
This team won its eighth straight gold medal yesterday, but it wasn’t the romp we expected: The Americans prevailed 67-66, and that one-point difference existed only because French guard Gabby Williams’ foot was on the line when she banked in a long two-pointer as time expired:
UNBELIEVABLE ENDING IN PARIS. 😱
Gabby Williams banked it in at the buzzer but her FOOT WAS ON THE THREE-POINT LINE. TEAM USA WINS BY A SINGLE POINT.#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/DJI7YxfVMl
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024
It was a fitting finale for this golden era of U.S. women’s hoops, as David Aldridge wrote, and exemplified an Olympics “where women persevered.” Also, you have to feel for Brittney Griner, who was understandably emotional winning a gold medal for the country she thought she might never see again.
4. Steph Curry
Curry’s otherworldly performance Saturday in the men’s gold medal game should stick with every basketball lover. For over a decade, the best shooter to ever live has terrorized large swaths of NBA fans. It was a fun, unifying moment for Americans to rejoice in the 36-year-old Curry being Curry on a different stage. It was ridiculous even by his standards. I’ll never forget French announcers calling Curry “the devil.”
3. USWNT’s redemption
It was wild to realize before these Olympics that the world-power USWNT had not won a gold since 2012. The Americans entered this tournament with a new coach and plenty of questions. It was not a breeze by any standards, but Emma Hayes’ debut came with a gold medal, thanks to a divergence in style from the team’s previous iteration. There is plenty of hope for this program, just a year after its 2023 World Cup nadir.
2. Noah Lyles’ nose
We’ll never forget the cocky American winning by a nose in maybe these Olympics’ most electrifying event: possibly the closest 100-meter dash in history. No matter what he does from here, he will always have that. Years of preparation came down to 9.784 seconds and a great lean. Incredible stuff.
1. Gymnastics, all of it
Maybe a cop-out, but what a showcase this was for the sport. Simone Biles, the gym GOAT, came back and erased memories of a bad time in Tokyo. The American women won the all-around title. And maybe the best moment was not even a U.S. gold, but Biles and Jordan Chiles playfully bowing to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade on an all-Black podium. Still got goosebumps from that, regardless of whether Chiles’ medal is currently in dispute.
These don’t even capture a tenth of the scope of these Olympics though. Two things that do it better:
And your final Olympic medal count:
1. 🇺🇸 United States — 126 (40 gold, 44 silver, 42 bronze)
2. 🇨🇳 China — 91 (40 gold, 27 silver, 24 bronze)
3. 🇬🇧 Great Britain — 65 (14 gold, 22 silver, 29 bronze)
News to Know
Duran apologizes after slur
Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran issued a lengthy apology last night after an NESN mic caught him calling a fan a homophobic slur during an at-bat. A fan heckled Duran in the bottom of the sixth inning during Boston’s 10-2 loss to Houston, to which the batter replied: “Shut up you (expletive, expletive).” See our full report on the incident here.
Nabers injures ankle
Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers left practice yesterday with what the team is calling a minor ankle sprain, sparking worry for an outfit that planned to rely on the No. 6 pick after an impressive training camp. There is a lot of pressure on this team, and as Charlotte Carroll reported, Nabers’ injury wasn’t the only impactful ailment from yesterday’s practice.
More news
Questionable Choices: NASCAR driver goes full wrecker
Austin Dillon won last night’s NASCAR Cup series race at Richmond Raceway, which was huge for the driver, clinching a spot in the playoffs. How he did it, though, is already infamous:
- Joey Logano was ahead of the pack going into the race’s final turn. Dillon, who had entered this race 32nd in the standings, was a desperate driver with this one probable shot to make the playoffs. So instead of slowing down to make the corner, Dillon drove straight into Logano’s No. 22.
AUSTIN DILLON TURNS JOEY LOGANO TO WIN AT RICHMOND! 👀 pic.twitter.com/R8FXVNrzAK
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) August 12, 2024
- His wreckage wasn’t over. Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 slid into the lead with Logano out of the way, then Dillon hit Hamlin too, sending him into the wall. Dillon cruised to a victory, and everyone is mad.
What’s worse: Someone in Dillon’s ear was openly on board with this. It was on the team radio as it was happening: “Wreck him! Wreck him!” Here’s Dillon after the race, not exactly downplaying it:
“I hate it, but I had to do it. Whatever it takes.”
See our full story here. There will be plenty of fallout this week.
P.S. A special questionable-call shoutout to golfer Matt Kuchar, who will complete his final hole after a bizarre scene at the Wyndham Championship, which he cannot win. Woof.
Watch This Game
All times Eastern
MLB: Rangers at Red Sox
7 p.m. on ESPN
Time to turn baseball back on. Boston clings to life in the AL wild-card race, three games and two teams back of the final spot. The defending world champs, meanwhile, have cratered since the trade deadline and sit 10 games back of wild-card contention with less than 50 games to play.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
After reading this story on Drake Maye, I want to somehow move to Charlotte and play pickup basketball with the entire Maye family. Make time for Chad Graff’s profile on the new Patriots quarterback today.
Jim Trotter has a fierce column on the Jordan Chiles debacle, which he calls “disturbing and shameful.”
Yes, the 2025 NHL Draft season is underway. Scott Wheeler published his top 32 list this morning.
Aaron Judge is being treated like Barry Bonds. For good reason, as Andy McCullough writes.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our recap of how rookie QBs Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels looked in their preseason debuts.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The full report on Jordan Chiles losing her bronze medal — for now.
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(Top photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
