No napkins required
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy 3rd of July!
Heads up, there’ll be no newsletter on Friday while GIST HQ recovers from BBQ and fireworks…and Serena Williams appearing on “Hot Ones.” See you back here for Sunday’s Scroll, but first read on for more spice, no napkins required.
— Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay, holding back tears after he became the first Black cyclist to win a Tour de France stage on Monday. Literally leading the pack.
UEFA Euro 2024
⚽ Diving for the thrill of it
The GIST: With a thrilling Round of 16 officially done and dusted, here’s a look ahead to this weekend’s four must-see Euro quarter-final (QF) matches. Just heating up.
Expect powerhouse clashes on Friday: The Fourth of July is for hot dogs, but the fifth of July is for the big dogs, starting with No. 8 Spain vs. No. 16 Germany at 12 p.m. ET. Expect fireworks from the two highest scoring teams in the tourney, but the fluid Spaniards will have their hands full taking down the Germans in front of a roaring home crowd.
- Then at 3 p.m. ET, it’s No. 6 Portugal against No. 2 France, a thrilling intergenerational clash pitting 39-year-old Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo against 25-year-old wunderkind Kylian Mbappé.
- That said, both stars struggled in Monday’s Round of 16. After Portugal's tear-soaked penalty-kick escape from No. 57 Slovenia, Ronaldo announced this is his final Euro, while masked Mbappé is having trouble finding the net as his team finds their offense in their opponents’ own goals.
Don’t sleep on Saturday’s skirmishes: No. 5 England will have their toughest test of the tourney thus far at noon, taking on dark horse No. 19 Switzerland, fresh off a dominant Round of 16 win over defending Euro champs, No. 10 Italy. Adding to the intrigue? English phenom and knockout stage hero Jude Bellingham’s playing status is still TBD.
- Last but not least comes the 3 p.m. ET showdown between the No. 7 Netherlands and No. 42 Türkiye, a sure-to-thrill showdown following yesterday’s epic wins.
- The Dutch dominated for the first time this tourney, topping No. 47 Romania 3–0, while Türkiye scored the second fastest Euros goal ever and held on tight to beat No. 25 Austria 2–1. Now both squads are through to the Euro QFs for the first time since 2008.
🏀 Record-setting, eye-popping contracts rule NBA free agency
The last two days have been all about the Benjamins, with some of the NBA’s biggest stars inking massive deals. The largest involves staying home: Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum reportedly agreed to a five-year, $314M extension with the defending champs, the largest contract in league history.
- As for the movers, nine-time All-Star Paul George and four-time champ Klay Thompson are in need of U-Hauls after signing with the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks, respectively — two league-altering switch ups.
- Looking ahead, there are still plenty of big-name dominoes waiting to fall, including LeBron James (in theory) and six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan. Stay tuned.
🏒 Big cats bring the me-ow to begin historic NHL free agency
Both the Nashville Predators and the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers brought the claws when the puck dropped on NHL free agency earlier this week. The Preds went on a record-setting spending spree, dropping $1 billion to sign Stanley Cup champion forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
- The reigning champ Panthers, meanwhile, inked their Game 7 hero Sam Reinhart to an eight-year deal. Hard to believe the fun’s only just begun.
🇺🇲 No. 11 USMNT eliminated from Copa América following disastrous group stage performance
Monday’s controversial 1–0 loss to No. 14 Uruguay sent the red, white, and blue packing, so now all focus is on head coach Gregg Berhalter’s employment status. And the hot seat is scalding amid pressure for the talented, but untapped American squad to find their footing footy before hosting the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup.
🎾 Reigning Wimbledon champ ousted in opening round
The tea is already piping hot in London, where reigning Wimbledon winner and world No. 6 Markéta Vondroušová was ousted by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round yesterday, making Vondroušová the first defending champ to be bounced in the opening round since 1994.
- The action keeps on serving, with first and second round play today and the Round of 16 set before the next time we talk.
Giveaway Alert
The women’s sports movement is alive and well, and as a GISTer, you have a huge part in its success. To thank you, we’re giving away a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to take in the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona.
You and your bestie can watch the WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3 Point Contest on Friday, July 19th before taking in the main event on Saturday, July 20th where Team WNBA will face Team USA in the All-Star Game. A slam dunk.
- And that’s not all. The winner will also receive $1K in cash to cover travel and accommodations to enjoy a perfect weekend in the Valley of the Sun.
Get your game on, go play, and enter to win today.
🏀 WNBA: Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET — Amazon Prime Video
- Before heading to your Fourth of July celebration, catch some fireworks on the hardwood as the West best Lynx host the tough-to-beat Sun.
🏆 Copa América quarter-final: No. 1 Argentina vs. No. 30 Ecuador — Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET — FS1
- Lionel Messi and La Albiceleste’s title defense is still intact, and they’ll continue their quest when they take on La Tricolor, a squad Argentina’s never lost to in Copa América play.
⚽ NWSL: Kansas City Current vs. Orlando Pride — Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET — ION
- The two top teams in the league will be shining under the Saturday night lights of Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium, where the Current’s historic 17-game unbeaten streak will be put to the test against the also undefeated Pride. Who ya got?
Together With Lingvano
Have you ever wanted to learn a new language but thought it would take too long? Think again.
- With Lingvano, you can pick up American Sign Language (ASL) in just five to 10 minutes a day. Their interactive app features video lessons that support building muscle memory, in turn helping you retain what you’ve learned.
- With lessons designed by Deaf teachers, it’s like having a coach who’s always in your corner. Start your seven-day free trial today to start signing like a pro.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
🥎 Who’s back on the diamond
Former Miami Marlins general manager (GM) Kim Ng — the first woman to serve as a GM in the four major North American pro sports leagues — who signed on as a senior adviser for the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League yesterday.
🎙️ What to get hyped for
Journalist Sarah Spain’s new podcast, Good Game — the daily women’s sports pod launches July 17th. Can't wait.
📚 What to read
Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner. Can rival soccer teammates fall in love and win the World Cup? Find out with The GIST Book Club on Fable today.
Question of the Day
With holidays coming and going in Canada and the USA this week, we’re fully in our outdoor party era. So, we want to know, what are you bringing to the festivities?
On Monday, we asked you which sporting event you’re most looking forward to this month. 62% voted for the Paris 2024 Olympics Games, 16% voted for Wimbledon, 15% voted for the WNBA All-Star Game, and 7% voted for AU Softball.Today’s email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore, Emily Ohman, Emma Leishman, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Parul Kanwar. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster and Alessandra Puccio. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.