Red-Hot, White & Blue

08/01/2024

By: Jeff Yoder

Good Morning

Yesterday’s Olympics action featured a pair of red-hot U.S. teams in the white jerseys. No singing-the-blues yet for men’s basketball or women’s soccer in their gold medal quests.

Week 1 in Paris is almost over… What’s been your favorite Olympic moment so far? Reply to let us know (we’ll share some takes in tomorrow’s weekend preview).

Letter Rip!

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MEDAL TRACKER

*Accurate Through Midnight, Aug. 1 / Click Image for Updated Medal Count

Rest of Top-10: Canada (7), Germany (6)

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MEN’S OLYMPICS

Bam Jams! Another USA Blowout

Bam Adebayo (25 pts) Puts on Dunk Show in Another U.S. Men’s Basketball Blowout

MBB: Team USA Rolls South Sudan

The U.S. men’s basketball won another wire-to-wire blowout against South Sudan yesterday (103-86), but the Game 2 hero wasn’t who you’d expect. Bam Adebayo came off the bench and was a force on both ends of the floor — 25 points, 7 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks. Seven players total scored in double figures, including 17 apiece from Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis. The U.S. is now 2-0 in group play, and they’ve already secured a spot in the quarterfinals.

MRUN: Yee Storms Back for Triathlon Gold

The men’s triathlon was postponed one day due to the water quality in the Seine River, but a rescheduled race on Wednesday featured a brilliant comeback. Great Britain’s Alex Yee stormed back from minutes behind to take the gold medal, beating New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde (silver) and France’s Leo Berger (bronze) by less than ten seconds.

MTEN: Alcaraz/Nadal Duo Stunned by U.S.

The men’s U.S. doubles team of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram did the unthinkable on Wednesday, taking down the doubles favorites from Spain, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Krajicek and Ram didn’t waste time, either. They put the Spanish duo away in straight sets (6-4, 6-2). Doubles play differs greatly from singles-style action, but this might have been Team USA’s most surprising upset yet.

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WOMEN’S OLYMPICS

Red-Hot USWNT Goes Through

Goals From Trinity Rodman & Korbin Albert Notch Win for USWNT Over Australia (2-1) to Stay Perfect, Advance to Knockout Round

WSOC: USWNT Red-Hot & Through to QFs

The red, white and blue are red-hot and through to the knockouts after a clean sweep in Group B. The USWNT beat Australia yesterday afternoon (2-1) thanks to a first-half tap-in from Tiffany Rodman and a second-half wonder strike from U.S. debutant Korbin Albert. This thing was a missile from 20 yards out. Albert became the first USWNT rookie to score her first international goal on the Olympic stage. The U.S. won all three group-stage games convincingly, outscoring opponents 8-2. They’ll face Japan in the quarterfinals this weekend.

WSWIM: Ledecky Lifts Golf in 1500M Free

Legendary U.S. Olympian swimmer Katie Ledecky could not have been a bigger favorite in the women’s long-distance swimming events. The 1500M freestyle has become notorious for viral photos of Ledecky so far in front, and it happened again. She tallied an Olympic record (15:30.02) and finished ten seconds clear of second place for her eighth career gold medal (tied for most among American women’s swimmers in Olympic history).

WRUN: Beaugrand Wins Triathlon Gold

Nearly two hours of running, biking and swimming took center stage on Wednesday in the women’s triathlon. French triathlete Cassandre Beaugrand won the gold by just four seconds in a tight finish over Switzerland’s Julie Derron. Great Britain’s Beth Potter took silver for a European podium sweep.

Other Olympics Highlights & Stories

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MLB

MLB Quick-Hitters

3-Up, 3-Down: Holliday’s 1st HR, Yankees Sweep Phillies & Braves Still Breathing (By Aaron Yorke)

Orioles def. Blue Jays (10-4)

Top Baltimore prospect Jackson Holliday is back in the big leagues, and this time he announced his presence with authority. The second baseman became the youngest Orioles player to ever hit a grand slam with a 439-foot blast onto Eutaw Street. Not bad for your first major league home run!

Yankees def. Phillies (6-5)

Are the Yankees finally pulling out of their midsummer slump? They finished off a sweep of the National League powerhouse Phillies and won their fifth straight game thanks to DJ LeMahieu’s grand slam and career-high six RBI. Philadelphia suffered its first three-game sweep at home in more than two years.

Braves def. Brewers (6-2)

The Phillies getting swept is just what Atlanta needed to get back into the NL East race. The Braves moved to within six and a half games of the division leaders with a win in the rubber game at Milwaukee. Matt Olson and Travis d’Arnaud hit back-to-back home runs in the 4th and then again in the 8th as Atlanta overcame an early deficit with six unanswered runs.

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SPORTSLETTER SPECIAL

Part III: The Future of Team Relocations

We’ve Spent the Summer Covering the History & Impact of Teams Changing Homes, So What Does the Future Hold? (By Marissa Kasch)

Through this series, we’ve seen how team relocation can result in heartbreak for some and new hope for others. It can revitalize cities or leave them in turmoil. In some cases, like the A’s, the upcoming move is expected by fans far in advance. In other cases, like the Colts, the move is so sudden that it stuns the entire sports world. So, what does the future hold for team relocation? Sure, money talks, but you probably don’t need to worry about your team being stripped away by the time you wake up tomorrow morning… Read The Full Article (Part III)

The Sportsletter Summer Series

Part I: The History of Team Relocation

Part II: The Impact of Team Relocation

Part III: The Future of Team Relocation

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STORYLINES

10 Future Olympic Sports

The Games have added a lot of sports in recent years, and they’ve mostly been a success. Here are 10 new possibilities that should be considered in the future. (SI)

Olympic Men’s Golf Tee Times

The groups are set for today’s first round of golf at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The trio of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg are paired together. (CBS Sports)

MLB Teams That Blew the Trade Deadline

The 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline has come and gone, leaving many fanbases scratching their heads and thinking, “Really? That’s it?” (B/R)

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NEWS

Simone Biles Answers Critical Ex-Teammate With Instagram Post: ‘Lack of Talent, Lazy, Olympic Champions’ (CBS Sports)

Canada Soccer Has Loses Appeal for Point Deduction After Drone Scandal at Olympics (Yahoo! Sports)

Bill Belichick Lands Contract to Break Down NFL Film in New Fantasy Football Show (B/R)

Michael Phelps Has Classy Response to Leon Marchand Breaking His Olympic Record (SI)

Steelers Have Fight Break Out at Training Camp After Defender Hits Justin Fields (Sporting News)

NFL to Test Hawk-Eye Technology for Line to Gain in Some Preseason Games (ESPN)

SCHEDULE

Today’s Olympic Must-Watch List

Olympics

GOLF: Men’s Round 1 (9:45 am)