The hap-happiest season of all
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Welcome back!
And merry Cyber Monday! ICYMI: You can snag some GIST merch for up to 30% off now through the end of the day. Supporting women in sports and getting your holiday shopping done? Yes, please.
- Start adding to cart, then scroll on for all the deets from a wild weekend in sports.
— Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored the game-winner in her team’s season-opening 4–3 dub over the Ottawa Charge on Saturday. The PWHL is so back, baby.
NFL
🏈 If one thing had been different
The GIST: From a crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving main course to a winter wonderland, the Week 13 NFL slate was stuffed to the brim, featuring pick sixes, game-winning touchdowns (TDs), and eyebrow-raising endings. Buffalo Bills quarterback (QB) Josh Allen isn’t the only one asking big questions.
Kansas City Chiefs clinch season’s first playoff berth: Houdini did it again, this time on Black Friday. The two-time defending champs escaped their division rival, the Las Vegas Raiders, 19–17, after a controversial penalty ended the Raiders’ quest for a game-winning field goal. It’s miserable and magical.
Chicago Bears fire head coach Matt Eberflus after Thanksgiving faux pas: It was turkey with a side of a pink slip for Eberflus after Thursday’s head-scratching 23–20 loss to the Detroit Lions. Chicago had the ball in Detroit territory and a timeout to take late in the fourth quarter, but shockingly allowed the clock to expire, resulting in the team’s sixth straight loss.
Scary hit sends Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence to locker room: Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was ejected after the late hit on Lawrence. Unfortunately, the Jags’ signal caller displayed the now-infamous “fencing response” that can occur after a serious head injury before being carted off. Terrifying.
Bills slide into dominant Sunday Night Football win: Led by Buffalo’s all-time TD leader, the aforementioned Allen, the newly crowned AFC East champs spent last night dashing through the snow in their 35–10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
- And SF lost more than the game — star running back Christian McCaffrey, who just returned from injury in Week 10, exited in the first half after a non-contact knee injury.
What’s next: An 8:15 p.m. ET Monday Night Football matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos as the Mile High’s rookie QB Bo Nix looks to tally his fourth consecutive game with at least two TD passes. This kid is definitely alright.
🏈 Michigan upsets now–No. 7 Ohio State in “The Game”; teams fined $100K each for postgame brawl
Both Michigan and Ohio State are facing hefty fines following Saturday’s on-field postgame altercations, which broke out after the unranked defending champs topped then–No. 2 OSU 13–10 on their home turf.
- Adding insult to, well, insult, the L eliminated the 10-2 Buckeyes from Big Ten title game contention, but it likely won’t disrupt their College Football Playoff chances.
- Elsewhere, it took eight (!!!) overtimes for now–No. 5 Georgia to fight back from a 17-point halftime deficit and top Georgia Tech 44–42 on Friday, a stunner that finished as the second-longest game in NCAA football history.
🏎️ Abbi Pulling wins F1 Academy championship in Qatar
The British racing phenom capped off an exceptional sophomore stint in the all-women series, securing the title with a second-place Saturday finish. Pulling has taken the checkered flag in seven of 12 races with this weekend’s finale in Abu Dhabi still to come. A need for speed, indeed.
- Over in F1, four-time World Champ, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, topped the podium for the second time in three races.
- But the biggest winner was Ferrari after Charles Leclerc slotted in second to help cut McLaren’s World Constructors’ Championship lead to just 21 points with one race to go.
🎾 World No. 2 Iga Świątek accepts one-month ban after positive doping test
Five-time Grand Slam champ Świątek tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) — a heart medication that increases blood flow — back in August and was dealt a suspension by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on September 12th. Świątek, who tested positive for a very low amount of TMZ, appealed, claiming the positive result was due to a contaminated batch of melatonin.
- Fast forward to last week, on November 27th, the ITIA determined the doping was not intentional and issued a one-month ban, with 22 days already served during the investigation time.
- That means Świątek’s suspension will end on Wednesday, and she’ll be eligible to compete in the first Slam of 2025, the Australian Open in January.
Together With NBA Canada
🏀 Hoops with a side of maple syrup
From MVP-worthy performances to massive milestones, Canada’s a hotbed for hoops talent, topping the NBA’s nice list as the best-represented country outside of the U.S. for the 11th straight season. Not bad, eh?
- But with 21 Canadians repping 13 different teams, it can be hard to decide which jersey to cop. Thankfully, the NBA wants to help make it a no-brainer.
- Don’t choose between your fave red and white hoopers — support them all with the Represent Concert tee, Represent U hoodie, or Represent hat.
And that’s not all. Sign up here to be among the first fans with access to drippy new merch and epic contests all while learning more about the Canadian talent in the league. Talk about a slam dunk.
🏒 The Toronto Sceptres, Montréal Victoire, and NY Sirens notched their first wins of the PWHL’s sophomore season, defeating the Boston Fleet, Ottawa Charge, and Minnesota Frost, respectively, over an electric opening weekend. Icy.
🇨🇦⚽ No. 6 CanWNT drew No. 13 Iceland 0–0 on Friday, a slightly snoozy friendly match where neither side took offensive control. Up next: ending this topsy-turvy year with a win against No. 19 South Korea tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET.
🎿 American skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin crashed and punctured her abdomen while pursuing a record-extending 100th World Cup win on Saturday. Sending healing vibes.
🏉 Australia’s women’s rugby squad won the Dubai Sevens for a fifth straight time yesterday, while reigning Olympic silver medalists Canada finished eighth. Ruck and roll.
🏀 The Toronto Raptors extinguished the Miami Heat 119–116 yesterday behind 37 points from hometown hero R.J. Barrett, who dropped more than 30 for the third straight home game. En fuego.
⚽ Toronto FC head coach John Herdman has resigned, the club announced on Friday. The news comes as the former CanWNT bench boss is embroiled in Canada Soccer’s drone-spying scandal.
🇨🇦🏒 Team Canada finalized its roster for February’s 4 Nations Face-off, with the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid and the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon headlining the star-studded squad.
🏆 The 2024 MLS Cup is officially set: The dominant and Western Conference champ LA Galaxy will take on the underdog Eastern Conference–winning NY Red Bulls in a long-awaited battle of two original MLS clubs next Saturday. Bring it on.
🥌 Canadian curling star Rachel Homan took home her record-extending 17th Grand Slam women’s title yesterday, defeating Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg 6–5 at the Kioti National to extend her win streak to 23. Always on the button.
Together With Scotiabank
Death, taxes, and Canadian hockey icon Natalie Spooner dominating the PWHL. While death and taxes can wait, it’s finally the start of December and that means the puck has just dropped on the league’s second season with the reigning MVP (and Toronto Sceptres superstar) getting ready to return from a knee injury.
- Scotiabank’s been preparing for the opening puck drop, too. The official bank of the PWHL is committed to leveling the playing field with their hockey for all initiatives. Making hockey more diverse, more inclusive, and more accessible? Say less.
Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
🎥 What to watch
This ESPN 30 for 30 doc on the infamous 2011 Vancouver riots. Equal parts sports drama and social reflection, it’s a must-see.
👟 What to check out
This post from Business of Fashion about the relationship between sports and fashion. With endless collabs flooding the market, fans are questioning authenticity as brands are challenged to go beyond logo swaps.
📖 Where to meet
In your inbox for The GIST Book Club’s discussion on November’s book of the month, The Snap by Elizabeth Staple. Subscribe to The GIST Book Club’s newsletters to keep the conversation going.
Question of the Day
The final month of the year is bringing the party, filled with plenty of sports to keep your holiday season merry and bright. With that in mind, which event(s) are you most looking forward to watching in December?
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