Meet the grandma who just crushed an Ironman
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Hello!
As a heads up, we’ll be off Wednesday as our team gathers in-person to connect and game plan even more content to come. Keep an eye on our socials for the latest sports updates (and some behind-the-scenes fun!) and enjoy today’s newsletter until we’re back in action on Friday.
— Eighty-year-old Natalie Grabow, a New Jersey grandma who is now the oldest woman to ever finish an Ironman World Championship. Grabow swam 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles, and ran a 26.2-mile road course in Hawaii, all in 16 hours and 45 minutes. Unmatched Monday motivation.
MLB playoffs
⚾ The best two words in sports
The GIST: Rogers Centre might still be shaking after the Toronto Blue Jays avoided elimination with last night’s 6–2 Game 6 win over the Seattle Mariners. Now it all comes down to tonight’s 8:08 p.m. ET Game 7, with a trip to the World Series on the line. Want it all, baby.
🔥 Rookie Trey Yesavage meets the moment, Jays offense stays hot: After losing to Seattle in Game 2, the rook had his revenge moment last night, striking out seven Mariners across 5 and 2/3 innings. And he had plenty of run support along the way, with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and right fielder Addison Barger both blasting home runs in the triumphant dub.
👀 Shane Bieber gets the start with the season on the line: Bieber fared well in Game 3 against the M’s, striking out eight in a lopsided Jays’ victory. It’s certainly a confidence booster, but Toronto’s key to success is simply swinging it just the way they have been after the Blue Birds put up 29 runs in their last four games. If it ain’t broke.
💙 One more thing: We simply have to mention the Dodgers’ NLCS MVP Shohei Ohtani, who helped his squad sweep their way back to the World Series with one of the best baseball performances of all time on Friday. Not only did Ohtani pitch six shutout innings, he also blasted three home runs in the clinching 5–1 victory. We are not worthy.
NFL
🏈 It’s getting hot in here
The GIST: From first-time touchdown catchers to jaw-dropping fourth-quarter comebacks, Week 7 was a point-scoring party — but not every head coach brought their team to the festivities. That’s right, pink slip rumblings abound…
🐬 Will the Miami Dophins fire head coach Mike McDaniel?: McDaniel might not be thinking about his job security, but everyone else is. Miami’s abysmal 1-6 start was punctuated by yesterday’s 31–6 blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns, an offense that averaged just 13.7 points per game heading into this tilt. Not great.
- Will this be the final straw? It seems likely. The Dolphins had playoff aspirations this year, and while McDaniel won fans’ hearts in previous seasons, this year’s showing — one that’s been chock-full of “distractions” — simply won’t cut it.
🔥 Who else is on the hot seat?: The Arizona Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon and the NY Giants’ Brian Daboll are the other likely pink slip candidates. The Cards are off to a disappointing 2-5 start after yesterday’s 27–23 loss to the Green Bay Packers, while Daboll’s Giants gave up a whopping 33 fourth-quarter points in a brutal 33–32 loss to the Denver Broncos. Woof.
👏 New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel builds post-firing blueprint: Being fired doesn’t have to mark the end of a coaching career though. Look no further than Vrabel, who was axed by the Tennessee Titans in January 2024 before returning to Nashville yesterday and crushing his former team 31–13. Always here for a redemption arc.
🏎️ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen tops the podium at United States Grand Prix
From winning Saturday’s sprint race to dominating yesterday’s 56-lap Grand Prix, this weekend was a Verstappen masterclass as the four-time champ continues his late push for another World Drivers’ Championship title. Verstappen earned 33 points in Austin and still sits in third place, just 40 points behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and 26 points behind Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris.
- Norris finished second in the main event yesterday, good for 18 points, while Piastri crossed the line fifth (10 points). Notably, neither McLaren driver finished the 19-lap sprint race after the papaya duo crashed into each other on the opening lap. Spice, spice, baby.
⚽ Vancouver Whitecaps FC suffer upset to FC Dallas on MLS Decision Day
The Whitecaps were this close to entering the playoffs atop the Western Conference (WC), but lost 2–1 to FC Dallas on Saturday, a tough way to finish their best regular season in team history. However, hopes are still high for the WC’s No. 2 seed, who’ll kick off the playoffs with a best-of-three series against a familiar foe: No. 7 Dallas. The revenge tour begins October 26th.
👀 Seven of the eight NWSL playoff spots are filled with regular-season finale looming
The Seattle Reign, Gotham FC, Portland Thorns, and San Diego Wave all clinched postseason appearances over the weekend, but there will still be plenty to play for on the upcoming Decision Day. Racing Louisville and the North Carolina Courage are still in the mix for the eighth and final playoff berth, while all-important seeding remains on the line.
- In non-clinching news, the league-leading Kansas City Current suffered their first loss in 17 games on Saturday, a 1–0 L to the Houston Dash that sadly saw Golden Boot leader, forward Temwa Chawinga, sustain a right leg injury.
🏆⚽ The road to the Northern Super League (NSL) Final is set
It took until the last whistle of the regular season, but the NSL playoff picture is officially official — here’s an early look at the two-leg semis series, which start on November 1st.
- No. 1 seed AFC Toronto will take on No. 4 seed Montréal Roses FC, a rematch of yesterday’s regular-season finale, while No. 2 Ottawa Rapid FC will face No. 3 Vancouver Rise. While Ottawa ended their inaugural campaign on a high note, Vancouver suffered an L.
Together With The GIST
🎙️ Sound on
If you love The GIST’s newsletters, you’re going to love our twice-weekly podcast, The GIST of It. Hosted by besties Ellen Hyslop and Stephanie Rotz, it’s the women-produced and -hosted sports pod you’ve been waiting for.
El and Steph dive into current sports topics and how they intersect with society and pop culture. They cover everything from season previews to calling out the sexist BS that’s rampant across the industry.
Join the conversation by subscribing to The GIST of It wherever you tune into podcasts. Happy listening.
Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped:
💍 What to shop
Hey Harper’s sports collection. The brand sells modern, waterproof, and tarnish-free jewelry that's perfect for gameday, offering a stylish solution for athletes and fans who want to wear accessories without worry.
📖 What to learn about
The effects of losing periods long being ignored in women’s sports. Athletes and researchers are finding ways to harness the “superpower” of the menstrual cycle, marking a shift in how menstrual health is approached in women's sports.
👕 What to read
Jordan Clarkson’s interview with People. The NY Knicks guard revealed the surprising truth behind his famous tunnel walk outfits: he picks them out just 15 minutes before leaving for his games.
Question of the Day
Despite the Vancouver Whitecaps’ heartbreaking Saturday loss, the West Coast squad is looking sharp heading into the postseason. Will you be following their playoff run?
On Friday, we asked you about your fave W extracurricular activity. 32% voted for the All-Star Game, 29% voted for tunnel ’fits, 23% voted for player interviews, and 16% voted for championship parade.Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Molly Potter. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.