And none for Jeremiah
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
What a week!
ICYMI, we just announced our digital media partnership with the NWSL (!!!), an official kickoff of our joint commitment to leveling the playing field.
- Not a bad way to head into the long weekend — we’ll be off on Monday for Labour Day and will see you back here on Wednesday. Now without further ado, LFG.
— Washington Spirit and USWNT star Trinity Rodman, trolling her boyfriend, world No. 6 tennis pro Ben Shelton, after his second-round US Open win on Wednesday. She has high standards — sorry, not sorry.
NFL
🏈 Even the breakups are bigger in Texas
The GIST: Turns out couples counseling was not effective for the Dallas Cowboys and All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, because the divorce is officially official: A blockbuster deal sent Parsons to the Green Bay Packers yesterday. Here’s the tea on the messiest breakup of the summer.
👀 The summer Parsons tried to get an extension: This was quite the saga for the two-time All-Pro, who’s been hoping to reach a contract extension with the Cowboys since 2023. Instead, the non-stop drama culminated with Parsons, who racked up a stunning 52.5 sacks in just four seasons in the league, requesting a trade from the team at the beginning of August.
- Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones told Dallas fans not to lose sleep after the trade request made headlines. Then, one month later, he dealt Parsons to the Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark.
💪 Parsons to have immediate impact in Green Bay: There’s a reason the 26-year-old was holding out for a more lucrative extension: He’s really good. Parsons is just the second player in NFL history to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons. That’s why the Packers are giving him what Dallas wouldn’t, a record four-year, $188M contract.
💔 Dallas sports fans can’t catch a break: Think you’ve seen this film before? You definitely have — it’s eerily similar to the midnight Dallas Mavericks trade that sent NBA superstar Luka Dončić to the LA Lakers. The deals, both of which brought notoriously underwhelming returns, were a direct result of front office mismanagement. Can’t spell disappointment without the Big D.
🏎️ It’s a two-McLaren race for the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC)
After a two-week international break, Sunday’s 9 a.m. ET Dutch Grand Prix marks the start of the second half of the F1 schedule. And it’s shaping up to be a doozy, with a mere nine points separating the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the WDC standings and just 10 races to go.
- ICYMI: Piastri dominated early in the season, opening up a 22-point lead. But Norris has since bounced back, using a string of good luck to secure three of the final four Grand Prix wins before the summer break.
🎾 World No. 3 Coco Gauff survives turbulent second-round match
Gauff is trying to do the near-impossible: revamp her faulty serve while competing in the fourth and final Grand Slam of the season. Armed with a new coach, the 2023 champ was actively working through the kinks last night, recording eight double faults in a mentally and emotionally exhausting straight-set win. And, exhale.
- Meanwhile, the unseeded women’s doubles team of Canadian Leylah Fernandez and American legend Venus Williams upset the No. 6 seed in yesterday’s first-round match, sending them through to tomorrow’s second round.
- But first, 2021 finalist Fernandez continues her singles quest, taking on No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka tonight at 7 p.m. ET. May the odds be ever in her favor.
🏉 World No. 2 Canada returns to Women’s Rugby World Cup action tomorrow at 7 a.m. ET against No. 10 Wales
Having swept the floor with No. 14 Fiji in last weekend’s opening game, Canada can lock in the top spot in Pool B (and a corresponding quarter-final berth) with just one more group stage win. The key to success against the Welsh? Fullback Julia Schell, who scored six (!!!) second-half tries in the opener.
⚽ Orlando Pride eager to end skid against Gotham FC
The hits keep coming for defending champ Orlando, who lost their star striker and last season’s championship MVP, Barbra Banda, to a season-ending injury last week and find themselves on a five-game winless skid.
- But tonight at 8 p.m. ET, they have a chance to turn the tide as two prolific goal scorers, the Pride’s Marta and Gotham’s Esther González, go head-to-head on Prime Video in the U.S. and NWSL+ in Canada.
🏀 Las Vegas Aces notch 12th straight win, tying franchise record
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish — something the playoff-bound Aces are embodying after moving up to second in the WNBA standings with Wednesdays’ 81–75 win over the impressive Atlanta Dream. Three-time league MVP A’ja Wilson scored 34 points in the dub, while her teammate Jackie Young secured her second triple-double of the season. The push to September continues through the weekend.
Together With Dove
💅 Let’s be honest — Y2K beauty standards were not it. Dove’s Weight of Words study found that millennial women have the lowest self-esteem of any generation — nine in 10 millennial women cite body shape ideals from the early 2000s as a lasting influence.
- That’s why Dove launched #UnseenBeauty, a social campaign encouraging women to share a photo they once hid due to toxic Y2K beauty standards, along with the first-ever body confidence toolkit for millennial women, complete with the Why2k? Podcast playlist.
- Check out the Dove Self-Esteem Project and consider sharing your own #UnseenBeauty photo to Instagram using the hashtag, just like The GIST and Olympian Sarah Nurse.
⚾ MLB: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Toronto Blue Jays — Tonight at 7:07 p.m. ET — Sportsnet
- After surviving a scare of a series with the lowly Minnesota Twins, the Jays have quite the challenge ahead: the league-leading Brewers. That said, Milwaukee’s looked vulnerable as of late, dropping four of their last six, and Toronto has pitcher Shane Bieber back on the mound tonight. Time to fly, fellas.
🎓 NCAA football: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET — FOX
- College football is wasting no time this season, kicking off with perhaps the most stacked opening weekend ever. The highlight? Undoubtedly this matchup between highly touted and Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback Arch Manning and the reigning champ Buckeyes.
🏈 CFL: Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders — Sunday at 7 p.m. ET — TSN
- The rivalry weekend slate kicks off with the league-best Riders hosting the Bombers. And somehow both teams are hoping history repeats itself: Sask has historically dominated the holiday classic, but Winnipeg’s won three of the last four long weekend tilts. Something has to give.
Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:
👟 What’s toeing the start line
The Sydney Marathon, which will make its World Marathon Major debut tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. ET (Sunday at 6:30 a.m. ET Aussie time), featuring star runners like Eliud Kipchoge and Olympic champ Sifan Hassan. On your mark, get set…
🏀 What to watch
Year 1 - Built For This. The new docuseries follows WNBA rookies like Dominique Malonga, Georgia Amoore, and Saniya Rivers as they trade their college threads for professional ones. The show offers exclusive behind-the-scenes access to their emotional and physical journeys.
💍 What to check out
Gorjana Sport Club. The California jewelry brand is launching its first athlete-focused initiative with a roster of professional and collegiate women athletes, including LA Sparks star Cameron Brink, to celebrate the pivotal moment for women's sports and how jewelry is used to express themselves on and off the court.
Question of the Day
It’s almost time to say goodbye to salty air and hello to dancin’ in September. With a full slate of sports on deck, which one are you most excited for in the month ahead? If your top pick is not listed, reply to this email and let us know.
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