Find Your ‘Cheers’ Bar Before NBA Playoffs End

…Angel Reese is willing to pay it. She told Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson on their IMO podcast that since the media hasn’t always been the kindest to her, she’s willing to pay the fine to avoid talking to them. Just for your info, Angel, I would never hurt you. 

Ethan Strauss of House of Strauss on Substack — in response to the Chargers tweet heard round the world — says brand accounts have lost the plot. His request? “Post the damn highlight.” I understand what he means, but considering sports culture is my thing, my stance is we can still have some memes. Fair compromise! 

Is there anything athletes love more than putting a restaurant in an airport? I mean, I guess winning, for one, but anyway, Simone Biles is joining the likes of Dirk Nowitzki and John Elway in opening a restaurant in a major airport. Got a layover in Houston? Taste Simone’s “Taste of Gold” for yourself.   

Everyone’s still talking about the incredible race performances in the London Marathon. Except they’re also talking a lot about the shoes the runners wore. But are the shoes stealing the spotlight? Daniel-Yaw Miller investigates.  

F1 is winning over more women, young people, and apparently gay men (says Maxwell Adler of Vanity Fair, linked below) than ever. You could say they’ve gone mainstream. Read about the F1’s trajectory to becoming an A-List cultural staple here. And if you need further convincing, tune into this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to witness what’s become one of the biggest cultural moments in all of sports.

The end of my team’s season (any of them) is always bittersweet. It’s sweet because I can go back to my regularly programmed life — I don’t spend every other day sending links about how our owners might be screwing us over or fretting over injuries. It’s bitter because, well, my team lost, but also because it marks the end of the “where should we watch the game” texts.   

The matter of where we’ll watch is not actually, usually up for discussion. For every game that matters to me, I go to Standings in Manhattan’s East Village. I can text the bartender (shoutout Kyle) ahead of time to make sure my game will have a TV. Sometimes I get priority on audio over whatever else is on. The bouncer, Harry, starts to ask for my ID but stops himself when our eyes meet, and he meets me with “Get in here! How are you!” 

Sometimes, not going to the bar reminds you just how special it is. Last night, for my team’s final playoff game, I opted to stay home (because I was sure we were going to lose). I wasn’t unable to witness our opponents drive the final dagger into our proverbial chest at Standings last night, but the loss would have been easier to swallow had I been there. 

Just as The Sports Bra became a safe space for women’s sports fans (and is now being franchised and has become the inspiration between some of my favorite bars like Wilka’s—also  in Manhattan’s Lower East Side)  a neighborhood bar can change your life. 

Both the NBA Playoffs and the start of the WNBA season are the perfect times to find your “Cheers.”  To make new friends in the regulars that belly up to the bar just as often as you do, to hang your team’s memorabilia on the wall or in the rafters (like my Sean Mannion bobblehead). A local bar is a place to bring your family and friends when they visit from out of town too. “We stay up until 2 a.m, sometimes, just us and the bartender, watching our [West Coast team] lose,” you tell them over a sour beer. 

The thought of having a community like the one at a local bar is enough to bring me to tears, so I wanted to hear about other people’s stories at their “Cheers” bars, too. 

Pete Schwadel told me he loves watching the Knicks playoffs runs at New York’s Overlook on 44th. “A regular can shoot em a text and get a bar seat taped off for you.” He’d even get texts asking if he was gonna come: “If we put the Mariners game on, will you come hang out????” 

My friend KP told me he goes to Austin’s Posse East every Thursday because they love him even though he’s an Alabama fan in Texas. His friend’s family has been going every Thursday since the ‘80s. Chad Howell has a sleepy bar called Whiskey Town in the East Village. He found out about it on Reddit and says only people from Michigan go there, because it feels like a slice of home. For my colleague Terence Scott it’s Reno Room in Long Beach, CA. And it’s Capri Club in Los Angeles for my colleague Shanon. My friend Rachelle feels at home at Yur’s in Portland, and she says they’re pouring her drink before she even gets to the bar. 

My colleague, Dan, lost his Arsenal bar in East London, Studio Kitchen, and he said the vibes have never been the same. My friend Ciara Smith loves her favorite bar, Babes of Chicago, so much, she’s finagled live recordings of her podcast out of the deal. Women’s basketball account on X, Hoopsmuse told me his favorite memory at The Break, in Murray, Utah, is turning the rest of the regulars into LA Sparks fans. 

Sports bars house so much. At a certain point, the staff starts to feel like family, and what’s more familial than sports. Local sports bars hold the chatter and anxiety of entire communities. The agony and ecstasy of their regulars and first timers. They hold posters, photos, memories, goodbyes, dark wooden stools, old baseball stadium bleachers. They are places to show off your team’s gear when you want to get a fit off. A place for mirror selfies. A place to do the famed surrender cobra. A place you can finally use the phrase “tell ‘em I sent ya,” about, when your friends need a recommendation. 

So, ahead of the World Cup, a big tennis summer, the W season, NBA finals, and so much more, if you don’t have a local bar of your own, I highly suggest you get one. 

Christian Pulisic is gearing up for the tournament of a lifetime. As the star of one of the host country teams, there’s a lot of pressure on him to perform. Luckily, he’s got Degree Cool Rush (his favorite Degree scent), to keep him smelling fresh. Just kidding, this isn’t sponcon. I mean, he is actually making the media rounds for his partnership with Degree, but I don’t have to say all that. Except the pressure, which I imagine actually is challenging. Anyway, we caught up with him for one of our favorite series, Take Five.  

OffBall: What's your favorite USMNT kit of all time?

“I’d say either the white and red striped one or the current kit. The striped one just felt classic USA—really clean and bold—and the new one is special because of what it represents right now with this group. Anytime you put on that jersey, it means something. ” 

OB: Who is the best-dressed player on AC Milan? And the USMNT? 

”At Milan, I’d go with Rafael Leão. He’s got a unique style and isn’t afraid to take risks, which I respect.

For the USMNT, I’d say Tim Weah—he’s always put together and has a really natural sense of style.” 

OB: What's your pre-game hype song?

“I listen to a lot of Drake before games. It kind of depends on the mood, but his music always helps me lock in and get focused. It’s part of my routine at this point.”

OB: Which of your tattoos is your favorite and why? 

“Probably my chest piece. It has my grandfather’s name on it, so it means a lot to me personally. It’s a reminder of family and where I come from, which I carry with me every day.”

(Disclaimer: I could not find a photo of said chest piece, despite many “Christian Pulisic shirtless” Google searches, so let’s just imagine what it might look like.)

OB: Is your Tiger tattoo really inspired by Tiger Woods?

“Yes, partially. I grew up watching Tiger Woods, and he was one of my favorite athletes, so there’s definitely inspiration there. I was also born in the Year of the Tiger (1998), so it felt like a cool way to connect both things.”

Thanks so much to Christian for chatting with us!