I Won The New York City Marathon

…Athletes are. Take Taylor Townsend, who once again proved her business savvy when she announced the hiring of her very own CD, Domo Wells. And not to brag, but my friend and fellow OffBaller, Daniel-Yaw Miller predicted this would happen. He also said you’ll find a 100 dollar bill on the ground today.  

If you prefer watching the game at home under a blanket with your favorite snack, have I got a sweatshirt for you. The Anti Social Social Club x NFL collab is a must cop for the sport’s most introverted fans. The only problem is that it looks cool, and you’re gonna want to show it to people. 

Not many public employees are making $10M per year, unless we’re speaking about college football coaches, who are now, in many cases, paid that sum to not work. From LSU to Indiana, from UNC to Kentucky, it might be time to start pinching pennies. 

Molly Morrison started a Substack and it rocks. Her latest piece follows Tom Hur, Korean Pistons fan, through his journey becoming a Detroit fan. Others involved the difficulty of goodbyes and a nice welcome back to the NBA.  

F1’s Charles Leclerc and WAG Alexandra Saint Mleux announced their engagement on social this weekend. Their pup, Leo, helped dad pop the question via his collar tag. Does anyone need a plus one to the wedding (as a friend)? 

Was this seriously the best World Series series of all time? Seems like yes. If you didn’t watch it, I'll be brief, but it won’t be easy. The main takeaway from the final game of the World Series is that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is lowkey goated when the vibe is throwing a bunch of pitches with no days rest. He’s got that Do(d)g(er) in him, confirmed. 

You’ve probably seen the Nike ad heard round the continent. If not, check it out here. I’m not a huge advertising nerd by any means, but I do love watching a relevant spot immediately after a champ has been crowned.  

The kids, as they do, have found a way to work 6 7 into the conversation. And everyone found a way to work Kendrick into it. Other athletes were live tweeting, too. Like LeBron and Caitlin. I’m neutral on Taylor but you can’t deny, “The Life of A Sho-Girl” is a bar. 

Some would argue it’s the greatest MLB postseason of all time. And if you’re from Japan, or you’re Japanese, or an Asian living in LA, this is about as good as it gets. 

And after watching their team lead almost the entire game, Jays fans are still trying to figure out how to emotionally overcome the loss. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. Exhibit C. But also, in general, if you’re in LA, nothing can bring you down now.

I won the NYC Marathon, and by that, I mean I was there (at miles 18 and 24) and I had the blessing of watching and cheering on the runners. And for that, I consider myself a winner. Because that is quite the prize, in my opinion. The real winners also crushed it. 

At one point, amidst the cheering of the names I saw across many of the runners chests, I saw one shirt that read “Just grateful to be here.” And I felt so moved by the concept of being grateful, I said to myself, “I need to be grateful to be in more places.” So, I’m grateful to be writing a newsletter that people read. 

It’s so amazingly inspiring to witness people of all sizes, ages, demographics, finishing a race. Some on crutches. Some pulling others in wheelchairs. One carrying a lookalike marionette doll the entire 26.2 miles (shout out to that guy). Some who weren’t running with any visible injuries or ailments or disabilities but found themselves barely crawling across the finish line. All equally impressive and amazing to me.

It’s a day most consider one of the best days in the city, maybe even the country. It unites sports fans and non-sports fans. There’s something in the air. The runner’s high is contagious. 

If you’re ever looking for a reason to come to NYC, make it this.