…Was an Apple TV Original (because we didn’t tell that many people about it and it was very fun). We had a little Spain-France semi-final Watch Party shindig at the Nando’s pop-up in lower Manhattan, and it was a time and a half. More fun than Dominique Molanga or Timothée Chalamet or this kid had for sure. More on this in Friday’s newsletter. 

Remember the Fanatics x NFL soccer kits from last year? The fact that I didn’t get the Chiefs jers keeps me up at night. It’s all good because we’ve been given a second chance. That doesn’t happen very often in life. 

Summer in NYC has been one for the books. Some people are calling it the greatest summer ever, even. Alyssa Vingan of “The New Garde” Substack wrote about what role sports merch had in that — from the bootleg to high fashion and everything in between. Isabella D’Ambra, in her very first Substack post, convincingly makes the case for summer sports as “New York’s favorite wingman.” Get yourself a historic bag of air while you can. 

For someone with the last name Hart, Josh sure has got a lot of hate in it. Only for Arsenal, of course. The FIFA World Cup Ambassador got an entire profile in Haute Living to talk about it. More like Hate Living. Josh Hate? We’ll workshop it. 

For vegan reasons, I’m going to assume this taxidermy raccoon — which Erling Haaland bought at Wild Bill’s in Dallas during his time in America for the World Cup — died of natural causes. He says it followed him home, but it looks like it cost about $750. 

This week, my friend Patrick sent an old video of me from 2017 (a secret that the very of-the-time outfit I was wearing could never keep), arguing about how LeBron James is the GOAT. 

“It’s not even a competition,” I say. 

Sorry to Michael Jordan, who I know is my most devout reader, but I have stood firmly in my GOAT convictions for years. Nowadays, no one is even arguing about this anymore, it seems. I personally don’t spend my time on GOAT fights anymore because 1. That’s lame, I’m different now, and 2. Societal consensus finally caught up to my genius — we don’t even need to talk about it, and (the real reason) 3. It doesn’t matter at all because we are all specks of dust on a tiny rock flying through a galaxy too big to possibly contextualize. 

And although LeBron is the on the court GOAT (again, I don’t argue this anymore, if you start to argue with me, I will walk away), he’s also one of the best at so many things. 

I thought that since we’re in the midst of a LeBron James Decision Part Three, and because rumor has it that LeBron will find his new home this week (maybe even today?!), we should reflect on and appreciate everything LeBron has given us. All the other things he’s GOAT at. 

I don’t even know if LeBron understands how funny he is, which only adds to the humor for me. From “first of all, Happy International Women’s Day” to whatever this sound was to the meme that pop stars wrote songs about — the man is our LeMeme. 

I’ve been laughing at this for weeks. 

I love a player that lets his intrusive thoughts win. 

And I’m not being hyperbolic when I say my main inner monologue is just LeBron saying “our ball” over and over and over again.  

You know that one friend who tells the most random lies? The ones that have everyone else in the friend group wondering why anyone would ever lie about such a harmless and unimportant thing? That’s our LeLiar. 

Or, as I call it, keeping an open mind. Most NBA players that play for multiple teams are role players (or James Harden). Journeymen, we call them. LeBron is the only player who willingly leaves a perfect situation for fun. Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland, Los Angeles, ??? (probably, maybe the Warriors, it seems — a decision some say should happen on Hot Ones, and I agree). It took some getting used to, but sometime after the Decision, we all accepted and grew to love this LeBron James. And as someone who has lived in four different cities as an adult, I feel him. Every now and then you just need a change! 

Taco Tuesday with the fam, dancing with his daughter at games and letting her style him, making sure his son got that money — that’s our LeDad. 

I’m not even a huge LeBron fan. I don’t say that to disparage him, I say it to show just how important he is to the game. Because although I’m not a LeBron stan — I usually root against GOATs in big games; I want the littler guys that have never won something major to win (go England)—but I can still fully grasp how he has changed basketball and the surrounding culture for the better.  

He ushered in an era where player desires and interests became the most important thing. He is also a huge reason positions matter less than ever before. And his appearances in movies like Trainwreck and Space Jam 2 are the reason we see so many athletes crossing over into TV and film. Plus, LeBron James is Gwangi. 

You’re crazy, we love you, don’t ever change, LeBron. 

You know Aliya Kisivo from our TikTok and Instagram, but she’s also become something of our field reporter. This time, she’s covering Off Season’s MLB collection, just in time for MLB All-Star. Take it away, Aliya. 

Imagine my surprise when I was sitting in the parking lot of my favorite store after my bi-weekly shopping trip and I saw a Slack from Ashtyn.

“Aliya, do you want to go to Philly next week to cover the new Urban Outfitters x Off Season x MLB collection?”

I looked up at the Urban Outfitters I had just dropped a bag at and typed back one word “yes.”

My weekend in Philly was nothing short of Off Season-maxxing, Cheesesteak-maxxing, Urban Outfitters-maxxing and Four Seasons-maxxing.

Kristin Juszczyk, co-founder (alongside Skims mogul Emma Grede) of Off Season brand, might be the only person who could convince me to wear a windbreaker as a bodysuit. Her passion for Off Season is evident in the quality and intention behind every piece in this collection. It’s no surprise that I will co-sign anything Urban Outfitters drops, but consider this a co-sign+ (no subscription necessary).

I need the entire collection… and I don’t even watch baseball like that.

When I asked Kristin to blind rank Off Season pieces she kept using one word to describe the material of the tracksuits… buttery. It didn’t make sense until I felt it but now I fear there is no other way to explain the feeling. It’s buttery, it’s delicious. Yum.

I cannot wait to wear the Yankees’  track pants and t-shirt that Urban Outfitters so kindly sent me and get questioned by men (derogatory) to name five pitchers on the Yankees. While I can’t name one, who cares? Because for every man (derogatory) that tries to question my MLB knowledge, there will be three women (gorgeous) who will ask me where I got these incredible pants.

Thank you Kristin for not calling my dad sneakers a “foul” and for designing this amazing collection.

And thank you Urban Outfitters for the invite and for my entire closet (and for putting us at the Four Seasons, it was everything)."