Lock In, Folks, NWSL Playoffs Are Here

…Avert your eyes. This season, the league has loosened its attire requirements. But you can still call the players ranch, because they’re still dressin’. Though I vote we change the rule to Canadian tuxedos only.  

From the Nike Air Max 9500 to the Braindead x Adidas ditty to the three-stripe-Bad-Bunny-Mercedes collab, these are are a few of November’s favorite sneakers. Disclaimer: Don’t click unless you’re prepared to spend.

Embarrassing to admit but just a few weeks ago I had to ask, aloud, in a meeting, “Who is Alexandra Saint Mleux?” Too bad this profile on Charles Leclerc’s bride-to-be didn’t exist then. Could have saved myself the shame. 

I broke the news yesterday (kidding, can you imagine, but this part is true) that Tom Brady cloned his dog. It turns out the biotech company behind it, which he invests in, basically wants to do Jurassic Park. I don’t know, man. I’m just the messenger. 

Men in Blazers announced USWNT’s Diego Luna will host content catered to the US Hispanic soccer community on their Vamos network leading up to the upcoming World Cup. Let’s make sure we get his actor counterpart on an episode, shall we?

The NWSL playoffs begin Friday, so here’s some stuff you should know, what you can expect, and what people are saying. On the pitch, the Kansas City Current will be tough to beat, but we’ve seen underdogs come out on top in women’s soccer before, and Lynn Biyendolo and Sam Mewis say an upset is brewing. So root for whomever your heart desires. 

@nwslsoccer

The pressure’s not the problem — it’s the proof. Quarterfinals. Let’s see who’s built for it. 🔥 | #NWSLPlayoffs

Off the pitch, and arguably just as important, is who you might want to follow throughout the tourney. These are the top follows, but you can actually vote on your fave. And make sure to watch your feeds for player arrivals, because NWSL players really bring the fits.. FWIW, Michelle Alozie is the best dressed of this bunch if you ask me (although Midge Purce might have something to say about that). No one did ask me, but whatever. Here’s how to watch the games. Or you can visit your local women’s sports bar. I’ll be at Wilka’s, of course. 

Disclaimer: this is not sponcon! It’s just good vibes.  

I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but when talking about a product, mission, KPI, OKR, LOLs or otherwise, the buzzword of the moment for big brands and corporations is “community.” To some it’s just a word, to others, it really is an attempt at creating something shared. 

One of the perks of being a creative in sports media is attending brand activations that aim to build said community. 

I was invited to the newly renovated Verizon Club at Madison Square Garden (and walked in and immediately locked eyes with Spike Lee, the two of us among about three people total who showed up early), and I was kind of blown away at how awesome it was. I could have built community right then and there with a famed film director dripping in a blue and orange suit if I really wanted to (read: if I was brave enough). With full dinner and decor that harkens to Linsanity and other momentous moments in sports history, it was almost a third space inside of MSG, which is also kind of a third space in a way (metathirdspace?!). 

There, I learned Verizon’s sports activations don’t end in Manhattan. Their NFL in-person community activations have spanned all over the country. For the lucky few who enter — and win — giveaways, it looks like meeting new friends and former Saints greats on a ghost tour in New Orleans — though they couldn’t tell me if anyone actually saw a ghost or not (I get it, too scary for me to handle). Or an overnight scavenger hunt at Lambeau with 20 fellow cheeseheads. Sure, they’re exclusive events, but more importantly, it’s a brand with a ton of money, putting that money to cool use. A use that includes “strengthening the connection with our communities” VP of partnerships Justin Toman told me. They’ll do so again when they give out hundreds of pitchside tickets for the World Cup, by the way. 

In a very different vein, because of my basketball magazine, Flagrant Mag, I went to a dinner at A24’s newly acquired White Cherry Theater as a guest of Shopify (we are putting words together that have never been put together before). I was there with five other indie mags and two representatives from Shopify who have been tasked with leveraging their e-commerce brand to find ways to build real-life community. We shared stories about our processes, exchanged vendor recommendations, and Shopify made sure to ask us for feedback on anything and everything. Nothing was off the table. 

I tell this story not to just hype up Shopify, although they deserve it, but because it’s nice to learn that some corporations that do have the dollars and influence are putting resources into helping creatives create. And for Verizon, it’s comforting to know they want fans to have a one-of-a-kind experience. Especially one that takes place in their very own communities.