Sky Brown Is A Skate And Surf Star; Next Up, The Silver Screen

…But I do watch the WNBA, and since Jackie Young and Lynx’s Dijonai Carrington soft-launched and set the internet on fire, the pair of Aces is kind of one in the same. Who will be brave enough to fund a W reality show this season? 

Somebody told me The Killers were performing at the Champions League final. Huge day for that friend who can’t resist a “Mr. Brightside” (the millennial “Sweet Caroline,” if you will) singalong.    

Thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, everyone owns a soccer team nowadays. But not many owners are streaming their tiny teams’ matches like Dagenham & Redbridge’s are. KSI is ahead of the curve on this one. 

She’s a GOAT to remember. Celebrating Pat Summitt: Live Reunion Special will air March 29 (on the heels of the Elite Eight) and feature august voices like Dawn Staley, Andraya Carter, and Holly Rowe. Shout out to Omaha Productions for making good stuff — not everyone is doing that.

Golf fits don’t have to be like that (you know what I mean). They can be cool! Our friends at Swang have partnered with Jordan to prove that. 

Sky Brown is hoping to go where very few athletes have gone. The Olympics, for two sports. Yes, you read that right. The 18-year-old (you also read that right) hopes to compete for Great Britain on land and sea (skating and surfing). If that wasn’t enough, the Red Bull athlete is also promoting a surfing documentary that features her and the rest of the “Super Six.” And despite all of that, she fit a quick video call with me into her brimming schedule for a quick Take Five chat! Let’s get to it. 

OffBall: What's your biggest takeaway from being a subject in “Now Days”? 

“Just being able to be a part of the group of girls…I got to spend time with my idols, become really close with them, and go on the surf trip.

I feel like we really got to show ourselves and our stories, and in a cool way. And I think it's gonna make a big move, especially for girls in sport, and I think we're gonna inspire a lot of people.” 

OB: What’s something you want to accomplish outside of skating or surfing? 

“I've always wanted to be on a [TV] show, as cheesy as that sounds.” 

OB: What's your favorite place to skate in and why?

“Favorite place to skate in is Brazil. Not just to compete in. To skate in for everything. I love Brazil so much. They have such a good skateboarding community there. When I'm competing there, the crowd is so amazing and so loud and very passionate. I love it there.”

OB: What artist is on repeat right now for you? 

“When I'm trying to get hyped up, before a surf or skate sesh, I’ll listen to Future. I love Future.” 

@billmaniatv

Future first time skateboarding #future #skateboarding #xyzbca #foryou #4u #billmaniatv

OB: Which athletes or sports figures do you feel the most inspired by? 

“Right now, probably Eileen Gu. She's so quiet, just watch her medal at the Olympics, and all this stuff comes out of her. She's so, so cool, she’s definitely my favorite right now.” 

Thanks so much to Sky for chatting with us!

What’s up everyone, it’s Dan, editor of this newsletter, subbing in for the second half here. 

I sprinted up to Boston yesterday afternoon to watch my first international soccer game since moving to the U.S. from the U.K. last year. I was excited not only because I was about to see two of my favorite international teams (Brazil and France) go head-to-head (courtesy of our friends at Jordan Brand), but also because I knew the game would be a sneak peek into what the World Cup will be like on American soil this summer. 

I also should admit that as a Brit, I was skeptical. Firstly, about what it would be like watching a soccer game in a non-soccer-specific stadium, and secondly, about how the atmosphere would be in general. 

Let me tell you: it did not disappoint. I made it to my seat seconds before kickoff to see local hero Jayson Tatum take charge of the coin flip. Both teams were repping their new away jerseys for the first time ahead of the World Cup, with Brazil decked out in its inaugural blue Jordan jerseys. 

The atmosphere inside the Gillette Stadium was electric. The sea of yellow jerseys made it feel like a home game for Brazil, and the noise levels went through the roof during the national anthem. And when Brazil finally got its first goal of the game with 12 minutes left, the whole place went crazy. People were so happy, it even ended a fight that had broken out minutes before between Brazil fans sitting near my section. The game was meant to be a Friendly, but there was nothing friendly about it. 

Seeing the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise go head-to-head against Vini Jr and Co. had me very, very excited for what’s to come this summer. 

Now, all that’s left to be fixed (not that anyone asked me) is the four-hour traffic queues to get in and out of arenas in this country. But, luckily, we at OffBall are in the business of sports culture, not the business of stadium logistics, so we just get to enjoy the action. See you guys in June!

Invite your friends over for a game of Settlers of Catan. Or invite me. I’m really bad, you will win! 

Pregame (where I’m from we call it prefunk but I acknowledge that’s insane) the Japanese Grand Prix with that good good on our site.  

Go to therapy. Jalen Hurts did. 

Start planning a trip to Seattle or Vegas. Surely gas prices will have gone down by the time they get teams, right? Right???