…Just ask (retired GOAT) Tom Brady, who, at 48, became a runway model for Gucci this weekend. And, oh yeah, the show (which creative director Demna said was a logistical nightmare) was in Times Square. And sure, it’s well-documented he can’t run, but the man can walk.

As we head into the league’s finals between Ottawa and Montreal, the PWHL continues to break records. The team at TOGETHXR put together a fact sheet with all kinds of numbers on it for you to memorize and use when a reply guy says no one watches women’s sports. 

The clip economy has been a major topic of discussion this past week, which has caused further discussions on how brands choose to advertise. For her ‘Link In Bio’ Substack Rachel Karten explains why brands who opt out of prioritizing highlights or social trends, like the Milwaukee Brewers, are brewing up something special. 

If you’re new to tennis, one thing you’ll need to understand is that each of the major tournaments has an identity of its own. And for attendees who may want to dress the part, the Wall Street Journal’s Sam Schube has got a moodboard for you. 

I will not stop screaming it from the rooftops: these NBA playoffs have been amazing. Everyone including, Defector’s Patrick Redford, agrees. As we enter conference finals, I hope rival brands continue to throw (playful) shade.

While the world's attention turns to the FIFA World Cup kicking off in June, a very different type of World Cup has just wrapped up in Mexico City. The Street Child World Cup, organized by the Street Child United charity, brought together young people representing their countries from across the globe who have experienced homelessness or marginalization, using soccer as both a vehicle and a platform to advocate for their rights, their stories, and their futures. 

This was the fifth edition of the tournament, and by all accounts, the most remarkable yet and I was there to see it unfold. On Thursday, Brazil took the boys' title, beating India in a final that sparked wild celebrations. Mexico's girls won the girls' Cup against Kenya in front of an electric home crowd. 

In a sports world that can sometimes feel corporate and impossibly distant for the everyday fan, this felt like a reminder of what the game is actually for.

And if you're thinking this was a charity tournament with charity-tournament soccer to match, let me stop you right there. I was pitchside for the boys' semifinal between Brazil and Pakistan, and it was one of the most competitive games of soccer I have ever witnessed with my own eyes. The crowd was on its feet for the entire match and there were at least five red-card-worthy WWE-style tackles, which made it all the more mesmerizing.

John Wroe, CEO of Street Child United, summed up the spirit of the whole event. The organization has spent years battling visa complications, diplomatic obstacles, and logistical nightmares to get teams like Team Pakistan to the tournament. For Pakistan alone, there were five separate plans to secure visas, with routes through Tehran, Doha, and eventually Istanbul, where the Mexican embassy finally came through.

"We say it's the World Cup of peace and the World Cup of joy, and you can't help but catch the emotions of these people," Wroe told me on finals day. 

Team USA Girls self-admittedly came into the tournament as underdogs. Their team leader, Aaron Kraus — a Brooklyn-based public defense investigator who began coaching as a volunteer four years ago  — oversaw a group of girls drawn from three different cities across the U.S. who had never met before arriving at the airport on Day One. Eight weeks of Zoom calls laid the groundwork for the chemistry that saw them through, battling illness and injuries to reach the semi-finals. 

"They came into it kind of being wowed, like, ‘Oh, it's Brazil, oh, it's all these superpower teams.’ And they've done really well, and they've also gone through some adversities. It's been nine days of ups and downs, and getting a win would mean a ton to them," Kraus told me ahead of the semis. 

I spent much of the few days in Mexico City witnessing the tournament and other events alongside streamer, content creator, fellow Londoner and fellow Arsenal fan SamHam, who, like everyone there, was moved by the emotion and competitiveness on display. He described watching the Pakistan coach deliver a team talk for the ages to fire up his nervous players before the match against Brazil as a moment that said everything about what this tournament represents.

The Street Child World Cup might not have the broadcast deals, the sponsorship activations, or the cultural cachet of that little tournament that follows it this summer. But it represents something the FIFA version of the tournament will do well to remember: that at its core, sports belong to everyone. And fans, stakeholders, sponsors, and broadcasters should never forget the one simple truth: soccer will always belong to the streets. 

I haven’t listened to all the new Drake songs, because if you ask me, three albums at once is too many albums at once. (Also because Jared McCain will do the heavy lifting and has already introduced me to the best songs on each album via his TikTok sounds.)

From what I have listened to, and what I’ve been told, there are lots of sports references to be enjoyed. First of all, there’s a song called WNBA. Although, it kinda reads like someone who doesn’t watch the WNBA wrote it, but art is subjective. I wasn’t aware of the LeBron-Drake beef until now. 

I’m gonna have to call in sick tomorrow to get through all three albums, but if KD and Wemby like them, it will be time well-spent.