…You’ll spend the next five weeks thinking, “Ok, I really need to lock in and think of my Halloween costume.” Then, the big day will come and you will not have planned anything. Be better than me. Here are a couple early Halloween ideas. And another. And another. 

Kudos to pesky friend of the newsletter, Daniel-Yaw Miller, who broke the news that Kylian Mbappé would be leaving Nike to give sportswear brand ‘On’ an (earth-shaking) introduction into the soccer world. Nike left it all out On the pitch, and it wasn’t enough. Read more on On here.

After posing for a photo with girlfriend Kim Kardashian at the Opening Night Celebration of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in LA, Lewis Hamilton fueled rumors that he has “Beyoncé” tattooed across his chest. I believed it, too. But I guess we all need to be looking at more shirtless photos of athletes so we don’t make that mistake again. 

Chad Ochocinco’s mind >>>>. That man is always teaching me to look at the world a little differently. Most recently, he said he used to intentionally let his helmet fly off on the field because showing his face was good business. Marketing genius. 

The Air Jordan 9, first popularized in “Space Jam,” is coming back — just in time for the 30th anniversary of the film. Sorry if that’s a reminder of your age, by the way. GQ’s Tres Dean wrote about how the shoe became a cultural cornerstone for sneakerheads. 

Everyone’s talking about which sports on-camera hosts and personalities they’re sick of, and I don’t fault them for that. When it comes to connecting with audiences, it’s been kind of a rough few months for the big networks. 

But I’d like to refocus the conversation on some voices I love watching and following across all sports. Because we have one life, and we are responsible for our choices. No one is forcing you to watch pregame shows you hate.

DISCLAIMER: Of course the Katie Nolans, Mina Kimeses, Pablo Torres, Trysta Kricks etc. of the world are also at the top of this list, but I’m focusing on some people you might not know about, and that I haven’t written about yet. 

College football lovers, let me direct your attention to Harry Lyles, from “College Football Live.” He’s fun, charismatic, knows ball, and can really put a fit together. 

And to Lucy Rohden and Jessica Smetana. They’re independent creators (and alumni of Meadowlark Media) and I’ve been obsessed with their College Football Happy Hour Podcast lately. 

Host of ESPN’s “Vibe Check” Samantha Riviera has been a mutual of mine for a while, and her career trajectory has been so fun to watch because it’s so deserved. She’s telling interesting stories, showing pride in her Mexican heritage, and she’s generally just a good vibe. 

Renee Montgomery isn’t a newcomer by any means. She’s a retired player, part owner of the Atlanta Dream, and co-host of ESPN’s “Women’s Sports Now,” but she still deserves her flowers. I’m constantly singing her praises to anyone and everyone who will listen. She’s a total star.  

I love watching Max Browne, no matter what he’s talking about. Whether he’s in the booth (blind ranking them) or he’s recounting the moment Lane Kiffin was fired on the tarmac on “The Athletic LIVE.”

Everyone on WNBA on Prime. Sydney Colson, Ty Young, Swin Cash, Allie Clifton. They’re all perfect and you should be watching their studio shows.

Andy Roddick was a blast to watch during the U.S. Open. And just because the majors are over doesn’t mean you can’t get your tennis fix. Listen to his pod, Served with Andy Roddick, here. 

Who am I forgetting? Air me out on social media so I don’t make the same mistake again. 

Remember FreddyLA7, the World Cup’s favorite German on X? After many rumors and conspiracy theories that he was a government plant, a psyop, a bot, an American in search of clout, and everything in between, he’s back in the U.S. 

This time, the most polarizing German sports fan on the internet is on an American college football tour. And the internet believes they found the first-ever images of him. This is kinda like how science discovered a new cat the other day. And for those of us following along, our curiosity is certainly piqued. Hopefully it doesn’t kill us. 

Last week, he was on the field for Iowa-Iowa St, but he managed to remain anonymous. 

This weekend, Freddy posted a few videos from the Auburn-Florida game. I don’t know how he got onto the field, but he was there. Anyway, this video in particular led to internet sleuths discovering what he might look like.

So, I guess we didn’t really answer any of the questions we have about Freddy, but we know what he looks like in grainy low-def.