There’s A Rumor About Travis Kelce Going Around

…And maybe more vulnerable than any athlete (ever?) on Netflix’s The Clubhouse. He recounted his darkest moments on the docuseries, including a suicide attempt. Highly recommend giving it a watch or reading more about it here. 

The Mavs made Luka cry for at least the second time. He returned to Dallas for the first time since the world’s craziest trade and the Mavs played a tribute video that made him cry. And now we’re crying. And now you’re crying. 

Mark your calendars for the SI Women’s Games this Fall. Women from America will take on women from the rest of the world in hoops, gymnastics, tennis, and other sports in partnership with Scripps and ION. ION know about you, but count us in.

The Atlanta Hawks are hiring their very own creator collective. Twenty-five creators with a combined reach of 14.9 million followers will be given special access to games to create content around the NBA team. No punchline here; this just seems really smart. 

Travis Kelce gave an important PSA on his podcast. One we all know by now, but still seem to forget: Don’t believe everything you read. Someone said he donated $3.3 million dollars to a Kansas City foster home. Not the worst rumor we’ve heard, but still.

Skateboarding (and talking about it) comes second nature to pro-skater Sean Malto. But he’s also an avid fan of other sports, too. Being from Kansas City, it’s no surprise he’s a big Chiefs guy. He’s also a huge golf guy. 

So, because at OffBall we love all sports fans and the unique convergence of cultures across sports, we asked one of our favorite skateboarders to write about his favorite Masters storylines—naturally. Let’s hear it, Sean!

Because Masters week is the best week in golf and the best sporting event I’ve ever been to. I was lucky enough to see Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia get green jackets. Though, this year, I’ll be watching from my home in Los Angeles for four straight days. Sorry in advance, babe. 

Specifically about what the hell Jason Day is going to wear! Malbon Golf’s partnership with JDay has brought disruptive, streetwear-style looks to the PGA Tour. Some people hate it, some people love it, but everyone is talking about it. I personally think it’s much needed in the golf world, and I’d love to see more individuality and breaking out of the normal country club attire. Jason Day and Malbon Golf like to push the boundaries, especially on the biggest stage. Remember, Augusta made JDay take off his loud sweater vest mid-round last year.

The Chef himself, Mr. Min Woo Lee. This dude is sick! Coming off a very impressive win at the Houston Open, a green jacket for Dr. Chipinski would start a party in the golf world. He’s always been an entertainer, but now he’s proven he has what it takes to win golf tournaments.

…Is the even-keeled Scottie Scheffler. He’s the number one player in the world, and he only makes headlines when he wins tournaments—other than the time he got arrested at the PGA Championship, but that was some bullsh*t. Even as a skater, there’s something very cool to me about him. His chill, laid-back demeanor might fool some people, but I can see the killer instinct coming through that smile. And the sheer dominance over the past two years is amazing.

And since this is my take on the Masters, I’m going to talk about the only guy on the PGA Tour that can kickflip: my guy JJ Spaun. I met JJ at a Dodgers game some years back, and I’ve always been a fan of him as a person. And his play this year has been on a massive tread upward. Sure, he smoked an 8-iron 20 yards over the 17th green at The Players, but he was in a playoff to win the so-called fifth major. I don’t know if you can call the 29th player in world rankings a dark horse, but I think he’ll have a solid chance at winning.

It’s the only major he needs to complete his career Grand Slam, and this year is arguably his best chance in years. The very subtle swing tweaks he’s made in the offseason have been paying off huge this year. He’s never been a fan of LIV, so you can’t deny that a victory over a full field would mean that much more to him. Love him or hate him, a Rory win would be a celebration for all golf fans.  

P.S. Respect to Rory for pulling up to Malbon Golf off Fairfax in 2018 to hang with us for a couple hours. That sh*t was awesome!

Special thanks to Sean Malto for getting us hyped for this weekend!

We went to the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano presser last night at Madison Square Garden. The crowd was, how should we say, boisterous. A few people screamed—and we mean screamed—obscenities at Jake Paul during his opening statements, but that didn’t really overshadow the heart of it: that this card is history-making for women fighters. 

In Paul’s opening statements, he mentioned some mistakes he made at 16 years old, how he still pays for those mistakes, and how fighting turned his life around. But mostly he talked about how he wants to uplift women. Jake Paul ally alert?? He’s probably not the feminist you expect, and he’s no stranger to controversy, but despite any personal opinions people have on Paul, he’s making sure women get paid for their craft. 

This particular event is exciting for Netflix, MVP, and fans of women’s fighting because the undercard is all women, too. Ten women were seated on stage while an almost full auditorium watched (and heckled) on inside the historic arena. 

After the pleasantries and celebration, Taylor lauded the first female trilogy, saying she just wants to be involved in as big a fight as possible…this is a legacy building fight for myself and Amanda.” 

And then sh*t went kinda haywire. Taylor is up 2-0, and she talked her sh*t, saying Serrano “needs this fight a lot more than I do,” gulp.  

Serano fought back about the controversy regarding their last fight; everyone was yelling, the crowd joined in, and we held up our “we just hope both fighters have fun” sign, but it was no use. One reporter asked “if you were to win…” and Serrano corrected him with: “when.”

So, Serrano and Taylor are officially beefing, which is actually great. In many ways, it’s refreshing that we allow women to beef. These are competitors who feel strongly about their craft, and work their asses off, after all. It was nice to support women while they clearly did not support each other. That’s sports, baby!  

Don’t make the popcorn just yet. The fight will take place July 11 on Netflix.

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