Track Is In Its Megan Thee Stallion, Rihanna Moment

Move over Harvard—kids are trading in their Ivy League aspirations for dreams of college football Saturdays, with applications to schools like Alabama, Tennessee and Clemson spiking in recent years. It’s not hard to see the appeal in four years of good weather, epic football, and Morgan Wallen tunnel walkouts.

Women are the new stars of EA Sports’ FC 25, with the game (formerly known as FIFA) now featuring full access to the top women’s leagues in the world. We gotta set up a PS5 at The Sports Bra stat.

There’s a new candidate to fill the NBA scoopster shoes of Woj at ESPN—Turns out MLB insider Jeff Passan might have a killer crossover. If Passan makes the pivot, it will be the biggest baseball-to-basketball move since Michael Jordan.

Kyrie Irving’s new “Twin Flame” shoe with ANTA—China’s answer to Nike—was designed by his father Drederick. Leave it to Kyrie to take the “Dad Shoe” concept to a whole new level.

The Houston Texans take their haircuts seriously. From C.J. Stroud moving his barber from Ohio to Houston, to Jeff Okudah’s weekly commute to Dallas for a fresh cut, these guys will go to great lengths to ensure the clippers are in the hands of someone they trust. Look good, feel good, play good.

Few sports make the adrenaline race quite like Olympic track, but it’s a quadrennial event that has never quite figured out how to take advantage of its remarkable collection of talent. That’s about to change. Maybe.

Athlos NYC kicked off what we hope will fill the gap between the Paris and L.A. Olympics, hosting the richest purse in the history of the sport. Olympic champions, including Gabby Thomas and Faith Kipyegon, were out running for a $60,000 prize and a bespoke Tiffany & Co. crown at the women’s-only event.

@mackenziesullivannn

TOO COOL BRO 👑👑 #athlos #trackandfield #womenssports #runners #hurdles #jasminecamachoquinn #100hurdles #athlete #everyonewatheswomenssports

The event felt like more than a simple track meet, with music, fashion, and celebrity all getting their moment to shine. If you want track to take over as a spectator sport of the future, this is how you start the party.

@weareathlos

Truly, the best fans. These women deserve it all — and we’re so grateful to have fans like you all cheering them on, both on the track and beyond 💫

Megan Thee Stallion capped off the night with a performance for the crowd. Hot Girl Summer…. Meet Fast Girl Fall.

@ariivory

@Megan Thee Stallion I get it sister. Meg is all of us 😌 #megantheestallion #megtheestallion #athlos #women #womeninsports #clap #aura #theestallion

The night set a playbook for what track could look like moving forward, and it looked good doing it. Who else made track-inspired gear look good this week? If your money was on Rihanna, you’d be right, again. You’ve never been wrong.

The NFL’s Dallas Cowboys have held the honorific title of America’s Team since the late 1970s. Dallas first got the nickname with a little help from NFL Films, and it’s stuck ever since. But is their hold on the most famous team nickname in sports safe?

The numbers say yes—The Cowboys play nearly every other game in TV’s primetime window, and became the first $11 billion franchise in sports earlier this year.

@doublemove

THE COWBOYS REALLY ARE… AMERICAS TEAM! #DallasCowboys #CowboysNation #NFL #nflfootball #nflvideos

The vibes say, well… The Chiefs are now the top ratings draw in the league, and between Patrick Mahomes’ greatness, their quest for an historic three-peat, and the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift relationship, they dominate the league’s narrative arc. 

@kc.kane_

And the home of the @Chiefs. If you hear “home of the chief” that loud at a road game! You know the chiefs are the new “america’s team” 🎥:... See more

Even Cowboys legends are asking questions; Michael Irvin said it’s NFC Championship or bust this year for the franchise.

@speakonfs1

The Cowboys “America’s Team” moniker is in danger. ⚠️ It’s NFC Championship or bust according to @Michael Irvin #Cowboys #Dallas #AmericasTeam

Still, the Cowboys carry a cultural cachet that no other team can touch. Jerry Jones is the most recognizable owner in the league by a mile, the Cowboys cheerleaders have their own reality show, and AT&T Stadium is still a one-of-one viewing experience.