Weekend winners
Almost everything World Cup. The early rounds were fun. The knockouts rounds for the most part have been fantastic. There was everyone’s favorite underdog — Cabo Verde — scaring the Messi out of top-seeded Argentina in what would have been a Buster Douglas or “Do you believe in Miracles?” level upset. The weekend was capped with a terrific and electrifying win for England over Mexico in Mexico City, and the home-site fans were frenzied. Plus, the stars are truly shining. Messi, Mbappé and that Erling Haaland fella from Norway are knocking down goals like an overly competitive group of wannabe Eagle Scouts in a book club reading “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” for the first time. And yes, Erling Haaland looks 100% like a dude in Hans Gruber’s crew as they get out of the van in the bowels of Nakatomi Plaza.)
Fireworks lovers. Be it in your neighborhood, your local municipality, your closest “big” city or on endless TV stations across the weekend, if you did not get your fireworks fill this weekend, that’s a you problem. They were everywhere. In fact, one TV report had estimates that Americans would spend between $2.5 to $3 billion (yes, with a b) on fireworks for this year’s 250th celebration.
Walker Kessler. The former Auburn big man has been a way, Way, WAY better NBA player than I ever expected with Utah. But this summer, he gets dealt from the basketball outpost of Salt Lake City to the grand stage of the Lakers, gets a monster extension and gets engaged to Miss America. Like serious, she was Miss America in 2025.
Naomi Osaka. The 14 seed at Wimbledon toppled top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka. It was really cool, to be honest, for Osaka, who took time away from the sport in 2024 after childbirth and has never been great on grass. (Side question: With the exception of maybe Wooderson, Jeff Spicoli and Federer, who has always been great on grass? Discuss.)
Dansby Swanson. The former Braves shortstop put on a fireworks show of his own over the last week, going 9-for-22 with five homers and 11 RBIs for the Cubs.
Weekend losers
Ben Kohles. Tied for the lead and playing from the fairway on the 72nd hole chasing your first PGA Tour win is the stuff of dreams. Sunday evening it was a nightmare for Kohles, who sprayed his approach left and into the water on his way to a defeat with a double bogey. Chris Gotterup — who now has an eye-popping four wins in the last 12 months — was the beneficiary, and that young dude is golfing his ball.
Mets pitching. Egad, guys. The Braves have scored 28 runs over the last three days in Truist, and that the Mets held on for a 10-9 win despite allowing six runs in the bottom of the ninth Sunday was crazy.
USF coach Brian Hartline. Look, I get the rah-rah, and yes your USF predecessor left Tampa to go to Auburn (my alma mater), but taking shots at Alex Golesh (and yes, spell check demands I change that to Goulash every time) rings especially hollow through the prism of context. Golesh inherited a team that went a combined 4-32 the three seasons before he got there and went 7-6, 7-6 and 9-3. So to tell reporters, “There was some success here the last couple of years, but nowhere near where it should be. The expectation should be to win — the floor here should be a constant chase for the American Conference championship” is either bitter or misinformed.
The caloric consumptions and the competitive drama of the annual hot dog-eating contest. Here’s more and, yes, Joey Chestnut continued his dominance of the event with 66 hot dogs and buns consumed in eight minutes. He averaged 8.6 dogs and buns per minute. Which begs the question of whether you could beat his per minute average in those eight minutes? Could you eat nine hit dogs and buns in eight minutes? Would you want to?
Spending holidays without loved ones. Embrace those close, friends. Trust me on this one.
Red-letter day
So amid the amazing drama of the World Cup, the monster headline stealer was the announcement that American star Folarin Balogun would be eligible to play tonight against Belgium.
Balogun received a very controversial red card — a DQ which carries a one-match suspension for the next one — in the U.S. win over Bosnia. There is no appeals process in the rules, and to his credit Balogun handled the call and the aftermath with world-class sportsmanship.
But now — with growing reports of political pressure from atop the U.S. government — FIFA has rolled Balogun’s one-game suspension for one year, meaning he’s eligible for tonight’s game.
Look, even the most devoted waffle lover in this country is pulling for the U.S., and Balogun’s presence is a huge deal. He leads the Americans in goals in this Cup and is assuredly a difference maker.
But the dominoes on this feel dirty.
And the big-picture, metaphysically, is fascinating.
Is righting a wrong by doing a wrong still right? I’ll hang up and listen.
And whether President Trump got involved or not — I don’t know, and he easily could have or he easily could be trying to credit grab after the fact, and neither would surprise any of us — the perception of political bullying also makes me feel like American soccer needs a shower.
Understandably the Belgium side is livid, as well they should be. Especially with the 11th-hour declaration since all preparations before Sunday evening would have been done with Balogun expected to be in street clothes.
Heck, there are some calling for the U.S. to be banned from hosting any future World Cups because of the appearances of shadiness in the way this played out.
Thoughts?
This and that
> Rules, people. Here’s some high school football goodness from Hargis and his crew. The changes to Georgia’s prep football postseason seeding is a mind-bender.
> Again, rules, friends. Here’s Paschall on UT RB1 DeSean Bishop looking to build on his breakthrough 2025 season with the Vols.
> Not sure if any of us will spend significant time watch the NBA rookie league this summer. If so, well, tough break on those two broken legs and the inability to find the TV remote control. But the league is examining a one-free throw rule, where the single shot would count for all the attempts on normal one-, two- and three-shot shooting situations. Yeah, not a fan to be honest.
> We mentioned last week or last month — and both could well apply — that this time of year is big for college football “lists,” and if you are looking for time to kill today in between refreshing the 5-at-10 to see who said what next in the comments, this one is better than most. It’s the best college football players by jersey number. And man, the race for the best No. 2 — zip it, Spy, or should I say flush it, Spy — was intense considering Deion, Cam, Johnny Football and others were in consideration.
> Thought this was interesting as David Pollack — a truly great college football player at Georgia — discussed the changing world of recruiting after doing it two-plus decades ago as a player and going through it now as a dad to a Clemson-committed recruit.
> All-Star starters and rosters were released over the weekend. Congrats to former Baylor School star Nick Kurtz for making the AL squad. The Braves, Dodgers and Phillies each had five selections.
> Huge wedding news this weekend. Maybe you heard a bit about it. Major congrats and best wishes to Jim and Andi Knowles as the UT defensive coordinator got hitched on this July 4 weekend.
Today’s questions
Weekend winners and losers. Go.
As for Multiple Choice Monday, let’s do this:
What is your take on the FIFA reinstatement of American striker Folarin Balogun being reinstated for tonight’s World Cup match against Belgium?
> Right call, the red card was 100% bogus from the start;
> Wrong call, circumventing the rules at the 11th hour like this is wrong;
> Some of both.
As for today, July 6, let’s review.
In 1885 on this day, Louis Pasteur gave the first successful rabies vaccine to a 9-year-old boy. I think that boy went to middle school with Spy.
On this day in 2002, Serena Williams secured her first Wimbledon singles title by beating her sister Venus.
George W. Bush is 80 today. So is Sylvester Stallone.
Rapper 50 Cent is 51 today. Rushmore of people with the name of currency. Go.