2 days ago
The sport at the ‘epicenter' of stalking, plus a Taylor Swift review
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Good morning! Get excited about Xavier Worthy today.
Our stalking series continues this morning with an affecting story about one sport in particular: tennis, which seems to attract more stalkers than any other sport. And it's no new trend:
Today's story, penned by Charlie Eccleshare, delved into why tennis finds itself here. It's worth your time.
I also could not stop thinking about yesterday's story on Aaron Donald and his stalker, particularly the image of one of the scariest men to ever play football feeling so powerless, as any athlete in a stalking situation feels.
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I asked Nathan Fenno, who wrote the story, about that specific aspect of this entire storyline:
'So much of the burden already falls on victims — they have to document the unwanted (and oftentimes terrifying) behavior, they have to gather evidence, they have to file for a restraining order, they need to show the behavior is causing them to be afraid and, after all that, they need to renew the order once it expires. This all happens while they endure behavior that can wreak havoc on their careers, relationships and mental and physical health. The sad reality is that even if a victim secures a restraining order, that doesn't mean the perpetrator is going to stop. At the same time, stalking is a challenging issue for law enforcement since it's pattern based — usually over an extended period — rather than incident based.'
We'll have more on this entire arc tomorrow. Let's move onto something a little lighter:
At its peak last night, 'New Heights,' the popular podcast featuring Travis and Jason Kelce, reached 1.3 million live viewers. That's not total views — 1.3 million people logged on simultaneously to watch a live football podcast.
Why? I don't know if you've heard, but Travis Kelce is dating Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star on the planet. Swift appeared on the show to announce a new forthcoming album, which is just a wild sentence to even type. It was the confluence of every Swiftie who became a football fan because of this relationship.
We have a full sports-focused review of the episode up already, thanks to the numerous Swifties we have on staff at The Athletic. I'll give Swift credit for her football knowledge, as it was revealed on the show that it was Swift who (excitedly) informed Kelce the Chiefs had drafted Texas wideout Xavier Worthy. Dedication comes in all forms.
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I asked Pulse friend, Athletic sports betting senior editor and pop-culture savant Hannah Vanbiber what she thought was most the most interesting part of the episode:
'Two things will stick with me, and they are two things that Travis and Taylor share: Dedication to family and admiration for each other as elite performers. From unusually candid personal reflections on being with parents through illness to insights into her painstaking creative process or grueling physical conditioning, Taylor pulled aside the curtain with Travis sitting next to her as both glowing fan and proud partner. His 'pop star 🤝 athlete' comparisons were rife — and right. Not everybody can power-skip in heels! Lastly: My favorite quote/advice was Taylor saying (something she observed in Travis): ''Think of your energy as if it's expensive, as if it's like a luxury item. Not everyone can afford it.''
Thank you to Hannah and all the Swifites on staff. Let's keep going:
Jones talks Parsons, cancer
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made multiple headlines yesterday for quite different reasons. First, he said he expects disgruntled star pass rusher Micah Parsons to play Week 1, even as Parsons holds out for a new deal, because the player is still under contract. Hm. Earlier in the day, Jones confirmed that he overcame stage 4 melanoma stemming from a cancer diagnosis in 2010, thanks to an experimental drug. Jones mentioned the ailment in passing in Netflix's upcoming documentary on the franchise. Read more on that here.
Pulisic reignites beef with USMNT legends
In a new documentary series, USMNT striker Christian Pulisic slammed former American stars Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey — who have both been critical of Pulisic over the last year — calling their remarks 'the biggest cop-out of all time.' Teammate Tim Weah, also interviewed on the show, went further, calling the former players 'really evil.' I couldn't believe some of these comments.
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Blazers sold to NHL owner
Billionaire Tom Dundon, owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, agreed to buy the Portland Trail Blazers with a group of investors, he confirmed to The Athletic yesterday. The sale is not final yet, but the valuation is set at $4.2 billion. The proceeds from the sale will go toward posthumous philanthropic efforts set in motion by owner Paul Allen, who died in 2018. Oppositely, the Pohlad family pulled the Minnesota Twins off the market, which is crushing for a desperate fan base.
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📺 LLBWS: Japan vs. Europe-Africa
1 p.m. ET on ESPN
Once again, the tykes are playing baseball all afternoon and evening. Three consecutive games follow this one.
📺 WNBA: Storm at Dream
10 p.m. ET on ION
Atlanta may be the league's best story this year, sitting third in the standings after finishing 15-25 last year. Seattle is clinging onto the final playoff spot right now. Good game.
Get tickets to games like these here.
The Little League World Series is ongoing, yes, but I loved this look back at the 1982 edition, which featured a team from Canada that happened to have multiple future NHL legends. This was fun.
Speaking of the Kelce brothers: Can Brady and Matthew Tkachuk become hockey's answer to football's current first family? They're not ruling it out.
Miami may be the NFL team most on edge this year. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is well aware.
Strange but true: Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards in bad condition are commanding premium prices on the collectibles market. Why?
Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel has dealt with a lot in the last two years: pneumonia, a calf strain, a wrist injury and a trade. He's finally ready to be old Deebo again.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story about ESPN's new deal with the NFL, mentioned in yesterday's UFC discussion.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The Aaron Donald stalker story.
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