Well Played

EDITOR’S NOTE

I spent the last week almost completely off the grid near Joshua Tree, with good music, a pool, and more stars than this New York City girl remembers seeing. I made one exception for Ben Shelton’s stunning US Open run that ended in heartbreak. My vacation followed suit with a sleepless red-eye home, but six hours in the air gave me plenty of time to catch up on All The Sports I Missed On Vacation. Like how Breanna Stewart basically adopted Paige Bueckers during Team USA’s Basketball World Cup title run. Or how Caitlin Clark instantly shut down a reporter’s attempt to revive the tired (and false) her-vs.-Angel Reese narrative. Then there were the things I never could’ve predicted: Malala is apparently a “Go Birds” girl. Tom Brady explained a football play with an analogy so absurd his colleagues rightfully raked him over the coals. And new Washington Commanders receiver Stefon Diggs made an early bid for the dumbest penalty of the season. Cardi really did dodge one. Now that I’m caught up (and mildly concerned), let's get to the rest of the headlines.

— Mallory Simon / Writer / New York, NY

Let's Discuss

A Very Revealing Sports Bet

What’s going on: Well, it’s been a banner month for sports marketing and women. After Good Good and Callaway’s ad featuring a male golfer shoving a woman to the ground didn’t exactly move the game forward, the sports prediction market Novig gave it a swing. Its new campaign features investor Sydney Sweeney mostly nude, strategically covered by sports equipment, under the slogan “Just Sports.” What could go wrong? Female athletes quickly let them know. Former UCLA gymnast and NCAA champion Gracie Kramer called the ad “honestly infuriating” then answered with a viral reel of her career highlights captioned, “idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.” Four-time Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus declared the ad “a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft” and said that “monetizing a woman’s body and sexualizing women’s sport” is still too common. Novig’s CEO said the company “never intended to portray female sports” and defended the ad as simply Sweeney’s vision of promoting a sports-prediction market.

Trading at an all-time low: You’d think a prediction market could’ve seen this backlash coming. Then again, Novig seems pretty pleased with the attention, so maybe appealing to the “humping lump” demographic, as comedian Michelle Wolf put it, was the goal all along. At a moment when the WNBA and NWSL are expanding, women’s college sports are drawing massive audiences, and new women’s leagues keep attracting investment, Sweeney and Novig somehow reached back for one of advertising’s oldest and grossest plays. If Novig really wanted to hire a female spokesperson to emphasize the platform’s focus on sports, its execs could have considered the constellation of superstar women athletes playing right now, from A’ja Wilson and Paige Bueckers to Trinity Rodman and Naomi Osaka. The actual “Just Sports” content was right there. No strategic football placement required.

“This body helps me make money [and] have fun.” — US Women’s National Team star Alyssa Thompson says this mental trick helps her most when body insecurity hits.

Pick Six

More sports talkers you don't want to miss.

🫨 Aaron Rodgers aired some very intimate details about his breakup with Shailene Woodley. When asked about his comments, she laughed and walked away. Honestly, great clock management.

👀 See why Taylor Swift had to miss the Emmys, and if there might be a new T&T duo on our hands.

👗 Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic newspaper dress had two big sports moments in one week, one at the US Open and one at an F1 track. We couldn’t help but wonder: Is print back in circulation?

🏈 Arch Manning apologized after he called a fake AI video of a Texas coach slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe “hilarious.” Someone call a family meeting — and bring the media training.

⚽ Megan Rapinoe has a list of one for who should play her in a biopic and she nailed her pick like a penalty kick in her prime.

👟 Hyrox apologized and changed its rules after world champion Joanna Wietrzyk soiled herself midrace, was allowed to keep going, and eventually won. Maybe plan for all kinds of runs next time.

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Psst…the best thing happening in women’s soccer right now isn't on the scoreboard. It’s behind the scenes.*

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On Our Calendar

Friday, September 18

🎾 Davis Cup Second Round begins

Known as the “World Cup of Tennis,” the tournament kicks off its second round of qualifiers (the first was in February), with teams from 14 countries — including one featuring this (probably tired) US superstar.

Saturday, September 19

🤸‍♀️ National Gymnastics Day

Sure, you could practice your back handspring. Or, a safer bet: Try Olympian Jordan Chiles’s (very relatable) wellness habit.

Saturday, September 19

🏒 NHL preseason kicks off

The league is easing into the season with a casual 65 games played over eight days — and somehow that’s the shortened version. Yeesh.

Sunday, September 20

🏀 Setting the Tempo premieres

This four-part series follows the launch of the first Canadian WNBA team: the Toronto Tempo. It drops on ESPN tonight at 8:30 pm ET. Watch a sneak peek.

Timeout...

Did bear season come early to the NFL?

Our Well Played co-hosts and friends of the show tackle listener Qs.

One word for Week 1? Chaos. The Los Angeles Rams arrived in Australia just 28 hours before kickoff and then promptly lost to the San Francisco 49ers by 20. (Jet lag IS real.) Back Stateside, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots had a Super Bowl rematch that went BAD: Seahawks QB Sam Darnold got injured on the opening drive, while Patriots QB Drake Maye threw three picks. As for the winners, the Chicago Bears dropped 59 points on the Carolina Panthers, giving fans reason to believe they may be even better than last year. And Patrick Mahomes returned from a torn ACL and LCL to lead the Kansas City Chiefs past the Denver Broncos on Monday night. The New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and looked like they might actually be building something, with big help from receiver Malik Nabers. (We’re giving the diamonds on his braids partial credit.) Perhaps the biggest shock? Both the New York Jets and Giants started 1-0 for the first time since 2009. (Maybe the Knicks inspired them.) Buckle up, there are 17 more weeks.

Featured Expert

Caroline Hendershot

Caroline Hendershot, reporter for the New York Jets and Well Played co-host.

In Our Rotation

Carpe is offering up to 30% off sitewide for a limited time. This is your sign to finally stock up on good deodorant.

The temperature may be dropping, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need sunscreen. This one leaves zero residue and goes on silky-smooth.

Psst…love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).

No Notes

Tell Us

Breanna Stewart led Team USA to its fifth straight World Cup title and also kept what wild personal streak alive?

A. Undefeated in the NCAA Tournament, Olympics, and World Cup

B. Never missed a shot in an international gold-medal game

C. MVP honors in every World Cup she’s played

What did Tom and Taylor talk about?