Welcome to Screen Shots! This is where I tell you what sporting events you should watch on TV every week! Make sure you subscribe so it comes straight to your inbox! Have your own suggestions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]!

The Show Notes podcast officially launched! Kicked it off with an interview with my guy, Mr. Enlightenment, about his creative process when it comes to poetry. I’m cooking up some stuff with Beyond The Arc with Brandon Silvers, so be on the lookout for that, too!

Now, to the sports!

The record that shouldn’t be. Flo-Jo was pretty much a known commodity at this point. While she did help lead the US women to 4×100m gold at the 1987 World Championships, when it came to individual races, Griffith-Joyner was better at the 200 meters.

We’re going all in on soccer, so buckle up. The only MLS game I’ve ever attended was the Atlanta United, so I’m a fan. Kinda tough because they are currently next to last in the Eastern Conference standings, and I’m not convinced my fandom isn’t to blame (see: Gamecock football). However, I’m still here even as they hit the road to take on Nashville, which sits atop the Eastern Conference. Pick your team now, because the World Cup has inspired me to dive deeper into soccer moving forward!

The LA Galaxy couldn’t be more average if Jeff Fisher coached them. They are currently 5-5-5 with a goal differential of 0. Can they possibly keep this up forever? Does the “LA” stand for “league average”? Let’s tune in and find out!

Please believe we’re still going. Gotham’s Esther Gonzalez’s two goals against Utah moved her into a tie with Sam Kerr for most all-time in club history. Will she get the chance to break the tie? Kerr just re-signed with Gotham after 6 seasons with Chelsea. A couple of teammates battling it out for this record is a good problem to have for a team that is slowly but surely making its way up the league standings. Meanwhile, Seattle is coming off a big-time win against Portland. Can they pull off another upset and spoil Kerr’s return to the NWSL?

After watching the semifinal matches, a 3rd place game feels a bit cruel. Good news for us, though, as we get to watch a couple of incredible squads play one last time! The French team has the most beautiful offensive attack my casual soccer fan eyes have ever seen, sans the Spain game. They take on an English club that fumbled away its first trip to the final in 60 years in a way that was both shocking and expected. I don’t know how they get back up for this one, but I hope they do!

Accidental or not, I just watched Betnijah Laney-Hamilton get ejected for hitting Marina Mabrey with a shoe. Y’all know how I feel about the Fever, so I guess I’m wondering if Betnijah takes requests?

F Jessica Shepard has certainly found a home in Dallas. After missing most of two seasons due to an ACL tear just 6 games into her rookie year, and another season missed as a result of violating the league’s prioritization clause, Shepard appeared to have carved out a nice role as a key piece for the Lynx off the bench. While there were plenty of flashes of her ability, such as the fastest triple-double in league history, we didn’t know what her role would be or how she’d handle it after signing with the Wings this past offseason. Well, now we know. 15 points, nearly 12 boards, and 5 assists per game en route to her first All-Star nod. Tap in to see her continue her campaign for this year’s Most Improved Player award.

Almost certainly the first World Cup Final featuring one star who has bathed the other as an infant. Spain overcame an opening match stumble against Cape Verde (the 3rd-best team in the world?!?) to make its first final since 2010. Its defense is the soccer version of the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons, allowing just a single goal all tournament.

Argentina is seeking to become the first back-to-back champions since Pelé led Brazil to the 1958 and 1962 titles. This feels especially appropriate as it would be the cherry on top of the career for the man many feel has overtaken Pelé as the best to ever play the sport, Lionel Messi. Perhaps that’s why Argentina, much to the chagrin of the rest of the world, has seemed destined to win it all, surviving scare after scare. This has been one hell of a tournament, and it feels like we’re going to get a dramatic finish. Don’t miss it!

The Dodgers dropped 5 of 7 to NL West rivals heading into the All-Star break. What’s great about being a Dodgers fan is that they still lead the division by 11.5 games. This is why I don’t complain too much about the Atlanta United and Gamecocks football. The Yankees recovered from a swoon that saw them lose 15 out of 20 games by winning their last 4 games of the first half. A rematch of the 2024 World Series, this could also be a preview of this year’s. Tap in!

Alright, time to talk about another former Lynx backup who has moved on to another team and the Most Improved Player conversation. Natisha Hiedeman has done a fantastic job as a full-time starter for the first time since she played for the Sun in 2023. Her averages of 16 points and 4.4 assists both lead the Storm, in addition to being career-highs for Hiedeman. The Storm stink so Natisha probably won’t be able to overtake Shepard to actually win MIP, but hopefully being recognized by me makes up for that. Watch her take on her former team, including StudBud Courtney Williams.

One of those weeks where we have to double up on teams, and it just so happens to be my Dodgers. As a man of honor and integrity, I’ll spare you and talk about the Phillies instead. Bryce Harper has found himself in the middle of a lawsuit against FanDuel after one of their VIP hosts sent a gambler a personalized video from Harper. The host purchased the video through the app Cameo and had Harper read a script that mentioned both FanDuel and the gambler. The gambler is alleging that this is one of many ways the company exploited his gambling addiction. He lost over $1.5 million on bets he placed with FanDuel. Harper posted the dreaded CVS receipt length Instagram statement explaining his role.

We fucked up with this legalized gambling stuff, huh? Admittedly, I was in favor of it because I naively forgot that corporations don’t care about consumers, and there would be some common-sense regulations in place. Something like loss limits, not being constantly bombarded with gambling ads throughout any and every sporting event, and a barrier other than “it’s available on your phone at all times!” Silly me! It seems apparent that something has to be done, but when I look at all of the other things I could say that about, I can’t say I’m filled with much hope. I probably should have just written about the Dodgers. My bad!

From the highs of a 27-12 start to a rough month that saw them bottom out at the .500 mark, this has been a rollercoaster of a season for the Cubs so far. They were able to rebound and end the first half 12 games over .500, but did the All-Star break end their momentum? And did Pete Crow-Armstrong give the worst in-game interview during the All-Star game? We’ll have to see about the former, but many (me) are saying yes about the latter.

As always, thank you for reading! Make sure you’re subscribed so you get this in your inbox first thing Thursday mornings! Also, share with your friends! See you next week!