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I can’t believe the World Cup is almost over.

On Sunday, Spain will play Argentina (in front of Donald Trump, apparently) at MetLife and you really couldn’t write this ending if you tried.

I’m manifesting a last-minute ticket to the match (and to the Noah Kahan concert this weekend at Citi Field), so if anyone has any leads on either, reach out to me.

I will give you some good sports gossip in return! 🫶🏼

Anyways!

From Spain star Lamine Yamal being bathed by Argentina star Lionel Messi as a baby (yes, that photo is real) to this likely being Messi’s final World Cup, you couldn’t script this matchup.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Messi and his overall brand leading up to and during this World Cup.

Last year, I wrote a piece about how he is the best soccer player in the world, but has the worst Instagram strategy.

For part of my master’s thesis at Oxford, I analyzed every in-feed post Messi shared over a year and found that nearly half were paid partnerships. Many of them were blurry. Sometimes multiple posts in a row!

While I may be a Sports Gossip Expert, I am still a sociologist and former social media manager for public figures at heart and have been keeping tabs on Messi’s Instagram strategy.

What I found was…curious.

In the month leading up to the World Cup, nearly 70% of his in-feed posts were paid partnerships. That’s 16 of 23 in-feed posts and, once again, many were published back to back.

These partnerships included ones that make sense, like Adidas, and others that were….odd, like a paid partnership with his own fragrance line, Messi Fragrances.

Of course, I looked into the fragrance line.

Messi currently has five fragrance lines, ranging from $9.99 for an AXE body spray dupe to $95 for a Dior Sauvage dupe.

The website’s copy looks like it is almost entirely written by AI. My favorite word salad paragraph is this one:

Wearing the Leo Messi Fragrance is more than an experience; it’s an invitation to discover and celebrate the greatness within yourself. It’s a reminder that, like Messi, you have layers of strength, depth, and authenticity that define who you are. Let this scent be your silent yet powerful statement to the world—a testament to the extraordinary qualities that lie beneath your daily exterior.

I ran some of the copy through an AI detector and…well the results speak for themselves:

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At the beginning of last year, I wrote one of my most popular newsletters to date about how all athlete weddings look the same.

While we still don’t know what Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Madison Square Garden looked like on the inside, I am working on something on the subject, so sit tight.

I’m probably due to send a part two soon, because the trend of compressed flowers (as and I coined on ) has extended beyond over-the-top ceremonies and receptions to the actual proposals themselves.

The proposals have all the elements that make up the Athlete Wedding Aesthetic: White or pink flowers shoved close together, some sort of arch behind them, and more hurricanes than necessary to get the romantic point across.

However, I think we may have discovered a new subgenre of the Athlete Proposal Aesthetic that we’ve never seen before: The Weeping Compressed Chandelier.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London proposed to his girlfriend Sofia Rose Gabay under what I’ve just described above.

I said this on today’s episode, but it really does remind me of some set piece that would’ve been featured in the live-action adaption of Beauty and the Beast.

The ChandaFlowerPost could also be something that a host on Magnolia Network tries to teach viewers how to DIY themselves that ends in tears at your local Michaels.

There’s something fantastical, whimsical, and just wacky in a way that still feels like it falls within the Athlete Proposal Aesthetic, but with a new interpretation of the Pinterest rulebook.

The elements are still there. The white and pink flowers! A little bit of compression! A touch of greenery!

I haven’t been able to find the florist who did this installation, but if you know who did it please send me an email.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Other Pointless Sports Gossip

• San Antonio Spurs announcer Jacob Tobey is out of a job after he reportedly had an affair with the sister of a player on the team. (via Front Office Sports)

• The FBI is investigating the Argentine Football Association for possible fraud and money laundering as the team plays in the World Cup. (via Yahoo Sports)

• Speaking of Argentina, I am still not over this reaction to Lionel Messi’s equalizing goal in their comeback against Egypt. (via X)

• Sadly, Coco Gauff won’t be playing in her first Wimbledon final after she lost in three sets to Karolína Muchová, but she is currently starring in an incredible Miu Miu x New Balance collab for the second year in a row. (via Miu Miu)

• Jack Antonoff was spotted wearing a New York Knicks championship t-shirt amid rumors he and his wife, Margaret Qualley, are getting divorced. (via The New York Post)

Just Something I’m Into

If you’ve been a longtime reader, then you’ll know that I’ve dealt with adult acne for years. I’ve tried a lot of treatments and a lot of different aestheticians to find what works.

Managing acne really is a sport and I am a professional at this point.

I’m working on an Adult Acne Black Book for paying subscribers since many of you have asked, but in the meantime I wanted to highlight someone who has truly transformed my skin.

Since moving back to New York, I started seeing Sarah Jacqueline who opened up her own space after working at Sofie Pavitt (another acne expert GOAT).

She is truly so knowledgeable and has made the world of difference with her recommendations and treatments.

Book With SJ

Once again, not sponsored I just think she is great!

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It’s very hot in New York City this week. That’s partially due to global warming and the fact that the tea is piping surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rumored nuptials at Madison Square Garden later this week.

Crews were spotted loading in equipment into the Garden labeled…“Garden Party 1 (scenic)”.

The deliveries were covered in black tarp, presumably so someone doesn’t reverse Google image search a chair and call every party rental company in the northeast corridor to see what they’re for.

I’m guessing Swift is getting married at The Garden, but that she already held a private ceremony elsewhere that we will never know about.

Given that there was a permit request around MSG from July 2nd-4th, one would assume this is a party for Swift and Kelce’s famous friends. And that party is a wedding.

There’s been speculation about who might be planning an event of this scale.

For some reason, Swifties began speculating online that it was event designer Rishi Patel.

Patel had worked on big-budget weddings in the past, like this one below, so he definitely has the experience to take on Swift’s wedding.

And yesterday more fuel was added to the fire when Patel posted an Instagram Story slide (left) and reposted a slide from Samantha Roberts (right), a wedding content creator:

While I would love for chronically online sleuths to have successfully predicted who is planning the nuptials, I hate to break it to you, but the event he’s talking about is a party for the New York Knicks that he designed alongside fellow planner to the stars, Marcy Blum.

I came to this realization via a strange hostage-esque video of Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy as they say in unison, “It’s not a Marcy Blum party until we walk in.”

It’s deadpan. No smiles. And perhaps someone behind the camera said, “If you don’t film this, the trophy will be taken away for good.”

Listen: There’s obviously a chance that Patel is still working on Swift’s wedding and perhaps this was an easter egg, but I don’t think someone who is publicly posting about how planning the Knicks party was a career highlight is the person Swift and Kelce are working with.

Or maybe it is?

Whoever that person may be, they are under a Tree Paine-approved NDA that is probably so ironclad that we will never know whether they think it’s the best event they’ve worked.

And given how the flowers looked at the proposal, I’m hoping that they are, once again, not compressed.

Other Pointless Sports Gossip

• Larsa Pippen’s ex-boyfriend and NBA player Malik Beasley was indicted on federal gambling charges. (via NBC News)

• I’m obsessed with tennis player Naomi Osaka’s outfit for Wimbledon. (via The Athletic)

• Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was just traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. (via Yahoo Sports)

• Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is leaving the team to play elsewhere. My money is still on a Cleveland reunion… (via ESPN)

• Tennis star and Trinity Rodman’s boyfriend, Ben Shelton, was just upset at Wimbledon in the first round. (via ATP)

Just Something I’m Into

Not sponsored, just really something I’m into!

If you went to college in the mid-2010s then you may be familiar with this item: The Nike Tempo shorts. I wore them practically every day at Georgia with an oversized sorority t-shirt and I love them dearly.

And they’re $34!

I love my Relax Lacrosse and HORSE shorts as much as the next person, but there is something so nostalgic about these Tempo shorts.

I wore them to workout this morning with Claire Prince and I forgot just how good they are…

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The first time a video from belly dancer and choreographer Jez Shuvani came across my FYP, it was of a group of five women dancing in a circle to Janet Jackson’s ‘Miss You Much’ in honor of Galentine’s Day.

Shuvani writes in the caption that the dance was “…inspired by a scene in Hustlers” and the video has 2MM views.

@jezshuvaniInspired by a scene in Hustlers. We decided to do a dance circle for every holiday. This one is Galentine’s Day!!❤️ #JezFever #ShuvaniDanceCompany #bellydance #FunTinyDances #MangledHandOnTheMend #HolidayDancing #Hustlers

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I began getting served more and more videos of Shuvani and her friends dancing to different songs.

Usually, it’s the same (or similar) group of women and it’s always in the same place: Shuvani’s basement, which doubles as a studio, as she told me.

I feel like Shuvani’s videos have reached a new level of viral after she posted a dance circle, where they are dancing to When In Rome’s hit, ‘The Promise’. It currently has 1.4MM views in just a few weeks.

@jezshuvaniThursday night dance circle. I used to listen to this song on repeat. It’s a great song. Anyone else overplay this tune?? #J#JezFeverS#ShuvaniDanceCompanyJ#JezShuvaniJ#JezFeverDanceCircle

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I’ve now been served dozens of TikTok videos of users dancing to Shuvani’s choreography and I can’t stop watching. I love them all!

I’m not the first person to say this, but I’ve definitely noticed a resurgence over the past few years in dance-based workouts, content, and apparel.

There’s adult women taking dance classes. It could be beginner ballet (me) in a Yumiko leotard (also me) from teachers like Angela Trimbur or studios like Moves Pure Joy and Ryan Heffington’s now-closed studio, The Sweat Spot, in Silverlake, Los Angeles.

Maybe it’s a workout class that is either explicitly a dance class or has dance elements, like The Class, Forward Space, or Kara Duval’s online workout studio, Range.

Or you are wearing dance-themed fits from brands like NikeSKIMS and their ballet-inspired collection or Reformation’s collaboration with The New York City Ballet.

Perhaps it’s a combination of all of these things and you’ve just watched GAP’s viral ‘Milkshake’ ad with Katseye on repeat that the internet recreated again and again and again.

The people yearn to move their bodies, so it makes sense that Shuvani’s videos have continued to go viral.

I spoke with Shuvani over Instagram DMs about her background as a belly dancer and choreographer.

Shuvani also shared with me how the viral dance circles started out of “…sheer laziness” (yes, really), answers FAQs about where they film the videos, how she chooses the music, and much more.

@jezshuvaniThursday Night Dance Circle!! Join us for some Cake!! #JezFever #ShuvaniDanceCompany #JezShuvani #JezFeverDanceCircle

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An Interview With JezFever

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. You can follow Jez Shuvani on TikTok here and see her dance circle perform in October at the Masque of the Red Death Party at the Akron Civic Theater.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your dance background? How long have you been a dancer and teaching dance?

I first started belly dancing when I took a beginning class at a cultural center. I thought it would be fun. I got hooked right away and now I’ve been belly dancing for over 20 years.

@jezshuvaniWe danced to this song awhile back but I didn’t love it so I thought it would be fun to do it again and change a few things. #JezFever #ShuvaniDanceCompany #JezShuvani #JezChoreography

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I started teaching in 2004. I taught at Kent State University for six years. I taught at a high school for the survey dance class for about 10 years.

I’ve taught workshop classes at Purdue, Ohio State and Cleveland State, as well.

This was all during the heyday when belly dance was very popular.

I love your viral dance circle videos. Can you share how those started?

The viral dance circle started out of laziness!! I had planned to go to Ontario for November and December in 2024, because that’s where I spent all my holidays when I was a child (I’m Canadian).

A week before I was supposed to leave, I shattered a finger on my right hand. I had to have surgery and go to occupational therapy for months.

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I can guarantee you that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani does not know his face is being used in an ad for Touchland, the hand sanitizer brand you see when checking out at Sephora.

I was scrolling on TikTok yesterday when I came across this paid ad from the brand:

I immediately recognized a few things about this photo: 1. It’s the mayor! 2. It’s Jordyn Woods’ lucky bag! 3. It’s from the Knicks championship parade!

When you swipe, you are served two more paid ads from the parade, one of which includes Mamdani again:

Woods has a partnership with Touchland.

I would assume part of her contract allows the brand to run paid ads against her content, but I don’t think the mayor has a partnership with a hand sanitizer brand...

I thought surely this was a mistake, but this morning I was served the same series of ads, so clearly they have not paused the campaign.

As a friendly reminder, the mayor of New York City is not allowed to be in paid ads or endorsements of any kind while in office, so I certainly think his team is not aware that this campaign is running with his face as the first thing you see.

I’ll be curious whether Touchland takes down the ads or keeps them running and hopes no one (besides me) notices…

Other Pointless Sports Gossip

• Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat in the middle of the night. (via ESPN)

• New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is writing a children’s book. (via Instagram)

• Philadelphia Eagles star DeVonta Smith got married earlier this month and the flowers…are very compressed. I spoke with a florist who estimates the flowers alone could very well be in the six figures… (via PEOPLE)

• Former Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová has been suspended from professional tennis until 2030 after refusing to take a doping test. (via The Athletic)

• Have you been following the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers reunion vacation to Scotland and St. Tropez? Well, Kevin Love just posted a ‘Hangover’-themed recap. (via Instagram)

Just Something I’m Into

I posted about this on my Instagram Story last night, but this MELT Method foam roller has changed my life. This is not sponsored (I wish!), but my favorite Pilates instructor turned me on to it and I haven’t looked back (pun intended) since.

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No player had more fun during the New York Knicks’ playoff run than Karl-Anthony Towns.

While Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was “…doing something about it”, carrying the weight of the franchise on his shoulders, and OG Anunoby was not smiling, Towns was beaming from ear to ear throughout the Knicks’ historic run.

Towns seemed more relaxed and certainly more at ease in those high-pressure moments during those absurd Knicks comebacks.

He’s attributed some of that to the presence he feels of his late mother, Jackie, who died of COVID-19 complications in 2020.

You could also see how relaxed he is during the Knicks’ championship parade and ceremony yesterday.

I had the honor of attending both and I do not think Towns stopped smiling at any point during the day.

You’re also able to see a different side of Towns through these mini-documentary/reality TV episodes he’s been dropping on Instagram that I can’t stop watching.

While yes, we are getting a Towns-approved behind-the-scenes look at his life during this wild run, I do feel like we are seeing a different side of an athlete that we don’t typically see in the Sports Documentary Industrial Complex.

It’s very smart to capitalize on the increased attention Towns is getting by releasing these now and giving fans access in real time.

He’s not waiting for a streamer to pick it up and it doesn’t look like they got a sponsor for the series. The moment for this series to drop is this very second!

I do feel like he now has a proof of concept for those possibilities in the future and I know people (myself included) would eat it up.

Give! Us! A! Wedding! Episode!

I feel like we’ll be getting a parade day vlog before we know it…

Other Pointless (Championship Parade/Ceremony) Gossip

• Get that championship bag WAG$: Jordyn Woods partnered with Reese’s and Patron. Shannon Hart posted about Crocs and Maker’s Mark. Ali Brunson also collaborated with Crocs. Very smart moves! (via Instagram)

  

• Mikal Bridges brought his dog and a camcorder to the parade. Kinda wish he had gone live again… (via X)

• Curious how Nike ended up going with that bedazzled championship t-shirt? There’s a good behind-the-scenes look into the design process from GQ. I still want one in a size medium please if anyone has leads DM me. (via GQ)

• Timothée Chalamet hugged AOC. (via X)

• NYPD thought Knicks player Tyler Kolek was a fan trying to get on the parade route. (via Bleacher Report)

• I can’t stop watching this clip. (via X)

• You can own a mini version of the Knicks-themed DNSY trash can. (via OnlyNY)

• Some guy brought a snake to the parade. (via X)

Just Something I’m Into

They say the sunscreen you’ll wear is the one you’ll use all the time. As someone with acne-prone skin, a lot of the viral sunscreens don’t jive with me.

The only one I trust with my life is this one from Sofie Pavitt. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve preached about her holy grail mandelic acid before, as well.

It’s lightweight, doesn’t have a strange smell, and doesn’t break me out!

And! This! Is! Not! Sponsored!

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After flying to San Antonio (what feels like lightyears ago now) to participate in the NBA’s first-ever Podcast Row with and then spending the next week and a half covering that historic New York Knicks’ Finals run, I have lost my voice.

I! Don’t! Care!

The Knicks are officially NBA Champions. I ate celebratory cake from (a lifelong Knicks fan btw) and then ran down the street to watch people set off fireworks to the chant of “Jalen Brunson MVP” on repeat.

In the middle of one of the craziest and most historic runs in sports history, the World Cup is underway.

Of course, this is a newsletter dedicated to stories in sports off-the-pitch, so it’s only fitting that I dedicate an entire newsletter to everything off-the-pitch that I think you need to know about the World Cup.

I won’t be covering who I think will win based on the strength of their stars’ on-the-pitch performance, but if you’re reading this newsletter, then you probably knew that.

What I will cover: All of the major storylines, the hottest coaches, the players you should be paying attention to, fun facts you can discuss with coworkers when you have nothing to talk about, and more.

Enjoy!

⚽️The Major Storylines⚽️

The Last (GOAT) Dance

Soccer legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both making their record sixth (and final) World Cup appearances.

Messi is on his farewell tour and he’s already completed football, so he’s really just out there to have a good time!

TBH that attitude could work in the Argentinian’s favor…Not to get too sports-y but….

It’s also the last World Cup for Brazilian star Neymar. He’s not GOAT-ed in the same way Messi and Ronaldo are, but the trio have been the most famous soccer players for the past 15-20 years and have set a new standard for the level of fame a soccer player can reach in the age of social media.

I must admit: I will miss them!

USMNT Are Nepo Babies (I’ll explain)

It’s hard to predict how good the USMNT will be, because the host nation gets an automatic spot.

In other (Impersonal Foul) words, it’s like when your dad calls up a friend and gets you an internship that you are not qualified for.

However, they did beat Paraguay in their opening match 4-1, so the vibes are maybe, just maybe, looking up for them?

As much as I would love to see the USMNT win it all, the odds are truly so low. I fear we may end up with an early knockout round crash-out…

It also doesn’t help the situation that the team’s head coach, Mauricio Potticino, reportedly interviewed for another head coaching job while coaching the USMT.

As Troy Bolton once said, you gotta get your head in the game!

Speaking Of Nepo Babies…

Did you know that two of the USMT players are actually nepo babies???

Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter are the sons of former USMT stars.

Reyna is the son of Claudio, a former USMT captain who played in three World Cups. Berhalter is the son of Gregg, who not only was the former coach of the men’s team, but also played in two World Cups.

If these names sound familiar, it’s because the Reyna and Berhalter families were involved in some on-the-pitch and off-the-pitch drama during the 2022 World Cup.

Hopefully, they’ve put their messy past aside for the love of the game.

The More the Merrier Expanded Bracket

This year, they expanded the bracket from 32 to 48 teams.

Obviously, expanding the bracket is a good thing, because it means we’re getting more representation from Asian and African teams, but it could make for some very lopsided games, which isn’t very fun.

I don’t like seeing anyone lose in embarrassing fashion, okay?!

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Have you thought about what’s coming after artificial intelligence?

I wasn’t thinking about it, but apparently Milwaukee Bucks star Kyle Kuzma has been thinking a lot about it.

His answer? Well:

I’ve got to be honest: I don’t really think about Kuzma that much in my day-to-day thoughts about basketball players.

Sometimes, I’ll remember that time he wore that oversized pink sweater (which he now says he wore because he was “…young”) or the fact that he’s engaged to model Winnie Harlow.

Other than that, I am not thinking very much about him.

That is until Kuzma got back on X after letting his account be dormant since July of last year.

His first tweet back online was in March.

It was a quote tweet from a co-founder of Kalshi, a platform Kuzma is an investor in, about a roundtable discussion on adopting prediction markets as an investment strategy that Elon Musk replied to.

Someone who knows more than me can explain this.

Kuzma does not disclose that he is an investor in Kalshi btw.

Kuzma also appears to be a fan of Musk.

He promoted the fact that SpaceX will likely IPO on June 12th, promoted an interview from Ron Baron on why you should invest in the company, and even shared an interview with that Shark Tank guy who was in Marty Supreme talking about how most of the day Musk is awake it’s “…all signal.”

Again, do not ask me what this means. I have no idea.

I started digging into why Kuzma has suddenly become an Online Tech Bro to figure out…What! Is! Going! On! Here!

Since March, Kuzma has tweeted 36 times. In 2025, he tweeted a total of 5 times.

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Happy Friday everyone, especially New York Knicks fans.

I don’t want to jinx it, but….things are looking very good.

Josh Hart entered the press conference eating a pizza from L'industrie and Karl-Anthony Towns showed up with an oversized Birkin.

The Knicks are now 9-0 in the playoffs.

I do think it ended up being the right move for Timothée Chalamet to skip the Met Gala for the first game of round 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers…

It also certainly isn’t hurting the Knicks’ very good vibes that Mayor Zohran Mamdani purchased a ticket in the nosebleeds to attend the game right after he announced a $50 World Cup ticket lottery for New Yorkers.

I also hope we continue seeing Ben Stiller filming highlights from the game on his iPhone (like the director he is) and posting them on X.

As we always discuss on , the vibes really could not be better for the Knicks and more mediocre for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I have a good feeling about this, but like any Knicks fan would say, I am not holding my breath.

Other Pointless Sports Gossip: World Cup Edition

• British soccer star Harry Maguire is “shocked” and “gutted” that he did not make England’s squad. (via AP)

• Speaking of the United Kingdom, they released their roster announcement video and it’s a banger(s) and mash. (via YouTube)

• NBA star LeBron James is among the many familiar faces who will be featured in Nike’s upcoming World Cup campaign. The polaroids kind of remind me of the ones COACD used to publish of models back in the day. (via Complex)

• A new report found that hotel bookings are “well below expectations” in every host city—and FIFA is partially to blame. Is anyone surprised? (via BBC)

• Well, this is a relief: USMNT team star Chris Richards likely won’t miss the World Cup despite sustaining an ankle injury a few weeks back. (via The Athletic)

Just Something I’m Into

I’m inspired by ’s great newsletter on shorts (read it here).

Being tall means so many shorts are NSFW, but there are two pairs I absolutely love and endorse as someone who is taller than the average man.

Up first are my Patagonia 5” Baggies that turned me onto. I have them in multiple colors and I wear them almost every day when it’s above 75 degrees.

If you don’t want to look like you are hiking all the time (which I get), I purchased these AGOLDE jean shorts last summer and they are very much Tall Girl Approved.

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White-labeling a skincare line may land you in Forbes (btw Savannah James just sat down with the outlet to give an update on ReFrame), but white-labeling a family foundation is a legacy builder.

If you’re a professional athlete, having a charitable arm of your brand is a good thing. Obviously.

You’re donating money to causes you care about, but you’re also positioning yourself as a role model. Who doesn’t want that?

Here’s the thing: Launching a 501(c)(3) foundation is a process. It’s a lot of paperwork and takes time.

Rather than deal with the admin that comes with having your own 501(c)(3), many athletes and public figures will hire companies to do all of the work for them, which have their own 501(c)(3) status.

These companies act as umbrella organizations and fiscal sponsors to these public figures and causes.

This is not an uncommon practice and there are a lot of businesses that do this.

Companies like Edward Charles run the family foundations of athletes like Alex Morgan and Chris Paul. The Entertainment Industry Foundation works with Kevin Love, runs the Stand Up To Cancer initiative, and even Charlize Theron’s Africa Outreach Project.

I started digging into these plug-and-play companies for our most recent episode of , where we discovered that country singer Morgan Wallen runs his foundation through Edward Charles.

I get why these public figures would want to work with a company like Edward Charles or The Entertainment Industry Foundation.

It makes things so easy!

For athletes, in particular, having a charity is very good for their image and helps them potentially get nominated for prestigious awards in their sport, like the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which “…recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field.”

Listen: There’s nothing wrong with an athlete having a foundation or working with a company like this to do the grunt work of getting it set up.

These companies exist because there is market demand.

The demand (at least in part) is coming from athletes and public figures who want to boost their image, do good in their communities, and make tax-deductible donations in the process.

I highly recommend reading up on some of the ways these athlete charities have fallen short, like this ESPN piece from 2013 or this one from earlier this year on a certain famous NFL star.

Oh, and listen to our episode that touches on the topic. 🫶🏼

Other Pointless Sports Gossip

• Oh oh: There could be scheduling issues at Penn Station if the New York Knicks make it to the NBA Finals during the World Cup. (via The Gothamist)

• Speaking of the World Cup, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reduced the round-trip bus fare from $80 to $20 after public outcry. It should be free IMO. (via USA Today)

• Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was fired. Are we surprised? GO KNICKS. (via ESPN)

• I could write 10,000 words on the absurd press conference from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that you could not write if you tried. (via The Athletic)

• The U.S. is denying reports that they denied visas for five Iraqi soccer players ahead of the World Cup. (via Front Office Sports)

Just Something I’m Into

This is a new series where I share something I’m into, because you asked for it! It could be an acne skincare product that actually works, a new pair of shoes I love, or a sports documentary that is actually saying something. Enjoy!

Have you heard of the sneaker brand, Pane? They’re from China and I’m obsessed with every one of their styles. I love the ones below and these. Have you tried?

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If one of your star players gets into a fight with a teammate and needs to go to the hospital…I don’t think things are going GREAT for your organization.

Real Madrid stars Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were reportedly involved in a dressing room altercation at the club’s training grounds that left Valverde hospitalized.

Obviously, this is bad BAD. To make things even worse, the pair allegedly got into a separate altercation the day before!

So! Much! Mess!

Real Madrid released a statement saying that Valverde suffered a head injury and that the club will announce the results of disciplinary proceedings “…in due course.”

To make things even more chaotic, Valverde released a statement claiming: 1. He hadn’t been hit and 2. He hadn’t hit his teammate:

“Today we had another disagreement. During the argument, I accidentally banged my head against a table, causing a small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital.”

Maybe hold off on saying anything for a beat???

These two incidents only add fuel to the fire for Real Madrid.

Last month, another player for the club, Antonio Rudiger, was allegedly involved in an argument with another teammate.

A few weeks later, star Kylian Mbappé got into an “angry flare-up” with a member of Real Madrid’s staff. Oh, and he was photographed laughing as he was leaving the training facility after a team meeting related to the most recent fight between Valverde and Tchouameni.

What! Is! Going! On!

Real Madrid couldn’t have worse vibes right now, I’m sorry.

They are set to play in El Clásico (the rivalry match between Real Madrid and Barcelona) in two days.

Barcelona doesn’t seem to be too worried about the match.

Why would they be concerned when their opponent is in-fighting and Barcelona is over there posting photos of their own players that look like happy stock images like this:

And this:

It’s highly unlikely that Real Madrid will win El Clásico and now it’s even less likely given this week’s turn of events…

What Paying Subscribers Got This Week

Savannah James, the wife of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, launched a luxury skincare brand in May of last year.

She hired ex-Glossier employees, secured blue chip press, and then…nothing?

I even reached out to the only email address listed on their website to get the one-year results of the study they reportedly conducted with Howard University, only to be directed back to their website with the eight-week results I already found.

I spent hours looking into this and I hope you enjoy it!

Read The Full Story

Other Pointless Sports Gossip

• After the Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs, Austin Reaves held an on-court meeting between the Lakers and the refs and created a new LeBron James meme in the process. (via X)

• Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert made his music video debut in his girlfriend Madison Beer’s new single that just dropped. (via YouTube)

• Shakira unveiled the official anthem for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (via BBC)

• Basketball cures all: Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods were spotted celebrating the New York Knicks win over the Philadelphia 76ers. (via X)

• Kim Kardashian took her boyfriend and F1 star Lewis Hamilton to see the Broadway play she’s producing. (via Page Six)

• Speaking of Jenner, her boyfriend Timothée Chalamet is currently starring in a five-minute short film for Adidas ahead of the World Cup. I’ll leave you with it to watch in full, because it’s so good:

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It’s Only A Matter Of Time Until The Met Gala Has A Sports Theme

If you predicted that Timothée Chalamet would skip the Met Gala to attend the Knicks playoff game against the 76ers, congratulations. Knicks in six!

The Met Gala guest list felt particularly sporty this year and I highly recommend reading ’s take on the event.

Anna Wintour wore a Chanel jacket that looks eerily similar to the New York Liberty’s colors…

Heated Rivalry stars, Connor Storrie (in Saint Laurent) and Hudson Williams (in Balenciaga) were there. Duh.

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo’s fiancée, Georgina Rodríguez, left The Carlyle Hotel in a workout set, carrying a Kelly, and showed up on the red carpet in a gown by Ludovic De Saint Sernin.

Olympians like Eileen Gu wore an Iris Van Herpen dress made of 15,000 bubbles (that actually blew bubbles) and Alysa Liu wore Louis Vuitton (she’s the new face of the brand btw).

NBA star Jimmy Butler apparently is still in that Alo contract. NFL quarterback Joe Burrow wasn’t in Alo, surprisingly, and instead wore Bode while posing with former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson.

WNBA star Paige Bueckers attended her first Met Gala in custom Coach. Meanwhile, other WNBA stars Angel Reese (in Altuzarra) and Met Gala co-chair A'ja Wilson know their way around the Met Gala red carpet.

Tennis GOAT Serena Williams wore Marc Jacobs and her sister, Venus, (another co-chair) wore a Swarovski gown.

I could keep going, but you get the point.

I really think it’s only a matter of time until we get a sports-themed Met Gala and I better be there.

Now onto the main event…

What’s Going On With Savannah James’ Skincare Line?

Since launching ReFrame Beauty in May of 2025, Savannah James (wife of Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James) has posted about her new beauty brand 11 times in-feed on Instagram.

James’ most recent mention of her new venture came in the form of an Into The Gloss profile in December of last year, where she shares her beauty routine and why she launched the brand:

“My origin story will always come back to my daughter. I’ve always loved beauty—buying the things, trying the things, fully immersing myself in the world—but for a long time, I was focused on being a mom and wife. Something shifted after I had my daughter. People say to do something you love so that it doesn’t feel like work, so I started imagining what a beauty line of my own could look and feel like, and what it could add to the world.”

When the brand launched, I was intrigued—both as a sports fan and someone who spends way too much time on Sephora’s website.

When you have adult acne, it only feels natural to become obsessed with skincare. You spend hours searching for the right ingredients that won’t clog your pores and are actually effective at keeping acne at bay.

If you want my list of holy grails btw you can find them here.

Anyways!

The DTC brand positioned itself as “Skin science reimagined.”

I’m not entirely sure what that means, but they did partner with Howard University’s Department of Dermatology to lead their clinical research and are currently conducting a one-year study with the department.

There isn’t publicly available information on when the study started, but I would assume it should be completed by now??? They haven’t updated their website with any final results, only at the eight-week mark.

I reached out to the brand last week to ask whether they have the study results, but I haven’t heard back.

Yes, I did follow up.

When I first read about the brand, they certainly had my attention.

Many celebrity-led skincare brands have somewhat cheesy branding and aren’t doing anything new besides white-labeling products other brands sell.

Right off the bat, it didn’t feel like that’s what James was attempting to do with ReFrame.

James tapped Mouthwash Studio for creative direction and digital design, which have worked with brands like Seed, Literary Sport, and Thom Browne.

She also partnered with beauty industry expert Nick Axelrod-Welk (cofounder of Into The Gloss, Nécessaire, and Homecourt) and the most important beauty expert you’ve never heard of (as noted in her newsletter), Alexis Page.

These! Are! The! Big! Leagues! Of! Beauty!

ReFrame launched with three hero products. The cheapest offering—a facial sculpting cream—is $95.

If you purchase the entire collection, it’ll cost $310 (currently on sale from $345).

The entire rollout of the launch felt premium.

Not only did James partner with actual beauty industry experts who are well-respected and cool, but the products LOOK good.

There were mentions in Vogue, a GRWM in partnership with The Cut (which James has been on the cover of in 2023), that Into The Gloss feature (I can guess who made a call about landing that) and then….kind of nothing?

Since launching last year, there have been very few press mentions about the brand.

As a former social media manager, I couldn’t help but analyze their social media presence.

I feel like you can kind of suss out a company’s vibe from what they’re posting and how online they are.

Since the brand launched, ReFrame has posted 80 times on Instagram to 23,000 followers.

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In the fallout of the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini story, I was thinking a lot about other infamous cheating scandals in recent sports history.

I’m talking about the kind of cheating that Taylor Alison Swift would call ‘Illicit Affairs’ not the kind the Houston Astros did to steal the 2017 World Series from the Los Angeles Dodgers…

I! Said! What! I! Said!

I’ve structured this as a list of rankings, but I don’t want to be on the record “ranking” affairs, because all affairs are bad.

So we can call it a recap or a roundup or whatever!

Some admin before we get into it: For those paying subscribers who I owe an Impersonal Foul hat to (you know who you are!), I will have those shipped out this week or next. Thank you for your patience.

Now let’s get into it.

#6: Tom “Hey, So I Have Something To Tell You” Brady

Tom Brady’s juicy 2000s love triangle wasn’t an affair, but it was just as newsworthy.

Brady and actress Bridget Moynihan broke up in 2006.

Shortly after the breakup, Brady began a relationship with his eventual wife, Gisele Bündchen.

In early 2007, Moynihan announced she was pregnant with Brady’s child.

I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t want to be Bündchen at a brunch, telling her girlfriends this news.

Reportedly, there wasn’t an overlap of the relationships, but I guess a blended family is a different kind of overlap in that your husband’s ex will be *around*.

Bündchen and Moynihan are not pals, but have publicly expressed respect for each other in their co-parenting of Moynihan’s and Brady’s son, Jack.

That’s way more of a happy ending than some of the other messy situations we are diving into today…

#5: Ime “Do Not Have An Affair With A Coworker AND Cheat On Nia Long What Are You Doing Sir” Udoka

The infamous 2022 affair of former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is the only one on this list that involved HR.

Udoka had an inappropriate relationship with a female coworker while he was dating his longtime partner and actress, Nia Long.

I’m sorry, but who cheats on Nia! Long!

The relationship was reportedly consensual, but questions were raised because she was a subordinate of Udoka.

Before the scandal broke, Udoka was considered one of the best young coaches in the NBA. He even took the Celtics to the NBA Finals!

Udoka was suspended by the Celtics for a year and eventually became head coach of the Houston Rockets in 2023.

#4: Tristan “Please Leave Khloe Alone For Real I Am So Serious” Thompson

Where to even begin with this man???

Thompson didn’t have an affair so much as a career of affairs. Aside from being a professional basketball player, cheating was his second job.

He arguably did more cheating than playing basketball.

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I know that I’m not the only person who could feel the silence and tension through their TV as Adrien Brody read Michael B. Jordan’s name out loud during the Oscars.

I also know that I can’t be the only person who had the same feeling watching Braylon Mullins, a 19-year-old from the University of Connecticut, hit the game-winning shot to help his team advance to the Final Four in March Madness.

I yelped! I rewatched that shot 1,785 times!

Did you see the one of their head coach head-butting a ref?! Iconic!

I certainly can’t imagine what it must’ve felt like to be a UConn fan during that moment.

Watching your team advance to the Final Four is one thing, but watching them advance after a dramatic comeback and a game-winning 3 is hard to comprehend.

So it made sense to me when I saw a tweet from a user on X named Patrick Clapp who shared that one of their friends tore his Achilles celebrating that photo finish.

The tweet went viral and, of course, I had to talk to him about the whole ordeal and find out how his friend is doing now.

Enjoy!

An Update On The UConn Fan Who Tore His Achilles Celebrating That Win

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

First off, congrats on the win! How are you feeling 24 hours later?
The past 24 hours have been a complete and total whirlwind.

The game in and of itself was something out of a Hollywood movie. Then, the ensuing celebration, the elation, only to look over and see my friend injured.

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Where do we start today, besides the fact that TMZ may have ruined the plot of The Drama (No, I haven’t seen it, and no, don’t Google it and possibly be accidentally spoiled like I was)?

In fun news before the mess, Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu signed with Nike! I am so happy about this decision and think this was a verrrryyy smart move by Nike.

How can I get my hands on those Jacquemus collab sneakers that have been flooding my feed? I may need to send some emails…

Now onto sports gossip news…there is…a lot happening.

It’s only Wednesday and we already have Chappell Roan beefing with one of the most famous soccer players in the world, a Los Angeles Lakers star hiring Kim Kardashian’s divorce attorney to help with an ongoing custody dispute, a quadruple amputee and professional corn hole player allegedly murdering someone…and more!

Before we get into it, might I suggest you become a paying subscriber for just $5 per month?

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You get access to stories like this:

And this:

You’ll be supporting this one-woman operation I’ve been running off of my six-year-old MacBook for the past five years. I say this every time, but your support really does mean the world.

Anyways!

The first story I want to discuss with everyone is the fact that and I may actually be influencing the Athlete Wedding Industrial Complex for good.

To catch you up to speed, I wrote a newsletter last year outlining how I believed all athlete weddings look the same:

Typically, athletes use flowers that Charlotte and I have now coined on as “compressed”, where the stems are shoved so tightly together that there is very little room for the flowers to breathe.

We’ve said it on the show, but we hoped that maybe one day—just maybe—an athlete would come across one of our clips and take our advice and Let! The! Flowers! Breathe!

Well, it looks like an NFL star and his wife may have been listening after all.

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I love March Madness.

The upsets! The game-winners! The viral crying piccolo girl!

With the tournament underway, there’s already been a few shocking finishes, like VCU’s insane comeback over UNC and High Point University upsetting No. 5 seed Wisconsin.

I think one of the main reasons High Point won was the fact that the university chartered a jet to fly students on, so they could cheer on the team as they advanced for the first time ever to the round of 32.

The! Vibes! Are! So! Important!

For those who aren’t familiar, High Point is a private university in North Carolina where tuition and room & board for the 2026-2027 year will run you $71,429.

Perks for students include free laundry, free airport shuttle (if you wear a High Point t-shirt), an airplane cabin interior to mock what it could be like sitting next to an executive on a plane, and more.

Another perk for students apparently included a seat on the jet to Portland to watch their team beat Wisconsin.

A TikTok went viral from Sofia Nicastro, a freshman at High Point studying interior design, who was on the jet.

@sofianicastro5the BEST school @High Point University 💜 #marchmadness #highpointuniversity #panthers

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I reached out to her via TikTok and she kindly answered some of my burning questions about what it was like riding on the jet—including whether they had to pay for the trip out of pocket.

Enjoy!

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If Tom Brady is sharing a link to buy tickets to the Fanatics Flag Football Classic on his Instagram Story a few days before the event, I can’t imagine that is a GREAT sign for ticket sales.

Why didn’t this premium event with major football stars sell out? Is it because people didn’t know it was happening? Is it because people don’t care about flag football? Is there another reason?

Let’s dig into all of the possibilities.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day to my fellow gingers!

I’m obviously wearing my green babaà no. 17 sweater for the occasion and I’m feeling festive, so I’m making this newsletter free.

If you enjoy reading this, consider becoming a paying subscriber to support the work that I’ve been doing for the past five years as a one-woman show.

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Let’s jump right into it, shall we?

There’s A Track & Field Scandal Brewing

I don’t follow D3 track & field that closely, but I was intrigued to read about this story.

After Rowan University’s Seth Clevenger swept this year’s events at the Indoor Championships, his competitors left the podium in protest while they were posing for photos.

For context, Clevenger previously attended Iowa State before transferring to Rowan University.

According to an investigation from LetsRun.com, a few of Clevenger’s former Iowa State teammates alleged that he admitted to using banned substances in the fall of 2025 (with text message screenshots and packages of the banned substance in the fridge to back up their claims).

Clevenger posted an Instagram Story back in February from his lawyer that addressed the allegations saying:

“Seth Clevenger is not taking and has not taken drugs to enhance his running performance. An inquiry was conducted during his time at Iowa State University, during which Seth underwent testing and was cleared of any wrongdoing.”

Mess!

I Love Good Sports Merch

A few weeks back, Nike invited me to preview their World Cup federation kits (including the U.S. and Canada) and let me just say…they’re very good.

Listen: We’ll see how well the U.S. does at the World Cup, but at least they will look good trying!

My personal favorite is their muted away jersey, but I honestly could see this red-and-white jersey becoming a fan fave.

Other Pointless Sports Gossip

• An NWSL player signed a record-breaking contract

  • NWSL star Catarina Macario joined the San Diego Wave FC on what is believed to be the biggest total contract value in women’s soccer history. (via Sportico)

• Harry Styles is selling running gear

  • How do I get on this PR list??? (via Pleasing)

• A Heated Rivalry star hung out with real-life hockey stars

  • François Arnaud posed with Olympians and PWHL stars, Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka, at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. (via X)

• I’m so excited for this

  • Former President Barack Obama is collabing with NBA star, Anthony Edwards. Paging for this one. (via Instagram)

• A Premier League first at the Oscars

  • Michael B. Jordan is the first Premier League owner to win an Oscar. For context, he owns a minority stake in Bournemouth. (via X)

• Leaving you with this:

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Before we get into it, I found a few more Impersonal Foul hats that I want to give away!

The first five new paying subscribers who email me their receipt will get a hat of my choosing (must be based in the U.S.)! Your support means the world. 🫶🏼

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Now onto the mess…

I guess Tom Brady’s Instagram Stories worked on someone that isn’t Alix Earle.

According to TMZ, Brady was spotted leaving the birthday party of former NFL player, Tony Gonzalez, with Yael Cohen Braun.

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Happy Monday, everyone.

I spent most of my weekend consuming racing content after attending an Apple event to kick off the F1 season.

Did anyone else watch the Australian Grand Prix?

I know the drivers were mad about the cars (more on that later), but as an F1 fan, I was captivated the entire time.

Anyways!

Before we discuss F1, we need to get into what’s going on between a Dallas Cowboys star and his fiancé.

Trouble In Paradise

I don’t think it’s a good sign when your fiancé posts a roundup from her bachelorette with a caption that reads: “I truly believe you can get through anything in life as long as you have really great friends. I love these girls so much.”

Star quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott, has been with his fiancé and the mother of his two children, Sarah Jane Ramos, since 2023.

Prescott proposed to Ramos in October of 2024 on a golf course with a ring reportedly worth $1 million and more compressed flowers than I’d like to see, but I’m not surprised to see that at an athlete engagement…

According to TMZ, Prescott and Ramos went on joint bachelor/bachelorette parties to the Bahamas where the pair reportedly got in a “blowup argument” while on the trip.

TMZ was also told that Prescott and Ramos were “rocky for months” sooooo I’ll let you do with that information what you will.

Ramos’ Instagram grid is still full of photos of her and Prescott, so I’ll believe the split is final FINAL when these photos magically disappear.

Now let’s get into a few other things, including a Buffalo Bills player who purchased a house that DOESN’T look like every other athlete’s house, why a D1 school cut its gymnastics program in the middle of the season, whether a Lakers star broke up with his fiancé, and more!

Zillow Listing Of The Week

I’ve been meaning to talk about this house for a while.

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