Just The Sides #3
Quick Hits of the Week From the World of Sport(s)
If you’re a person that doesn’t consider themselves a “sports person,” well I (personally) got some bad news for you. Sports headlines dominated pop culture this week and for good reason. And while I didn’t finally man up and try out for my local rugby team (yet…), there were a few occasions where I felt the “athletic spirit.” It’s time for another round of sides!
The World Cup Is Here…Whether You Like It Or Not
The World Cup is promised to be a giant global party every four years. Even if you can’t stand soccer, I bet you can stand communal watch party experiences, frivolous overpriced merchandise, and unhealthy patriotism. I know I do! The thing is, the vibe going into the 2026 edition was that this World Cup was bound to miss the mark. Whether you hated the FIFA genuflecting or the terrible theme songs, there was something that was putting a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. Then the Opening Ceremonies started, and people promptly stopped caring. That’s the thing about international competitions: we complain until we start seeing flags. For those asking, I’m rooting for the United States, but I got my eye on Scotland and the smallest country in the tourney in Cabo Verde. This World Cup is like going to your friend’s birthday brunch. You dread going, and despite some minor inconveniences when you’re there, it ends up being a good time.
Everybody Loves Those Knicks
Even if you don’t watch the NBA, the New York Knicks have been all over your screen. Why? Well, let me count the ways. Firstly, a lot of the normal NBA Finals players aren’t in the mix this year (No LeBron, No Steph, No KD), so it’s already a fresh match-up with New York taking on the Spurs. Speaking of the Spurs, the last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals (1999), they lost to the Spurs so there’s a whole revenge arc there. Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who was newly minted the Knicks captain this season, is (as of this writing) one win away from bringing a basketball championship back to New York since 1973. Add in the President of the United States making an inexplicable appearance and the professional wrestler Danhausen cursing other teams and you’ve got yourself a party!
And while I’m torn on the Knicks run this season (TLDR: I was a Knicks fan as a kid, the 1999 loss turned me away from basketball entirely, got back into the NBA over a decade later when the Nets moved to Brooklyn, and now it doesn’t feel right to claim Knicks fandom anymore), what they’ve done is made the NBA fresh and exciting. They are a physical team, featuring guys signed to lengthy deals, that are playing out of their minds. Their Game 4 effort, in which they overcame an over 20+ point deficit to win the whole shebang is the stuff of legends.
Sports Resort is BACK! (In Switch Form!)
When the original Nintendo Wii released a game called “Sports Resort,” I thought it was shovelware. You mean to tell me a game system where I can play Mario Kart has a random game where I pretend to play sports with motion controls? LAME. But I’ll never forget how the block would just pile into someone’s room to play that thing. One time my former sister-in-law called me up and literally say “You wanna play some Ghetto Olympics?” and I knew EXACTLY what she meant. The good folks at Nintendo have dropped the news that the sequel is coming this fall on the Nintendo Switch 2 console. They even dropped a trailer:
Wait, I know they couldn’t call it jetskiing but “Power Cruising?” That’s a new one.
Wait. Now that I think of it, maybe I can use this for my rugby training regimen. What do you say?