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Good morning! Can we actually have too much Snoop Dogg?
Yesterday’s Best: Quincy Hall’s gutty comeback
Forgive me if this sounds familiar: Yesterday, an American runner — this time it was Quincy Hall — made an unbelievable surge in the last meters of a race final to beat a British runner by a nose and earn gold.
Add it to the list in a bonkers week. Just like Cole Hocker on Tuesday, Hall finished in dramatic style:
NEVER doubt Quincy Hall. 😱
A EPIC comeback to win 400m GOLD! #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/qQJqfxrH9n
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024
Hall’s burst gave Team USA its first gold in the 400 meters since 2008. And, as Marcus Thompson II wrote afterward, the win brings new fire to a beef between Hall and Noah Lyles, the 100-meter champ who runs again today (details below).
Moving on:
‘Retirement’: Robinson Canó and a complicated sunset
Robinson Canó’s final days as an MLB player were quiet. Depressing, even, as one of the more talented players to ever grace a diamond exited after a second steroid scandal and a sub-.200 average.
Canó, who made nearly $300 million in his career, could’ve ridden into the proverbial sunset. As Rustin Dodd wrote today in a gripping feature, Canó sort of did that — but is still mashing baseballs.
Two facets I found particularly intriguing:
- Maybe it’s recency bias, but without two big PED suspensions, Canó is a surefire Hall of Famer. He was a career .301 hitter with 335 home runs, astronomical for a second baseman. And yet it remains extremely unlikely he ever sees Cooperstown.
- Canó, 41, decided to “retire” to the Mexican Baseball League, where he hit .431 this season for the Diablos Rojos del Mexico, considered the best team in a league most compare to Double-A competition. The Diablos are located in Mexico City, which sits at over 7,000 feet of elevation, higher than Coors Field in Denver.
Smashing baseballs in perfect conditions while playing the game you love sounds like a glorious retirement to me. And it sounds like Canó is a great teammate and sincerely wants to win — and he could do this for years to come.
Go read Rustin’s story today to learn the fascinating history behind the Diablos and how Canó landed on going to Mexico in the first place.
News to Know
Metcalf swings helmet in scuffle
The NFL training camp dial has landed on Chippy, as we’ve seen our second significant fight of the week, this one in Seattle between teammates DK Metcalf and cornerback Tre Brown. Metcalf swung his helmet at Brown but ended up hitting fellow teammate K’Von Wallace. No one was injured in the mess. Sounded like a feisty day all around in Seattle.
Steelers, Niners talking Aiyuk trade
It is the trade that might never go through: The 49ers and Steelers are still mulling an exchange that would send disgruntled wideout Brandon Aiyuk to Pittsburgh, but no deal is finalized. Sources told The Athletic that the Niners aren’t satisfied with Pittsburgh’s offer and want a wide receiver in any return package. In any case, as Tim Kawakami wrote, trading Aiyuk represents a massive failure for the franchise.
More news
- As expected, Team USA women’s basketball routed Nigeria to win its 59th consecutive Olympic contest.
- The NCAA issued a four-year show-cause penalty to Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh for recruiting violations during his time at Michigan.
- Rafael Nadal says he will miss the U.S. Open. Sigh.
- Ethiopian runner Lamecha Girma was stretchered off of the track after a hard fall in yesterday’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Details here.
Pulse Polls: Snoop Dogg’s Olympics
Snoop Dogg is an entertainment icon at this point in his career. You cannot watch a sports screen without seeing Snoop either in the broadcast or on a commercial, and for good reason — he’s a lovable, funny guy.
He has been everywhere at these Olympics for NBC. Steeplechase? Snoop had thoughts. Skateboarding? Snoop was there too. Fencing, judo and beach volleyball? Yes, yes, yes.
So it’s unsurprising to see The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch report yesterday that NBC wants more Olympic Snoop in two years for the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. But I’m more curious: Do you want more Snoop?
Prime time for a Pulse Poll. Two options:
- Yes, duh. He’s Snoop Dogg. We love Snoop Dogg.
- Don’t hate me, but he’s a little oversaturated.
Make your voice heard here.
- Also, a mini bonus feedback loop: Thank you to those who wrote in Pulse Stadium suggestions yesterday. Special shoutout to reader Jason B., who simply suggested we get Pitbull to instead sponsor The Pulse. Scheduling a meeting on this.
Olympics HQ
What to watch
All times Eastern
Hoo buddy. It’s Noah Lyles time, as he goes for the rare double-gold in the 200-meter dash today after winning the 100-meter race Sunday. That and more:
- Men’s track and field: 200-meter final
2:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock
- Men’s basketball: Team USA vs. Serbia
3 p.m. on USA and Peacock
- Women’s track and field: 400-meter hurdles final
3:25 p.m. on NBC and Peacock
See the full dossier here. Other medals decided today: swimming, canoeing, sailing, sport climbing, rhythmic gymnastics, field hockey, water polo, diving, weightlifting, taekwondo, artistic swimming, cycling, soccer, wrestling and boxing. Whew.
Medal count
- 🇺🇸 United States — 94 (27 gold, 35 silver, 32 bronze)
- 🇨🇳 China — 65 (25 gold, 23 silver, 17 bronze)
- 🇫🇷 France — 51 (13 gold, 17 silver, 21 bronze)
P.S. There are two NFL preseason games tonight. See the slate here.
Pulse Picks
Knock knock, the Premier League is almost back. Elias Burke tabbed 10 EPL players who need to move this summer.
A thing I didn’t realize was happening: The switch hitter is disappearing in baseball. Jason Lloyd investigates a fascinating (and bummer) trend.
Don’t miss Rustin Dodd’s obituary of former MLB player, exec and LGBTQ advocate Billy Bean, who died at 60 earlier this week.
How will the new Olympic stars capitalize on their newfound fame over the next four years? Dan Sheldon teaches us a lesson.
Could you pass an NFL conditioning test? Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is making his assistant coaches find out.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story from Cole Hocker’s wild upset in the 1,500-meter Tuesday. Still worth a read.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Liam Tharne’s fascinating story on the deep, brewing feud Hocker’s win fueled between two other runners.
Top podcast in The Athletic network: Do you listen to No Dunks? You should. J.E. Skeets and his wife Nora talked about the important things yesterday, like Quincy Hall’s loose boxers. Listen here.
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(Top photo: Jean Catuffe / Getty Images)