The hottest Sports Substack posts right now

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The Saturday Selection, Vol. 96

Why is this interesting? ā€¢ 241 implied HN points ā€¢ 14 Mar 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Surprising cultural trends and odd solutions keep cropping up ā€” from Istanbulā€™s booming hair-transplant industry to a celebrity Oreo being used against New Zealand possums, and festivals like SXSW acting as soft-power showcases.
  2. Thereā€™s a growing worry that instrumentalisation and AI are draining intrinsic value from life and art, turning feelings, faith, and creativity into mere means to an end.
  3. Media and sports are shifting toward realism and management: movie dads are portrayed more honestly and with nuance, while the modern NBA is dominated by injury management and strategic rest.

Photographing an ExposƩ Cover Story on Varsity Cheerleading for The New York Times Magazine

In the Flash ā€¢ 1638 implied HN points ā€¢ 27 Oct 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. The article reveals that Varsity cheerleading, a major force in the cheer industry, has serious safety issues and has faced accusations of neglecting athletes' health.
  2. Access to photograph cheer events was very challenging, with many restrictions and a PR rep present at all times to control the situation.
  3. Despite frustrations during the photo shoots, creative solutions were found to achieve the desired shots, and everything eventually came together for the article.

Monthly Roundup #40: March 2026

Don't Worry About the Vase ā€¢ 2553 implied HN points ā€¢ 16 Mar 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Political violence and ā€˜decapitationā€™ strategies must be rejected because normalizing threats or assassinations would be dangerous, and the coming ubiquity of lethal AI drones makes this risk much worse.
  2. Ageā€‘verification and online safety rules as currently proposed are deeply flawed: they invade privacy, are easy for determined users to bypass, leak sensitive data, and encourage kids to use VPNs and dodgy sites.
  3. Technology is reshaping markets and attention ā€” AI is producing huge consumer surplus and weird subscription dynamics, gaming and media now compete with highly optimized attention-hijacking platforms, and manufacturing concentration (e.g., Shenzhen) is accelerating global product iteration.

Decide You Are Not Done

The American Peasant ā€¢ 2914 implied HN points ā€¢ 13 Oct 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. When you want to improve a skill, don't just stop at what's easy. Keep going to push your limits, like continuing to practice a sport even if you don't enjoy it.
  2. Focusing on a specific task for longer can lead to better results. Working longer on the same project can help you learn more and improve your work.
  3. Practicing in a challenging way, instead of just going through the motions, makes a difference. Trying hard things can lead to great improvements, even if it feels frustrating at times.

The Saturday Selection, Vol. 95

Why is this interesting? ā€¢ 361 implied HN points ā€¢ 07 Mar 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. Luckin Coffee is growing fast and is set to buy Blue Bottle, a bold move that ramps up its challenge to big coffee chains.
  2. Tanker Trackers is using satellites and drones to follow global oil shipments, making energy flows much more visible and traceable.
  3. Apple is shifting pricing and marketing ā€” neutral iPhone colors cost less, ads are getting louder, and a new MacBook starts at $499 ā€” pointing to a change in its product strategy.
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TGIF: The Situation Has Snowballed

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1562 implied HN points ā€¢ 27 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Sports
  1. The U.S. men's hockey team's dramatic gold-medal win gave us an iconic, bloody-toothed celebration but became controversial after the president called them on speakerphone and made a joke about the women's team.
  2. Sports moments are being heavily politicized, with media and fans reading politics into who cheers for whom and treating athletes' supporters as political statements.
  3. Many people want to celebrate athletic achievement itself ā€” praising both the men's hockey team and athletes like Eileen Gu ā€” instead of letting national ties or politics erase admiration.

The finer things in life

Austin Kleon ā€¢ 6614 implied HN points ā€¢ 02 Aug 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Being in a state of flow is key to happiness, as it helps us focus fully on what we love doing. This idea connects both athletes and artists, showing how engagement with our passions can bring joy.
  2. The Olympics brings out strong emotions in us, as we witness athletes pushing their limits. However, thereā€™s a contrast between the real-life experiences of these athletes and the commercial push for technology and AI.
  3. Creative work often requires us to not overthink. Many athletes express that letting go of thoughts is what helps them perform better, which can also apply to how we approach creativity in our everyday lives.

Why Is Everyone So Nice to Eileen Gu?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1558 implied HN points ā€¢ 17 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Sheā€™s one of the worldā€™s best freestyle skiers and among the highestā€‘paid athletes, winning multiple Olympic medals and earning huge sponsorship money.
  2. Born and raised in San Francisco to an American father and a Chinese mother, she switched from the U.S. team to compete for China in 2019 and has since represented China at major events.
  3. Despite the potential for controversy over her country switch, she faces little mainstream criticism and is broadly celebrated, with most negative commentary coming from a few rightā€‘wing voices.

Memory-Hole Archive: Sex and (Trans)Gender Wars

American Dreaming ā€¢ 5936 implied HN points ā€¢ 22 Dec 25
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Trans activism grew rapidly and increasingly embraced self-identification, prompting institutions, media, and medical bodies to redefine gender and minimize the role of biological sex.
  2. Those changes produced sharp real-world conflicts over women-only spaces, fairness in female sports, and medical treatments for minors, while critics, detransitioners, and concerned parents were often marginalized or silenced.
  3. The movementā€™s perceived overreach generated a powerful backlash: public support for some trans policies declined, legislatures and courts tightened rules on youth care and sports, and broader support for LGBT causes eroded.

Lots to Be Thankful For

Freddie deBoer ā€¢ 8972 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Nov 25
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. A creative work reaching readers and earning recognition can be a powerful consolation when professional opportunities are limited. That success matters even amid negative reviews and lingering reputation problems.
  2. Small pleasures ā€” apps, podcasts, books, online classes, cozy content, and an easygoing session beer ā€” bring steady joy, mental stimulation, and comfort in everyday life. They help offset stress and keep curiosity alive.
  3. Family and supportive readers or subscribers are central sources of gratitude and meaning, providing perspective and practical support that outlasts career ups and downs.

The Epstein Tapes, Part II. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 445 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. Newly released lawā€‘enforcement footage from the Jeffrey Epstein investigations shows searches, depositions, and sting operations, and the revelations are still producing fallout like resignations and public apologies.
  2. Fear and uncertainty about AI are roiling markets ā€” a viral essay scared investors and sparked big losses ā€” while tests show some popular AI models can make alarming choices in war simulations, raising safety and governance worries.
  3. Political and cultural tensions are mounting: the administration looks low on new policy ideas, public figures and athletes are getting politicized, and controversies over appointments, intelligence secrecy, and tech decisions (like Starlink) are fueling broader friction.

Stop Asking Olympians How They Feel About America

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 983 implied HN points ā€¢ 10 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. When athletes voice mixed feelings about U.S. policies they often face sharp public and political attacks, as happened with a recent skier and the president.
  2. Asking Olympians to weigh in on national politics creates predictable controversy and shifts attention away from the sport itself.
  3. The episode also underscores that we live in a country where people can criticize leaders and be criticized in return, and then carry on with their lives.

A Tale of Two Halftime Shows

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1038 implied HN points ā€¢ 09 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. The Super Bowl halftime is one of the rare national events people watch live together, so whatever happens there carries outsized cultural weight.
  2. Bad Bunnyā€™s halftime leaned into localism and community, recreating a small Puerto Rican town with colorful, multigenerational, human-scale moments.
  3. That joyful, local approach stood in sharp contrast to more sterile or grievance-driven presentations, like the grayscale Turning Point USA-style shows or industrial, cube-lit productions.

Scowls and Smiles at the State of the Union. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 426 implied HN points ā€¢ 25 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. Trump used an unusually long State of the Union to celebrate achievements, goad opponents, criticize a Supreme Court tariff ruling, and warn Iran as he tries to reset his second term.
  2. A powerful norā€™easter dumped heavy snow on New York City and prompted emergency volunteer snow-shoveling efforts, while experts debate whether such extreme storms are driven by climate change or uncertain science.
  3. Several crises are unsettling old narratives: Epstein-related arrests are prompting a reckoning among Britainā€™s elite, cartel violence has shattered the expat dream in Puerto Vallarta, and U.S. military movements have raised fears of confrontation with Iran.

The ā€˜Epstein Falloutā€™ Is Spiraling Out of Control

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 737 implied HN points ā€¢ 16 Feb 26
šŸ’¼ Business Sports
  1. The ā€œEpstein falloutā€ is causing major reputational damage that is forcing leaders like Casey Wasserman to take drastic business steps, including putting his agency up for sale.
  2. Coverage across major outlets has amplified the story with the same framing, increasing pressure on those named in the documents.
  3. The release of Epsteinā€™s emails has prompted public defections and a rush to assign blame, which is blurring the line between people who were truly complicit and those who were merely bystanders.

15 things I consumed this week

Maybe Baby ā€¢ 659 implied HN points ā€¢ 13 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. "Tool Shaped Objects" is highlighted as a particularly thought-provoking response to a viral AI article.
  2. Bear Naked Cacao & Cashew Butter Granola was a memorable food item this week.
  3. The full list and details are available only to paid subscribers behind a paywall.

Arthur Brooks: Can We All Relax About Bad Bunnyā€™s Spanish Halftime Show?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 890 implied HN points ā€¢ 08 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. A Spanish-language halftime show can still be a purely American event that brings people together through shared entertainment.
  2. You donā€™t have to fully understand the words or rules to connect or enjoy an experience; being open to not fully understanding others can enrich life.
  3. Calling the performance a political diversity stunt misses the pointā€”these cultural moments can strengthen unity by crossing language and cultural lines.

The Monday Media Diet with Lee Glandorf

Why is this interesting? ā€¢ 1327 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Jan 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Build a distinct career by combining writing, marketing, and a personal passion for sports and fashion. That mix can create a clear niche that changes how womenā€™s athletics are presented.
  2. Keep a voracious, curated media dietā€”books on your phone, selected Substacks, and favorite podcastsā€”to feed ideas and avoid endless scrolling. Preferring female protagonists and re-reading favorites makes the habit sustainable and comforting.
  3. Value small local rituals and curiosityā€”community swimming holes, train cafe cars, and digging into neighborhood histories provide restorative joy and inspiration. Use practical tools like training apps and manageable accountability to balance parenthood, fitness, and work.

Monthly Roundup #38: January 2026

Don't Worry About the Vase ā€¢ 1747 implied HN points ā€¢ 16 Jan 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. A proposed California wealth tax that taxes billionaires and illiquid startup equity could drive founders and tech companies out of the state and seriously damage the startup ecosystem.
  2. Saying a large share of taxes just pays interest is misleading; the right things to watch are debt-to-GDP and whether interest rates exceed nominal growth ā€” interest costs are manageable now but the primary deficit is too large.
  3. Burnout isnā€™t just working too hard but specific mismatches like being always on, lacking control, or losing a sense of mission, and it needs early, targeted fixes like real rest, autonomy, novelty, or clearer goals.

This Week in Canada: The Good Guys Donā€™t Always Win

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 319 implied HN points ā€¢ 24 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. Many U.S. commentators and social media users treated a hockey win like a major national victory and used over-the-top, warlike rhetoric to celebrate.
  2. The online backlash didnā€™t bother to tell different kinds of Canadians apart and instead flattened the whole country into a single target.
  3. High-profile amplification and cruel jokes, including from official and influential accounts, intensified the mockery and strained neighbourly relations.

The ā€˜Dirty Jewā€™ Ad Is Bad for Jews

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 783 implied HN points ā€¢ 06 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. A Super Bowl ad meant to fight antisemitism can actually feel harmful to Jewish people and weaken efforts to combat hate.
  2. Instead of reducing prejudice, the spot risks pushing people who already dislike Jews to hate them more.
  3. The ad comes across as tone-deaf and misā€‘targeted, leaning on a victimhood narrative that seems aimed at Jewish Boomers and wastes a $15 million Super Bowl buy.

How America Blew It on EVs. The Trouble with Eileen Gu. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 445 implied HN points ā€¢ 17 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. America is falling behind in the electric car transition because Detroit didnā€™t build the kinds of EVs buyers wanted and mishandled the shift from gas-powered models.
  2. The positive coverage of Eileen Gu shows how media can be uncritical when an athlete competes for an authoritarian country, making flattering profiles feel more like soft propaganda than scrutiny.
  3. More young people are turning to risk-free monetized intimacy like OnlyFans instead of messy real relationships, which can reduce exposure to rejection and hinder emotional growth.

When Were Things The Best?

Don't Worry About the Vase ā€¢ 2822 implied HN points ā€¢ 19 Dec 25
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. People often remember the past as better than it was, but many concrete things are way better today ā€” especially information access, medicine, electronics, food, entertainment, and travel.
  2. Important social and civic things have declined: closeā€‘knit communities, intact families, long job tenure, political cohesion, roads/infrastructure, and dating ecosystems are notably worse and hurt wellbeing.
  3. The truth is mixed: celebrate huge material and technological gains, but focus effort on fixing the social problems and managing rising expectations that drive much of our unhappiness.

The Afrikaners Welcomed to Americaā€”and the Ukrainians Forced to Leave. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 431 implied HN points ā€¢ 11 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. Americaā€™s refugee policy is being applied selectively: some groups, like white South African Afrikaners, were welcomed but now struggle with poor housing and scarce support, while many Ukrainians who fled war are stuck in legal limbo or forced to leave after relief programs were paused.
  2. A large DOJ release of Jeffrey Epstein-related videos contains disturbing footage that exposes more of his network, but the files are massive and hard to search or browse.
  3. Drones are moving into everyday life with cheap, practical usesā€”pizza delivery, disaster relief, even catching car thievesā€”signaling a fast-growing drone age with broad social effects.

Monthly Roundup #37: December 2026

Don't Worry About the Vase ā€¢ 2195 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Dec 25
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Ban gain-of-function experiments. Deliberately creating more dangerous viruses, especially in low-security labs, is an unacceptable global risk and should be stopped and criminally deterred.
  2. Fix bad regulations and respect prices as signals. Overly strict zoning, long copyright terms, and regulatory bottlenecks raise costs and destroy value, while prices convey important information and incentives that people need to understand.
  3. Manage information and social norms more carefully. In adversarial or noisy information environments, use strategies like ignoring deceptive signals, removing untrustworthy actors, or aligning incentives, rather than reflexive public condemnation which often backfires.

The Weekend Press: How to Fall in Love

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 343 implied HN points ā€¢ 14 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Love and relationships are presented as worth pursuing, with personal stories about quick marriage and separation alongside matchmaking and science-backed dating advice.
  2. Culture and controversy are prominent, featuring interviews and opinion pieces on topics like gender dysphoria and AI resignations, plus film criticism and Winter Olympics highlights.
  3. Practical weekend guidance is offered, including event and book-launch notices plus lifestyle tips for food, fitness, clothing rentals, and movies to watch.

Tyler Cowen on AIā€™s Great Leap Forward. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 431 implied HN points ā€¢ 09 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Sports
  1. AI just hit an inflection point where systems can write and improve their own code, meaning progress could accelerate far faster than before and many software roles and markets may be disrupted.
  2. Public life is growing more contentious ā€” from immigration debates and protest interruptions to polarizing entertainment moments ā€” showing deep cultural and political divisions.
  3. As technology and politics shift quickly, preserving human habits like open conversation, critical thinking, and defending free expression becomes more important than ever.

What Surfing Has Taught Me

Remarkable People ā€¢ 479 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Aug 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. It's never too late to start something new, like surfing. Trying new things can teach you valuable lessons about perseverance.
  2. The ocean doesn't care about who you are, so always respect it. This is a great reminder to stay aware of the bigger forces in life.
  3. To improve at a skill, like surfing, you need the right equipment. Using the right tools can make a big difference in how well you learn and succeed.

The Winter Olympics Is the Best Reality TV Show

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 324 implied HN points ā€¢ 06 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. The Winter Olympics plays like the best reality TV ā€” itā€™s full of big personalities, unexpected drama, and moments that feel made for television.
  2. Ice dancing is the theater kid of Olympic sports: flashy costumes, pumping music, exposed personalities, and subjective judging that heightens backstage drama.
  3. Opening ceremonies and national displays are a big part of the show and can spark controversy, so people tune in to see how countries present themselves.

Smokey starts practising for the next Olympic Games.

A Bā€™Old Woman ā€¢ 579 implied HN points ā€¢ 08 Aug 24
šŸ˜‚ Humor Sports
  1. Smokey the cat is training to compete in the Olympics as a female participant. He's excited about the chance to win despite knowing he might not be the best.
  2. He recognizes that the rules allow him to compete as a girl, and he plans to use this to his advantage. Smokey is clever and knows how to charm people to get what he wants.
  3. If the rules change and he needs to prove his gender, he's not worried. He can easily switch back to being a boy, but he seems to enjoy the idea of competing as a girl for the fun of it.

The Saturday Selection, Vol. 89

Why is this interesting? ā€¢ 361 implied HN points ā€¢ 24 Jan 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. The roundup highlights surprising, small facts and curiosities that stick with you. Examples include robot hands needing fingernails and blood products making up a measurable share of exports.
  2. It mixes cultural taste and design itemsā€”big-name art auctions, curated restaurant playlists, and advice on why lived-in rooms feel more appealing than showy ones.
  3. The links span human stories from shocking true-crime episodes to generational headaches about inheriting money and lots of unwanted stuff, showing both dramatic and everyday consequences.

The memefication of the Olympics

The Leap ā€¢ 339 implied HN points ā€¢ 22 Aug 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Memes play a big role in how we experience events like the Olympics. Even if people don't watch, they can still feel connected through the memes circulating online.
  2. Social media is a main source of information and entertainment during major events. It allows people to stay updated without watching the events live.
  3. The way people engage with the Olympics has changed with technology. Memes are a fun and easy way to share moments and reactions from the games.

Why sports leagues are going all in on the Creator Economy

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter ā€¢ 124 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Feb 26
šŸ’¼ Business Sports
  1. Sports leagues are using social creators as lowā€‘risk content partners, giving VIP access so creators produce lots of promotional material without threatening broadcast rights or big ad spends.
  2. The creator economy is maturing into real business power: creators are launching companies, attracting investment, and being funneled into TV, retail, and sponsorship deals that turn audiences into revenue streams.
  3. Journalism faces a new credibility risk from AIā€‘generated fake experts and quotes, so newsrooms must adopt fast vetting practices and trusted expert networks to protect accuracy and trust.

No joy in life can survive reductionism

Passing Time ā€¢ 468 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Jan 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. Reductionism strips rich human experiences down to dull components, making even great joys sound pointless. It's a lazy way to criticize and misses the meaning that emerges from the whole.
  2. Yes, activities like skiing can be expensive, risky, and geographically limited, but those isolated facts don't capture why people love them. The whole experience is greater than the sum of its parts.
  3. Teach kids real-world skills and give them adventurous experiences even if they seem niche or inconvenient. Those lived moments create value that reductive descriptions can't explain.

Why I And You Love Alysa Liu

JoeWrote ā€¢ 104 implied HN points ā€¢ 23 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. She put joy and personal choice before strict, winā€‘atā€‘allā€‘costs rules, returning to skating on her own terms and refusing to be micromanaged about music, training, or diet.
  2. Her Olympic performance showed that human creativity, emotion, and authenticity can outshine algorithmic optimization and canā€™t be reduced to data or processes.
  3. People are captivated because she resists the dehumanizing trend of gamification and commodification, proving that passion and individuality still matter and can win on the biggest stage.

You May Not Be Political, But Politics Finds You

House of Strauss ā€¢ 86 implied HN points ā€¢ 25 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture Sports
  1. External forces will politicize your life even if you try to stay private, like globalization upending a farmerā€™s quiet livelihood.
  2. In todayā€™s polarized world, public rituals and appearancesā€”such as teams meeting leadersā€”almost always carry political meaning and canā€™t be treated as neutral.
  3. Silence or nonparticipation is often read as a political stance, and social pressure can force people to choose sides or face ostracism.