#464 20.12.2021

TOGETHER WITH

WE MADE IT!

What’s on tap this weekend? Oh just the NFL Conference Championships, the Australian Open finals and one last chance to share the GIST and enter our January referral contest.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Look, I’ve got to tell you — part of me would like to see the day when I’m not making history. It’s nice to know that I’m the first, but hopefully I can open doors so there aren’t any more firsts. The goal is to do away with firsts.

— Shelly Cayette-Weston — newly promoted Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers — on becoming the first Black woman in league history to hold a CCO title. Girls just wanna have representation.

Source:NBA Giphy

🏈 NFL playoffs: This one is for the champions

Source:Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The GIST: Four teams, two Super Bowl spots, one epic Sunday doubleheader to decide it all. Get excited, it’s Conference Championship weekend.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs — 3 p.m. ET: A matchup of two elite offenses, this battle for the AFC title features two of the league’s top young quarterbacks (QBs) in Cincinnati fashionista Joe Burrow and Kansas City’s Patrick “ice in his veins” Mahomes.

• The Bengals are on an improbable playoff run, making their first AFC Championship appearance since 1989, while KC will compete for their third straight conference ’ship.

• And while Kansas City enters as the early favorites, the Bengals did win their regular season matchup, thanks to rookie kicker Evan McPherson, who hasn’t missed a field goal attempt this postseason. They don’t call him Money Mac for nothing.

San Francisco 49ers vs. LA Rams — 6:30 p.m. ET: California gurls teams, they’re undeniable. In last week’s Divisional Round, the Rams survived a classic Tom Brady comeback attempt to advance to the NFC Championship, while the Niners capitalized on a number of mistakes by the Green Bay Packers

• LA will have home-field advantage on Sunday (and if they win, also in February 13th’s Super Bowl), but San Francisco holds all the momentum — they haven’t lost to the Rams since 2018, including two wins this season.

• Will the third time be the charm for LA or can the Niners keep their playoff magic alive? Can’t wait to find out.

🎾 Australian Open: Game, set, match

Source: WTA/Twitter

The GIST: A wild vaccine saga, nearly three weeks of play and some, erm, colorful gestures later, it’s almost time to crown the first Grand Slam winners of the year. Time flies when you have no idea what time it is.

Women's Tomorrow’s 3:30 a.m. ET final will feature world No. 1 Ash Barty vs. No. 27 Danielle Collins, after both clinched their semifinals with easy, straight-set victories.

• Barty’s already made history: she’s the first Australian to reach the women’s singles final since 1980, and if she wins tonight, she’ll be the first Australian woman to win the Aussie Open since 1978. Sweet as!

• Moving along to Collins, this will be the American’s first-ever Grand Slam finals appearance. Her previous best was a 2019 run to the Australian Open semis.

• It’ll be hard to defeat the top-ranked Barty, who hasn’t dropped a set this tourney, but don’t count out Collins. You gotta believe it, right?

Men's The men’s final was set early this morning, with No. 6 Rafael Nadal defeating No. 7 Matteo Berrettini to keep his hunt for a record 21st Grand Slam title alive, while No. 2 Daniil Medvedev upended No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas to advance to his second straight Aussie Open final.

• Back to that record, with one more win, Nadal will break a tie with Roger Federer and Novax Djokovic for most men’s singles Grand Slam victories. History in the making.

⚽️🎓🏀🤸‍♀️ Quick hits

Source: GAMECOCK WBB/TWITTER

⚽️ USMNT: The quest to qualify for November's Qatar World Cup continued last night, as the USMNT notched a 1–0 win over El Salvador, thanks to Antonee Robinson’s backflip worthy 52nd minute goal. Next up, a trip north of the border to face Canada on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. ET. Time to bring our eh game.

🎓🏀 NCAAW: Death, taxes and No. 1 South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston recording a double-double. The Player of the Year candidate continued her banner year during last night’s 69–40 SEC victory over No. 24 Ole Miss.

• Elsewhere, UNC upset No. 21 Duke 78–62 last night, marking UNC’s first win on Duke’s home court since 2014. Yet another chapter added to this storied intrastate rivalry.

🎓🤸‍♀️ UCLA: You may recognize the UCLA gymnastics team from their many incredible viral routines, but today, we sadly have to discuss disturbing allegations of racism within the program. After a gymnast (who has since transferred) reportedly used a racial slur, athletes publicly asked the administration for support, to no avail.

• Now, one current UCLA gymnast is calling for a coaching change. It’s important to note the history of racism in college gymnastics — these athletes deserve better.

THE GIST'S PICKS

🎧 WHAT TO LISTEN TO:

Our latest episode of The GIST of It podcast with hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz. Tune in for the latest on Olympic media coverage as well as the context around Jacob Panetta’s ECHL racial gesture suspension. Baby, let the Games begin.

📚 WHAT TO READ:

This article, in commemoration of yesterday’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, on incredible athletes who either survived or were lost during the Holocaust, including a special feature on racewalker Shaul Ladany. Let us never forget.

🎉 WHAT WE’RE CELEBRATING:

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano becoming the first female boxing match to headline Madison Square Garden. Ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, the pair will make history on April 30th.

🏖️ WHAT TO ENTER:

This contest to a win a three-night stay for two at the Buccaneer Beach and Golf resort in St. Croix. Daily breakfast, an 18-hole course and much more, all in a beautiful tropical setting sounds nice, doesn’t it? Let’s go to the beach-each. Let’s go get away.

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