At least that’s what I hope my niece thinks of me. 🥹 I mean, I am solely responsible for her now (unfortunate?) Starbucks addiction…she’s 10 and has her own special order. #SoProud

You know what else makes me REALLY proud? The fact that you open this newsletter every Monday morning.

Her Sports Desk is my baby and it means the world to me that you’ve subscribed. I have big plans for this platform and you are here on the ground floor with me, which can mean just one thing…

So, here we go!

– jen

Top headlines in today’s memo:

AND MORE!

PS: Be on the look out for an up-and-coming NFL Football Guide!

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Since 1923, the Green Bay Packers have been fan-owned (yes, you read that right!) – a setup born out of necessity, not nostalgia.

You see, when the team was on the brink of folding, local fans pooled their money and bought shares, refusing to let pro football vanish from their city. That stubborn streak set the tone for a franchise that’s never played by the league’s rules.

Over the decades, while other teams got passed around like Wall Street assets, the Packers doubled down on their community-first approach.

Six stock sales—in 1923, 1935, 1950, 1997, 2011, and 2022—have kept the franchise afloat and the power in the hands of the Cheesehead faithful. Today, more than half a million shareholders have a stake, but no one can own more than a tiny slice.

The result? No single owner to chase profits or threaten relocation; just a large board of directors that answers to the most relentless fan base in sports.

Why isn’t this more widely adopted? Well, that’s because the NFL has since slammed the door on this kind of experiment. The league’s ownership rules now make it impossible for another team to follow Green Bay’s path. Which is no accident – the Packers’ model is a thorn in the side of a league obsessed with control and cash flow.

In a business where loyalty is usually a slogan, Green Bay made it a business model. The Packers aren’t just surviving – they’re thriving as the NFL’s only true people’s team. And that’s a legacy no billionaire can buy.

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Baseball’s postseason is here, and if you’re only tuning in for the drama, you picked the right time. Wild Card games start tomorrow, September 30, and here’s your quick-and-dirty rundown:

(and don’t forget, the Dodgers will be without one of their star pitchers – Clayton Kershaw – as the left-hander is retiring after the close of the regular season)

It’s coming down to the wire in the WNBA Playoff Semi-Finals.

On Sunday, the Indiana Fever tied up the series with the Las Vegas Aces, pushing their series to a fifth and final game. Fever head coach Stephanie White said her team performs their best when their backs are against the wall.

Meanwhile, Game 4 between the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury came down to the final minute, when the Mercury ran ahead, sealing the Lynx fate. The Mercury now advance to the WNBA Finals and will a face the winner of the final matchup between the Fever and Aces.

There are so many traditions in college football that it’s hard to pick just one, but the Penn State White Out Game is easily Top 5.

This game isn’t just a tradition – it’s a full-blown spectacle that’s influenced other colleges and high schools across the country to house their own white out games.

It all started in 2004, when a handful of students decided to wear white against Purdue University. The tradition stuck, and now twenty years later, it’s a tidal wave: 100,000 fans, all in white, turning Beaver Stadium into a blizzard of intimidation.

As an opposing team, you walk into a wall of noise so deafening, even the most seasoned head coaches have a hard time staying level headed. And the Nittany Lions have pulled off some of their biggest upsets under this blinding glare.

But the White Out is more than intimidation – it’s a declaration that says, “This is our house, and you’re not welcome.” For Penn State fans, it’s a badge of honor. For everyone else, it’s a nightmare.

Full Story

A bye week is when your player’s NFL team sits out, so they score zero fantasy points. Don’t get caught off guard. Here’s how to rearrange your roster for the bye weeks ahead:

Week 5 Byes: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Steelers

Get trade advice ahead of Week 5.

RPO stands for Run, Pass, Option. It’s a play where the quarterback decides – on the fly – whether to hand off, keep, or throw, based on the defense’s reaction. This style of play calling keeps defenses guessing and makes quarterbacks look like magicians 🪄 (or, sometimes, like they’re just making it up as they go).