Awesome American Sports
A Celebration of the Awesome people, events and stories of sports in the United States from the Past to the Present
Welcome to this biweekly newsletter, written by me, Corye Perez Beene, Ph.D. I am a United States History Professor with a focus on sports history. I am a certified “sports nut.” I find the sports stories from the past to the present that celebrate the Awesomeness of American Sports.
Thank you for your support! I am so appreciative of YOU being here 😃
Follow me on Twitter: @HistoryBeene or LinkedIn: coryebeene
Gold Medal
Simone Biles is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! Did you see this vault? What else does she have planned for the Olympics? I cant wait to find out! The Games begin July 23.
Catherine Raiche became the Vice President of Football Operations for the Philadelphia Eagles. It is the highest ranked team personnel position a woman has ever held with the NFL.
The Denver Broncos hired Kelly Kleine as the executive director of operations which makes her the highest ranking woman in scouting for the NFL.
Silver Medal
Christian Pulisic of Chelsea F.C. is the first male soccer player from the United States to play in the Champions League Final. They beat Manchester City 1-0.
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka earned $55.2 million over the last year! It is more money in a year than any female athlete in history!
Rachel Heck became the first woman from Stanford University to win the NCAA individual golf title. She is a freshman and set a new NCAA record for scoring, averaging a 69.72! However…
It was Ole Miss who won the NCAA team golf title. It was the University’s first national championship in any women’s sport.
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors just signed a new contract. It is a 5 year contract for $201,158,790, making him the first NBA player in history to sign TWO separate $200 million contracts.
Phil Mickelson became the oldest golfer (50 years old) to win the PGA Championship. Maybe 50 IS the new 40? He will also be on a team with SuperBowl Champion Tom Brady in Capitol One’s “The Match” series.
The duo will take on Bryson DeChambeau and Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers. The money earned will go to Feeding America. The trash talking has begun:
DeChambeau quipped:
"Phil outdrive me at The Match? There is no way. That week I'm coming out with the long driver and I'll have the spin rate dialed in and there's no chance he'll ever get close to my ball speed. He won't get close to my drives."
"It's like the Jedis against the Empire. We're put here trying to fight for good and they're working for the Empire."
“Cowboy Joe” West broke a Major League Baseball record by umpiring his 5,376th regular season game. It is the record for the most games called by an umpire. He has been working since 1976!
Want to know more secrets about baseball umpires like why they wear icepacks in their uniforms or where their training programs are? Read THIS
Did you see this terrific catch made by Olivia Taylor of Bear River High School? It has to be the CATCH OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!
Bronze Medal
Isaac Yiadom of the New York Giants made the PURRfect play when he called the Fire Department to his home in Fort Lauderdale. A kitten had become stuck in his Maserati. The car was partially disassembled to rescue the kitten. That is a CATch I am glad he made!
An inspirational story about a high school graduate who was the Football manager and the Swim Captain: Read it HERE
I had never heard SuperFan Nav Bhatia’s story until I read it from Joseph Pompliano in the Huddle Up newsletter. I was so inspired by it!
Nav fled India in 1984 to escape the anti-Sikh riots. He moved to Canada and became a successful car salesman. After many obstacles, he became a millionaire. It gave him the money to buy season tickets to the Toronto Raptors games. He was a loud and vocal supporter. He has not missed a game in 25 years! When the Raptors won the NBA championship in 2018, he was included in the Team’s parade. As a result, he was the FIRST FAN to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Treasure hunters dive around Florida to try their luck at finding one of the estimated 5,000 shipwrecks around the state. One young man found a unique “treasure” that a surfer lost - such a great story! Read it HERE
Olympic History 101
As we prepare to cheer on our Team USA athletes this summer, I will provide some Olympic History in each newsletter that will get us more excited for the Games:
This year, skateboarding will make its Olympic debut. Red Bull sponsored a “Terminal Takeover” where 5 teams skated in the now abandoned Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. Voters could pick their favorite stunts and tricks. You can watch each of the teams perform HERE
Thank you for reading! Are you looking for a speaker for your next event or conference? Email me at historybeene@gmail.com
Check out my blog where I write about the Awesome, positive and cool stories of US History: AwesomeAmericanHistory.com