Newsletter #10
Watch the WNBA
Been a while since I’ve posted one of these, as I haven’t had a ton to rant about. Life is good: the weather is beautiful and the sports calendar is at its apex. Last night’s WNBA game - though my Libs blew it - has been the single most exciting sporting event I’ve watched on TV so far this year. A tweet from Betsy went viral this morning when she proclaimed that Game 1 was the best Finals game in the last 5 seasons between the W and NBA. She’s since gone private; one can only assume because of how many men came out of the woodwork proclaiming her take to be ‘wrong,’ which is immediately how you know it’s right.
At this point, if you consider yourself a Basketball fan - if Ball is indeed Life - and you don’t watch the W, it’s because you hate women. There can be no other explanation, as play quality is at an all-time high, the league (including the Finals) is full of stars with interesting backstories and personalities, and games are broadcast at a level that brings the same, if not more, energy and tension as any finals game in any sport.
I’ll be headed to Game 2 Sunday. If you can’t make it in-person, I highly encourage you to tune in. Sure, Caitlin Clark is fun, but so are Courtney Williams, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, etc etc. Just watch, you won’t be disappointed (except in the refs, they are truly terrible).
On the College Football front, my Vanderbilt Commodores beat No. 1 Alabama for what is (and what should stand as) the biggest upset of the season, buying me at least another 15 years of my fandom even if we don’t win another game. Anchor Down. Plus, my other team, Army, has a line of sight into crashing the CFB Playoffs. Also great on the Baseball side as my Yankees and the Mets are locked in the Championship Series in their respective leagues. Hope everyone has a chance to enjoy things before god knows what happens less than a month from now on election day!
Also, let me know if there’s something you want to see me write about in the future.
Art/Sports I’m Into
The Other Art Fair
Held in several cities globally, the Fall NYC edition of the Other Art Fair is set to run next Thursday - Sunday in Brooklyn. TOAF is easily accessible, held in a fun spot, and always lands as a personal favorite. It’s a great opportunity to discover new Art and Artists - hit me up if you’re planning on going!
Artist of the Week
Gabriela Kramer
Gabriela exhibited at both the SPRING/BREAK Art Show and the Affordable Art Fair - it was the first time her work landed on my radar, and it was a standout at both shows.
Her paintings are whimsical, juicy, and layer an undecided-but-structured approach with an inviting color palette, and are a lot of fun on the larger scale. I’m excited to see her work pop up again in the future, especially as she’s now established on the east coast.
Sports Photographer You Need to Follow
Nat Butler
Less about following Nat (which you should still do), and more want to highlight the fact that he just came out with a book featuring 40 years of NBA photography, which you should absolutely buy. As we’ve established, two of the three prerequisites for being a basketball fan are watching the NBA and the W. The third is owning this book haha. Nat is truly one of the nicest people in the world and on the Mount Rushmore of hoops photographers, and his catalog is such a fun deep dive into the history of the game. Here’s him chatting a bit more about the book: