Your philosophical sports questions, answered. Plus: Is the Spelling Bee sports?

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Good morning! Thanks on your geography assist re: the Dakotas. If you don’t get the reference, don’t fear about it. Coming up right this moment:

Questions: Your philosophical sports subjects

It’s our ultimate Pulse Mailbag (for now), and we saved your greatest questions for final. Coming in sizzling:

What’s the worth of profitable? If groups spend hundreds of thousands of {dollars} and search division, convention and league titles, what’s the level after that or every win? — Jason D, Rocklin, Calif.

💬 Asli Pelit: “Last weekend, Hull City punched its ticket to the Premier League with a 94th-minute winner in what is often called the richest game in sports. The goal didn’t just secure promotion, it effectively unlocked a financial windfall worth roughly $275 million in matchday, commercial and media revenue over the next three seasons. Most victories don’t come with a quarter-billion-dollar prize attached, but winning has a way of making money appear.

“More wins bring more fans. More fans bring more ticket sales. Bigger crowds attract sponsors. Better teams get better broadcast slots. And all of that pushes club valuations higher.

“The owners pocket the financial upside. The supporters collect a different kind of currency: bragging rights, earned the hard way and spent generously on rival fans at every possible opportunity.”

Why do “big” and “small” markets exist? What does that really imply beneath the lens of sports? Do I want to return to my undergrad Econ 101 class? — Jake L., Brooklyn, N.Y.

💬 Andrew Marchand: “The term used to mean more than it does today. Back in the day, for athletes, being in New York or Los Angeles was thought to have value with endorsements and off-field opportunities. It still probably does a little, but the digital age has leveled things out to a degree.

“In terms of on the playing field, in a sport like baseball, it means a lot. The Dodgers and the Yankees have a huge financial advantage because their local TV deals are so much more lucrative. In salary-cap sports, it doesn’t matter as much but in baseball, it causes financial discrepancies which bare out in the teams’ payrolls.”

How do you cope with being an Athletic journalist, hopefully aiming to search out the reality in any story and but constructing relationships with athletes and directors who head up these organizations? — Steve T, Cambridge, Mass.

💬 Gabby Herzig: “I could go on about this for hours, but long story short: it’s a constant balance. Covering golf, out on tour, I try to be a friendly face but also maintain a professional presence. I’ll have a light-hearted exchange on the driving range with someone like Rory McIlroy one day and then I’ll be asking him a serious question about his career arc or LIV Golf the next. You have to walk the line — maintain a rapport, but be able to flip the switch when necessary.

“So many people and organizations need to be held accountable in our sport right now. And well-cultivated relationships, upheld by mutual respect, are the key to nailing those stories and scoops.”

Did Babe truly name his shot? — John M., North Berwick, Maine

💬 Chris Branch: “I loved researching this one, because there are plenty of stories out there confirming the Babe’s call but I was most moved by this letter to The New York Times back in 1989, from a man who witnessed the famous home run. What I didn’t know about the swing was that Ruth seemed “contemptuous” of the Cubs’ pitcher and that Ruth had a grudge towards the Cubs for the way they handled a former teammate. The extra you understand.”

Do you assume the Jets will make the playoffs in the subsequent three years? — Jets #1, N.Y.

💬 Zack Rosenblatt: “Ah yes, the age-old question. The Jets are building with the idea that they are consistently contending in 2027 and beyond. The 2026 roster just isn’t good enough, but they are flush with draft capital and cap space in 2027. In theory, they should — emphasis on should — be able to get their franchise quarterback in the draft and augment him with other elite talent, plus some of the young talent they already have. So 2028 feels like the most likely season to target for another playoff return — assuming this regime can survive that long.”

And to the two individuals who requested this week why baseball’s foul poles are referred to as that once they’re in honest territory: We hear you. Send us more questions here. Back to our standard programming subsequent week!

Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

News to Know

Biggest tennis upset … ever?
Yes, it was clearly the warmth that obtained to Jannik Sinner in his shock loss at the French Open yesterday, however that doesn’t change the indisputable fact that world No. 56 Juan Manuel Cerúndolo was on the profitable aspect of one of the biggest tennis upsets ever. The top-ranked Sinner, primarily based on betting odds, had an implied 99 % probability of profitable the match earlier than his physique basically wilted in the stifling Paris heat. With the large general favourite out, our specialists like Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev to win … or maybe even a young American. More leads to our full Day 5 recap.

Spurs win Game 6
The NBA’s Western Conference finals will go to a extremely anticipated Game 7 tomorrow after San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 118-91 final evening at dwelling. The Spurs by no means trailed, and the Thunder put up simply 13 factors in a fateful third quarter. Victor Wembanyama was nearer to his standard self with 28 factors and 10 rebounds on 10-for-21 taking pictures. Phew.

More information

• Four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux, identified for his fierce playoff performances, died yesterday at 60. Read our full obituary.
• Federal prosecutors charged veteran NBA guard Terry Rozier with accepting a fee value about $100K from a sports gambler to take himself out of a sport early. Full report here.
• MLB house owners made their first provide to the gamers, together with a tough wage cap of $245 million in 2027 and a 50-50 cut up of revenues. See all the details.
• Aces coach Becky Hammon sounded off on the WNBA’s officiating after a tough loss to the Wings. “And give me my fine,” she added.
• A Sacramento group launched a formal bid to land an MLB enlargement crew.
• USMNT’s Mauricio Pochettino met with AC Milan last week about its vacant head-coaching position. His contract expires after the World Cup.
• The Jets signed veteran Younghoe Koo, organising an offseason competitors with three kickers on the active roster.

Feedback Loop: Is the Spelling Bee a sport?

The uncooked numbers present Pulse readership — effectively, 87 % — doesn’t think about the Scripps National Spelling Bee a sport. (Congrats to 14-year-old Shrey Parikh, by the approach.) But the many emailed responses we obtained yesterday present extra nuance. Some highlights from these for  ✅ and ❌ towards the thought:

“As a prior Spelling Bee participant, I can unequivocally say that it is a sport. And I’m speaking as someone who made it to the finals in 1978, when there were just 54 participants in the national event, it was held in a DC hotel basement, and there was no television or national publicity to speak of. It has since expanded internationally, includes hundreds of participants at the national level (and tens of thousands trying to get there), and the training many of these kids endure with their parents rivals that of any kid playing in a travel sports league trying to get noticed by a college or pro outfit. The stress these kids are under rivals that of any athlete on a court or field.

“A day at the national bee today may be 12 or more hours long of testing and spelling, not to mention they now do a press junket. For these kids, it’s definitely a sport.” — Steven C. ✅

“In my world, it’s a sport if you sweat, and those kids sure fit the bill. Sport!” — Chuck M. ✅

“The question of whether an activity is a sport has always been imprecise, but I would argue that the vast majority (and perhaps all) involve one or both of two primary components. The first is a significant physical component — usually strength, stamina, or precision. The second involves some sort of reaction or adaptation to another player or stimulus, e.g. in chess, changing your plan when reacting to an opponent’s move.

“I would argue that a spelling bee involves neither of these — no matter what word is presented, there is no need to change or adapt, it is just using your judgment and knowledge base to answer. I’m not aware of a ‘strategy’ as seen in other recognized sports, either. So as much as I am proudly a very capable speller of the inarguably inconsistent English language, I don’t see it as a sport. ” — Alexander W. ❌

“Having won my share during my 5th and 6th grade years, I recall the stamina needed to remain focused as I was required to remain standing throughout the competition, as long as I was not eliminated. I still remember the final word for the year’s championship when my girlfriend and I were the final two. She spelled the word ‘choc(a)late’ and when the teacher announced ‘wrong,’ I knew I had it. That was 72 years ago. The girl who lost also remembers the word. No, we didn’t marry each other, but we are still great friends.

“To this day, I blame the numerous spelling bee competitions for my bad knees. Years of football aren’t the cause, although playing linebacker and fullback during the leather helmet era might account for my delusions of grandeur.” — Rocky C.  ✅

“A sport will need to have one in every of:

1. SOMETHING PROPELLED: Ball, puck, javelin, shuttlecock, hammer, curling stone, human (lengthy bounce, excessive bounce) … or
2. RACE AGAINST TIME: Running, swimming, race strolling … or
3. LEGIT CHANCE OF SERIOUS INJURY: Figure skating, cheer, boxing, MMA

“Sorry, my beloved Spelling Bee. Not a sport.” — Ted C. ❌

“Not all competitions are sports. The spelling bee is a worthy competition, but it is not a sport. Competitive hot dog eating is not a sport, either, though a lot of people think so.” — Michael B. ❌

Watch Guide

📺 WNBA: Mercury vs. Liberty
7:30 p.m. ET on Ion
New York, nonetheless the odds-on title favourite, is off to a rocky 4-4 begin however simply obtained Sabrina Ionescu again and picked up a win towards Phoenix earlier this week. Stick round for Dream-Fire at 10 p.m. to cap off Ion’s four-game slate.

📺 NHL: Canadiens vs. Hurricanes
8 p.m. ET on TNT
Season’s on the line for Montreal, which has to overcome the mental toll of Carolina’s pressure, on the highway. Woof.

Pulse Picks

Keith Law’s rating of the prime 50 prospects in baseball obtained a midseason refresh. That features a new No. 1, possible the oldest prospect ever to grace one in every of these lists and a whole lot of Dodgers.

Here’s what you need to know about PSA partially pausing buying and selling card grading submissions.

As the faculty baseball regionals get underway tonight, Mitch Light delivered a fun fact about every team along with his predictions.

Two extra entries from this week’s motherhood and soccer sequence: the hidden cost of traveling as an NWSL participant and mother, and how same-sex soccer couples navigate fertility. So good.

Most-clicked in the publication yesterday: The wild missed shot at the French Open.

Most-read on the web site yesterday: Lemieux’s obituary.

📫 That’s all for now! Say whats up at [email protected], and check out our other newsletters.