Month: May 2023

As the great Abraham Lincoln once said: “Four score and seven years ago, there were dingers.” Or something like that.

Though Lincoln’s death predated the founding of the National League by over a decade, he—and all presidents throughout America’s history—would surely have appreciated the spectacle of a home run. And on Monday night, the team that calls the nation’s capital home found a way to honor the country’s history with its new home run celebration.

Facing the Cubs at home on Monday night, the Nationals got on the scoreboard in the second inning thanks to a solo home run by Lane Thomas. When the outfielder returned to the dugout, he was greeted with an appropriate nod to presidents of the past in the form of an old-timey powdered wig and a tiny American flag.

*Star-Spangled Banner intensifies* pic.twitter.com/BvDJGEcfbI

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 1, 2023

Dugout home run celebrations are all the rage these days, as teams league-wide have gotten creative in their pursuit of honoring the long ball. There’s the “Dong Bong” in Baltimore, the recently-discontinued “big hat” in Atlanta and an actual trident in Seattle. With its city-specific tie-in and authenticity, Washington’s powdered wig instantly enters the discussion as among the league’s best.

Now, is it possible we’ll ever see the powdered wigs featured during the famed mid-game president’s race at Nationals Park? Time will tell.

On a night dedicated to extravagant fashion, Serena Williams stole the show at the 2023 Met Gala for a reason completely separate from her stunning wardrobe.

The tennis icon and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, appeared together on the red carpet outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they shared the exciting news that they are expecting their second child. The power couple and soon-to-be second-time parents previously welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in September 2017.

Shortly after Williams debuted her baby bump at the big event, the 23-time Grand Slam champion shared a post on Instagram commemorating the night and the announcement of the latest addition to her famous family.

“Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala,” wrote Williams, who married Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, in November 2017.

Monday’s surprising news signaled quite a return to the spotlight for Williams nearly eight months after she competed in the final match of her career at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, Williams, who didn’t close the door on a possible return in the future, expressed excitement over exploring the next chapter of her life and being a mother as she prepared to transition away from the sport.

“I’m ready to, like, be a mom, explore a different version of Serena,” she said in September 2022. “Technically in the world I’m still super young, so I want to have a little bit of a life while I’m still walking.”

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Five short years ago, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was an unknown quantity, tentatively slated to replace Alex Smith on a team that hadn’t won the Super Bowl in almost 50 years.

Fast forward half a decade, and Mahomes is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. He’s been a Super Bowl champion two times over, and is universally regarded as the finest quarterback of his generation.

He is, in short, the kind of athlete for whom an appearance at the Met Gala is required.

Mahomes appeared with his wife, Brittany, a certified personal trainer and co-owner of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current, at the 2023 event Monday evening. Patrick donned a jet-black suit and sunglasses while Brittany wore a white dress.

QB1 cleans up nice. @PatrickMahomes | #MetGala pic.twitter.com/mHCDHxYLxa

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) May 2, 2023

The Met Gala is a fundraiser for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which houses a variety of fashion collections. Past NFL players to attend the event include Tom Brady, Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman, Odell Beckham Jr. and others.

Mahomes wasn’t the only athlete in attendance on Monday, as stars like Serena Williams, Dwyane Wade, Brittney Griner and Roger Federer also made appearances. All in all, it was some elite company for the reigning Super Bowl MVP to walk the steps with.

San Francisco Giants’ Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer to right field for a 2-1 lead over the Houston Astros.

WWE Hall of Famers Booker T and Queen Sharmell introduced the second-round picks of Night 2 of the 2023 WWE Draft, including Undisputed Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, Jimmy and Jey Uso, The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor and Damian Priest and the LWO’s Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro and Zelina Vega.

Enmanuel Valdez smoked his first big league homer to give the Boston Red Sox the lead over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Giants at Astros