Time to pretend we care about soccer, Mahomes breaks $500M, and the Spurs earn a new logo

Morning Stew — Issue #2

Friday, June 12, 2026

Issue #2 · by meme.app

It's Friday. The World Cup kicked off yesterday. The USMNT plays tonight. The Hurricanes are one win from the Cup. Mahomes just became the first half-billion-dollar man in NFL history. Let's get into it.

— Stew

Box Score

via @FIFAWorldCup

The World Cup Begins.

It is officially time for Americans to pretend they love soccer as the largest World Cup in history lands on North American soil. The tournament opened yesterday with co-host Mexico securing a chaotic 2-0 win over South Africa in a match that saw three red cards before the first day even concluded. The attention now shifts to the USMNT, which opens its group stage tonight against Paraguay in Los Angeles for what is widely expected to be the final World Cup window for aging legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cool stat: While modern icons Messi and Ronaldo have logged a combined 48 World Cup matches across 5 tournaments, they are still chasing the international legacy of an iconic Brazilian forward who remains the only player to win 3 World Cup titles.

TRIVIA: Who is the only player ever to win three World Cup titles? (Answer below)

So what: Expanding the tournament to 48 teams and 104 matches transforms this from a sporting event into a high-velocity corporate cash register. FIFA is on track to haul in a record $13 billion this cycle, while global economic output is projected to clear a staggering $80 billion. Love soccer or hate it, you cannot ignore the sheer financial gravity of a tournament designed to milk North American stadiums for every penny they're worth over the next six weeks.

Also Trending

🏒

The Carolina Hurricanes grabbed a 3-2 Stanley Cup Final lead over the Vegas Golden Knights with a 4-2 victory in Game 5, putting themselves just one win away from the hardware. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal stayed white-hot, becoming the first player in the NHL's expansion era to score a goal in each of the first five games of a Final series. Vegas fans should probably start drinking now: the last 10 consecutive NHL teams to break a 2-2 tie and go up 3-2 have gone on to hoist the Cup. Yahoo Sports →

🏀

The NBA Finals heads back to San Antonio for Game 5 with the Spurs down 3-1. San Antonio has held the lead in all four games but has only managed to close one out. New York is the most valuable media market in basketball and the NBA has never had a problem making sure its biggest stages get the maximum number of games. Draw your own conclusions. ESPN →

🏈

Patrick Mahomes signed a historic extension with the Chiefs through 2033, locking him down for the next decade at a total value of $504.75 million. It is the first contract in NFL history to break the half-billion-dollar threshold. In financial terms Andy Reid would understand, that comes out to roughly 100 million cheeseburgers. CBS Sports →

⚾

Shohei Ohtani exited Thursday's game against the Pirates with left knee inflammation, turning a perfect 2-for-2, two-walk performance into an immediate panic attack for the Dodgers front office. The IL already features Will Smith, Teoscar Hernández, and Kiké Hernández. A compromised Ohtani is the one problem this top-heavy roster absolutely cannot buy its way out of. Sports Illustrated →

🏀	The Knicks radio team didn't know they were on air and spotted Taylor Swift courtside. "Is that Taylor Swift down there?" "She's not a Knicks fan, get out of here girl." Reddit →

🏀	It's hard to pin a game on one player, but here's every terrible play from De'Aaron Fox in the second half. 😬 X →

⚾	Red Sox president Sam Kennedy openly called Boston's season "embarrassing and unacceptable." The team is 27-39 and dead last in the AL East. How bad is it? They are 0-35 when trailing through eight innings. Zero. And thirty-five. ESPN →

💀	Raiders QB Kirk Cousins is rejecting the "mentor" label for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, calling the narrative "a bit of a reach." Fresh off Atlanta drafting Michael Penix Jr. behind his back, Cousins made it clear he's there to compete, not babysit. NFL.com →

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The Seattle Seahawks officially received their Super Bowl LX championship rings, and the hardware is a masterclass in aggressive over-engineering. Billed as the largest ring in NFL history, the piece features a mechanical "12 Flag" button that physically pops open the stadium's arches to reveal the words "WORLD CHAMPIONS," a detachable top that converts into a giant necklace pendant, and the team's highly professional 2025 mantra engraved on the side: "M.O.B." (Mission Over Bullshit). Huh. ESPN →

⚾	One of the best slides you'll ever see. X →

Trivia Answer

Pelé

Pelé won World Cup titles with Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970, establishing an individual championship record that has stood unchallenged for over half a century.

For the Group Chat

🤓 Meme Impaired: The Atlanta Falcons previously held the undisputed title for biggest choke in sports history after blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl. The Spurs have now entered the conversation.

🤓 Meme Impaired: The original quote is from Kobe after being asked if the job was done when the Lakers went up 2-0 in the 2009 Finals. "Job's finished? I don't think so."

Life imitates art

Above you saw the best slide of all time. Now here's the worst

— Stew

Morning Stew · meme.app · morningstew.co
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Time to pretend we care about soccer, Mahomes breaks $500M, and the Spurs earn a new logo

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