We already have an Olympics spy scandal, plus NFL training camp holdouts

Jul 24, 2024

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Good morning! Watch out for the giant Oregon Duck today.

La Porte D’Espionnage: An incredible pre-Olympics scandal

I never thought out first real story of these Olympics would be a drone-spying scandal, but here we are. Quickly:

During a training session for the New Zealand women’s soccer team on Monday, officials noticed a drone flying overhead. Team staffers notified police, who then apprehended the operator … later identified as a member of the “wider Canadian Women’s Football team,” according to a statement. What??
New Zealand and Canada are both in Group A in the Olympic women’s soccer tournament. Later in the day, the Canadian Olympic Committee acknowledged the operator was a “non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team” while disavowing the person’s actions. Canada has a Connor Stalions? Are we living in a John Le Carré manuscript here?

Everyone has apologized, and apparently drones are already a big issue for the Games in France. Read our full report on the madness here.

The teams play each other tomorrow (11 a.m. ET), the day before the opening ceremony. Can’t wait.

In/Out: NFL training camp attendance card, Day 1

Ignore all of your senses and temperature gauges, because those will tell you it’s still summer. The sports world has decided it’s fall, and done so by obsessing over one simple thing: taking roll at NFL training camp.

The furor over holdouts — or jubilation over appearances — could power a small town for weeks. A look at yesterday’s attendance sheet:

✅ IN: 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk — The disgruntled pass catcher is reporting to camp, per The Athletic sourcing, despite his trade request. Things still seem frosty, but fans have to be happy Aiyuk isn’t holding out. After all, they could be Cowboys fans instead.

❌ OUT: Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb — Oops! The star, whose contract negotiation has become a source of major tension, is not reporting to camp, we’ve reported. Understandable. Lamb is entering the final season of his rookie deal and has watched multiple WRs in his draft class earn major paydays this offseason. The sides are in contact about an extension, but nothing appears close to resolution.

✅ IN: Rams QB Matthew Stafford — No major drama here. A source told The Athletic that Stafford wanted more guarantees on his current deal and was waiting to report until the issue was resolved. While we don’t yet know his new contract details, he is at camp, and all seems well.

❌ OUT: Jets LB Haason Reddick — What a strange offseason. New York acquired him in April to be a centerpiece of a defense they hope will be Super Bowl-worthy. As he seeks a new deal, he has not participated in a single offseason program despite the Jets believing he would still show. The way forward is quite unclear, though our Zack Rosenblatt suggested a compromise for this season that seems reasonable.

This is only the beginning of training camp drama. Make sure you’re subscribed to the Scoop City newsletter for daily coverage.

News to Know

USWNT’s Davidson comments on Albert
In a podcast interview, USWNT defender Tierna Davidson, who is openly queer, described the controversy over teammate Korbin Albert’s anti-LGBTQ social media post as a “difficult situation that has obviously affected me personally.” Albert later apologized for sharing a sermon that criticized being gay and “feeling transgender.” Both Davidson and USWNT coach Emma Hayes lauded Albert’s “learning” since the incident. Davidson’s full comments are worth a read.

Rose Bowl says no to semis
No one values tradition more than the Rose Bowl, a sentiment further confirmed yesterday when officials told The Athletic they prefer the game to stay on Jan. 1, which would eliminate it as a potential host for semifinal games in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. While honoring the Rose Bowl’s wish wouldn’t alter the schedule for two more seasons, it would have implications on future bowl rotations. See Stewart Mandel’s full report for more.

More news

Snoop Dogg will be an Olympic torchbearer, because of course he will.
Vikings tackle Christian Darrisaw signed a huge contract extension, four years for $113 million. It’s a smart move.
Former Harvard women’s hockey coach Katey Stone, ousted after multiple articles (including one from The Athletic) detailed hazing in the program, is suing the school for sex discrimination.
The WNBA All-Star Game shattered viewership records.
Florida football coach Billy Napier asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit from former Gators recruit Jaden Rashada.

Big Duck Energy: Big duck, new conference

Oh it’s a new day in @bigten country!

The MASSIVE @oregonfootball Duck floats the White River in downtown Indy! pic.twitter.com/Qxsp4y7AKT

— Chris Dion (@ChrisMDion) July 23, 2024

Nothing about the latest round of college conference realignment feels real just yet, but a giant inflatable Oregon Duck mascot appearing in the White River in Indianapolis, where Big Ten Media Days are happening, certainly helps. Now it feels surreal, at least.

Our writers held an informative roundtable on all things Big Ten (Eighteen?), which was a lot with all the new faces. Everyone loves Oregon.

Oh, and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti says the conference is “only” focused on having 18 members … for now.

Watch This Game

All times Eastern

Olympics: USA vs. France (men’s soccer)
2 p.m. (live) and 7 p.m. (replay) on USA
The opening ceremony isn’t until Friday, but action begins today. Remember, this is not the USMNT we saw in Copa America. Also, you can watch this (and every Olympics event) on Peacock.

MLB: Mets at Yankees
7:05 p.m. on ESPN
The second of two games in this midweek Subway Series. Last night’s game was close, a 3-2 Mets win. Let’s hope tonight is just as good.

Get tickets to games like these here.

Pulse Picks

There is adversity, then there is what Colts linebacker Grant Stuard has endured. Stuard opened up to Zak Keefer about his brush with suicide — and how he rebounded to save his family — for a gripping story this morning.

To me, the Buffalo Bills are one of the NFL’s most intriguing teams this year. Tim Graham has a great story on their search for new leaders.

College football’s Group of 5 conferences might consider holding a smaller playoff, in addition to the 12-team CFP. It makes a lot of sense.

Sam Vecenie broke down the good and bad of Bronny James’ summer league performance.

Ken Rosenthal has updates on six big MLB trade deadline targets and whether their teams should deal them. Most interesting figure to me: Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Related: All of our beat writers made bold predictions about what each MLB team will do at the deadline.

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Juan Soto’s desire to win “a couple of championships” — whether that’s in the Bronx or elsewhere.

Most-read on the website yesterday: Pre-training camp NFL Power Rankings because, yes, it’s really fall.

(Photo: Masashi Hara – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Chris Branch is a staff writer for The Athletic's daily newsletter. Before joining The Athletic, he covered the Phillies for The News-Journal and worked as a content strategist for various industries. He graduated from LSU, where he worked for The Daily Reveille. Follow Chris on Twitter @cbranch89