Good Morning, Stumpers!

It is Wednesday, my dudes! It may seem like it’s been a pretty slow week in sports, with the MLB on break and the WNBA schedule being light, we still put together a pretty ELITE edition. From new nicknames, to All-Star recaps, even a preview of the last PGA Major Championship of the season, we got it all. Don’t wait around, it’s time to get on reading! 

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The Rundown

🤣 Two New Nicknames I Love in Sports

💸 Two Historic Contracts in the NFL in ONE DAY

⭐️ MLB All-Star Week Recap

⛳️ Preview of The Open in Northern Ireland

On This Day

🤝 The McGraw Reign of Terror Begins

If you’ve never heard of John McGraw, take a seat, sip a drink, and learn about one of the greatest managers in the history of baseball.

On this day in 1903, John McGraw took over as the manager of the New York Giants baseball team, a position he would hold for 30 years. Nicknamed “Little Napoleon”, McGraw took his fiery personality from the field into the dugout. Standing just 5’7” and 155lbs, McGraw tirelessly developed ball players in his own style. He pinch ran constantly, encouraged his players to steal bases at will, and never shied away from showing emotion.

McGraw would retire in 1932 with 2,763 victories, 10 NL pennants, 3 World Series wins, and most importantly, 131 ejections. He was posthumously placed into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.

Today’s Trivia

Glue Guy of the Day

🤣 Sports Nicknames!

Glue Guy of the Day: New Nicknames in the Sports

There’s nothing like a really good nickname to elevate a player beyond his status, some nicknames even make people feel less human and more like gods. All of the classics, “Air” Jordan, Megatron, Big Papi, Prime Time, Magic, the list goes on. Two nicknames have entered the chat recently that I’d argue are some of the funniest in professional sports at the moment.

1. Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh: Fresh off his Home Run Derby victory, Cal Raleigh has been taking Major League Baseball by storm. Not only did he pass Barry Bonds for the most home runs before the All-Star break in MLB history, but the Mariners catcher also dons one of the sports best nicknames. They call him the “Big Dumper”. It’s not as clever as you may think, there’s no long backstory. It’s actually pretty simple, and also immature. Jarred Kelenic, a teammate of Cal’s in the minor league, noticed that the future All-Star had quite a large butt. And, without being too weird, he’s right. If you’ve ever seen this guy round the bases, he’s STACKED. Dude has legs the size of my whole upper body. Being a catcher and sitting in that crouch all day probably doesn’t help his situation. Albeit the nickname is rather straightforward, it’s it simplicity that gives it it’s charm. Plus, I love to hear an announcer say “Big Dumper” on live television.

2. Yang “The Big Tariff” Hansen: For Portland Trail Blazers first round draft pick rookie Yang Hansen, the move to America has not come without some eyeballs on him. Simply because this dude is a baller. The 16th overall pick from China has since been named, “The Big Tariff”, cleverly after the recent administration enacted tariffs on China. I’m not trying to get political here in the slightest, I just think that the publics ability to make light of controversial situations is always so impressive. The Big Tariff may be one of the more “modern” nicknames I’ve ever heard, as it is not only timely, it’s quite hilarious. Don’t let the nickname fool you, Hansen has been an absolute BALLER in the Summer League this season, drawing comparisons to three time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Watch out for “the Big Tariff” on a court near you.

There’s nothing better in sports than an epic nickname, and these two guys are certainly to the top of today’s list for best modern sports nickname. If you feel passionately about one or another name in today’s game, don’t be afraid to hit us up.

The BIG Moments

⚾️ All-Star Week in the MLB

The Stump Short Story: The MLB All-Star Break is a little less convoluted than we see in, say, the NBA. There’s a Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, that’s it. It’s just two days, but it packs a punch. Cal Raleigh stole the show in the Home Run Derby, much like he has all season long. His father, Todd, threw the pitches for him, and his younger brother, Todd Jr., was his catcher. It was a family affair. Raleigh defeated Tampa Bay Rays young slugger Junior Caminero in the finals. The All-Star Game pits the American League versus the National League, and in the case of this years contest, it was all NL early. From dominant pitching to using the long ball to get on the board, the NL stole the show. Pete Alonso broke the game open with a three-run homer in the 6th to make it 5-0 NL. The AL fought back with four runs of their own in the seventh…and then TWO MORE in the ninth! TIED UP at 6 a piece! So what does that mean? Extra innings? Nope, we’re going to a HR Derby style SWING-OFF! Three guys each had three swings, and Kyle SCHWARBOMB went 3 for 3 with HRs to put the NL over the top! NL def. AL 6-6 (4-3 in the swing-off)!

Why it Matters: In the grand scheme of the season, it really doesn’t matter. But for the players, it’s a point of pride. Seeing videos of first-time All-Stars calling their parents or significant others when they get the nod always brings a tear to my eye. It truly means something to them. It not only shows that the fans respect their game, but the rest of the league does as well. Winning and losing doesn’t mean as much here, it’s an honor just to be there.

Read More: All-Star Game Stats and Highlights (MLB.com)

🤑 Two Historic NFL Contracts Signed

The Stump Short Story: We saw some serious chunks of change flying around in the NFL yesterday. First up the New York Jets signed Sauce Gardner to a 4-year, $120.4M extension! The cornerback has been a stud for the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS since getting drafted 4th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was thrown into the fire instantly, and despite not much success for the boys, he’s been trying his best. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and then also got All-Pro honors in 2022 and 2023. The highest paid CB league! On the other side of the ball, the Kansas City Chiefs paid somebody. Guard Trey Smith was given a 4-year, $94M extension, making him the highest paid guard in the NFL. Two big big contracts!

Why it Matters: Two teams in obviously very different spots. KC knows that in their two super bowl losses, it was because their O-Line got beaten badly, and this move shows that they care about having good, familiar faces at the front. The Jets are trying to break the longest active playoff drought in the league at 14 years. Two very different situations, but both teams have made a splash. With every move, every season, and every contract, the numbers just seem to be going up and up. Will they go up forever?

Read More: Jets sign Sauce Gardner to Massive Contract Extension (USA Today)

⛳️ Quick Preview of The Open

The Stump Short Story: The final major championship of the 2025 professional golf season has finally arrived, as the 153rd Open Championship begins on Thursday at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. Golfs top 156 players will be on hand, including 49 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Scottie Scheffler enters the weekend as the favorite at +580, with Northern Ireland’s own Rory McIlroy coming in with the next best odds at +720. The Open was played here in 2019, Irishman Shane Lowry took home a six-shot victory over Englishman Tommy Fleetwood.

Why it Matters: The course is a links style course, traditional in this area of the world, meaning a natural sandy terrain, strong winds, rugged aesthetic, deep bunkers, and hilly fairways. This type of course challenges players in different ways. There’s a lot of unpredictable bounces, long wispy roughs that can ruin a round, and plenty of hazards. These courses reward strategic golfers, low and controlled shots, and understanding of the course. It wouldn’t be surprising to see an international stud win this weekend, but guys like Colin Morikawa and Brian Harman have won recently over the pond as well. It’ll be an excellent week of golf.

Read More: Breaking Down the Field for the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush (thefriedegg.com)

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🔗 Quick Links

⚾️ Home Run Derby highlights from Monday night

😡 Terry McLaurin pissed off at the Commanders amid stagnant contract talks

⛳️ A much more comprehensive preview of The Open Championship

🎯 This years WNBA 3-Point Contest is LOADED with sharpshooters

What To Watch

⚾️ WNBA National Television Schedule: Fever vs. Liberty (7:30 PM on CBSSN tonight)

⛳️ Here we go ladies and gentleman, we’re back with another PGA Tour major championship starting Thursday! This time, we’re live from Portrush, Northern Ireland, for The Open! Defending champion Xander Schauffele looks to keep the Claret Jug in his clutch, with others fighting to hoist it. Here’s the live scoreboard, as tee times got going at 1:35 AM ET 

🏀 NBA Summer League keeps rolling on with stacked schedules today and tomorrow, head to ESPN and NBAtv to tune in on the action! Here’s the full schedule

Of! The! Day’s!

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