Thankful, next
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
Whether you’re making one final grocery run or mentally preparing to see your entire high school graduating class out on the town tonight, thanks for making time for a side of sports news with us.
- P.S. We’ll be off Friday recovering from tomorrow’s feast, but look out for an NFL Thanksgiving Day preview newsletter, just in time to make your Pick’em Challenge selections. Thankful, next.
— Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, announcing his return to the gridiron ahead of tomorrow’s 8:20 p.m. ET Turkey Day divisional showdown against the Baltimore Ravens. Grab your emotional support water bottle because Joe Cool’s set to make his first appearance since suffering a toe injury in Week 2.
Anti-doping
💭 Onions have layers
The GIST: Yesterday, swimmer Penny Oleksiak, Canada’s most decorated Olympian, was banned from competition until 2027 for an anti-doping rules violation. No, the 25-year-old wasn’t caught taking banned substances — she was penalized for a whereabouts failure. Let’s discuss.
🤔 What is a whereabouts failure?: Part of the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) drug testing program, athletes are required to submit their “whereabouts” every 90 days, including the location and times of daily activities like work and school, their competition schedules, and a specific daily time slot when they are guaranteed to be available for testing.
- Athletes must ensure their info is accurate, complete, and submitted on time. If it isn’t, WADA employs a three-strike system: Any three combinations of filing failures or missed tests within a 12-month period could result in a two-year ban.
- Notably, athletes can make changes to their whereabouts during the 90-day period should their plans change for a last-minute outing or event.
🧪 That sounds pretty strict: It is. To maintain the integrity of sport and ensure a level playing field, testing is done without notice and out of competition, meaning athletes could be literally anywhere in the world when WADA comes knocking. If a doping control officer (DCO) can’t locate an athlete for a sample, that’s filed as a missed test.
- And it happens more often than you might think: American sprinter Gabby Thomas was briefly suspended for a whereabouts failure in 2020. She then supplied evidence proving the DCO was at fault for not locating her, ultimately eliminating one of her three missed tests.
⏩ What’s next: Some say the two-year punishment is too harsh, while others believe the process is part of being a pro athlete — and at the end of the day, the rules are in place to keep sport clean and the playing field level. As for Oleksiak, she accepted the ban and will be eligible to compete in July 2027, in plenty of time for the 2028 LA Olympics.
🏀 Two undefeated top-5 women’s basketball teams will fall at Players Era Championship
No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Texas, and Duke will compete at the groundbreaking tournament, which funnels $1M of name, image, and likeness (NIL) money directly to each team’s roster — aka about $75K per player. UCLA and Texas meet first today at 2 p.m. ET, followed by Duke vs. SC at 4:30 p.m. ET, with winners advancing to tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET final. Cha-ching.
🏈 Rivalry Week on deck as college football enters final week of the regular season
This is college football at its absolute best, with four top-25 matchups between blood rivals, including No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 16 Texas, gracing screens on Friday and Saturday. And it’s not just pride on the line: Many squads are angling for trips to their conference championship games and, more importantly, the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. Hut, hut, hell yeah.
🏐 No. 1 Nebraska women’s volleyball remains undefeated heading into last weekend of regular season
The Cornhuskers have dropped just one set — yes, set, not game — since September 16th, and have just two games left before Sunday’s 6 p.m. ET NCAA tournament selection show. Will No. 24 Penn State or Ohio State be able to stop this runaway train? Either way, the Huskers are all but guaranteed to clinch that No. 1 overall seed.
⚽ Women’s College Cup will be set by Saturday
The eight remaining contenders will square off Friday and Saturday for a berth to the Final Four (Women’s College Soccer Version). Still in the mix? Unseeded underdog Ohio State, who pulled off yet another upset last weekend, and No. 4 seed Washington, who are battling in honor of their late teammate, Mia Hamant.
Together With Foria
🎁 Don’t wait for Santa
Even as women continue to triumph on the field, women’s wellness is too often stuck on the sidelines. Widespread underfunding, a lack of research, and chronic stereotyping from brands mean it can feel impossible to know which products actually belong on your shelf.
💃 Enter: Foria, the holistic wellness brand that’s been centering women’s pleasure and wellbeing for over a decade. Their award-winning formulas are plant-based, sustainable, and mindfully created to support intimacy, rest, and ease.
- Whether you’re looking to relax and unwind, boost your pleasure, or a little bit of both, Foria has something for everyone, ranging from period cramp salves to CBD-powered oils. Their Black Friday sale is already up and running, so you can enjoy 30% off now through November 30th. Yes, please.
🏀 NBA Cup: Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics — Today at 5 p.m. ET — ESPN
- It feels like just yesterday Detroit set an NBA record with 28 straight losses — but that was two whole years ago, and these Pistons would never. They’re sporting a franchise record 13-game win streak led by Cade Cunningham’s 27.1 points per game. Glowing on up.
🇺🇲 No. 2 USWNT: Friendly vs. No. 12 Italy — Friday at 7 p.m. ET — TNT
- Head coach Emma Hayes made some roster adjustments for the red, white, and blue’s final camp of the year, notably welcoming back star defender Naomi Girma, who battled injury for much of 2025.
- And this will be quite the test as the USWNT take on the 2025 Euro semifinalist, Le Azzurre. LF — and we cannot stress this enough — G.
⚽ MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. San Diego FC — Saturday at 9 p.m. ET — Apple TV
- San Diego is trying to cement itself as the best expansion squad in MLS history, while the Whitecaps are shooting for the franchise’s first championship appearance. Only one can advance to the early December title game.
🏎️ F1: Qatar GP — Sunday at 11 a.m. ET — ESPN
- It’s the penultimate event of the season, and McLaren’s Lando Norris is this close to his first World Drivers’ Championship. Motorsports’ most prestigious individual honor will be his if he can outscore his teammate, Oscar Piastri, and four-time defending champ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by at least two points.
Leave playing fantasy sports to the men? We don’t think so. That’s why we created our free-to-play NFL Pick’em Challenge, the perfect place to shoot your shot without the hassle of spending hours setting your weekly lineup.
- 🚨 First time playing? Your timing couldn’t be better: We’re doubling the prizing for the rest of the season, rewarding each week’s winner with $200 in GIST swag.
- All you have to do is pick who will win each of this week’s 16 matchups. It’s easy — just ask Maelyn B., who topped the jam-packed leaderboard last week.
☝️ Deadline reminder: Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, meaning picks close early this week. The first game on the holiday menu: tomorrow’s 1 p.m. ET Turkey Day showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.
- Get your picks in before kick off — there’s nothing sweeter than outsmarting Uncle Mike before dessert.
HOLIDAY RECS FROM
It’s officially gifting season! To help you cross every type of sports fan off your list, we’re sharing recs from The Group Chat, sourced directly from our team and GIST Plus community. This week’s theme: beauty and self-care essentials.
Pat McGrath LUST Lip Gloss
Wrap up the secret weapon from last month’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway. Giving the gift of glam has never been easier.
Olaplex Nº.7 Bonding Oil
To quote one of our brilliant account managers, “this hair oil is truly the freakin’ best.” Need we say more?
Merit Retrospective Perfume
This scent is luxury in a bottle; it’s complex, captivating, and undeniably chic.
Dr. Jart+ Brightening Face Mask
A vitamin C–infused hug for your face, this cult favorite is an instant pick-me-up for tired skin. Consider it the perfect gift to, ahem, brighten anyone’s day.
Take Your Pick
Vancouver Goldeneyes
Ottawa Charge
From game-winning goals to jaw-dropping saves, the PWHL didn’t waste a second reminding us why we missed it so much. And there’s so much more where that came from, including the lone game on tonight’s docket between the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Ottawa Charge. Who are you backing in the 7 p.m. ET puck drop?
Today’s email was brought to you by Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Katie Kehoe Foster, Rachel Fuenzalida, Grace DePaull, Charlotte Mackenzie, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Lisa Minutillo. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.