The GIST: The Spirit’s win was the highlight of the District, as the Washington Football Team (WFT) and D.C. United were both outmatched this weekend. Cue spirit fingers.

Growing pains: Another week, another loss for WFT. Second-year QB Dwayne Haskins had a better showing, but there’s still room for improvement as the WFT unsurprisingly fell to Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens 31–17. A bright spot? WFT rookie running back Antonio Gibson delivered his best game yet. We’ll take it!

• The WFT surprised head coach Ron Rivera — who is undergoing cancer treatment and was visibly struggling on the sideline during yesterday’s game — with over 400 cardboard cutouts of his family, friends and colleagues in the stands at FedEx Field. We’re not crying, you’re crying.

Jumping for joy: There’s not a lot to say about D.C. United's dreadful 4–0 loss to Atlanta United, so we're choosing to bask in the glory of the Spirit finishing their NWSL Fall Series on a high note. Thanks to a fun goal (and the cutest celebration) from forward Kumi Yokoyama, the Spirit defeated Sky Blue FC (FC stands for football club) 1–0. Until next year.

The GIST: The Miami Heat are finally showing signs of life. After a slow start to the NBA Championship Finals, the Heat are ready to compete.

How so?: Jimmy Butler and the Miami boys took home a win last night. The first two games of the best-of-seven series were easy blowouts for the expected-champion LA Lakers, but the Heat started Game 3 with a vengeance, leading almost the entire game. While the game was tight throughout, the Heat pulled ahead in the fourth quarter to post their own blowout score, 115–104.

• Butler was the star of the show, with a 40-point triple-double in his best career game (playoffs or otherwise). No one else even came close, with Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Herro each putting up 17 points. Must be all that Big Face Coffee. They’ll want to load up on more ahead of tomorrow night’s Game 4, which tips off at 9 p.m. ET.

And what’s up with the WNBA?: The Seattle Storm is a-ragin’! After taking yesterday’s Game 2 with a 104–91 win, the Storm are now up 2-0 in the best-of-five championship series against the Las Vegas Aces. The Storm have won both games by a 13-point margin, thanks to solid defense and a stacked offense.

• Former MVP Breanna Stewart scored 22 points in Game 2 while Alysha Clark and Natasha Howard each put up 21, showing the depth of talent on this team.
   
• The GOAT Sue Bird followed up her record-setting performance (in which she recorded 16 assists — the highest-ever in a single Finals game) with 16 points yesterday. Game 3 is set for tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET. Come for the basketball, stay for the possible championship celebration.

The GIST: There’s change in the air, and it’s not just the autumn crisp. The 76ers have a new coach, the Phillies' GM stepped down, and the Eagles finally...won?

The Birds are back: We were bracing ourselves for an Eagles loss against the San Francisco 49ers last night, but then QB Carson Wentz finally found his groove. A 49ers fourth-quarter turnover sparked a Philly march down the field, which ended with this touchdown bomb from Wentz to receiver Travis Fulgham (who, BTW, just came off the practice squad last week).

• Plays later, linebacker Alex Singleton grabbed his first career pick-six to widen the Eagles’ lead. We’re thankful for that extra TD, because even with the 49ers’ late comeback attempt, the Birds won the four-quarter thriller 25–20.

Bring in a champ: The Sixers made their relationship with Doc Rivers official on Thursday when they announced him as the team’s next head coach. Rivers, a former NBA All-Star player and championship-winning coach, led the LA Clippers for the last seven seasons.

• While Rivers’ coaching career has been highly successful and he’s well-respected by players, our biggest concern is how his teams (including the Clippers this year) perform in the playoffs. Three of his teams in three different decades have blown a 3-1 lead in a playoff series, something no other coach has suffered. Here’s the thing: disappointing finishes are not something the Sixers need help with.

Rebuilding...again: On Saturday, the Phillies announced that Matt Klentak will no longer be serving as their general manager. After five years in the position and with one of the highest payrolls in the MLB, Klentak’s squad still couldn’t break the Phillies’ nine-year playoff drought. In essentially the same spot they were in five years ago, it’s time to figure out the front office and get to winning ASAP.

The GIST: The NFL’s Week 4 kicked off with the most high-profile Patriot contracting COVID-19...and no, we’re not talking about the president.

Who?: New England Patriots quarterback (QB) Cam Newton. His results were reported on Saturday morning, and Newton acknowledged the diagnosis with an Instagram post yesterday. Fortunately, none of his teammates or Patriots staff have tested positive.

• Given Newton’s positive test, the NFL postponed New England’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which was originally scheduled for yesterday at 4 p.m. ET, to tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET, pending Kansas City test results. Seems like a quick turnaround, no?

Are any other teams affected?: Since Thursday, the Tennessee Titans racked up more positive results, pushing the team’s total count to 20: 10 players and 10 team personnel. Their Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was originally going to be rescheduled to today or tomorrow but has since been pushed to Week 7.

• The Titans have given the NFL a few things to think about: the league is considering extending the season by a week on the seemingly inevitable outcome that other games will need to be rescheduled. And, along with the NFL Players Association, the league is looking to investigate the Titans for any possible COVID-19 rule violations.

Interesting. Any on-field news?: You bet! In case you haven’t made it to the salon in a while (same!), here are some Week 4 highlights and lowlights for you:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady (that’s still weird to see, right?) was in his usual GOAT form yesterday. He threw five touchdowns (TDs) on his way to a 38–31 win over the LA Chargers.
• We can’t pick our favorite Odell Beckham Jr. highlight, so here are two: in a trick play to open the score against the Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver (WR) caught a 37-yard TD pass from his fellow WR Jarvis Landry and then saved a near-loss of yards to score his third TD of the day. The Browns, obviously, won 49–38.
• Call us unconventional, but we don’t love fighting in football, especially when it involves a family feud. We’re not sure who won this scrap between the LA Rams and New York Giants (uh, no one?), but the Rams won the game 17–9.

The GIST: Last night, we frantically flipped between watching the Lakers win Game 1 of the NBA Finals and the Dodgers take Game 1 of their Wild Card series. What do the schedulers have against LA?!

Three wins to go: The southern Californian heat may have roasted us, but the Miami Heat did not roast the Lakers in Game 1. The Purple and Gold overcame a slow start with the help of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 10 huge first-quarter points, before pulling away for an emphatic victory. We see you, KCP.

• Game 2 tips off tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Showtime, baby.

Feeling hot, hot, hot: The Dodgers got it done in last night’s 4–2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Our LA boys raced out to a quick 3–0 start, but let the Brewers back in it with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Thankfully, our multiple relief pitchers held the Brewers at two runs, and shortstop Corey Seager tacked on an insurance run to give the Dodgers breathing room. Still, too close for comfort.

• Pitcher Clayton Kershaw and the boys in blue hope to close out the series tonight at 10:08 p.m. ET/7:08 p.m. PT. Here we go.

Say what: Spark Candace Parker, who was named Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) by the media, was left off the All-Defensive First and Second Teams, as selected by WNBA head coaches. We’re flabbergasted.

• Media and coaches don’t always see eye-to-eye, but excluding the DPOY from the All-Defensive teams is a historic first. Parker herself may say she’s unbothered, but we’re bothered AF. Get ’em in 2021, Candace.