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The NFL chose chaos once again this week, with holiday hi-jinks and stunners aplenty. Contenders are turning into pretenders faster than you can say Hail Mary — and vice versa. As Week 13 wraps up, let’s muddle through the madness.

The best way to kick off the holiday slate? An NFC North appetizer with serious playoff implications. Ditch the mulled wine for some milk because this is going to be spicy.

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.

Last week, Rival — set to be the first sportsbook built exclusively for women’s sports — shared its plans to be active in three U.S. betting markets by 2026. The platform will include bets across the NWSL, WNBA, NCAA women’s basketball, WSL, WTA, and more, differing from the existing platforms that center men’s sports.

The NFL is already in the holiday spirit, gifting us a thrilling Week 12 slate — secret handshakes, quarterback (QB) shake and bakes, and sibling rivalries included. Every game matters with the postseason looming…let’s discuss.

Saturday brought a fairy tale ending for No. 8 seed Gotham FC, who defeated No. 2 Washington Spirit 1–0 to win the NWSL Championship. Here’s how the Bats clinched their second title in three years, plus a look at what’s to come for the growing league.

Eight of the league’s 14 teams earned a berth to the three-round, single-elimination postseason. There are no byes in the NWSL Playoffs, so the top-seeded teams duked it out with the rest of the field, and let’s just say, some brackets were busted.

The NWSL Championship pitting the Washington Spirit against Gotham FC is set for tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, but the party’s already begun in San Jose. The league honored its best and brightest during Wednesday’s NWSL Awards, and a little history was made along the way. So gilded.

The spectacle of Formula 1 meets Las Vegas, a city synonymous with high-stakes thrills, this weekend. It’s the first stop on the season-ending tripleheader — and drivers need to go all in because what happens in Vegas could decide the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC).

What does Jay-Z's critically acclaimed album have to do with Gotham FC?

Last week, the PWHL announced the return of the Takeover Tour — which brings PWHL games to other markets — for a third season. And the next edition is bigger and better: The league will host 16 neutral-site games and visit seven new cities while returning to multiple stops from last year.