Joon Lee
@joonlee
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Making sense of sports • Journalist • Formerly: ESPN, B/R, WaPo • Born in Seoul 🇰🇷 Bred in Boston • [email protected]
NYC via Boston
Joined April 2009
In June 2023, ESPN laid me off from my dream job. For two years, I wasn’t allowed to write, appear on TV or start a YouTube channel. So I sat back, and watched sports as a fan. And what I learned about the state of sports shocked me. 🧵Thread
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It’s crazy that folks were wondering if there was gonna be no song of the summer this year and then K-Pop Demon Hunters came out with FIVE songs that could fill the void.
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At this point, the lack of consequences for Volpe’s poor defense is almost disrespectful to him. Their actions make it seem like he can’t emotionally handle the consequences of getting benched after they anointed him the next face of the franchise.
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The Yankees refusal to criticize Volpe’s defense feels like a massive overcorrection for the team’s hype anointing him the next Jeter. What a disaster of a development story this season.
The New York Yankees are getting absolutely embarrassed by their arch-rival the Boston Red Sox on their own field
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Watching Red Sox vs. Yankees right now feels less like baseball and more like watching two people argue outside a dive bar at 3 AM: sloppy, a little desperate and hanging by a thread.
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Mo Salah tearing up during the post match tribute to Diogo Jota really tugs at the heartstrings
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The lines between sports league, broadcaster, PR and gambling are blurring fast. – NFL getting 10% of ESPN (pending approval).– ESPN app deeply integrating sports betting.– Gambling becoming part of the live viewing experience. We’re at an inflection point in sports media.
ESPN's new app will feature heavy betting integration. Links will take users from the ESPN app to the ESPN Bet app, and betting features will live side-by-side with the event users are watching, sources tell FOS. More by @sportsrapport ⬇️.
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Needed Manny vs. Papi yesterday.
Oh, the Red Sox were “enthralled” with the idea of the Brewers alumni HR derby and have begun discussing the possibility for staging a similar event next season? (Via @Sean_McAdam). These are the first calls you need to make.
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If you’re hunting for good news here’s something: Talkspace therapy is covered by most insurance plans and the average copay is only $15 (but most covered members pay $0).
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Underrated part of the Taylor Swift podcast: Jason Kelce asked great questions. It was one of the most casual interviews I’ve seen with a generational icon, and he wasn’t afraid to ask the simple questions that many might overthink, but that people genuinely want answered.
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Where does the Ohtani vs. Trout moment to end the World Baseball Classic rank among the most memorable baseball moments this century?. It’s definitely up there.
Ohtani & Trout nod to each other before Trout's at-bat, Ohtani gets the strikeout on this one
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The early Roman Anthony stats are absolutely bonkers. What impresses me the most is his insanely mature approach at the plate. He just doesn't swing at bad pitches, and when he swings, he hits the ball really hard. Can't teach approach like that.
Roman Anthony since July 1st:. 33 Games.146 PA. 325/.445/.508/.954.3 HR, 11 2B, 1 3B.24.7 K%.15.1 BB%.63.1 HardHit%.94.9 Average Exit Velo.166 wRC+. 3rd in OBP in MLB over that stretch. 4 OAA overall. This is an alien in a 21 year old body.
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Great question. I think we’re in the early stages of a shift where sports culture is becoming more global driven by YouTube, TikTok, and streaming. What works on those platforms isn’t just for diehards — it’s content that makes sports accessible to casual fans. As creators and.
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We're also in a world where America no longer dictates what's popular globally. The American and global Spotify Top 50 charts are often TOTALLY different. Totally plausible that football reigns as the most popular sport in America, but the NBA and MLB are more popular globally.
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It's interesting that Goodell thinks this because the NBA and MLB already have global fanbases and international youth sports infrastructure to support growing the leagues. America loves football, but the rules are complicated. Huge barrier for growth.
Roger Goodell doesn’t consider the NBA to be competition for the NFL. “We’re not competing with the NBA or MLB. Our competitors are Apple and Google.”. (Via @ProFootballTalk )
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Always curious and full of energy, Beagles turn every walk into an adventure 🐾🎉.
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NFL making some fascinating moves between the ESPN and CBS deals, and all aligns with Goodell's perspective that the NFL's competition is Apple and Google. The NFL is becoming a media company that happens to host football games. All the American sports leagues are going global.
The NFL has procured an ownership stake in CBS through its merger with Skydance, per @WSJ. The league will now hold ownership in two of its broadcast partners, after picking up a 10% stake in ESPN earlier this week.
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Like this guy was the best hitter in baseball while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. And now he comes back and he's still throwing 99 mph.
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When I was growing up, I used to wonder what it was like to watch athletes like Babe Ruth, Pelé, Michael Jordan in their primes. They truly seemed like comic-book characters, people who seemed to expand the idea of what was possible. And now we've got Shohei Ohtani.
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Incredible move from Breslow and the front office. The energy at Fenway has been electric the last few weeks. More fuel on the fire.
The Red Sox are signing Roman Anthony to a deal through 2034, per multiple reports. Anthony's deal with the Red Sox could reach up to $230 million
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