We’ve been talking a lot about soccer lately (and rightfully so!), but today you have to start your day with highlights from the Wimbledon final. Why? Because who doesn’t want to start their Monday with an extra-large dose of excellence?!

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

Tennis

After a wild Wimbledon full of upsets, it was only right that the tournament’s final match came down to two of the game’s biggest stars. In a thrilling championship match, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in 5 sets to win the Wimbledon title on Sunday. It was an important game for both stars, as Djokovic had just come off a French Open Final loss to Rafael Nadal and was able to get his second Wimbledon title in his professional career. Despite the tough loss for Federer, he put on a show with his ferocious comeback in the match and is still more of a tennis legend than ever.

On the women’s side, Petra Kvitova crushed Eugenie Bouchard in 2 sets to win her first Wimbledon title on Saturday. Talk about domination — the match only took 55 minutes in total. It was Kvitova’s second Wimbledon title.

What’s the next biggest tennis tournament to look forward to? The US Open, of course! Make sure to check out all the fun when the tournament begins in New York in late August.

World Cup

Here’s a quick World Cup round up from this weekend:

• In an brutal match, Brazil defeated Colombia in a fairly dominating performance 2-1 on Friday. Sadly, Brazilian star player Neymar was seriously injured during the game and will be out the remainder of the World Cup after suffering a fractured vertebrae. Despite the intensity of the match, there was a nice show of sportsmanship at the end.

• In the battle of European powers, Germany beat France 1-0 on Friday to move into the next round.

• Argentina earned their place in the semifinals with a big win against Belgium (the team that knocked out Team USA) 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.

• Finally, it took penalty kicks in the Costa Rica/Netherlands game to determine a winner. And with a final PK score of 4-3, the Dutch would go on to get the win and move onto their next World Cup match.

So, what’s next for each of these teams? The semifinals! Brazil will play Germany on Tuesday afternoon, and Argentina will play the Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon. After that, it’s onto the Finals which will feature the third place game on Saturday and the Championship match on Sunday. Enjoy it while lasts, the World Cup won’t come back for another 4 years!

Other

In all things NBA free agency drama, there are a couple of updates to report. Dirk Nowitzki re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks for $30 million over 3 years, Kyle Lowry re-signed with the Toronto Raptors for $48 million over 4 years, while Boris Diaw re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs for $22.5 million for 3 years. In other free agency news, the rumors around whether LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony will stay or go (and if they go, where) continue to buzz buzz buzz. Stay tuned!

What’s going on in NASCAR, you ask? Well, Aric Almirola got his first win at the Sprint Cup Series race down in Daytona. Talk about a big win for RPMotorSports.

20 players in the NHL filed claims for salary arbitration at the deadline this past week. This is a way to set a salary with the help of a third party arbitrator going into next season.

 

JUST FOR FUN

Gotta catch ’em all!
A GIF of all of Tim Howard’s amazing saves throughout the USA game

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Cheering on the right team
Maybe we should root for the team that needs this World Cup win the most
A World Cup win would have a huge impact on some countries that might need the passion and support the most

$144 Million
Breaking down the conundrums of the 2014 NBA revenue
Zach Lowe tries to make sense of the Brooklyn Nets/Jason Kidd situation, and other teams that lost money this season

Winning Memories
Who is the most memorable champion of 2014?
The Seattle Seahawks? The UConn Men’s Basketball team? The UConn Women’s Basketball team? The Spurs? The LA Kings? What do you think?

Support Circle
How athletes are befriending and supporting children in need
The Marist women’s soccer team has made a big difference in the life of 9-year-old Jamie Ferretti

Tour de France?
This year, it’s starting in England
In order to keep up with the UK’s growing excitement for cycling, the organizers of the Tour de France have set the first three stages of the iconic race in England. Don’t worry, though — the bikes will be moved across the water by boat to France to finish up the race.

Social Media Madness
With the number of issues arising from social media sharing, is it really worth it?
Consider the controversies surrounding social media — accidental insults and drama. Then, consider the pros — building communities of fans and fueling passions.