Good Morning! Feeling a little low now that the World Cup is over? Trust us — we are too. Let’s relive the futbol magic with this great video featuring the last time Germany beat Argentina in a championship match.

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

World Cup

And then there was 1. After a tenacious final battle for the World Cup, Germany defeated Argentina to claim the championship trophy in extra time. Both teams left everything they had on the field and Mario Gotze scored the only goal for the Germans in their 1-0 victory. Argentina’s Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball award given to the best player in the tournament by FIFA.  It’s the 4^th World Cup championship for Team Germany. Congrats!

Team Netherlands is officially the third place finisher in this year’s World Cup. The Dutch defeated Team Brazil 3-0 to cap off their overall great tournament performance and will look to build off of their success going forward in years to come. Team Brazil may not have had the finish they desired (see 7-1 … yikes) but they hosted one of the best World Cups in memory. Look for them to get healthy and bounce back.

Wait,, what? The World Cup is really over? Sadly it’s true, we’ve come to the end of the road and while some of us don’t want to let go, the time has come. The next World Cup will take place in Russia in the summer of 2018. We realize that’s not that soon but that’s a topic for another day. In the meantime, check out the MLS, familiarize yourself with the international futbol community and think back to how great each and every one of this year’s matches were in Brazil. Viva!

Basketball

LeBron James is going home. In one of the most interesting free agency decisions in while (well, actually since LBJ’s first free agency summer), the King has decided to return to his original throne in Cleveland (on a 2 year deal). Why did he decide to leave the Miami Heat, the place where he won 2 titles in 4 years? There are a lot reasons, a mix of both personal and professional, that LeBron wrote about in this must-read letter. At the end of the day, it’s a great basketball decision and there’s a lot to get excited about if you’re the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs just signed Kyrie Irving (their rising star of a point guard) to a large extension and are operating with a talented young nucleus that LeBron will be ready to lead. One last thing to watch out for is a potential trade involving newly drafted #1 pick Andrew Wiggins for Minnesota’s Kevin Love, a deal that if completed might just make the Cavs next years’ hands-down favorites. But, the coach is still denying it for now.

So what is the Miami Heat going to do without the best player in the game? Good question. So far they’ve resigned Chris Bosh for a $118 million dollar deal and added free agents Josh McRoberts and Luol Deng. Keep an eye out for an extension for Dwyane Wade and look for team president Pat Riley to make more moves to try to ease the transition.

Guess what? There is even more free agency news to talk about! Carmelo Anthony turned down a plethora of suitors to re-sign with the New York Knicks, a move that will give him a very nice new contract and a chance to build with the Zen-Master himself, Phil Jackson and new coach Derek Fisher. Other than that, Pau Gasol signed with the Chicago Bulls and Paul Pierce signed with the Washington Wizards. Oh and out in Rocketsland, Jeremy Lin was traded to the LA Lakers and Chandler Parsons signed with the Dallas Mavericks. The offseason is exhausting!

Other

And your new women’s British Open champion is… Mo Martin! That’s right, the American golfer put on a show with her first eagle putt of the year and an overall great performance to win the LPGA major title. Boom.

At a hearing last week with the United States Senate Commerce Committee, Mark Emmert (NCAA President) stated that there should be “scholarships for life” for college student-athletes. Emmert further discussed other changes he hopes to see enacted in amateur sports as the NCAA works with Division I schools to reform the current system.

Brad Keselowski is doing big things in NASCAR. The driver won his second Nationwide Series title of the season at the Sprint Cup in New Hampshire. Congrats!

JUST FOR FUN

The Hoffs Before the Game
David Hasselhoff creates his own version of the Beats commercial “The Game Before the Game”

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

SQ EXCLUSIVE: This week, be sure to check out our latest Guest Post, A couple of reasons to make sure your daughters sit front row at this year’s World Cup games, by Hana Farahat

3 Cheers for Univision
Their broadcast of the World Cup beat ESPN’s and ABC’s by a matter of seconds
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Genius
Why LeBron decided to return to Cleveland
His heart told him to leave Miami, but so did his brain

Basketball in Haiti
As the country recovers from the 2010 earthquake, basketball is helping
It’s bringing members of the community together and offering youngsters the chance of better lives

Drones
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Using drones as a way to monitor and improve team practices

Ian Thorpe
The Australian Olympic swimmer addresses his sexuality
After years of speculation, the public finally has its answer — but, more importantly, after his broken shoulder, will Thorpe ever swim again?

The Business of being an Athlete
Bringing Jordan, LeBron, Kobe, and Graeme McDowell under the same roof — with Teneo Sports
The consulting firm will help star athletes to cement their brands and help them to engage with fans