Jun. 20—WIESBADEN, Germany — The last time I was in Germany, it was 2006, in the aftermath of that year's World Cup.

I came back to the United States with a commemorative T-shirt and magnet, as well as an intrigue for international soccer and a respect for just how much the Germans — who hosted the event that year — loved their soccer.

One of the subtle ironies about my current trip to Germany is that my family finds itself in Europe again, this time with the World Cup being hosted by the United States, with multiple matches played at Lumen Field — or Seattle Stadium, as it's known on the TV broadcasts.

I am the kind of soccer fan who knows where to park at Plante's Ferry on a Saturday morning and who will jump on bandwagons for teams like Spokane Velocity at the formation of a playoff run. That is how I found myself at ONE Spokane Stadium for two matches last fall, cheering through the chill and the thrill of two penalty shot victories.

My oldest son and I left those contests happy for the local team, and then we got in our car, turned on the heater and made the drive home in relative calm.

I bring this up now because the Germans are proving to me right this very moment — at 1 a.m. early Sunday morning — that Americans are not really ready to win a World Cup, as some pundits are claiming they are following two group stage victories in this year's event. And it doesn't have anything to do with Christian Pulisic's calf or the finishing abilities of Folarin Balogun, both of which I concede are worthy factors on the pitch.

I watched the United States' first World Cup match against Paraguay back in Spokane before we departed; I watched the second from a cafe in Paris, where the bartender agreed to let me watch the game, standing alone at the bar, gazing at the cafe's only television, while another 20 or so patrons focused on their dinner. I cheered fervently but carefully, especially after the United States' second goal that tested my understanding of the offside rule.

But after the United States' 2-0 victory over Australia, I made the walk back to our flat across the street with about the same level of excitement as I had leaving ONE Spokane half a year ago: muted and a little fleeting.

Yet after Germany defeated Côte d'Ivoire with what must have been a memorable goal in stoppage time, 2-1 — something I might have known better had I not just fallen asleep — the response in this Spokane-sized city just west of Frankfurt felt something between what Boston experienced when Paul Revere rode famously through it and what Seattle experienced when the Seahawks won the latest Super Bowl.

I have never heard so many blaring horns after midnight. I have never heard so many backfiring cars, so many fireworks, and so many motorcycles revving and racing through what I had assumed were controlled city streets. Even the police sirens seemed celebratory.

And as I lay in our un-air conditioned flat, unable to fall back asleep, it hit me hard: No matter what the optimistic pundits say, soccer fans in America don't love this sport enough to help the Americans to an improbable World Cup victory.

But if the United States were to do it, their fans had better take a lesson from the Deutschlanders and the Germany soccer team, who were absolutely the right candidates to play a match that started at 10 p.m. local time on a Saturday.

I won't return to Spokane in a few weeks with any World Cup memorabilia, but I will come back knowing at least that.

Meadowlark Media’s Mike Fuentes announced his departure from the company on Friday.

In a post on X, Fuentes wrote that he was “no longer working with the Dan Le Batard Show and Meadowlark Media in any capacity,” adding, “Will share more when I’m ready.”

The video producer and occasional on-air talent joined Meadowlark in May 2022, according to his LinkedIn page. Fuentes worked on the flagship Dan Le Batard Show and Mystery Crate, which featured the show’s producers giving behind-the-scenes insights. Most recently, Fuentes was the lead producer for Dave Dameshek’s Football America.

Fuentes’ brother, Gino, also works as a producer for Meadowlark.

After Le Batard Show fans circulated an off-color video thumbnail that had been replaced on the company’s YouTube channel early Friday as a potential cause of Fuentes’ departure, Fuentes clarified that he played no role in the graphic.

“I have not been the lead producer of Mystery Crate for some time,” he wrote on X. “I was only asked to stay on as a talent and for assistance wherever the new producers needed it. Anything else beyond that, I was not aware of and did not come across my desk.”

I have not been the lead producer of Mystery Crate for some time. I was only asked to stay on as a talent and for assistance wherever the new producers needed it. Anything else beyond that, I was not aware of and did not come across my desk.

Have a good weekend.

— Mike Fuentes (@mikefountains) June 19, 2026

Fuentes also clarified that his departure officially went through the prior day, June 18.

Both Fuentes and Meadowlark declined comment.

Earlier in the week, Meadowlark founder Dan Le Batard announced that the name of his longtime co-host, Jon “Stugotz” Weiner, would be removed from the show’s title after months of largely unexplained tensions between the two hosts. Fuentes contributed to Stugotz’s podcast before the latter left Meadowlark a year ago.

Fuentes joins a growing list of public exits from Meadowlark in that span, including Stugotz, co-founder John Skipper, and on-air personalities Billy Gil, Charlotte Wilder, Lucy Rohden, and Howard Bryant. Former cast member Jessica Smetana remains in a reduced role.

The post ‘Dan Le Batard Show’ producer Mike Fuentes announces departure appeared first on Awful Announcing.

The New York Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought by winning the 2026 NBA Finals, and judging by Thursday’s celebration in Manhattan, the fanbase had plenty of pent-up excitement to release. According to a post fromFan Duel on the top 5 biggest championship parades, approximately 2 million fans packed the streets of New York City for the Knicks’ championship parade, making it one of the largest title celebrations in sports history. The massive turnout now ranks as the third-largest championship parade ever recorded.

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Only Two Championship Parades Were Bigger

While the Knicks drew an incredible crowd, two historic celebrations still rank ahead of them. The largest championship parade in sports history belongs to the 2016 Chicago Cubs, whose estimated attendance topped all others after the franchise ended its legendary 108-year World Series drought.

Coming in second is the 1998 New York Yankees championship parade. That Yankees team remains one of the greatest clubs in baseball history, winning a record 125 combined regular-season and postseason games on its way to a World Series title.

Considering the significance behind both championships, it’s easy to understand why those celebrations attracted such massive crowds.

Knicks Join Historic Company

The Knicks now find themselves among some elite company. Their 2 million attendees pushed them ahead of several other iconic celebrations and placed them third all-time. Rounding out the top five are the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs.

The Cavaliers parade came after the franchise captured its first NBA championship and completed a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. The Chiefs, meanwhile, celebrated their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. Like those teams, the Knicks gave their fans something they had been waiting decades to experience.

A Championship New York Won’t Forget

When you combine New York’s enormous market size with a championship drought that stretched more than five decades, the turnout becomes far less surprising. Knicks fans had spent generations waiting for another title, and when the moment finally arrived, they showed up in historic fashion.

Two million people filling the streets is a remarkable sight by any standard. While the Cubs and Yankees still hold the top two spots, the 2026 Knicks have officially earned their place among the most celebrated champions in sports history.

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