The Key for the week of July 7, 2025
While Ben contemplates what will happen to the Batmobile now that we know Joe Burrow didn’t buy it…
All-Star Snub?
No huge surprise that the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz made the MLB All-Star team, as he’s a fan favorite all around the league, not just Cincinnati. But Andrew Abbott’s omission from the pitching staff is hard to accept. He came back from a shoulder injury to record an ERA just over 2.00. It’s more of a numbers game than a true snub, though, because each team is guaranteed at least one representative and that can mean more accomplished players get left out. Perhaps the Reds can use it for fuel in the second half of the season as they look to stay in the Wild Card hunt.
In 49 states, it’s just basketball…
But this year’s WNBA All-Star game on July 19 is in Indiana, where basketball is more of a religion than a sport. Just call this the Caitlin Clark All-Star game, whose popularity assured that Indianapolis would be the host for the mid-season classic this year. How popular? All-Star game tickets sold out within seven hours of going on sale—they were initially released on April 29, and the game was officially sold out by that same evening, If you’re planning to go, tickets for the Fan Fest are still available, as are tickets for the skills competitions as well.
Wimbledon doesn’t disappoint
After upsets the first week on both the men’s and women’s side, the All England has been mostly chalk in the second week. While Taylor Fritz carried the American flag into the semifinals, strong runs by defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have made the brackets easy to pick. And let’s not forget Novak Djokovic, chasing history and Grand Slam title number 25, which would be the record for both men and women.
Ben’s Best Bet
It is time this weekend for possibly the best rivalry in the MLS, the “Hell is Real” series as FC Cincinnati plays host to Columbus. FC is on a roll now, beating Chicago last weekend to get its fourth straight win, and sweeping the season series with the Fire for the first time ever. The conference-leading FCC welcomes Columbus as the Crew makes its way down I-71 Saturday, and BetMGM puts FC as a home favorite. Ben says take the red hot home team as FC should notch its fifth win in a row. Hell is real, indeed.