Noah Lyles staring down Kenny Bednarek was great cinema for track

USA Today

5 hours ago

Just when track and field starts to fade from the consciousness of the average casual like myself, here comes Noah Lyles injecting new life into the sport with another of his antics that force you to pay attention.
On Sunday, it was Lyles staring down Kenny Bednarek as the two crossed the 200m finish line at the U.S. track and field championships after Lyles walked down his fellow Olympian to earn the win. The race itself was phenomenal. Bednarek had Lyles beat -- until Lyles hit another gear for the final few yards and pulled ahead. But what Lyles did in victory -- and how Bednarek reacted -- is why anyone is talking about it today.
The stare down made for a colddddd photo finish, but Bednarek understandably wasn't here for it -- especially with Lyles seemingly slowing down in front of him to make sure Bednarek acknowledged what just took place. As the NBC broadcaster said, "the little look over and the discussion after is to make sure that he asserts his dominance."
So, Bednarek gave Lyles a little shove, and the two exchanged words all the way into the post-race interview. It was absolute cinema.
Admittedly, as much fun as I'm having with this today, I find these kind of gimmicks from Lyles to be somewhat off-putting. From him going after NBA players over shoes and "world" championships to his Yu-Gi-Oh! card pulls. There's a thin line between endearing braggadocio and annoying attention-seeking, and Lyles leans more toward the latter for me. But in an individual sport like track that only reaches mainstream audiences through stars, the tactics an athlete uses to cut through the noise are less important than whether they actually back it up once they do. And Lyles usually backs it up. That's why he has a perpetual license to taunt as much as he wants.
On Sunday, it made for a moment we're still talking about the next day. More importantly, it made the next meeting between Lyles and Bednarek appointment viewing, with Bednarek saying "next time we line up, Ima win." We can't wait to see him try.
An MLB Speedway Classic champion crowned
After a false start Saturday, MLB's Speedway Classic finally got off the ground Sunday and ended better than it started when fans on social media were comparing the event to the disastrous Fyre Festival.
In the end, the Atlanta Braves came away with the win over the Cincinnati Reds, and even picked up some hardware for their troubles. No really, the Braves got a trophy for this thing. A giant trophy at that.
Social media had a ball with this one too, because of course it did.
We have a trade
The top team in the WNBA just got a little better Sunday, as the Minnesota Lynx pulled off a trade to acquire DiJonai Carrington from the Dallas Wings.
Minnesota had to give up promising young forward Diamond Miller in the deal, but Carrington gives the team a veteran on the wing who's playoff-tested and ready to contribute to winning right away. FTW's Meg Hall graded the deal favorably for the Lynx:
"Bringing in Carrington does a few things for Reeve's squad. First, it adds valuable guard and wing depth. Carrington is more comfortable as a wing, but could take over point guard duties if necessary. She can even start if they need her to, which is huge. With that in mind, veteran Kayla McBride has to be jumping for joy right now. Carrington will fit nicely as depth behind her, and because she's an excellent defender, it takes a lot more pressure off McBride to have to be everything all at once."
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