Olympic Wrap-Up

It’s Monday morning in America, the number-one nation on Earth. Yesterday, Team USA bid farewell to Paris boasting the most medals of any country—which begs the question, “What the heck is a kilometer, anyway?” Now, gold medal enthusiasts may claim the USA tied China with 40 first-place finishes, but the reality is silver and bronze medals exist, and they count: America’s staggering 126 medals is enough to make the 12 deities of the Pantheon blush. Meanwhile, China finished miles—not kilometers—behind the US with a measly 91 medals; much like their economy, their performance was lacking.

Over the last two weeks, Americans witnessed the “athletic” events—in other words, the sports without balls—including Simone Biles’ continued dominance on the mat. In the pool, Katie Ledecky padded her all-time medal count, while Noah Lyles captured gold in one of the most memorable 100m races in Olympic history. The feats of raw athleticism during these games were monumental. Galvanizing. They unequivocally indicate the durability of American greatness in the sporting world; however, I’d argue that much more pressure was placed on the sports with balls. 

On Saturday, a youthful US Women’s Soccer Team had the opportunity to win gold for the first time in twelve years. This squad came up during the early 2000s, within a women’s soccer landscape in which winning World Cups and Olympic titles were the only measures of success. Staring down an aging Brazilian team on the other end, the US decided to sit back, allowing its opponent to control the pace for much of the first half.

This strategy nearly backfired when the Canary Yellow put one in the back of the net. However, the soccer gods were kind to the red, white, and blue when Ludamila’s 16th minute goal was ruled offside and wiped from the scoreboard. In the second half, Team USA’s tactics paid dividends: Brazil began to flag and Mallory Swanson scored the only good goal of the match. One-zero, USA lady soccer back on top of the world!

Speaking of “the rest of the world catching up,” the Men’s Basketball Gold Medal Game tipped off just hours later. Long gone are the 1990s, when the guys could just roll the ball out and win by 30+. In the semis, USA Basketball overcame a Serbian surge that saw Curry and company fall behind by 16. A dazzling comeback for the ages allowed the US to advance, but it was not easy. Saturday’s game pitted America against a young French squad led by Victor Wembanyama. Steph Curry was simply too much, dropping all 24 points from behind the 3-point line in route to a 98-87 victory. That’s now—count’em—1, 2, 3, 4, 5  gold medals in a row for USA Men’s Basketball.

Over on the other side of the court, many thought the USA Women’s would cruise over the host nation as well, earning their eighth consecutive gold medal—but the French decided otherwise. The game was a barnburner: halftime’s score sent shockwaves across the sporting universe as the contest was tied at 25. The second saw the pace accelerate but the numbers on the scoreboard remained tight. With only five seconds left, France drained a three to cut the US advantage to 65-64.

Immediately, they fouled and a pair of free throws made the count 67-64, USA. One last heave toward the basket for the hosts was then launched as the buzzer sounded. SPLASH! The crowd erupted. Overtime, right? Luckily, for Team USA, Gabby Williams’ foot was on the 3-point line and the American dynasty lives on, 67-66. 

Despite the close calls, gold medals are still gold: the USA finished the Olympic Games at the peak of the mountain. Before we know it, the 2026 Winter Olympics will be upon us, then we’ll play host to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. MILES HARRINGTON

🦇 A Special Anniversary For Nashville’s Skyline One of the city’s most famous landmarks is nearing the 30th anniversary of its completion. The AT&T Building, colloquially known as “the Batman Building,” was constructed in September 1994 and remains one of the most recognizable landmarks of Nashville’s skyline. Even as new high-rises crowd the city, the 33-story building remains the tallest building in the state. 

As The Tennessean reports, the tower’s infamous nickname came from its July 17, 1994 issue, which ran a picture of the near-completed building alongside a frame of Michael Keaton’s Batman with the headline “Holy High-Rise!” In a 2016 interview, the late Earl Swensson, who designed the building, said its unique design was a result of accounting for wind resistance; the designers originally planned to lease its distinctive antennas to radio stations. The high-rise has been listed as one of the world’s “most original offices” by the French business journal Le Journal du Net and stands alongside the Memphis Pyramid and Knoxville Sunsphere as the state’s most famous landmarks. TYLER HUMMEL

🏟️Take Me Out To The Ball Game Nashville’s dreams of Major League Baseball were given a shot in the arm on Friday after Governor Bill Lee announced a first-of-its-kind eventThe Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves will play a regular season game at the Bristol Motor Speedway on August 2nd, 2025, in what will amount to the first major league baseball game played in Tennessee.

This event is the most recent push to bring baseball to Tennessee. In 2019, the Music City Baseball group formed to launch the Nashville Stars baseball team, which would, which would cost approximately $1.2 billion and could drag out for more than five years. More recently, there’s been a persistent rumor that the Chicago White Sox will move to Nashville. Though team owner Jerry Reinsdorf has said he may consider relocating the team when its stadium lease lifts in 2029, he quashed the initial relocation rumors in September 2023. Mayor Freddie O'Connell reportedly met with Reinsdorf last December for an introductory meeting. TYLER HUMMEL

🧾 Senator Blackburn vs. Veterans Affairs Marsha Blackburn is one of three Republican Senators on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee co-sponsoring a bill to “impose limitations on the provision of critical skill incentives to [VA] employees.” In a Friday statement, the senators introduced the Stop Government Rewards Enriching Executives in the District Act, responding to the alleged misappropriation of $10.8 million in payments by the Under Secretaries of Health and Benefits.  

“The VA must be held accountable for its egregious mishandling of the critical skill incentives that were included in the PACT Act,” said Blackburn in a statement.  We must restore integrity and trust within the VA, and the Stop G

DEVELOPMENT

• Sinema Is Closing After 10 Years (Scene)
• Utah-based pickleball club details two Nashville locations (NBJ)
• Planning Commission OKs Elliston Place overlay (Post)
• City’s future tallest building given official name (Post)
• Vanderbilt-area residential building hits market (Post)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide and yearly festival guide.

TONIGHT

🪕 Timbo & Lonesome Country @ Jane's Hideaway @ 8p, Free, Info

🪕 Bluegrass Mondays: Frank Rische and friends @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $5, Info

🎸 Open Mic Mondays @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Free, Info

🪕 Val Storey, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle & New Monday @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info

💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 8p, Free, Info

🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info