Hey there weekday warriors,

(Heads up, if you already know the yuge news about the future of The Water Coolest, you can skip this part...)

By now you've probably seen the headlines and the posts about some changes at Barstool. And, well, things are changing on my end too...

After nearly two years at Barstool, The Water Coolest is going independent (again). And I'll be in the driver's seat, which means not a damn thing is going to change (except, the logo and some legal language... obviously).

"So, do I have to do anything?" - you, probably

Yep. We'll be sending from thewatercoolest.com domain (again). So, to ensure you always get the emails, you should tell your email provider that you're cool with getting emails from [email protected].

Here's how to do it...

1. Add [email protected] to your address book/tell your email provider we're safe (here are instructions for every email provider).

2. That's it.

I appreciate you coming along for the ride. And if you have any questions, you can reach out directly at [email protected].

Keep on snapping necks and cashing checks,

Tyler

PS, Have some questions? Concerns? Been hoping to collab? Just want to chat? Drop me a note >

+ US stocks "closed higher to snap a three-day losing streak on Wednesday as data showing the pace of private job growth slowed to a 32-month low eased fears somewhat that the Federal Reserve may not need to hike again before year-end, halting the recent rise in Treasury yields." (Investing.com)

+ The 10-year yield "inched down from multiyear highs on Wednesday after new jobs data showed tentative signs of a weakening labor market." (Investors)

+ Oil "fell about 2% on Thursday, extending the previous session's losses of nearly 6%, as worries about fuel demand outweighed an OPEC+ decision to maintain oil output cuts, keeping supply tight." (Reuters)

Top Golf League

ESPN has got a fever, and the only prescription is more live sports.

It appears that Bob Iger DGAF about what sort of half-baked, made-for-ESPN-The-Ocho sports rights he can get his hands on. Disney inked a deal with TGL that secures the broadcast rights​ for the golf league started by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Terms of the multi-year deal weren't disclosed.

Despite the star power (in addition to Tiger and Rory, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler have signed on to play), I use the term "league" lightly. The 2-hour matches will be filmed at a special high-tech arena in Florida. And if there's something more depressing than spending your winter watching rich guys play what is essentially Top Golf, I can't think of it...

ESPN and ESPN+ will carry the matches​ starting January 9th... the night after the College Football Championship game. ABC will run a preview the week prior to drum up some interest.

The times they are a-changin...

It's a terrible time to be a gold purist. Not only is the TGL revolutionizing the game, but the PGA is currently in talks to merge with the LIV Tour.

For those of you who don't want a US-based sports league getting in bed with a country that has a questionable (at best) human rights record, there's some hope yet. Several American investors have approached the PGA​ about cutting out the Saudi Public Investment Fund (which owns the LIV Tour) altogether.

+ Buying a Used Car Isn’t Easy. Start With These 5 Steps. (Read)

+ The New Jobs for Humans in the AI Era (Read)

+ ICYMI yesterday... Millennials on Better Track for Retirement Than Boomers and Gen X (Read)

+ Rivian shares fell nearly 23% yesterday after the EV maker, that's giving Nikola a run for its money, said it would offer $1.5B in convertible notes. Spoiler: it needs more cash to fuel its incredibly capital intensive business, which spooked investors. On the bright side, at least the company doesn't have to negotiate with the UAW...

Also on Thursday, the Tesla "competitor" reported preliminary earnings that were in line with the Street's expectations. Something tells me RIVN's CFO was really hoping that the premature results were going to lessen the blow of tapping debt markets. Its cash position dropping $9.1B from $10.2B last quarter likely didn't help. (Read)

What else?

+ "Where we're going, we don't need headlines." - probably how Elon requested the removal of headlines from X.com. Remember this summer when Elon said he wanted to improve the aesthetic of your timeline by removing headlines from linked articles? Welp, he pulled the trigger, and the result is, well, weird looking... (Read)

+ Modelo continues to eat Bud Light's lunch. Constellation Brands, which makes Modelo and Corona, put up another monster quarter thanks largely to AB InBev being down horrendously. The company posted double-digit beer sales growth on its way to a top and bottom line beat. But wait, there's more... Constellation also raised its fiscal 2024 outlook. (Read)

+ Bah gawd, that's Exxon's music. The big swingin oil major is this close to acquiring Pioneer Natural Resources for ~$60B. Friendly reminder: Exxon had made a play for the shale drilling OG back in April. Apparently, all it took was $90 oil to get Exxon to open up its wallet again. (Read)

+ The Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie has already sold more than $100M worth of tickets. This thing is about to make a Marvel movie look like an indie flick. Shares of AMC rose on the news... obviously. (Read)

Here's what I'm keeping an eye on today...

+ All eyes will be on the September jobs report

Yesterday, I asked What was the best phone of all time?

The StarTAC and Razr were fan favorites. A bunch of Crackberrys made the list too. But my favorite pick was the ESPN phone.

Here's today's question...

Modelo is America's new beer of choice, but...

If you had to drink one beer for the rest of time, what would it be?

Respond directly to this email and I'll share the best answers tomorrow.