Welcome to “Keeping Score,” our Friday column that highlights the personalities, teams and games that sports fans are talking about — by the numbers.

I found myself in a lot of conversations about the World Cup this week, and several about the Open Championship, too. The main topics of these chats in the office and talks at the bar were not Spain’s fluid teamwork or Ryan Fox’s birdie putt to win the Open Championship in front of the Royal Birkdale clubhouse. People were way more interested in Bryson DeChambeau's two-shot penalty for improving his lie in the second round (and his petulant threat to withdraw from the tournament if the penalty was assessed). And most of all, people wanted to talk about Argentina employing an arsenal of dirty tricks and dark arts against Spain without even attempting a shot on goal for more than 100 minutes.

But there's another side to these stories. DeChambeau was mostly cheered and not jeered when he returned to play his third round. He's generous with signing autographs. He invites his fans into his rarefied world via TikTok and his YouTube channel. And he can hit the crap out of a golf ball. Such traits are endearing for many. And while I stand with Rory McIlroy and many of my friends and colleagues on the latest Bryson Affair, I'm willing to hear the other side. That's why I love talking about sports.

Speaking of the other side, Argentina weren't going to win a beauty contest against the otherworldly play of Spain in the World Cup final. But I found a lot to admire in a side that did everything they could on the field to defend their trophy, from their gamesmanship and strategic fouls to the intimidation and aggressive challenges that caught up with them in extra time. If not for that red card, Argentina might have pulled off the ultimate smash-and-grab to win the World Cup. And in my own dark heart, I would have been happy for them. Sometimes it's okay to root for the bad guys.

The Week in Numbers

British golfer Charley Hull's score after standing over a 15-foot putt for birdie on the par-5 sixth hole in the ISPS Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links. Warning: Don't watch this video if you're playing golf this weekend. 

The amount of action that Polymarket received on markets for Spain not to defeat Cape Verde in their group-stage game. The game, which propelled Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha into global stardom, ended in a surprising 0-0 draw. It is one of three World Cup games being investigated for betting irregularities.

The longest winning streak in Major League Baseball history, achieved by the 1916 New York Giants. The 2026 Boston Red Sox got to 15 wins in a row to turn their season around before losing 5-1 to the Orioles on Thursday. (The 20-game win streak by the Oakland A's, immortalized in the Moneyball movie, ranks 4th in MLB history.)

Number of high school girls registered to play volleyball in the 2024-2025 school year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Volleyball is now the second most popular sport for high school girls, behind only track and field with 513,808 athletes.

Number of NFL stadiums returning their fields to artificial turf after installing FIFA-mandated grass for the World Cup. In a recent NFL Players Association poll, 92% of players say that they prefer playing on grass over artificial turf.

Amount that a 19-year-old thrift store shopper in Oregon paid for a warm-up jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain. This month, Sotheby's sold the jacket for $89,600.

Goals scored in Kevin Keegan's club career. Keegan, who played for Liverpool, Hamburger SV, Southampton and Newcastle among others, died July 20 at age 75. He'll be honored during Newcastle United and Liverpool's Premier League opener at St. James' Park on Aug. 23.

Number of fans that New Jersey Transit's rail network brought to World Cup games at MetLife Stadium without any major delays.

Provisional offer by a group led by Amit Bhatia, a British-Indian businessman and son-in-law of billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, to buy about 30% of Liverpool Football Club from Fenway Sports Group. Jeff Bezos is considering joining the investment group. The bid is said to value the club at $6 billion. Fenway Sports Group paid $476 million for Liverpool in 2010 so a $6 billion valuation amounts to a 12.6x return (on paper).

Rotten Tomatoes’ rating of The Dink, the first major pickleball movie comedy, being released Friday on Apple TV. The Dink is the story of a down-on-his-luck former tennis pro named Dusty "The Hammer" Boyd who finds redemption and true love on the pickleball circuit. Co-star Mary Steenburgen is a pickleball enthusiast but says that her husband Ted Danson “doesn't want to talk about it, and he won't play with me.” 🎾