Adam Rippon Was the Prince of the Olympics

Once we sat down, the game started almost immediately. I kept thinking to myself how intimate the stadium felt. I mean, I’m at arguably one of the most important sports competitions in the world, and my college football stadium is bigger than this. As a result, you can’t help but feel grateful to be there.

For beach volleyball, you get to see two games. We started off by watching Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa from Brazil and Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho from Australia. In each of the three sets, the first team to reach 21 points wins. The first set went to Brazil, Australia took the lead in the second set, and ultimately won the game in the last set. As I watched them, I was sweating my butt off in the stands, thinking to myself how hot the athletes must be.

Between points, or when the players took breaks for water and shade, there were two main 'hype men' or MCs who really got the crowd going. We did the wave, we danced, we waved our flags, and just all around celebrated our respective countries. It was so beautiful to watch everyone being so prideful and patriotic, regardless of whether or not their team was on the field. We even got a visit from Phryge (the 2024 Olympic mascot and my favorite part, personally), who made his appearance as the crowd roared for the little red hat.

The second game was Spain vs. Switzerland. I was very excited for this because I have some skin in the game — my grandma is half Spanish and I have a lot of friends from there, so I rooted for España in solidarity! Liliana Fernandez and Paula Soria of Spain faced off against Swiss players Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli. I was on the edge of my seat the entire game, but ultimately Switzerland took home the win in the first two sets.

This experience is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I feel extremely lucky to have witnessed such solidarity in a world of uncertainty and division. Not to mention, the incredible athleticism and sportsmanship displayed by these women (go girlbosses!) and what they're doing for their respective countries.

It is really true what they say: nothing compares to the real thing. Here are three ways watching the Olympics IRL are so different than watching it on TV.

1. Phryge is even cuter than pictures can do justice

If you're wondering what exactly Phryge, the Olympic mascot, really is — you're not alone. According to the Associated Press, it's been top of mind for a ton of Olympic-goers. And while it may look strange to some, it's actually a personified version of the "bonnet phrygien," a hat often worn to represent the revolutionary efforts in 1780s France. Regardless of the history, though, he was just adorable — basically the cute, less sassy younger sibling to the Duolingo owl.

2. The hype men are way better than commercial breaks

Instead of ads for cars and Coca-cola, when there are breaks in the games, hype me take the stage! They encourage group activities like the wave and other dances while the athletes towel off and grab some water. I honestly had such a good time while they kept us activated and excited!

3. The games are way more intimate than the TV can show

There's something that feels so larger-than-life about the Olympics — and they really are in terms of the energy and excitement. But when it comes to the actual stadium, the entire experience felt intimate. Like I said before, the whole space felt smaller than some high school stadiums, so everyone was close to the action. Meanwhile, when I've watched other matches at home, I felt so detached and far away from it all...almost like it was this abstract thing that was happening, but wasn't particularly concrete.

4. Seeing the camaraderie amongst every country was electric

Even though everyone's specific teams and countries weren't necessarily represented in the matches at hand, the entire crowd pridefully waved their countries flags and cheered on the athletes in front of them alike. It was so incredibly different than being at home where you cheer with your friends and family, likely only watching specific events and usually for the same team. I adored seeing how it didn't matter where you were from or what the match was — everyone was happy to be here and cheer for the Olympics of it all.

Two Words: Celine Dion

After her shocking documentary came out, Celine Dion made a triumphant return to performing during the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Dion's very rare Stiff Person Syndrome made many wonder if the superstar would be able to sing again, and this performance put those rumors to rest. She blew us all away with her stunning vocal performance of "Hymn A L'Amour" — can anyone pass some tissues? 😭

Simone Biles Made An Epic Comeback — And Won Gold With Her Team

Team USA Women's Gymnastics is back and better than ever baby! After a devastating experience in Tokyo, Simone Biles made an epic comeback with this insane floor routine, starting off with an intro I could not deem more appropriate to Taylor Swift's "Are You Ready For It?" And boy were we! Not only did Biles start off her Paris games with a bang, but she did with such elegance and ease. We are so happy to have her back!

Alongside the amazing performances from Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey, the team took home the gold medal!

Women In Fencing Make History

Another incredible win for Team USA, and another historical moment for women! Lee Kiefer won two back-to-back gold medals this week in foil fencing. Her teammate, Lauren Scruggs took home the silver metal and became the first Black fencer to ever win an Olympic medal! Not only is this an incredible moment for the country, but for humankind. This is also the first time the United States has dominated the fencing podium since 1904! History was definitely made, to say the least!

Team USA Proves Rugby Isn't Just For Boys

They have the beauty, the brains, and now they have the BRONZE! The USA Women's Rugby Team is bringing home their first ever Olympic win in history. Rugby is notoriously an intense contact sport — it's fast, it's rough, and often more associated with a male demographic. But this team is showing everyone how truly amazing women sports are. And hey, they got Jason Kelce as a superfan, so you should be too!

True Meaning Of Teammates

Team USA swimmers Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh both bring home medals after they competed side-by-side in the 100 meter butterfly. Though Walsh was the previous record holder, she congratulated Huske on the Gold as they both celebrated their momentous win, wrapped together around the American flag. We couldn't be happier for these amazing Olympic swimming medalists!

One Trick Pony Brings Home The Win With The Men's Gymnastics Team

Stephen Nedoroscik, also known as "Clark Kent" on Tik Tok waited all day to perform his pommel horse routine. Before he began his routine, he took off his glasses — which was a little concerning for spectators — and started his routine. We all quickly realized that he was no joke. He seemingly came out of nowhere and snatched the bronze medal with the rest of Team USA. Now, he's a media phenomenon, and we can't get enough of him!

PS: This is Team USA's first medal since 2008 for men's team gymnastics — so exciting!

Cook'N Bacon Are So In Sync

Synchronized diving has been one of my fave Olympic sports to watch since I was a kid! It's so mesmerizing and obviously incredibly impressive. I am so happy for Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook (affectionately known as "Cook'N Bacon") for brining home the silver medal! This is an amazing achievement for them both, but especially for Team USA who hasn't been on the diving podium since 2012. Wow!

Batten Biked To Silver

Haley Batten took home the silver medal for women's mountain biking race — the best finish for Team USA ever! Her wheel literally broke in the middle of the race, and she still managed to medal. So while the win was incredible to begin with, the fact that she persevered and overcame the odds makes it that much more amazing!

Ledecky Lead The Pack

We already knew Katie Ledecky was incredible, but she only further cemented her jaw-dropping skills during the women's 1500 meter freestyle final! In the longest swimming event at the Olympics, Ledecky consistently lead the pack throughout, and finished over 10 seconds before her silver medal counterpart. She's currently tied with Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Jenny Thompson for the most medals won by a female swimmer — and she doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon, setting her sights on the 2028 Olympics according to ESPN! We can't wait to see what she does next!

Simone And Suni Stack The Podium

After dominating the team finals, Team USA brought home more hardware for women's gymnastics in the individual competition! Suni Lee faced fierce competition in the battle for bronze, needing to nail her final rotation on her floor routine, and did she ever! Lee scored a 13.666, cementing her spot on the podium.

Afterwards, Biles was neck-in-neck for the gold medal against Brazilian gymnast Rebecca Andrade. Andrade gave an incredible performance, definitely earning a lot of pride for Brazil, but at the end of the day Biles upped the ante with what Laurie Hernandez described as one of the hardest routines out there. Earning a 15.066, Biles won the gold medal — the first time an American gymnast has won two gold medals in the individual competition since 1968 according to Today!

Who's returning to the One Tree Hill sequel?

One Tree Hill Sequel Cast

According to Variety, Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton would return as Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer, respectively. Daneel Ackles would also return — and all three would serve as executive producers on the TV show alongside Warner Bros. Television, who was behind the original show.

When asked if he would return as Lucas Scott, Chad Michael Murray simply responded with “No clue." Considering previous reports suggested he had "no plans to return," this is promising news to me! He then added he hopes the sequel series “comes together for the fans.”

“I mean, this fandom that has grown, I mean, literally, I was just in Halifax a week ago and, sure enough, I’m running into 11, 12, 13-year-old kids who are in love with Tree Hill,” he continues. “They’re seeing it on Hulu and they’re going, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It’s stood the test of time and I think to have some new stories, whatever iteration of the show that’s created, I want it for the fans.”

Will One Tree Hill have a season 10?

One Tree Hill Sequel Plot

One Tree Hill doesn't have a season 10, and it's unclear what kind of sequel this new One Tree Hill series would be. But it looks like star Hilarie Burton is confident the new series would be told through the female experience. "What has been really cool for [the entire cast and crew], they're all really proud of the work that we did back then too," she told Brit + Co in September. And so to see the public support this little show we made 20 years later, that's so special and it's so rare."

“Being able to work with a team of women and look at these stories [and] these characters through a female lens is something that — whether I was doing a reboot or a brand-new show or a different movie at this phase in my life, female teamwork is something that is so vital to me,” she adds in an interview with People. “It is the core of anything I've done that's successful...So I'm excited to be able to team up with people that I look up to, people that I love dearly.”

After the One Tree Hill finale featured all of our favorite characters' kids, I've always wanted to see a One Tree Hill next generation series that brings the kids into high school, which is something other fans have been wanting too!

One viral TikTok imagines an intro for a fictional Next Gen series starring Dylan O'Brien, Candice King, and Vanessa Marano. "Could you imagine this as a reboot with the kids though," one comment reads. "We can only dream."

And good news for OTH fans! Jana Kramer, who played Alex during the later seasons of the show, teased she thinks Peyton and Brooke "are coming back as moms."

"I had spoken to Hilarie about it, about Alex making an appearance when I knew about it," she tells People. "We had discussed it before the news broke...I think their intention is to bring back people that make sense. And Hilarie was like, 'I never got to meet Alex, so it'd be fun to have us meet,' and I'm like, 'I would love that. Sign me up.' So, we'll see. TBD."

Brooke having to deal with her kids' TikToks? Peyton thinking about the future of art and AI? Mouth leading the Tree Hill podcast empire? There is so much to dive into here. But all in all, One Tree Hill is one TV show that gives me so much hope, no matter how many times I watch it. And I know that bringing back our favorite found family is the perfect way to bring some of that hope right back into today's TV.

One Tree Hill also starred Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Austin Nichols, Bethany Joy Lenz, Paul Johansson, Barbara Alyn Woods, Lee Norris, and Antwon Tanner. Check back here for the latest updates on the One Tree Hill reboot cast!

What do you think about the One Tree Hill sequel?! Stay tuned for the latest news and read up on how This One Moment Proves Brooke Davis Is The Best Character On One Tree Hill.