It’s hot in America right now. All across the country, people are experiencing temperatures over 100 degrees. It’s so hot, people are staying in bathtubs filled with ice all day. It’s so hot, San Diego decided to do their whole 4th of July fireworks in 30 seconds so everyone could get back inside for some air conditioning. It’s so hot, Americans were pretending to care about sports like tennis and Olympic track!

As the nation sweltered and celebrated its independence, here are some stories you might’ve missed from the world of sports.

Serena wins Wimbledon!
… Thus forcing American sports writers to Google how to spell Wimbledon (is the e before the l, or after?). Typically, tennis belongs in the category of sports Americans only sorta-kinda follow when the stories are convenient. We’re happy for Serena because she’s one of the few tennis players–American or otherwise–who any of us can name! I don’t mean to hate on the sport; tennis is a grueling game that requires extreme fitness, perseverance and skill. But its titles do not carry a lot of prestige for many of us. The only trophy I know Andy Roddick has ever won is Brooklyn Decker.

(Yeah, sorry, Federer, Roddick could retire from sports and still be a winner.)

Steve Nash is a Laker!
Everyone’s favorite Canadian basketball player is heading to Los Angeles to join with Kobe (and that Cro-Magnon Pau Gasol, assuming he’s not traded) and make the Lakers the most likable powerhouse in the NBA. There’s plenty off-season NBA news to report, but I like this story because it gives the aging Nash his best chance to win the title he so greatly deserves before he retires. And if that doesn’t work out, I’m pretty sure Nash has a great potential career as a superhero/personal trainer.

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Other headlines in the NBA: Lamar Kardashian Odom is coming to the LA Clippers, and there’s a good chance Jeremy Lin is going to the Houston Rockets. Yeah, that’ll help him get out of Yao Ming’s oversized shadow.

It’s All-Star time!
America’s pastime, baseball, goes into the All-Star break this week. Unlike the sure-let-them-score-because-why-not-the-season’s-already-over letdown of the NFL Pro Bowl, MLB’s Avengers-esque super-teams are actually playing for something: home-field advantage for whichever team from their league makes it to the World Series. It’s more ceremonial than anything else. But it’s a reminder that baseball is a great sport (suck it, hockey!) Plus, nothing beats watching the Home Run Derby, especially when it leads to cool moments like last year when Robinson Cano won the Derby with his dad as the pitcher. Baseball might not be the most exciting game, but it sure has heart.

Ready for the Olympics?
At the end of this summer, we all get the really cool experience of watching every country’s greatest (and, if Anthony Davis makes the US Olympic basketball team, ugliest) athletes come together for fierce albeit friendly competition. Four years ago the Olympics made us buzz about the amazing opening ceremonies in Beijing, the unstoppable dominance of Michael Phelps, and the suspect ages of Chinese gymnasts. This year more the most compelling storyline so far has been sprinter Jeneba Tormah’s refusal to race in a runoff for the final spot in the 100m after her trial was too close to call. Quitters never win, Miss Tormah, and we can’t wait to see what happens when all eyes turn to London soon.

USA! USA! USA!

Oh, and I wasn’t kidding about the fireworks show that lasted 30 seconds. Check it out:

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