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Rugby Sevens and a cap mascot: Devin checks in from Paris Olympics

USA can make Rugby Sevens quarterfinals with win over Uruguay

Antoine Zeghdar of France, gets past the tackle of United States' Steve Tomasin, on the ground during the men's Rugby Sevens Pool C match between France and the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

PARIS – Greetings from our NBC workspace inside the Musee de l’Homme -- the Museum of Man. (We’re in a classroom that’s been fitted as a media center.)

Rugby Sevens has a new fan. I’ve watched rugby over the years, marveling at its wild, unbridled pace and physicality. But Sevens is a different version, compact and even faster. The two halves go by in the blink of an eye -- a game is over in just a little more than 20 minutes. But what an intense 20 minutes it is.

I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet (and then getting to watch) Aaron Cummings, of South Haven. And I completely get why the sport is so appealed to him. They faced a very rowdy French crowd yesterday rooting on the home team at Stade de France, but held up beautifully with a late score to earn a tie. (I’m still getting used to the fact that a score is called a “try,” which would seem to suggest an effort to score rather than an actual score, but I digress.)

They got walloped by Fiji and I quickly understood why Fiji is undefeated since Sevens became an Olympic sport eight years ago. But a win today over Uruguay (which also felt the hammer of Fiji yesterday) will propel the USA into the quarterfinals. All of this before the opening ceremony has even happened, still a day away.

When you come to the Olympics, you tend to see the mascot of the games everywhere, and so it is in France. (Quick note -- the first Olympics with a mascot were the games in Munich in 1972. The mascot was a dachshund named Waldi.) In Paris, the mascot is not an animal, but rather a hat called a “phryge” (pronounced FREEGE).

The phryge is a red cap long associated with freedom in France, and while it may mystify visitors to Paris, polls show that 75% of French adults like the phyrgian cap as a mascot, and perhaps more importantly, 83% of French children approve.

Viva la France.

A bientot,

Devin


About the Authors
Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Digital Executive Producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

Devin Scillian headshot

Devin Scillian is equally at home on your television, on your bookshelf, and on your stereo. Devin anchors the evening newscasts for Local 4. Additionally, he moderates Flashpoint, Local 4's Sunday morning news program. He is also a best-selling author of children's books, and an award-winning musician and songwriter.

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