The worst part about Johnny Gaudreau’s tragic death is that it should never have happened

Driving under the influence is not cool.

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There’s not a single detail in the Johnny Gaudreau story that doesn’t just rip your heart right out of your chest and snatch it in two.

Gaudreau was a beloved hockey player. He’d already made his mark in the NHL as one of the league’s premier players and was only just getting started with the Blue Jackets. His brother, Matthew, 29, was a minor league hockey player, too.

MORE ON JOHNNY GAUDREAU: Fans mourn the loss of the Blue Jackets star

That news alone is incredibly sad. But, with every detail, the story gets worse.

They weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. The brothers Gaudreau were reportedly out for a simple late-night bike ride when they were both struck by a seemingly impatient driver who tried to force their way around another vehicle, according to reporting from ESPN.

We’ve learned the two New Jersey natives had a day ahead of them. The Gaudreau brothers were scheduled to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding in Philadelphia on Friday.

Here’s the worst part: The driver of the vehicle that struck the Gaudreaus was allegedly arrested and charged with two counts of driving under the influence and death by auto, as announced by ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.

Not only did this not have to happen, but it shouldn’t have happened.

Driving under the influence doesn’t just ruin the driver’s life. It doesn’t just end the lives of the victims. It rips families to shreds.

The Gaudreau brothers should be waking up this morning with joy in their hearts. They should be heading to Philly to play their part in the best day of their sister’s life. They should be tying each other’s ties and fixing each other’s collars, making sure that they’re sharp enough for pictures with the family later. Later tonight, they were going to dance until they couldn’t anymore at the wedding reception.

They won’t get to do that now. Instead, their family gets to think about planning two funerals on their sister’s wedding day.

All because someone allegedly decided they were OK to drive last night when they probably knew they shouldn’t have. Calling a rideshare would’ve saved two lives last night. Thousands more lives have been lost to the same story.

There’s not much to say here, man. Don’t drive under the influence. It’s not cool. It never has been. It never will be. There’s no excuse.

An early exit for Carlos Alcaraz

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

In one of the most shocking turn of events in men’s tennis in a long time, Carlos Alcaraz is out in the second round of the US Open.

Not only is he out, but he lost in straight sets to unranked opponent Botic van de Zandschulp, who just easily had the biggest moment of his career. You wouldn’t know it if you were watching the match, though.

Take a look at his reaction after the final point:

This is what acting like you’ve been there before looks like. Van de Zandschulp seems unmoved after taking down arguably the best player in the world.

It’s hard to overstate how big of an upset this is. Alcaraz had just won Wimbledon and the French Open. Van de Zandschulp is unranked. Yet, here we are, with Alcaraz’s season over and Van de Zandschulp moving forward.

What a turn of events. Tennis, man. You’ve got to love it.

College football is still a mad house

Isn’t it just the best? Colorado beat North Dakota State after this wild go-ahead grab in the fourth quarter from Travis Hunter.

The numbers in this one were crazy. Shedeur Sanders finished the game with 445 yards passing and four touchdowns. Hunter finished with 132 yards and three touchdowns. Jimmy Horn Jr. had 198 yards and a touchdown himself.

This one was epic.

On the other end of things, Minnesota mistakenly lit fireworks after…missing a game-winning kick against North Carolina to lose 19-17. This was HILARIOUS.

College football rules, man.

Photo Friday: Travis Hunter, you are ridiculous

Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

How could it be anything other than the Travis Hunter catch? This is art. Charles Curtis says to hang it in the Louvre.

Quick hits: Caitlin Clark, MVP? … Taylor Swift plays … and more

— Rebecca Lobo says Caitlin Clark could enter the MVP conversation. Wouldn’t get my vote, tho. Meg Hall has more.

— Taylor Swift has, apparently, been drawing up some plays for the Chiefs, according to Patrick Mahomes. Andy Reid, do your thing. Charles has more.

— Rutgers gave us the first bad beat of the season for no reason at all. Here’s Blake Schuster with more.

— Here’s Blake again with a dazzling 100-yard kick return from Bowling Green to open their season. Delightful.

— Shedeur Sanders looked good against NDSU, but he definitely threw one of the silliest interceptions we’ll see this season. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.

— Brandon Aiyuk’s new contract has a detail that stunned NFL fans. Here’s Andrew Joseph with more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Enjoy your weekend. Happy Labor Day to you. We’ll see you Tuesday.

-Sykes ✌️