Members phkrause Posted April 4 Author Members Posted April 4 👋 Good morning! The Dodgers entered the season with the best World Series odds in over 20 years. Even that might have undersold them. In today's edition: Ohtani's walk-off homer, Melo makes the Hall (but Sonny remains a puzzling omission), the U.S. Open Cup, Baltimore's fashion statement, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏒 Three. Goals. Away: Alex Ovechkin cannot be stopped, scoring in his third straight game to move within three goals of passing Wayne Gretzky. 🏀 JuJu wins POY: USC's JuJu Watkins was named the Naismith Player of the Year, beating out UConn's Paige Bueckers, Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and UCLA's Lauren Betts to become the first Trojan to win the award since Lisa Leslie in 1994. 🎄 Merry Chiefsmas: The Chiefs have requested that the NFL make them a fixture on Christmas Day, much like the Lions and Cowboys play every Thanksgiving. ⚾️ Extensions galore: Padres CF Jackson Merrill (9 years, $135M), Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte (6 years, $116M), Red Sox 2B Kristian Campbell (8 years, $60M) and Red Sox LHP Garrett Crochet (6 years, $170M) all inked new deals. 🏀 Houston clinches: The Rockets won their 50th game of the season to clinch their first playoff berth in five years. Not bad for a team that won 22 games just two years ago. ⚾️ SHOTIME OHTANI IS INEVITABLE (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Shohei Ohtani hit a walk-off home run on his bobblehead night to lift the Dodgers past the Braves and into the record books: They are now the first defending World Series champions ever to start the season 8-0. (Atlanta, meanwhile, falls to 0-7.) (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Dodger Stadium rose to its collective feet when their beloved superstar stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied 5-5. First pitch he sees: Gone. Game over. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 🎙️ Joe Davis on the call: "Ohtani! Inevitable!" (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) NL West dominance: The Dodgers (8-0), Padres (7-0), Giants (5-1) and Diamondbacks (4-2) are off to a combined 24-3 start, which is pretty ridiculous. The poor Rockies are already in the basement at 1-4. 🏀 CLASS OF 2025 HOOPS HALL: THE NEWEST MEMBER (Elsa/Getty Images) Carmelo Anthony will enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame when the Class of 2025 is announced this weekend at the Final Four. He got in on his first ballot thanks to a résumé that includes an NCAA title, three Olympic gold medals and lots and lots of NBA buckets. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine: Over the past quarter-century, the NBA game has largely transformed from a grimy, physical, elbows-and-in slugfest into a more streamlined, faster-paced and immaculately spaced factory for creating layups, 3-pointers and free throws. This shift has generated the most efficient and effective offenses the sport has ever seen. It has also generated no shortage of arguments about whether said sea change is, in and of itself, a good thing — about the scourge of stylistic homogeneity, about forsaking art for math, and about whether something might be lost in the relentless pursuit of increased efficiency. Reasonable people can disagree on the relative merits of back-in-the-day ball and the post-Moreyball model. (Unreasonable people can, too. And they do. Most hours of the day and night. On pretty much every sports television, radio and podcast outlet.) You'd like to think, though, that even the most ardent adherent of the modern game can feel stirred by watching a heavyweight deliver knockouts in a phone booth; can find joy in watching a craftsman create something simple and effective with tools honed over countless hours; can see the beauty in pristine and refined footwork, timing and form translate into points. Man, it was fun to watch Carmelo Anthony cook. 🏀 CLASS OF 2025 HOOPS HALL: A GLARING OMISSION Sonny Vacarro (center) stands alongside LeBron James during the 2003 Roundball Classic, which Vacarro founded. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) Anthony will be joined in the Class of 2025 by other players, coaches and contributors. Sonny Vacarro will not be among them, extending one of the puzzling omissions in sports, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel. Sole man: Vaccaro is most famous for signing Michael Jordan to an endorsement at Nike (the plot of the 2023 movie "Air"). But he also founded the first national high school all-star game, created the popular ABCD Camp, and came up with the idea of signing college athletic departments to shoe deals. And that was all before Phil Knight fired him in 1991. After a split from Nike, Vaccaro brought Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady to Adidas and began the so-called "shoe wars," which led to massive sponsorship dollars being poured into high school and travel teams across the country and eventually the world. To pretend the game of basketball — from city playgrounds to the pro arenas — wasn't significantly impacted by Vaccaro, that his "contributions" to it are somehow non-Hall worthy is ludicrous. You simply can't tell the story of the sport without him. So what gives? The problem with Vaccaro's candidacy appears to be the enemies he made along the way. No matter his job title, he was always a fierce and outspoken proponent of players' rights, especially against the NCAA. Maybe a still bitter college sports industry is leaning on the process. Or maybe it is Nike, who engaged in decades of discord after firing Vaccaro. Whatever it is, he didn't even make the finalist stage. "I don't know what it takes," said Vaccaro, 85, from his home in California. "But I'm not going to dwell on it. It's not some slight, because I've lived a pretty damn good life." ⚽️ THIRD ROUND U.S. OPEN CUP: 48 TEAMS REMAIN El Farolito's Edgard Kreye celebrates their upset victory. (Doug Zimmerman/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images) The second round of the U.S. Open Cup concluded on Wednesday, leaving 48 teams still contending in the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition, Jeff writes. How it works: The tournament features teams from every level of the U.S. soccer pyramid, which includes three professional divisions and numerous amateur and semi-pro leagues. Division I: MLS Division II: USL Championship Division III: USL League One, MLS Next Pro Further down: Other notable leagues include the National Premier Soccer League, United Premier Soccer League and USL League Two. Where it stands: 16 clubs from 13 different states punched tickets to the third round this week, with four hailing from USLC, nine from USL1 and two from MLS Next Pro. Then there's El Farolito of the NPSL, an amateur side that won the 1993 U.S. Open Cup and are named after the owner's San Francisco burrito shop. They made it to the third round last year, too. Florida (2): Miami FC (USLC), FC Naples (USL1) Georgia: Tormenta FC (USL1) North Carolina: Charlotte Independence (USL1) California (2): AV Alta FC (USL1), El Farolito SC (NPSL) Maine: Portland Hearts of Pine (USL1) Nebraska: Union Omaha (USL1) New York: Westchester SC (USL1) Ohio: Columbus Crew 2 (MLS Next Pro) Oklahoma: FC Tulsa (USLC) Tennessee (2): Chattanooga Red Wolves (USL1), One Knoxville SC (USL1) Texas: El Paso Locomotive (USLC) Virginia: Loudoun United (USLC) Washington: Tacoma Defiance (MLS Next Pro) What's next: These 16 teams will be joined in the third round by the 16 highest-seeded USLC clubs (including 2024 quarterfinalists Indy Eleven, New Mexico United and Sacramento Republic). 16 MLS teams will then enter the tournament in the Round of 32. 📺 TITLE GAME WATCHLIST: NIT CHAMPIONSHIP (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The 87th NIT championship game is tonight in Indianapolis (9pm ET, ESPN), where the UC Irvine Anteaters will take on the Chattanooga Mocs, Jeff writes. The former big brother: The NIT (founded in 1938) predates the NCAA tournament (1939), and for decades it was college basketball's most prestigious national championship. But by the 1970s, the tournament now known as March Madness had become the sport's premier event. More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Grizzlies at Heat (7:30pm, TNT); Warriors at Lakers (10pm, TNT) … Los Angeles goes for its first season sweep over Golden State since 2019-20. 🏒 NHL: Jets at Golden Knights (10pm, ESPN+) … First place in the Central vs. first place in the Pacific. Winnipeg leads the league in points (106). ⛳️ Women's Golf: Augusta National Women's Amateur (1:30pm, Golf) … Megha Ganne (-9) shattered the tournament scoring record in Round 1. ⚾️ NCAA Baseball: No. 7 LSU at No. 10 Oklahoma (7pm, ESPN2) … The SEC has eight of the top 10 teams in the country. Plus: PFL World Tournament (7:30pm, ESPN+; 10pm, ESPN2); Round 1 of the PGA Tour's Texas Open (8:15am, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf); Round 2 of the College Basketball Crown (7-9:30pm, FS1); Round of 16 at the WTA's Charleston Open (11am, Tennis) How the new NFL rules on kickoffs and overtime will work The one-year trial version of the dynamic kickoff in the NFL led to an uptick in the return rate that wasn’t quite as much as the league had hoped. Now the new form of the kickoff that is more like a scrimmage play is permanent with a change for 2025 that the league hopes will lead to a significant increase in returns. Read More. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 5 Author Members Posted April 5 ⚾️ 1 fun thing: "Torpedo bats" are all the rage Cody Bellinger of the Yankees uses a torpedo bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The "torpedo bat" is the hottest thing in baseball — and manufacturers can barely keep up with demand. It's been less than a week since the Yankees hit nine home runs in one game using torpedo bats, and that performance has sent demand through the roof. 🧢 How it works: The new design shifts some weight away from the end of the bat and toward the middle. Players can swing faster, and the impact can be greater when the bat hits a ball. The end is shaped a little like a bowling pin. Victus — MLB's official bat maker — produced its first torpedo bats last year, at the Yankees' request. It made about a dozen, and then another dozen this spring. In the past week, it's pumped out hundreds of them. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 5 Author Members Posted April 5 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏀 Filling up the box score: Giannis Antetokounmpo had a historic stat line in the Bucks' win over the 76ers, putting up 35 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists. 🏈 NFL offseason: The Cardinals made Trey McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL history (4 years, $76M), the Raiders extended QB Geno Smith (2 years, $75M) and the Cowboys traded for Patriots QB Joe Milton III. ⚽️ USA 2031: The United States is all but certain to host the 2031 Women's World Cup, as U.S. Soccer will bid unopposed. Other CONCACAF members may also join the bid. 🏀 NIT champs: Chattanooga beat UC Irvine in a wild NIT title game, forcing overtime before holding on to win, 85-84, when the Anteaters' last-second layup just missed. ⚾️ Cincy can't score: The Reds have lost three consecutive games by a score of 1-0, becoming just the second team since 1917 to accomplish that particular feat of futility. No team has ever lost four such games in a row. 🏀 MARCH MADNESS WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR: MEET THE SEMIFINALISTS (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) A quartet of juggernauts take the floor tonight in Tampa for the women's Final Four, where No. 1 UCLA, No. 1 South Carolina, No. 1 Texas and No. 2 UConn enter the national semifinals with a combined record of 138-11, Jeff writes. UCLA vs. UConn: The Huskies are in their record 24th Final Four, while the Bruins are in their first and are trying to become the first Big Ten team to win it all since Purdue in 1999. Coaches: No coach in men's or women's hoops has more wins than UConn's Geno Auriemma (1,248), but this year it was UCLA's Cori Close that was named both the Naismith and AP Coach of the Year in her 14th season leading the Bruins. Stars: UConn's Paige Bueckers, a unanimous first-team All-American, has scored 105 points in her last three games, the most ever by a Husky in any three-game span. UCLA's Lauren Betts, also a unanimous first-team All-American, was named the Naismith DPOY. South Carolina vs. Texas: This SEC rematch pits the Longhorns, seeking their first title since 1986, against the Gamecocks, who are trying to join UConn, Tennessee and USC as the only programs to win back-to-back women's national championships. Coaches: South Carolina's Dawn Staley, a four-time Coach of the Year, seeks her fourth title since 2017 — but Texas' Vic Schaefer knows something about taking down giants: His Mississippi State team snapped UConn's 111-game win streak in the 2017 Final Four. Stars: First-team All-American Madison Booker is a force for the Longhorns, while the Gamecocks are built on depth rather than star power: Five different players lead the team in the five major stats. Title odds: UConn is the favorite (-165 at BetMGM), followed by South Carolina (+275), UCLA (+800) and Texas (+900). 🏀 MARCH MADNESS MEN'S FINAL FOUR: MEET THE SEMIFINALISTS (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports) All four No. 1 seeds reached the men's Final Four for the first time since 2008, and they'll take the floor tomorrow in San Antonio as perhaps the strongest crop of semifinalists since the field expanded in 1985, Jeff writes. Auburn vs. Florida: The two teams that finished atop the historically great SEC meet for the first time since early February, when the Gators bested the Tigers. Coaches: Bruce Pearl — who's led the Tigers to their only two Final Fours — coached Florida's Todd Golden in the 2009 Maccabiah Games, then hired him as Auburn's director of basketball operations when he took over as head coach in 2014. Stars: First-team All-Americans Johni Broome (coming off two monster double-doubles for Auburn) and Walter Clayton Jr. (who dropped 30 in Florida's comeback Elite Eight victory) headline this matchup. Duke vs. Houston: What happens when the immovable object meets the unstoppable force? We'll find out soon as the Blue Devils' No. 1 offense takes on the Cougars' No. 1 defense. Coaches: Jon Scheyer won a championship with Duke as a player in 2010 and an assistant in 2015; can he add one as a head coach? Kelvin Sampson has won 30 tournament games in 32 seasons, but he's still seeking that elusive first title. Stars: Cooper Flagg is authoring one of the greatest freshman seasons ever, leading Duke in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Houston's LJ Cryer, a Wooden All-American, has been here before, winning the 2021 title with Baylor as a freshman. Title odds: Duke is the favorite (-110 at BetMGM), followed by Florida (+300), Houston (+450) and Auburn (+575). 🏀 RECORD BOOKS CHASING 70 WINS Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are chasing history. (Tayfun Coskun /Anadolu via Getty Images) Oklahoma City's chase for 70 wins is still alive with six games to go. Where it stands: The Thunder (64-12) have won 11 straight games and lost just twice since the All-Star break, putting them in position to join the 1995-96 Bulls and 2015-16 Warriors as the only 70-win teams in NBA history. Remaining schedule: Tonight: at Rockets Sunday: vs. Lakers April 8: vs. Lakers April 9: at Suns April 11: at Jazz April 13: at Pelicans Wild stat: 50 of OKC's 64 victories have come by 10+ points, tied with the 1971-72 Lakers for the most double-digit wins in league history. 📺 FINAL FOUR WATCHLIST: 136 TEAMS ENTERED, EIGHT REMAIN Florida celebrates earning a trip back to the Final Four. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Here's your Final Four slate: Women (Friday): No. 1 Texas vs. No. 1 South Carolina (7pm ET, ESPN); No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 2 UConn (9pm, ESPN) … Championship on Sunday (3pm, ABC). Men (Saturday): No. 1 Florida vs. No. 1 Auburn (6:09pm, CBS); No. 1 Duke vs. No. 1 Houston (8:49pm, CBS) … Championship on Monday (8:50pm, CBS). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Suns at Celtics (Fri. 7:30pm, NBA); Nuggets at Warriors (Fri. 10pm, NBA); Grizzlies at Pistons (Sat. 7pm, NBA); Lakers at Thunder (Sun. 3:30pm, NBA); Kings at Cavs (Sun. 6pm, NBA); Rockets at Warriors (Sun. 8:30pm, NBA) 🏒 NHL: Rangers at Devils (Sat. 12:30pm, ABC); Penguins at Stars (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Capitals at Islanders (Sun. 12:30pm, TNT); Stars at Wild (Sun. 3pm, TNT); Panthers at Red Wings (Sun. 5:30pm, TNT); Golden Knights at Canucks (Sun. 10pm, ESPN) ⚾️ MLB: Dodgers at Phillies (Fri. 6:45pm, Apple; Sat. 4pm, FS1); Rays at Rangers (Fri. 8pm, Apple); Cardinals at Red Sox (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) 👟 Grand Slam Track: Jamaica (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … 96 men and women compete in the inaugural event. ⚽️ Premier League: Manchester United vs. Manchester City (Sun. 11:30am, NBC) … Both sides are having down years, but it's still the Manchester Derby. 🇺🇸 Friendly: USWNT vs. Brazil (Sat. 5pm, TNT) … At SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. 🏁 F1: Japanese GP (Sun. 1am, ESPN) … At Suzuka Circuit, 50 miles east of Kyoto. ⛳️ Golf: Texas Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/NBC); Augusta National Women's Amateur (Sat. 12pm, NBC); LIV Miami (Fri-Sun, Fox/FS1) 🏀 Women's NIT: Troy at Buffalo (Sat. 5pm, CBSSN) … Championship. Plus… 15 MLS games (Sat-Sun, Apple); NASCAR at Darlington Raceway (Sun. 3pm, FS1); UFL Week 2 (Fri-Sun, Fox/ABC/ESPN); Boys and Girls Chipotle Nationals (Fri-Sat, ESPN2/ESPNU); College Basketball Crown (Sat-Sun, FS1/Fox). Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 6 Author Members Posted April 6 🏀 Who's maddest for March Data: Roku ACR Data; Map: Jacque Schrag/Axios Roughly, 1 in 5 Roku users in Sioux Falls, S.D., watched the first round of the women's NCAA tournament — more than any other market, Axios' Maxwell Millington reports. Columbia, S.C. — home to the defending champion Gamecocks — stole the viewership crown for the Elite 8, after South Dakota State was eliminated. 💙 Lexington, Ky., had the highest viewership for the first two rounds of the men's tournament. Kentucky made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019 under its new head coach, former UK player Mark Pope. 🏆 What's next: The women's Final Four tips off tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The championship game is Sunday. The men's Final Four begins tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET on CBS, with the championship on Monday. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 6 Author Members Posted April 6 ICYMI: UConn and South Carolina both cruised to victory in the Women's Final Four, setting up a clash of titans for Sunday's championship — and a rematch of the 2022 title game. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. BEST FINAL FOUR EVER? (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The 2025 Men's Final Four is here, and it just might be the best one ever — on paper, at least. By the numbers: Since the 1996-97 season, KenPom has been ranking college basketball teams. This year's Final Four teams all rank in the top 10 by net rating (how many points they would outscore the "average" team by): 1998-99 Duke: +43.0 2024-25 Duke: +39.6 2000-01 Duke: +37.3 2014-15 Kentucky: +36.9 2020-21 Gonzaga: +36.5 2024-25 Houston: +36.5 2023-24 UConn: +36.4 2024-25 Florida: +36.0 2007-08 Kansas: +35.2 2024-25 Auburn: +35.2 Plus: Today's games will also feature the projected No. 1 NBA draft pick (Cooper Flagg) and three of the five finalists for the Wooden Award (Flagg, Johni Broome, Walter Clayton Jr.). Schedule: Florida (-2.5) vs. Auburn (6:09pm ET, CBS) Duke (-4.5) vs. Houston (8:49pm, CBS) Get your popcorn ready. RANKING THE STARTERS (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The player pool at the Final Four reflects that there's more than one way to build a title contender. But however these rosters were constructed, star power will surely play a major role this weekend. All 20 starters, ranked: Cooper Flagg (G/F, Duke) Johni Broome (F/C, Auburn) Walter Clayton Jr. (G, Florida) Kon Knueppel (G, Duke) LJ Cryer (G, Houston) Alijah Martin (G, Florida) Milos Uzan (G, Houston) Khaman Maluach (C, Duke) Will Richard (G, Florida) Alex Condon (F/C, Florida) J'Wan Roberts (F, Houston) Denver Jones (G, Auburn) JoJo Tugler (F, Houston) Chad Baker-Mazara (G, Auburn) Tyrese Proctor (G, Duke) Miles Kelly (G, Auburn) Emanuel Sharp (G, Houston) Sion James (G, Duke) Dylan Cardwell (C, Auburn) Rueben Chinyelu (C, Florida) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 7 Author Members Posted April 7 🏀 1 for the road: Madness finale Houston's J'Wan Roberts dunks during the Final Four in San Antonio yesterday. Photo: Eric Gay/AP The final matchups for the men's and women's NCAA tournaments are set. For the men: The Florida Gators face the Houston Cougars, who took out the Vegas favorites, Duke, in a thriller last night. Houston went on a 9–0 run in the final 35 seconds to clinch the win. For the women: The UConn Huskies will take on the USC Gamecocks, the defending champs. UConn's Paige Bueckers takes a shot against UCLA at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa on Friday. Photo: Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images The women's final tips off today at 3 p.m. ET. The men's game is at 8:50 p.m. ET tomorrow. Men's lookahead ... Women's lookahead. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 7 Author Members Posted April 7 🏒 1 puck thing: Winning the Gr8 Chase Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring his 895th career goal, in Elmont, N.Y., yesterday. Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images Alex Ovechkin fired just about the perfect shot from the place on the ice that has defined his remarkable career. When the puck hit the net, it made him the top goal scorer in NHL history, AP reports. Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's record by scoring his 895th career goal yesterday as his Washington Capitals battled the New York Islanders. Ovechkin took a cross-ice pass from longtime teammate Tom Wilson and fired a laser, rewriting a record many thought would never be broken. Ovechkin poses with the puck used during his 895th career goal. Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images With the excitement of a child, the 39-year-old Russian superstar belly-flopped onto the ice as tens of thousands of fans around him cheered and chanted: "OVI! OVI!" Teammates streamed off the bench, mobbing him in celebration. The ultimate footnote: Islanders beat Caps, 4-1. 1-min. video: "Ovechkin fires! SCOOOORE! The chasing days are done!" Ovi speaks ... How it happened. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 7 Author Members Posted April 7 UConn returns to top of women’s basketball, dominates South Carolina 82-59 to capture its 12th title TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — During the final sweet moments of UConn’s 12th national title, Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers embraced after the star guard departed her final game with the Huskies. https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-uconn-south-carolina-score-436609663d4d5d5203012ba71e852784? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 7 Author Members Posted April 7 👋 Good morning! The global economy is imploding, but at least we have sports. And the sports were very good this weekend. In today's edition: Ovechkin passes Gretzky, UConn cruises to 12th title, Houston vs. Florida for all the marbles, Vladdy gets $500 million, Judge matches Ruth, parachute mishap in France, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS ⚾️ Half a billion for Vladdy: The Blue Jays have signed superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million extension. It's the third-largest contract in MLB history and could effectively keep him in Toronto for the rest of his career (he'll be 40 when the deal expires in 2039). 🏀 Class of 2025: Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Billy Donovan and "The Redeem Team" (2008 USA Olympic Men's Team) headline the Naismith Hall of Fame's Class of 2025, which will be enshrined in September. ⛳️ Spaniard wins Augusta: 21-year-old Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain won the sixth edition of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. The Kansas State senior finished one shot ahead of 16-year-old American Asterisk Talley. ⚽️ USA 2, Brazil 0: Eight months after beating Brazil by one goal in the Olympic final, the USWNT did one better, beating Brazil by two goals in Saturday's friendly in Los Angeles. The two sides will play again tomorrow in San Jose. ⚾️ Ohtani takes the mound: Shohei Ohtani threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Saturday as he moves closer to his eventual return. The ultimate plan is to have him ready for the postseason, but he could join the Dodgers' starting rotation long before then. 🏒 RECORD BOOKS THE GR8 CHASE IS COMPLETE (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) On April 6, 2004, the Capitals won the NHL draft lottery and the right to select Russian phenom Alex Ovechkin with the first overall pick. Exactly 21 years later, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal — all with Washington — to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL record. Ovechkin: 895 goals in 1,487 games Gretzky: 894 goals in 1,487 games Historic moment: Ovechkin's record-breaking goal fittingly came on the power play, where the 39-year-old has made a living for the past two decades. It also fittingly came against the Islanders, just like Gretzky's goal in 1994 that moved him past Gordie Howe. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Passing the torch: The game was paused for a brief ceremony to honor the occasion. There on the ice was Gretzky, who exchanged hugs and a handshake with the man he's been following around for the last week. Like Howe, Gretzky held the record for 31 years. Should that pattern continue, Ovi will be crowning the new goal-scoring king in 2056. See you then! (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Ovechkin: "What a day, huh? Like I always said, it's a team sport. And without my boys, the whole organization, the fans, the trainers, coaches, I would never stand here," said "The Great Eight," who dove to the ice to celebrate his goal and was immediately mobbed by teammates. "Fellas, thank you so much. I love you so much." The ageless wonder: Gretzky's record was long considered unbreakable — partly because nobody thought Ovechkin, or anyone, could score this many goals this late into a career. But like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Serena Williams and other contemporaries who thrived late into their 30s (and early 40s), Ovi has redefined what's possible. Gretzky averaged 20.7 goals per season from age 32 until retirement. Since Ovechkin turned 32, he's averaged more than double that number (42.1 goals per season), and he isn't slowing down. In fact, he's currently averaging a career-best 2.3 goals per 60 minutes. At 39! That's what made the "GR8 CHASE" so great: Ovechkin isn't some washed up veteran padding his stats on a hopeless roster; he's a legitimate superstar playing a leading role for the Eastern Conference's best team. Consider this: Ovechkin's 42 goals this season are fourth-most in the league, and the three players ahead of him (Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl, Toronto's William Nylander and Buffalo's Tage Thompson) were all nine years old or younger when he made his NHL debut. How many goals can he score? "Is 1,000 a possibility?" asked Michael Phelps. To which I say: Probably not, Michael Phelps. While the sky appears to be the limit for the Russian goal-scoring machine, Ovi recently divulged that next season will likely be his last with the Caps, and he has said that he'd like to finish his career with his hometown team, Dynamo Moscow. 🏀 BACK ON TOP UCONN CRUISES TO 12TH TITLE (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) UConn destroyed South Carolina, 82-59, on Sunday in Tampa to win its 12th national championship, surpassing the UCLA men for the most all-time in D-I basketball. A return to glory: Sunday's victory ended a nine-year title drought for Geno Auriemma's powerhouse program, which has now cut down the nets in four consecutive decades. Huskies titles: 1995 2000 2002-04 (3x) 2009-10 (2x) 2013-16 (4x) 2025 Curtain call: After five years of pain and disappointment, Paige Bueckers finally got her storybook ending and exited Sunday's game to a round of applause — and a big hug from Auriemma. "He told me he loved me and I told him I hated him," joked the UConn legend. "Nah, I love that man more than words can describe." Game notes: Most Outstanding Player: Azzi Fudd was named Final Four MOP after scoring 24 points on Sunday and 19 points on Friday. The former No. 1 overall recruit has already announced that she will forgo the WNBA draft and return to UConn next season. Freshman sensation: Sarah Strong had 24 points and 15 rebounds on Sunday and finished with 114 points in six March Madness games, breaking Tamika Catchings' record for most points by a freshman in a single NCAA tournament. South Carolina's nemesis: The Gamecocks are 72-4 over the past two seasons. Two of those losses came at the hands of this year's Huskies, who blew them out by 28 points in February and 23 points on Sunday. Why we love sports: In a society obsessed with winning and losing, sports are the ultimate form of meritocracy. Yet at their very core is a shared sense of respect and understanding between both sides. That's the beauty of it, as Auriemma explained: "[Paige Bueckers] deserves to go out as a national champion, but so do a bunch of kids at South Carolina that have done the exact same thing. That's the beauty of it: Only one of those is going to get to be able to do that." 🏀 SURVIVE AND ADVANCE MEN'S FINAL FOUR: A THRILLING NIGHT AT THE ALAMODOME (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) The 2025 Men's Final Four didn't just feature four No. 1 seeds; it featured four of the best teams in recent memory. Saturday's semifinals delivered on that promise with two highly entertaining games, one miracle comeback and 15.3 million average viewers (most since 2017). Houston 70, Duke 67: Up six with less than a minute left, Duke was oh-so-close to a title game berth and a chance to match UNC with six national championships. Instead, the Blue Devils' dream season turned into a nightmare in a stunning loss to the Cougars, who went on a 11-1 run in the final 74 seconds to win their 18th straight game. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Florida 79, Auburn 73: The Tigers took an eight-point lead into halftime of the first all-SEC Final Four showdown. But the Gators took command in the second half behind Walter Clayton Jr. (34 points), who became the first player with back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and Final Four since Larry Bird in 1979. 📊 STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS (Joe Sargent/MLB Photos via Getty Images) ⚾️ 321 home runs Babe Ruth hit 321 home runs in his first 1,000 games as a Yankee. Aaron Judge did the exact same thing, smashing home run No. 321 on Friday in his 1,000th game. The 21st century "Sultan of Swat" is off to a red-hot start this season: He leads both leagues in homers (6) and his 17 RBI through New York's first seven games tied an MLB record. ⛳️ 96 golfers The field is set for the 2025 Masters: 96 golfers, representing over 20 countries, will tee off this week at Augusta National in the first major of the season. It's the eighth-largest field in the 89-year history of the tournament. 🏀 1,394 threes The Celtics have made 1,394 three-pointers through 78 games (17.9 per game). That's already the most ever in an NBA season, surpassing the mark previously held by the 2022-23 Warriors, who splashed home 1,363 triples in 82 games (16.6 per game). 📺 GRAND FINALE WATCHLIST: A CHAMPION WILL BE CROWNED (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Who will cut down the nets in San Antonio? We'll find out tonight (8:50pm ET, CBS) when Florida (-1.5 at BetMGM) and Houston meet in the NCAA tournament's grand finale. The Gators and Cougars have three combined losses since the end of January, and two of those three losses came on February 1. Florida holds the edge in national titles (2-0), while Houston holds the head-to-head advantage (2-0), with both wins coming in the 1970s. The intrigue: These teams like to play very different styles of basketball, which should make for a fascinating matchup. Houston has the nation's No. 1 scoring defense (58.5 points allowed per game), while Florida has the No. 3 scoring offense (85.3 points per game). More to watch… Honestly, not much else today aside from two NBA games, five NHL games and 11 MLB games. There's also two hours of coverage from the Augusta National practice area (12-2pm, CBSSN) for all you golf sickos. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 8 Author Members Posted April 8 One combined Final Four? Talks of a joint NCAA Tournament showcase for the men and women resurface It’s not a new conversation, but Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman believes the exponential growth of women’s basketball in a landscape long dominated by the men makes now an ideal time for a joint Final Four. Read More. 🏀 UConn celebrates No. 12 Confetti showers as UConn wins its 12th title after routing South Carolina 82-59. Axios' Analis Bailey snapped this pic yesterday at Tampa's Amalie Arena as the UConn women's basketball team celebrated winning its 12th national championship. The men's championship, between Florida and Houston, tips off tonight at 8:50pm Eastern on CBS. Betting odds slightly favor Florida, but it's close. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 8 Author Members Posted April 8 Walter Clayton Jr.'s defensive stop gives Florida its 3rd national title with 65-63 win over Houston SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. came up with the perfect going-away present for that spirit-crushing Houston defense that bullied, battered and bedeviled him all night. https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-florida-houston-ncaa-championship-74a9c790277595ce53ca130c5ec64429? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 8 Author Members Posted April 8 👋 Good morning! Houston scored 15 points in the final 2:05 vs. Duke. In the final 2:05 vs. Florida, they scored zero. In today's edition: Florida cuts down the nets, Masters roundup, NBA playoff picture, Champions League returns, Budweiser's brilliant marketing, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🏆 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GLORY FOR GATORS, HEARTBREAK FOR HOUSTON 68 teams entered, one team won it all. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Florida cut down the nets on Monday night in San Antonio after beating Houston, 65-63, in a game where they trailed almost the entire time. Time with lead: Florida: 1:04 Houston: 30:44 Back on top: The Cougars forced the Gators to play their game, but in the end they played it better, securing their third national championship and denying Houston its first. Houston falls to 0-3 in title games. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Houston once again has failed to shed the unwanted label of men's college basketball's greatest program never to win a national title. The Cougars have now made seven Final Fours and three title games without experiencing the joy of cutting down nets. This time the heartbreak came at the hands of a Florida program that entered rarified air by winning a third national title. Only the bluest of blue bloods — UCLA (11), Kentucky (8), UConn (6), North Carolina (6), Duke (5), Indiana (5) and Kansas (4) — have more. That Florida rallied from a 12-point deficit early in the second half was a fitting way for the Gators to finish this memorable run. They trailed by six or more points in the second half in four of their six NCAA tournament victories. They fell behind by nine points against Auburn early in the second half of Saturday's Final Four matchup and by as many as 10 points against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. "We didn't point fingers, didn't start to make hero plays, gambling defensively," said head coach Todd Golden. Added guard Alijah Martin, "We never blinked. Now we're national champs." 🏀 ONE WEEK LEFT NBA PLAYOFF RACE: THE WEST IS WILD (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) With college hoops now in the rearview, we shift our attention to the NBA, where teams are jockeying for playoff positioning in the final week of the regular season, Jeff writes. Where it stands: The East is set, with the playoff and play-in teams locked and only seeding yet to be determined. But in the West, nine teams' fates still hang in the balance. The Wild West: While the Thunder and Rockets have clinched and the bottom four teams have been eliminated, the rest of the conference is ripe for reshuffling. The Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies are separated by just two games as they chase four guaranteed playoff spots. The two who come up short will enter the play-in tournament, where they'll be joined by two of the Kings, Mavericks and Suns. Coming up: Here are the remaining schedules for those nine teams in the Western Conference's messy middle: Lakers: at Thunder (Tue), at Mavericks (Wed), vs. Rockets (Fri), at Trail Blazers (Sun) Nuggets: at Kings (Wed), vs. Grizzlies (Fri), at Rockets (Sun) Clippers: vs. Spurs (Tue), vs. Rockets (Wed), at Kings (Fri), at Warriors (Sun) Warriors: at Suns (Tue), vs. Spurs (Wed), at Trail Blazers (Fri), vs. Clippers (Sun) Timberwolves: at Bucks (Tue), at Grizzlies (Thu), vs. Nets (Fri), vs. Jazz (Sun) Grizzlies: at Hornets (Tue), vs Timberwolves (Thu), at Nuggets (Fri), vs. Mavericks (Sun) Kings: vs. Nuggets (Wed), vs. Clippers (Fri), vs. Suns (Sun) Mavericks: vs. Lakers (Wed), vs. Raptors (Fri), at Grizzlies (Sun) Suns: vs. Warriors (Tue), vs. Thunder (Wed), vs. Spurs (Fri), at Kings (Sun) Looking ahead: The regular season ends on Sunday, and the play-in tournament tips off one week from today. 📺 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WATCHLIST: THE FINAL 8 Arsenal's Emirates Stadium at dusk on Monday. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) The Champions League quarterfinals begin today with two first-leg matches: Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan (3pm ET, Paramount+) and Arsenal vs. Real Madrid (3pm, Paramount+). The rich kid's table: All eight quarterfinalists are among the world's 20 richest clubs. Real Madrid (No. 1) sits at the top, followed by PSG (No. 3), Bayern (No. 5), Barcelona (No. 6), Arsenal (No. 7), Borussia Dortmund (No. 11), Inter (No. 14) and Aston Villa (No. 18). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Celtics at Knicks (7:30pm, TNT); Warriors at Suns (10pm, TNT) … Phoenix (35-43) needs a win. 🏒 NHL: Maple Leafs at Panthers (7pm, ESPN); Golden Knights at Avalanche (9:30pm, ESPN) … All four teams have clinched playoff berths. ⚽️ Friendly: USWNT vs. Brazil (10:30pm, TBS) … At PayPal Park in San Jose, California, where the USWNT is 5-0. ⚾️ MLB: Phillies at Braves (7:15pm, TBS) … Philly (7-2) has the third-best record in MLB, Atlanta (1-8) has the worst. 🏀 G League Finals: Stockton Kings at Osceola Magic (8pm, ESPNU) … Players to watch in Game 1: Slam dunk king Mac McClung (Magic) and former SEC POY Mason Jones (Kings). Plus: Tigres host LA Galaxy in Mexico for a spot in the Champions Cup semifinals (9pm, FS1); "On The Range" at the Masters (12-2pm, CBSSN); Monte Carlo Masters (5am, Tennis). Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 8 Author Members Posted April 8 1 fun thing: 🏀 Gator party Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images Rueben Chinyelu of the Florida Gators celebrates with the trophy after winning the NCAA championship yesterday in San Antonio. Photo: Brett Wilhelm/NCAA via Getty Images Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 9 Author Members Posted April 9 👋 Good morning! Luka Dončić returns to Dallas tonight for the first time since "The Trade," which should be highly entertaining — and probably pretty awkward. In today's edition: Photos of people taking photos, Nuggets clean house, two comebacks for the ages, NCAA settlement inches closer, Yeshiva vs. Lehman, the boys are back, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏒 Comeback for the ages: The Canucks did the unthinkable in Dallas, becoming the first team in NHL history to erase a three-goal deficit in the final minute of regulation and go on to win the game. Final score: Canucks 6, Stars 5 (OT). 🏀 (Another) comeback for the ages: The Bucks went on a 34-3 run in the fourth quarter to stun the Timberwolves. Giannis Antetokounmpo had his third straight triple-double (23-13-10) in Milwaukee's 110-103 home victory. ⚽️ Arsenal, Inter win openers: The Champions League quarterfinals began with Arsenal beating Real Madrid in London (3-0), and Inter beating Bayern in Munich (2-1). Madrid and Milan will host next week's second legs, where Final Four spots will be on the line. ⛳️ The ratings are in: LIV Golf made its major broadcast TV debut over the weekend and drew 484,000 viewers on Fox during Sunday's final round in Miami. For comparison: The final round of the PGA Tour's Valero Open drew 1.75 million viewers on NBC. 🏀 Horned Frogs add Miles: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Olivia Miles, the nation's top transfer, is leaving Notre Dame for TCU, the team that beat the Irish in last week's Sweet 16. Miles was the projected No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft but opted to stay in school. 📸 THE MASTERS NO PHONES, JUST CAMERAS A patron snaps a photo during Tuesday's practice round at Augusta National. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images) Cell phones are strictly prohibited at the Masters, as are most devices. But Augusta National makes a notable exception for cameras, permitting their use during all three practice round days (Monday-Wednesday) in the lead-up to the tournament (Thursday-Sunday). This transported me back to the early 2000s. Pretty sure I got a camera just like this for my 11th birthday. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images) A tradition unlike any other: Every 12 months, thousands of golf fans dust off cameras they forget they owned and descend on Augusta with technology from yesteryear. "We bought that for the birth of our child, and we've used it five times in the last 11 years," said one 2022 patron, who was rocking a discontinued Canon Vixia from 2009. "It's still bitchin', though," added his wife. A Nikon-wielding (and merchandise-buying) patron during a practice round last year. (Ben Jacobs/PGA Tour via Getty Images) A collection of cameras: The practice rounds are perhaps "the world's greatest collection of old and, frankly, bad cameras," writes Golf Magazine's Sean Zak. From the classic disposables (Fuji QuickSnap, Kodak FunSaver), to the compact gadgets of the early 2000s (Canon PowerShot, Olympus C-2), it's a nostalgic trip through photo-taking history. Tiger Woods walks to the tee during a practice round in 2010. (Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images) A journey back in time: The lack of phones, combined with the ubiquity of digital cameras, harkens back to a very specific era. Every year at the practice rounds now feels like circa 2010 at the practice rounds (pictured above) — back when digital cameras were everywhere, not just at the Masters, and only 23% of Americans owned a smartphone. That number is now 98%. 🏀 DRAMA IN DENVER NBA SHOCKER: NUGGETS CLEAN HOUSE (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports) The Nuggets sent shockwaves throughout the NBA on Tuesday when they fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with just three games left in the regular season, and with Denver (47-32) sitting in fourth place. Malone, 53, is the winningest coach in Nuggets history and led the franchise to its first championship in 2023. Less than two years later, he's gone and assistant David Adelman (son of longtime NBA coach Rick) will replace him. Booth, 48, played 10 seasons in the NBA before embarking on a front office career. He joined the Nuggets in 2017 and was promoted to GM in 2022 after Tim Connelly left for the Timberwolves. Denver won the title in his first season at the helm. Behind the scenes: The discord between Malone and Booth has been known for quite some time around league circles, but the tension began to mount over the past week with the Nuggets struggling on the court (four straight losses) and losing ground in the playoff race, notes Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill: Throughout the season, sources said Booth was critical of Malone's handling of the Nuggets' headliners, and for not asking for more from players like Jamal Murray — especially as the team's defense has faltered, dropping all the way to 20th in defensive rating. League sources said the firings happened so quickly Tuesday that Nikola Jokić wasn't involved in them. It was an impulsive decision from ownership, which was fed up with the infighting. Sources told Yahoo Sports in January it was likely Malone would move on from the Nuggets after the season due to the deteriorating relationship with Booth, who couldn't come to an agreement on a contract extension before the season began. In a sense, this was built to be a last run for the franchise's two leaders, but it couldn't even last for a final playoff run. Now one wonders where the Nuggets go from here — in every direction. Another one bites the dust: Four of the past six head coaches to win an NBA title have been fired, with Malone joining Nick Nurse (Raptors 2019), Frank Vogel (Lakers 2020) and Mike Budenholzer (2021 Bucks). 🎓 ALMOST THERE... NCAA SETTLEMENT INCHES CLOSER TO FINISH LINE (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The settlement that has loomed over college sports for the past year, and will eventually lead to schools directly paying their athletes, is inching closer to the finish line. But not without a few last-minute hiccups, Jeff and I write. Catch up quick: Federal judge Claudia Wilken held a hearing on Monday in a small Oakland courtroom, where about 75 people — including attorneys for the plaintiff (college athletes) and defendant (the NCAA and power conferences) — gathered for a seven-hour proceeding to settle three antitrust cases involving athlete compensation, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reports. The key terms of the settlement: Revenue-sharing: Division I schools may share up to 22% of their annual revenues (roughly $20.5 million in the first year) directly with their athletes. Back pay: The NCAA will pay $2.8 billion to Division I athletes who played between 2016-2024 and weren't entitled to the full benefits of NIL. Roster limits: Scholarship limits will be replaced with roster limits, which will allow every athlete to be eligible for a scholarship while cutting the number of spots available. What's the hold up? Those roster limits are a major sticking point for Wilken, who was clear: Make changes or risk not having her approve the settlement. One concept she specifically said she wants to see added: a phase-in period to "grandfather in" current rostered athletes. The roster cap, explained: Most NCAA sports have a scholarship limit but few have a limit on how many athletes they can roster. Under this new policy, they do, which would represent a drastic change for some sports. Consider cross country, where many teams have 30+ runners (many not on scholarship). The new formal roster limit would be 17. What's next: Lawyers from both sides have been asked to report back in one week to determine if revisions can be made, though they've already been granted more time if needed. "We've got to talk to our clients about it," said an NCAA attorney. "We think we can get it over the finish line," said one of the lead plaintiff attorneys. ⚾️ STREAKS SNAPPED VICTORY AT LAST! The scoreboard at the end of the second game. (Michael Clair/MLB) Two D-III baseball teams took the field on Tuesday having lost a combined 141 consecutive games. By day's end, the two longest active losing streaks in college baseball had been snapped. The backdrop: Yeshiva University, a modern Orthodox Jewish school in Manhattan, brought a 99-game losing streak into their doubleheader against the Bronx's Lehman College, which was riding its own 42-game losing skid. The result? Everyone left happy. Lehman won the opener, 7-6, for their first victory since May 9, 2023. Then Yeshiva took the nightcap, 9-5, to record their first win since Feb. 27, 2022 and end their streak of futility at 100. Who owns the longest losing streak ever? That would be the D-III Caltech Beavers, who lost 228 straight games (2003-2013) before they, too, won the back end of a doubleheader. Even crazier: The Beavers went 29 years (1988-2017) without winning a single conference game. 📺 DOUBLEHEADER WATCHLIST: LUKA RETURNS TO DALLAS Luka had a triple-double against the Mavericks back in February, a Lakers win in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) Luka Dončić returns to Dallas tonight (7:30pm ET, ESPN) for the first time since the Mavericks traded him to the Lakers. And in the nightcap: The Nuggets visit the Kings (10pm, ESPN) in Denver's first game since firing head coach Michael Malone. More to watch: ⛳️ The Masters: Par 3 Contest (12pm, ESPN+; 2pm, ESPN) … One more day until the season's first major tees off. ⚽️ Champions League: PSG vs. Aston Villa (3pm, Paramount+); Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund (3pm, Paramount+) … Quarterfinals, first leg. ⚽️ Champions Cup: Inter Miami (0-1) vs. LAFC (8pm, FS1); Pumas UNAM (1-1) vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (10:30pm, FS1) … Quarterfinals, second leg. 🏒 NHL: Flyers at Rangers (7:30pm, TNT); Blues at Oilers (10pm, TNT) … St. Louis and Edmonton (93 points each) are both on the doorstep of clinching a playoff berth. ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Tigers (1:10pm, Prime) … New York has scored just two runs in their last two games after scoring 76 in their first nine. 🏒 Women's Hockey Worlds: USA vs. Finland (9am, NHL) … The group stage* begins in Czechia. *How it works: The 10 teams were split into groups by seeding, with the top five in Group A (USA, Canada, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland) and the bottom five in Group B (Germany, Sweden, Japan, Hungary, Norway). After group play, all of Group A and the top three in Group B will qualify for the quarterfinals. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 10 Author Members Posted April 10 🏀 College hoops' most valuable programs Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios North Carolina is the most valuable program in men's college basketball, despite a disappointing season this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The estimates come from Ryan Brewer, a professor at Indiana University, Columbus, who tries to determine what each college program would be worth, if it could be sold like a pro team. 🎓 UNC clocked in at $378 million, followed by its eternal rival, Duke, at $370 million. UConn was the top women's program, with an estimated valuation of $95 million. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 11 Author Members Posted April 11 👋 Good morning! It's a great day to be a golf fan. In today's edition: Augusta's greatest shots, Luka stars in return, Frozen Four preview, NBA mock draft, the Caitlin Clark effect, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏀 Reunion in Dallas: Luka Dončić erupted for 45 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in his emotional return as the Lakers beat the Mavericks, 112-97, to clinch a playoff berth. ⛳️ Nico wins Par 3 Contest: Nico Echavarria won the annual Masters Par 3 Contest, which featured three aces and, as usual, plenty of guest shots from family members. ⚾️ Walk-off splash: Mike Yastrzemski hit a walk-off homer into McCovey Cove to give the Giants an 8-6 win over the Reds. It was the fifth walk-off splash hit, and incredibly each of the last three have come off of Yaz's bat. ⚽️ Champions League: Barcelona blasted Borussia Dortmund in Spain (4-0) and PSG beat Aston Villa in France (3-1) in the first leg of their quarterfinal tilts. ⚽️ Champions Cup: Two MLS clubs will face off in the semifinals after Vancouver stunned Pumas (Mexico) at the death and Inter Miami staged a three-goal comeback to beat LAFC. ⛳️ HELLO, FRIENDS THE GREATEST SHOTS IN MASTERS HISTORY Gene Sarazen hits a tee shot at the 1935 Masters. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images) The 89th Masters tees off today at Augusta National. To mark the occasion, here are the 12 greatest shots in tournament history, courtesy of the 2025 Masters Journal. Gene Sarazen (1935): With four holes left in the final round, Sarazen trailed clubhouse leader Craig Wood by three strokes. "A mere miracle would be of no help," noted legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice. He got one anyway, sinking a double eagle with his 4-wood from 235 yards out to erase the deficit in one fell swoop. He parred his way in and won a 36-hole playoff the next day. Billy Joe Patton (1954): Sam Snead beat Ben Hogan in a playoff between two all-time greats, but it was a 31-year-old amateur who had the shot of the tournament. Patton aced the 190-yard 6th hole with a 5-iron on Sunday to put himself into contention, and he ultimately finished third. Arnold Palmer (1962): Seeking his third Green Jacket and needing to finish the last three holes in 2-under to force a playoff, Palmer chipped in for birdie on the par-3 16th to heighten the drama. He closed with birdie-par then beat Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald in the Masters' first three-man playoff. Nicklaus after making a birdie on 17 in 1986. (David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images) Jack Nicklaus (1975): Seeking his fifth Green Jacket while being pursued by the younger Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf, the Golden Bear sank an uphill, 40-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, which proved the difference in his one-stroke victory. Nicklaus (1986): His sixth win at Augusta, which at the age of 46 also makes him the oldest to win the Masters, came courtesy of yet another perfect shot on 16. This time, he hit a 5-iron tee shot within three feet of the hole to spark a late comeback and win his record 18th and final major by a stroke. Larry Mize (1987): The Augusta native became a hometown hero with a performance for the ages, birdieing the 72nd hole to force a playoff against Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros before chipping in from more than 100 feet away on the second playoff hole to secure the victory. Tiger and his caddie, Stevie Williams, follow the ball towards the hole as it somehow drops in for birdie. (Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) Sandy Lyle (1988): The Scotsman, seeking to become the first Brit to win the Masters, was tied for the lead on the 72nd hole when his tee shot found a fairway bunker. No matter: He hit a 7-iron from 145 yards that wound up 10 feet from the cup and sank the birdie putt for a one-stroke victory. Jeff Sluman (1992): There have been 34 holes-in-one at the Masters: 24 on the 16th hole, six on the 6th, three on the 12th and just one on the 4th. That came courtesy of this Rochester native, who aced the 213-yard hole with his 4-iron in the first round. Tiger Woods (2005): Facing an impossible chip on 16, Tiger somehow made birdie when the ball fed down the slope, sat on the lip and finally dropped in for one of golf's most famous shots. Verne Lundquist on the call: "In your life, have you seen anything like that?" Bubba Watson’s epic shot in 2012. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) Phil Mickelson (2010): Lefty found himself in the pine straw on the 13th hole on Sunday, needing to thread two trees and carry his shot 187 yards over Rae's Creek, or 207 to the pin. Naturally, he flushed his 6-iron, which finished four feet from the hole en route to his third Masters win. Louis Oosthuizen (2012): Early in the final round, the South African made history when his 4-iron found the cup from 253 yards out for the only double eagle ever recorded on the 2nd hole. He ended up going to a playoff, where he lost to the final guy on this list. Bubba Watson (2012): Watson beat Oosthuizen for his first of two Green Jackets, hitting a shot out of the pine straw that was even better than Mickelson's. He hooked his wedge around the trees on the 10th from 164 yards out, found the green, and two-putted for the win. 🏒 MEN'S HOCKEY FROZEN FOUR: MEET THE SEMIFINALISTS The Nittany Lions are this year's Cinderella. (Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The Frozen Four begins tonight in St. Louis, where the semifinalists are two wins away from a national championship, Jeff writes. The semifinalists: No. 4 Western Michigan, defending champion Denver, Boston University and Penn State are the last four standing, marking the first time since 2011 that just one of the four seeded teams (from the 16-team field) reached the Frozen Four. Let's preview the matchups… Denver vs. Western Michigan: The nation's two highest-scoring teams are conference foes in the NCHC who've already met three times, splitting their regular-season meetings before Western Michigan beat Denver in double-overtime in the conference title game. Denver (31-11-1): The Pioneers won their NCAA-record 10th title last year, and they'll go for two straight behind the dynamic duo of Jack Devine (57 points) and Aidan Thompson (54), who rank 1-2 nationally in scoring. Western Michigan (32-7-1): The Broncos are in their first Frozen Four after winning a program-record 32 games. They'll need freshman goalie and Kings draft pick Hampton Slukynsky to continue being a brick wall (two goals allowed on 56 shots in the tournament). BU vs. Penn State: Similar to the matchup above, this pits one of the most successful programs ever against a Frozen Four debutant. And, as with the teams above, both boast high-octane offenses, ranking in the top seven nationally for goals per game. BU (23-13-2): The five-time champs have made three straight Frozen Fours, but haven't reached the title game since 2015. They hope to change that behind brothers* Quinn and Cole Hutson, who lead the Terriers in goals (Quinn) and assists (Cole). Penn State (22-13-4): What a story the Nittany Lions have been. After opening the season 0-8 in Big Ten play, they've lost just three of their last 19 games to reach their first Frozen Four. Credit coach Guy Gadowsky, who's been at the helm since 2011 when they were still a club team. *Family business: Another Hutson brother, Lane, is a BU alum who now plays for the Canadiens and is among the favorites to win this year's Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. 🏀 FUTURE PROS NBA MOCK DRAFT: COLLEGE PLAYERS AT THE TOP (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) With the NCAA tournament behind us, we've got a fresh first-round NBA mock draft, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor. Lottery picks: Jazz: Cooper Flagg, F (Duke) Wizards: Dylan Harper, G (Rutgers) Hornets: Ace Bailey, F (Rutgers) Pelicans: VJ Edgecombe, G (Baylor) 76ers: Collin Murray-Boyles, F (South Carolina) Nets: Tre Johnson, G (Texas) Raptors: Kasparas Jakučionis, G (Illinois) Spurs: Derik Queen, C (Maryland) Trail Blazers: Kon Knueppel, G/F (Duke) Rockets: Khaman Maluach, C (Duke) Heat: Jeremiah Fears, G (Oklahoma) Bulls: Jase Richardson, G (Michigan State) Mavericks: Egor Demin, G (BYU) Hawks: Nique Clifford, G (Colorado State) The NCAA pipeline: All 14 players above come from the college ranks. If something similar plays out on draft night, it would buck the recent trend of international players and other non-NCAA athletes (G League Ignite, Overtime Elite) crowding the lottery. Six of the top 14 picks in last year's draft didn’t play college ball, and neither did four of the top five picks in 2023. 📺 AND WE'RE OFF... WATCHLIST: ROUND 1 (Andrew Redington/Getty Images) The 89th Masters tees off today at Augusta National, where 95 golfers* are set to compete in the first major of the season. How to watch: Tee times begin at 7:40am ET, and you can stream the action on ESPN+, Paramount+, Masters.com and the Masters app. The telecast begins at 3pm on ESPN. More to watch: 🏒 Frozen Four: Western Michigan vs. Denver (5pm, ESPN2); BU vs. Penn State (8:30pm, ESPN2) … Winners meet in Saturday's title game. 🏀 NBA: Cavaliers at Pacers (7pm, TNT); Timberwolves at Grizzlies (9:30pm, TNT) … The "NBA on TNT" regular-season finale. 🏒 NHL: Jets at Stars (8pm, ESPN+) … First vs. second place in the West with one week left in the regular season. ⚾️ MLB: Phillies at Braves (7:15pm, MLB) … Jesús Luzardo (2-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. Spencer Schwellenbach (1-0, 0.00 ERA). *Pre-tournament reading: Why every contender will, and won't, win at Augusta National (Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports) 🏀 TUNED IN CHARTED: THE CAITLIN CLARK EFFECT (Lev Akabas/Sportico) As a reminder: Clark played in the 2023 and 2024 title games (the "up and to the right" portion of the chart). Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 12 Author Members Posted April 12 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. 🏆 Frozen Four: Western Michigan (stunned Denver in 2OT) and BU (beat Penn State) will meet in tomorrow's title game. In today's edition: Mind-boggling Jokić stat, Round 1 in photos, NFL big board, WNBA mock draft, statistical oddity, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🏀 MILE HIGH MESS SHOULD JOKIĆ DEMAND A TRADE? (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) Nikola Jokić is not the type of player, or person, who's likely to demand a trade. But a decade into his career, is it time? Mile High mess: The Nuggets' decision to fire both their head coach and GM on the eve of the postseason, which Jokić called a "heavy day for everybody," was shocking. It was also indicative of a franchise that hasn't done nearly enough to surround its future Hall of Famer with a solid foundation and a worthy supporting cast, Jeff writes. From Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh: Cleaning house in April, days before the playoffs? In a league of chaos, this is beyond the pale. Imagine if this happened on a team with LeBron James. Or Stephen Curry. Or Kevin Durant. With any other all-time great, we'd be asking the question: How in the world can he be OK with all this? But with Jokić — who has famously shied away from publicly or privately throwing around his enormous political weight — we skip over that part of the news cycle. We assume that he'll be fine with it all. Frankly, it's an insult to Jokić, who has been cheated out of multiple championship runs by the Nuggets. By his own admission, he's at the peak of his powers, averaging 29.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 10.2 assists this season. Three-time MVP, first-time triple-double average. The 10-year vet has been a contender with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP race this season, but his best argument for the hardware is buttressed by how terrible his supporting cast is. When SGA has been off the floor, the Thunder have outscored opponents by 75 points across 1,199 minutes. When Jokić has been off the floor? The Nuggets have *lost* by a whopping 252 points in 1,366 minutes. When it comes to quantifying his supporting cast, that's just the tip of the iceberg. (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) One-man show: This will sound made up but I promise it's not: Jokić has never played alongside a single teammate who was named an All-Star, All-NBA or All-Defensive player that season. That's not just unfathomable; it's unprecedented. He's the only one of the last 24 MVPs, dating back to Moses Malone in 1983, who's never had an All-League teammate through their first 10 years in the NBA. The other 23 MVPs in that time averaged 16 such teammates, led by Magic Johnson with 35. Just five of them even had fewer than 10; Jokić has had zero. The KG comp: Kevin Garnett is the only player in the chart above in the same vicinity as Jokić, having had just four All-League teammates during his first 10 seasons in Minnesota. After his 12th, Garnett demanded a trade to Boston, where he immediately won a ring alongside Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo — talent commensurate with his. Jokić, of course, already has a ring, and perhaps Denver's 2023 championship provided the Nuggets with some credibility that their strategy works. But in reality, they won despite Jokić's supporting cast, not because of it, lest we forget that he became the first player in NBA history to lead all postseason players in points, rebounds and assists. Looking ahead: The regular season ends on Sunday and Denver, sitting in fourth place, may yet have another deep playoff run in them. Whether it's Jokić's last in a Nuggets uniform is up to him. ⛳️ THE 89TH MASTERS Clubhouse leader: Justin Rose (-7) opened with three straight birdies and ended with a three-stroke lead. This is the ninth time he's led or co-led after a round at Augusta — the most among players without a green jacket. McIlroy falls apart: A pair of double bogeys on 15 and 17 sabotaged Rory McIlroy's round. "At this point, we have no one but ourselves to blame when he rolls our hopes into Rae's Creek," writes Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee. Still got it: Fred Couples (-1) broke par in his Masters debut in 1983. 42 years later, he did it again, carding a 71 and hitting the shot of the day (hole-out eagle!) to finish T11. Tough day at the office: Nick Dunlap (+18) had one of the worst rounds in Masters history, finishing 11 strokes behind second-to-last place. Somehow, despite taking 90 shots, he didn't have a single three-putt. "The Kid" snapping pics: Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. has been a credentialed photographer at a number of sporting events. We can now add the Masters to the list. 🏈 TOP 50 NFL DRAFT: BIG BOARD (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The 2025 NFL Draft is two weeks away. To set the stage, we've got the first consensus big board (top 50 players) from Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice and Charles McDonald. Top 10: Travis Hunter, CB/WR (Colorado) Abdul Carter, Edge (Penn State) Will Johnson, CB (Michigan) Ashton Jeanty, RB (Boise State) Will Campbell, OT/OG (LSU) Tetairoa McMillan, WR (Arizona) Armand Membou, OT (Missouri) Mason Graham, DT (Michigan) Jalon Walker, Edge/LB (Georgia) Cam Ward, QB (Miami) 🏀 FUTURE PROS WNBA MOCK DRAFT: THREE DAYS OUT (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) With the WNBA draft coming on Monday, we've got a fresh mock for you, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Maggie Hendricks. First round: Wings: Paige Bueckers, G (UConn) Storm: Dominique Malonga, F (France) Mystics: Kiki Iriafen, F (USC) Mystics: Sonia Citron, G (Notre Dame) Valkyries: Aneesah Morrow, F (LSU) Mystics: Te-Hina Paopao, G (South Carolina) Sun: Shyanne Sellers, G (Maryland) Sun: Saniya Rivers, G (NC State) Sparks: Georgia Amoore, G (Kentucky) Sky: Hailey Van Lith, G (TCU) Lynx: Justė Jocytė, G (Lithuania) Wings: Sedona Prince, C (TCU) Note: There are only 12 picks in the first round because the Aces lost theirs due to rules violations. The second and third rounds have a full complement of 13 picks. 📺 CLOSING WEEKEND WATCHLIST: REGULAR-SEASON FINALE (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) The NBA regular season comes to a close this weekend, with all 30 teams playing both tonight and Sunday, sandwiched around a league-wide day off on Saturday. Where it stands: The Eastern Conference field is set (minus some seeding), but the West remains a logjam with the fourth- through eighth-place teams all separated by one game and still alive for a top-six seed and a guaranteed playoff spot. More to watch: ⛳️ PGA: The Masters (Fri-Sun, ESPN/Masters App) … Tee times. 🏒 Frozen Four: WMU vs. BU (Sat. 7:30pm, ESPN2) … National championship. 🏒 NHL: Capitals at Blue Jackets (Sat. 12:30pm, ABC); Rangers at Hurricanes (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Islanders at Devils (Sun. 1pm, TNT); Bruins at Penguins (Sun. 3:30pm, TNT); Avalanche at Ducks (Sun. 10pm, TNT) ⚾️ MLB: Pirates at Reds (Fri. 6:40pm, Apple); Tigers at Twins (Fri. 8:10pm, Apple); Giants at Yankees (Sat. 3pm, FS1); Cubs at Dodgers (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) 🏒 Women's Hockey Worlds: USA vs. Canada (Sun. 1pm, NHL) … Group stage. Plus… UFL Week 3 (Fri-Sat, Fox/ABC/ESPN); F1: Bahrain (Sun. 11am, ESPN2); NASCAR: Bristol (Sun. 3pm, FS1); IndyCar: Long Beach (Sun. 4:30, Fox); Monte Carlo Masters (Fri-Sun, Tennis) ⚾️ STRANGE BUT TRUE STATISTICAL ODDITY: AVG > OBP (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) Brewers youngster Jackson Chourio is off to a hot start, batting .310 through his first 13 games. But thanks to a small-sample statistical oddity, his on-base percentage is actually just .305 — yes, lower than his batting average, Jeff writes. How is that possible? Chourio hasn't been walked or hit by a pitch yet, but he does have one sacrifice fly, which counts against your OBP but not your average. Until he reaches base via walk or hit by pitch, the statistical anomaly will remain. Unless, of course, he also keeps hitting sac flies. How long could this last? Probably not very. The most at-bats anyone has ever had in a full season while maintaining a higher AVG than OBP is 125, when Giants infielder Ernie Bowman hit .184 with a .181 OBP in 1963 thanks to two sac flies and no walks or HBPs. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 14 Author Members Posted April 14 👋 Good morning! I'll never forget where I was when Rory McIlroy won the Masters (sitting on a delayed plane on the tarmac, watching on my phone and reacting very loudly multiple times). In today's edition: Rory wins the Masters, bring on the NBA playoffs, Broncos win Frozen Four, Alcaraz captures another title, WNBA draft, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏀 Unrivaled adds Bueckers: Paige Bueckers signed a three-year deal with the upstart 3-on-3 league, where she'll reportedly earn more in her first season than during her entire four-year WNBA rookie deal. 🏁 Racing roundup: McLaren's Oscar Piastri led wire-to-wire in Bahrain (F1), Kyle Larson dominated in Bristol (NASCAR) and Kyle Kirkwood won the Grand Prix of Long Beach (IndyCar) for the second time in three years. ⚾️ Cubs lose Steele: Chicago's rotation suffered a big blow, losing Justin Steele to season-ending elbow surgery. The lefty had a 3.10 ERA across the last three seasons. 🏒 USA 2, Canada 1: The Americans won Sunday's group stage game to stay perfect at the Women's Hockey World Championship. 🏀 CP3 makes history: Chris Paul was in the Spurs' starting lineup for their season finale, making him the first NBA player to ever make all 82 starts in his 20th season or later. ⛳️ THE 89TH MASTERS RORY FINALLY CLAIMS GREEN JACKET, CAREER GRAND SLAM (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) At long last, Rory McIlroy has his green jacket. It didn't come easy — nothing ever does for him in a major — but one of golf's all-time greats broke through on Sunday at Augusta, where he beat Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff to complete the career grand slam. 🎙️ Jim Nantz on the call: "The long journey is over! McIlroy has his masterpiece!" Back on top: McIlroy won four majors by the age of 25. Nearly 11 years later, with gray creeping down his sideburns, he finally won his fifth — and finally mastered the Masters on his 17th try. "I started to wonder if it would ever be my time," said Augusta's newest champion. The celebratory putter toss. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) A Sunday for the ages: McIlroy appeared to have the 2025 Masters title locked up three different times on Sunday, and three different times, he fumbled it or had it snatched away. With eight holes left, he held a five-shot lead. Then came a bogey on 11, a double-bogey on 13 (his fourth of the week) and another bogey on 14. Oh no, not like this. McIlroy hadn't just been caught, he'd lost the lead entirely to a suddenly surging Rose, who'd come from seven down on the back nine to take charge. Frantic finish: Rory birdied 15 and 17 to regain control … Rose drained a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 to up the pressure … A brilliant approach shot on the 72nd hole put McIlroy in position to win … but he missed the four-foot par putt, sending the 89th Masters into overtime. McIlroy tees off on the 18th hole on Sunday. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) The playoff hole: Yahoo Sports' Jay Hart, reporting from Augusta: Rory McIlroy stood over his ball in the 18th fairway at Augusta National, reeling. Over the course of the previous 90 minutes, he'd bungled away a 5-shot lead, well on his way to the biggest choke job of his career — and maybe any in the 89-year history of the tournament. Then he launched a 126-yard gap wedge high into the Augusta sky that settled four feet from the cup. For the rest of his career, he will not hit a more important shot, for this one righted his sinking ship straight out of Rae's Creek and into Butler Cabin. The weight of the world off his shoulders. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) What he's saying: When his winning putt disappeared into the hole, McIlroy let out a primal scream, fell to his knees and wept. "There wasn't much joy in that reaction. It was all relief," he said. "It was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there." 🎥 Watch: Every shot from Rory's winning round 🏀 APRIL MADNESS NBA PLAYOFFS: THE FIELD IS SET (Yahoo Sports) Six months and 1,230 games later, the NBA regular season has come to a close, leaving 20 teams in the hunt for the Larry O'Brien trophy, Jeff writes. Format refresher: The top six seeds in each conference are through to Round 1, while Nos. 7-10 will compete in the play-in tournament, which begins tomorrow. The winner of the 7-8 game is the No. 7 seed; the loser will host the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed. East: No. 1 Cavaliers vs. play-in team No. 2 Celtics vs. play-in team No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 5 Bucks Play-in games: No. 7 Magic vs. No. 8 Hawks; No. 9 Bulls vs. No. 10 Heat (Yahoo Sports) West: No. 1 Thunder vs. play-in team No. 2 Rockets vs. play-in team No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Clippers Play-in games: No. 7 Warriors vs. No. 8 Grizzlies; No. 9 Kings vs. No. 10 Mavericks Notes: Three juggernauts: The Thunder (68-14), Cavaliers (64-18) and Celtics (61-21) are the NBA's first trio of 60-win teams since 2008-09 (Cavaliers, Lakers, Celtics). Somebody had to win: The Southeast champion Magic (41-41) are the first team without a winning record to win their division since the 1976 NBA-ABA merger. Cooper Flagg sweepstakes: The draft lottery is set, and the Jazz, Wizards and Hornets have the best odds (14% chance) at landing the No. 1 pick. Utah has never picked first before. Title odds: The Thunder, whose 68 wins are tied for the fifth-most ever in a season, are the favorites to win the title (+175 at BetMGM), followed by the Celtics (+220), Cavaliers (+600), Lakers (+1100) and Warriors (+1400). 🏒 ORIGINAL SIX STAT DU JOUR: AN NHL FIRST The Rangers and Bruins in action on Oct. 17, 1956 at Madison Square Garden. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images) For the first time in NHL history, the Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks and Red Wings (the Original Six teams based in the U.S.) will all miss the playoffs in the same season. Where it stands: 13 teams have clinched postseason berths and 14 have been eliminated, leaving five teams battling for three remaining Wild Card spots. East: The Canadiens (88 points) control their own destiny but the Blue Jackets (85) still have a pulse. West: The Wild (95 points), Blues (94) and Flames (92) are still in the hunt, and all three take the ice tomorrow night. Looking ahead: The regular season concludes on Thursday with a seven-game slate, and the playoffs begin on Saturday. 📺 ON THE CLOCK WATCHLIST: WNBA DRAFT (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) The WNBA draft is tonight in Manhattan 7:30pm ET, ESPN), where freshly-minted national champion Paige Bueckers is a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings. Quick turnaround: The WNBA draft leads right into the season, with training camp beginning in two weeks (April 27) and the regular season tipping off in a month (May 16). More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Stars at Red Wings (7pm, NHL); Kings at Oilers* (10pm, NHL) … Four days left in the regular season. 🏀 G League Finals: Stockton Kings at Osceola Magic (8pm, ESPN2) … Winner-take-all Game 3. *Playoff preview: The Kings and Oilers will meet in Round 1 of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Edmonton has eliminated L.A. in each of the last three. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 15 Author Members Posted April 15 Cleveland Browns' quest for a domed stadium starts an NFL fight for Ohio dollars A political battle fit for the gridiron is underway in Ohio, where state Republican leaders are clashing over whether to single out the Cleveland Browns for help building a new suburban domed stadium or impose tax hikes to fund stadium upgrades for the Cincinnati Bengals and other teams longer term. Read More. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 15 Author Members Posted April 15 ⛳ Final hole: Massive Masters ratings A graphic from the CBS broadcast of the Masters on Sunday. Screenshot: CBS Rory McIlroy's dramatic Masters win on Sunday was the most-watched golf broadcast on any network since 2018, according to CBS. Why it matters: It surpassed even Tiger Woods' come-from-behind win at the 2019 Masters — one of golf's biggest moments in recent memory. 📺 The CBS broadcast of the Masters on Sunday averaged 12.7 million viewers, the network said. Coverage peaked with 19.5 million viewers between 7 and 7:15 p.m. — when McIlroy beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 15 Author Members Posted April 15 👋 Good morning! Steve Jobs ruined sports, and I have the proof right here. In today's edition: Staying in school vs. turning pro, Rory's winnings (aside from a green jacket), NBA rewind, "The Boat Race," a prophetic tweet, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏀 Suns of anarchy: For the third time in 23 months, the Suns have fired their head coach. Whoever replaces Mike Budenholzer will be Devin Booker's eighth head coach in 11 seasons. 🏈 NFL draft buzz: The Giants (No. 3 pick) scheduled a private workout with Shedeur Sanders, who will not be one of the 17 players in attendance on draft night. ⛳️ The Rory effect: The final round of the Masters averaged 12.7 million viewers on CBS, a 33% jump from last year and the biggest rating for any golf telecast since 2018. 🏆 Fumble at the White House: Vice President JD Vance dropped the CFP national championship trophy during Ohio State's visit to the White House. Thankfully for the Buckeyes, TreVeyon Henderson's adept hands saved it from tumbling to the ground. ⚾️ First time for everything: Pirates teammates Paul Skenes (top pick in 2023) and Henry Davis (top pick in 2021) made MLB history on Monday when they became the first pitcher/catcher battery comprised of No. 1 overall picks. 🏀 STAYING IN SCHOOL WNBA DRAFT: THE YEAR OF THE OPT-OUT Paige Bueckers poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the first overall pick on Monday night in Manhattan. (Elsa/Getty Images) The 2025 WNBA draft was headlined by two of college basketball's biggest names: Paige Bueckers (No. 1 pick by Dallas) and Hailey Van Lith (No. 11 pick by Chicago). But the story of the night was as much about the NCAA stars who weren't there as the ones who were. Staying in school: Before the dawn of NIL, it was extremely rare for top eligible WNBA prospects to stay in school because there was no financial incentive to do so. That has changed in a big way — to the point where turning pro could mean taking a pay cut. Is it any surprise, then, that some of this year's top WNBA prospects opted to stay on campus? Monday night's first-round selections. (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) The year of the opt-out: Olivia Miles was the projected No. 2 pick after a standout career at Notre Dame, but she transferred to TCU instead. Fellow first-round prospect Ta'Niya Latson made a similar decision and transferred from FSU to South Carolina. LSU's Flau'Jae Johnson, the sport's top NIL earner last season, also passed on the WNBA draft. So did UCLA's Lauren Betts (DPOY) and UConn's Azzi Fudd (Final Four MOP), who will return for their senior seasons. By the numbers: The top four picks in Monday's WNBA draft will each make $78,831 in salary this upcoming season, while the top four NIL earners in women's college hoops earned an average of $1.1 million this past season. Now, obviously NIL earnings and salary compensation are completely different things, and it's not like WNBA players are forfeiting their off-court earnings (NIL) when they turn pro. They are simply adding on-court earnings (salary) to the mix. For some, that combination means that more money awaits in the WNBA. But for others, especially stars at powerhouse programs that are often in the national spotlight, the NIL environment at the college level (as it's currently structured) remains more lucrative overall. Bueckers is an interesting case: Her off-court earnings are set to explode now that she's the WNBA's "next big thing," but what if she had opted out herself and returned to UConn for her final year of eligibility? One could argue that she would have had just as much earning potential chasing back-to-back titles with the Huskies, whose brand dwarfs the Wings (more fans, more viewers, more cultural currency, etc). What to watch: WNBA salaries could increase significantly next year when the league's new $2.2 billion media rights deal (4x the previous agreement) kicks in alongside a potentially groundbreaking new CBA. That was likely a factor in Miles, Latson and others deciding to delay their professional debuts until 2026. 📊 STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS: NBA REWIND (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) 54 double-digit wins The Thunder had 54 wins by 10+ points this season, breaking the record of 50 that had stood for over 50 years (1971-72 Lakers). To put into context just how impressive that is: OKC had more double-digit wins than any other Western Conference team had total wins. 176 blocks Despite playing in just 46 games, Victor Wembanyama led the league with 176 blocks (Brook Lopez was second with 148). His average of 3.8 per game would have been the highest since Alonzo Mourning in 1998-99 if he'd played enough games to qualify. 37.6 attempts per game NBA teams made (13.5 per game) and attempted (37.6 per game) a record-shattering number of 3-pointers. The result of all that long-range heaving? For the first time in NBA history, missed 3s are now more common than missed 2s. 11 Iron Men 11 players took the court in all 82 games, including Mikal Bridges, who played six seconds on Sunday to keep his Iron Man streak alive (556 straight games). The other 10: Jarrett Allen, Harrison Barnes, Malik Beasley, Bub Carrington, Julian Champagnie, Buddy Hield, Jalen Green, Jaden McDaniels, Chris Paul and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. 20 years LeBron James (24.4 ppg) failed to average at least 25 points per game for the first time since his rookie season, ending his streak at 20 years. Kevin Durant (16 straight years) has the next-longest such streak. 📸 ACROSS THE POND IN PHOTOS: THE BOAT RACE The women's teams pass by Hammersmith Bridge. (Alex Davidson/Getty Images) Cambridge and Oxford competed in one of the world's oldest and most famous amateur sporting events on Sunday, when their crew teams took part in the annual event known simply as The Boat Race. The Cambridge men celebrate their win on Sunday. (Alex Davidson/Getty Images) Cambridge swept Oxford in the men's and women's races, continuing a recent trend of dominance by the "Light Blues" over the "Dark Blues." The Cambridge men (three straight wins) lead the all-time series 88-81-1, while the women (eight straight wins) lead 49-30. The Oxford crew trains for the 1954 race. (J.A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images) The first race between the United Kingdom's oldest universities was held in 1829, when old friends studying at the rival schools challenged each other's crews to a race. The women's race debuted a century later in 1927. Spectators line the banks of the Thames to watch the inaugural 1927 women's race. (Fox Photos/Getty Images) The four-mile long "Championship Course" stretches between Putney Bridge and Mortlake Church along the Thames, where roughly a quarter-million spectators line the banks to watch the race each year. 🎥 Watch: "Turning the Tide," a four-part documentary on the 2025 race 📺 NBA POSTSEASON WATCHLIST: PLAY-IN GAMES (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The NBA play-in tournament begins tonight with Hawks at Magic (7:30pm ET, TNT) followed by Grizzlies at Warriors (10pm, TNT). What's at stake: The winners earn their conference's No. 7 seed (and the right to face either the Celtics or Rockets), while the losers will get another shot on Friday to earn the No. 8 seed. More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Dortmund (0-4) vs. Barcelona (3pm, Paramount+); Aston Villa (1-3) vs. PSG (3pm, Paramount+) … Quarterfinal, second leg. 🏒 NHL: Panthers at Lightning* (7:30pm, ESPN); Kings at Kraken (10:30pm, ESPN) ⚾️ MLB: Guardians at Orioles (7:05pm, TBS) ⚽️ U.S. Open Cup: Third round (6-10:30pm, Paramount+) … Eight games. *Battle of the Sunshine State: Tampa Bay (100 points) and Florida (98) will likely play each other in the first round (their fourth postseason meeting since 2021), but home ice is still up for grabs. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 16 Author Members Posted April 16 ⚾️ 1 for the road J.C. Escarra of the New York Yankees before a game against the Kansas City Royals yesterday. Photo: New York Yankees/Getty Images Today is Major League Baseball's annual Jackie Robinson Day. Every MLB player will wear Robinson's No. 42 during tonight's games. Managers, coaches and umpires will also wear a 42 patch on hats. Stadiums will play a pregame Robinson tribute video. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 17 Author Members Posted April 17 👋 Good morning! It's a great day to have a great day. In today's edition: The legend of El Farolito, Warriors and Magic advance, college sports chaos, the problem with Jackie Robinson Day, top 10 moments of the century, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏀 NBA Play-in Tournament: The Warriors held off the Grizzlies, 121-116, to set up a Round 1 playoff series against the Rockets; the Magic blew out the Hawks, 120-95, to earn a date with the defending champion Celtics. 🥇 LA 2028 venues: Dodger Stadium (baseball), the Universal Studios lot (squash) and Venice Beach (triathlon) are among the new sites in the organizing committee's updated venue plan for the 2028 Summer Olympics. 🏒 One spot left: The Wild and Blues both clinched playoff berths with wins on Tuesday, leaving the Canadiens (89 points) and Blue Jackets (87) fighting for the 16th and final spot. 🏀 Harrison breaks silence: Mavericks GM Nico Harrison spoke with media for the first time since the immediate aftermath of the Luka Dončić trade, saying he has "no regrets." ⚾️ Dad strength: Alex Bregman powered Boston's win over the Rays with two home runs and a career-high five hits — MLB's first five-hit game this season — before heading out on paternity leave as his wife prepares to give birth to their second child today. 📊 STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) 🏀 24-7 That's Golden State's record since trading for Jimmy Butler, who helped the Warriors exorcise their play-in demons (0-3 in previous contests) on Tuesday night with a stat-sheet stuffing performance (38 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals). Stephen Curry added 37 points for the Dubs, who could be dangerous if these two keep cooking. 🏒 400 goals Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews scored his 400th NHL goal in his 628th game, making him the sixth-fastest player* to reach that milestone. Of note: Matthews got there six games faster than Alex Ovechkin, hockey's new goal-scoring king. ⚽️ 24 straight matches Barcelona's 24-match unbeaten streak (dating back to Jan. 4) came to an end on Tuesday with a 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarterfinals. The good news for Barça: They entered the second leg with a 4-0 lead, so they still advanced to the semifinals alongside PSG, which held off a furious Aston Villa comeback. 📉 -26.5 wins No NBA team under-performed their expectations by more this season than the dreadful 76ers (24-28), who won 26.5 fewer games than their preseason over/under wins total projection. On the flip side, no team over-performed more than the Pistons (44-38), who won 18.5 more games than their over/under. 🏁 37 races in 38 weeks Welcome to the only off weekend all season for the NASCAR Cup Series, which will take a rare break from racing on Easter Sunday. When you count the All-Star Race next month, NASCAR's top level races 37 times in 38 weeks from the Daytona 500 (Feb. 16) through the championship race at Phoenix (Nov. 2). *Who's ahead of Matthews? Wayne Gretzky (436 games), Mike Bossy (506), Mario Lemieux (508), Brett Hull (520) and Jari Kurri (608). 📺 NIGHT 2 WATCHLIST: PLAY-IN GAMES (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The NBA play-in tournament continues tonight with Heat at Bulls* (7:30pm ET, ESPN) and Mavericks at Kings (10pm, ESPN). What's at stake: The losers go home. The winners move on to Friday's play-in finale, where they'll face the losers of Tuesday's games (Hawks and Grizzlies) for their conference's No. 8 seeds. More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Inter (2-1) at Bayern (3pm, Paramount+); Real Madrid (0-3) at Arsenal (3pm, Paramount+) … Quarterfinal, second leg. 🏒 NHL: Red Wings at Devils (7:30pm, TNT); Golden Knights at Canucks (10pm, TNT) … Regular season ends Thursday. ⚾️ MLB: Mariners at Reds (6:40pm, FS1); Royals at Yankees (7:05pm, Prime) ⚽️ U.S. Open Cup: Third round (7-10:30pm, Paramount+) … Eight games. *Déjà vu: This is the third straight year the Heat and Bulls are meeting in a win-or-go-home play-in game. Miami came out on top in each of the last two. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 17 Author Members Posted April 17 ⛹️♀️ Coverage of women's sports booms Photo Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios; Photos: Tim Clayton/Getty Images; Clive Brunskill/Getty Images; Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty Images; David Buono/Getty Images Roughly a dozen publishers have introduced new, specialized plans to cover women's sports, Axios' Kerry Flynn and Sara Fischer report. Ad spending on women's sports more than doubled last year, according to marketing analytics firm EDO. Outlets now see it as a driver of readership, revenue and growth. 📰 Driving the news: USA Today is launching a vertical that will feature coverage of the WNBA and LPGA, among other sports, including college athletics and the Olympics. A slew of other major outlets — including AP, Sports Illustrated, CNBC, The Athletic, The Information and The Ringer — have also recently expanded their women's sports coverage. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted April 18 Author Members Posted April 18 👋 Good morning! I know I said I'd have my "Top 10 Sports Moments of the 21st Century" list today, but I need more time. Check back tomorrow. In today's edition: The Travis Hunter debate, Kings and Bulls eliminated, rangefinders arrive on the PGA Tour, Baylor's entire team is gone, listen to this podcast, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. 🚨 ICYMI headlineS 🏀 Heat, Mavs stay alive: Night 2 of the NBA Play-In Tournament saw the Heat end the Bulls' season and the Mavericks eliminate the Kings. Miami will play Atlanta tomorrow for the East's No. 8 seed, while Dallas will play Memphis for the West's No. 8 seed. 🏒 Canadiens clinch: On December 1, Montreal sat 31st (out of 32 teams) in the NHL standings. On Wednesday, they punched the final ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 16-team bracket is now set entering the final day of the regular season. 🏈 Commanders coming home? D.C. is nearing a deal to bring the Commanders back to the nation's capital. The plan is to build a new venue at the RFK Stadium site, which is where the team played from 1961-1996 before moving to Maryland. ⚾️ Benches clear in Pittsburgh: Nationals pitcher Jorge López was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Pirates after a pitch near Andrew McCutchen's head led to both benches briefly clearing. The home team got the last laugh, winning 6-1. 🏈 UCLA lands top transfer: QB Nico Iamaleava is reportedly set to transfer to UCLA after parting ways with Tennessee over an alleged compensation dispute. The former five-star recruit led the Volunteers to the CFP last season. 🏈 NFL DRAFT TRAVIS HUNTER: RECEIVER, CORNER OR BOTH? (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) With the NFL draft a week away, Travis Hunter's future as a two-way player remains one of the most intriguing storylines, Jeff and I write. What he's saying: The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner has made it abundantly clear that he wants to continue playing both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL — to the point where he said he'd rather quit football than be forced to play only one side of the ball. What others are saying: The Browns (No. 2 pick) have said they view Hunter primarily as a receiver, while the Giants (No. 3) and Patriots (No. 4) sound more amenable to using him as a true two-way player. Others believe his future lies as a shutdown corner, much like his college coach, Deion Sanders, who dabbled as a receiver in the NFL but mostly lined up on defense. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh doesn't doubt Hunter's physical ability to play two positions, but he's skeptical that it can be done full-time due to the mental load required in the NFL, where schemes are more complicated and coaches obsess over details. "To say that you're going to be completely immersed in everything that there is to know on offense and defense … I don't know if there's enough hours in the day for a player to be able to do that," said Harbaugh. To which Hunter replied: "It's not as complicated as people may think it is or may make it seem. I've been doing it for a long time, so it is super easy for me, super simple," he told Yahoo Sports on the heels of a historic college season that saw him play 713 offensive snaps and 748 defensive snaps en route to being named the nation's best wide receiver and defender. How rare are two-way players? The NFL's last true 60-minute man was Chuck Bednarik, who retired in 1962. A handful of others have tried since then, butonly two — Roy Green in the 1980s and Sanders in the 1990s — had stints playing regularly on both sides. Will Hunter be given the opportunity to join that exclusive group? We'll find out soon enough. ⛳️ PACE OF PLAY RANGEFINDERS ARRIVE ON THE PGA TOUR Shane Lowry uses a rangefinder in a pre-tournament exhibition during a 2024 European Tour event. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images) Golf's pace of play issue has been brewing for a while. This week in South Carolina, the PGA Tour will try to address the problem by giving pros access to technology typically reserved for weekend warriors like you and me, Jeff writes. Embracing technology: PGA Tour players will be permitted to use distance-measuring devices (aka. rangefinders) during the next six tournaments, beginning with this week's RBC Heritage. If the trial period is deemed a success, full-time implementation could follow. What they're saying: Defending champion Scottie Scheffler doesn't expect rangefinders to make a big difference this week, and if the PGA Championship — which has allowed them since 2021 — is any indication, the devices will be used sparingly. That said, there are certain situations where they could come in handy, notes Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard: Players and caddies anticipate using DMDs when dealing with shots that are well wide of playing corridors and it's difficult to find a reference point to use a yardage book, as well as a way to confirm yardages on approach shots and tee shots on par 3s. "I envision Tom [Hoge] standing in the fairway shooting [with a DMD] and I'll be getting the numbers like we always do," said James Edmondson, Hoge's longtime caddie. "I'll use it when we're off-line, but we're still going to use the fronts and the backs and the carries [yardages] in the book. If you don't do that, I think you'd get your sequence off." One important rule: Players may only use the rangefinder's distance functionality, and must disable all advanced features like course mapping, slope calculation and wind measurement. Long live the art of throwing a blade of grass to check the breeze! 📊 STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS (Locked On Baylor) 🏀 0 returning players All 14 players from Baylor's 2024-25 men's basketball roster are now gone. Four graduated, one is turning pro and nine hit the transfer portal. If this can happen to a top-tier program that won a national championship four years ago, it can happen to anyone. The new normal. ⚾️ 500 strikeouts Braves flamethrower Spencer Strider returned to the mound on Wednesday after a one-year hiatus (elbow surgery) and recorded his 500th career strikeout in his 334th career inning, making him the fastest starting pitcher ever to reach that milestone. 🏀 -190 favorite Don't call it an upset if Golden State takes down Houston in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Despite being the No. 7 seed, the Warriors are favored (-190 at BetMGM) to beat the No. 2 seed Rockets, who were the better regular-season team but lack playoff experience. 💯 6 sports figures Serena Williams, Jalen Hurts, Simone Biles, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart (Unrivaled co-founders), and Léon Marchand (French swimmer) made the 2025 TIME100, the magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. 🏀 55 opened, 54 closed There were 55 head coaching vacancies in D-I men's basketball this cycle. With Florida A&M hiring Charlie Ward (yes, that Charlie Ward), 54 of those jobs have now been filled. The only position currently available: UC Riverside. ⚽️ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STARS ARE GREAT, TEAMS ARE BETTER Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr. react during Wednesday’s loss. (Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Real Madrid won last year's Champions League, then signed Kylian Mbappé. The assumption was that, together, they'd win it again. Instead, they struggled all tournament and crashed out after a 5-1 aggregate loss to Arsenal. The lesson: Soccer is not a superstar-driven sport. From Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell: Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr. crept off the field after a sour second leg, or simply stood there, dumbfounded, because on paper, their team was more super than ever before; but in practice, soccer is the ultimate team game. Madrid had Mbappé and Vini and Jude Bellingham, Luka Modrić and Federico Valverde and Rodrygo; but there were no synchronized movements, no innovative ideas, and no penetration of a resolute Arsenal defense. Meanwhile, the club Mbappé left, PSG, has built one of the most entertaining teams in Europe in his absence, with 11 ego-less players pressing in unison and flying around fields in France. Unlike Madrid, they're headed to the Champions League semifinals, where they'll meet Arsenal — another well-built, albeit wounded, team without a megastar. They advanced (along with Barcelona and Inter Milan) because soccer is not a superstar-driven sport. It's about balance and coordinated ball progression. It's about attacking patterns and cleverly unlocked space. It's about defenders and midfielders and forwards shifting together, and reading one another's movements, as if on a string. It's about all sorts of things that Real Madrid, in constructing its superteam, seemingly ignored. And so, they fell, out of the Champions League. They have fallen out of first place in La Liga. They have failed to meet sky-high expectations in Year 1 of the Mbappé era, because they are less than the sum of their parts — whereas Arsenal and PSG (and Inter Milan) are more. The Final Four: The Champions League semifinals kick off on April 29, with first-leg matches in England (Arsenal vs. PSG) and Spain (Barcelona vs. Inter Milan). The second legs will be played on May 6 in Italy and May 7 in France, and the final is set for May 31 in Munich. 📺 ELITE EIGHT WATCHLIST: GYMNASTS, ASSEMBLE! LSU will look to defend its championship in Fort Worth. (LSU Athletics) The NCAA women's gymnastics championships begin today in Fort Worth, Texas, where eight teams are in contention for the national title. Field and format: Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri and Alabama are in the first semifinal (4:30pm ET, ESPN2), while LSU, Utah, UCLA and Michigan State are in the second (9pm, ESPN2). The top two teams from each advance to Saturday's team final. More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Capitals at Penguins (7pm, ESPN); Flames at Kings (9:30pm, ESPN) … Regular-season finale; all playoff spots and matchups are already set. ⚾️ MLB: Royals at Tigers (6:40pm, FS1); Yankees at Rays (7:05pm, Prime) … New York (11-7) and Detroit (10-8) are both in first place. ⛳️ PGA: RBC Heritage (8am, ESPN+; 2pm, Golf) … Scottie Scheffler looks to defend his title* at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head. ⛳️ LPGA: LA Championship (6pm, Golf) … Seven of the world's top 10 golfers tee it up at El Caballero Country Club. *Fourth time's the charm? This is already Scheffler's fourth title defense of the year following his historic 2024 season. He failed to repeat as champion in his first three attempts (Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, Masters), but perhaps this is the week he breaks through and earns his first victory of 2025. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
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