Members phkrause Posted August 25 Author Members Posted August 25 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. Stat du jour: Only three players in MLB history have homered on the first and last pitch their team saw in a game. Two of them did it in the last week: Pete Crow-Armstrong (Monday) and Randy Arozarena (Saturday). In today's edition: Back to campus, another NBA team sale, Wyndham wins in St. Louis, Coco crowned in Cincy, Premier League kicks off, Spider-Man catch, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🎾 US Open headlines: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the season's final Grand Slam due to the knee injury that's kept him out since winning Wimbledon; Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams are teaming up in mixed doubles. ⚾️ 9 in a row: The Phillies (73-58) are on some kind of roll, winning their ninth straight game on Sunday despite trailing the Cardinals, 4-0, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The hero? Who else but Kyle Schwarber, who crushed a walk-off bomb for his MLB-leading 39th homer. 🏀 Veterans on the move: Klay Thompson is signing a two-year, $13 million deal with the Heat after agreeing to a buyout with the Mavericks; DeMar DeRozan is signing a one-year deal with the Nuggets for $3.9 million, the veteran minimum. 🏎️ Norris wins again: McLaren's Lando Norris won Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix, giving the reigning F1 champion back-to-back victories. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli finished second to maintain a sizable lead atop the standings. 🤖 Score one for the robots: A two-legged machine finished the 100-meter race in 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, besting Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds set in 2009. 🎓 COLLEGE SPORTS CHAOS BACK TO CAMPUS: FROM THE NFL TO LSU Dae'Quan Wright warms up prior to Saturday's preseason game. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) College sports had another first last week: An NFL player entered the NCAA transfer portal. Four days later, that player is on track to land at LSU. Driving the news: The Browns waived rookie Dae'Quan Wright on Sunday. If he clears waivers, the former Ole Miss tight end has an agreement in place to reunite with Lane Kiffin and play for the Tigers this season, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Wright spent four years in college before entering the 2026 NFL Draft. He went undrafted, signed with the Eagles and later landed in Browns training camp. Now, thanks to the chaos engulfing college sports, he could become the first player to suit up for an NFL team and then return to NCAA football. How is this possible? Wright is part of a group of players who sued the NCAA in Louisiana seeking a fifth year of eligibility after the association adopted a new five-year, age-based eligibility policy in June. The players argue that while they're ineligible under the old rules, they would be eligible under the new ones, and shouldn't be punished simply because the change came after their college careers ended. A Louisiana judge agreed, granting the players a fifth season and opening a special week-long transfer portal for them that opened on Thursday. Crucially for Wright, the judge also barred the NCAA from enforcing its longtime ban on players returning to college after signing professional contracts. Wright during an Ole Miss game last fall. (Justin Ford/Getty Images) The backdrop: The lawsuit's lead plaintiff is former LSU edge rusher (and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer) Jack Pyburn, while Wright is one of three former Ole Miss players in the suit who played for Kiffin. In other words, this wasn't random: The lawsuit was an orchestrated effort out of Baton Rouge to bring players like Pyburn and Wright back to campus — and LSU isn't the only school engaging in this. The eligibility madness isn't limited to football, either. Similar lawsuits are unfolding in college basketball, where schools are fighting to gain eligibility for players seeking fifth seasons or attempting to return after going pro. Ross Dellenger, Yahoo Sports: Schools across the country — the same schools that create these eligibility rules that the NCAA is tasked with enforcing — are fighting against those very rules as a way to gain a competitive advantage. Economists will tell you that this is just how a competitive market works: Schools, now paying millions directly to their athletes, are under more financial pressure than ever to win in a competitive market where court rulings have crippled any logical rules enforcement. Much of this is driven by coaches who don't trust that coaches at other schools aren't planning on improving their roster by skirting the rules. As one person put it, "We'll do it before they do." It's another bizarre chapter in major college sports' evolution from amateurism to professionalism — the latest indicator that, perhaps, congressional legislation and/or a collective bargaining agreement is necessary to have regulation. What to watch: The college football season kicks off in less than two weeks, while NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by Aug. 30 — potentially sending another wave of recently cut players searching for a way back to campus. "I need to figure this s*** out," one power conference GM told Yahoo Sports. "It's such a wild time." 🤝 TEAM SALES FIRST A TRICKLE, THEN A FLOOD We can't promise that another professional sports team won't have sold by the time you finish this sentence. Or this one. After the reported sale of the Timberwolves on Friday, the fourth control sale of a "Big Four" franchise this year, all bets are off. Hardwood hustle: The flood of investment money seeking sports ownership has been a boon to minority stake sales, as majority owners can access liquidity without relinquishing their teams. But control sales remain relatively infrequent… except in the NBA, where recent sales are piling up in comparison to peers. NBA: Rockets (2017), Nets (2019), Jazz (2020), Suns (2023), Bucks (2023), Hornets (2023), Mavericks (2023), Timberwolves (2025), Celtics (2025), Lakers (2025), Trail Blazers (2025), Lakers (2026), Timberwolves (2026) NHL: Hurricanes (2018), Coyotes (2019), Penguins (2021), Senators (2023), Lightning (2024), Mammoth (2024), Predators (2025), Penguins (2025) MLB: Marlins (2017), Royals (2019), Mets (2020), Orioles (2024), Rays (2025), Padres (2026) NFL: Panthers (2018), Broncos (2022), Commanders (2023), Seahawks (2026) Trickle, then a flood: Of all 31 control sales in these leagues over the past decade, 23 have come in the last five years, including 16 in the last three years and nine in the last 12 months alone. Sales occur for myriad reasons, from estate matters and planning (Blazers, Seahawks, Padres), to the completion of an investment cycle (Penguins), to extraneous circumstances (Lakers). Uniting most of the exits, though, has been the availability of attractive offers, many of them multiplying the seller's previous entry price. This is an excerpt from today’s Yahoo Sports Biz. 🇺🇸 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA "Good game." (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Williamsport, Pennsylvania — The Braves beat the Brewers, 4-2, in Sunday's Little League Classic, which ended on a beautiful double play and, more importantly, with a handshake line to honor their hosts. Who's got next? The Cubs and Blue Jays have already been tabbed to play in next year's Little League Classic, the 10th annual edition of one of MLB's best new traditions. (James Gilbert/PGA Tour via Getty Images) St. Louis, Missouri — Wyndham Clark held on to win the BMW Championship on Sunday for his third victory of the season, tied for the most on Tour. And with that, the 30-man PGA Tour Championship is set. Team USA taking shape: Clark's victory vaulted him into one of the six automatic spots on the U.S. Presidents Cup team for next month's competition. He'll be joined by Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa, plus six picks still to come from captain Brandt Snedeker. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) Cincinnati, Ohio — Coco Gauff dominated Jessica Pegula on Sunday to capture her second Cincinnati Open crown, joining Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka as the only women with two titles in the event. On the men's side: Arthur Fils beat Frances Tiafoe to win his first Masters 1000 title. With the win, the 22-year-old moves up to a career-best No. 11 in the world rankings. Kirkwood speeds past the U.S. Capitol. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images) Washington, D.C. — Kyle Kirkwood won Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix, an elaborate 250-mile spectacle that saw IndyCar drivers race around the National Mall to celebrate America's 250th birthday. Chasing the champ: Kirkwood took a big chunk out of Álex Palou's lead atop the standings, but he's still a distant second behind the four-time IndyCar champion (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025) with three races left in the season. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Nobel Mendy celebrates Hull City's second goal in front of an elated home crowd. (George Wood/Getty Images) ⚽️ 52 years Newly-promoted Hull City — the last team to earn promotion to the Premier League this season — opened their campaign with a stunner as they took down Manchester United, 2-0, for their first league win over the Red Devils since 1974. Scoreboard: The Tigers' shutout was one of six during opening weekend, alongside Brighton over Aston Villa (4-0), Arsenal over Coventry (3-0), Brentford over Spurs (3-0), Everton over Palace (2-0) and Leeds over Forest (1-0). Elsewhere: Man City beat Bournemouth (2-1), Ipswich Town beat Sunderland (2-1) and Liverpool salvaged a draw against Newcastle (2-2). 🏈 5.0 YPC Four-time Pro Bowler Nick Chubb is retiring at age 30, walking away from the NFL as one of the most efficient rushers the league has ever seen. His career mark of 5.0 yards per carry is tied with Gale Sayers and Barry Sanders for the third-best among running backs (min. 900 attempts), trailing only Jim Brown (5.2) and Jamaal Charles (5.4). Career cut short: Chubb was a wrecking ball for the Browns until he suffered a devastating knee injury in 2023 followed by a broken foot in 2024. Now, rather than push his luck, he's confidently calling it quits. "I say this to all my brothers still on the field, still in the heat of it: There's a life waiting for you after football, too. And health is the real wealth." DeGrom acknowledges the crowd after his 2,000th strikeout. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) ⚾️ 2,000 strikeouts Jacob deGrom notched his 2,000th career strikeout on Friday — in his 1,661st career inning. That's the second-fastest any pitcher has ever reached the milestone, trailing only Chris Sale (1,626 innings). 2K strikeout club: The Rangers ace is the 94th pitcher in MLB history with at least 2,000 strikeouts, and the ninth active player after Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Sale, Gerrit Cole, Kevin Gausman, Yu Darvish, Sonny Gray and Aaron Nola. Next up is likely Zack Wheeler (1,964 K), who could reach the mark by season's end. 🏀 7 of 8 The WNBA postseason field is nearly set after the Dream (24-13), Fever (25-14), Liberty (23-15) and Mystics (22-15) all clinched their spots over the weekend. Those four join the Lynx (31-7), Valkyries (25-11) and Aces (26-13) to account for seven of the eight playoff spots. Eighth coming soon: The Wings (22-16) can clinch the final spot as soon as tomorrow considering their only competition is the Fire (15-22). The remaining six teams have already been eliminated with a month left in the regular season. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, AUG. 24 Kayla McBride hits the "Night Night" celebration during Minnesota's win over Golden State last week. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) 🏀 Valkyries at Lynx The WNBA's top two teams meet for the second time in a week (8pm ET, USA), as first-place Minnesota (31-7) — seeking its seventh straight win — hosts second-place Golden State (25-11). The Valkyries are 0-3 against the Lynx this season, and 25-8 against everyone else. Not slowing down: Rookie phenom Olivia Miles' outstanding numbers have only gotten better as of late. During Minnesota's six-game winning streak, the MVP contender is averaging 21.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists, while shooting a scorching 46% from long range. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Rays at Tigers (6:40pm, FS1) … Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen (13-5, 3.01 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) has quietly been one of the AL's best pitchers this year. ⚽️ Premier League: Fulham vs. Chelsea (3pm, USA) … The West London derby closes out Week 1. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 3 (8:45am, NBCSN) … The peloton travels 104 miles through France as the race makes its way to Spain. 🎾 U.S. Open: Qualifying (11am, ESPN2) … Players battle for the final 16 spots in the men's and women's singles draws. 🏀 LET'S PLAY TRIVIA TIME (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) 18 years ago today, the "Redeem Team" won gold at the Beijing Olympics, restoring order to the basketball world after Team USA's disappointing bronze in 2004. Question: Which country did the U.S. beat in that gold medal game? Answer at the bottom. 🎥 HIGHLIGHT REEL CATCH OF THE YEAR?! (Washington Nationals) Nationals center fielder Jacob Young climbed the wall like Spider-Man on Sunday in Miami to make one of the best catches you'll ever see. Trivia answer: Spain Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 27 Author Members Posted August 27 👋 Good morning! Today's GeoSports is live, with questions written by yours truly. Tap in and see how you score. In today's edition: The Brewers' recipe for success, Angel Reese's historic night, mixed doubles takes center stage, Yahoo Fantasy introduces a new position, a bearish bet on baseball, Robot Olympics, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Angel's historic night: Angel Reese grabbed 26 rebounds in Atlanta's win over the Sparks, breaking Chamique Holdsclaw's record of 24 for the most in a single WNBA game. With the performance, Reese also broke A'ja Wilson’s record for most rebounds in a season (458 and counting). 🏈 Watson named QB1: Deshaun Watson has won the starting job in Cleveland over Shedeur Sanders, the team announced Monday. After multiple Achilles injuries, he's now in line to start his first game since 2024. ⚾️ 3 HR for Big Dumper: Cal Raleigh had by far the best game of his disappointing season on Monday, posting the first three-homer game of his career in the Mariners' win over the Phillies. He now has 17 HR and a .618 OPS on the year after posting 60 HR and a .948 OPS last year. 🚲 Vuelta halted for hail: Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España was abandoned due to a dangerous hailstorm with just a few kilometers left on Monday. The season's final grand tour resumes today with Tadej Pogačar (who else?) leading the way. ⛳️ Bryson's cryptic message: Is Bryson DeChambeau's run with LIV Golf over? That seems like a distinct possibility after the breakaway tour's biggest name shared a series of photos from LIV Golf events on Instagram with the caption, "It was a good run." ⚾️ SMALL BALL, BABY THE BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL DOESN'T HIT HOME RUNS (John Fisher/Getty Images) Last season, the Brewers won a franchise-record 97 games. This season, they're on pace to eclipse 100 wins as they hurtle toward their fourth straight division crown. How does a small-market club keep doing this? What's their recipe for success? Small ball, baby: Milwaukee (81-50) has the best record in baseball despite ranking dead last in home runs (120). Instead of slugging long balls, they manufacture runs in a way that would make Billy Beane proud: they get on base. The Brewers have the second-best OBP in the majors (.337), powered by the second-best walk rate (10.7%) and third-best batting average (.254). And once they get on base the fun really begins, as they also rank third in stolen bases (129) and sacrifice bunts (30). The combination of smart baseball and just enough slugging (they're top five in doubles) has yielded a team with MLB's best run differential (+161). Pitching helps, too: NL Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski (13-5, 1.68 ERA) gets the headlines, and deservedly so, but the rotation would fall apart behind him if not for the excellence of Logan Henderson (8-2, 2.60 ERA) and Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.84 ERA). And in the latter half of games, the Brewers hand the reins over to MLB's third-best bullpen (3.33 ERA). What they're saying: "I don't think we've played great," manager Pat Murphy said last week despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. "We haven't really jelled. We haven't really come together." And yet here they are with MLB's best record even as some of their clubhouse leaders have had down years. "Maybe that's the secret," he added. "Maybe this team still plays well enough to be close when they're not at their best." Will it translate in October? Small ball-reliant teams can thrive over the course of 162 games, but they tend to struggle in the playoffs, just as the Brewers have in the past three years (two wild card exits, one NLCS sweep). Could this be the year Milwaukee bucks that trend? Or will power hitters rule the postseason* once again? *Teams that out-homer their opponents have gone 53-13 (.803) across the last two postseasons, and each of the last six World Series champions ranked in the top four in home runs during the regular season. 🎾 US OPEN MIXED DOUBLES TAKES CENTER STAGE Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka. (Ben Whitley/PA Images via Getty Images) A reimagined mixed doubles event has transformed the week before the US Open main draw from an overlooked sideshow into a must-see event. Shlomo Sprung, Yahoo Sports: Across the tennis world, mixed doubles had been considered an afterthought. For years, the US Open had placed it in the third week of the tournament, overshadowed by men's and women's singles while the sport's best players are either still participating in singles or moving on to the next tournament. In 2025, the United States Tennis Association made a scheduling change that singlehandedly revived the competition. In an effort for the US Open to legitimize what it calls Fan Week, the qualifying week before the main singles and doubles draws begin with free admission for spectators, the USTA moved mixed doubles to the last full week in August, when top players were more available, and gave the winning team $1 million. The plan was a spectacular success. The tournament drove 78,000 fans to the Open grounds and sold out the nearly 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium on both nights, which meant millions in added revenue from concession and merchandise sales. More than 2 million fans visited the Open's mobile app and website, and its YouTube channel set a single-day record with 12.8 million views, the USTA said. "We wanted to give [mixed doubles] the spotlight it deserved," Brendan McIntyre, the US Open's head of communications and content, told Yahoo Sports. "The players also embraced it, and the star power in the field was evidence of that. There was never a doubt that we would be bringing it back for this year." Star-studded bracket: This year's tournament, which began with Monday's qualifiers, features seven of the top 10 ranked women in the world and six of the top 10 men. Notable pairings include: Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz: The GOAT continues her comeback tour alongside the young Spaniard, who's back from an injury. Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic: The two-time defending singles champ teams up with the legendary 24-time grand slam champion. Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz: This all-American pair is poised to be fan favorites. And both are in good form. Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils: Husband and wife will compete together as Monfils plays in his final grand slam before his retirement after this season. 🏈 NEW FEATURE OFFENSE COMES TO YAHOO FANTASY Our 29 Days of Fantasy is still going strong, and we just dropped one of the biggest new features yet: an entirely new roster position. Introducing Team Offense: Defenses have been a standard part of fantasy leagues for decades; now, offenses are joining the fray. The position was introduced as a default roster spot when we launched College Fantasy Football last month, and now it's an option in our NFL game, too. How it works: For leagues that choose to include this roster spot, full team offenses will be a draftable position, earning (or losing) points in seven different ways: TD scored: +3 First 300 yards of offense: +1.5 Every 50 additional yards: +0.25 FG made: +1 Turnover: -2 Win: +1 Loss: -1 Pro tip: Based on last season's stats, offenses score appreciably more fantasy points than defense/special teams (the top D/ST would not have cracked the top 10 OFF), so you should target the position accordingly in your draft, writes Yahoo Sports' Hayden Winks. Not sure who to take? Here are Hayden's top 10 fantasy offenses entering the season: (Yahoo Sports) The NFL regular season kicks off two weeks from tomorrow. Create or join a Yahoo Fantasy Football league today! 📉 JOCK STOCKS A BEARISH BET ON BASEBALL Sports team valuations are rising at a breakneck pace, but at least some investors are betting they'll head in the other direction. A Brave trade: Investors are shorting Atlanta Braves stock in record numbers. The company's short interest, the percentage of shares available for trading that have been sold short, is sitting just off the highest levels seen in its trading history, as highlighted last week by Bloomberg. As of July 31, short interest was 6.59% of the float. For context, the median short interest of S&P 500 stocks was 3.0% this spring. Shorting activity has increased sharply in the spring and summer against the backdrop of an ongoing MLB labor dispute and a challenging local media environment. Heavy lies the crown: As one of the few publicly traded major American sports teams — and the only MLB team — the Braves could serve as a proxy for pessimistic views on the league or the broader sports ecosystem. The former is more likely given current circumstances, with the prospect of a lockout looming large. An outcome favorable to ownership, however, could send shares higher. No rally caps needed: Though short interest may be on the rise, it has done little to slow the momentum of Braves shares, which have risen steadily in recent months in reaction to surging investment interest in the sports world. The stock is up over 33% in 2026. This story first appeared in Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter authored by Dylan Dittrich. Join 300,000+ subscribers and get it in your inbox. 🤖 MEANWHILE, IN CHINA IN PHOTOS: ROBOT OLYMPICS (Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images) The second annual World Humanoid Robot Games are underway in Beijing, where over 600 teams — and 2,000 robots — from 16 countries are competing in the five-day event at the National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. (Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images) Rise of the machines: The robots, which in some cases are fully autonomous (i.e. required no remote control), are competing in 51 different events ranging from sports like soccer, kickboxing, running and table tennis to non-athletic endeavors such as household chores and hotel services. (Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images) Run, robot, run: The biggest headline so far is that a robot ran the 100m dash in 9.39 seconds, faster than Usain Bolt's world record from 2009 (9.58). But perhaps the bigger headline should be that the fastest 100m time last year was 21.5 seconds, illustrating how rapidly these machines are improving. (Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images) Made in China: The government-backed Games remain part of a larger initiative in China, where the country is investing heavily in robotics and artificial intelligence. To wit, the World Robot Conference is also currently underway in Beijing. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, AUG. 25 (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ⚾️ Dodgers at Braves Atlanta hosts tonight's battle of first-place teams (7:15pm ET, TBS), as Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.72 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers and Bryce Elder (8-7, 3.92 ERA) gets the start for the Braves. Hot and cold: The Dodgers (80-51) have put their post-deadline swoon behind them, winning six straight to increase their division lead over the Padres to 9.5 games. The Braves (76-55), on the other hand, have lost seven of 10, and their lead over the surging Phillies is down to just 3.5 games. 🎾 US Open, Mixed Doubles The star-studded event kicks off in earnest today (10am, ESPN2) in Flushing Meadows, where some of the top names in the sport will compete for a $1 million grand prize. Legends in primetime: Later on this evening, Roger Federer returns to the court for an exhibition match (8pm, ESPN2) alongside fellow US Open champions Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe. More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Fire at Wings (8pm, NBA) … Dallas (22-16) clinches the final playoff spot with a win. ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Chicago Fire vs. Monterrey (8:30pm, Apple); Real Salt Lake vs. León (10:30pm, Apple) … Quarterfinals. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 4 (8:45am, Peacock) … Riders travel 65 miles through the mountains of Andorra. 🌍 LET'S PLAY GEOSPORTS GeoSports is back in Yahoo Sports AM, and I'll be writing the questions every Tuesday. How to play: You'll be asked five trivia questions that combine sports with geography (like the question pictured above). Tap where it happened! The closer you are, the more points you get. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 27 Author Members Posted August 27 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: New alarming CTE study, conferences ban pro players, match play returns to PGA Tour, stadiums getting smaller and more premium, old man on campus, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🎓 Big Ten, SEC ban pros: In the midst of college sports' eligibility crisis, the Big Ten and SEC have both approved bans on former professional athletes who want to return to play in college. Which, I don't know, seems pretty obvious? The ACC and Big 12 are considering the same ban. 🏀 The field is set: The Wings beat the Fire on Tuesday to clinch the WNBA's eighth and final playoff spot. While the field is set, seeding is still very much up for grabs, with second-place Golden State (26-11) and eighth-place Dallas (23-16) separated by just four games. ⚾️ 9 in a row: The last-place Royals (59-74) won their ninth straight game on Tuesday, becoming the first AL team since the 1910 White Sox to win that many consecutive games after entering said streak at least 24 games under .500. 🏈 49ers owner arrested: Jed York, the principal owner of the 49ers, was arrested on Sunday in Ohio after responding to a fictitious prostitution ad posted online by the police. York was charged with a pair of misdemeanors and sentenced to two days in jail. ⚾️ NCAA approves ABS: The automated ball-strike system has been approved for all divisions of college baseball. The ruling gives teams the option, when available, to implement a system to challenge balls and strikes like the one now seen in MLB. 🧠 BRAIN DISEASE STUDY: AT LEAST 25% OF NFL PLAYERS HAD CTE (Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports) A new study of NFL players who had played in at least one game and died between 2016-2021 showed at least 25% of them had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease known as CTE. What they're saying: "We've known that this disease process can be caused by, in part, repeated traumatic brain injury. But we didn't know how common it was," said Dr. Daniel Daneshvar of Mass General Brigham, the lead author of the study. The study used brain samples from the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University, where the brains of more than 330 players who died from 2008-2021 have been donated. Researchers tested the brains of 235 of the 878 players who died from 2016-2021 for CTE and found the disease in 215 of them. Of note: The authors of the study, published Tuesday in The British Medical Journal, said the 25% estimate is likely low, as it doesn't account for deceased players whose brains were not tested. Jori Epstein, Yahoo Sports: The NFL has tweaked rules in recent decades in hopes of reducing the frequency and severity of concussions and associated traumatic brain injuries. Helmet regulations have advanced, including the increasing popularity of the league's Guardian Cap. Concussion protocols have become stricter and more formalized. The most dangerous phase of the game for head injuries — the NFL kickoff, where high-speed collisions unfolded often — has been overhauled. Still, the football ecosystem seems to tacitly acknowledge head injuries will not be eliminated from the sport anytime soon. Instead, the league, union and researchers wonder how to treat the conditions that result from this inherent risk. NFLPA executive director JC Tretter and NFLPA medical director Dr. Thom Mayer met with the lead author of the study published Tuesday, a union source told Yahoo Sports. The union will hold a call with medical experts in the coming weeks to answer player questions and create a forum for discussion. The league said it will continue to consider in-game safety strategies. The last word: "Many of the symptoms associated with CTE are treatable with the right care," Dr. Daneshvar advised in an email to players. "While we don't have a cure yet, we have seen improvements in players who receive care from doctors specializing in neurodegenerative disease and who know how to treat athletes. No one should walk away thinking there's nothing they can do." ⛳️ COMING SOON MATCH PLAY RETURNS TO THE PGA TOUR Tommy Fleetwood hoists the FedEx Cup trophy after winning last year's Tour Championship. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) On the eve of the season finale at East Lake Golf Club, the PGA Tour has announced plans for a radical reinvention of its playoff system: match play is coming back. How it works: Starting in 2028 — which is also the first year the tour will split into its dual-track Championship and Challenger Series — the PGA Tour will replace the current three-round stroke-play playoffs with two weeks of match play to determine that year's champion. This will mark the first time match play has taken place on the PGA Tour since 2023. Series Finale: The final 72-hole stroke-play event of the season will feature the top 90 players on the season-long points list. When the event ends, the No. 1 player will be crowned regular-season champion and the top 32 will advance to the Tour Championship. Tour Championship, Week 1: The field of 32 will be split into eight groups of four, similar to the World Cup. Group members will square off in a round-robin of 1v1 matches, with the top two per group advancing to Week 2. Tour Championship, Week 2: The 16 remaining players compete in a bracket-style match play event, culminating in the final 1v1 match on Sunday afternoon for the title of Tour Champion. How about the venues? Unlike the current Tour Championship, which has been held at East Lake outside Atlanta since 2004, the new format will take place at "rotating, prestigious venues." That change is made possible because the new format is about player vs. player instead of player vs. course, as explained in this excellent infographic video. Big picture: This new playoff model is part of new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp's plan to make the season more comprehensible to fans and more competitive for players. The current format allows top players to ease their way through the first few rounds or even skip them entirely, while the new one will more closely mirror an actual playoff. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Ethan Palowitz/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 413 touches Those considering drafting Christian McCaffrey for their fantasy team, beware: He had an NFL-high 413 touches last season, which has historically spelled disaster for running backs in the subsequent season. As you can see above, just one RB in the past decade posted a top-10 fantasy season a year after leading the league in touches (Ezekiel Elliott in 2019). Wild stat: Over the last 11 seasons, the first RB selected in the NFL Draft has outscored the previous season's fantasy RB1 nine times, notes Yahoo Sports' Joel Smyth. In other words, history says you should take Jeremiyah Love over McCaffrey in your upcoming draft. ⚾️ 30 saves Aroldis Chapman keeps racking up milestones, notching his 30th save of the season on Monday to become just the fourth pitcher in MLB history with 10 such seasons. The others are Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera (15), Trevor Hoffman (14) and Lee Smith (10). Speaking of milestones: The hard-throwing lefty, enjoying another excellent year in Boston (1.81 ERA), is just three saves shy of becoming the ninth pitcher ever with 400 career saves. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) ⚽️ $3.35 million The "Hand of God" ball that Diego Maradona infamously netted during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals has sold for $3.35 million at auction. That's well short of its estimated $10 million price tag, though still above the bidding levels reached in two prior auction attempts in the early 2020s, when the ball failed to meet its reserve.* Booming market: Ambitious estimate aside, this is another multimillion-dollar sale in a market where those are suddenly commonplace. Put together Maradona's jersey ($3.35M), armband ($512k) and the ball ($9.3M) from the game and you have over $13 million in memorabilia. 🏀 2,899 threes Klay Thompson, officially introduced by the Heat on Tuesday, is sitting on 2,899 career 3-pointers, just 75 shy of passing Ray Allen for the third-most all-time. And given he hit 202 triples last season in Dallas even in a supporting role, it's safe to assume the 36-year-old — who called his upcoming campaign "a redemption season" — will catch Allen. How high can he climb? Third place is likely Thompson's ceiling considering the only other players ahead of him are James Harden (3,390) and Steph Curry (4,248), who are both still active and playing at a pretty high level. *A reserve price is set by the consignor (seller) of an item at auction. If bidding doesn't reach that reserve price, which is often known only to the consignor and the auction house, the item does not sell and the consignor retains it. 🏗️ FIXER UPPERS BIGGER AND BETTER IS NO MORE (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) As the US Open welcomes hundreds of thousands of people for Fan Week, they'll notice that Arthur Ashe Stadium has a new look after extensive renovations. But if fans around the world look closely, they'll see that what happened at Ashe is happening just about everywhere. Down to the court and upmarket: Arthur Ashe, the US Open's crown jewel, is in the midst of $800 million worth of renovations, the results of which will be visible at this year's tournament. The stadium's total capacity has not changed materially, but the reallocation of that capacity is significant. The courtside-level bowl has been expanded from 3,000 to 5,000 seats, and there are now two dedicated luxury suite levels. Much of this new capacity was created by a reduction in the loge level, which lost 3,500 seats. In simpler terms, cheaper seats were removed to make way for premium and hospitality offerings, which generate higher revenue. Global phenomenon: Frustration with the increasingly costly US Open is inescapable, but the adjustments to Ashe are merely one example of a far more common trend across professional sports. In fact, that Ashe's capacity remained stable perhaps positions it among the friendlier updates. The broader trend is for stadiums to get smaller and more premium. NFL: The new Highmark Stadium (Bills) seats approximately 9,600 fewer people than Ralph Wilson, and ticket prices are reportedly up 88% over last year. MLB: Recent renovations to Citi Field (Mets) and Progressive Field (Guardians) have shifted seating allocations to more premium options. NBA/NHL: The upcoming transformation of Capital One Arena (Wizards, Capitals) will roughly double the percentage of capacity allocated to premium seating to ~40%. Soccer: Manchester United controversially relocated long-time season ticket holders to clear space for new hospitality seating. Optimize and ostracize? The quest to optimize seating allocations and maximize per-seat revenue yield is generally not lost on fans. It adds another arrow to the fan-frustration quiver in a revenue-crazed professional sports industry. This is an excerpt from today's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz. To read the full story, and get the inside scoop on all things sports business, sign up here. 🇨🇴 MEANWHILE, IN COLOMBIA IN PHOTOS: SOCCER FESTIVAL (Diego Cuevas/Getty Images) The annual Botas, Ruana y Sombrero Festival took place last week in Jenesano, Colombia, as the four-day event brought together residents from different towns for a soccer tournament in which participants wear boots, traditional ruana (woolen poncho) and hats. (Diego Cuevas/Getty Images) There are separate men's and women's tournaments, and people of all ages are welcome to participate. The festival also includes other cultural expressions of the region like its music and food. (Diego Cuevas/Getty Images) A player takes a swig of Guarapo, a traditional beverage made from fresh-squeezed sugarcane juice mixed with ice and lime. (Diego Cuevas/Getty Images) Either this guy is making a highlight-worthy save, or the soccer rules at this festival are more lenient than we're used to. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26 Married couple Monfils and Svitolina are in the semis tonight. (Brad Penner/USTA via Getty Images) 🎾 US Open, Mixed Doubles Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils face Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in tonight's first semifinal (7pm ET, ESPN2), followed by Karolína Muchová and Jakub Menšík vs. Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev in the second. Then the winners square off in the $1 million championship (9pm, ESPN). Abbreviated format: The only way they can squeeze this tournament into two days is with quicker contests. All matches before the final are best-of-three sets to four games, with no-ad scoring (i.e. just one deciding point at deuce) and a 10-point tiebreak used in lieu of a deciding third set. The final is the same, but with sets to six games instead of four. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Astros at Yankees (7:05pm, Prime) … Houston (66-66) is in a tight race for both the AL West and third wild card, while New York (74-57) sits comfortably in the first wild card spot. ⚾️ LLWS: Nicaragua vs Curaçao (1 pm, ESPN); Nevada vs Iowa (3pm, ESPN) … Winners book their spots in the International and U.S. Championships. ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Austin FC vs. Toluca (8:30pm, Apple/FS1); Columbus Crew vs. Club América (10:45pm, Apple/FS1) … Quarterfinals. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 5 (8:45am, Peacock) … Five stages in, the Vuelta has finally reached Spain. 🎾 LET'S PLAY TRIVIA TIME (Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) Roger Federer, who returned to Flushing Meadows on Tuesday for a special exhibition, is one of three men in the Open Era to win five US Open singles titles. Question: Who are the other two? Hint: Same country. Answer at the bottom. 🏈 RISK OR RUST OLD MAN ON CAMPUS (Justin Buzzard) Justin Buzzard, a 47-year-old pastor, husband and father of three, has made the football team at San Jose City College. Buzzard played growing up, but thought an injury had ended his career in the 1990s; now, he's back in game shape and ready to contribute as a defensive end. What he's saying: "Risk or rust," said Buzzard, spreading his message as he's taken on this new chapter in his life. "You're either risking or you're rusting as a man. Take risks. Don't rust." Trivia answer: Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 28 Author Members Posted August 28 👋 Good morning! There's a new UConn women's basketball docuseries on Apple TV, and a new Vince Young documentary on Netflix. Highly recommend both. In today's edition: LIV Golf timeline, NFL axes the Pro Bowl, Behind the Lens with Getty Images, fantasy football punishments, Champions League draw, the US Open's $23 pour, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 NFL axes Pro Bowl: The NFL is pulling the plug on the Pro Bowl amid declining interest. Instead, the league will simply name a Pro Bowl team — consisting of 88 players — and invite them to Los Angeles for an in-person celebration in February, presumably during Super Bowl week. 🏀 Historic viewership: Sunday's Fever-Sky matchup drew 3.3 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched WNBA regular-season game since the league's inaugural weekend in 1997. 🎾 Doubles champs: Karolína Muchová and Jakub Menšík won the US Open's unique mixed doubles tournament on Wednesday, taking home a $1 million grand prize (or $500,000 each). Not bad for two days' work. 💵 Battles of the Busses: Jeanie Buss has petitioned a Los Angeles Superior Court to block her five siblings from selling the family's 17.8% stake in the Lakers. Meanwhile, two of those siblings, Joey and Jesse, acquired 5% of the Padres. ⚾️ Ohtani nears return: Shohei Ohtani will throw a bullpen session tomorrow and, if all goes well, could start on Sunday against the Tigers, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. The two-way star hasn't pitched since July 3 due to knee and biceps injuries. ⛳️ MONEY GAME SPLITTING THE FAIRWAY: HOW LIV FRACTURED GOLF (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) As the curtain closed on LIV Golf Indianapolis this past weekend, it may have ended not just the season but — at minimum — version 1.0 of the upstart golf league, which plans to lay off the majority of its staff amid an uncertain future. Whether LIV ultimately lives on or not, the disruption it unleashed forever changed golf. The build-up (2020-21) Rumblings of an upstart PGA Tour challenger materialized in the early 2020s, a startling reality that the Tour met swiftly with both repudiation (for competitors) and retention efforts (for players). January 2020: The World Golf Group, believed to be financed by Saudi backers, announces plans for the Premier Golf League. PGA commissioner Jay Monahan warns that aligning with PGL could lead to PGA ineligibility. April 2021: PGA unveils the Player Impact Program, which will reward the top 10 "needle-moving" players with a $40 million bonus pool. October 2021: LIV Golf Investments is officially announced, with Greg Norman named CEO. November 2021: The PGA reveals significant increases in player pay for the upcoming season. The launch (2022) LIV played its first events in mid 2022. With those events came the first defections, many of them high-profile, thoroughly unsettling a golf establishment religious in its traditions. February 2022: It's revealed that Phil Mickelson is involved with LIV Golf, and he extolls the newfound leverage over the PGA Tour to Alan Shipnuck. March 2022: LIV announces inaugural eight-event, $255 million series for 2022 beginning in London in June. May 2022: PGA Tour denies players' release request to play in LIV events. Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, and Louis Oosthuizen are among the players revealed as participants in the first event. June 2022: Charl Schwartzel wins LIV Golf London, the competition's first event. Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka are among the stars to join in the following weeks. August 2022: 11 LIV Players file an antitrust suit against the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour announces the addition of new Elevated Events, increased purses, and commitments from top players to play 20 events. October 2022: The PGA Tour files a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its governor. (Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) The negotiations (2023-24) The opposing parties soon began a negotiating dance, exploring the terms of a possible merger while also navigating their own independent business aspirations. June 2023: The PGA Tour, PIF and DP World Tour announce a "framework agreement" to form a new entity and end litigation. December 2023: Parties move to extend the December 31 deadline for their merger. Jon Rahm joins LIV. January 2024: The PGA Tour announces a $3 billion investment deal with Strategic Sports Group. The deal will give players up to $1.5 billion in equity in a new commercial entity, PGA Tour Enterprises. March 2024: A PGA Tour delegation that includes Tiger Woods meets with LIV officials in the Bahamas for "constructive" talks. A false new dawn (2025) 2025 brought new blood into LIV leadership, but the weight of past investment began to catch up with the upstart league, and cracks emerged. January 2025: Scott O'Neil replaces Greg Norman as CEO of LIV Golf. The competition signs a multi-year media rights agreement with Fox Sports. February 2025: Adam Scott, Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods and Yasir Al-Rumayyan join President Trump at the White House for merger talks, briefly increasing prospects of reunification. October 2025: Financial disclosures show that LIV's international division lost $590 million in 2024, bringing three-year losses to $1.4 billion. The company had reportedly received $4 billion in equity injections through the end of 2024. December 2025: Koepka leaves LIV, citing "personal reasons." The beginning of the end of LIV 1.0 (2026) Speculation about the loss of ongoing funding soon became reality, as LIV scrambled to court prospective investors and forge a path toward the end of this season and the beginning of a new one. January 2026: Koepka rejoins the PGA Tour through the Returning Member Program, which applies to four elite players. April 2026: PIF releases its new 2026-2030 investment strategy, which appears to deemphasize sports relative to the prior cycle. An emergency meeting is called at LIV's Mexico event amid (later confirmed) speculation that PIF is pulling funding. August 2026: LIV announces that it has secured a new lead investor to fund the upcoming season in a structure that will make its players the majority equity holders. LIV's Team Championship event is canceled, and the purse for LIV Golf Indianapolis is halved. Looking ahead: LIV's new structure could reportedly require reduced purses, a bankruptcy filing and restructured player contracts, raising questions about the league's viability, whether its players want to stick around and what their potential path back to the PGA Tour might look like. This story first appeared in Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter. Sign up here to begin receiving it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 📸 PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS (Donald Miralle/Getty Images) Each week in Yahoo Sports AM, we'll be going "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images to get the backstory on the best photographs in sports. This week's photo: A woman competes during the preliminary heats of the 2026 Super Girl Surf Festival, the world's largest women's surf and music festival. Photographer: Donald Miralle Location: Oceanside, California Date: August 22 📸 Behind the lens: Here's Donald… As a life-long surfer, I love the opportunity to shoot the "Sport of Kings," especially if it's in my own backyard. I saw the forecast called for epic weather and clean surf all weekend for the event, which is now in its 20th year. I have been a licensed and insured drone pilot since the inception of the first prosumer DJI drones circa 2010, back when they were pretty rudimentary and no one used them yet at sporting events. Now most photographers and videographers carry them as an essential part of their camera bag for good reason! In this particular shot, I saw how the light was cutting through the water, revealing the sand churning below, as well as the contrast of the breaking wave with the surfer wearing the red jersey. I captured this frame about 60 feet above the surfer to avoid distracting her with the drone props while still capturing a wider scene. I composed the surfer off-center in the frame using the rule of thirds, giving the photo room to breathe a little with the dynamic of her cutback and the wave. Since I was only shooting photos and not video, I really didn't have to fly very long to capture this, but just had to predict when her turn was going to happen on the wave as there's a long delay on triggering of the shutter for the drone, and you really only get one frame. Happy it all came together in the photo, and shows the beauty of the sport and our local break! Equipment and technique: Donald shot this with a DJI Mavic Pro, using a wide angle lens with an f/4 aperture and a shutter speed of 1/2500th of a second at a setting of ISO 100. 📚 GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Jeff Eisenberg: Lose your fantasy league, suffer the consequences: Inside the wild world of last-place punishments Last-place punishments have long been a fantasy football staple, providing incentive for bottom-dwelling managers to keep trying after they've already been eliminated from playoff contention. In recent years, leagues have become increasingly creative and ruthless with their punishments, making the battle to avoid last place as high stakes as the race to finish first. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) 🥊 Elliot Worsell: What does boxing's world heavyweight title actually mean in 2026? In the old days, back when the meaning was clearer, the belts of boxers were pretty things coveted by all. Now, all we hear is that there are too many belts in boxing and that the proliferation of them has diluted what it means to be seen wearing one. There is even talk of boxing's belts being removed altogether. (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Ross Dellenger: SEC v. LSU? Lane Kiffin's brazen approach raises question of whether league would sue its own school A month ago, Lane Kiffin turned toward a reporter and agreed that LSU had, indeed, become the villain of college football. He is the central figure — the brash man who signed a $90 million contract, who unabashedly exploits loopholes, who left his former program for an archrival amid a postseason run, and who, one day, believes he'll be a hero. Why? Kiffin smiled. "You'll be a hero if you win." 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, AUG. 27 The clubhouse and 18th green at East Lake. (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) ⛳️ Tour Championship The top 30 golfers tee it up today (11am ET, ESPN; 1pm, Golf) at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta for the season finale, where a staggering $40 million purse, including a $10 million grand prize, is up for grabs. Notable tee times: Three-time champion Rory McIlroy and three-time runner-up Xander Schauffele (12:54pm); defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg (1:12pm); Wyndham Clark and Cameron Young (1:48pm); Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick (2pm). 🏈 NFL Preseason, Week 3 The final week of the preseason begins tonight with a four-game slate: Steelers at Bills (7pm, NFL); Patriots at Browns (8pm, Prime); 49ers at Raiders (8pm, ESPN+); Rams at Chargers (10pm, NFL). Counting down the days: The NFL regular season kicks off in 13 days, with the Seahawks hosting the Patriots on Sept. 9 in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. More to watch: ⚾️ LLWS: Iowa vs. Ohio (9am, ESPN); Nicaragua vs. Japan (9am, ESPN2) … Winners join Nevada and Curaçao in the U.S. and International Championship games. ⚾️ MLB: Dodgers at Braves (7:15pm, FS1) … Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-7, 2.61 ERA) and Chris Sale (12-9, 2.20 ERA) square off in a battle of aces. 🏀 WNBA: Valkyries at Liberty (8pm, Prime) … Golden State's defense is in a league of its own, allowing just 76.3 ppg. Plus: ⛳️ LPGA: FM Championship at TPC Boston (9am, Golf); 🚲 Vuelta a España: Stage 6 (8:45am, Peacock); 🎾 US Open: Rising Stars Exhibitions (6pm, ESPN+) ⚽️ LET'S PLAY TRIVIA TIME The Champions League trophy ahead of today's draw. (Francesco Scaccianoce/UEFA via Getty Images) The 2026-27 Champions League field is officially set, and the draw to determine the League Phase fixtures will take place today. Question: Can you name the five clubs that have won at least five Champions League titles? Hint: Spain (2x), England, Italy, Germany. Answer at the bottom. 🍈 LIQUID GOLD THE US OPEN'S $23 POUR Fans of the US Open's famous novelty drink, the Honey Deuce, can rejoice, as the price of the drink was frozen at an ever-so-modest $23 this year. Yes, but: Despite the price freeze, the drink's price has still risen far more sharply than broader inflation and alcoholic-beverage-specific inflation since its introduction at $12 in 2007. No deterrent: The price has not hampered demand. The USTA sold 738,459 Honey Deuces (+32%) at last year's tournament, grossing over $17 million in revenue. Trivia answer: Real Madrid (15 titles), AC Milan (7), Liverpool (6), Bayern Munich (6), Barcelona (5) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 29 Author Members Posted August 29 > Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese pop artist known for her polka-dot designs, dies at age 97 (More) | Scroll through a gallery of her life and artwork (More) > Voice actor Peter Cullen dies at age 85; the Canadian star voiced Optimus Prime in "Transformers" and Eeyore in several "Winnie the Pooh" projects (More) | Listen to over 45 of his character voices (More) > UEFA is reportedly preparing a criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino for alleged financial mismanagement over his dead $20B plan to sell stake in the World Cup (More) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 30 Author Members Posted August 30 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: College football primer, Braves sweep Dodgers, Air Jordan 41, Broadcast Box Score, the next Mike Tyson, LLWS Final Four, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Braves sweep Dodgers: The Braves completed a sweep of the Dodgers behind Chris Sale's first complete game shutout since 2019, an 11-strikeout, no-walk gem. The Cy Young contender's ERA is down to a microscopic 2.06, not that far off Jacob Misiorowski's 1.73. 🏒 Helly wants out: After months of rumors, longtime Jets goaltender and three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck has confirmed he's ready to move on from the team, saying in a statement shared by his agent that he "privately requested a trade" months ago. ⚽️ The draw is set: Some of the most intriguing matchups from Thursday's Champions League draw include Arsenal hosting Real Madrid, Man City visiting PSG and Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid hosting Bayern Munich and Man United. The action kicks off in 11 days. ⚾️ CBA update: MLB's latest proposal in the ongoing CBA negotiations includes shortening the free agency window while sticking firm on a salary cap system. The union quickly expressed its displeasure at the idea, saying it "would eliminate player rights…and reduce player leverage." 👟 Records fall in Zurich: Hurdlers ran wild on Thursday at Zurich's Diamond League event, where Brazil's Alison dos Santos broke the men's 400m hurdle world record (45.80 seconds) and USA's Masai Russell broke the women's 100m hurdle world record (12.09 seconds). 🏈 WEEK 0 COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The college football season kicks off tomorrow after yet another change-filled offseason. Here's a quick primer to prepare you for the weeks and months ahead. 5 storylines: Eligibility crisis: The current rules about who can or cannot play college sports — up to and including former professionals — are as confusing as they are impermanent, thanks to court rulings, conference bans and more. The only certainty is that this eligibility crisis will continue to dominate headlines as the season gets underway. The CFP is different, again: The third year of the 12-team playoff features two key changes. First, all four power conference champions will automatically qualify (last season, that would have helped Duke); second, Notre Dame is guaranteed a playoff spot as long they're in the top 12 in the final rankings (that would have helped them last season, too). Big Ten > SEC? Fans of the Big Ten believe their conference has supplanted the SEC as the top dog, and there's plenty of evidence to support their claim. The Big Ten is seeking a fourth straight national championship, and earned all 69 first-place votes in the AP preseason poll, marking the first time since 2015 that SEC teams earned none. Pac 12, reborn: After two years with just Oregon State and Washington State, the Pac-12 has added six new members: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State (via Mountain West) and Texas State (via Sun Belt). It's a far cry from what the Pac-12 used to be, but it might just be the best of the Group of Six. Old faces, new places: Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss to LSU), Kyle Whittingham (Utah to Michigan) and Matt Campbell (Iowa State to Penn State) headline the list of coaches with new teams; QB Darian Mensah (Duke to Miami), WR Cam Coleman (Auburn to Texas) and QB Sam Leavitt (ASU to LSU) headline the most notable QB and non-QB transfers. (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) Fast facts: Yahoo Top 25: Oregon leads our preseason rankings, with Notre Dame, defending champion Indiana, betting favorite Ohio State and Texas rounding out the top five. Heisman favorites: Notre Dame QB CJ Carr (+750) and Texas QB Arch Manning (+750) are the co-favorites, followed by Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss (+900) and Oregon QB Dante Moore (10-1). Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith has the best odds for any non-QB at 12-1. Welcome to the FBS: Perennial FCS powerhouse North Dakota State (10 national titles since 2011) made the jump to the Mountain West, while Sacramento State joined the MAC.* Both make their FBS debuts tomorrow. Further reading: Dark horse playoff contenders 10 coaches on the hot seat 10 best non-conference games *Frequent flyers: Sacramento State is the latest team to experience the wonkiness of modern realignment, as they join a league comprising mostly schools in the Great Lakes region, roughly 2,000 miles away. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS No player has driven in more runs this season than this Reds 22-year-old rookie. (Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) ⚾️ 100 RBI Reds infielder Sal Stewart leads the majors with 100 RBI, making him just the third rookie in MLB history to be the first player in a season to cross the century mark. The other two? Jose Canseco in 1986 and Ted Williams in 1939. Stacked race: You'd think a guy with 28 HR, 100 RBI and an .806 OPS would be a shoo-in for NL ROY, but Stewart is in a fascinating four-man race with Cardinals 2B JJ Wetherholt (4.8 WAR), Mets OF Carson Benge (.990 OPS in August) and Mets RHP Nolan McLean (2.37 ERA in last 15 starts). The Air Jordan 41 "Ruby" launches today in China. (Nike) 👟 Air Jordan 41 The 41st edition (!!!) of Michael Jordan's iconic basketball shoe is available starting today in China ahead of its global release in late October. Jordan, 63, remains actively involved in the process of designing the sneaker that helped make him a billionaire, writes Yahoo Sports' Shlomo Sprung. What they're saying: "He's our competitive advantage," says Jordan Brand executive Donald Kelsey. "If you think about his access to what he sees, it's like the top 1%. Whether that's watches, automobiles, aircrafts. What he sees in the world of innovation and technology, he's already like five, 10 years ahead." Club América players celebrate a goal during their quarterfinal win over Columbus Crew. (Jim Sabo/ISI Photos via Getty Images) ⚽️ 0 MLS teams The Leagues Cup semifinals are set, and not a single MLS team made the final four. Only Liga MX sides León, Toluca, Monterrey and Club América remain in contention — a fitting conclusion to the first edition of the annual tournament to hold games in Mexico. Streak snapped: The MLS no-show is rather surprising considering the last three champions and runners-up all hailed from the U.S.-based league. Miami beat Nashville in 2023, Columbus beat LAFC in 2024 and Seattle beat Miami in 2025. 📺 TUNE IN BROADCAST BOX SCORE (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) This story is from Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter authored by Dylan Dittrich. 🏀 WNBA: The Indiana Fever have set two ratings records in the last week. Last Thursday's game against Dallas averaged 1.07 million viewers, the most ever for a WNBA broadcast on Prime Video. Then, Sunday's tilt against Chicago averaged 3.31 million viewers on NBC, making it the most-watched game since the league's inaugural weekend in 1997. Only prescription is more Fever: Caitlin Clark and company have entirely rewritten the leaderboards for the most-watched games in WNBA history this season. In addition to the above, their game against the Dream in August was the most-watched game on cable in WNBA history, reaching 2.6 million viewers on ESPN. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images) 🏎️ IndyCar: The Freedom 250 Grand Prix averaged 3.28 million viewers on Fox, becoming the most-watched non-Indianapolis 500 race for the series since before the open-wheel merger in 2008. The strength of spectacle: Per Nielsen, 44% of the race's audience hadn't watched any other IndyCar action this year. The introduction of new viewers is a worthy reward for an extensive investment in the race. It's also more good news for an IndyCar series performing well this season; the average viewership on Fox through 15 races is up 32% from 2025 and 70% from 2024. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images) ⛳️ PGA Tour: Across weekend telecasts on NBC and CBS, the PGA Tour's 2026 regular season tournaments averaged 2.5 million viewers, according to Sports Business Journal's Josh Carpenter. That was a narrow 2% increase over the prior year, when compared on a like-for-like basis using Nielsen's Big Data methodology. 'Yoff and running: The FedEx Cup Playoffs are off to a strong start. The final round of Scottie Scheffler's win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship averaged 3.9 million viewers, making it the tournament's most-watched final round in 13 years. The final round of the BMW Championship averaged 3.85 million viewers on CBS, a 10% improvement over last year and the largest audience for the event since Tiger Woods' 2007 win. 🥊 FIGHT NIGHT THE NEXT MIKE TYSON? (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) Moses Itauma, 21, has long been hailed as the next Mike Tyson. On Saturday, the British heavyweight prodigy finally gets his chance. Can boxing's next wunderkind live up to a lifetime of expectations? Elliot Worsell, Uncrowned: Call him Moses. It's easier that way. Easier to say, easier to remember, easier to promote. Call him Moses on the fight poster, the billboard and the on-screen graphics and call him Moses when trying to attract either sponsors or the eyes of the public. Simplify him, in other words. Make him a brand, a product. Think of him as one of those superstars whose power is so great they need only their first name. Think Beyoncé. Think Prince. Think Shaq. Think of all the Brazilian soccer players who achieved international fame with just their first name on the back of their shirt, like Romário, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Neymar. If it can work for them, it can work for you too, Enriko Moses Itauma. That is the view of Itauma's team at least. They, with good reason, sensed they had a superstar on their hands the day Itauma hatched and have started to now nudge him toward the light ahead of his IBF heavyweight title fight against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday. To get him the attention his talent deserves, they have made a conscious effort to simplify Itauma for a mainstream audience. That's why his next fight was billed as "Moses X Hrgovic" on the DAZN ad I saw on the big red bus that passed while I began to write this piece. It's also why, on that same bus, we were greeted with the tagline "Britain's youngest ever world heavyweight champion awaits," and why Mike Tyson, the world's youngest, is someone to whom Itauma, just 21 years of age, is often compared. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST For the second year in a row, the CFB season is kicking off at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. (Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images) 🏈 NCAA Football, Week 0 It's been 222 days since the Hoosiers toppled the Hurricanes for their first national championship. Finally, college football is back. Saturday's slate: UNC vs. TCU in Dublin (12pm ET, ESPN); San José State at No. 14 USC (3pm, NBC); NC State at Virginia (3:30pm, ESPN); Jax State at North Dakota State (5:30pm, CBSSN); Sac State at EMU (6:30pm, ESPN+); Hawaii at Stanford (7pm, ACC); New Mexico State at FSU (7pm, CW); Memphis at UNLV (10pm, Fox) ⛳️ Tour Championship The season finale continues at East Lake Golf Club (Fri-Sun, ESPN/Golf/CBS), where $40 million and the title of Tour Champion are up for grabs. Leaderboard: Min Woo Lee, who was struggling entering the playoffs, fired an 8-under 62 to take a two-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland, Chris Gotterup and Collin Morikawa. Scottie Scheffler is among those lurking at 5-under, and the entire field shot at least even par. 🎾 US Open, First Round The year's final grand slam begins on Sunday in Flushing Meadows, with matches beginning at 11am and cycling throughout ESPN's properties. The field is competing for a record $108 million purse, including $5.5 million each for the men's and women's singles champions. The late-summer double: Young Frenchman Arthur Fils is coming off the biggest win of his career in Cincinnati, which could bode well for his chances in New York: Each of the last three men's Cincy champions went on to win the US Open, too (Novak Djokovic in 2023, Jannik Sinner in 2024, Carlos Alcaraz in 2025). ⚾️ Red Sox at Yankees Baseball's biggest rivalry takes center stage this weekend in the Bronx, where Boston (73-60) could possibly pass New York (75-58) for the first wild card. There's a doubleheader tomorrow (1:05pm, MLB; 7:15pm, Fox) and a matinee on Sunday (1:35pm, ESPN+), while tonight's game (7:15pm, Apple) is available in VR for those with Apple Vision Pro headsets. Best of the rest: Mariners at Blue Jays (Fri. 7:15pm, Apple); Rangers at Brewers (Sat. 7:15pm, Fox); Astros at Mets (Sun. 3:10pm, NBC); Reds at Cubs (Sun. 7:20pm, NBC). ⚾️ LLWS, Final Four We're down to the last four in Williamsport, where Curaçao and Japan play in tomorrow's International Championship (12:30pm, ABC), followed by Nevada vs. Ohio in the U.S. Championship (3:30pm, ABC). The winners meet on Sunday (3pm, ABC) in the grand finale. A star is born: Though her team was eliminated on Wednesday, the breakout star of this LLWS was undoubtedly Kinley Rasmus. The daughter of former MLB pitcher Cory Rasmus tied Mo'ne Davis' record for most strikeouts by a girl (14) and broke the record for most hits by a girl (5). More to watch: 🏈 NFL Preseason: Commanders at Ravens (Fri. 6pm, NFL); Bengals at Eagles (Fri. 8pm, CBS); Vikings at Broncos (Fri. 9pm, NFL); Lions at Colts (Sat. 1pm, NFL); Bears at Titans (Sat. 6pm, NFL) … Final weekend. 🏀 WNBA: Sky at Liberty (Sat. 1pm, CBS); Lynx at Dream (Sun. 3pm, NBA) … The final weekend of games before the league takes a 17-day break for the FIBA World Cup. ⚽️ Premier League: Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City (Fri. 3pm, USA); Tottenham vs. Newcastle (Sat. 12:30pm, NBC); Chelsea vs. Brighton (Sun. 9am, Peacock) … Matchday 2. 🏁 NASCAR: Daytona (Sat. 7:30pm, NBC) … Five drivers are fighting for the final three playoff spots in the regular-season finale. 🥊 Boxing: Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgović (Sat. 5:30pm ET, DAZN); Chantelle Cameron vs. Mikaela Mayer (Sat. 2pm, ESPN+) … Title fights in England. Plus: 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stages 7-9 (Fri-Sun, Peacock);🥍 PLL: Quarterfinals (Sat. 6pm, ESPN+); 🏁 IndyCar in Milwaukee (Sat. 2:30pm, Fox); ⚽️ MLS: Week 23 (Sat-Sun, Apple); ⚽️ NWSL: Week 23 (Fri-Sun, Prime/ION/ESPN2); ⛳️ LPGA: FM Championship (Fri-Sun, Golf); ⚾️ WPBL (Fri-Sun, ESPN+) 🔎 LET'S PLAY GUESS THE LOGO Question: Can you guess this zoomed in FBS logo? Hint: They won a national championship this century. Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH Jackson Goldstone of Canada competes during the Mountainbike World Series in Les Gets, France. (Billy Ceusters/Getty Images) Soaring into the weekend like… Logo reveal: Florida Gators Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 31 Author Members Posted August 31 🎥 1 film thing: Wile E. Coyote's back Wile E. Coyote, voiced by Eric Bauza, in "Coyote vs. Acme." Photo: Ketchup Entertainment via AP The abrupt termination of "Coyote vs. Acme" sent shockwaves through Hollywood. Everyone in the movie business is accustomed to sudden, painful twists of fate. But the wholesale elimination of a finished film faster than you can say "Meep! Meep!" was something new. But nearly three years later, the movie is, like its ever-undaunted protagonist, back from the dead. After an outcry, Warner Bros. put "Coyote vs. Acme" up for sale. Ketchup Entertainment, an independent distributor that last year released the Looney Tunes movie "The Day the Earth Blew Up," picked it up for about $50 million. Now it's in theaters. The movie opened with a respectable $15 million box-office haul, second only to the juggernaut that is "Spider-Man." More from AP. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 31 Author Members Posted August 31 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: Djokovic stunned in New York, Aaron Donald is back, Scottie passes Tiger, Messi goes wild, Curaçao wins LLWS, OBJ makes the team, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... SPORTS MOVE FAST. SO DO THE MARKETS. Polymarket turns sports predictions into markets you can trade. Find the matchup or future you like, take your position, then watch the price move as the action unfolds. Stay in or trade out before it's over. Your call. 🎾 US OPEN NOVAK BOUNCED IN NEW YORK (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) For the first time in 20 years, Novak Djokovic has been eliminated in the first round of a Grand Slam. Is this the end? Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: For so long, Djokovic has done things that 39-year old tennis players were not meant to do. On Monday night, that battle finally turned in the direction of time and mortality. He lost 7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to Mariano Navone, not because he has lost any skills or desire, but because he has a body he can no longer tame on command. A body that, on Monday night, was crouching to the ground after long points, stumbling into his chair during changeovers and was so generally unwell that on multiple occasions he went to the corner to vomit into his towel box. And then, in the middle of the fifth game of the fifth set, when Djokovic knew it was lost, he stood behind the baseline and sobbed. "I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me," he said after the match. "Pretty much despised every moment I spent on court." Battling his body: Sunday was the ultimate manifestation of what Djokovic called "a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years" after a loss in Cincinnati a couple weeks ago where he looked similarly exhausted almost from the start. What exactly is ailing the 24-time major champion? He hasn't said specifically, but whatever it is, it gets exacerbated by heat and humidity — not a great combination for a sport played mostly outdoors and in warm weather. Asked Sunday night if this issue was something he could fix, his response was not reassuring. "I don't know," he said. "I'm trying, man. I'm trying. Let's see." Streak snapped: Djokovic had won his previous 77 first-round matches at majors (longest streak in the Open Era) entering the day, and he was a perfect 19-0 in the first round at the US Open. No more. End of an era: The last time none of the "Big Three" (Djokovic, Roger Federer, Nadal) were in the second round of a major was Roland Garros back in 2003 (!!!). 🏈 BACK TO WORK THE RETURN OF AARON DONALD (Yahoo Sports) After weeks of speculation, Aaron Donald is officially coming out of retirement to re-join the Rams on a one-year deal worth up to $30 million. He'll team up with the newly-acquired Myles Garrett, forming a dynamic duo of future Hall of Famers. Two-headed monster: Donald and Garrett boast a combined 236.5 sacks, five DPOY Awards and 17 Pro Bowl selections. "You bring a guy in like Myles, a generational talent, and it's like, 'That can be fun,'" said Donald, whose arrival makes LA even bigger Super Bowl favorites (+500 odds). Yes, but: While Sean McVay's squad is indeed loaded on both sides of the ball, it's a long road to a championship — and winning one will require these Rams to buck a daunting trend: Over the past 30 years, the preseason favorite has had title odds of +500 or better 20 times. All 20 of those teams failed to win the Super Bowl. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) ⛳️ $130.4 million Scottie Scheffler won the Tour Championship by three strokes on Sunday, claiming a $10 million prize that vaulted him past Tiger Woods atop the PGA Tour's all-time earnings list. Scheffler — who as of January 2022 had not won a single PGA Tour event — has now earned $130.4 million. Chasing the GOAT: Woods still laps Scheffler when it comes to wins (82 to 22) and majors (15 to 4). But the trend here is unmistakable, writes Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: Scottie is entering all-time territory. (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) ⚽️ 18 goals A third straight MLS MVP award is looking increasingly likely for Lionel Messi, who scored four goals in Inter Miami's 7-1 thrashing of Montréal, giving him an MLS-best 18 goals on the season. He also added his 10th assist, one off the league lead. Rewriting the record books: Messi needed just 72 MLS matches to record 20 multi-goal games. The next fastest to reach that milestone? Josef Martinez (100 matches), Robbie Keane (124), Bradley Wright-Phillips (149) and Landon Donovan (178). (Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 🏒 $20.4 million Cale Makar and the Avalanche have agreed to a historic eight-year, $163.2 million extension ($20.4 million average annual value) that makes the superstar defenseman the first NHL player to sign a deal exceeding $20 million in annual salary. Hall of Fame trajectory: Makar, 27, is already Colorado's all-time leader among defensemen in goals (136), assists (371) and points (507). He's one of 14 players in history to win multiple Norris Trophies (best defenseman) and one of just two (Bobby Orr) to be a Norris Trophy finalist at least six times in his first seven seasons. 📸 SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Williamsport, Pennsylvania Curaçao beat Nevada, 11-2, on Sunday to win the country's second Little League World Series title (2004*) and cap a landmark sports year for the tiny island, which earlier this summer became the smallest country (185,000 population) to ever play in the FIFA World Cup. So close, again: Nevada became the first state to reach back-to-back LLWS finals since Georgia in 2006-07. While the Peach State came away with two championships, Nevada came away with none, losing to Taiwan in last year's title game before falling short again this weekend. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) 🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland Was that Bill Belichick cracking a smile after North Carolina's 15-10 win over TCU to begin a season where everyone had already written his coaching obituary? It sure looked like it. More importantly, the Tar Heels finally looked like a Bill Belichick team. More from Week 0: Virginia destroyed NC State, 34-8; North Dakota State rolled over Jacksonville State, 33-7, in their FBS debut; No. 14 USC and its core of young talent beat San José State, 42-26; Memphis hung on for a 27-21 win over UNLV in head coach Charles Huff's debut. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images) 🏴 London, England Filip Hrgović (21-1, 16 KOs) pulled off one of the biggest shockers in recent boxing history on Saturday when he stopped an exhausted Moses Itauma (14-1, 12 KOs) in Round 9 to capture the vacant IBF heavyweight world title and become Croatia's first-ever heavyweight champion. Halting the hype: Itauma, 21, was looking to become the second-youngest heavyweight champ in history after Mike Tyson, who achieved the feat in 1986 at age 20. The Brit was considered the natural successor to the heavyweight throne, but those plans were derailed by Hrgović and his iron chin. *That 2004 Curaçao squad featured two future big leaguers in Jurickson Profar (currently on the Braves) and Jonathan Schoop. How many future MLB players will this year's title-winning squad produce? 🏈 LET'S PLAY TRIVIA TIME (Elsa/Getty Images) Odell Beckham Jr. made the Giants' 53-man roster, giving the 33-year-old wideout a chance to finish his career where it began. Question: Can you name the four teams OBJ played for between his first (2014-18) and second stints (2026) with the Giants? Hint: Three AFC, one NFC. Answer at the bottom. 🏈 NEVER SAY DIE A COMEBACK FOR THE AGES (Screenshot: ESPN) William & Mary pulled off an unreal comeback against Villanova on Saturday, erasing a 10-point deficit with less than a minute remaining to take down the nation's No. 7 ranked FCS team in regulation. The Tribe began their rally with a 40-yard Max Lipinski field goal with 53 second left, cutting Villanova's lead to 32-25. Needing a touchdown, they recovered an onside kick inside the Villanova 40 after it bounced off a Wildcat. Three plays later, W&M QB Winston Watkins found WR Kai Austin for a 37-yard TD. With an extra point, they tied the game at 32-32. But the Tribe wasn't finished: Villanova QB Pat McQuaide threw deep with the clock winding down and got picked off by Cade Ellis, setting up Lipinski's 45-yard field goal to win it at the buzzer. Final score: 35-32. Trivia answer: Browns (2019-21), Rams (2021), Ravens (2023), Dolphins (2024) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 1 Author Members Posted September 1 > Jury finds Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur (More) | See previous write-up (More) > Lionel Messi retires from international soccer at age 39, capping a career that included eight Ballon d'Or awards and one World Cup win; will continue to play for US Major League Soccer club Inter Miami (More) | Watch his 21 FIFA goals (More) > Howard Stern inks deal with HBO Max to bring filmed episodes of his SiriusXM show to the streamer beginning Sept. 17 (More) | Singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder of 14-year-old girl after parting ways with his legal team (More) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 2 Author Members Posted September 2 > Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke announces he will purchase the Los Angeles Angels, reportedly at a record $4B valuation; deal is expected to close early next year. > Federal judge dismisses harassment and discrimination lawsuit against Lizzo’s production company from her former wardrobe stylist (More) | Miley Cyrus changes stage name to “Miley” ahead of 10th studio album (More) > Jonathan Bailey drops out of West End production of "Sunday in the Park with George" weeks after his "Wicked" costar Ariana Grande also dropped out (More) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 3 Author Members Posted September 3 👋 Good morning! The NFL season kicks off a week from today. Stat du jour: In the last 40 years, only two men have won a US Open match at age 40 or older: Jimmy Connors, the day he turned 40, and Gaël Monfils, the day he turned 40, which was yesterday. In today's edition: College sports is eating itself, calling pitches from the dugout, the end of a Big Three streak, KD's investment portfolio, College Football Challenge (make your picks!), and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Kroenke buys Angels: Stan Kroenke, who already owns the Rams, Nuggets, Avalanche, Arsenal and more, has entered an agreement to buy the Angels from Arte Moreno for an MLB-record $4 billion. "It was needed," said Mike Trout, who has won three MVPs, made 12 All-Star teams… and played a grand total of three playoff games in 16 years with the team. 🎾 Disaster averted: Top-seeded Alexander Zverev survived what would have been a historic upset against Lorenzo Sonego at the US Open, coming back to win in five sets to avoid becoming the first No. 1 seed in over 20 years to lose his first round match at a grand slam. 🏒 ASU hockey investigation: An investigation is ongoing after Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich collapsed and later fell into a coma during the first day of workouts with the team last month. The 2023 Blues draft pick remains in a coma two weeks later. ⛳️ Presidents Cup teams set: Captains Brandt Snedeker (USA) and Geoff Ogilvy (International) have finalized their 12-man rosters for the Presidents Cup, the biennial tournament coming to Medinah Country Club (Illinois) later this month. The Americans have won 10 straight editions, and 13 of 15 overall. ⚽️ Balogun deal falls apart: After it looked like a transfer was in place to send Folarin Balogun from Monaco to Everton, the deal fell apart on Tuesday ahead of the English transfer window closing. The USMNT star reportedly failed the physical, which led to Everton negotiating the terms, and Balogun ultimately deciding to stay at Monaco. SPORTS MOVE FAST. SO DO THE MARKETS. Polymarket turns sports predictions into markets you can trade. Find the matchup or future you like, take your position, then watch the price move as the action unfolds. Stay in or trade out before it's over. Your call. 🎓 COLLEGE CHAOS HOW DID WE GET HERE? (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) Do you ever read a college sports headline in the year 2026, step back for a second, and think, How did we get here? How did we get to the point where players on actual NFL rosters are rejoining the college ranks? (Developing story: LSU is seeking to import ex-NFL and NBA players, and the SEC is not happy about it. A trial looms Thursday.) How did we get to the point where players can hop from school to school, turning entire rosters into hordes of roaming freelancers and destroying any lasting connection with their university? How did we get to the point where southwest legends Texas and Oklahoma are in the SEC, Stanford and Cal are in the ACC, and extremely non-Midwestern schools from California, Washington and Oregon are in the Big Ten? How did we get to the point where Congress is trying to step in and regulate college athletics? Where federal, state and district courts — not schools, conferences or the NCAA — are deciding who can and can't play? Seriously, how did we get to the point where college football has devolved from joyful celebration of everything that makes sports great into vindictive, litigation-filled chaos? What they're saying: "It's embarrassing where we are with college football," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said on Tuesday ahead of his team's marquee matchup with LSU this weekend. “We have no rules. There's no governance. It's a joke. Never did I think I'd be living in an era like this but that's where we are." Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: You can trace all of the "How-did-we-get-to-the-point-wheres" to the tsunami of revenue rolling into the sport, money that effectively obliterates decades of tradition. Every time Money and Tradition collide, Money wins in a five-touchdown rout. And in the stands, plenty of fans, broadcasters and university officials who were once wearing Tradition jerseys have happily changed into Money ones now that they've seen how the game is going. But nobody roots for Money. Nobody roots for new broadcast agreements, or for escalating coaching salaries, or congressional acts "protecting" college sports. People root for their teams on the field, the competition and tradition and aura that surrounds a college football Saturday. Every single grubby money-grab, every tacky justification, every courtroom filing only tarnishes the game a little more. Keep reading: College athletics is eating itself, and LSU is at the head of the table ⚾️ DUGOUT DECISIONS WHO'S CALLING THE PITCHES? (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The role of MLB catchers is changing rapidly, and not just due to the introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS). The latest evolution? Some teams are calling pitches from the dugout, with coaches making and relaying the pitch selection instead of entrusting catchers with that responsibility. Russell Dorsey, Yahoo Sports: The Marlins began this trend in 2025, opting to have a member of the team's coaching staff call pitches from the dugout and signal them to the catcher via signs. From there, the catcher selects the pitch via PitchCom, and the pitcher executes. The trend is catching on around the league. The Mets, Rockies and, most recently, Nationals have been calling pitches from the dugout this season. Several more teams, while they might not have adopted this practice at the big-league level, have experimented with it in the minor leagues and discussed implementing it. Calling pitches from the dugout isn't uncommon in high school or college ball, where many coaches call pitches from the side. Historically, though, once a catcher reaches pro ball, he is responsible for calling the game. With this latest trend, that could change across the league. "I think it's going to end up being a real thing here soon," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "I thought about this when I was [coaching] in college. I'm like, 'The major-league guys are crazy. Why wouldn't they do what we're doing?' It makes too much sense." What they're saying: Some backstops are excited about the direction this could push the position, while others reject losing a responsibility they consider to be a core part of their craft. For: "I feel like you can focus a lot more on the physical aspect [when not calling pitches]," says Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman. "You can think more about the running game or, like, how I'm going to receive this pitch. Your brain is not so locked down on 'Is this the right pitch? Is this the right spot?' … It kind of frees you up for some of the actual catching stuff." Against: "Hate it, man. I understand that's kind of where the game's heading, but it's taking the feel out of the game," said Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers. "If I'm looking in the dugout trying to get the pitch from the dugout, I'm not paying attention to this guy [at the plate]. He could be adjusting right in front of me, and I'm not paying attention to it." Looking to the future: New trends don't always stick, but plenty of top minds around the game believe this particular change is here to stay. "Five years from now, I would say 90% of teams [are calling pitches from the dugout]," says Marlins assistant pitching coach Rob Marcello. And in 10 years? "I imagine that it's going to be like the NFL, where you have a coordinator calling it from up top," says Reds catcher Jose Trevino. "Like, after I'm done playing, I could get a call from a team and they're like, 'Come call pitches for us.'" 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Djokovic falls to the court after losing his opening match at the US Open. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) 🎾 1,249 weeks later Novak Djokovic will fall out of the top 10 when the next ATP rankings are released on Sept. 14. That will mark the first time since Oct. 7, 2002,* that neither Djokovic nor Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal will be in the top 10 — a 1,249-week stretch of uninterrupted Big Three presence. Never has the end of this era been more apparent. Anatomy of a streak: Federer, who first cracked the top 10 in May 2002, started the streak in October 2002. He stayed there until November 2016, returned three months later, and fell out for good in October 2021. Nadal entered in April 2005 and didn't leave until March 2023, a record 912 consecutive weeks. Djokovic entered in March 2007, briefly fell out due to injury in 2017-18, and has remained there ever since. Alex Bregman rounds the bases after his third homer of the game in Monday night's win over the Brewers. (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) ⚾️ 62 home runs The Cubs just rattled off one of the most prolific slugging months in MLB history, smacking a National League-record 62 home runs in August. The only team to hit more in a single calendar month was the 2019 Yankees, with 74. Dynamic duo: Pete Crow-Armstrong (14 HR in August) and Alex Bregman (12) became just the third pair of teammates to each hit at least a dozen homers in the same month. The others? Rangers duo Iván Rodríguez and Rafael Palmeiro (August 1999) and Yankees legends Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris (June 1960 and July 1961). Tacko Fall with the Cavaliers in 2021. Otto Porter Jr., the guy on the left, is 6-foot-8. (Jason Miller/Getty Images) 🏀 7-foot-6 The 76ers have signed 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall to give them some more depth behind the oft-injured Joel Embiid. Fall, who last played in the NBA in 2021, is tied with Yao Ming and Shawn Bradley as the third-tallest player in league history. Only Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol, both 7-foot-7, stood taller. In related news: Philadelphia also signed Jameer Nelson Jr., son of the former national college player of the year (remember those Saint Joseph's teams?) and 14-year NBA veteran who now serves as the Sixers' VP of Basketball Operations. Man, that makes me feel old. *Here's what the ATP Top 10 looked like on Oct. 7, 2002: 1. Lleyton Hewitt (Australia), 2. Tommy Haas (Germany), 3. Andre Agassi (USA), 4. Marat Safin (Russia), 5. Tim Henman (Great Britain), 6. Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain), 7. Albert Costa (Spain), 8. Sébastien Grosjean (France), 9. Carlos Moya (Spain), 10. Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) 📈 PORTFOLIO PROFILE THE SLIM REAPER REAPS INVESTMENT GAINS (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Activision/Call of Duty) Nvidia bought open-source AI platform Hugging Face for $12.9 billion last week, handing Kevin Durant another massive investing win. The hoops legend backed the company's seed and Series A rounds in 2017 and 2018, when it was still a chatbot app. Portfolio: Durant's holdings, amassed primarily via Thirty Five Ventures, span a variety of categories, including sports (Philadelphia Union, Paris Saint-Germain, Gotham FC, LOVB). Given last week's news, we're focusing today on his murderer's row of early-stage tech investments. The below victories (plus Hugging Face) only scratch the surface. WHOOP: Invested in 2017, a year before it was valued at $125M, and again in the company's Series E at a $1.2B valuation. WHOOP was valued at $10.1B in March. Robinhood: Invested in Robinhood at a $1.2B valuation in 2017. The company was valued at $32B in its 2021 IPO, and its market cap today is $94B. Coinbase: Invested at a $1.6B valuation in the company's 2017 Series D. Coinbase opened trading in 2021 at a valuation near $100B, though its market cap today is $47B. Postmates: Invested in 2016, reportedly netting Durant $15M when Uber bought the company for $2.65B. Golden opportunity in the Golden State: Durant played for the Warriors from 2016 to 2019. He initiated each of the above investments during that period. Today, his track record ensures he's a desirable name to list on any cap table no matter where he's playing, but his time spent so proximate to Silicon Valley kickstarted a remarkable investing career. This story first appeared in Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter authored by Dylan Dittrich. Sign up here to begin receiving it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2 Tiafoe reacts during his first round win. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) 🎾 US Open, Second Round The second round gets underway today in Queens (11am ET, ESPN/ESPN+), where Jessica Pegula (11:30am), Aryna Sabalenka (7pm), Frances Tiafoe (7pm) and Carlos Alcaraz (8:10pm) are among those headlining the action. Strong openers: Now that Novak Djokovic's staggering streak of 78 consecutive first-round major victories has come to an end, the longest active streak belongs to Tiafoe (22 straight). The next longest, as you might have guessed, belong to Alcaraz (21) and Jannik Sinner (20). More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Brewers at Cubs (7:40pm, MLB) … What does NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.73 ERA) have in store for us tonight? ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Toluca vs. León (9pm, Apple); Club América vs. Monterrey (11:30pm, Apple) … Semifinals in Los Angeles and Houston. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 11 (8:45am, Peacock) … Riders travel 97 miles from Cartagena to Lorca. Spain's own Enric Mas holds the lead at the midpoint. 🏈 LET'S PLAY TRIVIA TIME (Chris Graythen/Getty Images) The NFL season kicks off exactly one week from today. Friendly reminder to set a date for your Fantasy Football draft! Question: Which nine franchises have won multiple Super Bowls this century (since Jan. 1, 2000)? Hint: Five NFC, four AFC. Answer at the bottom. 🏆 WHO YA GOT? MAKE YOUR PICKS! Introducing College Football Challenge, a new weekly game where you'll be competing against fellow Yahoo Sports AM readers — and both of us (Kendall and Jeff). How it works: Each week, you'll make 10 picks about Saturday's best matchups, taking into account margin of victory. We'll have winners each week and your stats accumulate, so we'll also have winners at the end of the season. Make your picks: Create your entry now, and join the Yahoo Sports AM group. Trivia answer: Patriots (6 Super Bowls), Chiefs (3), Steelers (2), Ravens (2), Seahawks (2), Eagles (2), Buccaneers (2), Giants (2), Rams (2) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 5 Author Members Posted September 5 George Lucas presents a galaxy of art that goes far, far past 'Star Wars' in new Los Angeles museum The new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will serve “Star Wars” fans what they crave, but the saga George Lucas spawned represents just one small corner of the galaxy of creative work within the walls of the Los Angeles institution he calls a "temple to the people’s art.” Read More. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 6 Author Members Posted September 6 👋 Good morning! We have officially entered the "late 2020s." So far, not my favorite decade! In today's edition: NBA punishes Clippers, Tiger pleads guilty, the Year of the QB, Kroenke gets his wings, PCA's stance adjustment, College Football Challenge (make your picks!), and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⛳️ Tiger pleads guilty: Tiger Woods has pleaded guilty to a chods has pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless driving stemming from his March wreck near his home in Jupiter, Florida. As a result, his license will be suspended for five years, which raised an interesting question: Can he still drive a golf cart? 🎾 Historic victory: Unseeded Bu Yunchaokete made history at the US Open on Wednesday, knocking off No. 12 Rafael Jódar to become the first "lucky loser" to beat a top-15 seed at a grand slam in the Open Era. A "lucky loser" is a player who lost the final qualifying match but still got added to the field due to a player withdrawing. 🏀 War divides LSU: Kate Koval, the former LSU center who left the program last week due to personal reasons, confirmed that her decision was made due to the signing of Russian center Anna Minaeva. "For me, this war is not distant or abstract," wrote Koval, whose father serves in the Ukrainian military. 🏈 Cousins named QB1: The Raiders have officially named Kirk Cousins as their starting QB for Week 1, a long expected move that will allow No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza to learn from the bench behind the 14-year veteran. ❤️ Honoring legends: Notre Dame will honor Lou Holtz with a helmet decal this season after their former coach passed away in March; Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State will both honor Dolly Parton with a helmet decal and uniform patch. SPORTS MOVE FAST. SO DO THE MARKETS. Polymarket turns sports predictions into markets you can trade. Find the matchup or future you like, take your position, then watch the price move as the action unfolds. Stay in or trade out before it's over. Your call. 🏀 KAWHI PROBE NBA DROPS THE HAMMER ON THE CLIPPERS (Yahoo Sports) The NBA came down hard on the Clippers following a yearlong probe into claims that they circumvented the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard, allegations first brought to light by journalist Pablo Torre. Among the punishments: The franchise has been stripped of five first-round picks, and owner Steve Ballmer has been fined $30 million and suspended for a year. Leonard, who was traded to the Raptors this offseason, must pay $700,000 in restitution. Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo Sports: Adam Silver didn't just drop the hammer on the Clippers. He busted out the sledgehammer and called in the wrecking ball for good measure. Make no mistake about it, the commissioner sent a message on Wednesday. Not just to the Clippers. He CC'd the entire NBA and anyone who dared to even think about the words, "cap circumvention." Consider this: When you combine these sanctions and the assets the Clippers gave up to acquire Paul George to be Leonard's wingman, here's what it cost them: 2021 first-round pick 2022 first-round pick 2023 first-round pick 2023 first-round pick swap 2024 first-round pick 2025 first-round pick swap 2026 first-round pick 2029 first-round pick 2030 first-round pick 2031 first-round pick 2032 first-round pick 2033 first-round pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Danilo Gallinari $30 million fine Ballmer suspension Frank suspension Zucker suspension And what'd they get? Leonard averaged 47 games in his seven seasons, and the team won three total playoff series (none since 2021) and made one Western Conference Finals appearance. What's next: The Clippers will, of course, be raising a stink. The team released a statement slamming the probe as a "witch hunt" and vowed to explore "every legal remedy to address this gross injustice." Dive in: The Clippers, Kawhi Leonard and the most damaging swing-and-a-miss in NBA history 🏈 ARMS RACE COLLEGE FOOTBALL: THE YEAR OF THE QB (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) A record six QBs have been taken in the first round of the NFL Draft twice before (1983, 2024), and while breaking that mark will be a tall task, some believe the Class of 2027 could be the one to make history. Top prospects: For seven QBs to go in the first round, you need not only a deep well of talent but also enough teams interested in adding a rookie signal-caller, which it looks like we might have. Here are the top 12 prospects at the position, according to Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm. Arch Manning (Texas): We might not talk about him quite the same way if he had a different last name, but his talent is undeniable. He has better raw traits than his uncles Peyton and Eli, and looks like an early favorite to go No. 1. Dante Moore (Oregon): Many felt he could have been the second player taken in this year's draft had he gone that route. Instead, he'll get one more year of seasoning while leading one of top preseason title contenders. Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State): A year after leading FBS in passing yards and touchdowns at North Texas, he's followed head coach Eric Morris to Stillwater where he'll bring his raw but enticing skills to the Power Four. CJ Carr (Notre Dame): Carr flourished as a redshirt freshman (24 TD, 6 INT), but he faces a big challenge this season following the departure of first-round RBs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, and third-round pass-catchers Malachi Fields and Eli Raridon. LaNorris Sellers* (South Carolina): The supremely talented Sellers took a surprising step back last year after entering the season as the potential No. 1 pick. Can the hulking junior (6-4, 245 lbs) right the ship this fall? Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss): The former D-II star erupted for an SEC-best 3,937 passing yards last year, leading the Rebels all the way to the CFP semifinals. The dual-threat may no longer have Lane Kiffin on the sidelines, but his talent is inescapable. Darian Mensah (Miami): Jack of all trades, master of none, last year's ACC touchdown leader (34) transferred from Duke for a gargantuan $6.5 million NIL package. With a significantly better supporting cast, there's a clear path to Round 1. Julian Sayin (Ohio State): Last year's fourth-place Heisman finisher threw for 32 touchdowns and led the nation in completion rate (77%) as a sophomore, and has now been named captain of a team with championship-or-bust expectations. Drake Lindsey (Minnesota): The redshirt sophomore isn't yet a first-round prospect, but he has the size (6-5, 230 lbs) and tools to get there if he builds on the best bits we saw from him last season in the Twin Cities. CJ Bailey (NC State): The good news is that he's 6-foot-6, athletically blessed and entering his third full year as the Wolfpack's starter. The bad news is he struggled badly in last week's opener, turning the ball over twice in an ugly 34-8 loss at Virginia. Sam Leavitt (LSU): Coming off a season-ending foot injury at Arizona State, the junior is now under the tutelage of Kiffin, who will be tasked with harnessing the best parts — and rooting out the bad habits — of his new QB's hyper-aggressive play. Nico Iamaleava (UCLA): The 6-foot-6 junior with a cannon arm and speedy legs is a first-round athlete with too much fifth-round tape. One big season in Westwood could considerably change his career arc. *School's out: Sellers will be living the dream this fall, as he's already completed his class requirements to graduate in December. His only off-field responsibility during football season? An internship at a local driving range. ⚾️ SMALL TWEAK, BIG LEAP GRAPHIC OF THE DAY Pete Crow-Armstrong was hitting .224 two months into the season. Since changing his batting stance, the Cubs center fielder has been the best player in baseball, and this Wall Street Journal graphic illustrates it perfectly. Full story: The risky mechanical overhaul that built a baseball MVP (Jared Diamond, WSJ) ⚾️ SPORTS EMPIRE KROENKE GETS HIS WINGS (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) The biggest empire in sports just got bigger: Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is acquiring the Angels, rounding out a portfolio that already included the NFL (Rams), NBA (Nuggets), NHL (Avalanche), Premier League (Arsenal) and MLS (Rapids). Company of one: With the purchase, Kroenke becomes the only owner with majority stakes in each of the Big Four North American sports leagues. In comic book parlance, Thanos just added the missing stone to his infinity gauntlet. Deal deluge: Kroenke's purchase comes at a reported $4 billion valuation, exceeding the $3.9 billion paid for the Padres, a deal which just closed last month. The Angels' sale is the fifth in 2026 among the Big Four leagues, and the third since the beginning of August. Merciful end of an era: Outgoing owner Arte Moreno bought the Angels in 2003, with the team fresh off a World Series title, paying a reported $183.5 million. 23 years and 14 losing seasons later, he's selling for $4 billion. The team appreciated by 14% annually, but fans haven't appreciated the franchise's direction. Their patience with Moreno's ownership had worn thin, given poor performance, perceived underinvestment in the organization, and comments made earlier this year that deemphasized winning. Glass half full: Angels fans who have longed for on-field success have reason to be optimistic. Though patience has been required at times (Arsenal fans wanted #KroenkeOut just five years ago), Kroenke's portfolio has shown a recent penchant for filling trophy cases. Arsenal: 2026 Premier League Champions Nuggets: 2023 NBA Champions Avalanche: 2022 Stanley Cup Champions Rams: 2021 Super Bowl Champions New ballpark incoming? Kroenke reportedly intends to build a new $2.5 billion ballpark to replace Angel Stadium, which is the fourth-oldest in MLB (1966). This story first appeared in Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, SEPT. 3 Coco during her first round victory. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) 🎾 US Open, Second Round The second round (11am ET, ESPN+/ESPN) should conclude tonight as long as rain doesn't yet again delay the proceedings. No. 17 Alex Eala (12:40pm), No. 9 Taylor Fritz (1pm), No. 4 Coco Gauff (7pm) and No. 1 Alexander Zverev (8:10pm) headline the action. Dan Wolken: Coco Gauff has found her game at exactly the right time Since the start of Wimbledon, Gauff is 16-2 and won the Cincinnati title in dominating fashion — similar to the run of form she found in 2023 when she rode the wave all the way to her first Slam. The other thing in Gauff's favor: There are major questions about the rest of the field. More to watch: 🏈 NCAAF: Colorado at Georgia Tech (8pm, ESPN); Idaho at No. 21 Utah (9pm, ESPNU) … Two of 11 games tonight kicking off Week 1. ⚾️ MLB: Red Sox at Orioles (7:15pm, Fox); Brewers at Cubs (7:15pm, Fox) … Two great games between playoff contenders, depending where you are in the country. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 12 (6:45am, Peacock) … Today's 104-mile mountain stage through Andalusia ends in Calar Alto at the largest astronomical observatory in Europe. 🏆 WHO YA GOT? MAKE YOUR PICKS In lieu of trivia today, we're sharing our new game: College Football Challenge. This is your chance to flex your knowledge week after week and see where you stack up at the end of the season. How it works: Each week, you'll make 10 picks about Saturday's best matchups. If you have a rough week, don't worry: your stats accumulate throughout the season, so you can rebound the next week and get back into the title race. Join us: Make your picks now on the Yahoo Sports app, and join the Yahoo Sports AM group to compete against Kendall, Jeff and fellow subscribers. 🏎️ START YOUR ENGINES YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV (Apple) This weekend's Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio d'Italia 2026 continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. Tune in: All three practice sessions (Fri. 6:30/10am ET; Sat. 6:30am) and Saturday's qualifying (10am) will air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race will stream on Apple TV, the new U.S. home of Formula 1. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 6 Author Members Posted September 6 > Sean "Diddy" Combs' prison release date moved up to Feb. 5, 2028 (More) | Music mogul was convicted on prostitution-related charges; see previous write-up (More) > The Athletic's investigation into Dianna Russini’s journalism concludes the NFL reporter violated publication standards by engaging in an undisclosed relationship with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel (More) | Read the full report (More) > Fox News parts ways with longtime host Maria Bartiromo; the network did not specify a reason behind her departure (More) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 7 Author Members Posted September 7 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! Make sure to get your picks in for our new College Football Challenge game! 800 of you have entered so far. Let's get 800 more before tomorrow's slate kicks off. Victory at last: UMass stunned Rutgers, 37-21, on Thursday as 29.5-point underdogs to get their first win since Oct. 26, 2024 (0-15 last season). It's the largest FBS upset since Texas lost to Kansas as 31-point favorites in 2021. In today's edition: LSU vs. SEC, Behind the Lens, England dominates soccer's transfer window, college football predictions, NCAA volleyball at Wrigley Field, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... SPORTS MOVE FAST. SO DO THE MARKETS. Polymarket turns sports predictions into markets you can trade. Find the matchup or future you like, take your position, then watch the price move as the action unfolds. Stay in or trade out before it's over. Your call. 🎓 COURTROOM DRAMA LSU VS. SEC BATTLE HEATS UP (Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) LSU is free to roster players who were on NFL teams earlier this summer. Will the Tigers actually do it? State of play: Louisiana judge William Jorden ruled in favor of players looking for a fifth year of eligibility after a lengthy proceeding on Thursday. Players like former Ole Miss TE Dae'Quan Harris and former Rebels DT Zxavian Harris were granted a preliminary injunction that allows them to play college football in 2026 even though they were cut from NFL teams. Both have committed to play for their former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU, which has to send its 2026 roster to the SEC today. If they or any other players who had signed contracts with NFL teams are on that roster, an even bigger legal fight could unfold. The other side: The SEC filed a lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU earlier Thursday in an Alabama federal court as the conference attempts to block those ex-pro players from suiting up this season. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey testified for multiple hours, defending the league's right to set and enforce its own rules. The last word: "Court cases. Commissioners testifying. Politicians bickering. College sports stands at an impasse. Kickoff can't get here soon enough," writes Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Giphy) 🏈 NCAA Football, Week 1 After last week's appetizer, the season begins in earnest with a full slate this weekend, headlined by two blockbuster matchups: Clemson at No. 11 LSU (Sat. 7:30pm ET, ABC) and No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 24 Louisville (Sun. 7:30pm, ABC) in Nashville. Best of the rest: No. 7 Miami at Stanford (Fri. 9pm, ESPN); Boise State at No. 2 Oregon (Sat. 3:30pm, CBS); Baylor vs. Auburn in Atlanta (Sat. 3:30pm, ABC); UCLA at Cal (Sat. 10:30pm, ESPN); Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field (Sun. 7:30pm, NBC); No. 19 SMU at Florida State (Mon. 7:30pm, ESPN). 🎾 US Open, Days 6-8 The season's final grand slam continues all weekend (Fri-Mon, ESPN), with the quarterfinals in both the men's and women's draws set to be finalized by Monday night. Matches to watch: No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 8 Ben Shelton, and No. 11 Frances Tiafoe headline the men's action today as the third round gets underway, while No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 Jessica Pegula are among the women taking the court. 🏀 FIBA Women's World Cup The 16-team quadrennial tournament tips off today in Berlin, with group stage games all weekend on TNT and HBO Max. The quarterfinals are on Thursday and the championship is next Sunday, Sept. 13, as the WNBA remains paused until Sept. 17. USA against the world: Team USA, led by Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and other WNBA stars, is heavily favored to win its fifth straight title. They face China today (8:15am), Czechia on Sunday (2:45pm) and Italy on Monday (2:45pm). 🏁 The NASCAR Chase NASCAR's new-look postseason begins on Sunday (5pm, USA) at South Carolina's Darlington Raceway, where 16 drivers begin their 10-race Chase for a title. How it works: Unlike the old elimination format, all 16 drivers remain in contention throughout The Chase. Drivers begin with between 2,000 points (16th-seeded Ryan Preece) and 2,100 points (top-seeded Denny Hamlin), more points are earned depending on finishing position in each race (55 for a win), and whoever has the most points at the end is crowned champion. 🏐 NCAA Volleyball at Wrigley This week's Big Ten/SEC Challenge concludes with a Sunday doubleheader at Wrigley Field. No. 3 Kentucky takes on No. 13 Penn State in the first leg (7pm, Fox), followed by No. 1 Nebraska vs. Missouri in the nightcap (9pm, Fox). Welcome to the big leagues: This is the third specialty showcase of the NCAA volleyball season, following events last month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Golden Knights) and AT&T Stadium in Dallas (Cowboys), the latter a $1 million spectacle in front of a crowd of 40,000. More to watch: ⛳️ Golf: Walker Cup (Sat-Sun, Golf) … The top 10 American amateurs vs. the top 10 amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland in the 51st edition of the event. ⚾️ MLB: Tigers at Guardians (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Angels at Pirates (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Yankees at Padres (Sat. 7:15pm, Fox); Braves at Phillies (Sun. 1:10pm, NBC); Twins at White Sox (6:20pm, NBC) 🏎️ F1: Italian Grand Prix (Sun. 9am, Apple) … Drivers descend on the "Temple of Speed" as McLaren's Lando Norris goes for his third straight win. ⚽️ Premier League: Arsenal vs. Chelsea (Sun. 11:30am, USA) … The Gunners and Blues are both 2-0-0 to start the season. ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Toluca vs. Monterrey (Sun. 9:15pm, Apple) … Championship in Houston. Plus: ⚽️ MLS: Week 24 (Fri-Sat, Apple); ⚽️ NWSL: Week 24 (Fri-Sun, CBS/ESPN2); 🏁 IndyCar: Monterey (Sun. 2:30pm, Fox); 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stages 13-15 (Fri-Sun, Peacock); ⚾️ WPBL (Fri-Sun, ESPN+) 📸 PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS (Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Each week in Yahoo Sports AM, we'll be going "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images to get the backstory on the best photographs in sports. This week's photo: A pack of cars whips through the straightaway during last weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, the final event of the regular season. Photographer: Chris Graythen Location: Daytona Beach, Florida Date: August 29 📸 Behind the lens: Here's Chris… Panning is an essential camera technique in motorsport photography, helping show the real speed and motion of cars going 190mph+, two and three cars wide on Daytona's 31 degrees of banking. I waited until just after sunset, for "blue hour," when the sky and infield start to match in that deep blue color. I used a shutter speed of 1/8th of a second, which is exceptionally slow for cars moving that fast. At 190mph, the car travels about 35 feet during the exposure, so it takes a long-practiced technique to get it right. Point your feet where you want to make the photo, keep your hands and arms in tight, turn at the hips, track the car and follow through. Sounds easy, but even after 20 years of shooting cars I only got a few frames I really liked before the light disappeared! Equipment and technique: Chris shot this from the roof of a building inside Daytona International Speedway with a Canon EOS R1 and Canon RF 100-300mm lens. He used a setting of f/20, ISO 2500, indicating a narrow aperture and a high light sensitivity. ⚽️ SPENDING SPREE CHARTED: TRANSFER WINDOW SLAMS SHUT Soccer's summer transfer window slammed shut this week, bringing an end to the most frenzied spending spree in the sport's history. As is increasingly the case, England's giants flexed their superior financial might. Mind the gap: Premier League transfer spending topped €4.1 billion ($4.8 billion) this summer, almost €3 billion more than the next-highest league (Italy's Serie A, €1.16 billion). Top-to-bottom dominance: Premier League clubs account for eight of the summer's top 10 spenders, leaving only the Spanish giants — Real Madrid and Barcelona — capable of joining them in splashing cash. Ipswich Town, newly promoted from the Championship, spent more than Barcelona. The big fish: $100 million transfers were historically rarefied air. This summer, 10 players commanded more than $100 million; the previous high watermark was five in 2023. Of those 10, nine were purchased by Premier League clubs. And of those nine, six were purchased from Premier League clubs. 🔮 CRYSTAL BALL PREDICTING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Who will win the Heisman and national championship? Who will be the biggest surprise and biggest disappointment? Our college football experts make their annual predictions. 🏈 WHO YA GOT? MAKE YOUR PICKS! In lieu of trivia today, we're sharing our new game: College Football Challenge. This is your chance to flex your knowledge week after week and see where you stack up at the end of the season. How it works: Each week, you'll make 10 picks about Saturday's best matchups. If you have a rough week, don't worry: your stats accumulate throughout the season, so you can rebound the next week and get back into the title race. Join us: Make your picks now on the Yahoo Sports app, and join the Yahoo Sports AM group to compete against Kendall, Jeff and fellow subscribers. ⚾️ BAR-B-CAST YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV: MLB ALTCAST Yahoo Sports and Apple TV are teaming up to deliver alternate broadcasts of "Friday Night Baseball" and Major League Soccer games, with the first such altcast coming during tonight's MLB game between the Tigers and Guardians. Tune in: Baseball Bar-B-Cast hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman will broadcast the first two innings of tonight's game (7:10pm ET), as well as a pre-game show (6:45pm), on Yahoo Sports. Following the two-inning altcast, viewers can watch the rest of the game on Apple TV. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted Tuesday at 06:06 PM Author Members Posted Tuesday at 06:06 PM 🏆 Hollywood icon Rob Reiner was honored with a posthumous Emmy for his performance in the hit FX series "The Bear." Keep reading. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted Tuesday at 10:53 PM Author Members Posted Tuesday at 10:53 PM > Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything” sets October release date, three years after comedian Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim began filming secret A24 project on convicted Theranos founder (More, w/trailer) > Zheng Qinwen knocks Iga Świątek out of US Open, overcoming 5-0 deficit in first set to advance to quarterfinal match against Elena Rybakina (More) | Watch the match highlights (More) > "Spider-Noir" wins five Creative Arts Emmy Awards two days after Prime Video canceled the detective series (More) | See full list of winners (More) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted Wednesday at 12:05 AM Author Members Posted Wednesday at 12:05 AM 🏀 Summer of sports warfare Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios The WNBA, Major League Baseball and even a golf startup spent the summer as unlikely proxies in some of the country's fiercest national conflicts, Axios' Noah Bressner writes. Why it matters: American culture has shattered into thousands of tiny shards of glass. Sports remain one of the few forces powerful enough to pull much of the country into the same moment — making it a prime target for political fights. 🥊 This summer's fights have blown up far beyond the fan bases: Caitlin Clark, the WNBA's biggest star, spent the season absorbing hard fouls. The fight over whether refs were protecting her quickly became a fight about race. Eleven House Republicans wrote to the league, and the topic has become a staple on conservative media. Clark's Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham told ESPN in July that girls shouldn't have to compete against "biological men." Competing activist groups have clashed outside WNBA games, with Cunningham's words and photos appearing on signs held by her supporters. Three San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses on their rainbow caps for Pride Night in June. The Justice Department referred the league to the EEOC for possible religious discrimination after it warned the players about violating uniform rules. Good Good Golf, a popular YouTube channel and apparel brand, posted an ad last month showing its co-founder shoving a female golfer to the ground. Callaway responded to the uproar by ending a three-year partnership, and Good Good withdrew as the title sponsor of a new PGA Tour event. President Trump's shadow hung over this summer's World Cup. Keep reading. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted Wednesday at 06:39 PM Author Members Posted Wednesday at 06:39 PM 👋 Good morning! Happy NFL Eve. Test your knowledge: Tuesdays are for GeoSports. Tap in to play today's round. In today's edition: Week 1 recap, how to conquer jet lag, PCA adds another highlight, Antonelli wins at Monza, MLB's shortest game, World Nomad Games, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Yankees activate Judge: Aaron Judge will rejoin the Yankees' lineup tonight against the Rockies after missing the last three months with a stress fracture in his rib. The three-time AL MVP had 17 HR in 59 games before landing on the injured list on June 5. 🏈 Goodell extended: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has finalized a four-year extension through March 2031, the same month the league's current CBA expires. Goodell is entering his 21st season; only Pete Rozelle (30 seasons) has held the position longer. ⚽️ Gunners win London Derby: Arsenal beat Chelsea, 2-1, on Sunday to continue their perfect start to their title defense, joining Manchester City as the only clubs to start the season 3-0-0. They also extended their unbeaten streak against Chelsea to 10 straight Premier League matches. 🏀 Engelbert to step down: WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who has presided over an era of explosive growth in women's basketball while facing criticism for her leadership style, will retire at the end of the year, the league announced Friday. ⚾️ Minor league perfecto: Brewers Triple-A pitcher Thomas Pannone threw a perfect game on Monday for the Nashville Sounds, marking the first nine-inning perfecto by a single pitcher in the minor leagues since 2017. 🏈 COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 GETS WEIRD Michigan's JJ Buchanan catches the game-winning Hail Mary. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Week 1 of the college football season featured lots of great football and some entertaining games, but will mostly be remembered for two bizarre situations. The do-over: No. 16 Michigan nearly suffered a massive upset at home against Western Michigan, trailing 12-7 when they loaded up a Hail Mary with nine seconds left. The ball sailed through the back of the end zone as time expired, but upon further review, one second was added back to the clock, and Michigan's second attempt was caught for a walk-off 13-12 victory. "A multibillion-dollar business should not be relying on the Big Ten replay booth to make a decision that swings a game to benefit a Big Ten team over a non-Big Ten team," writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken. "Western Michigan has every right to feel cheated, and every person who watched that should have serious questions about why the call on the field got overturned under less-than-obvious circumstances." Lights out: Florida State's home game against SMU was delayed for nearly two hours on Monday night after a power outage knocked out the lights at Doak Campbell Stadium. When the game finally kicked off, there was no PA system, no instant replay review, no coach-to-player helmet communications, and the official clock was kept by officials on the field. "Everybody was on the same page and embraced the oddness of it. Let's go old school," said SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, whose team won 27-24. "10 years ago, there was no talking to players. They did have clocks, though." LSU QB Sam Leavitt celebrates after scoring a touchdown. (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) Week 1 notes: SEC runs the table: SEC teams went 16-0, marking the conference's first undefeated opening weekend since 1997. Two of those wins were thrillers, with No. 9 Ole Miss beating No. 24 Louisville, 41-38, on a walk-off field goal and Auburn holding off Baylor, 17-16, when the Tigers stopped the Bears' last-second 2-point attempt. Blowouts galore: 18 of 25 ranked teams won their Week 1 game by at least 20 points, though even that undersells their dominance. 16 won by at least 36 points, 12 won by at least 40 points and six won by at least 50 points. Dynamic duos: Miami's Darian Mensah (27/30, 401 yards, 5 TD) and Malachi Toney (12 catches, school-record 234 yards, 3 TD) filled up the stat sheet, as did Ohio State's Julian Sayin (21/25, 320 yards, 4 total TD) and Jeremiah Smith (8 catches, 151 yards, 2 TD). Plus: No. 11 LSU destroyed Clemson, 51-10, in Lane Kiffin's debut without the help of pros … No. 2 Oregon held on for an ugly 34-27 win over Boise State … Oklahoma State's Eric Morris-Drew Mestemaker era opened with a 24-10 upset loss against Tulsa … Army and Navy, as they are wont to do, combined for 1,075 rushing yards and 14 rushing TDs on 130 (!!) attempts in their wins. Go deeper: Week 1 winners and losers 🏈 DOWN UNDER RAMS, 49ERS TEST COMPETING JET LAG THEORIES (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) The Rams and 49ers are approaching their season-opening matchup in Melbourne, Australia, with radically different plans for conquering jet lag, writes Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg. Late arrival: The Rams plan to fly into Melbourne the day before the game and fly out immediately after. They conducted a similarly audacious experiment last year, arriving in London a day before pummeling the Jaguars, 35-7, then heading home. Early birds: The 49ers departed from San Francisco last Wednesday, a full week before kickoff, to give themselves as long as possible to recharge after the longest road trip in NFL history and adjust to the 17-hour time difference. What they're saying: "The Rams will win the game," predicted sleep specialist W. Christopher Winter, who believes the timing of the game (Friday morning in Melbourne, Thursday night back home) favors the team whose body clocks are still on Pacific Time. "Athletes generally reach their physical peak in the late afternoon and early evening. So what the Rams are essentially doing is saying to their players, 'Look, just keep being athletically awesome at 6pm. You're going to open your eyes one day and the sun's going to be in a weird part of the sky, but we're banking on it taking your brain a couple days to figure out what the hell's going on. By then you'll have already beaten the 49ers and you'll be heading home.'" The other side: While the kickoff time may be favorable to Los Angeles, sleep specialist Dr. Meeta Singh argues that the downsides to a last-minute arrival in Melbourne far outweigh the potential benefits. The way she sees it, the Rams risk playing the game at a major sleep deficit by journeying to Australia so close to kickoff time. "If you're exhausted or sleep-deprived, your performance slips. That's the worst-case scenario," said Singh, who has served as a sleep optimization consultant for NFL franchises. Several times during a phone conversation with Yahoo Sports, Singh said she was curious "what the Rams were thinking to come to the conclusion that this travel plan is their best option." 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Heather Barry/Getty Images) ⚾️ 1 hour, 51 minutes The Phillies beat the Braves, 1-0, on Monday in just 1 hour, 51 minutes, making it the shortest game of the MLB season. That was thanks in large part to lefty hurler Jesús Luzardo, who allowed just two hits and struck out 12 en route to his first career complete game shutout. For context: The average nine-inning MLB game this season lasts 2 hours, 42 minutes. That's up slightly from last season (2:38) and two seasons ago (2:36), but still way down from the 2022 season average (3:03), the last year before the pitch clock was instituted. (David Cannon/Getty Images) ⛳️ 13.5-12.5 Great Britain and Ireland stunned the United States, 13.5-12.5, in Ireland to win the 51st Walker Cup in one of the most dramatic finishes in the match's 104-year history. The heavily favored Americans, loaded with seven of the world's top 10 ranked amateurs, needed just 3.5 points in Sunday's 10 singles matches to retain the cup but couldn't finish the job. What's next: The amateurs turn things over to the pros later this month at the Presidents Cup, which tees off on Sept. 24 at Medinah Country Club (Illinois). Team USA is headlined by Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele; Team International is headlined by Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama and Min Woo Lee. (Al Bello/Getty Images) 🎾 0-5 Qualifier Qinwen Zheng took down No. 22 Madison Keys on Saturday at the US Open despite trailing 0-5 in the third set. Two days later, she advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight sets victory over No. 8 Iga Świątek despite once again trailing 0-5, this time in the first set. Back where she belongs: Zheng, 23, is a former top-5 player and the 2024 Olympic champion who tumbled down the rankings last year only because of injuries. Now, after playing her way through qualifiers, she's reached her third US Open quarterfinal in the past four years. (Wheaton College) 🏈 85 straight wins Division III powerhouse Mount Union (Ohio) lost its first regular-season game in 10 years on Saturday, falling 24-23 to Wheaton College (Illinois) on a blocked extra point to snap their 85-game winning streak in non-playoff games. Slaying Goliath: Just how dominant is Mount Union? The Purple Raiders have lost a grand total of four regular-season games in the last 33 seasons. Before Saturday, the last time they lost one was on Nov. 12, 2016, when John Carroll (Ohio) snapped their 112-game winning streak. 🌍 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Miami, Florida Pete Crow-Armstrong added another highlight to his ever-growing reel on Friday with a leaping catch at the wall as the Cubs center fielder puts the finishing touches on his runaway campaign for NL MVP. The résumé: PCA isn't just the best defender in baseball; he also now has 41 home runs (second only to Kyle Schwarber's 43), an NL-leading .953 OPS and 35 stolen bases (second in the NL). And as for his once-close race with Shohei Ohtani? Well, since August 18, PCA has four more home runs (10) than the slumping Ohtani has hits (6). This race is over. (Dom Gibbons/Formula 1 via Getty Images) 🇮🇹 Monza, Italy Speaking of comebacks, Kimi Antonelli stormed all the way back from 19th on the grid to win Sunday's Italian Grand Prix and become the first Italian driver in 60 years to win at Monza's "Temple of Speed." Formula 1 standings: With the victory, Antonelli (267 points) extended his lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell (201), Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton (191) and McLaren's Lando Norris (171) with 10 races left in the season. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) 🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland Katie Taylor bid farewell to boxing on Saturday the only way she knows how, by defeating Flora Pili and leaving the sport as a three-time undisputed champion. That the Irish superstar did so in front of a sellout crowd of 83,000 at historic Croke Park — which hadn't hosted a boxing match since Muhammad Ali fought there in 1972 — made it a true storybook ending. What she's saying: "I don't know any other country that would sell 80,000 tickets for a female athlete, I'm convinced that Ireland is the only country," said Taylor, a trailblazer responsible for women's boxing becoming an Olympic sport. "This is beyond my wildest dreams. The people of Ireland gave me a dream ending to a dream career." (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP via Getty Images) 🇰🇬 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan The 6th World Nomad Games, which concluded on Sunday, featured 3,000 athletes from 104 countries competing in 43 traditional sports played in Central Asia. Kazakhstan won the most gold medals (32), while Kyrgyzstan won the most total (84). Pictured above: Kok-Boru is a polo-esque game in which riders battle for possession of a goat carcass (or stuffed sheepskin). Other events in this year's competition included archery, falconry, wrestling and even mancala-style board games. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, SEPT. 8 (Francesco Scaccianoce/UEFA via Getty Images) ⚽️ Champions League The 36-team league phase kicks off today with six games headlined by Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan and Porto vs. Manchester City (3pm ET, Paramount+). How it works: Each team plays eight matches between today and late January, with the top eight advancing to the knockout round and the bottom 12 eliminated. The 9th-place through 24th-place finishers advance to a playoff to determine the rest of the Round of 16. 🎾 US Open, Quarterfinals Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and hard-hitting Ben Shelton (8:10pm, ESPN) headline today's quarterfinal slate, which also includes a pair of all-American matchups in No. 11 Frances Tiafoe vs. Alex Michelsen (1pm) and No. 3 Jessica Pegula vs. No. 26 Emma Navarro (7pm). Battle of the billionaires: Pegula and Navarro are both daughters of sports billionaires. Terry Pegula, a natural gas and oil tycoon, owns the Bills and Sabres. Ben Navarro, who made his money in finance, owns both the Charleston and Cincinnati tennis tournaments. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Astros at Phillies (6:40pm, TBS) … Houston (73-71) sits atop the AL West; Philadelphia (81-63) holds the first NL wild card. 🏀 FIBA Women's World Cup: Hungary vs. Japan (11:45am, HBO Max); Germany vs. South Korea (2:45pm, HBO Max) … Winners advance to the quarterfinals. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 16 (8:45am, Peacock) … Spain's Enric Mas remains the leader as the final week begins. 🌍 LET'S PLAY GEOSPORTS GeoSports is back in Yahoo Sports AM, and I'll be writing the questions every Tuesday. How to play: You'll be asked five trivia questions that combine sports with geography. Tap where it happened! The closer you are, the more points you get. Play today's round. 🏈 YAHOO FANTASY HAPPY NFL EVE! Fantasy Football kickoff is tomorrow. Are you ready? Prepare to dominate your friends with our fantasy blueprint, or draft a team instantly in a public league and compete against other fans. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted Thursday at 09:49 PM Author Members Posted Thursday at 09:49 PM 👋 Good morning! The NFL is back, baby. LSU backs down: The battle over former NFL players returning to college appears to be over, for now. LSU has locked its roster for the season, adding DE Gabriel Reliford and CB Aidan Anding to complete its 105-man squad, sources tell Yahoo Sports. This eliminates the possibility of adding any other players, including those who signed pro contracts. In today's edition: What a day of tennis, the past 25 seasons of NFL football, MAC files appeal over Michigan ending, longest homer of the MLB season, Who Am I? (new game!), and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🎾 US OPEN SHELTON WINS LATE-NIGHT THRILLER TO CAP EPIC DAY (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Ben Shelton took down Carlos Alcaraz late Tuesday night in a five-set thriller, beating the defending champion 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7), in the match of the tournament to reach the US Open semifinal. Jack Baer, Yahoo Sports: The US Open men's final is guaranteed to feature a single American, courtesy of the biggest win, and latest night, of Ben Shelton's career. With the final shot landing at 3:33am ET, the 4.5-hour match featured the latest ending in US Open history, surpassing Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's legendary clash in the 2022 quarterfinals (2:50am). The match ended so late that the cleaners started working inside Ashe in the fifth set. Entering the match, Alcaraz was 14-0 in Grand Slams again Americans and 13-0 against left-handers. He had won 12 straight five-set matches and 18 overall. Shelton ended all of those streaks, picking up his first career Grand Slam win over a top-five player in the process. It all came down to the final 10-point tiebreaker, with Shelton clinching the win on a 146 mph ace. What's next: Shelton's reward will be an All-American match against Frances Tiafoe in Friday's semifinal. Whoever wins will become only the second American man to reach the US Open final in the past two decades (Taylor Fritz, 2024), looking to end a Grand Slam drought that goes back to Andy Roddick's US Open title in 2003. Have a day, tennis fans… Those who had tickets to Arthur Ashe for Tuesday's day and night sessions were treated to one of the greatest single days of tennis in the stadium's history, with the men's and women's quarterfinalists playing 16 out of a possible 16 sets. (US Open) 🏈 2001-2025 THE NFL'S QUARTER-CENTURY STANDINGS (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) A quarter-century of NFL football has given us dynasties, droughts and everything in between. Before the Patriots and Seahawks kick off the 2026 campaign tonight, here's how all 32 teams stack up over the past 25 seasons. Pats on top: Any way you slice it, the Patriots have been the team to beat since 2001,* winning nearly 70% of their regular-season games (279-126) to go along with six championships. New England has appeared in 10 of the 25 Super Bowls played this century — a staggering 40% — and will try to avenge their most recent loss tonight in Seattle (8:20pm ET, NBC). The .600 club: The Steelers (256-146-3), Packers (251-151-3) and Eagles (242-161-2) are the only other teams with at least a .600 winning percentage, which has translated to a combined five Super Bowls among them. The .500 club: The Ravens (240-165), Seahawks (237-167-1), Colts (236-168-1), Chiefs (231-174), Saints (221-184), Broncos (220-185), Cowboys (219-185-1), Chargers (214-191), Vikings (212-191-2) and Bills (202-202) have all won at least half their games. More losses than wins: The 49ers (201-203-1), Falcons (201-203-1), Rams (193-211-1), Bengals (191-209-4), Bears (192-213), Dolphins (192-213), Titans (189-216), Buccaneers (187-218), Panthers (182-222-1), Texans (174-214-1), Giants (178-226-1), Cardinals (172-231-2), Commanders (167-236-2) and Jets (167-238) are no strangers to defeat. The cellar dwellers: The Jaguars (159-246), Lions (158-245-2), Raiders (152-253) and Browns (141-263-1) are the only teams with a winning percentage below .400 this century. For context: Cleveland could go undefeated for the next seven straight seasons and still be three games under .500. *The 21st century officially began on Jan. 1, 2001 (not Jan. 1, 2000), so our data is based on regular-season records starting with the 2001 season. It's confusing, we know, but think about it like this: There was no "Year 0." So the first century ran from 1 through 100, the 20th century ran from 1901 through 2000, and so on. 🏈 CONTROVERSIAL ENDING MAC FILES APPEAL, MICHIGAN FALLS OUT OF POLL Western Michigan players after Saturday's shocking loss in Ann Arbor. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Michigan fell out of this week's AP Top 25 after its literal last-second win over Western Michigan — a result the MAC is now asking the NCAA to reverse. It doesn't appear that will happen, but for ranking purposes, it might not matter. What they're saying: "After further study and investigation, it is now evident that replay protocol was not properly followed in determining whether time remained on the game clock," the MAC wrote in a statement. The established replay protocol requires that the game clock displayed on the program feed be used in determining whether time remained. Instead, the Big Ten Conference replay crew relied upon the clock feed embedded within its replay system. As a result, one second was placed back on the game clock and an additional play was awarded. The Mid-American Conference has submitted formal appeals to the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff. The MAC is requesting that those bodies recognize Western Michigan as the actual winner of the game for purposes of their respective rankings, evaluations and selection deliberations and take such other corrective action as may be within their authority. The NCAA's response: The association said Tuesday night that it does not have a protocol for overturning the outcome of a game, and that the FBS Oversight Committee doesn't have that authority, either. Once the referee declares the game is ended, NCAA rules state, the score is final. (Yahoo Sports) Beyond the record: Michigan is still officially 1-0 and WMU is still 0-1, which is unfortunate for those who believe the wrong team won. But when it comes to "rankings, evaluations and selection deliberations," which is at the heart of the MAC's appeal, the controversial ending is already baked in. The AP voters know what happened on Saturday, which is why the Wolverines tumbled from No. 16 to unranked despite a win. The CFP committee will know what happened, too. For all the complaints about college football's current ranking systems, this is one of the benefits of relying on humans instead of computers: they can understand nuance and controversy. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) ⚾️ 474 feet Mariners rookie Lázaro Montes annihilated a 474-foot home run on Tuesday against the Rangers in just his sixth career game. The young Cuban's blast is tied for the longest in MLB this season, and is the single longest home run hit at Seattle's T-Mobile Park in the Statcast era (since 2015). Meet the masher: Montes and his family defected from Cuba in 2018 when he was 13 years old. He signed with the Mariners in 2022 and has mashed at every stop, including 38 home runs in 123 games this season across Double-A and Triple-A. Now 21, the September call-up has brought his prodigious power to the big leagues. Messi and Lewandowski during their 2022 World Cup match. (Michael Regan/FIFA via Getty Images) ⚽️ 1,630 goals Two of the most prolific goal scorers in the history of soccer face off in MLS for the first time tonight when Lionel Messi (927 career goals) and Inter Miami visit Robert Lewandowski (703) and the Chicago Fire. And by the way, Messi's teammate Luis Suárez (612) isn't too far behind, ranking 12th all-time. 700-goal club: Messi and Lewandowski are two of just seven men with at least 700 goals for club and country. The others: Cristiano Ronaldo (978), Pelé (762), Romário (756), Ferenc Puskás (725) and Josef Bican (722). (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) 🏀 9th statue The Lakers will honor Phil Jackson with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena this spring, making him the ninth member of the organization to earn such a distinction. The Hall of Fame coach won five NBA championships (2000-02, 2009, 2010) in his 11 seasons with the team. Who will he join? Jackson will be immortalized in Star Plaza alongside statues of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Pat Riley, Jerry West, and of course Kobe Bryant, who starred on all five of Jackson's title-winning teams. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9 (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Patriots at Seahawks 213 days after the Seahawks blew out the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, they meet again in Seattle to open the 2026 NFL season (8:20pm ET, NBC). We are so back. Buckle up: Tonight's game begins a glorious run of six straight days of football, which includes 49ers vs. Rams tomorrow in Australia, college football on Friday and Saturday, the first NFL Sunday of the season and Chiefs vs. Broncos on "Monday Night Football." 🎾 US Open, Quarterfinals The quarters finish up today with No. 2 Elena Rybakina vs. Qinwen Zheng (11:30am, ESPN), No. 4 Coco Gauff vs. No. 5 Mirra Andreeva (12:30pm), No. 28 Alexander Blockx vs. Karen Khachanov (2pm) and No. 1 Alexander Zverev vs. Botic van de Zandschulp (7:30pm). Youngest since Serena: Gauff, 22, is the youngest American woman to make three Grand Slam quarterfinals in one year (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open) since Serena Williams in 2003. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Rays at Braves (7:15pm, MLB) … First place in the AL East vs. first place in the NL East. ⚽️ Champions League: Liverpool vs. Atlético (3pm, Paramount+); Napoli vs. Arsenal (3pm, Paramount+) … Two of six games as Matchday 1 continues. ⚽️ MLS: Chicago vs. Miami (8:30pm, Apple TV) … Robert Lewandowski's side hosts Lionel Messi's at Soldier Field. 🏀 FIBA Women's World Cup: China vs. Puerto Rico (11:45am, HBO Max); Australia vs. Italy (2:45pm, HBO Max) … Winners advance to the quarterfinals. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 17 (8:30am, Peacock) … Riders travel 117 miles on this flat stage from Dos Hermanas to Seville. 🎾 LET'S PLAY WHO AM I? 36 years ago today, I defeated Andre Agassi to become the youngest men's singles champion in US Open history (19 years old). Answer at the bottom. 🏈 YAHOO FANTASY HAPPY NFL KICKOFF DAY! Fantasy Football is here! With the NFL season starting tonight, this is your last chance to draft a team instantly in a public league and compete against other fans. Need some last-minute tips? Our Fantasy Football blueprint is here to help. 29 Days of Fantasy: We released 29 new features over the past month to celebrate 29 years of Yahoo Fantasy Football. Who Am I? I am five-time US Open champion Pete Sampras. (Carol Newsom/AFP via Getty Images) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted Friday at 06:42 PM Author Members Posted Friday at 06:42 PM 👋 Good morning! Or shall I say, "G'day, mate!" as the NFL prepares for kickoff in Australia. In today's edition: The death of the one-handed backhand, Seahawks win opener, Coco advances, NFL off-field storylines, baseball's iron men, College Football Challenge (make your picks!), and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Team USA into final four: While you were sleeping, the Americans walloped Hungary, 108-56, to secure their spot in the FIBA Women's World Cup semifinals in Berlin, where they're seeking their fifth straight gold medal. ⚾️ Ohtani to the IL: After missing six of the Dodgers' last seven games (knee), Shohei Ohtani will be placed on the 15-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the team will reportedly call-up top prospect Josue De Paula from Double-A Tulsa. 🏈 NCAA enacts timing protocol: In the aftermath of Saturday's Michigan debacle, the NCAA has enacted "a standard timing protocol that ensures consistency in the administration of all college football games." 🎤 Brunson to host SNL: Jalen Brunson's magical summer is about to get an encore when the newly-minted NBA champion hosts the Season 52 premiere of "Saturday Night Live" on Sept. 26. The Finals MVP is just the fifth NBA player ever tapped for this role, joining Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and LeBron James. ⚽️ Messi expands portfolio: Lionel Messi has reached a preliminary agreement to become the majority owner of Eldense, a club in Spain's Segunda División. He already owns or has stakes in Cornellà (Spain), Deportivo LSM (Uruguay), Leones de Rosario FC (Argentina) and Inter Miami. 2026 NFL MELBOURNE GAME Watch the 49ers take on the Rams LIVE from Melbourne tonight at 8:35pm ET on Netflix, and also stream on mobile with NFL+. 🎾 END OF AN ERA THE DEATH OF THE ONE-HANDED BACKHAND (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The one-handed backhand has been going out of style for decades. This year brought the clearest sign yet that it might be nearing extinction. 149 years later: This is the first year in tennis history, dating to the inaugural Grand Slam in 1877 (Wimbledon), that no man with a one-handed backhand reached a major semifinal. Stefanos Tsitsipas was the streak's last hope, but he fell on Sunday in the Round of 16. Age of extinction: From 1970-90, players with one-handed backhands won more than 60% of Grand Slams, utilizing the signature shot of Rod Laver, Roger Federer and others to great effect. In the early 2000s, they made up roughly half the men's top 100, and eight years ago Federer won his 20th slam while relying heavily on "the shot that made [him] famous." Now? It's all but disappeared from the top of the sport. Just five men ranked in the current ATP Top 100 use a one-handed backhand: No. 14 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 48 Denis Shapovalov, No. 53 Tsitsipas, No. 57 Daniel Altmaier and No. 84 Aleksandar Kovacevic. And they're joined by just 45 additional ranked men. The shot is even more scarce on the WTA Tour, where just 14 ranked women use one hand, led by No. 31 Diane Parry. What gives? Tennis is simply a different sport now than it was even a couple decades ago, as Federer himself explained on the eve of the US Open. The game, which used to be a relatively even split between baseline and net play, has shifted almost exclusively to the baseline, where the power and control afforded by a two-handed grip is crucial. And the shift has become self-perpetuating, Federer added: As one-handed backhands disappear, so do the coaches who teach them. "My coaches when I was growing up were, I would say, 90% one-handers. So I think when your coach is a one-handed tennis player, you will most likely be a one-handed tennis player too. Nowadays, probably the coaches are mostly double-handed players, and it's just easier to teach a kid to have two hands on the backhand side." "One of my kids is switching from a double-hander to a one-hander, and I just see how hard it is for him to hit it and control it. Sure, eventually you get control, but it just takes time, and nowadays we don't have time. Everything has to happen immediately." Bottom line: Tennis has long been a delicate balance between power and finesse. But as the pendulum swings inexorably toward the former, one of the sport's signature shots has all but faded from the game it once dominated. 📸 SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS Josh Jobe celebrates with teammates after sealing the win with a pick. (Jane Gershovich/Getty Images) 🏈 Seattle, Washington The Seahawks rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Patriots, 13-10, in the NFL season opener despite losing QB Sam Darnold to a hip injury just five plays into the game. Throwing the game away: "We want to be aggressive and just not reckless," said Pats head coach Mike Vrabel after Drake Maye threw three interceptions on New England's final three drives, including an egregious game-sealing pick in the end zone. Coco is moving on. (Julian Finney/Getty Images) 🎾 Queens, New York No. 4 Coco Gauff came back from a set down to beat No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, 2-6, 7-6, 6-2, and advance to her second career US Open semifinal. Last time she made it this far, she won the tournament (2023). More quarterfinals: No. 2 Elena Rybakina beat Qinwen Zheng (and clinched the WTA No. 1 ranking); Top-seeded Alexander Zverev cruised in straight sets; Unseeded Karen Khachanov advanced in a walkover. Schwarbomb No. 44 was worth four runs. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo) ⚾️ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Kyle Schwarber blasted a towering grand slam to lift the Phillies to an 11-7 victory over the Astros and increase his lead in the MLB home run race. He now has 44 dingers on the season, three more than Pete Crow-Armstrong. Chasing the Babe: Schwarber has hit 231 homers since joining the Phillies in 2022. Five more this month and he'll pass Babe Ruth (235) for the most home runs in a player's first five seasons with a team. 🏈 SEASON KICKOFF THE OFF-FIELD GRIDIRON GAMES A giant NFL football outside Melbourne Cricket Ground, site of today's game between the Rams and 49ers. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) The NFL is back, and the stakes extend well beyond wins and losses. As the action gets underway on the field, here are some of the key off-field business storylines worth monitoring this season, courtesy of Yahoo Sports Biz author Dylan Dittrich. 🌎 The league goes (even more) global. The NFL will play a record nine international games this season, beginning "tonight" in Melbourne in perhaps its most ambitious global venture to date. In total, the schedule takes teams to seven different countries, including a first visit to France. Just getting started: The NFL has already approved a move to 10 international games next season, and an 11th will likely follow, though that will require negotiations with the players. In addition, Roger Goodell said this summer that he has "no doubt" that there will eventually be an NFL franchise based internationally. 📺 Who blinks first in media rights staring contest? Just under a year ago, Goodell suggested the NFL could look to enter media rights negotiations in 2026, well ahead of schedule. Fast forward a year, and all momentum on that front has been replaced by abundant uncertainty among the league's partners as Paramount navigates the Warner Bros. acquisition, NBCUniversal faces life after Comcast and Fox voices a desire to negotiate closer to the end of its current deal.* Also worth watching: The league rebuked Nielsen's new methodology rollout, which it cautions could be negative for sports. Meanwhile, the boost from last year's Big Data switch is in the rear view. Could more apples-to-apples annual comparisons cast doubt on the NFL's up-and-to-the-right viewership trends? Workers install the pitch at MetLife Stadium, home of the Giants and Jets, ahead of the World Cup this summer. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) 🏟️ The grass versus turf debate rages on. Seven NFL stadiums switched from artificial turf to natural grass to host World Cup matches. But that switch was only temporary, inciting an outcry from players who believe their well-being and preferences are #WorthTheCost of using natural grass. Though 92% of players prefer a natural surface, the situation is not black-and-white, even as the stadium split between turf and grass is nearly 50/50. Both the Patriots (turf) and Bills (natural grass) were forced to replace their fields this preseason. Ear to the ground: You'll never hear more about field quality, particularly in relation to non-contact injuries, than you will this season. In the players' eyes, the World Cup proved that using natural grass is feasible, and the choice of field is a matter of safety versus financials. While grass and turf surfaces must conform to NFL and NFLPA protocols, injuries on turf will be dissected under a more powerful microscope. 👋 So long, Sunday afternoon? The NFL season began on a Wednesday. The Packers will face the Rams in the league's first Thanksgiving Eve game. Santa will bring another Christmas Day triple-header down the chimney. Each year, the league seems to extend its reach further into non-traditional days of the week, diluting the Sunday slate. In 2006-07, Sunday afternoon games accounted for 83% of the total slate. This season? Just 72%. Reality check: For all the handwringing about the dilution of Sundays, this year's Sunday slate lost just one game relative to last season. The primary loser was Monday, with doubleheaders nixed (will anyone miss them?). Wednesday windows will dredge up the dilution discourse, but at least in the short term, the league's vice grip on Sundays hasn't weakened. *There's also the matter of the looming U.S. Court of Appeals decision on $14.1 billion in potential Sunday Ticket damages, as well as the reported DOJ probe into the league's broadcast distribution practices. Those, too, could impact the media rights state of play, though uncertainty will persist even if the legal status quo prevails. ⚾️ IRON MEN THE PURSUIT OF 162 (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Not taking days off has always been a point of pride around the game of baseball, where the best ability, it is often said, is availability. This season, MLB players are proving that sentiment is still true. Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports: Four MLB players have started every one of their clubs' games this season: Atlanta's Matt Olson, Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero, Baltimore's Pete Alonso and Philadelphia's Bryce Harper. Another four — Chicago's Pete Crow-Armstrong, Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds, Cincinnati's Sal Stewart and Atlanta's Ozzie Albies — have appeared in every game. That's eight players on pace to finish the year with 162 games played, which would be the highest tally since 2005. Since the move to a 162-game season in 1961, there have been just four seasons (1962, 1964, 1974, 1980) in which more players appeared in 162 games. It's a fascinating trend, one seemingly at odds with the contemporary discourse about load management. Only four hoopers, for instance, started all 82 games during the most recent NBA season. But any baseball old heads, the ones starting sentences with "back in my day" and griping about the softness of the modern position player, are not standing on factual ground. Off-days have always been part of the sport. Today's game is not, in fact, poisoned with an over-abundance of entitled lollygaggers looking to do the least. This season's eight iron men are a testament to that. Keep reading: Why MLB players appearing in every game is trending up 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Rams vs. 49ers Two NFC West foes go head-to-head "tonight" (8:35pm ET, Netflix) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the NFL's first-ever game in Australia, where the Rams are 3.5-point favorites over the Niners. Local time at kickoff? 10:35am tomorrow morning. Not back yet: Three-time DPOY Aaron Donald didn't make the trip with the Rams, so his return to the field following his 2024 retirement will have to wait. "I think he'll be ready to go sooner rather than later," said head coach Sean McVay. 🎾 US Open, Semifinals The women's final four take the court today with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 Jessica Pegula getting things started (7pm, ESPN), followed by No. 2 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 4 Coco Gauff. All chalk: This is the first time since 2009 that the top four women's seeds reached the semifinals at any Grand Slam, and the first time since 1975 they did so at the US Open. The final four that year? No. 1 Chris Evert, No. 2 Virginia Wade, No. 3 Martina Navratilova and No. 4 Evonne Goolagong. More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. Bodø/Glimt (3pm, Paramount+) … One of six games to wrap up Matchday 1. 🏈 NCAAF: Florida A&M at No. 7 Miami (8pm, ACC) … Miami's Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney will look to stay hot after connecting 12 times for 234 yards and 3 scores in the opener. 🏀 FIBA Women's World Cup: China vs. France (8:30am); Belgium vs. Germany (11:45am); Australia vs. Spain (2:45pm) … Quarterfinals on HBO Max. 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stage 18 (8:45am, Peacock) … Riders compete in a 20-mile time trial from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera. ⚾ LET'S PLAY TRIVIA TIME Altuve hits a double in the third inning. (Houston Astros/Getty Images) Jose Altuve notched his 2,500th career hit on Wednesday, becoming just the second active MLB player to reach the milestone. Question: Who is the only other active player with 2,500+ hits? Hint: First baseman. Answer at the bottom. 🏈 WHO YA GOT? MAKE YOUR PICKS! (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) College Football Challenge is back for another week! Over 2,300 of you submitted entries for Week 1, and it's not too late to join in on the fun ahead of Saturday's slate. How it works: Each week, you'll make 10 picks against the spread regarding Saturday's best matchups. Among your choices for Week 2: No. 1 Ohio State (+1.5) at No. 4 Texas No. 11 Oklahoma (-5.5) at Michigan No. 6 Oregon (-22.5) at Oklahoma State No. 18 Tennessee (-13.5) at Georgia Tech Arkansas (+12.5) at No. 20 Utah Make your picks. Trivia answer: Freddie Freeman Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted 3 hours ago Author Members Posted 3 hours ago Good morning. 25 years ago today, the world changed forever. As I do every year, I'll be watching "The Man in the Red Bandana." Never forget. In today's edition: 49ers smoke Rams in Australia, Behind the Lens, the NFL's new pay hierarchy, Weekend Watchlist, the home run that saved a life on 9/11, Guess The Logo, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🏈 DOWN UNDER NINERS CRUISE IN MELBOURNE (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) The 49ers destroyed the Rams, 27-7, in the NFL's first Australia game — a result that will reset expectations in a stacked NFC West and raise questions about the Rams as the anointed preseason Super Bowl favorites. Goose eggs: San Francisco denied Matthew Stafford a touchdown after he scored one in every single game last season, and reigning DPOY Myles Garrett failed to make an entry in the box score in his Rams debut. No tackles. No sacks. No QB hits. Nothing. (Morgan Hancock/Getty Images) Jason Owens, Yahoo Sports: The lack of pressure from Garrett and the Rams' defense in part allowed Brock Purdy and San Francisco's offense to have their way. The 49ers entered halftime with a 10-7 lead thanks to a 39-yard touchdown connection from Purdy to Demarcus Robinson in which Purdy had all the time in the world to make the downfield throw. After halftime, the 49ers blew the game open. They drove 51 yards on seven plays on the opening drive of the third quarter that ended with Purdy's second touchdown of the game. After a goal-line stand by San Francisco, the 49ers marched 99 yards for another touchdown and a 24-7 lead. At that point early in the fourth quarter the game was all but over. The last word: "Sometimes sports can humble you and today was one of those days," said Rams head coach Sean McVay. "Whether you want to say it's about travel, whatever, we just weren't good enough. … They deserve the win." 💰 HIGHEST-PAID THE NFL'S NEW PAY HIERARCHY When Christian Gonzalez extended his contract with the Patriots on Monday, he became the fourth cornerback this offseason to claim the position's highest-paid throne, completing a summer in which record pay was established at nearly every position on the field. Formation shift: While pay is escalating across the board, the composition of the league's best-paid players has oscillated over the last decade. Quarterbacks have long topped the league, with edge rushers chasing them on and off the field. Beneath the surface, though, shifts have occurred among the positions comprising the NFL's top 50 highest-paid players by average annual value. QBs have consistently ceded ground, with only 16 making the top 50 this season, down from 23 in 2016. It's no longer enough to be a starter — teams will move on before committing top dollar to a substandard signal caller. Wide receivers have been the primary beneficiary of that shift, with elite pass catchers compensated to keep their expensive passers well-armed. No love for the line? Perhaps most striking is the absence of offensive linemen. Five years ago, nine offensive linemen ranked in the top 50. This year, only one makes the grade. Bottom line: Pay is rising, and records are falling for the NFL's elite, no matter the position. But it sure is nice to be in the passing or pass-rushing business. 📸 PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Each week in Yahoo Sports AM, we'll be going "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images to get the backstory on the best photographs in sports. This week's photo: Juan Soto celebrates a home run against the Marlins with a sunflower-seed shower. Photographer: Carmen Mandato Location: Miami, Florida Date: Sept. 8 Behind the lens: Here's Carmen… At Marlins Park there's a bit of a give and take. From my photo position — about 20 feet away in the photo well — I can somewhat see the visiting dugout; but I'm also pretty obstructed, and I can't see the Marlins dugout at all. The important thing to know with shooting baseball is that we're not allowed to move around, so I can't really change the distance between myself and the subjects, which naturally reduces some of the visual variety in the coverage. Because of that, anytime there's a celebration, interaction or human moment, I make sure I'm looking for it. With this particular photo, I was on a telephoto lens because from that vantage point, I am largely blocked and need to clean up a lot of what's happening visually. Dugout celebrations are wonderful on a wide angle, and ideally I would love to shoot it that way, but here I was trying to use the telephoto to create intimacy instead. Juan had just hit a three-run home run, so I was looking for anything that added to that moment: teammates reacting, sunflower seeds flying, gum, whatever is happening. Anything that helps show the joy and personality of the players. I think having those humanizing, intimate moments is really important in sports coverage whenever you can get them. Equipment and technique: Carmen shot this with a Canon EOS R1 and Canon RF 400mm lens. She used an extremely fast shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second with a setting of f/2.8, ISO 400, indicating a wide aperture and moderate light sensitivity. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) 🏈 NFL, Week 1 After two midweek games to whet our appetite, Sunday brings the glorious return of wall-to-wall NFL action. The games we're most intrigued by in the 1pm ET slot? Buccaneers at Bengals (Fox), Ravens at Colts (CBS) and Bills at Texans (CBS). Coming later: Division rivalries headline the afternoon and evening windows, with the Vikings hosting the Packers (4:25pm, CBS), the Eagles hosting the Commanders (4:25pm, Fox) and the Giants hosting the Cowboys in the nightcap (8:20pm, NBC). 🏈 NCAAF, Week 2 Saturday's slate is headlined by a potential national championship preview, as No. 4 Texas hosts No. 1 Ohio State (7:30pm, ABC) with Heisman contenders Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin taking center stage in Austin. Best of the rest: No. 6 Oregon at Oklahoma State (12pm, ESPN); No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan (12pm, Fox); No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky (3:30pm, ABC); Arizona at No. 15 BYU (3:30pm, Fox); No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech (7pm, ESPN); Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa (7:30pm, NBC); Arkansas at No. 20 Utah (10:15pm, ESPN). 🎾 US Open, Championships The final four men take the court today, with top-ranked Alexander Zverev vs. Karen Khachanov in the first semifinal (3pm, ESPN), followed by an all-American matchup between No. 8 Ben Shelton and No. 11 Frances Tiafoe (7pm). The women's final between No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2. Elena Rybakina is tomorrow (4pm), and the men's final is on Sunday (2pm). Ending the drought: Shelton and Tiafoe have a chance to make some pretty big history this weekend. For starters, the winner of their match will become the first Black American man to reach a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. And if they then win that match, they'll be the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick won here in 2003. ⛳️ Solheim Cup The 20th edition of the biennial women's golf tournament tees off today (Fri-Sun, Golf) in the Netherlands, where Nelly Korda and Team USA will look to defend their title against Charley Hull and Team Europe in the Ryder Cup-style event. How they stack up: The average world ranking of the 12 Americans is 39, compared to 54 for the Europeans. But the U.S. still faces an uphill battle as they seek their first win on European soil since 2015. 🏀 FIBA Women's World Cup A champion will be crowned in Berlin, where France faces Germany in tomorrow's first semifinal (10:30am, TBS), followed by USA vs. Spain in the second (2pm, TBS). The winners meet in Sunday's championship (2pm, TNT). Going streaking: The Americans seek a fifth straight gold medal as they ride a 34-game winning streak in this event. Their last World Cup loss? The 2006 semifinals. 👟 World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest hosts the inaugural edition of this track & field event (Fri-Sun, Peacock/NBC), where athletes will compete for $10 million, including $150,000 for every gold medal. Who to watch: The field features most of the biggest names in athletics, including Mondo Duplantis in the pole vault (Fri. 2:08pm), Sha'Carri Richardson in the 100m (Sat. 2:38pm), Kenny Bednarek in the 200m (Sun. 2:38pm) and what could be the race of the weekend between Cole Hocker, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Josh Kerr in the 1500m (Sun. 2:10pm). ⚾️ Mets at Yankees The final Subway Series of the season holds more importance than most, as today's opener (7:05pm, ESPN+) takes place on the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. They also play tomorrow (1:30pm, MLB) and Sunday (1:30pm, MLB.TV). Meanwhile, in Atlanta: The first-place Braves host the surging Phillies (Fri-Sun, MLB.TV/ESPN+), who are just 4 games back in the race for the NL East crown. More to watch: 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stages 19-21 (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … The race for the red jersey ends on Sunday in Granada, with Spain's Enric Mas leading by 1'37" entering the final weekend. ⚽️ MLS: Miami vs. Nashville (Sat. 7:30pm, Apple) … The top two teams in the East meet in South Florida, where Lionel Messi will look to add to his MLS-best 18 goals and 13 assists. ⚽️ EPL: Manchester United vs. Manchester City (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock) … City are in first place entering the 199th Manchester Derby, their first under new manager Enzo Maresca. 🏎️ F1: Spanish Grand Prix (Sun. 9am, Apple) … The first race at Madrid's new circuit, the Madring, a hybrid between a street course and a purpose-built track. 🏁 NASCAR: World Wide Technology Raceway (Sun. 3pm, USA) … The second race in The Chase takes place just a few miles east of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Plus: 🥊 Ryan Garcia vs. Connor Benn in Las Vegas (Sat. 8pm, Paramount+); Noche UFC in Arizona (Sun. 5pm, Paramount+); ⚽️ NWSL Week 21 (Fri-Sun, Prime/ESPN/ION); ⚾️ WPBL Playoffs (Fri-Sun, ESPN+) 📚 GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ Jeff Eisenberg: The home run that saved a life on 9/11 On the morning of September 11, 2001, Brad Thomas awoke to a ringing phone in his Connecticut hotel room. It was his girlfriend's father calling to make sure he had seen that a plane had just plowed into the World Trade Center's North Tower. "How could somebody do this?" Thomas remembers wondering to himself. "How could this even happen?" Later that day, after Thomas and his teammates had gathered in the New Britain clubhouse, a team official approached the Australian pitcher with a dazed expression. That was how Thomas learned that he and his girlfriend originally had seats aboard the first of the hijacked planes, that they were nearly two of the flight's 90-plus fatalities, that the outcome of an innocuous playoff series essentially spared their lives. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Ross Dellenger: 4 scars, 2 plates and a rebuilt heart: Inside the incredible rise of Texas' Trevor Goosby The scar runs from Trevor Goosby's right forearm to his right triceps. There's another scar on his left hand. And then a third along his left shoulder. If he lifts up his shirt — he's nice enough to do so — you'll see a foot-long scar cutting his sternum in half. Four scars. Two metal plates. A reattached arm muscle. A couple rebuilt joints. And, most serious of them all, a skin graft to plug a hole in his heart. Somehow, someway, despite the bumps and the bruises, the surgeries and the rehab, Goosby, an under-recruited 3-star prospect, made it here: The anchor on a Texas offensive line that protects a member of the Manning family; the bulwark for the fourth-ranked team in the country; the late-blooming teddy bear of a man whose favorite hobby is building Legos. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Jay Busbee: Chicago has its next Michael Jordan in Caleb Williams… at least that's the hope At the start of his third season, Caleb Williams stands on the doorstep of glory. He's already given Bears fans the kind of hope they haven't had in decades. And if he's able to keep the reigning NFC North champion Bears on their current trajectory, well — immortality awaits. Nobody loves a hometown hero quite like Chicago. "The entire city of Chicago is behind Caleb Williams in a way that I've never seen us get behind a Bears quarterback," says Kevin Kaduk, author of the Bears By 7 newsletter. "It's just a different feeling of confidence when he goes out there and works with Ben Johnson. What's also cool is that he's out and about around town. … When he goes to Wrigley Field to watch Pete Crow-Armstrong, he sits in the stands, not a luxury box." 🔎 LET'S PLAY GUESS THE LOGO Question: Can you guess this zoomed in NFL logo? Hint: It's the only team whose current logo actually has a football in it. Answer at the bottom. 🏎️ START YOUR ENGINES YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV (Apple) This weekend's Formula 1 Tag Heuer Gran Premio de España 2026 continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. Tune in: All three practice sessions (Fri. 7:30/11am ET; Sat. 6:30am) and qualifying (Sat. 10am) will air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race (9am) will stream on Apple TV, the new U.S. home of Formula 1. Logo reveal: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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