Members phkrause Posted October 27 Author Members Posted October 27 Chasing history The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are each looking for their first World Series title. Our sports team breaks down four reasons to watch as the action begins tonight. 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 October 27 Author Members Posted October 27 🎬 More movie for your money Doctor Doom in "Avengers: Doomsday," out Dec. 18. Photo: Marvel via AP All kinds of films, from big-budget spectacles to art house dramas, are getting longer. After analyzing 36,431 movies released theatrically from 1980 to 2025, researcher Stephen Follows found that the average length of a wide-release movie has grown from 106 to 114 minutes. 🍿 But there's little evidence that long runtimes are dissuading moviegoers, AP reports. "The Odyssey," with a running time of 173 minutes, is the year's second-highest-grossing movie, with $1.8 billion in ticket sales, and the front-runner for best picture at the Oscars. Two other top Oscar contenders — "La Bola Negra" (159 minutes) and "You Can See Everything" (174 minutes) — also run more than 2.5 hours. "The moviegoing experience is evolving," Joe Russo, who is directing the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday" with his brother Anthony, said in a recent interview. "Eventized cinema seems to be the draw to get people out of their homes. ... Length can certainly contribute to the feeling of an experience. In a lot of ways, it's the feeling of getting your money's worth." The Russos expect "Doomsday," out Dec. 18, to run close to 2.5 hours. Explore the data ... 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 October 27 Author Members Posted October 27 > Milwaukee Brewers score five unanswered runs in Game 2 of the World Series, lead Tampa Bay 2-0 (More) | UCF beats No. 2 BYU in double overtime; only three college football teams (No. 1 Miami, No. 6 Utah, No. 7 UCLA) remain undefeated, the fewest at this point in the season since 1977 (More) > Meghan Markle's estranged father under investigation in the Philippines for possession of child sexual abuse material; Markle's letter to her father says she was aware of prior allegations (More) > "Clayface" takes top spot at the weekend box office, pulling in $24M in North America; the origin story of a Batman supervillain, movie is the latest in the revamped DC Extended Universe 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 October 28 Author Members Posted October 28 👋 Good morning! Nothing cures a case of the Mondays like a Sports Equinox. In today's edition: Loaded slate, the Brewers are halfway home, 49ers and Chiefs both lose, college football parity, Mbappé powers Madrid, Monet-ball, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 NBA rundown: Luka Dončić dropped 52 points for the undefeated Lakers … The defending champs have yet to win a game … Jalen Williams' gruesome leg injury left his OKC teammates in tears … Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are beefing (kind of) … The Warriors are 0-3 for the first time in Steph Curry's career. 🏎️ Kimi wins in Austin: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) won the United States Grand Prix from pole position, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) as he inched closer to clinching the Formula 1 world title. 🏀 All-WNBA First Team: A'ja Wilson (Aces), Caitlin Clark (Fever), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Olivia Miles (Lynx) and Breanna Stewart (Liberty) earned 2026 All-WNBA First Team selections. The Second Team was headlined by Angel Reese (Dream) and Paige Bueckers (Wings). 🏒 Hellebuyck gets his wish: The Jets shipped star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the Devils in exchange for four players and two draft picks, ending a saga that began in August when the three-time Vezina Trophy winner (best NHL goalie) went public with a trade request. 🏈 Aranda, Doeren fired: Baylor fired Dave Aranda after seven seasons at the helm (40-40 record), while NC State decided to move on from Dave Doeren after 14 years (98-74 record). One notable name the Wolfpack could reportedly target? Philip Rivers. 🪐 BIG FOUR THE 33RD SPORTS EQUINOX (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The "Big Four" North American sports leagues are all in action today. We call it a "Sports Equinox," and this is just the 33rd time it's ever happened. Tonight's slate: ⚾️ World Series, Game 3: The Rays host the Brewers (8pm ET, Fox) following an 0-2 trip to Milwaukee. Former Brewers ace Freddy Peralta takes the mound for Tampa Bay. 🏈 Monday Night Football: The Eagles host the Cowboys (8:15pm, ESPN/ABC) in an NFC East showdown. Both teams are 2-4 but still very much alive in their weak division. 🏀 NBA (9 games): Timberwolves at Cavaliers, Wizards at Hornets, Bulls at Celtics, Mavericks at Heat, Pacers at Bucks, Suns at Thunder, Hawks at Rockets, Grizzlies at Jazz, Warriors at Nuggets (10pm, Peacock). 🏒 NHL (3 games): Kings at Rangers (7pm, NHL), Maple Leafs at Flames, Red Wings at Oilers. But wait, there's more: Tonight's slate also includes Game 5 of the WNBA Finals in San Francisco (8pm, USA), where the Valkyries will look to go up 3-2 on the Dream after evening the series on Saturday in Atlanta. This is only the second time that the WNBA has joined the Sports Equinox party, but the league's expanding schedule will make women's hoops a mainstay moving forward. Origin story: The first Sports Equinox took place on Sunday, Oct. 17, 1971. Roberto Clemente and the Pirates beat the Orioles in Game 7 of the World Series on a day that also featured 12 NFL games, six NHL games and three NBA games. Nine more Sports Equinoxes occurred between 1972-85, all on Sundays, before they nearly disappeared for two decades. From 1986-2008, only one Equinox took place: Nov. 4, 2001. Nowadays, it's an annual tradition. With the World Series starting later, the NBA and NHL tipping off earlier and "Thursday Night Football" airing weekly, there's been at least one Sports Equinox every year since 2015. The 2020s: There was a brief Sports Equinox boom during the pandemic, when COVID-era scheduling resulted in eight occurrences between 2020-22. Since then, there's been exactly one each year, including this one. With the World Series off on Thursday and set to end no later than Saturday, today will be the only Sports Equinox of 2026. ⚾️ WORLD SERIES HALFWAY HOME: BREWERS TAKE 2-0 LEAD In a World Series between two clubs that thrive on mastering the little things, it's only fitting that the first two games were determined by the slimmest of margins. Milwaukee held serve at home with a pair of one-run victories, putting the NL champions firmly in the driver's seat. Game 1: The Brewers beat the Rays, 3-2, in a game defined by near-misses and coin-flip plays. It was also the first World Series opener since 2000 to feature zero home runs. The most impactful hit, as shown in the chart above, was Christian Yelich's first-inning triple. But no player left a bigger mark than Milwaukee catcher William Contreras, who shined with his bat (2-3, RBI), his arm (two caught stealing) and his ABS challenges (2-for-2). Game 2: The Brewers won 5-4 on Saturday in a rollercoaster game that saw Tampa Bay take a 4-0 lead five batters in and featured a whopping 11 plays that swung Milwaukee's win probability by at least 10 percentage points. The night's biggest moment came in the sixth inning when Sal Frelick hit his first home run off a lefty since Opening Day. Milwaukee is now 4-1 this postseason in games they trailed by 2+ runs. All other teams in such games? 4-29. Milwaukee's not-so-secret weapon: The Brewers' bullpen has been lights out this month, posting a sterling 1.24 ERA across 50.2 innings and notching a playoff-record eight saves. They continued to dominate this weekend, with relievers Aaron Ashby* (+9.6%) and Abner Uribe (+8.3%) leading all players in Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA). Looking ahead: Game 3 is tonight in St. Petersburg, where the Rays will look to begin their comeback. History says that won't be easy: MLB teams trailing 0-2 in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win that series just 16 of 96 times (17%). Good read: The Rays are learning the hard way what the Padres and Dodgers already know — these Brewers are relentless (Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports) *The hottest pitcher on the planet: Ashby has thrown 15.2 scoreless innings during these playoffs, putting him two outs away from breaking Andrew Miller's record for the longest streak of consecutive scoreless innings by a reliever to open a postseason. Not bad for a guy who entered October with a dismal 7.71 career postseason ERA. 🏈 SUNDAY FUNDAY NFL SCOREBOARD Minnesota is the last unbeaten standing. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Sunday's Week 7 slate featured 12 games spread across three broadcast windows — and two continents. Early window: The Steelers beat the Saints in Paris … Minnesota stayed unbeaten while San Francisco suffered its first loss … The Dolphins got their first win … The Browns and Giants won nail-biters … The Bucs and Bengals romped to blowout victories. Steelers 16, Saints 10: Aaron Rodgers notched his 540th passing TD in France, moving him past Peyton Manning for third on the all-time list. Vikings 16, Colts 10: Minnesota's 125 points are tied for the second-fewest by a 6-0 team since 1940. The team they're tied with? The 1973… Vikings! Falcons 29, 49ers 20: Atlanta in two games without Michael Penix Jr. at QB: 0-2, 8 ppg. Atlanta in five games since he made his debut: 3-2, 31 ppg. Dolphins 28, Jets 25: Miami hadn't held the lead for a single play all season entering Sunday's game… where they didn't trail for a single play. Browns 27, Titans 24: This is the first time since 2014 that Cleveland (5-2) sits atop the AFC North in Week 7 or later. Five wins, five game-winning drives. Giants 27, Texans 21 (OT): For the first time since 1950, four different Giants scored a rushing TD in the same game. Bengals 35, Ravens 13: Baltimore is +65 in the first half of games this season… and -70 in the second half. Lamar Jackson is sorely missed. Buccaneers 43, Panthers 13: Tampa Bay scored 43 points despite tallying just 64 passing yards. Whatever works! Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks took down the Chiefs in the nightcap. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Late window: The Rams got back on track with a dominant win in Las Vegas … The Lions beat the Packers on a last-second chip shot field goal … Denver's offense finally came to play against Arizona. Rams 35, Raiders 21: With 155 TDs for the Rams and 282 for the Lions, Matthew Stafford is now the only player in NFL history to hold the passing TD record for multiple franchises. Lions 20, Packers 17: Detroit turned in its best performance of the season, while Jared Goff added his 13th and 14th passing TDs and took care of the ball per usual (0 INTs on the year). Broncos 30, Cardinals 16: Bo Nix's 62-yard TD run was the longest by a QB since 2022. For the first time all season, Denver won by more than one score. Sunday Night Football: The Seahawks handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season in a 20-3 defensive masterclass as Kansas City failed to reach the red zone for the first time ever with Patrick Mahomes at QB. And just like that, the Vikings are the only undefeated team left in the NFL. 📸 SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Sean Gardner/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Talladega, Alabama — Kyle Larson delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the NASCAR season on Sunday, rallying from 11th to first on the final lap to extend his lead atop the Chase standings and all but clinch his second straight title. (David Ramos/Getty Images) 🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain — Real Madrid beat Barcelona, 2-1, on Sunday in the 265th edition of El Clásico, moving Los Blancos ahead in the all-time series, 107-106 (52 draws). Kylian Mbappé scored twice, giving him 100 goals in 116 matches with Madrid. More European Soccer: Aston Villa ended Man City's perfect season … Spurs scored a rare win at Stamford Bridge … Man United fell to 16th … Inter Milan struck twice in stoppage time to stay in first. (Minas Panagiotakis/NHLI via Getty Images) 🇨🇦 Winnipeg, Manitoba — The Canadiens beat the Jets, 2-1, in Sunday's NHL Heritage Classic as hockey fans from near and far gathered to celebrate the game in all of its outdoor glory. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images) 🇳🇱 Rotterdam, Netherlands — Skye Blakely, 21, won four medals (gold, silver, two bronze) at the World Gymnastics Championships, a feat only four other Americans have accomplished. The Texas native could be one of the faces of Team USA heading into LA 2028. Elite company: Blakely joins Kurt Thomas (1979), Nastia Liukin (2005), Rebecca Bross (2010) and Simone Biles (2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023) as the only American gymnasts to earn at least four medals at a single Worlds. 🏈 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY REWIND: PARITY REIGNS UCF players celebrate after breaking up a pass on the final play of the second overtime in their upset victory over then-No. 2 BYU. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo) After another upset-filled Saturday in college football, one thing is clear: No team is safe this season. No. 1 Miami, No. 6 Utah and No. 7 UCLA are the only undefeated FBS teams still standing after BYU, Texas Tech and JMU all stumbled this week. The last time there were three or fewer unbeaten FBS teams by Oct. 24? Way back in 1977. BYU's shocking loss to UCF was the fifth loss by an AP Top-2 team already this season, the most such losses before November since 1990. The 11 losses by AP Top-10 teams over the last three weeks are the most in any three-week span in AP Poll history. Guess who's in first? Kentucky (a basketball school!) sits atop the SEC, while UCLA (another basketball school!) sits atop the Big Ten. Both teams are led by first-year head coaches, Will Stein and Bob Chesney. Good read: Texas Tech's big money and bigger talk can't save it from embarrassing loss 🌎 LET'S PLAY GLOBAL TRIVIA (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images) With the NFL making its Paris debut on Sunday, the French capital became the fifth city outside the U.S. to host regular-season games in both the NFL and NBA. Question: Can you name the other four cities? Hint: Two North America, two Europe. ⚾️ FRIENDLY WAGER MONET-BALL A Monet is officially riding on the World Series. The stakes: If the Brewers bring home the championship, St. Petersburg's Museum of Fine Arts will loan Houses of Parliament: Effect of Fog, London (1904) to the Milwaukee Art Museum. If the Rays prevail, Milwaukee will lend its Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect (1903) to its Florida counterpart. Trivia answer: Mexico City, Toronto, London, Berlin 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 October 28 Author Members Posted October 28 > Singer Chris Brown avoids prison, receives eight-month suspended sentence for 2023 London club attack in which he hit a music producer in the head with a liquor bottle (More) | Watch footage (More) > Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the World Series; Game 4 tonight (8 pm ET, FOX) | Harry Kane wins the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the world's best soccer player each year (More) > Actor Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in the original "Star Trek" and seven "Star Trek" movies, passes away at age 90 (More) | Watch top Chekov moments (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 October 28 Author Members Posted October 28 Milwaukee leads the World Series 3-0 Garrett Mitchell #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with William Contreras #24 after scoring in the fifth inning during game three of the World Series on Monday. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) The Milwaukee Brewers last appeared in the World Series in 1982 and have never won a championship. They’re now one win away from making franchise history — unless the Tampa Bay Rays have a miraculous comeback in store. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is tonight at 8 p.m. ET. + Read more: Brewers’ historic rally puts first World Series title within reach + Looking back: Twenty-five years later, baseball’s most emotional World Series still resonates 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 October 28 Author Members Posted October 28 👋 Good morning! GeoSports is ready for you. Are you ready for GeoSports? Tap in to play today's round and see how high you can score. In today's edition: Recapping the 33rd Sports Equinox, WNBA scheduling disaster, wideouts crash the Heisman party, football's king and queen, Jock Stocks, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🎤 Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl: Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show this February at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The rapper was chosen, technically, by himself, as the entertainment company he founded, Roc Nation, has a say in selecting the performer. 🏀 WNBA scheduling disaster: Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will be played at 12:30pm ET on Thursday at State Farm Arena, which will host a Hawks game later that night. Are we really about to potentially crown a champion on a Thursday afternoon? And possibly not even have an on-court celebration due to time constraints? Not a good look for the league. 🏀 Thunder lose two starters: Jalen Williams (fractured fibula, dislocated ankle) and Cason Wallace (torn labrum) will both miss most, if not all, of the season after suffering severe injuries on Sunday. A brutal blow for one of the NBA's title favorites. 🏈 Moore won't play in 2026: After leading Oregon to the CFP semifinals last season, QB Dante Moore passed on a chance to be a potential top-five NFL draft pick and returned to school. That decision is looking like a disaster now that he's been shut down for the season a month after suffering a concussion, while the Ducks have stumbled to 4-3. ⚾️ Banning outfield shifts? In an effort to increase extra-base hits, MLB is testing a new rule in the Arizona Fall League that requires outfielders to play their position "straight up," rather than shifting to defend against opposing batters' tendencies. 🪐 THE STARS ALIGNED MONDAY REWIND: THE 33RD SPORTS EQUINOX There was a lot of this last night for the visiting Brewers. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) ⚾️ St. Petersburg, Florida — Well, that didn't look like much fun for the home crowd. The Brewers trounced the Rays, 10-1, on Monday to move within a win of sweeping their second straight series and winning the franchise's first World Series title. 5th-inning fireworks: The game turned in the top of the fifth when Milwaukee scored eight runs with two outs, the most two-out runs ever scored in a World Series inning. And they did it by playing their patented small-ball: Line out, single, fly out, steal, walk, single, single, single, double, double, single, double, fly out. Beautiful. Gabby Williams and the Valkyries are one win away from glory. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) 🏀 San Francisco, California — The Valkyries beat the Dream, 64-55, in another defensive slugfest to take a 3-2 lead in the WNBA Finals. Golden State, in just its second year in the league, is now on the precipice of a championship. What they're saying: "Call in sick. I recommend it." That was guard Veronica Burton's message to Valkyries fans ahead of Thursday's Game 6 matinee in Atlanta. Tip-off is at 12:30pm ET, which means West Coasters will need to lock in at 9:30am on a workday if they want to watch Golden State potentially clinch the title. CeeDee Lamb makes one of his two touchdown catches. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) 🏈 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — The Cowboys (3-4) got back on track with a 38-21 win on "Monday Night Football," securing what Dak Prescott called an urgent victory while handing the spiraling Eagles (2-5) their fifth straight loss. Ground and pound: Javonte Williams (25 carries, 155 yards, TD) became the first Cowboy since Ezekiel Elliott to rush for 150 yards in a game — and the first opposing back to reach that mark against the Eagles since Nick Sirianni became head coach (2021-present). Coop can hoop. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images) 🏀 Miami, Florida — The Mavericks came into South Beach and beat the winless Heat, 113-109, behind an MVP-type performance from Cooper Flagg (29 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks). Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double (29 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists), but that wasn't enough to avoid falling to 0-4 for the first time in his career. More NBA: The Thunder (125-114 over the Suns), Grizzlies (110-105 over the Jazz) and Rockets (120-110 over the Hawks) all improved to 4-0; The Cavaliers outlasted the Timberwolves, 127-125 (OT), despite 47 points from Anthony Edwards; Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg (31-12-6) powered the Warriors to their first win. Full scoreboard. For the first time all season, the Rangers lost at home. (Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) 🏒 New York, New York: The Kings snapped the Rangers' six-game winning streak at MSG with a 6-3 victory that doubled as a revenge game for winger Artemi Panarin and head coach Peter Laviolette, both back in the Big Apple after being traded away (or fired) by New York. More NHL: The Flames extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 victory over the Maple Leafs; The Oilers beat the Red Wings, 4-3 (SO), as rookie netminder Michal Postava posted a shootout shutout in his first NHL start. 🏈 THE BIG THREE HEISMAN WATCH: A TRIO OF ELITE WRs In the 91-year history of the Heisman Trophy, only four wide receivers* have won the award. This year, three pass-catching dynamos — one junior, one sophomore and one out-of-nowhere freshman — are making undeniable cases to become the fifth. Easy as 1, 2, 3: Oregon State freshman Jesse Legree (1,040 yards, 14 TD), Ohio State junior Jeremiah Smith (984 yards, 12 TD) and Miami sophomore Malachi Toney (952 yards, 11 TD) rank first, second and third nationally in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Their dominance goes beyond just this season's leaderboard, though. Among the Top 10 wideouts in single-season power-conference receiving yards since 1995, only four (Michael Crabtree, Terrance Williams, Brandin Cooks, Justin Blackmon) had more yards through seven games than this year's trio. In other words: If Legree, Smith and Toney maintain their pace, we'll see three of the 10 most prolific receiving seasons of the last 30 years, all in the same season. Heisman frontrunners: Smith, the Heisman favorite for weeks now (+110), was one of the most hyped recruits in recent memory and has a real shot at going No. 1 overall in next year's draft following a record-breaking college career. Toney already has the third-most receptions in Hurricanes history following an excellent freshman campaign that included a tour de force in the CFP title game (10-122-1). He has the third-best Heisman odds (+350), trailing only Smith and the guy throwing him passes, Miami QB Darian Mensah (+300). Then there's Legree: The 5-foot-10 speedster has taken the college football world by storm during a freshman campaign nobody saw coming. He was the 1,631st-ranked recruit and only became a full-time receiver 14 months ago. Now, he's tied for the fourth-best Heisman odds (+2000) and rarely goes a week without making history. Meet the breakout star: Legree was generating FBS interest as a high school defensive back before transferring and spending his senior year at Baltimore's renowned Saint Frances Academy, where he went from a part-time receiver to a true two-way player because "scoring a touchdown is a great feeling." No arguments here. Despite a standout senior season (6 pass breakups, 4 INTs, 721 all-purpose yards, 6 TDs), the closest thing to a power-conference offer came from Oregon State in the rebuilt Pac-12. Safe to say the Beavers are glad they called. Legree has recorded at least 100 receiving yards and a TD in all seven games this season, and his 1,040 yards put him well ahead of the seven-game pace set by some of college football's best recent wideouts, as charted above. His play has electrified the Beavers (5-2, 3-0), who are on the fringe of the AP Top 25, in early contention for a playoff spot and currently the best team in the state of Oregon. Not bad for a program that finished 2-10 last season. Staying put: It would have been easy for Legree to use this season as a stepping-stone to a monster NIL payday at the program of his choosing. Instead, he has already committed to return to Corvallis next season — a big win for the "little guy" in this transfer-crazed era of college sports. *Heisman-winning wideouts: Nebraska's Johnny Rodgers (1972), Notre Dame's Tim Brown (1987), Michigan's Desmond Howard (1991) and Alabama's DeVonta Smith (2020) are the only wide receivers to win the Heisman Trophy. Colorado's Travis Hunter also won in 2024, but he played as both a receiver and cornerback. ⚽️ BALLON D'OR FOOTBALL'S KING AND QUEEN (Kin Cheung/AP Photo) Ballon d'Or: Harry Kane beat out Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé to become the first Englishman in 25 years (Michael Owen) to claim the Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual award. The 33-year-old starred for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and Champions League and led England to the World Cup semifinals in 2026, scoring 73 goals in the process. "Being in London is extra special, it felt like a good omen," an emotional Kane said onstage. "My journey …. wasn't straightforward. I didn't go straight to the top, I had to experience a lot of loan moves and fight my way to get to where I am now. I hope that can give you inspiration, and thank you very much." Ballon d'Or Féminin: Alexia Putellas of Spain returned to the podium for a record-tying third time after captaining Barcelona to a rare "quadruple" in 2026. The 32-year-old, who left Barça this past summer to join the London City Lionesses, was a back-to-back Ballon d'Or recipient in 2021 and 2022 before an ACL tear sidelined her for the better part of two years. "I had a tough time, and had to learn to walk again on my knee, and you were all there for me, helping me to enjoy the sport again and make me the player I am today," said Putellas, shouting out her family and friends. "All the boys and girls around the world — if you love football and you want to play football, play football." 📈 JOCK STOCKS SPORTS ON THE STREET The familiar cadence of earnings season has returned, with more than 1,000 companies reporting quarterly results each week. Here are the sports and sports-adjacent tidbits that caught our eye last week. 📺 Comcast (CMCSA😞 The World Cup was a success for Telemundo and Peacock, generating an incremental $224 million in advertising revenue in Q3, which equates to 12.6% of Comcast's domestic advertising revenue from media. 🇨🇦 Rogers Communications (RCI😞 Rogers recently completed its acquisition of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and now owns the Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC. Management plans to sell a minority stake in that portfolio by mid-2027. 👟 Deckers (DECK😞 Hoka sales grew just 6.8% in Q3, which — for the second consecutive quarter — is the lowest growth on record for the brand. Sales are expected to grow in the high single digits for the year. 📺 Netflix (NFLX😞 Netflix fell to its lowest stock price in two years after reporting results that stoked continued growth concerns. Could live sports be part of the solution? Analysts have speculated about integrating Fox One or even buying NBCUniversal. On deck: This week, we're watching reports from Madison Square Garden Sports (MSGS), Adidas (ADDYY), Puma (PUMSY) and more. This story first appeared in Monday's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz, our 3x weekly sports business newsletter authored by Dylan Dittrich. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, OCT. 27 Fans received rally towels prior to Game 3. Maybe the rally starts tonight. (Elsa/Getty Images) ⚾️ World Series, Game 4 Do the AL champs have some fight left in them? Or is today the day the NL champs win the whole damn thing? We'll find out this evening at Tropicana Field (8pm ET, Fox), where the visiting Brewers will look to sweep the Rays. Pitching matchup: Tampa Bay is going with Griffin Jax, who last pitched almost two weeks ago in a loss to the Guardians. The Brewers are expected to deploy a bullpen game, which sounds wise given their relievers have pitched to a 1.34 ERA across 53.2 innings this postseason. 🏀 NBA on NBC The 0-3 Knicks host the 3-0 Pistons (8pm) in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader. Then it's off to Los Angeles, where the Lakers host the Trail Blazers in a battle of unbeatens (11pm). Championship hangover: The Knicks are just the third defending NBA champion to begin the ensuing season with three straight losses, joining the 1969-70 Celtics and 2011-12 Mavericks. Is New York's honeymoon phase over already? More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Bruins at Hurricanes (8pm, ESPN); Sabres at Sharks (10:30pm, ESPN) … Carolina (9-2-2) leads the Metro; Boston (9-2-1) leads the Atlantic. ⛳️ College Golf: East Lake Cup (3pm, Golf) … Eight of the top men's and women's programs are in Atlanta for the final event of the fall season. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🌎 LET'S PLAY GEOSPORTS On Tuesdays, we play GeoSports. All questions are written by me. How it works: You'll be asked five questions that combine sports and geography. Tap the spot on the globe where you think the answer is. The closer you are, the more points you get. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH Horses are seen at sunrise during a recovery session at Altona Beach near Melbourne, Australia. (Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images) May your Tuesday be as golden as this sunrise. 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 October 29 Author Members Posted October 29 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day to you and yours. Boston buzzer-beater: Jayson Tatum called game on Tuesday night at TD Garden, burying an overtime buzzer-beater to lift the Celtics past the Nets, 125-124 (OT). In today's edition: Rays avoid the sweep, hilariously early NBA awards, Edwards needs surgery, Arsenal stunned by fourth-tier club, the next wave of sports video game monetization, the WNBA's self-inflicted mess, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Ant needs surgery: Anthony Edwards needs an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and could miss up to two months, bringing his early MVP candidacy to a screeching halt. In other injury news: Utah's Jaren Jackson Jr. (torn MCL) will miss at least six weeks, and Toronto's Kawhi Leonard (swollen knee) is out at least a week. ⚽️ Arsenal stunned: The reigning Premier League champions suffered one of the biggest upsets in EFL Cup history on Tuesday, losing on penalties to fourth-tier club Fleetwood Town, which sits 84 places beneath the Gunners in the English football pyramid. 🏈 Colts fire sale: Indianapolis (2-5) is waving the white flag, trading eight-time Pro Bowl G Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks and three-time Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner to the 49ers. Could star RB Jonathan Taylor be the next player moved? Doesn't sound like it, at least not yet. ⛳️ Tiger eyes return: Barring any physical setbacks, Tiger Woods is expected to play with Jupiter Links GC (the team he captains) when the third TGL seasons kicks off on Dec. 27. It would be his first competitive appearance since last March, when a rollover crash and DUI arrest led him to step away from golf and seek treatment. ✍️ Dear fans: Tuesday was a banner day for the time-honored "Dear fans" missive. Atlanta Dream ownership penned an open letter to fans explaining this week's scheduling debacle, while Florida State's president apologized for all the mediocre football lately. "We are not asking you to believe that everything is fine," he wrote. "We know it isn't." ⚾️ WORLD SERIES RAYS WIN GAME 4, EXTEND SEASON It's a walk-off! (Al Bello/Getty Images) The Rays gave the Brewers a taste of their own medicine on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, rallying in the 12th inning for a walk-off 4-3 victory to keep their season alive for at least one more day. Not dead yet: Roughly three out of every four MLB teams (76.7%) that have gone down 3-0 in a best-of-seven playoff series wound up getting swept, and that number is even higher (84%) in the World Series. So simply by forcing a Game 5, the Rays have already made it further than most teams in their predicament. If they win again tonight? The Rays would become the first team in World Series history to win two games after losing the first three. Of course, that's easier said than done: The Brewers will be handing the ball to NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski, who is virtually unhittable when he has his best stuff. Game 4 notes: 98 years later: 22-year-old Jackson Chourio had a single and a double for the Brewers, giving him 10 hits in the series. That's tied for the most ever through four games of a Fall Classic, matching a record set in 1928 by… Babe Ruth! The boys are back in town: Ex-Rays pitchers Zach Eflin (now with the Orioles), Tyler Glasnow (Dodgers), Pete Fairbanks (Marlins) and Chris Archer (retired) were in attendance to cheer on their former team. Pretty cool to see. Ashby stays perfect: Aaron Ashby entered in the bottom of the ninth and retired seven straight Rays batters (2.1 IP, 3 K). Did you expect anything less? He's now gone 18 consecutive scoreless innings to start the postseason, a new record for a reliever. Good read: Brewers are left to grapple with only their second loss of the playoffs after 12th-inning unraveling 🏀 OPENING WEEK HILARIOUSLY EARLY NBA AWARDS (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) We're officially one week into the NBA season, so we decided to hand out some hilariously early awards. Because who among us doesn't enjoy overreacting to a handful of games? MVP Luka Dončic. The Lakers are officially his team, and the 27-year-old Slovenian has answered the bell by averaging an NBA-best 36.0 points (including a 52-point outburst), 6.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists while leading L.A. to a 3-1 start. After six top-eight finishes in MVP voting, could this be the year he finally breaks through? Honorable mention: Anthony Edwards (MIN), Tyrese Maxey (PHI), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Cooper Flagg (DAL), Jayson Tatum (BOS), Ty Jerome (MEM), Alperen Şengün (HOU) Most Improved Ty Jerome. The eight-year veteran showed flashes of stardom last year, but injuries limited him to just 15 games. Now, the former UVA standout (2019 national champion!) is fueling the Grizzlies' perfect start by averaging 29.8 points (3rd in NBA) and 6.3 assists per contest. He also ranks third in the league with 15 clutch points. Honorable mention: Naz Reid (CHA), Dylan Harper (SA), Duncan Robinson (DET), Davion Mitchell (MIA), Brandon Miller (CHA) Best Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The Warriors don't look great so far, but don't blame their first-round pick out of Michigan. The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists as the second option behind Stephen Curry, and turned heads this week when he exploded for 31-12-6 (and kind of looked like LeBron?!) in a win over the Nuggets.* Honorable mention: Cameron Boozer (MEM), Caleb Wilson (CHI), Darius Acuff Jr. (SAC), Keaton Wagler (LAC) Plus: Super Sophomore: Reigning ROY Cooper Flagg looks ready to explode, averaging 30.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 4.4 steals and 2.0 blocks as the leader of the Mavericks… at just 19 years old. Honorable mention: Dylan Harper (SAS) Best Offseason Addition: This is a loaded category, but give us LaMelo Ball, who just became even more important to the Timberwolves now that Anthony Edwards is out for the foreseeable future. Honorable mention: Walker Kessler (LAL) Most Fun Team: The Trail Blazers are off to a 3-0 start thanks to a high-powered offense (NBA-best 129.3 ppg) co-captained by franchise icon Damian Lillard, rising star Deni Avdija and a rejuvenated Ja Morant. Honorable mention: Rockets *Rave review: "Yaxel might have single-handedly saved the Steph era, like for real," said The Ringer's Bill Simmons on Tuesday. "He looked like mid-2010s LeBron in this game, and I don't say that lightly. … It was unbelievable. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe how good he was." 🎮 EA SPORTS IT'S IN THE GAME (Electronic Arts) "If it's in the game, it's in the game." EA Sports has made that promise to gamers since the early '90s. It's still taking the slogan to heart in 2026: Corporate sponsorships are indisputably a part of modern sports, and now they're coming to the console, too. IRL goes virtual: EA and the NFL announced the Madden NFL Virtual Stadium Sponsorship Program on Tuesday, allowing official league and team sponsors to bring their real-world stadium signage into the game. First up is Eagles partner and injury law firm Pond Lehocky, whose real-life Lincoln Financial Field signage will now appear in Madden. Every day is gameday: The program offers partners significant reach that extends well beyond traditional Sunday visibility. Fans play more than 2 billion Madden games annually, which is the equivalent of roughly 23,000 NFL seasons every day. Why settle for eight or nine home dates when your brand can take the field year-round? Burger King was one of the first companies to embrace this strategy, sponsoring the shirts of fourth-tier English club Stevenage in 2019 primarily because it would appear in EA's popular FIFA (now FC) video game franchise. The "Stevenage Challenge" encouraged gamers to upload their Stevenage highlights to social media for food prizes. The result? 1.2 billion impressions. Pretty remarkable for a club with average crowds of less than 3,000. Madden now, more later? EA built technology that maps real-world signage onto digital stadiums. Developed to suit the NFL and its teams, the system could eventually extend across its other video game franchises (College Football, FC, NHL, etc), while creating more sponsorship inventory for its licensing partners. This is an excerpt from Wednesday’s edition of Yahoo Sports Biz. Interested in learning more about the business of sports? Sign up for free. 🏀 GAME 6 THE WNBA'S SELF-INFLICTED MESS "Let's Go Dream" shirts are seen on seats before Game 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena. (Colin Hubbard/Getty Images) Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: There is a chance the WNBA season will end in the middle of the afternoon in Atlanta on Thursday, with the Golden State Valkyries being rushed off the floor at Atlanta's State Farm Arena to celebrate in a practice gym so that workers have enough time to get the venue ready for an NBA game later that night. For a league that has broken through into the mainstream and proven the product can unapologetically stand on its own in terms of TV ratings and sold-out buildings, it's pretty much a disaster scenario. For many WNBA fans who endured years of disrespect, only to see the league's social currency explode over the last few years, starting a potential Finals-clinching game at 12:30pm ET on a weekday no doubt feels like a return to second-class citizenry. But fans who are crying foul over how the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream decided to navigate an impossible scheduling conflict also need to understand this: The WNBA has long since become a viable basketball business that should be talked about as such, not a social and moral cause that needs the NBA to come clean up its mess. So when we assign the well-deserved blame for this Game 6 embarrassment, let's at least get it right. It's not happening because of misogyny. Or because the NBA is failing to support a league of which it owns 42%. Or because the Hawks are being inflexible. It's happening because the WNBA and the Dream messed up, waited until the last minute for a fix and settled for what they believed to be the best of several bad options. They might not be right about that, by the way. If the only viable choices were to play Game 6 in the early afternoon at State Farm Arena, or to play in prime time at the 3,500-seat arena where the Dream normally play, the WNBA as a whole would probably be better served by the more favorable TV window. Fans of the Valkyries, who lead the series 3-2, will have to watch basketball with a side of morning coffee. Keep reading: Let's put the blame for the Game 6 scheduling debacle where it belongs 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 One game left at The Trop. (Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) ⚾️ World Series, Game 5 The Rays staved off elimination for one night. Can they do it again this evening (8pm ET, Fox) and send the series back to Milwaukee? Pitching matchup: The Brewers will hand the ball to Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski, while the Rays have yet to announce their starter. If they don't go with ace Drew Rasmussen on just three days rest (unlikely), they'll have to cobble together a bullpen game. 🏀 NBA on ESPN The Pacers welcome the new-look 76ers in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader (7pm), then it's Thunder at Mavericks in the nightcap (9:30pm). OKC does it again: The Thunder join the 1966-68 Celtics as the only teams in NBA history to start 4-0 in three consecutive seasons. Any time you match a feat last accomplished by Bill Russell and Red Auerbach, you're in rare air. More to watch: 🏒 Women's Hockey: USA vs. Canada (7pm, NHL) … The rivals meet in Ontario for their first of two friendlies this week ahead of the World Championships. ⚽️ MLS: Nashville vs. Philadelphia (8:30pm, Apple) … Nashville (21-3-7), fresh off clinching the Supporters' Shield (best record), headlines the midweek action. ⚽️ EFL Cup: Liverpool vs. Chelsea (4pm, Paramount+) … A pair of heavyweights take the pitch in a fourth-round clash. ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Bayern vs. Real Madrid (1:45pm, Paramount+) … One of five games to kick off Matchday 3. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏀 LET'S PLAY OVER/UNDER 7-foot-7 Manute Bol and 5-foot-3 Muggsy Bogues pose for a portrait in 1987. The average NBA player stands somewhere between them. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images) Question: Is the average height of current NBA players over or under 6-foot-6? Over: Taller than 6-foot-6 Under: Shorter than 6-foot-6 No push: The answer is not exactly 6-foot-6. For context: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker and Zion Williamson are all listed at 6-foot-6. Answer at the bottom. ⚽️ YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV TUNE IN: MLS ALTCAST Lionel Messi and Inter Miami host FC Cincinnati tonight in an Eastern Conference showdown, and Yahoo Sports is teaming up with Apple TV for a special alternate broadcast. Join the fun: The Cooligans hosts Alexis Guerreros and Christian Polanco will kick things off with a short pregame show (7:30pm ET) before calling the full match, which features two of the highest-scoring teams in MLS. Watch for free on the Yahoo Sports website and app. Over/Under answer: Over. The average NBA player is 6-foot-7, according to Opening Night rosters. 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 October 29 Author Members Posted October 29 A series to remember Just a few weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the 2001 World Series was one of the greatest ever played. Now 25 years later, the emotions still resonate. 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 October 29 Author Members Posted October 29 Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 in Game 5 to win the first World Series title in franchise history ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The small-ball Milwaukee Brewers playing in the smallest market in the majors are World Series champions for the first time. https://apnews.com/article/brewers-rays-world-series-game-5-971f9fb8cad75042fc7f9919dd91c159? ps:Congrats to the Milwaukee Brewers!! World Series Winners The Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first World Series in franchise history yesterday, defeating Tampa Bay 4-1 at the Rays’ home field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Watch the final out here (via X). Milwaukee appeared poised for a sweep through the first three matchups. In Game 3, the Brewers set a World Series record by scoring eight two-out runs in a single inning. That offensive explosion resulted in a 10-1 victory, the largest World Series run differential since 2019. But Tampa Bay clawed out a 4-3 win in 12 innings in Game 4 to avoid the sweep. Milwaukee bounced back last night, powered by starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, left fielder Jackson Chourio, infielder Cooper Pratt, and others. Brewers catcher William Contreras was named MVP after hitting .381 with four RBIs in the series. In addition to the Commissioner's Trophy, Milwaukee will get a Monet painting through a loan from St. Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts. The art directors of the cities’ museums wagered pieces from their collections on the Fall Classic. > Kansas City Chiefs sign former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to practice squad; Tucker faced accusations of sexual misconduct from 16 women last year and has not played in an NFL game since January 2025 (More) > Documentarian Ken Burns wins inaugural David M. Rubenstein Prize for the Advancement of American History (More) | Jennifer Lawrence confirms she reprises role as Katniss Everdeen in "Hunger Games" prequel next month (More) > Ernie Johnson, who has hosted highlights and analysis show "Inside the NBA" since 1990, announces this season will be his last (More) | Watch Johnson learn of his Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame induction (More via YouTube) 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 October 30 Author Members Posted October 30 👋 Good morning! Congratulations to the 2026 Milwaukee Brewers and their fans. What an awesome baseball team. Heads up: There's a "history of boxing" story at the bottom of today's newsletter that is well worth your time. I highly encourage you to read the whole thing. In today's edition: Brewers win it all, end of a TV era, alarming CTE study, fairytale in Fleetwood, NFL power rankings, This Week in History, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 📺 End of a TV era: Ernie Johnson confirmed Wednesday that he will step down as host of "Inside the NBA" after this season, ending a tenure that began in 1990. Charles Barkley, who said last month that he and Johnson "are a package deal," could also exit the show at season's end. 🏒 Streak snapped: The Canadian women's hockey team finally took down the U.S., winning Wednesday's friendly in Ontario, 5-3, to snap the Americans' eight-game winning streak in the rivalry. They'll face off again tomorrow in Michigan before heading to Finland for the World Championships. 🏈 Chiefs sign Tucker: With Harrison Butker struggling this season (11-16 FG), the Chiefs have signed disgraced kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad. The five-time All-Pro hasn't played since 2024 after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple massage therapists. 🏒 McDavid makes more history: Connor McDavid had two more assists in the Oilers' 4-0 win over the Flames, setting a new NHL record for the longest season-opening assist streak (13 games). He's now up to 36 points (8 G, 28 A), 12 more than his teammate Leon Draisaitl in second place. ⚾️ Dodgers not for sale: Mark Walter has sold his stakes in two teams (Lakers, Chelsea) and is looking to sell a third (Sparks) amid a federal investigation into potential fraud. But he insists he will keep the Dodgers "no matter what." 🏆 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS AT LONG LAST (Elsa/Getty Images) The Milwaukee Brewers are your 2026 World Series champions, capping off a historically dominant postseason on Wednesday with a 4-1 win over the Rays. Welcome to the club: It was a cathartic evening for the Brewers, who were previously tied with the Padres as the oldest MLB team to have never won a World Series. They are now permanently off that list, and an army of Wisconsinites made sure they were there to witness it. Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports: They came from Wisconsin. From Waukesha and Menomonie and Lake Nebagamon and, of course, Milwaukee. They flew and drove through the night and skipped class and played hooky to witness history and make forever memories and drink the Gulf Coast dry. Into this dome, they crammed an entire state and 56 years of dreaming and generations of heartbreak. So when the Brewers finally did the darn thing, capturing the franchise's first World Series title, Florida sounded like Wisconsin. As players charged from the dugout, leaping and jumping and cussing in disbelief, the traveling faithful thundered in joyous unison. Tears, everywhere. Soon, fans began cramming themselves four or five deep atop the third-base dugout, just to get as close to the action as possible. When the trophy ceremony finally commenced, Tropicana Field was still nearly 60% full, mostly with Brewers fans. It was a remarkable sight. World Series recaps: For the Brewers, finally winning a title is a celebration decades in the making For the Rays, being the best team in the American League simply wasn't enough We'll dive deeper tomorrow with more World Series coverage and MLB talk. How'd the Brewers do it? What's next as the offseason begins and CBA negotiations continue? Will there be baseball in 2027? 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) 🧠 74.5% In August, a study estimated that roughly 25% of former NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 had CTE. A few months later, a new study — authored by many of the same researchers — estimates that approximately 74.5% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated hits to the head. What they're saying: "It's hard to learn what the guys who built the game have suffered through," former NFL QB Matt Hasselbeck, an ambassador for the study, said in a statement. "We have to learn from this data to make the game safer, because we can't accept these numbers for the next generation of players." (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) 🏀 79 players A whopping 79 players were listed with an injury or illness on the afternoon NBA injury report ahead of Wednesday's 12-game slate. That's 15% of the entire league! Among those listed was Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring), the latest star to go down. What's causing this? No, you're not imagining things. Injuries are perhaps the prevailing storyline through the first week of the NBA season, continuing a recent trend in the sport. One culprit? Pace of play is through the roof right now, with games averaging 203 possessions, a 9% increase from 15 years ago (186). Smith (22) celebrates his interception on Sunday. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) 🏈 40-20 Vikings safety Harrison Smith recorded his 40th career interception on Sunday, making him just the third player in NFL history with at least 40 picks and 20 sacks in a career. The others? Hall of Famers Charles Woodson and Ronde Barber. Last dance: Smith, 37, contemplated retirement this offseason before signing a one-year deal with Minnesota, where he's spent his entire 15-year career. The six-time Pro Bowler recently confirmed that this will be his last year "for sure." Leading the undefeated Vikings' No. 1 scoring defense is a pretty great way to start your final season. ⚽️ ACROSS THE POND IN PHOTOS: A FLEETWOOD FAIRYTALE Moments after the game-winning penalty. (Carl Recine/Getty Images) Fleetwood, England — Fourth-tier club Fleetwood Town pulled off the unthinkable on Tuesday in their cozy 5,000-seat venue,* toppling mighty Arsenal in the fourth round of the EFL Cup in perhaps the biggest upset in the competition's 67-year history. Match recap: Each side scored once in regulation, and with no extra time in EFL Cup games until the semifinals, the game went straight to penalties, where the home side erupted after netting the game-winner. The Cod Army watches the upset unfold. (Lewis Storey/Getty Images) David vs. Goliath: Fleetwood Town are in 18th place (out of 24 teams) in League Two, a full 84 spots below the reigning Premier League champions, who are second in England's top flight. And how's this for lopsided? Arsenal's squad boasts a market value of $1.54 billion, nearly 500x as much as Fleetwood's ($3.12M). A ferry is docked in town before the game. (Lewis Storey/Getty Images) Meet the Cods: Fleetwood Town's origins date back to the 1880s, but the current iteration of the club — located in what was once the UK's third-largest fishing port, but has since fallen on hard times — was formed in just 1997. Investment brought them seven promotions in 15 years, from obscurity to the EFL. Now, they've been fully thrust into the spotlight. Fun fact: Fisherman's Friend lozenges, a brand you've almost certainly seen in your local drug store, was founded and remains manufactured in Fleetwood. Manager Matt Lawlor celebrates after the victory. (Carl Recine/Getty Images) What they're saying: "The biggest night in the club's history. It's unbelievable for the town," said Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor. "We just came up with some magical moments and obviously that's one to tell the grandkids, isn't it?" Meanwhile, in the stands: "I don't even know my own name right now," one supporter told BBC Radio. "[This is] not just my best night in football, it's the best night of my life. To have a moment like that for our little football club … is absolutely remarkable." Pure ecstasy. (Lewis Storey/Getty Images) Last teams standing: Fourth-tier Fleetwood and third-tier Bradford City are the lone clubs outside the Premier League still alive in the EFL Cup. The other quarterfinalists: Manchester City, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Sunderland and either Everton or Newcastle (playing today). *What are the odds? Tuesday's match was played at Fleetwood's Highbury Stadium, named for the adjacent road. Before Arsenal moved into Emirates Stadium in 2006, they played in a venue known as… Highbury. But there's no relation: It's 230 miles southeast of Fleetwood, and named for the London district in which it was located. 🏈 WEEK 8 NFL POWER RANKINGS (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The 49ers (6-1) remain atop our power rankings despite losing their first game on Sunday. But their lead is tenuous with the Bills (5-1), undefeated Vikings (6-0) and Chiefs (5-1) lurking in the rearview. Coming up: We highlight the best ranked matchups every week of the college football season, so why not do the same in the NFL? Here are the five Week 8 games between teams ranked in our Top 16. No. 9 Ravens at No. 2 Bills: Lamar Jackson (ankle) is expected to return for this one, pitting the 2023 MVP against 2024 MVP Josh Allen. No. 5 Bears at No. 7 Seahawks: Chicago's offense is elite with a healthy Caleb Williams under center, but they face a tall task this week against Seattle's top-ranked defense (by DVOA*). No. 3 Vikings at No. 10 Lions: Minnesota ranks first in scoring defense (12.3 points per game), while Detroit ranks second in scoring offense (30.7). Which side of the ball will prevail? No. 4 Chiefs at No. 12 Broncos: Denver is 5-1 since losing to Kansas City in the season opener. Seven weeks later, they meet again with first place in the AFC West on the line. No. 16 Browns at No. 14 Steelers: 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers vs. beleaguered Deshaun Watson for first place in the AFC North. Just as we all expected. *DVOA, explained: Defense-adjusted Value Over Average evaluates teams, units or players by comparing success on every single play to a league average based on situation and opponent. In other words, a 5-yard run on 3rd and 4 is more valuable than a 5-yard run on 1st and 10, and a sack against an elite offense is more impressive than a sack against a bad one. That's why Seattle's defensive DVOA skyrocketed after it held the undefeated Chiefs to 3 points and 213 total yards last week. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, OCT. 29 State Farm Arena before Game 4. (Colin Hubbard/Getty Images) 🏀 WNBA Finals, Game 6 A champion could be crowned tonight — er, today — in Atlanta (12:30pm, USA), where the Valkyries (up 3-2) are a win away from the title. Can the Dream protect home court and force Game 7? Busy day: State Farm Arena will also host tonight's game between the Hawks and Cavaliers (8pm, NBA). It will take 2,500 staff roughly four hours to transform the venue between games, so things could get dicey if Game 6 goes to overtime! 🏈 Panthers at Packers Green Bay hosts Carolina tonight at Lambeau Field (8:15pm, Prime) in a battle of NFC playoff hopefuls who've combined to win five of their last seven games. If you ain't first, you're last: The Packers (4-3) sit in last place in the NFC North, but they'd be leading the decidedly less impressive NFC South — a half-game ahead of the first-place Panthers (3-3). More to watch: 🏈 NCAAF: Troy at James Madison (7:30pm, ESPN2) … There's still a narrow path to the playoff for JMU (7-1) despite last week's loss. 🏒 NHL: Canadiens at Stars (8pm, ESPN+); Islanders at Wild (8pm, ESPN+) … Montreal and Minnesota both seek a fourth straight victory. ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Manchester City vs. PSG (4pm, CBSSN) … One of four games to close out Matchday 3. ⛳️ PGA: Mexico Open (4pm, Golf) … Wyndham Clark, seeking his Tour-leading fourth win of the season, headlines the field in Nuevo Vallarta. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏀 LET'S PLAY NBA TRIVIA (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) Nikola Jokić posted his 200th career triple-double on Wednesday, joining Russell Westbrook (209) as the only players in NBA history to reach that milestone. Question: Can you name the only other five players who have recorded even 100 career triple-doubles? Hint: Three point guards, one forward and one center. Answer at the bottom. 🥊 THIS WEEK IN HISTORY JOE LOUIS VS. ROCKY MARCIANO, 75 YEARS LATER (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) In a segregated America, Joe Louis became something extraordinary: a Black heavyweight champion celebrated as a national hero, who gave his country everything only to spend his final years buried in debt to its government. 75 years after his final fight, Louis' remarkable life and heartbreaking decline tell a story that extends far beyond the boxing ring. Ben Fowlkes, Uncrowned: When it was over, America's hero lay more out of the ring than in it. Body sprawled on the apron. One foot hooked over the bottom rope. His head hanging over the edge as sportswriters at ringside reached up to keep him from falling to the floor. His bald spot was on prominent display, as if the world needed another reminder that the ravages of time had brought him here as much as that final right hand that put him all the way out. But that's not completely true. The fact is Joe Louis probably never would been in that ring at all if he weren't so deeply in debt to the United States government. His service during World War II, once lauded as so vital to America's war effort, wasn't enough to keep the Internal Revenue Service from hounding him over past due taxes. Louis had earned millions as a beloved champ, the first Black man since Jack Johnson to win boxing's world heavyweight title. He'd also spent, gambled, or just plain frittered away his fortune many times over, with Uncle Sam constantly picking through the lint in his pockets to find whatever might be left. That tale of woe dampened few spirits in the opposing corner on Oct. 26, 1951 — 75 years ago Monday. The 28-year-old Rocky Marciano, who'd come into this fight as a betting underdog, was celebrating a victory over the man who'd once been his hero. Back home in Brockton, Massachusetts, they were counting their winnings and planning the victory parade, which would eventually include a cake 10-feet high. "An old man's dream ended," Red Smith would write of the fight in the New York Herald Tribune. "A young man's vision of the future opened wide. Young men have visions, old men have dreams. But the place for old men to dream is beside the fire." Beyond the final bell: The story of how both men arrived at that intersection of boxing's past and future is a familiar one to any fight fan. It's the classic and also tragic tale of how the sport makes the young eat the old to secure their own place at the table. It's a story about what it meant — and what it was worth — to be a hero in post-war America. Even now, 75 years later, it remains a saga of hard triumphs and unpleasant realities. And still it has plenty to teach us about life in and out of the ring. Keep reading: The last days of Joe Louis, and the terrible cost of greatness Trivia answer: Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), LeBron James (125), Wilt Chamberlain (109), Jason Kidd (107) 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 09:00 PM Author Members Posted Friday at 09:00 PM Football’s toll About three in four former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a new study suggests. The research offers a clearer picture of how widespread the brain disease is among former pros. 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 10:47 PM Author Members Posted Friday at 10:47 PM 🧀 1 for the road: Brew Crew parade today Images: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee Public Schools will close today for the Brewers' World Series Parade of Champions and Championship Rally, "Won Our Way." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says: "The Brewers are coming! Warm the buses! Clear the streets! Tap the kegs!" 🍻 Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) proclaimed today a statewide "Won Our Way" Day, honoring the Brewers and manager Pat Murphy for being "extraordinary players and people both on and off the field." Proclamation ... Parade map. Photo: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Above: Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff hoists the World Series trophy during the second quarter of last night's Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field. The Pack tamed the Carolina Panthers, 27-19. Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images This image, captured using a remote camera positioned above the diamond, shows Brewers catcher William Contreras celebrating after beating the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Wednesday night. 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 11:29 PM Author Members Posted Friday at 11:29 PM 🎃 Yahoo! It's Friday! Happy Halloween Eve. Worth the scroll: Getty Images captured one of the best sports images of the year the other night, and we interviewed the photographers to get the backstory. You'll find that at the bottom of today's edition. Plus: Dream force Game 7, Brady's evolution as a broadcaster, Big Numbers (World Series edition), UCLA's attendance woes, Behind the Lens, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Dream force Game 7: The Dream beat the Valkyries, 80-69, on Thursday afternoon to set up a decisive WNBA Finals Game 7 tomorrow night. A few hours later, the Hawks beat the Cavaliers in the same arena, making it a 2-0 day for Atlanta hoops. 🏈 TNF recap: The Packers beat the Panthers, 27-19, to improve to 5-3 and keep the sports momentum going in Wisconsin. Brewers players showed up at the game with the World Series Trophy in tow, and celebrated with a Lambeau Leap. 🏈 Chicago adds Simmons: The Bears acquired four-time Pro Bowl DT Jeffery Simmons from the Titans for three draft picks (two firsts, one fourth) in a clear win-now move by Chicago. Y! Sports AM reader Kevin Kaduk has more in his excellent "Bears By 7" newsletter. 🏀 Grizz stay perfect: No NBA team had longer preseason title odds than the Grizzlies And yet: They're currently 5-0 (a record only the Rockets can match) after handing Ja Morant and the Trail Blazers their first loss on Thursday night. 🏒 Detroit suspends Larkin: The Red Wings have suspended franchise staple Dylan Larkin without pay after the center informed the team he wouldn't play until he was traded. The 12-year veteran was already stripped of his captaincy after requesting a trade over the summer. 🎪 MEDIA CIRCUS BRADY FINDS HIS STRIDE (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Welcome to Media Circus, our weekly-ish column from longtime sports media reporter Richard Deitsch. Today's topic: Tom Brady's evolution as a broadcaster. From Richard Deitsch: There was once a media clown who boldly predicted that Tom Brady would walk away from his 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports before the start of the 2025 NFL season to focus on his minority ownership of the Raiders and his production company. That media clown was me. As far as predictions go, this was thinking Super Bowl LI was over when the Falcons led the Patriots 28-3 at the half. Brady has of course gone on to solidify himself as Fox's No. 1 NFL analyst. He has since said he hopes to complete his broadcasting contract if Fox will continue to have him. I was thinking about Brady this week because we saw him take another step in his evolution as a broadcaster. What was notable during his call of the Lions and Packers last Sunday was that he was sharply critical of multiple officiating decisions. This is always an important step in a former athlete or coach's broadcasting journey. Can they criticize the league (still rare) or the league's officiating? In Brady's case, it's particularly notable because the NFL set a threshold, via a 2024 Sports Business Journal story by Ben Fischer, where the NFL said, "the concern would be if Tom was egregiously critical of officiating or called into question the integrity of an official or the crew." Most viewers agreed Brady's frustration was justified. It was a strong moment. A different kind of theater: There's an excellent new biography out on Brady ("Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness") written by my former Sports Illustrated colleague Lars Anderson that examines Brady's ethos and what drives him. I asked Anderson for this piece why he thought Brady entered sports broadcasting. "To understand why a man obsessed with control would bind himself to a 10-year television contract, look past the money and into the stillness of his retirement," Anderson said. "He signed with Fox because a life away from the field was a terrifying prospect for a mind that requires intense competitive stress to function." "The broadcast booth is simply a proxy for the stadium, a way to stay intimately tethered to the game that defined his existence from San Mateo to Foxboro. He is still trying to dictate the terms of the sport, using the broadcast booth as a different kind of theater, a place where his standard of perfection remains absolute." That's interesting and explains his growth. He's also been fortunate to work under the tutelage of producer Richie Zyontz and director Rich Russo, a pair of Hall of Fame-level production people, and the ego-free play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt. There was once a time where viewers rightly wondered whether Brady could hack it in the booth. That question has now been answered. Expect even more improvement from here. Want more? If sports media interests you, check out the Sports Media podcast with Richard Deitsch, featuring bi-weekly interviews and roundtable conversations. ⚾️ STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS: WORLD SERIES EDITION (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) 114-61 Milwaukee just completed one of the most dominant runs we've ever seen from a World Series champion, going 114-61 across the regular season (103-59) and playoffs (11-2). That's the fourth-best combined record by any champion in the Wild Card Era (since 1995). The top five: No one can touch the 1998 Yankees (125-50), but the 2018 Red Sox (119-57) are the closest, followed the 2022 Astros (117-58), 2026 Brewers (114-61) and 2009 Yankees (114-63). 4 of 10 The Brewers are the fourth MLB franchise in the last 10 seasons to win their inaugural World Series, joining the Astros (2017), Nationals (2019) and Rangers (2023). Rare feat: Only twice before have we seen a 10-World Series span with that many first-time champions. The 1920s: 1920 Indians, 1923 Yankees, 1924 Senators, 1926 Cardinals; and the 1990-2000s: 1992 Blue Jays, 1997 Marlins, 2001 Diamondbacks, 2002 Angels (no World Series in 1994). 1.38 ERA Milwaukee's shutdown bullpen powered its run to the championship, posting an absurd 1.38 ERA across 65 innings of work in the NLDS, NLCS and World Series. That's the second-lowest bullpen ERA in MLB postseason history (min. 50 IP), trailing only the 2022 Astros (0.83). The man, the myth, the legend: The best of that vaunted unit was Aaron Ashby, who threw 18 scoreless innings across nine appearances with three saves, two holds and a win. Add it all up and his Win Probability Added (1.8) was the fourth-most ever in a single postseason. Only 2001 Curt Schilling (2.1), 2011 David Freese (1.9) and 2004 David Ortiz (1.9) had more. No. 11 How's this for a fun fact? Every "Big Four" champion in 2026 had a star player who wore No. 11… and whose first name starts with "J" and ends with "N." Jackson Chourio — who didn't win World Series MVP, but did hit a scorching .458 (11-for-24) in the series — was the latest to join the club. The others: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 11) was named the NFL's OPOY en route to Seattle's Super Bowl title; Jalen Brunson (No. 11) was named MVP of the NBA Finals as the leader of the Knicks; Jordan Staal (No. 11) was the postseason MVP and captain of the Stanley Cup-winning Hurricanes. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) 🏀 WNBA Finals, Game 7 Atlanta's Game 6 victory spared the WNBA from having to celebrate a champion on a Thursday afternoon. Now, the series shifts back to Ballhalla one more time for Saturday's winner-take-all Game 7 (8pm ET, USA). Dream at Valkyries: Who ya got? The grand finale: This is the first Game 7 in the history of the WNBA Finals, which only became a best-of-seven series last season. But there have been 13 previous winner-take-all Finals games, and the home team won 11 of them. 🏈 College Football Saturday Week 9's slate features just two ranked games: No. 3 Georgia vs. No 17 Florida at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium (3:30pm, ABC), and No. 22 Arizona at No. 13 Texas Tech in a critical Big 12 battle (12pm, ESPN). Best of the rest: No. 5 Notre Dame vs. Navy at Gillette Stadium (12pm, ABC); No. 25 Wisconsin at Iowa (12pm, Fox); Auburn at No. 12 Ole Miss (12:45pm, SEC); No. 6 Utah at Cincinnati (3:45pm, ESPN); No. 1 Miami at North Carolina (7:30pm, ABC); No. 2 Ohio State at USC (7:30pm, NBC). Reminder: Don't forget to lock in your Week 8 picks in our College Football Challenge. 🏈 NFL Sunday There's no shortage of excellent games to choose from, but if we had to pick only two? The undefeated Vikings visiting the Lions in an NFC North clash (1pm, Fox), and the Chiefs hosting the Broncos with first place in the AFC North on the line (4:25pm, CBS). Best of the rest: The Ravens visit the Bills in Lamar Jackson's expected return (1pm, CBS); the Steelers host the Browns for AFC North supremacy (1pm, CBS); the winless Chargers play the Rams in a battle of co-tenants (4:05pm, Fox). ⚽️ NWSL Decision Day The NWSL's 14th regular season winds down on Sunday, with all 16 teams playing simultaneously at 5pm. First-place Gotham will host sixth-place Utah on ESPN, while the other seven matches air on ESPN+. Where it stands: Seven of eight playoff spots have already been clinched, leaving Seattle (44 points), North Carolina (42) and Denver (41) to fight for the last spot. Player to watch: North Carolina's Ashley Sanchez (20 goals) needs one more goal to break the single-season record. 🏁 Motorsports Two champions could be crowned on Sunday, with Kyle Larson racing in Virginia (2pm, NBC) as he nears his second straight NASCAR Cup Series title, and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli needing just two points in Mexico City (3pm, Apple) to become F1's youngest-ever champion. Yahoo Sports x Apple TV: The Mexican GP continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. All three practice sessions (Fri. 2:30/6pm; Sat. 1:30pm) and tomorrow's qualifying (5pm) will air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race will stream on Apple TV. More to watch: 🏀 NCAA Basketball: Notre Dame vs. Villanova, Men (Sun. 9:30am, Fox) and Women (Sun. 12pm, FS1) … The college hoops season tips off in Rome with a pair of Catholic universities playing a doubleheader. 👟 Marathon: New York City (Sun. 8am, ESPN2) … Over 2 million fans will cheer on roughly 60,000 runners during the 55th edition of the race. ⚽️ European Soccer: Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund (Sat. 1:30pm, USA); AC Milan vs. Inter Milan (Sat. 3:45pm, Paramount+); Liverpool vs. Arsenal (11:30am, Peacock) … A trio of heavyweight matchups across Germany, Italy and England. 🏀 NBA: Knicks at 76ers (Fri. 7:30pm, Prime); Lakers at Warriors (Fri. 10pm, Prime) … Golden State's Yaxel Lendeborg joins Victor Wembanyama as the only rookies since 1995 with 100+ points and 40+ rebounds in their first five career games. 🏒 NHL: Devils at Golden Knights (Fri. 6pm, NHL); Jets at Hurricanes (Sun. 1pm, NHL); Oilers at Rangers (Sun. 6pm, NHL) … Carolina (+700), Edmonton (+850), Vegas (+950) and New Jersey (+1400) are all among the top-seven Stanley Cup favorites. 🏒 Women's Hockey: USA vs. Canada (Fri. 7pm, NHL) … The rivals face off in another exhibition, this time in Michigan, after Canada won Wednesday's game in Ontario. 🐎 Horse Racing: Breeders' Cup World Championships (Fri-Sat, USA/NBC) … More than $34M will be awarded across 14 races, including $7M for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic (6:16pm). Plus: 🥊 Canelo Álvarez vs. Christian Mbilli in Riyadh (Sat. 2pm, DAZN PPV); ⚽️ MLS Week 33 (Sat-Sun, Apple); ⛳️ Mexico Open (Fri-Sun, Golf); 🎾 ATP in Basel and Vienna; WTA's Pan Pacific Open (Fri-Sun, Tennis); 🏍️ MotoGP Malaysia (Sun. 2am, FS2) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏈 ATTENDANCE WOES ROARING BRUINS, QUIET CROWDS They're undefeated, ranked No. 7 in the country, and students get free tickets under a new policy this fall. So why does the Rose Bowl still look so sparse for UCLA football? Winning isn't a cure-all: Through UCLA's first four home games, the school's announced attendance has averaged 33,174. That's down 6% from the same point last year, when the Bruins started 3-4 and they weren't anything close to what they are right now: a title contender. Attendance outlier: The other nine schools in the AP Top 10 average 74,836 fans per game this season, more than double UCLA's attendance. Beyond that group, plenty of other programs (even struggling ones) are also far outpacing the Bruins. What gives? Sparse crowds are not a new challenge for UCLA (or neighboring USC), and the Rose Bowl being 26 miles from campus is undeniably a factor. But the gap between the Bruins' attendance and on-field success has never been more striking than it is right now. Further reading: Yahoo Sports Biz author Dylan Dittrich dug deeper into UCLA's attendance woes ahead of tomorrow's home game against Nevada. 🏈 LET'S PLAY RIVALRY TRIVIA Georgia celebrates after beating Florida in 2019. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) Florida and Georgia's annual matchup (in Atlanta on Saturday) is one of only three standing college football rivalry games played at a neutral site every year. Question: Can you name the other two? Hint: One has already taken place this season, the other has not. Answer at the bottom. 📸 PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Yahoo Sports AM goes "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images to tell the stories behind the best photographs in sports. This week's photo: Brewers catcher William Contreras celebrates winning the 2026 World Series. Easily one of the best sports images of the year… and it only exists because of a coordinated team effort. Behind the Lens: Here's photographer Carmen Mandato… A big part of covering a game is thinking beyond the pictures right in front of you. We're always trying to anticipate what the moment might look like, while making sure we're giving our clients a variety of options to tell the story. With this year's World Series taking place in a dome, we had the opportunity to utilize catwalk positions above the field. Those overhead cameras offer a perspective we simply can't get from field level. Chief Photographer Jamie Squire wanted to maintain our position over home plate, knowing it was a critical vantage point for any clinching scenario. I handled the camera installation on the catwalk, positioning it directly above home plate, and Joel Abraham handled firing the camera remotely through our networked system. From previous coverage, we knew just how expressive catcher William Contreras can be in moments of celebration. He'd go on to earn MVP honors, but heading into that moment, we were simply hoping he'd give us one of those reactions we'd seen before. That's so much of what goes into covering sports: you do your best to anticipate where the story might unfold, put the pieces in place, and hope the moment comes together. Trivia answer: Texas vs. Oklahoma (Cotton Bowl) and Army vs. Navy (rotating site) 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 Saturday at 10:12 PM Author Members Posted Saturday at 10:12 PM > Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," dies at age 86 due to Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia (More) | Watch him recount his path from performing Shakespeare to the sci-fi show (More) > Atlanta Dream force Game 7 of WNBA Finals with 80-69 victory over Golden State Valkyries; deciding matchup is tomorrow at 8 pm ET (More) | See 15 players to keep an eye on during the championship game (More) > Actress Barbara Barrie, best known for 1979 film "Breaking Away," dies by medically assisted suicide at 95 after terminal cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis diagnoses (More) | Which US states allow medically assisted death? (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 Monday at 12:31 AM Author Members Posted Monday at 12:31 AM 👟 5-borough marathon turns 50 Bill Rodgers, of Melrose, Mass., crosses the finish line to win the New York City Marathon in 1976. Photo: AP In 1976, the New York City Marathon ran through all five boroughs for the first time. There were just over 2,000 competitors in that seventh running of the race, including only 88 women. This morning, about 60,000 runners stepped up to the starting line, nearly half of them women. Go deeper. 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 Monday at 11:15 PM Author Members Posted Monday at 11:15 PM NYC Marathon Turns 50 Roughly 60,000 competitors from more than 140 countries turned out for the New York City Marathon yesterday—marking the five-borough race’s 50th anniversary, its largest field yet, and the first route change in 15 years. Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won his first-ever marathon in the men’s race (2:06:01); Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s race (2:24:36). See photos here. The 26.2-mile race (why the .2?) changed course for the first time since 2011 this year, with runners seeing two fewer turns in the Bronx to accommodate local access to a supermarket and laundromat. Among the most notoriously difficult moments for runners are the Queensboro Bridge at mile 15 and the so-called Fifth Avenue grind at mile 24. Celebrity runners included actress Jennifer Connelly. The first NYC marathon in 1970 involved several rounds around Manhattan's Central Park, with the race expanding to involve all five boroughs in 1976. See how the various World Marathon Majors stack up here. 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 01:36 AM Author Members Posted Tuesday at 01:36 AM 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. Stat du jour: Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has more points (39) than six entire NHL teams have goals so far this season. He's the best player in the world, and it's not even close right now. In today's edition: Valkyries crowned champs in Year 2, FSU fires Norvell, NFL scoreboard, AP poll movement, college hoops is here, Antonelli wins F1 title, Luka doing MJ things, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 FSU fires Norvell: Florida State fired Mike Norvell on Sunday amid a 3-5 start. The school will owe $51 million in buyout money to their departing head football coach, who went 41-39 during his mostly disappointing tenure in Tallahassee. ⚾️ Gold Glove winners: MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong and World Series champions Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang headlined this year's 20 Gold Glove winners, which included nine first-time winners and an MLB-best three each from the Red Sox and Diamondbacks. 🏀 Irish sweep in Italy: Notre Dame beat Villanova twice in Sunday's season-opening doubleheader in Rome, with the men coming back for a narrow 74-72 victory and the women cruising to a 99-75 win behind 32 points from preseason All-American Hannah Hidalgo. 🏒 Kuch's trade request: The latest NHL star to request a trade is reigning MVP Nikita Kucherov, who informed the Lightning he will not re-sign with the team when he becomes a free agent after this season. The Russian has been with Tampa Bay since debuting in 2013, winning two MVPs and two Stanley Cups. ⚽️ NWSL Decision Day: Gotham FC secured its first Shield (best record) with a 2-0 victory on the last day of the regular season, while the Seattle Reign clinched the eighth and final playoff spot with a 1-0 win. 🏆 TITLETOWN THE YEAR OF THE LONGSHOT (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) The Golden State Valkyries won the 2026 WNBA title on Saturday in just their second year of existence, continuing a recent trend of unlikely champions across North American sports. The grand finale: The Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream, 68-63, in Game 7 behind a stellar performance from Gabby Williams. The Finals MVP set the tone with her defense and scored 28 second-half points to help Golden State become the first WNBA champion without a single All-WNBA selection (from that season) on the roster. "All it took was good people. That's it. All we heard last year: 'We don't have no stars, we don't have no talent,' yeah, right. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win the game. They don't care about scoring, they just want to play defense and rebound and do whatever it takes. We've just built a beautiful culture here." — Gabby Williams, WNBA Finals MVP The year of the longshot: The Valkyries (33-1) are the fourth champion crowned this calendar year that had 30-to-1 or longer preseason title odds, joining the Brewers (30-1), Seahawks (60-1) and Indiana Hoosiers in college football (100-1). No other year since 2002 (the earliest complete year in SportsOddsHistory's data for the Big Four + CFB/MBB) had anywhere near as many longshot champions. More heartbreak for Atlanta… The Dream fell to 0-4 in WNBA Finals, tied for the most appearances without a championship. That continues another familiar theme this fall, as the Rays (0-3) also set the record for most World Series appearances without a title. 🏈 WEEK 8 NFL SUNDAY SCOREBOARD Teammates crowd around Jack Campbell as he’s stretchered off the field. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) Lions 19, Vikings 15: In football news: The last undefeated team has fallen. In more important news: Detroit linebacker Jack Campbell remains hospitalized after being stretchered off with a scary injury. Bengals 43, Titans 36 (OT): That's a Scorigami! 43-36 is the 1098th unique final score in NFL history, and the third of the 2026 season. Buccaneers 16, Falcons 0: Last week, the Bucs had 62 passing yards and won. This week, they had zero passing yards and won again. Alrighty then! Minshew Magic! (Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Cardinals 33, Cowboys 30 (OT): Dallas had never lost at home (202-0-1) when leading by 14+ points in the fourth quarter… until Sunday. Backup QB Gardner Minshew came off the bench and simply took over. Steelers 27, Browns 6: Cleveland lost its 23rd straight regular-season game in Pittsburgh, tying an NFL record for most consecutive road losses vs. a single team. Raiders 38, Jets 33: The only positive news for Jets fans amid another disappointing start? If the season ended today, they'd own the 4th (via Colts), 5th (own) and 10th (via Cowboys) picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. Lamar Jackson finally returned on Sunday… only to go down with another injury. (Michael Owens/Getty Images) Bills 36, Ravens 10: Lamar Jackson (thumb) was injured on his first play back and needs surgery. Backup Tyler Huntley (toe) also exited the game and could miss extended time. Brutal news for Baltimore. Jaguars 42, Colts 7: How's this for efficiency: Trevor Lawrence (10/14, 210 yards, 3 TD) became the first QB with 3 TDs on fewer than 15 pass attempts since 2015. Patriots 24, Dolphins 19: Through seven games last year, Miami was 1-6 with a -65 point differential. This year? 1-6 with a -64 point differential. Progress! That's four straight wins for the first-place Broncos. (Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Broncos 28, Chiefs 24: Denver erased an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to take over first place in the AFC West and win its 15th straight regular season game that was decided by one score. Rams 24, Chargers 9: The Bolts are the third team in the past 30 seasons to start 0-7 after making the playoffs, joining the 1997 Colts (year before drafting Peyton Manning) and 2011 Colts (Manning injured). Commanders 27, Eagles 10: Washington scored 27 unanswered points on "Sunday Night Football" to hand the reeling Eagles their sixth straight loss, Philly's longest losing streak since 2012. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS 🏎️ 20 years, 68 days Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished third at Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix to clinch the 2026 Formula 1 title, making him the series' youngest world champion… by more than three years. "I'm still trying to realize what just happened," said Antonelli, who also became the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. 🏀 37.7 ppg Lakers superstar Luka Dončić (45 points on Sunday) is averaging 37.7 points per game, the fifth-highest scoring average ever through the first six games of a season… and the most since Michael Jordan in 1986. And let's not forget: He's also racking up 8.2 rebounds (22nd in NBA) and 7.3 assists (9th) per contest. 👟 2:06:01 Sweden's Andreas Almgren used a superhuman 4:30 final mile to win the New York City Marathon (in his marathon debut!) with a time of 2:06:01. Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui won the women's race (2:24:36), finishing six seconds ahead of American Jess McClain (2:24:42). 🏈 TOP 25 THE AP POLL'S LAST DAY IN THE SUN (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) Ohio State tumbled out of the Top 10 in the new AP poll after Saturday's stunning 30-18 loss to USC, which marked the third straight week that the AP No. 2 team lost (Notre Dame two weeks ago, BYU last week). Miami stayed at No. 1 after a narrow three-point win over North Carolina* that included two onside kick recoveries by UNC nullified because of penalties. Georgia moved up to No. 2 after a dominant win over Florida, while Utah jumped three spots to No. 3 after blowing out Cincinnati on the road. Elsewhere: Notre Dame moved up to No. 4 after beating Navy, while UCLA moved into the top five for the first time since 2001 … Indiana dropped two spots to No. 6 after escaping Minnesota in OT … USC is back in the poll at No. 18, while Iowa rejoined at No. 20 after shutting out Wisconsin … No. 22 New Mexico is ranked for the first time ever. Goodbye AP, Hello CFP: The first College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled tomorrow night, and the committee's picks will drive the weekly conversation for the remainder of the season as the AP poll — the source of truth for the past two months — mostly fades into the background. Is it Saturday yet? No. 1 Miami visits No. 4 Notre Dame as part of this weekend's loaded slate, which also includes No. 2 Georgia at No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 3 Utah at No. 7 BYU, No. 8 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Tennessee, No. 9 Alabama at No. 15 LSU, No. 10 Texas at No. 23 Missouri and more. Yeah, I'm not leaving my couch… *A first for Bill: Miami's 38-35 victory over North Carolina marked the first time in Bill Belichick's head coaching career that his team scored at least 35 points and lost. His teams had been 103-0 entering the day. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, NOV. 2 Lumen Field reflects in the visor of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) 🏈 Bears at Seahawks The defending champion Seahawks (4-3) host the Bears (5-2) tonight at Lumen Field (8:15pm ET, ABC/ESPN) in a battle of NFC contenders. New additions: Three-time All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (acquired from the Titans) will make his Bears debut, while six-time All Pro guard Quenton Nelson (acquired from the Colts) will debut for Seattle. "I can't get away from this guy," joked Nelson, who's been facing off against Simmons for years in the AFC South. 🏀 Men's College Basketball The season tips off in earnest today with wall-to-wall action, and no game is more tantalizing than the Sunshine State clash between top-ranked Florida and No. 14 Miami (6pm, ESPN2) at Tampa's Benchmark International Arena, home of the Lightning. Best of the rest: Army at No. 2 Duke (6:30pm, ESPNU); No. 18 Iowa State vs. Memphis in Sioux Falls (7pm, FS1); No. 15 Gonzaga vs. Purdue in Vegas (7:30pm, TNT); No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 22 UCLA in Vegas (10pm, TNT); No. 25 BYU vs. Ohio State in Salt Lake City (9pm, FS1). 🏀 Women's College Basketball South Carolina — the preseason No. 1 for the fifth time in seven seasons — takes on No. 20 Maryland (12pm, ESPN2) in the first leg of today's all-ranked doubleheader in Paris, followed by No. 12 North Carolina vs. No. 21 Oklahoma (2:30pm, ESPN2). Meanwhile, in Las Vegas: Preseason All-American JuJu Watkins returns to the court for the first time since tearing her ACL in March 2025, as her third-ranked Trojans take on UNLV (4pm, CBSSN). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Thunder at Cavaliers (7pm, Peacock) … OKC (4-2) looks to rebound after back-to-back losses, but a win won't come easy in Cleveland (4-2). 🏒 NHL: Golden Knights at Bruins (7pm, NHL) … Boston ranks fourth in the league with 21 points, while Vegas is tied for sixth with 19. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏀 LET'S PLAY RANK 'EM Odds via FanDuel. (Taylar Sievert/Yahoo Sports) Question: Can you rank the preseason title favorites listed above by number of national championships won? Hint: One team has never won. Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH Runners cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the 2026 New York City Marathon. (Paul Seibert/New York Road Runners via Getty Images) Nobody takes the subway anymore? Trivia answer: UConn (6 titles), Duke (5), Florida (3), Michigan State (2), Arizona (1), Illinois (0) 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 06:22 PM Author Members Posted Tuesday at 06:22 PM > Kennedy Center announces 49th class of honorees, including Andy Garcia, David Foster, Paul Anka, David Mamet, and Barbara Mandrell (More) | See key moments in the Kennedy Center’s history (More, w/photos) > Love Affair lead singer Steve Ellis dies at age 76 due to complications from an unspecified chronic illness (More) | Listen to the British band's hit 1967 cover of "Everlasting Love" (More via YouTube) > Jake Paul, the influencer-turned-boxer, will face former kickboxing world champion Cédric Doumbé on Dec. 24; bout marks Paul's first fight since suffering a broken jaw in a loss to Anthony Joshua last December (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 Tuesday at 09:04 PM Author Members Posted Tuesday at 09:04 PM 👋 Good morning! Happy GeoSports Day. Sooners stunned in Norman: East Texas A&M took down Oklahoma, 68-64, on Monday night as 29.5-point underdogs, making it the second-largest Division I men's basketball upset in the last 30 years. Congrats, fellas. In today's edition: College hoops chaos, MLB awards finalists, Chicago takes down Seattle on "MNF," the NFC East in inescapable, NBA power rankings, the cricket premium, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy, with contributions from Neil Paine and Dylan Dittrich. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Finalists announced: Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Astros DH Yordan Alvarez, Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski and Yankees ace Cam Schlittler headlined the list of finalists for MLB's major end-of-season awards, including MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and more. 🏈 Flag football turns pro: The NFL's new professional flag football league has a website, a logo and a name: Premier Flag. The competition will launch sometime next summer, one year before the sport makes its Olympic debut at LA 2028. 🏀 No. 0 forever: Russell Westbrook will have his No. 0 jersey retired by the Thunder in February, the team announced Monday. The OKC legend will be just the second player in team history (not including the Sonics) to earn that honor, joining longtime teammate Nick Collison. 🏈 NFL headlines: "Preliminary indications are positive" for Lions LB Jack Campbell as he continues to recover at a hospital following Sunday's scary injury; Gardner Minshew is the new QB1 in Arizona after taking down the Cowboys; The Colts are sticking with Daniel Jones despite his struggles. 🎙️ Wilbon steps away: Longtime ESPN personality Michael Wilbon is stepping away from the network indefinitely due to multiple health issues. "This isn't retirement, but it is a trip to the injured list. Hopefully not an extended one," read the 67-year-old's statement. 🏀 ELIGIBILITY CRISIS LAW & ORDER: COLLEGE HOOPS (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Stop me if you've heard this one before: A new college sports season is being overshadowed by an eligibility crisis. Welcome to Law & Order: NCAA Hoops. The year of the asterisk: For months, opportunistic coaches have challenged the NCAA's ability to enforce its own rules by targeting players (mostly men, some women) whose eligibility should have run out. But in the brave new world of college sports, you're never more than one judge's ruling away from adding a potential superstar to your squad. Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports: It was already messy when the legal challenges to NCAA eligibility rules came from overseas and G League professionals who realized they could make far more money playing college basketball. Then the NCAA chose to exclude players from the high school class of 2022 from its June ruling granting current athletes a fifth season of college eligibility, igniting an offseason of endless legal injunctions, appeals and attorney fees. Players who once would have been content to pursue professional basketball are challenging NCAA eligibility rules in court to gain access to the lucrative NIL payouts top college programs are offering. And college coaches are taking on these dubious cases because they believe the potential payoff outweighs the downside. The result is a sport where the rules of free agency are inconsistently applied and the available talent pool changes by the day … yet we're supposed to pretend a champion will be crowned fairly. LSU is (back) in the spotlight: After a similar saga in football, LSU is once again at the center of the eligibility storm, assembling a squad full of players who required an assist from the courts to play this season. That includes 2025 NBA draft pick Saliou Niang, former Croatian pro Michael Ružić and UCLA transfer Donovan Dent, who retired from basketball last May only to unretire when Year 5 suddenly became an option. At one point last month, the Tigers had just four players listed on their roster as eligibility cases played out in court. Elsewhere: Kansas looks like a national title contender thanks to three players who won legal fights for a fifth season, including former Purdue star and 2026 Timberwolves draft pick Trey Kaufman-Renn. Top-ranked Florida's backcourt is led by fifth-year guard Denzel Aberdeen, while No. 11 Louisville scored a big win on Friday when star transfers Seth Trimble and LJ Wells learned they'd remain eligible. Gonzaga, the preseason favorite in the rebuilt Pac-12, was awarded the services of former G Leaguer and European pro Izan Almansa. Big East contender St. John's could add longtime pro Babacar Sané, depending on the outcome of next week's hearing. The full scope: Since June, 200 eligibility-related lawsuits have been filed, with 362 men's basketball players — and 62 women's basketball players — in the total plaintiff count. Many cases remain unresolved, and temporary injunctions allowing players to compete could still be reversed on appeal. What they're saying: "You don't know if guys who will be playing in November will be playing in December. That's where it gets really tricky," explained Minnesota coach Niko Medved. "I just hate what's going on with all this," said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. "It's going to be a great year in college basketball, and we shouldn't have any of this hovering over it right now." 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PICS DU JOUR The Bears quieted the crowd at Lumen Field. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Seattle, Washington — The Bears took it to the Seahawks on "Monday Night Football," winning 34-17 behind a hat trick from D'Andre Swift (79 total yards, 3 TD) to improve to 6-2 for their best start since 2012. Beware Da Bears: Seattle and its vaunted defense have lost just seven games since the start of last season. The first six losses were by 17 points combined; the Bears loss was by 17 points on its own. Chicago is for real. Haugh celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) Tampa, Florida — Top-ranked Florida came out on top in the biggest matchup of opening day, stifling No. 14 Miami in a 77-67 victory. Senior forward Thomas Haugh, one of four Gators from Florida's 2025 title-winning team, led the way with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. More from opening day: No. 22 UCLA upset No. 5 Arizona, 84-75, in the only other ranked matchup of the day; No. 16 Michigan opened its title defense with an 84-68 win over Oakland; No. 15 Gonzaga beat Purdue, 78-72, in its Pac-12 debut; Plus, seven snap judgments from opening night, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg. Welcome back, JuJu. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Las Vegas, Nevada — No. 3 USC routed UNLV, 100-68, as star guard JuJu Watkins scored 21 points in her long-awaited return from a torn ACL. The last time the Trojans scored 100 points in a season opener? 1985, which is also the last time they reached the Final Four. Meanwhile, in Paris: The only ranked women's matchups of the day came across the pond, where No. 1 South Carolina beat No. 20 Maryland, 101-93, and No. 21 Oklahoma beat No. 12 North Carolina, 91-79. SGA before Monday's game against the Cavs. (Jason Miller/Getty Images) Cleveland, Ohio — All 30 NBA teams played on Monday night ahead of today's league-wide day off for Election Day. No one came up bigger than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped 43 points and 8 assists in OKC's 117-112 win over the Cavs to snap their two-game slide. Elsewhere: The Kings won their first game and the Grizzlies lost their first game, meaning there are no more undefeated or winless teams; The 76ers won their fourth straight to improve to 7-1, and the Rockets won again to match them at an NBA-best 7-1; Luka Dončić had another huge night (42-7-13) in a win over the Heat. 🏈 NATIONAL NIGHTMARE MUST-FLEE TV: NO ESCAPING THE NFC EAST Eagles running back Saquon Barkley prepares to run onto the field prior to a game against the Cowboys. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) The NFC East is the NFL's worst division… and it's coming to a TV near you. Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: Good news for the entirety of the NFL universe that loathes watching the four misbegotten bumblers of the NFC East: Eventually, the season's going to end, and at that point the Eagles, Giants, Cowboys and Commanders can't hurt you anymore. But until then, friends, we've got to slog through a lot of you-know-what. Because it encompasses two of the nation's most population-dense cities, one of the NFL's old-school bone-deep fandoms, and America's largest (and most inexplicable) bandwagon, the NFC East slithers its way onto national broadcast after national broadcast. There is, quite literally, no escaping it. 10 weeks remain in the NFL regular season, and nine of those already have their television schedules mapped. Over the course of those nine weeks, NFC teams are currently scheduled to appear in an astounding 12 national time slots. 12! Each of these four dogs gets at least two more national games! The NFC East's most comparable division, the equally woeful NFC South, only has three games remaining on the national slate. Now that's a quarantine that we can respect! Of course, some of those games could — should — get flexed out, but are networks going to give up on the Cowboys or Giants no matter how bad they are? 🏀 TOP TO BOTTOM NBA POWER RANKINGS: RISERS AND FALLERS (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) The Spurs sit atop our first in-season NBA power rankings, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor, up from No. 2 in our previous pecking order. Here's where all 30 teams stand after two weeks of play, with movement from the preseason rankings shown in parentheses. Spurs (▲1) 76ers (▲2) Thunder (▼3) Knicks (▼1) Timberwolves Celtics (▲3) Pistons (▲6) Rockets (▲4) Lakers (▼3) Nuggets (▼2) Heat (▼4) Cavaliers (▼1) Raptors (▼3) Mavericks (▲3) Grizzlies (▲9) 16-30: Warriors (▲6), Trail Blazers (▲1), Wizards (▲5), Hornets (▼3), Hawks (▼5), Pacers (▼7), Magic (▼3), Suns (▼3), Jazz (▼3), Pelicans (▲2), Nets, Bulls (▼2), Clippers, Bucks, Kings 🏏 THE CRICKET PREMIUM THE MOST EXPENSIVE INVESTMENT IN SPORTS The IPL champions lift the trophy after winning last year's title. (Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) As America's bat-and-ball sport (baseball) faces an uncertain near-term future, the world's most popular one (cricket) is attracting investors and experiencing soaring team valuations. By the numbers: Sportico's debut valuations for the Indian Premier League, cricket's premier club property, estimate the average franchise is worth $1.7 billion, with all 10 teams falling between the Mumbai Indians ($2.1B) and Lucknow Super Giants ($1.5B). For context, the average MLB team valuation is $3.2 billion. But here's the catch: the IPL plays only 74 matches in a season. Not per team. Total. (MLB plays 2,430.) So, absolute valuation figures don't reflect the investment conviction demonstrated by myriad prolific sports investors who have acquired stakes. Bowled over: On average, IPL teams are worth 22.9 times their revenue. Saying that's the highest among major sports leagues would brutally understate the Atlantic Ocean-sized gap (ironic given the minimal interest on this side of the pond) to the rest of the field. The next most expensive league is the NBA, where multiples average 14.6X. This story first appeared in Yahoo Sports Biz, our 3x weekly newsletter exploring the money behind the games… and how it's shaping your favorite teams and leagues. Subscribe for free. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, NOV. 3 What does Connor McDavid have in store for us tonight? (Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 🏒 Oilers at Devils The best hockey player on the planet takes the ice tonight in New Jersey (7:30pm ET, ESPN+/Disney+), where the Devils are hosting early MVP favorite Connor McDavid and the Western Conference-leading Oilers. Triple threat: McDavid is on a historic heater, piling up a league-leading 39 points and reaching 30 assists in just 15 games to break Wayne Gretzky's single-season record. His closest pursuers in the points race? Teammates Leon Draisaitl (28) and Evan Bouchard (26), giving Edmonton the NHL's top three scorers. ⚽️ Champions League Two of the five remaining 3-0 teams bring their perfect records on the road today, as PSG visits Villarreal (3pm ET, Paramount+) and Aston Villa visits Barcelona (3pm, Paramount+) to kick off Matchday 4. Where it stands: PSG, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Real Betis sit atop the league phase table at 3-0, with Stuttgart (2-1-0), Arsenal (2-1-0) and Barcelona (2-0-1) rounding out the top eight that would automatically advance to knockouts if they started today. More to watch: 🏈 NCAAF: Ohio at Akron (7pm, ESPN2); Buffalo at Miami-Ohio (8pm, ESPN) … The Buckeye State hosts a pair of midweek MACtion games. 🎾 Tennis: Paris Masters (7:30am, Tennis) … First-round action for Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and more in the final ATP 1000 event of the season. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🌎 LET'S PLAY GEOSPORTS On Tuesdays, we play GeoSports. All questions are written by me. How it works: You'll be asked five questions that combine sports and geography. Tap the spot on the globe where you think the answer is. 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 19 hours ago Author Members Posted 19 hours ago > Jury deliberations begin at actor Russell Brand’s rape and sexual assault trial after over three weeks of court proceedings (More) | Watch a breakdown of key moments from the trial (More via YouTube) > Country music singer Nicole Taylor, part of the identical-triplets group Taylor Red, dies at age 35 from breast cancer (More) | Listen to Taylor Red's viral hit "Country Money" (More via YouTube) > Miami tops first College Football Playoff rankings; Southeastern Conference leads all conferences with five members in initial 12-team bracket (More) | New York Liberty fires coach Chris DeMarco after one season (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 16 hours ago Author Members Posted 16 hours ago 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Comeback for the ages: The Jets were down 4-0 to the Canadiens with just 2:40 left in regulation… and ended up winning in overtime. Historic stuff. In today's edition: A trade of Gretzky proportions, CFP rankings revealed, the luckiest No. 1 in tennis, MLB's top free agents, Know Your History (new game!), Caleb's illicit cleats, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy, with contributions from Neil Paine and Dylan Dittrich. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 💔 Tragic losses: Pennsylvania native Rachel Apa, 24, died after collapsing during Sunday's NYC Marathon, reportedly from rhabdomyolysis; Spanish striker Jesús de Miguel, 30, died Tuesday after a brutal in-game collision with the opposing goalkeeper on Monday. ⚾️ MLB proposes delay: In the first major labor development of the offseason, MLB has proposed phasing in a salary cap and floor (one of its biggest demands) in 2028, rather than 2027. That could make it easier for teams to sign free agents this month ahead of an expected lockout. 🏀 Game 7 makes history: The Valkyries' title-clinching win over the Dream drew 3.3 million viewers on Halloween night, making it the most-watched WNBA playoff game ever and the fourth-most watched game in the history of the league. ⚽️ Champions League roundup: PSG crushed Villarreal, 6-0, in Tuesday's league phase action to stay perfect; Lamine Yamal became the competition's highest-scoring teenager ever (14 goals) in Barcelona's win over Aston Villa; Manchester United stormed back to beat Roma, 3-2, and win their first match in almost two months. ⚾️ Seattle's new skipper: The Mariners are hiring Cubs' director of player development Jason Kanzler as their next manager. Kanzler, 36, has no managerial experience at any level and will be the second-youngest skipper in the bigs, behind only Washington's Blake Butera, 34. 🏒 BLOCKBUSTER BREWING A TRADE OF GRETZKY PROPORTIONS? (Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) It's not every day that arguably the best offensive player in a sport becomes available. But that could soon be the case in professional hockey, after Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov requested a trade from the only NHL team he's ever known. Why it's a big deal: Kucherov has won two Stanley Cups and made 12 playoff appearances in 13 seasons with Tampa Bay. But he's more than just a winner: He's also arguably the NHL's most dangerous scorer — yes, even with Connor McDavid in the league. In fact, since the start of the 2023-24 season, it's Kucherov, not McDavid, who leads the league with 415 points. So why does he want out? Probably money — though Kucherov claims it's more about "poor communication and respect" in his interactions with the Bolts' front office. The Russian is in the final season of an eight-year, $76 million contract, and extension talks have reportedly broken down. Tampa Bay's response: Not so fast. "We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita," Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said in a statement. Another wrinkle: Kucherov has a partial no-trade clause, allowing him to submit a list of 10 approved destinations for any potential deal. How historic would a trade be? Almost unprecedented. Going back to the start of the NHL's Expansion Era in 1967, the only player who changed teams after a more productive 3-year stretch is literally Wayne Gretzky. Using Adjusted Points, which makes it possible to compare eras, Kucherov's 386-point total from 2024-26 would rank second among players in new sweaters, trailing only Gretzky's 452 before his blockbuster trade to Los Angeles. (Amazingly, Gretzky also makes the list for his subsequent move from St. Louis to New York. The Great One wasn't content with just one appearance in our chart.) Bottom line: If the Lightning do end up dealing their all-time points leader, it would be one of the biggest blockbusters in NHL history, at least in terms of recent scoring firepower — even if Kucherov (age 33 this season) is a bit older than Gretzky was (28) in his first season as a King. 🏈 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS TODAY, CHAOS TOMORROW (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its first rankings on Tuesday, providing — as always — plenty of controversy and fodder for debate. The biggest surprise? Notre Dame landed at No. 11, a whopping seven spots below its No. 4 ranking in the AP poll. "They don't have that signature win right now," said CFP chair Hunter Yurachek. That could change on Saturday, as could a lot of other résumés. Other teams that came in below their AP poll ranking include No. 8 UCLA (-3), No. 9 BYU (-2), No. 15 Texas Tech (-2), No. 16 Wake Forest (-2), No. 20 USC (-2) and No. 25 Boise State (-5). On the flip side, No. 4 Indiana (+2), No. 5 Alabama (+4), No. 6 Kentucky (+2), No. 7 Texas (+3), No. 10 Ole Miss (+2), No. 13 Tennessee (+3) and No. 23 Oregon (+4) were among those who did better in the CFP. (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) Coming up: If you're confused, annoyed or frustrated with the first set of CFP rankings, we have good news for you: Week 10 is going to provide a lot of clarity. No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss No. 3 Utah vs. No. 9 BYU No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Tennessee No. 7 Texas visits No. 18 Missouri Looking ahead: There's a very real chance that every two-loss team in the CFP's Top 10 (Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss) has three losses by Saturday night. Or, if you're a fan of chaos, we could have an even bigger morass of two-loss teams. 🎾 ATP RANKINGS THE LUCKIEST NO. 1 IN TENNIS (Helmut Fohringer/APA/AFP via Getty Images) Alexander Zverev officially took his spot atop the ATP rankings on Monday, becoming the 30th man ever to ascend to No. 1 in the world. The catch? He's kind of not having a great season. Ok, let's back up: That's not quite fair. The lanky German — who at 29 is the second-oldest man to debut at No. 1 — has had a season most players could only dream of, going 65-17 while winning his first two Grand Slams (French Open, US Open) and topping the money list with $15.1 million in on-court earnings. Yes, but: He's accomplished this largely in the absence of the actual two best players in the world, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who both missed extended periods of time with injuries. And when he did face the "Big Two" this season, he went 0-6. Zverev is also an unimpressive 3-3 against other players ranked inside the Top 10, with his latest defeat coming against No. 8 Alex de Minaur last week. He captured zero titles in 2026 outside of the aforementioned slams — and when you look at his path at those two majors, you see that he benefited from a literal luck of the draw. Consider this: Here are the world rankings of the players Zverev beat en route to his titles in Paris and New York, listed in descending order: 106, 95, 90, 89, 70, 52, 50, 43, 29, 28, 27, 22, 14 (Flavio Cobolli, French Open Final), 9 (Ben Shelton, US Open Final). Exclusive club: While 30 men have now assumed the tennis throne, just eight have done so in the last 22 years thanks to the historic dominance of the "Big Three" (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) and "Big Two" (Sinner, Alcaraz). Since February 2004, the "Big Five" have held the top spot for an astonishing 1,108 of a possible 1,166 weeks (95%). Andy Murray (41 weeks), Daniil Medvedev (16) and now Zverev are the only others to reach No. 1 in that time. ⚾️ AVAILABLE FOR HIRE MLB OFFSEASON: TOP FREE AGENTS (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) Buckle up, friends: A very odd free-agent season is coming. With the sport hurtling toward an elongated work stoppage and labor battle, the next few months project to be disjointed, chaotic and boring all at the same time. From Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman: When the existing collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, MLB will lurch into a transactional dead period. As team owners and the MLBPA bargain over the game's future, general managers, agents and players will, for the most part, be twiddling their thumbs and waiting around. That oncoming storm should precipitate a flurry of moves in the days and hours leading up to that Dec. 1 deadline, which is how things went five years ago during the 2021-22 lockout. This free agent class, however, is notably light on top-tier talent. That's particularly true on the position-player side, where, for the first time in a decade, no hitter is expected to receive a nine-figure contract. Still, there are a bevy of corner outfielders and more everyday second basemen than we can ever remember seeing on the open market. There's also a lot of starting pitching; 12 hurlers who started a postseason game in 2026 are set to become free agents. Top 10 free agents: SP Tarik Skubal (LAD) SP Freddy Peralta (TB) OF Seiya Suzuki (CHC) OF Randy Arozarena (SEA) SP Michael King (SD) 3B Teruaki Sato (Japan) RP Adrian Morejón (SD) SP Trevor Rogers (BAL) 1B Jake Bauers (MIL) C Ryan Jeffers (MIN) Trade targets? The lack of impact bats available in free agency could spark a friskier than normal trade market, though the lockout will surely stunt that to a certain degree. Nobody really knows how the labor showdown is going to play out. Full rankings: Top 50 free agents 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4 The new-look 76ers are firing on all cylinders eight games into the season. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) 🏀 NBA on ESPN The second-place Pistons host the first-place 76ers in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader (7pm ET). Then it's off to San Antonio, where the current title favorites host the Mavericks (9:30pm). Scoring leaders: Each of these teams has a player among the NBA's top 15 scorers, led by Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey (29.1 ppg), who ranks third. The rest: San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama (25.7), Dallas' Cooper Flagg (25.2) and Detroit's Cade Cunningham (23.7). More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Blackhawks at Panthers (7:30pm, TNT); Sharks at Kings (10pm, TNT) … Chicago (lost 3 straight), Florida (L1), San Jose (L2) and Los Angeles (L1) could all use a win. ⚽️ Champions League: Dortmund vs. Real Betis (3pm, Paramount+) … One of nine games across Europe today as Matchday 4 comes to a close. 🎾 ATP: Paris Masters (7am, Tennis) … Second-round matches for Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and more. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. ⚾ LET'S PLAY KNOW YOUR HISTORY This feels like a lifetime ago. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) 17 years ago today (Nov. 4, 2009), the Yankees won their record-extending 27th World Series, which remains their most recent championship. Question: Who did the Yankees beat in that World Series? Answer at the bottom. 🏈 ILLICIT CLEATS THE BEST MARKETING MONEY CAN'T BUY Top: Caleb Williams' Caddix cleats on October 18 (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images). Bottom: Caleb Williams’ Caddix blacked-out cleats on November 2 (Steph Chambers/Getty Images). From Dylan Dittrich, author of the Yahoo Sports Biz newsletter: After reportedly racking up nearly $36,000 in fines for wearing cleats with an unauthorized Caddix logo, Caleb Williams took the field on Monday night in a blacked-out, logo-less pair. Cool off: Williams is not endorsed by Caddix, choosing to wear the brand because he believes in the science behind its injury-reduction claims. Though both Caddix CEO Jack Rasmussen and longtime Caddix-wearer Joe Flacco offered to pay his fines, Williams voiced a desire to "calm things down" and minimize media distractions with the blacked-out pair. Bottom line: The continued attention remains better than any marketing Caddix could ever buy. Trivia answer: Phillies 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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