Members phkrause Posted February 17, 2025 Author Members Posted February 17, 2025 ? Courtside at the dunk contest The Orlando Magic's Mac McClung jumps over a car to dunk. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images SAN FRANCISCO — The NBA All-Star Game airs tonight (8 p.m. ET) with a new format that culminates in a tournament-style showdown. Last night, the stars faced off in the dunk and three-point shooting contests, Axios' Ina Fried and Claire Reilly report from the Chase Center. Ina, sitting courtside, checked out new tech that allowed fans around the world to rate the dunks in real time using the NBA app. The fan votes —weighted equally alongside judge scores — were compiled and shared by popular YouTuber Jesser. ? The Orlando Magic's Mac McClung won the dunk contest, and the Miami Heat's Tyler Herro took home the 3-point shooting prize. Learning from the Milwaukee Bucks' Andre Jackson Jr. Photo: Claire Reilly/Axios Claire got tips from Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Andre Jackson Jr. His best advice for a newbie: "I think the best place for you to start is defense," Jackson said. "Be a pest. Turn defense into offense." Watch our video from the dunk contest. 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 February 18, 2025 Author Members Posted February 18, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome back, friends. In today's edition: The NHL's big weekend, the NBA's new-look All-Star Game, another crash-filled Daytona 500, Ohtani on the mound, why we love sports, and more. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Tucker faces new allegations: Seven more massage therapists have accused Justin Tucker of sexual misconduct, bringing the total number of accusers to 16. The Ravens kicker has denied the allegations. ? AP polls: Auburn stayed at No. 1 in the men's poll after their historic win in Tuscaloosa; Notre Dame is No. 1 in the women's poll and UConn jumped to No. 5 after snapping South Carolina's 71-game home winning streak. ? Sinner suspended: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month suspension following two positive doping tests last year. He will return on May 4, just in time for the Italian Open (his home event) and the French Open (the next major). How convenient! ? Rockers revival? The WNBA is reportedly preparing to award its 16th franchise to Cleveland. The team is expected to debut in 2028 as the Cleveland Rockers, the name of the franchise that existed from 1997-2003. ⚾️ Trout's new position: Angels star Mike Trout is moving from center field to right field in an effort to preserve his body. Injuries have limited him to just 266 of a possible 648 games over the last four seasons. ? 4 NATIONS HOCKEY WON THE WEEKEND The 4 Nations Face-Off was a massive hit over the weekend, and going head-to-head with the NBA's soulless All-Star festivities made the NHL's new midseason tournament look even better. Best-on-best: All four teams (USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland) played with intensity and passion, and it peaked during Saturday's USA vs. Canada tilt, which featured three fights in the first nine seconds followed by one of the best hockey games in recent memory. The Americans prevailed 3-1 in front of a sellout crowd in Montreal, where Canadian fans continued a recent trend by booing "The Star-Spangled Banner." Team USA's victory was its first best-on-best win over Canada in 15 years, dating back to the round robin at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. What they're saying: "That was one of the best experiences of my life — just an unbelievable hockey game," said USA forward Dylan Larkin. "The pace was there the whole night. It's as fast and as intense as I've played," said Canada legend Sidney Crosby. "I think it could inspire another generation of young players to want to play the game," said USA head coach Mike Sullivan said. "Hockey is in a better place because that game happened," said Canada head coach Jon Cooper. The NHL's big night: The game averaged 4.4 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final telecast since 2019. Based on Google Trends, it was the buzziest NHL game of the decade. And based on my social media feeds, it was a landmark moment for the sport. People who rarely watch the NHL, let alone post about it, were downright giddy as they watched players throw hands, block shots and smash into the boards. The juxtaposition of meaningful hockey on ABC and meaningless basketball on TNT was the theme of the night and created a lasting image. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel: In an era where leagues are trying to find a way to pump excitement and meaning into the old all-star game concept, the NHL has found it. This was sport at its absolute pinnacle. No gimmicks. No forced corporate sponsors. No need for celebrity cameos. This was all stars, all in. And it's just getting started. What's next: USA and Canada will face off again in Thursday's championship in Boston. The players can't wait ("It's for everything"), and neither can I. ? NBA ALL-STAR THROUGH THE YEARS: NBA IN THE BAY The San Francisco Bay Area hosted its first NBA All-Star Game in 1967, which took place five days before Super Bowl I. It hosted its second in 2000 and its third this weekend, which featured a revamped main event. 2025: Hometown hero Stephen Curry was named All-Star Game MVP after leading Team Shaq (All-Star veterans) past Team Chuck (International All-Stars) in the final game of Sunday's new-look, four-team tournament. Other Winners: Mac McClung (Slam Dunk), Tyler Herro (3-Point), Team Cavs (Skills), Team C (Rising Stars) End of an era: This was TNT's final All-Star Game as its four-decade NBA partnership nears its end. NBC takes over next year. Honest review: "It was not that the new format did not work. The basketball was more competitive than it has been in years," writes Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach. "It was that the NBA made everything but the games a centerpiece of the night." 2000: It's been 25 years since Vince Carter delivered what is widely considered the best Slam Dunk Contest performance ever, electrifying the crowd with jaw-dropping slams and immortalizing "Half Man, Half Amazing" as a dunking deity. All-Star Game: West 137, East 126 (Co-MVPs: Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal) Remember this? Jason "White Chocolate" Williams broke out the elbow pass during the Rising Stars Challenge. On Carter's historic night: "There weren't any words that you could really control coming out of your mouth," recalled first-time All-Star Allen Iverson. "The crowd was just going nuts," added Rising Stars participant Dirk Nowitzki. "I think I punched somebody in the ribs." 1967: The Cow Palace was originally designed for livestock exhibitions. But 58 years ago, it was the center of the NBA universe, hosting an All-Star Game that featured 17 future Hall of Famers*, as well as the NBA Finals two months later (Sixers 4, Warriors 2). Venue: The Cow Palace (Daly City) A different time: The All-Star break was two days long. Monday banquet, Tuesday game, then back to the regular season. Red's final farewell: Only one head coach has been ejected from an NBA All-Star Game, and that was Red Auerbach in 1967. The Celtics legend had retired from coaching months earlier but returned to the sideline for one final game, only to get tossed in the third quarter for arguing calls. A truly hilarious way to go out. *Future Hall of Famers: Jerry West, Nate Thurmond, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor and Guy Rodgers started for the West, while Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Sloan and Lenny Wilkens came off the bench. Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Hal Greer, Willis Reed and Bailey Howell started for the East, while Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Chet Walker and Jerry Lucas came off the bench. ✍️ ROUNDUP EXTRA POINTS ? A league of her own: Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes set the D1 women's freshman scoring record on Sunday (55 points) — just weeks after she set the true freshman record (53). These games were no fluke: the No. 8 overall recruit is averaging 23.0 points per game, which ranks sixth nationally. ⚾️ Rhode Island 36, William & Mary 22: That's a real score of a baseball game that took place on Sunday and was stopped after seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. The two teams combined for 58 runs (fourth-most in D1 history*), 40 hits, 29 walks and 443 pitches. ⚽️ Defense to offense: Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson set up his team's opening goal against Newcastle on Saturday to earn his third assist of the Premier League season (most ever by a goalie) and the sixth of his Premier League career (most ever by a goalie). ? Boston sweeps lax titles: The Boston Cannons (men) won the PLL Championship Series and the Boston Guard (women) won the inaugural WLL Championship Series. ⚾️ Good luck, hitters: Reigning NL ROY Paul Skenes is adding a cutter and two-seam fastball to an arsenal that already includes a 100+ mph four-seamer, a nasty slider, a quality changeup and his signature "splinker." *What's the record? The most runs ever scored in a D1 baseball game is 62. Denver beat Air Force, 33-29, on May 13, 1968. ? BIG MEN ON CAMPUS WATCHLIST: TUESDAY NIGHT HOOPS No. 13 Purdue at No. 14 Michigan State (7pm ET, Peacock) headlines tonight's men's college basketball slate, which also features Oklahoma at No. 2 Florida (7pm, ESPN2) and No. 23 Kansas at BYU (9pm, ESPN). Congrats, coach: Tom Izzo's first Big Ten win came on Jan. 4, 1996, when Michigan State beat Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers. His 354th win came on Saturday, which moved him past Knight for the most in league history. More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Playoffs (12:45-3pm, Paramount+) … Christian Pulisic and AC Milan host Feyenoord (Netherlands) in one of today's four matches. ⚽️ Champions Cup: Colorado vs. LAFC (10pm, FS2) … Two of the 10 MLS clubs* in this year's 27-team field. ? Unrivaled: Rose vs. Vinyl (7pm, TNT); Phantom vs. Laces (8:15pm, TNT) … 3-on-3 play resumes after taking a break for some 1-on-1. ? PWHL: Minnesota at Montreal (7pm, YouTube) … The first-place Victoire host the fourth-place Frost. *Ranking the contenders: Inter Miami is the top MLS contender in CONCACAF's annual tournament, followed by LAFC, Seattle, Cincinnati, LA Galaxy, Columbus, Real Salt Lake, Colorado, Sporting KC and Vancouver. (via MLS.com) 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 February 20, 2025 Author Members Posted February 20, 2025 ? Good morning! We're already 13% of the way through 2025, which is kind of crazy. In today's edition: CFP (and March Madness) expansion talks, Auburn is extremely old, MLB photo day, NBA title odds, giants clash in Madrid, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Historic blowout: No. 23 Kansas fell to BYU, 91-57, for their worst-ever loss as a ranked team vs. an unranked team. The preseason No. 1 Jayhawks will soon be unranked for just the second time since February 2009. ? Huge number: Saturday's USA vs. Canada game averaged 10.1 million North American viewers (4.4M in the U.S. and 5.7 million in Canada), which tops every non-Stanley Cup Final game since 2014. Needless to say, tomorrow's rematch should draw even more. ⚽️ Champions League playoffs: Feyenoord (Netherlands), Club Brugge (Belgium), Benfica (Portugal) and Bayern Munich (Germany) advanced to the Round of 16. ? Kyrie switching allegiances: Kyrie Irving, who was born in Melbourne, plans to represent Australia at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old hasn't played for Team USA since the 2016 Rio Games. ⚾️ Buck is back: Joe Buck will call the Brewers and Yankees' Opening Day game for ESPN, marking his first national MLB broadcast since 2021. Buck, 55, called a record 24 World Series for Fox. ? PLAYOFF EXPANSION THE 12-TEAM CFP ERA MAY ALREADY BE COMING TO AN END SEC and Big Ten athletic directors will meet today in New Orleans to discuss a plan to expand the College Football Playoff to 14 or 16 teams and assign multiple automatic qualifiers per league — with as many as four each for themselves, Jeff and I write. How we got here, via Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger: Last spring, during intense negotiations over the future of the College Football Playoff, leaders of the Big Ten and SEC threatened to create their own postseason system if they were not granted a majority of CFP revenue and full authority over the playoff format. In the end, executives of the 10 FBS leagues and Notre Dame signed a memorandum of understanding handing control over to college football's two richest conferences. Soon, they are expected to exercise that control. Details: The 14-team format is being described as a 4-4-2-2-1+1 model, which would give four automatic qualifiers each to the Big Ten and SEC and two each to the ACC and Big 12. The highest-ranked Group of Five team would get the last automatic berth. There would also be one at-large spot — or three, if the format expands to 16 teams — that would automatically go to Notre Dame if they finish ranked inside the top 14. These changes would likely trigger the four power leagues to overhaul conference championship weekend. After all, one title game doesn't do much when there are two (or four) automatic bids up for grabs. What they're saying: Unsurprisingly, most outside of the Big Ten and SEC aren't thrilled about this. "It needs to be a true championship … not an invitational," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips told Yahoo Sports. "You are going to alienate part of the country," added an ESPN executive. Expansion, expansion, expansion: While college football's power brokers discuss CFP expansion, college basketball's leaders are reportedly inching closer to a 76-team NCAA Tournament (up from 68) as soon as next year. These two money grabs had Pat Forde in full-blown rant mode on the latest episode of Yahoo Sports' College Football Enquirer Podcast: "This is further greed. This is unchecked power-mongering. There's no leadership. We have strong men and grifters who are running college athletics. They don't give a damn about the whole, they don't give a damn about any other sports. All they want is more money and more control." ? SUPER SENIORS THE OLD GUYS POWERING THE NATION'S BEST TEAM The top-ranked Auburn Tigers, who earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA's early bracket reveal, are extremely good.* They're also extremely old, Jeff writes. Old men on campus: The average age of Auburn's starting five (23.2) is nearly the same as the average age of the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (24.1). Chad Baker-Mazara: 25 (Super Senior) Denver Jones: 24 (Super Senior) Dylan Cardwell: 23 (Super Senior) Johni Broome: 22 (Super Senior) Miles Kelly: 22 (Senior) Consider this: Seven of the nine players averaging 10+ minutes per game for No. 1 Auburn are seniors (or super seniors). That's two more than No. 2 Florida and No. 3 Duke have in their rotations, combined. The big picture: Auburn's roster reflects the current state of college basketball, where unlimited transfers and NIL money have allowed programs to build experienced rosters on the strength of veteran talent. Sure, some powerhouses still rely on one-and-done players, but countering that youth with maturity is a new recipe for success, and teams can recruit new upperclassmen each year in what is essentially free agency. To wit, eight of the 15 players who've suited up for Auburn are upperclassmen transfers, and the Tigers aren't alone. No. 4 Alabama, their SEC rival, has six such players. No. 9 St. John's, enjoying their best season in decades, has seven.Looking ahead: The Tigers are the favorites to cut down the nets in April (+325 at BetMGM). If they do, nearly the entire team will be able to legally celebrate with a champagne shower. *Just how good has Auburn been? The Tigers' only two losses came against No. 2 Florida and No. 3 Duke, and they have 14 Quad 1 wins, which is six more than any other team. ? BACK FROM THE BREAK NBA PLAYOFF PICTURE: TITLE ODDS (Yahoo Sports) The NBA returns from the All-Star break tonight, kicking off a two-month sprint to the postseason. Title favorites: The defending champion Celtics and West-leading Thunder are co-title favorites (+225 at BetMGM), followed by the East-leading Cavaliers (+800). Contenders: The Knicks (+1300), Nuggets (+1400), Lakers (+1400), Grizzlies (+2500), Bucks (+3000), Clippers (+3500), Mavericks (+4000) and Warriors (+4000) are the only other teams with better than 50-to-1 odds. ? CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WATCHLIST: MADRID VS. MAN CITY Kylian Mbappé and Los Blancos have a 3-2 edge entering today. (Carl Recine/Getty Images) Real Madrid hosts Manchester City today (3pm ET, Paramount+) in the second leg of their Champions League playoff, with Madrid holding a 3-2 lead coming in. Which European giant will advance to the Round of 16? Elsewhere: Dortmund (3-0) hosts Sporting (12:45pm, CBSSN) in Germany, PSV (1-2) hosts Juventus (3pm, Paramount+) in the Netherlands, and PSG (3-0) hosts Brest (3pm, Paramount+) in France. ? NBA: Hornets at Lakers (10pm, League Pass) … The only game of the night. ? NCAAM: Arkansas at No. 1 Auburn (9pm, ESPN); No. 4 Alabama at No. 15 Missouri (9pm, SEC) … The SEC gauntlet is so real. No easy wins. ? NCAAW: No. 22 Michigan State at No. 4 USC (9:30pm, Peacock) … Trojans superstar JuJu Watkins ranks fourth in scoring (24.2 ppg). ⚽️ Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (2:30pm, USA) … The Reds look to extend their lead atop the table. ⚽️ Champions Cup: Sporting KC vs. Inter Miami (8pm, FS2) … Could this be the coldest soccer game ever?* ? PWHL: Toronto at New York (7pm, YouTube) … The last-place Sirens host the fourth-place Sceptres. *Bundle up: The forecasted wind chill in Kansas City is -9 degrees at kickoff and could fall to -11. It will be colder than any game in MLS history and perhaps one of the coldest soccer games ever recorded, anywhere. 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 February 21, 2025 Author Members Posted February 21, 2025 Learn a few laundry secrets from the baseball pros — the clubhouse staffers who wash MLB uniforms SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — From the pinstripes of New York all the way to the Dodger blues of Los Angeles, there is a strong connection among the clubhouse staffers who wash the dirt-caked, hard-worn uniforms of the major leagues. https://apnews.com/article/laundry-tips-stains-c355dbf7fdd8488ea90ba016775f046e? 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 February 21, 2025 Author Members Posted February 21, 2025 ? Good morning! Hockey takes center stage tonight. USA vs. Canada in the title game. In today's edition: Nikola Jokić's season for the ages, golf's pace of play issue, how the next 18 months could reshape soccer in the U.S., the 4 Nations championship, and more. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Major salary cap increase: Next season's NFL salary cap will be between $277.5 million and $281.5 million. That's up from $255.4 million last year, and represents a far greater increase than expected. ⚽️ Champions League playoffs: Real Madrid (Spain), PSG (France), Dortmund (Germany) and PSV (Netherlands) advanced to the knockouts, and the draw for the Round of 16 is tomorrow. ⚾️ The robots are coming: The automated ball-strike system (robo umps) will be tested in spring training games this year. Teams are given two ball-strike challenges per game, which they retain if successful. ? Ratings way down: The NBA's new-look All-Star Game drew just 4.7 million viewers, which is down 13% from last year and marks the second-lowest figure in the last 25 years (4.6 million in 2023). ? Champs get new OC: The Eagles are turning inward to replace Kellen Moore, promoting pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo to offensive coordinator. ? STAT STUFFER IS NIKOLA JOKIĆ HAVING THE BEST SEASON EVER? It's easy to get fatigued by consistent excellence, so before Nikola Jokić returns to the floor tonight let's take a moment to marvel at what is shaping up to be perhaps the best statistical season in NBA history, Jeff writes. By the numbers: The 7-foot Serbian is averaging 29.8 points (3rd in the NBA), 12.6 rebounds (4th), 10.2 assists (2nd), 1.8 steals (4th) and 0.7 blocks (64th) with a 66.7% true shooting percentage (7th). His 33.4 player efficiency rating (PER) would be the highest single-season mark ever, shattering his own record from three years ago (32.85), and his 0.334 win shares per 48 minutes would be the second-best ever. Add it all up and he's on the doorstep of becoming the sixth player ever to win at least four MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James. The greatest seasons ever: Comparing across eras is no easy feat, but Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach put Jokić's campaign up against six of the best statistical seasons ever — Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, James, Jordan and Chamberlain's best seasons by PER — to determine whether we've ever seen something like this before. Spoiler alert: We haven't. Embiid (2022-23): 33.1 pts, 10.2 reb, 4.2 ast, 1.0 stl, 1.7 blk, 65.5% TS, 31.4 PER … Embiid's scoring and assists in his MVP season produced 43.7 points per game, 10 fewer than Jokić is producing this year. Antetokounmpo (2021-22): 29.9 pts, 11.6 reb, 5.8 ast, 1.1 stl, 1.4 blk, 63.3% TS, 32.1 PER … Jokić has nearly as many win shares coming out of this season's All-Star break (12.2) as Giannis had in his best statistical campaign (12.9). Seems good. Curry (2015-16): 30.1 pts, 5.4 reb, 6.7 ast, 2.1 stl, 0.2 blk, 66.9% TS, 31.5 PER … Curry then (NBA-record 402 threes) and Jokić now have the two most efficient high-volume scoring seasons ever. And Jokić already has more rebounds and assists than Curry did all season. James (2008-09): 28.4 pts, 7.6 reb, 7.2 ast, 1.7 stl, 1.1 blk, 59.1% TS, 31.7 PER … This was LeBron's statistical apex and his first of four MVP seasons, and yet Jokić this year is averaging more points, rebounds, assists and steals. Jordan (1987-88): 35.0 pts, 5.5 reb, 5.9 ast, 3.2 stl, 1.6 blk, 60.3% TS, 31.7 PER … MJ's first MVP was also the NBA's first instance of a player winning the MVP-DPOY double. But his defensive stats might have been inflated, and Jokić is the more efficient scorer. Chamberlain (1961-62): 50.4 pts, 25.7 reb, 2.4 ast, 53.6% TS, 32.1 PER … Context matters. Wilt was the only 7-foot NBA regular back then, and poorer league-wide shooting meant far more rebounding opportunities. Imagine Jokić if he weren't surrounded by other giants. Shoutout to Shai: In almost any other season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be running away with the MVP: His 31.03 PER is the 20th-best mark ever and he's got the Thunder eight games ahead of any other team in the West. Unfortunately, he ran into a buzzsaw. ⛳️ SLOW PLAY PICK UP THE PACE! Anyone who's ever played a round of golf knows that beyond a string of double bogeys, nothing can ruin your day quite like a slow pace of play. Turns out, that issue isn't unique to weekend warriors, Jeff writes. Slow play on Tour: The final group at last month's American Express took five hours and 39 minutes to finish 18 holes on Sunday, just one hour less than it took the NFL to complete two playoff games the same day. A week later, the final group at Torrey Pines took nearly five-and-a-half hours. What they're saying: Slow play has been plaguing the PGA and LPGA Tours for years, resulting in a growing cacophony of complaints. And at Torrey Pines, former LPGA star and longtime analyst Dottie Pepper couldn't take it any longer. "I think we're starting to need a new word to talk about this pace of play issue, and it's respect," she said on the broadcast. "For your fellow competitors, for the fans, for broadcasts. It's just gotta get better." "It's been gnawing at me and a lot of people for a while," she added. "It's on fire post-COVID, and it's our darn fault if we don't do better. … Let's not mess it up." So, what can be done? Most everyone agrees this is a problem worth solving, but there's no consensus on how to do so (although smaller field sizes, coming in 2026, should help). Do you add a shot clock like TGL has done? Do you ban the time-consuming practice of AimPoint putting? Do you penalize repeat offenders? The LPGA leads the way: While the PGA Tour will soon begin testing various time-saving initiatives, the LPGA Tour has already announced a new policy that should see immediate results. Starting next month, players will be penalized for failing to hit their shots within the allotted 40 seconds. Exceed by 1-5 seconds: Fine Exceed by 6-15 seconds: One-stroke penalty Exceed by 16+ seconds: Two-stroke penalty Bottom line: The next time you're grabbing a hot dog at the turn and wondering how you've already been on the course for nearly three hours, just remember: pros are going through the same thing — and they can't even enjoy a transfusion while they wait. ⚽️ THE WORLD'S GAME HOW THE NEXT 18 MONTHS COULD RESHAPE SOCCER IN THE U.S. Over the next 18 months, a convergence of marquee events, ambitious reforms and long-awaited decisions could transform soccer in the U.S. at every level. From Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell: The grandiose statements, about "unique opportunity" and "transformational change," are popping up everywhere these days in American soccer. The bold, buzzword-heavy proclamations have become so ubiquitous they blur together. They are so frequently parroted, and oftentimes so vague, that they feel empty, bereft of substance. But here's the thing: They're also true. The next 18 months aren't just an exciting time for the sport; they could reshape it at all ages and levels, for all genders, in a variety of ways across the United States. They'll conclude with a men's World Cup right here, at home, but it's not just that; it's the Club World Cup, and a bid for the 2031 Women's World Cup; it's the dwindling days of Lionel Messi in Miami, and a pivotal period in the still-early days of the NWSL. It's ongoing talks of overhauls in MLS and college soccer. It's the opening of a national training center, and the implementation of U.S. Soccer's new nationwide player development strategy. It's the USL's ambitious plans to expand — and start a new top-tier men's league. It's possibilities, but also pressure. It's consequential decisions, and a moment that no American soccer stakeholder wants to miss. And most of it, of course, is centered around 2026. Coming up: The 2025 MLS season kicks off this weekend, with 13 matches on Saturday and two on Sunday. ? THE REMATCH WATCHLIST: 4 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP The U.S. and Canada meet tonight* (8pm ET, ESPN) in Boston in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, Jeff writes. What they're saying: "It's the biggest game I've played in quite some time. Maybe ever," said American Jack Eichel, who won the Stanley Cup with Vegas two years ago. More to watch: ⚽️ SheBelieves Cup: USA vs. Colombia (8pm, TBS) … The 10th edition of the four-team women's tournament kicks off in Houston. ⚾️ MLB: Cubs at Dodgers (3:05pm, MLB) … The first game of spring training. ? NBA: Celtics at 76ers (7pm, TNT); Suns at Spurs (9:30pm, TNT) … Boston (39-16) remains 5.5 games behind the first-place Cavs (44-10). ? PWHL: Boston at Ottawa (7pm, YouTube) … The fifth-place Charge host the fourth-place Fleet. *Kings of the ice: Canada has won nine of the 13 best-on-best tournaments since NHL players began participating. That includes five of the past six and three in a row. 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 February 23, 2025 Author Members Posted February 23, 2025 ? 1 for the road: Canada's revenge Canadian star Connor McDavid scored a game-winning goal in overtime to give his country a 3-2 victory over the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey championship in Boston last night. Why it matters: High tensions between the two countries transformed a tune-up for next year's Olympics into a geopolitical brawl over anthems and annexation. Via X ?? Zoom out: The already ripe rivalry took on an added intensity following President Trump's tariff threats and talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Go deeper ... Watch the game-winning goal. 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 February 23, 2025 Author Members Posted February 23, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Canada wins the 4 Nations Face-Off, Wemby's season is over, the Boston three party, MLS' 30th season kicks off, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ⚾️ MLB, ESPN cutting ties: After more than three decades together, MLB and ESPN have "mutually agreed" to end their TV deal after the 2025 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred cited displeasure over the league's "minimal coverage" on ESPN's platforms. ⚽️ Rubiales found guilty: Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales was convicted of sexual assault after kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent following Spain's victory at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. ? CP3 passes Kidd: With two steals on Thursday, Chris Paul (2,686) passed Jason Kidd (2,684) for the second-most in NBA history. Only John Stockton (3,265) has more. ⚽️ Round of 16 matchups set: The Champions League Round of 16 draw took place Friday morning, and the knockouts are headlined by a Madrid derby (Real vs. Atlético), an all-German affair (Bayern vs. Leverkusen) and a clash of giants (PSG vs. Liverpool). ⚾️ Boone extended: The Yankees signed Aaron Boone to a two-year contract extension, keeping their manager in pinstripes through at least the 2027 season. ? 4 NATIONS CANADA BEATS THE USA, AGAIN 15 years ago at the Olympics, the world's best hockey player delivered a game-winning goal in overtime to lead Canada past the U.S. in a thrilling championship match. On Thursday night in Boston, history repeated itself, Jeff writes. Canada 3, USA 2: Canada won the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off after Connor McDavid scored an overtime goal reminiscent of Sidney Crosby's at the 2010 Winter Olympics, ending an intense game between bitter rivals and putting a stamp on a wildly successful midseason tournament. McDavid (3 goals, 2 assists) was named tournament MVP, but he wouldn't have even had a chance to light the lamp on Thursday if not for Jordan Binnington's spectacular play in goal. The Blues' netminder had 20 straight saves to end the night, including one at point-blank range in OT, continuing a trend of clutch play in winner-take-all games. The big picture: For as good as both games between Canada and the U.S. were this week, the rivalry is getting increasingly lopsided: This was their fifth best-on-best championship meeting, and for the fourth time the Canadians came out on top. ?? 1991 Canada Cup: Canada sweeps best-of-three series ?? 1996 World Cup: USA wins best-of-three series ?? 2002 Olympics: Canada wins gold medal game, 5-2 ?? 2010 Olympics: Canada wins gold medal game, 3-2 (OT) ?? 2025 4 Nations: Canada wins championship, 3-2 (OT) What they're saying: After the game, in the midst of geopolitical tensions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a message loud and clear to his southern neighbors: "You can't take our country — and you can't take our game." Looking ahead: If you enjoyed watching the NHL's best put on their nations' flags and play with immense pride, I've got some good news for you: They'll play in the Olympics (beginning next year) and the World Cup of Hockey (2028) every two years for the foreseeable future. ? HEALTH SCARE WEMBY'S SEASON IS OVER The Spurs dropped a bombshell on Thursday, announcing that Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season due to deep vein thrombosis — a blood clot — in his right shoulder, Jeff writes. The bad news: Blood clots, which have affected plenty of other athletes, can be scary. Just ask Chris Bosh, whose career was cut short 10 years ago by the same condition (albeit in his lungs). The good news: San Antonio considers this an isolated issue and expects Wemby to make a full recovery by the beginning of next season. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine: With barely 100 NBA games under his belt, Wembanyama has already firmly stamped himself as one of the most breathtaking and productive game-changers to enter the league in ages. He ends his sophomore season averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, a league-leading 3.8 blocks, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Only five other players in NBA history had ever averaged 20-10-3-3-1 for a full season. Wembanyama has now done it in each of his first two seasons, and did it while shooting just under league-average from 3-point range on nearly nine attempts per game. This is a top-10 player, still years away from entering his prime. San Antonio hopes to be in the Wembanyama business for decades, and you can't be too careful when you're just barely at the outset of something like that; when you're caring for a forever talent, there's no reason to rush things. ? BEYOND THE ARC THE BOSTON THREE PARTY The Celtics took 54 threes in Thursday's 124-104 win over the 76ers — well over half their total field goals — which is par for the course this season, Jeff writes. Record-breaking pace: Boston is averaging 48.4 attempts per game from beyond the arc, which is five more than any other team and on pace to shatter the previous single-season record (45.4 by the 2018-19 Rockets). Big picture: The Celtics are the poster team for the 3-point explosion that has reached new heights this season. Teams are taking a record 37.5 threes per game, which is 7% more than the previous record (35.2 in 2022) and 67% more than teams took just 10 years ago (22.4). ? SEASON 30 WATCHLIST: MLS KICKOFF The 30th MLS season begins this weekend (Sat-Sun, Apple) with all 30 teams — including San Diego FC, the newest expansion club — taking the field. Season preview: 7 teams (and players) to care about, who and what's new, predictions and more (Henry Bushnell, Yahoo Sports) More to watch: ? NBA: Knicks at Cavaliers (Fri. 7pm, ESPN); Lakers at Nuggets (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Knicks at Celtics (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Mavericks at Warriors (Sun. 3:30pm, ABC); Thunder at Timberwolves (Sun. 9:30pm, ESPN) ? NHL: Wild at Red Wings (Sat. 12:30pm, ABC); Capitals at Penguins (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Oilers at Capitals (Sun. 1pm, TNT); Rangers at Penguins (Sun. 3:30pm, TNT) … First games back from the break. ? NCAAM: No. 14 Michigan State at No. 12 Michigan (Fri. 8pm, Fox); No. 6 Tennessee at No. 7 Texas A&M (Sat. 12pm, ESPN); No. 8 Iowa State at No. 5 Houston (Sat. 2pm, ESPN); No. 17 Kentucky at No. 4 Alabama (Sat. 6pm, ESPN) ? NCAAW: No. 1 Notre Dame at No. 13 NC State (Sun. 12pm, ESPN); No. 25 Illinois at No. 4 USC (Sun. 4pm, FS1); No. 7 LSU at No. 14 Kentucky (Sun. 4pm, ESPN) ⚽️ Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (Sat. 12:30pm, NBC); Man City vs. Liverpool (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock) … Matchday 26 of 38. ? Boxing: Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol (Sat. 6pm, DAZN PPV) … The undisputed light heavyweight title fight headlines boxing's "Card of the Century." Plus… Spring training (Fri-Sun, MLB); Six Nations (Sat-Sun, Peacock); Unrivaled (Fri-Sat, TNT/truTV); PWHL (Sat-Sun, 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 February 23, 2025 Author Members Posted February 23, 2025 ⚾️ 1 for the road: Yankees will allow facial hair The New York Yankees will now allow players to have "well-groomed beards" — abandoning a ban on facial hair that had been in place for almost 50 years. "It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy," Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. His father, George Steinbrenner, instituted the beard ban in 1976. ? Yes, but: Yankees policy still prohibits players from having long hair. 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 February 25, 2025 Author Members Posted February 25, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: Ovechkin inches closer, beards in the Bronx, San Diego FC wins opener, Shiffrin reaches 100, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? The Brothers Robertson: Jason (3 goals for Dallas) and Nicholas (2 goals for Toronto) Robertson made history on Sunday, becoming the first brothers to score multiple goals in the NHL on the same day since Pavel and Valeri Bure in 2000. ? Fresno investigation: Fresno State's men's basketball program is under investigation for potential ties to sports gambling. The school has already removed one player from the team and suspended two of its top three scorers. ⚾️ Beards in the Bronx: Yankees players, coaches and other uniformed personnel are now permitted to sport "well-groomed beards" after the franchise decided to end its ban on facial hair, which began in 1976. ? Embiid exploring options: The 76ers and Joel Embiid are considering alternative options, including surgery, for his injured knee, which isn't improving. The former MVP played just 39 games last season and 19 so far this season. ? Sanders' combine plan: Shedeur Sanders, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, won't throw at this week's combine, focusing instead on his interviews with teams. He will throw at Colorado's Pro Day. ? HAT TRICK CHASING GRETZKY: OVI INCHES CLOSER Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick on Sunday to inch closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Where it stands: Ovechkin now has 882 career goals, 13 shy of breaking Gretzky's record of 894. He's also now the first player in NHL history to score 200 goals in three different decades. 2000s: 245 goals 2010s: 437 goals 2020s: 200 goals Back on track: Ovechkin broke his fibula in November, which sidelined him for five weeks and led many to believe he wouldn't be able to make a run at the record until next season. To which Ovi said: Oh yeah? Watch me. The 39-year-old ranks seventh in the league with 29 goals, has the Capitals in first place and could pass Gretzky by early April. Consider this: From his age 32 season until retirement, Gretzky scored 145 goals (20.7 per season). Since his age 32 season, Ovechkin has scored 324 goals (40.5 per season), and he's still not finished. The longevity and consistency is remarkable. Looking ahead: "Chasing Gretzky" is the perfect storyline for the NHL as it looks to carry the momentum from the 4 Nations Face-Off into the second half of the regular season. Ovechkin is must-see TV, and the Capitals just so happen to be the league's best team. ✍️ ROUNDUP EXTRA POINTS ⛳️ A bounce for the ages: Brian Campbell cashed in on a huge break Sunday when his tee shot bounced out of the trees and back into play, leading to a birdie on the second playoff hole and a victory at the Mexico Open, his first win since turning pro a decade ago. ⚾️ Wasting no time: Juan Soto hit a 426-foot moonshot in his very first spring training at-bat with the Mets, and Alex Bregman homered (and went 3-for-3) in his Red Sox debut. ? Another 50-point blowout: The NBA has had more 50-point blowouts in the last two seasons (11) than in any previous decade. The latest came on Saturday when Portland demolished Charlotte, 141-88. ⚽️ Six-peat? The USWNT beat Australia, 2-1, on Sunday to set up a title clash with Japan in the SheBelieves Cup, where the Americans can win the annual tournament for the sixth straight time. ? Stockpiling picks: The Mystics already owned the No. 4 and No. 6 picks in April’s WNBA draft. Now, the rebuilding franchise has also acquired the No. 3 pick from the Sky in exchange for two-time All-Star Ariel Watkins. ? TGL WATCHLIST: MONDAY NIGHT GOLF Tommy Fleetwood of Los Angeles Golf Club warms up before a recent match. (Megan Briggs/TGL via Getty Images) TGL's SoFi Center hosts an indoor golf doubleheader tonight, with Los Angeles vs. New York (5pm ET, ESPN2) followed by Boston vs. Atlanta (9pm, ESPN2). Standings: The Bay (3-0-0) is in first place through three matches, followed by Los Angeles (2-0-1), Atlanta (2-1-0), New York (1-2-0), Jupiter Links (1-2-0) and Boston (0-2-1). More to watch: ? NCAAM: No. 5 Houston at No. 9 Texas Tech (9pm, ESPN) ? NCAAW: No. 19 Baylor at No. 12 Kansas State (7pm, ESPN2) ? NBA: Timberwolves at Thunder (8pm, NBA) ? NHL: Sharks at Jets* (7:30pm, NHL) *Top of the league: The Jets (83 points) and Capitals (84) are locked in a tight race for the Presidents' Trophy (most regular season points). 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 February 25, 2025 Author Members Posted February 25, 2025 ? 1 for the road: Eagles eye White House The Eagles are in talks with the White House about visiting after their Super Bowl LIX win. But the team hasn't been formally invited by President Trump, a source with knowledge of the discussions tells Axios' Marc Caputo and Axios Philadelphia's Isaac Avilucea. Why it matters: The longstanding tradition of a championship team taking a trip to the White House was largely broken during Trump's first term, starting with the Eagles in 2018. The Eagles are "definitely talking about coming" to the White House, said another source, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the talks. "There's been no rejection." 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 February 25, 2025 Author Members Posted February 25, 2025 ? Good morning! The 76ers gave up 148 points to the Bulls last night to fall to 20-37. What an absolute dumpster fire. This team was supposed to contend! In today's edition: The preseason AP poll vs. now, college kids vs. pros, one-armed hoopers, the 40/20 rule, goodbye P00P, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Historic comeback: Entering Monday, NBA teams had lost 1,552 straight games when trailing by 24+ points in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves didn't get the memo, coming back from 24 down to stun the Thunder in OT. ?? Eagles eye White House trip: In 2018, President Donald Trump rescinded the Eagles' invitation to the White House after some players refused to attend. Seven years later, the Eagles say they'd be "honored to visit" and "look forward to receiving the invitation." ? Hook 'em: Texas is No. 1 in the AP women's basketball poll for the first time in 21 years. The Longhorns are the fourth team to hold the top spot this season (South Carolina, UCLA, Notre Dame), tied for the most ever in a season. ? "Tush Push" ban? The Packers have reportedly submitted a proposal to have the NFL change its rules regarding the "Tush Push," which the Eagles have run to extreme success. Green Bay, notably, lost to Philly in this year's playoffs. ? 19 dimes: Nikola Jokić had 19 assists in Monday's win over the Pacers, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only centers to reach that mark. The three-time MVP is averaging 10.2 assists per game this season, which ranks second in the NBA. ? AP POLL TOP 10 SHAKEUP: PRESEASON VS. NOW On October 14, the Associated Press released its preseason men's college basketball poll. Four months later, half the top 10 teams in that initial poll aren't even ranked. This is not normal. Crashing out: Kansas: For the second straight year, the Jayhawks were the preseason No. 1 team. And for the second straight year, they've failed to live up to that hype. This year is worse, with KU falling out of the rankings for just the second time since 2009. UConn: The two-time defending champs went from preseason No. 3 to "is this team even good?" rather quickly. They've already lost more games (9) than all of last season (3) and the season before (8), and their three-peat odds are currently 50-to-1. Gonzaga: The Zags were once No. 6 in the nation. They are now No. 3 in their own conference. That's foreign territory for Mark Few, who has only ever finished first (22 times) or second (3 times) in the WCC since taking the reins in 1999. Baylor: You can't fault media members for thinking highly of the Bears, who have been consistently great under Scott Drew and possess plenty of talent. But this just hasn't been their year. The latest lowlight? An ugly loss to Big 12 doormat Colorado. North Carolina: The Tar Heels went from preseason No. 9 to "First Four Out" in the latest NCAA tournament projection, which feels overly optimistic if you ask me. A year after compiling 10 Quad 1 wins,* Hubert Davis' team has… one (vs. UCLA). The other side: While five preseason Top 10 teams are now ranked, three preseason unranked teams are now in the Top 10. No. 7 St. John's: Rick Pitino's renaissance in Queens is one of the best stories in sports. The Red Storm's top five scorers are all transfers, and they've delivered the school's highest ranking in 33 years. No. 8 Michigan State: The Spartans were picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten. Instead, they've lost just five games and are currently on pace to win the conference. Whoops! No. 10 Texas Tech: The Red Raiders didn't crack the Top 25 until January 27. Five days later, they upset Houston and it's been a fairly steady rise ever since (though the Cougars did get revenge on Monday). My take: The preseason poll has always been a crapshoot, so I don't want to read too much into this. That said, the transfer portal has clearly made it even more difficult to judge teams before they take the court. Results from the previous season mean little when programs add new veterans each offseason, and parity is at an all-time high thanks to talent being more evenly distributed throughout the country. ? CHAMPIONSHIP DNA THE CONTENDERS: 40 BEFORE 20 The great Phil Jackson once proposed a simple yet powerful rule: If an NBA team reaches 40 wins before 20 losses, they are officially a title contender. By the numbers: 37 of the last 41 NBA champions won 40 games before losing 20, so Jackson was clearly onto something. The only teams that fit that criteria this season? Cavaliers* (47-10) Thunder (46-11) Celtics (41-16) Just missed: The Nuggets (38-20), Grizzlies (37-20) and Knicks (37-20) all lost over the weekend, eliminating them from 40/20 contention. The four exceptions: Since 1980, four teams have gone on to win the NBA championship despite failing the "40 before 20" test. 1994-95 Rockets: Houston (47–35) limped into the postseason but made history once they got there, becoming the lowest-seeded team (sixth) ever to win it all. 2003-04 Pistons: Detroit (54-28) found their missing piece in late February when they acquired Rasheed Wallace at the trade deadline. Ball Don't Lie! 2005-06 Heat: Miami (52-30) was 11-10 when Stan Van Gundy resigned in December. Pat Riley replaced him and promptly won his fifth title as head coach. 2020-21 Bucks: Milwaukee (46-26) was hot and cold for much of the pandemic-shortened season before catching fire when it mattered most. Food for thought… Who's the most likely team to become the fifth exception to the 40/20 rule? I'll go with the Nuggets, who won two years ago and have the best player on the planet. I briefly considered the Knicks, who have a roster built for the postseason, but then I saw that they're 0-7 against OKC, Cleveland and Boston (yikes!) and ran for the hills. *Entering historic territory: Cleveland is on pace for 68 wins, which is a mark only six teams have ever reached: the 2015-16 Warriors (73-9), 1995-96 Bulls (72-10), 1996-97 Bulls (69-13), 1971-72 Lakers (69-13), 1966-67 Sixers (68-13) and 1972-73 Celtics (68-14). ? TRADE PARTNERS WATCHLIST: REUNION IN LOS ANGELES The Lakers host the Mavericks tonight (10pm ET, TNT) in their first matchup since the Luka Dončić trade. Surprisingly even: Los Angeles has won six of eight games since acquiring Dončić. Dallas has been nearly as good, winning five of their last seven despite losing Anthony Davis to injury. More to watch: ? NBA: Cavaliers at Magic (7:30pm, TNT) … The first-place Cavs have won seven straight games and 11 of their last 12. ? NCAAM: No. 2 Duke at Miami (7pm, ESPN); No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama (9pm, ESPN2) … Tonight might be a little weird for Duke associate head coach Jai Lucas.* ? NHL: Oilers at Lightning (7:30pm, Disney+) … Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl (86) and Tampa's Nikita Kucherov (83) are second and third in points. ⛳️ TGL: The Bay vs. Jupiter Links (9pm, ESPN) … The Bay (3-0-0) are the only team that hasn't lost. Did we just jinx them? ⚽️ Champions Cup: Inter Miami (1-0) vs. Sporting KC (8pm, FS2); LAFC (1-2) vs. Colorado Rapids (10pm, FS2) … First round, second leg. *Coach in waiting: Lucas has reportedly agreed to become the new head coach at Miami, where he'll succeed Jim Larrañaga, who stepped down in December. So he'll be coaching against his future team tonight as he waits for the contract to be finalized. 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 February 27, 2025 Author Members Posted February 27, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Taurasi retires, Luka's revenge game, pre-combine NFL mock draft, college soccer explores becoming a year-round sport, NBA power rankings, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Luka's revenge game: Luka Dončić dropped his first triple-double as a Laker (19-15-12) in L.A.'s 107-99 win over the Mavericks on Tuesday. "Closure is going to take a while," said Luka. "I'm glad the game is over." ? New year, same GOAT: Lionel Messi has played three official games against MLS foes in 2025; he has scored or created four goals, including a banger Tuesday night against Sporting Kansas City. ? CFP in limbo: The format for this year's College Football Playoff remains in limbo. Executives explored changes during a meeting in Dallas on Tuesday but came to no decision. ⚾️ Perfecto in Portland: Portland Pilots lefty Ryan Rembisz made history on Tuesday, throwing the 22nd nine-inning perfect game in NCAA Division I history. He struck out 12 and threw just 90 pitches. ? Chiefs anticipate Kelce return: Travis Kelce is reportedly undecided on his playing future, but Kansas City believes he will return for a 13th season. "How we left it at the end of the season was he was fired up, has one more year under contract," said GM Brett Veach. ? ALL-TIME GREAT TAURASI RETIRES: "I'M FULL AND I'M HAPPY" Diana Taurasi concluded one of basketball's most storied careers on Tuesday by officially announcing her retirement from the WNBA. What she's saying: "Mentally and physically, I'm just full," said the three-time NCAA champion, three-time WNBA champion and six-time Olympic gold medalist in an interview with Time. "That's probably the best way I can describe it. I'm full and I'm happy." From Yahoo Sports' Cassandra Negley: The fastest to 5,000 points, then 7,000 and finally a nice round 10,000. Three championships. Two Finals MVPs. A Most Valuable Player award as a guard in a frontcourt-dominant league. Diana Taurasi's Hall of Fame-worthy accomplishments in the WNBA would require a list so long it would unfurl to the floor like an ancient scroll. And even that might not be enough for a 20-year career of consistent greatness. Before the Caitlin Clark effect, there was Taurasi. Women athletes rarely made it into newspapers during her collegiate era and there wasn't widespread use of social media (Facebook was founded in 2004). But three consecutive championships at Connecticut will thrust any team and star player into the national spotlight. She took over games with a swagger and confidence some might even call cocky, and she became women's basketball's most recognizable star. The attention didn't change her. Forget demure. Taurasi was unabashedly herself, a stone-cold competitor on the court who talked trash and gained whatever advantage she could to win. And she did a lot of it. The WNBA, which hadn't yet turned 10 when the Phoenix Mercury drafted Taurasi at No. 1 overall, was happy to embrace her. Casual sports fans probably couldn't name every WNBA team of that era, nor many of its best players. But they knew Taurasi. Through the years, she became the league's ambassador without necessarily being its outspoken face. It was her play, commitment and refusal to accept "less than" that continuously set new standards from her first season to her last. The last word: "I don't think anyone who knows Diana even a little bit is surprised with the way she retired — on a quiet Tuesday in February," said fellow UConn legend Rebecca Lobo. "It's always been about winning and the game of basketball. It was never about self promotion." ? CLASS OF 2025 NFL MOCK DRAFT 6.0 It's NFL combine week, so we're back with another mock draft, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice and Charles McDonald. Top 10: Titans: Cam Ward, QB (Miami) Browns: Abdul Carter, Edge (Penn State) Giants: Travis Hunter, CB/WR (Colorado) Raiders: Shedeur Sanders, QB (Colorado) Jaguars: Mason Graham, DL (Michigan) Patriots: Tetairoa McMillan, WR (Arizona) Jets: Will Campbell, OT (LSU) Panthers: Mykel Williams, DL (Georgia) Saints: Will Johnson, CB (Michigan) Bears: Armand Membou, OT (Missouri) ⚽️ CALENDAR CHANGE COULD COLLEGE SOCCER BECOME A YEAR-ROUND SPORT? The decades-long push to make men's college soccer a year-round sport is gaining steam, Jeff writes. The latest: U.S. Soccer began discussions last summer with the Big Ten and ACC about launching a 32-team pilot program to test the efficacy of spreading the college soccer calendar across the entire school year. That idea — which would include the entire ACC (15 teams) and Big Ten (11), plus six additional teams — was brought to a broader group at last month's United Soccer Coaches Convention. This is the just the latest in an ongoing effort dating back to at least 2000 to alter the men's college soccer schedule. But crucially, it's the first time the sport's national governing body has gotten seriously involved. What they're saying: "The federation is finally doing what the federation should be doing, which is worrying about the landscape of soccer in the United States and not just the national team," Rusty Oglesby, head women's soccer coach at Hardin-Simmons University and former president of United Soccer Coaches, told Sportico. Why change the calendar? The goal would be to bring the college game more in line with the professional calendar, while also spreading matches out more evenly. "No other major professional or high-end developmental league plays such a compressed schedule," writes Matt Brown in his newsletter, Extra Points. Unlike other college sports, which tend to play at roughly the same cadence as their professional counterparts, D-I soccer programs play matches every three or four days, compared to every seven in most top-tier pro leagues. Spreading the season across both semesters would improve training and limit injuries, which are six times more likely when playing twice per week rather than once, according to a 2010 study. The other side: Those against the change cite scheduling conflicts (namely with December's MLS draft), the strain on support staff (i.e. trainers who already work on other spring sports) and the impact on the college experience ("It's very healthy to have friends outside of soccer," said one player). In related news… MLS is also exploring a calendar overhaul that would flip its start date from February to August to match Europe's "Big Five" leagues. ? 1-30 NBA POWER RANKINGS (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) 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 March 1, 2025 Author Members Posted March 1, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Knapp shoots a 59, Steph goes nuclear, the world's richest teams, sports in miniature, March basketball has arrived, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Another day, another buzzer-beater: A day after No. 8 Michigan State won on a half-court buzzer-beater, No. 15 Michigan beat Rutgers, 84-82, on their own buzzer-beating three. The Wolverines and Spartans are also now tied atop the men's Big Ten with three games left. ? Kelce's not done yet: Travis Kelce will return to the Chiefs this fall for his 13th NFL season, telling Pat McAfee via text that he didn't want to end his career on such a sour note. "I'm coming back for sure. … I can't go out like that!" ? Women's Top 16 reveal: UCLA, Texas, USC and Notre Dame were the top four seeds in the NCAA selection committee's latest Top 16 reveal — their last one before Selection Sunday on March 16. ? No workouts for Hunter: Travis Hunter, the potential No. 1 pick, will not work out at the scouting combine this weekend. Instead, the reigning Heisman winner will do drills at both CB and WR during Big 12 Pro Day, adding that he wants to continue playing both sides in the NFL. ⚽️ NWSL jersey refresh: All 14 NWSL clubs revealed the new Nike-designed jerseys they'll wear for the upcoming season, which begins two weeks from today. ⛳️ 59! KNAPP MAKES HISTORY AT PGA NATIONAL Jake Knapp made history on Thursday at the Cognizant Classic, carding a 12-under 59 for the 15th sub-60 round ever on the PGA Tour, Jeff writes. The 30-year-old California native made 12 birdies, and was so dialed in with his approach shots at PGA National that he only had to make one putt longer than 12 feet all day. He was also inches away from a Tour-record 57, lipping out for birdie on 17 and nearly making eagle on 18. The sub-60 club: Jim Furyk, the only PGA Tour golfer to shoot a 58, is also the only one to card multiple sub-60 rounds. Furyk: 58 (2016 Travelers Championship) Knapp: 59 (2025 Cognizant Classic) Hayden Springer: 59 (2024 John Deere Classic) Cameron Young: 59 (2024 Travelers Championship) Scottie Scheffler: 59 (2020 Northern Trust) Kevin Chappell: 59 (2019 Military Tribute at The Greenbrier) Brandt Snedeker: 59 (2018 Wyndham Championship) Adam Hadwin: 59 (2017 CareerBuilder Challenge) Justin Thomas: 59 (2017 Sony Open) Furyk: 59 (2013 BMW Championship) Stuart Appleby: 59 (2010 Greenbrier Classic) Paul Goydos: 59 (2010 John Deere Classic) David Duval: 59 (1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic) Chip Beck: 59 (1991 Las Vegas Invitational) Al Geiberger: 59 (1977 Memphis Classic) Taming "The Bear Trap": PGA National is generally considered to be pretty tough, particularly The Bear Trap — the three-hole stretch from 15-17 named after Jack Nicklaus, who redesigned the course in 1990. Yes, but: It played much easier on Thursday, and Knapp wasn't the only one who took advantage: Three golfers are tied for second after shooting an 8-under 63 (two strokes shy of the previous course record), and another 11 golfers shot 65 or better. "The rough's not long enough. It's not penal enough when you miss the fairway," said Billy Horschel (-5), who explained that the usual bermudagrass was overseeded with rye, which "looks prettier on TV." "This will be the lowest scoring average in the history of this tournament," he added. "It's just a little disappointing." A long time coming: Knapp, known for having one of the smoothest swings on tour, turned pro in 2016 but didn't earn his PGA Tour card until last year. Heck, he worked as a bouncer at a nightclub to pay the bills as recently as 2022. But he captured his inaugural victory almost exactly a year ago at the Mexico Open, has made six of seven cuts so far this season and is in pole position to add more hardware to his trophy case this weekend. ? 12 THREES, 56 POINTS CURRY GOES NUCLEAR There may be nothing in sports quite as exciting as when Stephen Curry catches fire, and on Thursday night in Orlando the greatest shooter of all time delivered a masterpiece, Jeff writes. Steph doing Steph things: Curry scored a season-high 56 points (!) and nailed 12 three-pointers (!!) — including a three-quarter court buzzer-beater at the half — in the Warriors' 121-115 win over the Magic. This was his third career game with at least 12 threes, tying former teammate Klay Thompson for the most ever. It was also his ninth 50-point game since turning 30, the most in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain had seven). Wild stat: Curry had 11 games with 40+ points and 10+ threes in the 2010s and now has 11 such games in the 2020s, too. No other player has more than seven such games in their entire career. Watch out for Golden State: The Dubs (32-27) have won five straight and seven of eight to move within a half-game of the all-important six seed an an automatic playoff berth. Elsewhere… Giannis Antetokounmpo (28-19-7) and the Bucks won a heavyweight clash, 121-112, against Nikola Jokić (32-14-10) and the Nuggets ... LeBron James (33-17-6) and Luka Dončić (21-13-5) powered the Lakers' 111-102 win over the Timberwolves. ? DEEP POCKETS THE WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE SPORTS FRANCHISES The Dallas Cowboys sit atop Sportico's second annual list of the world's 100 most valuable sports teams, with the franchise worth $10.3 billion when combining its market value, team-related businesses and real estate holdings, Jeff writes. The big picture: The top 100 teams are collectively worth $470 billion, up 16% year-over-year as valuations continue skyrocketing. Consider this: Every team in this year's top 100 is worth at least $2 billion; in 2010, not a single team eclipsed that mark*. Top 10: ? Cowboys ($10.3B) ? Warriors ($9.1B) ? Knicks ($8.3B) ? Lakers ($8.1B) ⚾️ Yankees ($7.9B) ? Rams ($7.8B) ? Giants ($7.7B) ? Patriots ($7.3B) ? 49ers ($6.9B) ? Jets ($6.8B) By league: The NFL unsurprisingly dominated the list, with all 32 teams making the top 100 and even the least valuable of the bunch coming in at No. 52 (Bengals, $4.7B). The NBA also had full representation, with all 30 teams making the cut from the Warriors at No. 2 overall ($9.1B) to the Grizzlies at No. 84 ($3.1B). The rest came from MLB (15), European soccer (10), the NHL (8) and Formula 1 (5). *2010 leaders: The Cowboys, Yankees and Manchester United led the way in 2010, all valued at roughly $1.8 billion. ? HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY PRIMO CARNERA: A LEGACY OF DISGRACE, 100 YEARS LATER Depending on who you ask, Primo Carnera is either the biggest fraud (literally and figuratively) in boxing history, or a misunderstood man mountain who, because he was too trusting and guileless, was the perfect patsy at a time when boxing was most ripe for underworld plucking. From Uncrowned's Ben Fowlkes: Go to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, and you'll see a cast of the big fella's fist. There it is, right next to a little notecard identifying it as "one of the largest fists in boxing history," belonging to Primo Carnera, world heavyweight champion from 1933 to 1934. Even under the glass it looks huge and menacing, which is of course the point. Carnera is not an inductee in this hall of fame and likely never will be. To the extent he is there at all, it is only as a physical oddity. Maybe that's fitting, since it is generally how the boxing world treated him when he was alive. That is to say, it's how he was treated when he was still fighting and winning. Later he was treated much worse. He was lambasted as a fraud, a shameful mirage, a great big joke that everyone was in on but him. The sportswriter and novelist Paul Gallico once described him as a "floundering giant" who was never anything more than "a freak and a fourth-rater at prizefighting." "There is probably no more scandalous, pitiful, incredible story in all the record of these last mad years than the tale of the living giant, a creature out of the legends of antiquity, who was made into a prizefighter," Gallico wrote of Carnera in "Farewell To Sport," his 1937 memoir of his career as a writer for the New York Daily News. "He was taught and trained by a wise, scheming little French boxing manager who had an Oxford University degree, and he was later acquired and developed into the heavyweight champion of the world by a group of American gangsters and mob men; then finally, when his usefulness as a meal ticket was outlived, he was discarded in the most shameful chapter in all boxing." On paper, Carnera owns the record for the most knockouts of any heavyweight champ. His 72 wins by KO/TKO put him ahead of George Foreman, Joe Louis and Max Baer. Not that anyone believes that, of course. Not really. Looking back now, nearly 100 years after his pro debut, there are some things we may never know about him. Carnera and his handlers are gone. Those who fixed fights or didn't, those who took dives or just claimed to, they're all long since dead. But after all the ways boxing used and denigrated Carnera, then hated him for it, maybe the least the sport owes him is some attempt at an honest reckoning. ? MADNESS STARTS EARLY WATCHLIST: WELCOME TO MARCH March begins tomorrow, and to celebrate the occasion the college basketball scheduling gods have gifted us a cornucopia of ranked-on-ranked men's and women's matchups this weekend. Men: No. 1 Auburn at No. 17 Kentucky (Sat. 1pm ET, ABC); No. 6 Alabama at No. 5 Tennessee (Sat. 4pm, ESPN); No. 12 Texas A&M at No. 3 Florida (Sat. 8:30pm, SEC); No. 22 Arizona at No. 9 Iowa State (Sat. 9pm, ESPN); No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan State (Sun. 1:30pm, CBS) Women: No. 4 USC at No. 2 UCLA (Sat. 9pm, Fox); No. 25 Louisville at No. 3 Notre Dame (Sun. 12pm, ESPN); No. 15 Kentucky at No. 6 South Carolina (Sun. 2pm, ESPN); No. 20 Alabama at No. 13 Oklahoma (Sun. 2:30pm, SEC+); No. 12 Ohio State at No. 19 Maryland (Sun. 4:30pm, Fox); No. 16 Duke at No. 24 FSU (Sun. 6pm, ACC); No. 10 TCU at No. 17 Baylor (Sun. 6:30pm, FS1) More to watch: ? NBA: Cavs at Celtics (Fri. 7:30pm, ESPN); Clippers at Lakers (Fri. 10pm, ESPN); Warriors at Sixers (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Nuggets at Celtics (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Thunder at Spurs (Sun. 7pm, ESPN); Timberwolves at Suns (Sun. 9:30pm, ESPN) ? NHL: Bruins at Penguins (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Red Wings at Blue Jackets (Sat. 6pm, ESPN); Maple Leafs at Penguins (Sun. 1pm, TNT); Bruins at Wild (Sun. 3:30pm, TNT); Blues at Stars (Sun. 6pm, TNT) ⚽️ MLS: 15 games (Sat-Sun, Apple TV) … Saturday's Charlotte-Atlanta game (2:30pm) will also air on Fox. ? NFL Combine: On-field workouts (Fri-Sun, NFL) … QBs, WRs and RBs take the field on Saturday (3pm). Plus… The PGA's Cognizant Classic (Fri-Sun, Golf/NBC) and LPGA's HSBC Women's World Championship (Fri-Sat, Golf); NASCAR at Austin's Circuit of the Americas (Sun. 3:30pm, Fox) and IndyCar's season-opening St. Petersburg GP (Sun. 12pm, Fox); the ATP's Dubai Tennis Championships (Fri-Sat, Tennis) and WTA's ATX Open (Fri-Sun, Tennis); Unrivaled (Fri-Sat, TNT/truTV); PWHL (Sat. 2pm, 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 March 4, 2025 Author Members Posted March 4, 2025 ? Good morning! How is it already March? In today's edition: MLB 26-and-under power rankings, Sixers shut down Embiid, Steph Curry dunked, two aces in one round, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Embiid shut down: The 76ers are shutting Joel Embiid down for the rest of the season. The former MVP was limited to just 19 games due to an injured left knee that needs more recovery time. ⚾️ Rose to be pardoned: President Trump plans to pardon Pete Rose, and commissioner Rob Manfred said he will consider a petition filed by Rose's family to reinstate MLB’s hit king and open up a path to the Hall of Fame. ? NFL offseason moves: The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth-round pick, and Matthew Stafford agreed to a restructured contract with the Rams. ? Controversy in Brooklyn: Gervonta "Tank" Davis (30-0-1) retained his WBA lightweight title and remains unbeaten after a controversial decision in his bout against Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-2). Davis took a knee and wasn't penalized for it. ? Chasing Gretzky: Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 884 on Saturday, leaving him 11 shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky's record. ⚾️ YOUNG TALENT MLB 26-AND-UNDER POWER RANKINGS MLB is awash with young stars, but which organizations boast the best collection of youthful talent? 26-and-under rankings: Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz and Jordan Schusterman evaluated all 30 teams based on their 26-and-under talent, a useful exercise to determine how well they're set up for both present and future success. The top 10: Red Sox: Despite these rankings valuing current big-leaguers over future ones, Boston snagged the top spot on the strength of minor league hitters Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, all among MLB's top 12 overall prospects. Orioles: Baltimore's pitchers are decent; their hitters are transcendent. Gunnar Henderson is one of baseball's best, Colton Cowser is the reigning ROY runner-up, and top prospects Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo can both mash. Mariners: Center fielder Julio Rodríguez is still just 24, and righties Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo — both coming off superb campaigns with sub-3.00 ERAs — headline Seattle's talented stable of pitchers. Reds: Shortstop Elly de la Cruz looks like a future MVP candidate, RHP Hunter Greene is a flame-throwing ace and the minors are well-stocked with arms. Dodgers: Yes, the defending champions who employ Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts also have the league's fifth-best collection of young talent, headlined by the Japanese pitching duo of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Rōki Sasaki. Brewers: Outfielder Jackson Chourio, shortstop Joey Ortiz and second baseman Brice Turang lead the way for one of the highest-ranked groups of young MLB hitters on Jake and Jordan's list. Braves: Even with Ronald Acuña Jr. aging out of this exercise, the young core of RHP Spencer Strider, outfielder Michael Harris II and RHP Spencer Schwellenbach will try to propel Atlanta to its eighth straight playoff berth this season. Pirates: Reigning NL ROY Paul Skenes, who introduced two new pitches in his spring training debut over the weekend, headlines a phenomenally talented group of young pitchers in Pittsburgh. Guardians: Cleveland's reputation as a "pitching factory" rang true with last year's lights-out bullpen, and it's their young MLB pitchers, led by Tanner Bibee and Cade Smith, who tip the scales for their top-10 ranking. Nationals: Since winning the 2019 World Series, no team has lost more games than Washington. But the rebuild is finally bearing fruit, and the core of shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder Dylan Crews, outfielder James Wood and a host of young pitching talent shows tremendous promise. 11-30: 11-15: Rays, Diamondbacks, Mets, Tigers, Padres 16-20: Cardinals, Cubs, Athletics, Royals, Twins 21-25: Astros, Rangers, Angels, Giants, Blue Jays 26-30: Yankees, Marlins, White Sox, Rockies, Phillies ? TGL WATCHLIST: PLAYOFF SPOTS ON THE LINE The stakes are high in tonight's TGL doubleheader* on ESPN2 ahead of tomorrow's regular-season finale. Los Angeles vs. The Bay (3pm ET): Both teams have already clinched a playoff spot (as has Atlanta, who plays tomorrow), but tonight's winner will secure the No. 1 seed. Boston Common vs. New York (7pm): New York clinches the fourth and final playoff spot with a win, while Boston is eliminated with a loss. More to watch: ? NBA: Rockets at Thunder (8pm, NBA) … OKC (106.6 points allowed) and Houston (108.8) have the West's best and third-best scoring defenses. ? NCAAM: Wake Forest at No. 2 Duke (7pm, ESPN); Kansas at No. 4 Houston (9pm, ESPN) … The Blue Devils and Cougars are both projected No. 1 seeds. ? NHL: Islanders at Rangers (7pm, NHL) … The Rangers are already 2-0 this season in the Battle of New York. ? Unrivaled: Rose vs. Laces (7:30pm, TNT); Phantom vs. Lunar Owls (8:30pm, TNT) … The final week of the regular season. ⚾️ Spring training: Red Sox at Orioles (1pm, ESPN); Brewers at Reds (8pm, MLB) *Lineups: Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala (L.A.) vs. Min Woo Lee, Shane Lowry and Wyndham Clark (The Bay); Cameron Young, Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele (New York) vs. Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott (Boston). 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 March 4, 2025 Author Members Posted March 4, 2025 ? Good morning! Wanna feel old? Here's Lucas Ramirez (son of Manny) getting a hit off Jaden Agassi (son of Andre and Steffi Graf). In today's edition: Dyson's game-winning steal, Champions League Round of 16, Flagg's final home game at Duke, fight night in D.C., money can't buy wins, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? 50 for 50: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched his fourth 50-point game of the season (51 points) to get the Thunder to 50 wins (50-11). SGA is averaging 32.6 points per game, nearly two more than any other player. ? Historic debut: Katherine Legge will drive in Sunday's Shriners Children's 500 in Phoenix, making her the first woman to compete in NASCAR's top circuit since Danica Patrick in 2018. ? Florida loses Tkachuk: Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will miss the rest of the regular season with a groin injury that he sustained while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The reigning champs hope to get him back for the playoffs. ? 39 years later: No. 2 USC has its highest ranking in the women's AP poll since 1986, which is the last time the Trojans made it to the NCAA title game. Coincidentally, they lost that game to Texas, who is currently ranked No. 1. ? Johnson calls it quits: Hall of Fame coach and longtime NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson is retiring from broadcasting. "The most fun I've ever had in my career was at Fox Sports," said the 81-year-old, who has been with Fox since its debut NFL season in 1994. ? PICKING POCKETS "THE GREAT BARRIER THIEF" STRIKES AGAIN Amid the NBA's offensive explosion, a 21-year-old from Australia is putting on a defensive clinic as the league's premier pickpocket. His latest display: Hawks guard Dyson Daniels provided the signature moment of his DPOY-worthy campaign on Monday night in Memphis, swiping the ball from Desmond Bane in the final seconds then passing it up the court to lift Atlanta to a wild 132-130 win at the buzzer. By the numbers: Daniels (aka. "The Great Barrier Thief") is averaging 3.0 steals per game this season, which is 1.2 more than second place and puts him on pace to become just the eighth player to average three thefts since steals were first recorded in 1973 — and the first in 31 years. Consider this: Daniels is averaging 67% more steals than anyone else. If a player was averaging 67% more points than anyone else, they'd be scoring 54.4 points per game. And it's not just steals: Daniels ranks third among guards in blocks per game (0.8) and he's logged an obscene 333 deflections in 56 games, which is 105 more (!!!) than any other player. The dude is an absolute menace. The art of the steal: Daniels, whom the Pelicans traded to the Hawks this offseason after taking him with the No. 8 pick in the 2022 draft, makes the theme from "Jaws" run through ball-handlers' heads as he prowls the perimeter, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine. It rarely feels like Daniels is freelancing his way out of position, and yet, whenever the ball's in play, he just apparates. Inbounds passes aren't safe. Entry passes to the post and elbow aren't safe. Skips to the corner aren't safe. Crossovers aren't safe, no matter how tight your handle is. Power dribbles in the paint aren't safe, no matter how strong your hands are. Turning your back to him as you try to mouse-in-the-house his teammate on the block? Definitely not safe. Even dribble handoffs aren't safe. Daniels will blow those up, staying connected to the ball-handler as he curls around the screen and forcing his way to the ball like a blitzing linebacker. He even talks about it like a football player: "For me, you know, it's 'See ball, get ball.'" And if you think you've blocked it up, been able to bump him off the play, turn the corner and get downhill to the basket? Think again: Daniels, still in pursuit like a heat-seeking horror movie villain, will close the game with his 6-foot-10.5-inch wingspan and poke the ball out from behind. Bottom line: Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter to ever live. LeBron James is arguably the best all-around player. Could we also be watching the best thief? It's still way too early to anoint Daniels, but his breakout campaign has the hoops world buzzing. ⚽️ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 16 CONTENDERS: WHO WILL BE CROWNED KINGS OF EUROPE? (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The Champions League knockout stage kicks off today with matches across Europe. The contenders: The league phase began with 36 clubs from 16 different countries. That's been whittled down to 16 clubs from eight different countries, spanning from England in the north to Spain in the south and from Portugal in the west to Germany in the east. ??????? England (3): Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool ?? Spain (3): Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid ?? Germany (3): Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund ?? France (2): Lille, Paris Saint-Germain ?? Netherlands (2): Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven ?? Italy: Inter Milan ?? Portugal: Benfica ?? Belgium: Club Brugge The favorites: Barcelona (+170 at BetMGM) has the best odds to reach the final, followed by Real Madrid (+200), Liverpool (+250), Bayern (+275), Arsenal (+275), Inter (+450), PSG (+600), Atlético (+900) and Leverkusen (+1000). Unsurprisingly, eight of those clubs are among the 14 richest in the world, with Leverkusen being the only exception. ? MONEYBALL NBA PAYROLLS: SUNS FLAILING, PISTONS THRIVING (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Payroll isn't always indicative of success, and no NBA teams illustrate that better than the Suns and Pistons, Jeff writes. Where it stands: Phoenix has the NBA's highest payroll ($214.4 million) and finds itself four games out of a play-in spot after losing 11 of its last 14 games. Detroit has the lowest payroll ($141.8 million) and sits a half-game out of fourth place after winning 10 of its last 11. Wild stat: Detroit's entire roster will make less money this season ($141.8 million) than the Suns' big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal ($149.3 million). ? TWIN BILL WATCHLIST: NBA DOUBLEHEADER (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) Tonight's NBA doubleheader begins in New York with Warriors at Knicks (7:30pm ET, TNT) before heading to Phoenix for Clippers at Suns (10pm, TNT). New York renaissance: The Knicks have won 40 games in three straight seasons for the first time since doing so in seven straight seasons from 1992-98. More to watch: ? NCAAM: No. 1 Auburn at No. 22 Texas A&M (9pm, ESPN); No. 23 BYU at No. 10 Iowa State (9pm, ESPN2) … Final week of the regular season. ⚽️ Champions League: Round of 16 (12:45-3pm, Paramount+) … Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid (3pm) is the headliner. ⚽️ Champions Cup: LAFC vs. Columbus Crew (10:30pm, FS2) … Two of the seven MLS clubs that made it to the Round of 16. ⛳️ TGL: Atlanta vs. Jupiter Links (7pm, ESPN) … Regular-season finale. ⚾️ Spring training: Mets at Cardinals (1pm, ESPN) … 23 days until Opening Day!* *MLB countdown: Technically, the regular season starts in just 14 days, with the Dodgers and Cubs playing a two-game set in Tokyo on March 18-19. But traditional Opening Day is set for Thursday, March 27, with all 30 teams in action. 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 March 5, 2025 Author Members Posted March 5, 2025 ? 1 hoop thing: LeBron makes history LeBron James waves to the crowd at last night's Lakers game after making his 50,000th career point. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason last night. Why it matters: The 40-year-old is already the top scorer in NBA history during a career in which he has rewritten all previous definitions of basketball longevity. Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is second with 44,149 combined points. 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 March 6, 2025 Author Members Posted March 6, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: LeBron reaches 50k points, Mavs lose Kyrie, one crazy inning, barefoot water skiing, Rose reinstatement, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? The Mavs are in hell: The Mavericks' season continues to reach new lows. Luka Dončić is gone. Anthony Davis has yet to return. And now Kyrie Irving (torn ACL) is out for the season. ? Saquon gets paid: The Eagles signed Saquon Barkley to a two-year, $41.2 million extension ($36 million guaranteed) that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. ? Aggies stun Tigers: No. 22 Texas A&M upset No. 1 Auburn, 83-72, to snap a four-game losing streak and record the program's first ever win over a top-ranked opponent. ? End of an era: ESPN's "Around the Horn" will air its final show on May 23, bringing one of the longest-running sports shows to an end after 23 years and more than 4,900 episodes. ⚾️ Sasaki's electric debut: Dodgers newcomer Rōki Sasaki struck out five across three scoreless innings in his spring debut, with a four-seam fastball that averaged 98 mph and an all-world splitter that induced seven whiffs on eight swings. ? KING JAMES 50,000 POINTS LeBron James reached yet another milestone on Tuesday when he scored his 50,000th point (including playoffs), nearly 6,000 more than any other player in NBA history, Jeff writes. Top 5: James: 50,033 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 44,149 Karl Malone: 41,689 Kobe Bryant: 39,283 Michael Jordan: 38,279 How did he get here? It wasn't just transcendent play; LeBron's latest accomplishment also required excellent health and, above all, astonishing consistency. Just look at the three phases of his career, during which he's somehow experienced virtually zero drop-off in production. Chapter 1 (age 19-25): 17,332 points in 619 games (28.0 ppg) during his first stint with the Cavs (2003-10). Chapter 2 (age 26-33): 20,617 points in 763 games (27.0 ppg) during his time in Miami and return to Cleveland (2010-18). Chapter 3 (age 34-40): 12,084 points in 453 games (26.7 ppg) with the Lakers (2018-present). About that consistency… LeBron averaged 20.9 points as a rookie. 22 years later, that's still by far his lowest single-season mark. His second-lowest? That would be this year, at age 40, when he's averaging 24.9 points a night — good for 12th-best in the league. Compare that to the rest of the top 10 and only Jordan and Kevin Durant also went their whole careers without dipping beneath 20 points per game. The difference is that MJ played only 15 seasons and Durant, now in his 17th, has been far less durable. LeBron is in Year 22, has missed just four games this season, and is playing 34.7 minutes a night, eighth-most in the league. This is not normal: James' stats since turning 40 years old (26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists on 54.1% shooting) are almost identical to his stats from his fourth MVP campaign in Miami 12 years ago (26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists on 56.5% shooting). The postseason factor: 50,000 points would have never been possible without the playoffs, where LeBron has scored a record 8,162 points thanks to both opportunity (he's only missed the playoffs four times) and immense success (he's made it to 10 Finals). Who (if anyone) could catch him? The easy answer is no one, unless you really think another player is going to play at an all-NBA level for 22 years (and counting!) while also consistently making deep playoff runs. But just for fun, here are three contenders. Durant is closest among active players, though he's still 15,000 (!) points behind. The 36-year-old would have to match James' highest-scoring season for the next five years to reach 50,000. Luka Dončić reached 12,000 career points faster than James, so that's a good start. But the King's new teammate already said he won't play long enough to catch him: "I'd rather go back to my farm in Slovenia." One intriguing candidate? Anthony Edwards, who should pass Dončić this spring for the fourth-most points ever scored before turning 24. LeBron, of course, tops that list, but when you're chasing an unbreakable record, you've got to start somewhere. The bottom line: Eventually, this madness will stop. He can't play forever. Until then, I implore you to keep enjoying one of the most prodigious careers in the history of sports. Go deeper: LeBron James, the face of the league, and the last of his kind (Vincent Goodwill, Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ 23 RUNS! ONE CRAZY INNING (Giphy) There are crooked numbers, and then there's what George Mason did against Holy Cross on Tuesday, Jeff writes. Offensive explosion: The Patriots scored 23 runs in the second inning of their 26-6 win over the Crusaders, the most scored in a single inning in NCAA history. And it all began with a harmless groundout. Play-by-play: George Mason sent 28 batters to the plate, drawing eight walks (plus five HBPs) and hitting six singles and five doubles. Groundout (1 out) Walk Walk Single Single Hit-by-pitch Double Single Hit-by-pitch Hit-by-pitch Error Double Walk Hit-by-pitch Walk Walk Double Single Hit-by-pitch Double Popout (2 outs) Walk Double Single Walk Walk Single Fielder’s choice (3 outs) History books: The Patriots' 23 runs broke the previous NCAA record of 21, shared by Penn State (1983) and Wichita State (1984). The MLB record is 17, set by the Red Sox during their 23-3 win over the Tigers in June 1953. ⚾️ BANNED FROM BASEBALL WILL MANFRED REINSTATE ROSE? (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) From Yahoo Sports' Jack Baer: Pete Rose died last September. A petition to reinstate him from his permanent ban from baseball was filed in January. Many people, most notably President Donald Trump, have said it's time to put him in the Hall of Fame. The petition may very well be successful. It's not a surprising sequence of events, to the point that Rose himself reportedly called it 10 days before he died from heart disease. ? NHL ON TNT WATCHLIST: FIRST-PLACE TEAMS IN ACTION The Maple Leafs blanked the Golden Knights in their first meeting back in November. (Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) Three of the NHL's four division leaders are in action tonight on TNT, starting with Capitals at Rangers (7:30pm ET) and ending with Maple Leafs at Golden Knights (10pm). Cream of the crop: Washington (86 points) sits atop the Metropolitan Division, Toronto (79 points) sits atop the Atlantic and Vegas (78 points) sits atop the Pacific. More to watch: ? NBA: Heat at Cavaliers (7pm, ESPN); Thunder at Grizzlies* (9:30pm, ESPN) … Cleveland (50-10) is in the midst of its third 10-game winning streak of the season. ? NCAAM: No. 13 Maryland at No. 17 Michigan (6:30pm, BTN); No. 5 Florida at No. 7 Alabama (7pm, ESPN2); No. 20 Marquette at UConn (8:30pm, FS1) ⚽️ Champions League: Round of 16 (12:45-3pm, Paramount+) … PSG vs. Liverpool (3pm) is the headliner. 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 March 7, 2025 Author Members Posted March 7, 2025 ? Good morning! A fan traveled 6,000 miles from South Korea to see Russell Westbrook play basketball, and he was rewarded with an unforgettable moment. In today's edition: Jai Lucas to Miami, White and Pritchard make history, Ovi inches closer, NFL draft big board, football cathedrals, "Looked like a changeup," and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Cavs clinch: The Cavaliers beat the Heat to win their 12th straight game and become the first NBA team to clinch a playoff spot. This will be Cleveland's third straight trip to the postseason, their longest streak since reaching four straight Finals from 2015-18. ? New boxing venture: TKO Group, the parent company of UFC and WWE, is establishing a new boxing promotion in partnership with Saudi Arabia. After years of speculation, Dana White is officially in the ring. ? No Tara, no tourney: Stanford women's hoops is set to miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987 after losing in the first round of the ACC tournament. Legendary coach Tara VanDerveer had led the Cardinals to 36 straight appearances before retiring last April. ? NFL offseason moves: The Chargers released five-time Pro Bowl DE Joey Bosa, the Raiders made DE Maxx Crosby the NFL's highest-paid non-QB, Seahawks WR DK Metcalf requested a trade, the Chiefs traded All-Pro G Joe Thuney to the Bears, and more. ⚽️ World Cup halftime show: The 2026 World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium will feature a first-of-its-kind Super Bowl-style halftime show. Coldplay will produce the show, but won't perform. ? ROUNDUP BY THE NUMBERS ? 40-40 The Celtics have had their fair share of dynamic duos, but no Boston teammates had ever scored 40+ points in the same game until Payton Pritchard (43) and Derrick White (41) combined for 84 of their team's 128 points in Wednesday's win over Portland. The two guards also combined for 19 three-pointers, the most ever by a pair of NBA teammates. ? 885 goals Alex Ovechkin scored again in the Capitals' 3-2 (OT) win over the Rangers, moving him within 10 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time mark of 894. Ovechkin has averaged 0.6016 goals per game for his career, while Gretkzy averaged 0.6012. The two best to ever do it. ⚽️ 29.5% of possession Soccer is a funny game. Liverpool were outclassed for much of Wednesday's Champions League match against PSG, managing just 29.5% of possession and one shot on target. But that shot found the back of the net, and the Reds walked away with a 1-0 win. ? 24 years It's been 24 years since an American woman won a singles title at Indian Wells (Serena Williams in 2001). With three Americans in the top five (No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 5 Madison Keys), could this be the year they end the drought at the "fifth Grand Slam"? ? 52nd player Giannis Antetokounmpo has reached 20,000 career points, making him the 52nd player in NBA history to join the club. Coincidentally, the most recent player to get there was his teammate, Damian Lillard, who did so last season. ? PGA TOUR WATCHLIST: ROUND 1 AT BAY HILL The 60th Arnold Palmer Invitational tees off today at Bay Hill* in Orlando (7:30am ET, ESPN+; 2pm, Golf), where 72 golfers will compete for a $20 million purse. The favorites: Scottie Scheffler, whose victory a year ago kicked off his historic nine-win season, is the favorite to finish atop the leaderboard (+350 at BetMGM). He's followed by Rory McIlroy (+850), who has six career top-10 finishes at Bay Hill. More to watch: ? NBA: Sixers at Celtics (7:30pm, TNT); Knicks at Lakers (10pm, TNT) … The Lakers (39-21) have won a season-high seven straight games to climb to No. 2 in the West. ? NCAAM: No. 8 Michigan State at Iowa (8pm, FS1) … The Spartans can clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title with a win. ? NHL: Sabres at Lightning (7pm, ESPN); Sharks at Avalanche (9:30pm, ESPN) … Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 93 points (23 goals, 70 assists). *A formidable foe: Bay Hill is consistently one of the toughest challenges on tour. Last year's scoring average (72.331) marked the eighth consecutive year that the course played over par. 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 March 8, 2025 Author Members Posted March 8, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Two NBA juggernauts, analytics nerds, ESPN's $100 million man, meet the CFP committee, athlete of the day, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Deadline day: The NHL trade deadline is today at 3pm ET, but teams haven't waited around to make their moves, with 13 trades in the past three days alone. ⚽️ 64-team World Cup? FIFA will consider expanding the World Cup to 64 teams in 2030 to celebrate the tournament's centennial. The field is already expanding from 32 to 48 teams for 2026. ? NFL moves: The Jaguars are trading WR Christian Kirk to the Texans and the Bengals have given All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade. ? Trilogy booked: After two epic bouts in 2022 and 2024, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano will meet for a third time this July at MSG (and on Netflix) in a battle for Taylor's undisputed super lightweight championship. ? Lanning extended: Oregon is giving head coach Dan Lanning a new six-year contract that will pay him nearly $11 million per season, making him the nation's fourth-highest paid college football coach. ? HISTORIC PACE DYNAMIC DUO: THE THUNDER AND CAVS ARE JUGGERNAUTS (Yahoo Sports) In any given NBA season, we're lucky if we get to watch one historically great team play basketball multiple days a week. This year, we get to watch two, Jeff writes. By the numbers: The Thunder (+12.73) and Cavaliers (+11.53) are on pace for the best and sixth-best scoring differentials in NBA history. The top five on that list all won a championship that season. Cleveland (52-10), which already clinched a postseason spot, is on pace for 69 wins, tied for the third-most ever. They're also in the midst of their third 12-game win streak, something only one other team has ever done (2006-07 Mavs). Oklahoma City (51-11), which should clinch a playoff spot any day now, is on pace for 67 wins, tied for the seventh-most in league history. They've won five straight and 14 of 16 to take a commanding 10.5-game lead atop the West. What makes them so good? It's pretty simple, really: The Cavs have an all-time great offense and the Thunder have a generationally elite defense. Cleveland's offensive rating (122.9 points per 100 possessions) ranks second all-time behind only last year's title-winning Celtics. They're particularly lethal from behind the arc, shooting a league-best 39.3%. OKC's defensive rating (105.9) is the NBA's best in the last five years, and by far the best this season, with a larger lead over the second-place Magic (109.4) than the Magic have over the 13th-place Lakers (112.5). And let's not forget about their stars: While both teams boast impressive depth, OKC is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's leading scorer and the favorite to win MVP. Cleveland's alpha isn't quite the same level (few are), but Donovan Mitchell is still the NBA's 15th-leading scorer and Evan Mobley is the favorite to win DPOY. Looking ahead: The Celtics are for real, so we can't forget about the reigning champs. But given how the Cavs and Thunder have dominated the regular season, it would surprise no one if they were the last two teams standing in June. But history says that's unlikely: Only three* of the 25 NBA Finals this century featured both No. 1 seeds. *Lakers over Pacers (2000), Celtics over Lakers (2008), Cavaliers over Warriors (2016). ? DORKAPALOOZA HAVE THE NERDS RUINED SPORTS? Some of the biggest brains in sports are in Boston this weekend for the 19th edition of the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (aka. Dorkapalooza*). Analytics, then vs. now: When SSAC began, "analytics" was still a relatively new concept that had the potential to upend sports. All these years later, the data-driven revolution has upended sports, and this weekend's discussions will reflect that. At the 2010 event, Mark Cuban talked about a groundbreaking metric called "Plus/Minus," which is now something even casual fans understand and look for in box scores. In 2012, new Astros GM Jeff Luhnow laid out his plan to build an "analytical database" in Houston. By 2013, every NBA team except the Lakers had a representative at the conference. By 2015, analytics had officially gone mainstream. "The war is over, and the nerds have won," wrote The Guardian's Robert Silverman in a dispatch from Boston. This year's agenda builds on analytics' ever-expanding applications, from soccer tactics to football scouting to franchise-building. But it also includes a panel that sounds like it might push back a bit: "Have the Nerds Ruined Basketball?" The present moment: The Washington Post published a series of stories this week about the current state of analytics, perhaps with SSAC in mind. The main takeaway, for me at least, is that the tone of the conversation is shifting. To be clear: analytics is here to stay (read: "How the Red Sox built MLB's best prospect duo"). But we're starting to see the cost of this mindset, and the endless quest for efficiency is increasingly being blamed for robbing sports of their beauty. From the Post's Dave Sheinin: The analytics movement arguably has transformed the major sports landscape like no development since the dawn of televised games, changing the way coaches coach, players play, front offices evaluate talent and fans consume. But what has occurred over the past half-decade in MLB and the NBA suggests that dynamic, if allowed to proceed unchecked for decades, can hasten the strategy optimization process, essentially "solving" games and causing a deleterious effect on a sport's aesthetic appeal. It is a revelation that carries ominous ramifications for leagues such as the NFL and the NHL, where analytics arrived later and have taken longer to shape organizational philosophies. Dive in: Analytics transformed sports. Has it also made them less entertaining? The NBA is facing an analytics-fueled crisis. MLB can relate. From NFL to chess, an existential question: Can all games be solved? *Flashback Friday: Remember when Bill Simmons used to write for ESPN.com? Here's his recap of the 2009 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, which he dubbed Dorkapalooza 2009. Long live, "The Sports Guy" and the mid-2000s era of the internet. Simpler times, man. Simpler times. 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 March 9, 2025 Author Members Posted March 9, 2025 A boundary-breaking basketballer You wouldn’t know it based on the ease and cool she exudes on the court, but Baileigh Sinaman-Daniel was cut from her high school basketball team before what would’ve been her senior season. “Basketball was the only thing that really made me feel normal,” she told CNN. Sinaman-Daniel plays basketball with one arm, as she can’t use her right arm. She gave herself a few days to mourn the end of her high school basketball experience. But almost as quickly, she was sending her tape out to scouts, eager to get back on the court. Her persistence paid off: Earlier this season, Sinaman-Daniel made a miraculous shot from just inside the three-point line. The play made her the first NCAA Division III women’s basketball player with one arm to score a field goal. Having Sinaman-Daniel on Lesley University’s women’s basketball team transformed the program: The team won 11 games this season and made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Lesley lost its first ever semifinal in the North Atlantic Conference West playoffs, but Sinaman-Daniel is already focused on next season. “My confidence has just skyrocketed through the roof,” she told CNN. “If you tell me to dunk, I might try!” 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 March 10, 2025 Author Members Posted March 10, 2025 ⚽ 1 for the road: "Yankified" World Cup Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is taking tips from the Super Bowl and adding a halftime show, Axios' Ashley Mahoney writes. Why it matters: This will be the first for the tournament, which will take place in 16 cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico next summer. What a halftime show will look like is still unclear, including whether or not halftime will be extended to accommodate the show. Coldplay will work with FIFA on the list of performers for the show, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. Some fans are protesting: "Stop Yankifying this sport." 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 March 11, 2025 Author Members Posted March 11, 2025 ? Good morning! The countdown for Alex Ovechkin has officially reached single digits. He's now nine goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky. In today's edition: Drake's magical season, NFL spending spree, the NHL's new title favorites, Bama at the buzzer, SGA vs. Jokić (again), Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? NFL offseason: Bills QB Josh Allen (six years, $330M) and Browns DE Myles Garrett ($40M annually) signed record-breaking extensions; Davante Adams is a Ram; the Seahawks sent Geno Smith to the Raiders and DK Metcalf to the Steelers. See all the latest moves here. ⚾️ Rays for sale? After 17 years of trying to find a new stadium, Rays owner Stu Sternberg is reportedly being pressured to sell the team by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and other owners as potential buyers eye the franchise. ? Back-to-back-to-back: The NASCAR Cup Series season is four races old and Christopher Bell has already accomplished something no Cup driver has done since 2021: win three consecutive races. His latest victory came Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. ⛳️ Henley surges to victory: Russell Henley overtook Collin Morikawa late on Sunday to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational and earn a $4 million payday. The former Georgia Bulldog was due: his 10 top-10 finishes since the start of 2024 were the most without a win. ? 100 points: Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon became the first NHL player to reach 100 points this season (27 goals, 73 assists) and joined Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Alex Ovechkin as the only active players with three straight 100-point campaigns. ? TICKET PUNCHED "D-II DRAKE" WON'T STOP WINNING Drake's magical season continued on Sunday when the Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference title game to clinch an NCAA tournament berth and become the first 30-win team in Division I men's basketball. Not bad for a bunch of D-II guys. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel: For 15 seasons, Ben McCollum ran the best D-II basketball program in the country at Northwest Missouri State. He had an 81.3% winning percentage, including a seven-year stretch of 224-16 (.933), and four national titles, with COVID stopping a potential fifth for a 31-1 squad in 2020. The teams were good. So were the players. And so there were times McCollum would do what everyone who has ever coached or played in a lower division does: He wondered how he and his guys would fare if they ever got the chance to compete at the highest level. "You always wonder," McCollum said. "We would sit around and discuss it." The D-II titles were glorious. But still… "Playing in the Division I NCAA tournament is more of a personal thing, a chance to challenge yourself to a certain level," he said. Starting from scratch: Drake won 28 games last season under Darian DeVries, but the roster was immediately gutted when he was hired by West Virginia. 12 players transferred, two graduated and one quit basketball, leaving redshirt senior Nate Ferguson and walk-on Matt Alia as the only remaining players. McCollum, 46, needed an entirely new team, and although he didn't set out to prove as much, what has resulted is a chance to answer that age-old question of what happens when the small-time get a shot at the big-time. Of the nine Drake players who regularly see action, seven were not in D-I last year. Their top three scorers all came from Northwest Missouri State, including leading scorer Bennett Stirtz, who was named the Larry Bird Missouri Valley Player of the Year. When rival fans took a look at their roster last offseason, they were dubbed "D-II Drake." No one is laughing at the 30-3 Bulldogs now. "I knew these kids. I knew their character. I knew their toughness," said McCollum. Bigger than basketball: McCollum's roster of believers will enter the NCAA tournament as a popular Cinderella pick, and above all else, an inspiration for all those players and coaches and everyday people who dream of being more than just a label. ?️ Tickets punched: High Point* (Big South), Lipscomb (ASUN), SIU Edwardsville* (Ohio Valley) and Omaha* (Summit) joined Drake in the men's field; South Carolina (SEC), Duke (ACC), UCLA (Big Ten), TCU (Big 12), George Mason* (A-10), UNC Greensboro (SoCon), Tennessee Tech (Ohio Valley), High Point (Big South) and South Dakota State (Summit) clinched spots in the women's field. *First NCAA tournament bid in program history ? TITLE ODDS STARS, PANTHERS NEW CUP FAVORITES The Panthers and Stars are the new favorites to win the Stanley Cup (+600 at BetMGM) after both teams made big splashes at the NHL trade deadline. Making moves: Dallas acquired right winger Mikko Rantanen* from the Hurricanes (then signed him to an eight-year, $96 million extension), while Florida landed longtime Bruins star Brad Marchand in a trade that marks the end of an era in Boston.** Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his Stars debut on Saturday, then followed that up with another goal in Sunday's win over the Canucks. Marchand (upper body injury) won't be on the ice when the Panthers face the Bruins tomorrow night in Boston, but he'll be in the building. What they're saying: "With Rantanen on the Stars' top line and fellow midseason acquisition Mikael Granlund on the second line, Dallas has no discernable holes," writes The Hockey News' Adam Proteau. As for the defending champion Panthers? "With Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart, Florida's snot factor is off the charts." *Rantanen was traded twice in six weeks, with Colorado shipping him to Carolina (Jan. 24) before they flipped him to Dallas (March 7). This almost never happens, especially to a star player who ranks 10th in the NHL with 73 points (29 goals, 44 assists). **For the first time since 2002, the Bruins roster does not feature one of Zdeno Chára, Patrice Bergeron or Marchand, who collectively served as team captains for the past 19 seasons (2006-2025). ✍️ ROUNDUP EXTRA POINTS ? ACC dominance: No. 2 Duke beat UNC, 82-69, on Saturday to complete one of the best ACC campaigns in the program’s storied history. The Blue Devils finished conference play with a 19-1 record and a ridiculous +434 point differential, which is the largest by a power conference team since 1953-54 Kentucky. ?? "Most Wanted" Olympian: Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been added to the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list with a $10 million reward for his arrest. The 43-year-old Canadian is wanted for allegedly running a drug trafficking ring and orchestrating multiple murders. ? Injury-ravaged roster: The Mavericks' miserable 2025 hit a new low on Sunday when they closed out a loss to the Suns with only seven available players. "Never been in a game where we couldn't take someone out to rest them because we had no one to put in," said head coach Jason Kidd. "If not in [street] clothes, they were in the back getting stitches or could not move or walk." ? Death at the Iditarod: A four-year-old female dog named Ventana died on Friday after collapsing during the Iditarod. Over 100 dogs have now died during the famous Alaskan sled dog race, which would never be held again if it were up to me. Enough. ? Ohio homecoming: After four seasons at FCS Tennessee State, Eddie George has agreed to become the head coach at Bowling Green, returning to the state where he once starred for the Buckeyes and won the 1995 Heisman Trophy. ? BACK-TO-BACK WATCHLIST: SGA VS. JOKIĆ (AGAIN) The NBA MVP favorites faced off on Sunday in Oklahoma City, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (40-8-5) and the Thunder beat Nikola Jokić (24-13-9) and the Nuggets, 127-103. Tonight, they'll go head-to-head again (8pm ET, NBA). Two-man race: SGA remains the MVP favorite following his third straight 40-point game (and 58th straight game with 20+ points), but Jokić is hot on his heels and helped his case on Friday when he recorded the first 30-20-20 game in NBA history.* More to watch: ? NCAAM: Wofford vs. Furman (7pm, ESPN); Arkansas State vs. Troy (7pm, ESPN+) … SoCon and Sun Belt title games. ? NCAAW: Arkansas State vs. James Madison (2pm, ESPN2); No. 3 UConn vs. No. 23 Creighton (7pm, FS1) … Sun Belt and Big East title games. ? Tennis: Indian Wells, Round 3 (1pm, Tennis) … No. 3 Coco Gauff and No. 3 Taylor Fritz, the world's top-ranked Americans, are both in action. ? Unrivaled: Lunar Owls vs. Mist (7:30pm, TNT); Vinyl vs. Rose (8:30pm, TNT) … Playoff spots are on the line in the regular-season finale. *Dime dropper: Jokić's 22 assists on Friday broke Wilt Chamberlain's single-game record for most by a center (21) and were just eight shy of the NBA record (30) set by point guard Scott Skiles in 1990. 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 March 12, 2025 Author Members Posted March 12, 2025 ? Good morning! Can Delaware make history tonight by winning its fifth game in five days to clinch a spot in The Big Dance? More below. In today's edition: High school shot clock, the NFL's highest-paid non-QBs, The Snow League, Wooden Award finalists, click to vote for MVP, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Back to school: Stephen Curry has accepted the position of assistant GM at his alma mater, Davidson College, making him the first active professional athlete to take on an administrative role in the NCAA. ? NFL offseason: The "legal tampering" period started with a bang on Monday. Sam Darnold is a Seahawk, Justin Fields is a Jet, Chris Godwin is staying in Tampa, Laremy Tunsil was traded to the Commanders and the Patriots went on a spending spree. ⚾️ Tommy John for Cole: Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery today, ending his season before it starts. "I have a lot left to give, and I'm fully committed to the work ahead," said the 34-year-old. ? Blue Devils on top: Duke sits atop the final men's AP poll of the regular season, ending Auburn's eight-week reign and earning the program's first No. 1 ranking since 2021. ? NHL PED suspension: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended 20 games after failing what he said was a random drug test. He's the first player in nearly seven years to be suspended under the NHL's performance enhancing drugs policy. ? STALL BALL THE HIGH SCHOOL SHOT CLOCK CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) The shot clock was a brilliant invention that transformed the NBA in 1954 and the college game in 1985. But in roughly half the country, high school basketball is still stuck in the stone age, Jeff writes. Stall ball: Eastland High (Illinois) held the ball the entire first quarter en route to an upset win over top-ranked Pecatonica in last week's sectional title game, sparking national outrage. This game last month in New Mexico wasn't much better. And who can forget the sad excuse for a basketball game two years ago in Oklahoma? Final score: 4-2. Something's gotta give. And in 23 states, something already has. State(s) of play: 23 states (plus D.C.) have implemented a 35-second shot clock in high school hoops since 2021, when the National Federation of State High School Associations began allowing state-level adoption. Another three states are currently running trials (Kansas, Nevada, South Carolina), and four more have voted to adopt a shot clock by the 2026-27 school year (Alaska, Wyoming, Colorado, Illinois). But that still means high school basketball in 20 states will remain stuck in the past for the foreseeable future. What they're saying: Playing without a shot clock can lead to sinfully boring basketball, while also hindering player development, especially for those who plan to play at the next level. But you can't blame the coaches for doing whatever it takes to win. "I don't do it often but … I would not hesitate to hold the ball if I genuinely felt like it was the right thing to do. I just don't want the rules to give me that option." — Mark Gray-Mendes, Thomas Jefferson High School (Virginia) head coach (via The Washington Post) So why is this even a debate? Money. The up-front cost to install a shot clock can range anywhere from $3,000-$10,000, and unless you want some JV kid at the scorer's table who's only half paying attention, you're going to need to pay someone to (properly) operate it, too. That's a prohibitive cost for many counties across the country. Bottom line: The 3-point line came to high school hoops just one year after it arrived in the NCAA, while the shot clock has taken many decades. Turns out painting the floor is a lot easier (and cheaper) than adding a timer. ? MEGA-DEALS THE NFL'S HIGHEST-PAID NON-QBS (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Myles Garrett had been trying to leave the Browns for weeks after requesting a trade from the team that drafted him first overall in 2017. Instead, Cleveland made the four-time All-Pro edge rusher the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, Jeff writes. $40 million per year: The Browns signed Garrett to a four-year, $160 million extension on Sunday that includes $123.5 million guaranteed. It's the highest average annual salary ever for a non-QB, and tied for the 15th-highest in the league among all players. Garrett broke the record set four days earlier by Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby ($35.5 million annually), who in turn broke the record set last summer by Vikings WR Justin Jefferson ($35 million). For reference: The NFL's highest-paid players by average annual value are Cowboys QB Dak Prescott ($60 million), Bills QB Josh Allen, Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Packers QB Jordan Love and Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (all tied at $55 million). Who's next? As you can see above, nearly the entire top 10 comprises WRs and DEs. While none of the current top free agents at those positions will break Garrett's record, Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase almost certainly will. He won the Triple Crown last season at age 25 and is a prime candidate to ink a historic extension before reaching free agency next year. ? PLAYER OF THE YEAR WOODEN AWARD: 15 FINALISTS (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Duke's Cooper Flagg and Auburn's Johni Broome headline the Wooden Award men's top 15, the national ballot from which the eventual winner will be determined, Jeff writes. The finalists: Broome is one of 11 seniors and Flagg is one of two freshmen, alongside just one junior and one sophomore. Tennessee is the only school with multiple finalists. Flagg (Duke, Fr.): 19.4 pts, 7.6 reb, 4.2 ast, 1.5 stl Broome (Auburn, Sr.): 18.6 pts, 10.6 reb, 3.3 ast, 2.4 blk Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida, Sr.): 17.2 pts, 3.8 reb, 4.3 ast, 1.2 stl L.J. Cryer (Houston, Sr.): 15.3 pts, 2.2 reb, 1.9 ast, 43.1% 3PT Hunter Dickinson (Kansas, Sr.): 17.4 pts, 9.9 reb, 2.0 ast, 1.3 blk Eric Dixon (Villanova, Sr.): 23.6 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.1 ast, 42.9% 3PT Kam Jones (Marquette, Sr.): 18.9 pts, 4.5 reb, 6.1 ast, 1.5 stl Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton, Sr.): 19.4 pts, 9.0 reb, 1.6 ast, 2.7 blk Chaz Lanier (Tennessee, Sr.): 17.9 pts, 3.9 reb, 1.0 ast, 40.5% 3PT Mark Sears (Alabama, Sr.): 19.2 pts, 3.1 reb, 5.0 ast, 0.9 stl John Tonje (Wisconsin, Sr.): 18.9 pts, 5.1 reb, 1.7 ast, 0.7 stl Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee, Sr.): 13.1 pts, 3.0 reb, 7.5 ast, 1.9 stl Braden Smith (Purdue, Jr.): 16.3 pts, 4.7 reb, 8.8 ast, 2.3 stl PJ Haggerty (Memphis, So.): 21.2 pts, 5.5 reb, 3.8 ast, 1.8 stl Dylan Harper (Rutgers, Fr.): 19.2 pts, 4.5 reb, 3.9 ast, 1.4 stl What's at stake: With all due respect to the other finalists, this is a two-man race between Flagg and Broome. Flagg is vying to become the fourth freshman to win the award (Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson), while Broome would be Auburn's first winner. Caption USC's JuJu Watkins, Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and UConn's Paige Bueckers headline the women's Wooden Award finalists. The finalists: Bueckers is one of seven seniors and Watkins and Hidalgo are among the four sophomores on the list, which also features three juniors and one freshman. UConn, Notre Dame, LSU and TCU all have two finalists. Watkins (USC, So.): 24.6 pts, 6.9 reb, 3.5 ast, 2.2 stl Hidalgo (Notre Dame, So.): 24.2 pts, 5.1 reb, 3.7 ast, 3.7 stl Bueckers (UConn, Sr.): 18.8 pts, 4.4 reb, 4.9 ast, 2.0 stl Georgia Amoore (Kentucky, Sr.): 19.1 pts, 2.2 reb, 6.9 ast, 1.0 stl Aziaha James (NC State, Sr.): 17.9 pts, 4.9 reb, 2.7 ast, 1.1 stl Olivia Miles (Notre Dame, Sr.): 16.2 pts, 5.9 reb, 5.8 ast, 40.9% 3PT Aneesah Morrow (LSU, Sr.): 18.5 pts, 13.6 reb, 1.4 ast, 2.6 stl Sedona Prince (TCU, Sr.): 17.5 pts, 9.6 reb, 2.4 ast, 3.0 blk Hailey Van Lith (TCU, Sr.): 17.9 pts, 4.4 reb, 5.3 ast, 1.2 stl Lauren Betts (UCLA, Jr.): 19.6 pts, 9.7 reb, 2.8 ast, 2.9 blk Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU, Jr.): 18.9 pts, 5.8 reb, 2.4 ast, 1.6 stl Ta'Niya Latson (FSU, Jr.): 24.9 pts, 4.5 reb, 4.7 ast, 2.2 stl Madison Booker (Texas, So.): 16.2 pts, 6.6 reb, 2.8 ast, 43.9% 3PT Audi Crooks (Iowa State, So.): 23.2 pts, 7.6 reb, 1.5 ast, 60.2% FG Sarah Strong (UConn, Fr.): 16.1 pts, 8.3 reb, 3.4 ast, 57.9% FG What to watch: Bueckers can become the eighth two-time winner since this award debuted in 2004, while Watkins and Hidalgo can join Maya Moore (2009) as the only sophomores to win. ? 5 WINS IN 5 DAYS WATCHLIST: 40 MINUTES FROM HISTORY The Blue Hens celebrate after knocking off top-seeded Towson on Monday. (Delaware Athletics) Delaware entered the CAA tournament with 12 wins on the year. Four days and four wins later, the 12-seed enters tonight's title game against UNC Wilmington (7pm ET, CBSSN) on the precipice of history, Jeff writes. 40 minutes away: The Blue Hens, who lost 11 of 12 games to end the regular season, are vying to become just the third team in D-I men's basketball history to win five games in five days en route to winning a conference title, joining 2011 UConn and 2024 NC State. More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Round of 16, second leg* (1:45-4pm, Paramount+) … Quarterfinal spots are on the line. ? NCAAM: St. Francis PA at Central Connecticut (7pm, ESPN+) Youngstown State vs. Robert Morris (7pm, ESPN+); Gonzaga vs. No. 19 Saint Mary's (9pm, ESPN) … NEC, Horizon and WCC title games. ? NCAAW: Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Green Bay (12pm, ESPN2); Oregon State vs. Portland (4pm, ESPN2) … Horizon and WCC title games. ? NBA: Bucks at Pacers (7:30pm, TNT) … Indiana (35-28) is one game behind Milwaukee (36-27) for the East's 4-seed. ? Tennis: Indian Wells, Round of 16 (2pm, Tennis) … No. 5 Daniil Medvedev vs. No. 10 Tommy Paul headlines today's action. ? NHL: Lightning at Hurricanes (7pm, ESPN+); Avalanche at Wild (8pm, ESPN+) … Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (102), Cale Makar (75) and Martin Necas (72) all rank in the top 12 in points. *Where it stands: Barcelona (1-0) vs. Benfica, Liverpool (1-0) vs. PSG, Inter Milan (2-0) vs. Feyenoord, Bayer Leverkusen (0-3) vs. Bayern Munich. 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 March 13, 2025 Author Members Posted March 13, 2025 ? 1 for the road: Tiger to miss Masters Via X Tiger Woods had surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon that'll keep him out of the Masters next month, and leaves in question whether he can play in any other major championship the rest of the year. He said he had a minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon that the doctor said went smoothly. 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 March 13, 2025 Author Members Posted March 13, 2025 ? Good morning! Quick PSA: If you ever miss an edition of Yahoo Sports AM or want to find an old newsletter, they can all be found here. ? Poll results: 69% of you voted for Nikola Jokić to win NBA MVP, while 31% picked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. We'll do this again next month as the regular season winds down. In today's edition: SEC supremacy, six more tickets punched, Yamal looks like Messi, the Cavs can't stop winning, Tiger gets surgery, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Automatic bids: Gonzaga, UNC Wilmington, Robert Morris and Saint Francis won their conference tournaments to punch their tickets to the NCAA men's tournament, while Oregon State and Green Bay secured spots in the women's field. ? Free agency tracker: The Vikings signed Will Fries (five years, $88M) and Jonathan Allen (three years, $60M); the Colts signed Daniel Jones (one year, $14M); the Bills signed Joey Bosa (one year, $12.6M); the Ravens signed DeAndre Hopkins (one year, $6M)… Full list of moves. ? Wild finish: Tyrese Haliburton pulled off a ridiculous 4-point play in the final seconds against the Bucks to lift the Pacers to a 115-114 victory in front of their home crowd. Both teams are now 36-28 on the season. ⚽️ Poch's picks: USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino named his 23-man roster for next week's Nations League finals, which will be his first real test since taking over as manager in September. ? Big number: The Celtics-Lakers clash on Saturday night in Boston drew an average of 4.61 million viewers on ABC, the largest audience for an NBA regular-season game in seven years (not including Christmas Day). ? A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN THE SEC IS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH HISTORY (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) The SEC tournament begins today in Nashville, where the champion of arguably the greatest league in men's college basketball history will be crowned, Jeff writes. Chasing history: The 2011 Big East landed a record 11 teams in the NCAA tournament. This year's SEC could get as many as 14. Yes, you read that correctly: A conference with 16 teams could realistically send 14 of them to The Big Dance. Locks (9): No. 3 Auburn, No. 4 Florida, No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 15 Kentucky, No. 21 Missouri, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Probably in (4): Georgia, Vanderbilt, Arkansas ("Last Four Byes") and Oklahoma ("Last Four In") are currently projected to make the 68-team field, per Bracketology. On the bubble (1): Texas is currently among the "First Four Out" but could play its way in with a strong showing this week. Need a miracle (2): LSU and South Carolina, the league's only teams under .500, will need to win the conference tournament to secure a spot. Best league ever? This year's SEC has the best non-conference winning percentage (.889) since at least 1997, and the second-best margin of victory during that time, per KenPom. They went 32-16 against the current KenPom top 50, including wins over the current AP No. 1 (Duke), No. 2 (Houston), No. 6 (St. John's), No. 9 (Texas Tech) and No. 10 (Clemson) teams. The league is projected to land the No. 1 overall seed (Auburn), six top-4 seeds and boasts four of the six favorites (Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee) to cut down the nets. The problem with so many great teams? An unprecedented number of bids for the SEC is bound to create a headache for the selection committee, writes Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg. The more NCAA tournament bids that the SEC receives, the tougher it will be for the selection committee to adhere to its bracketing principles. Opening-round matchups between teams from the same conference are flatly forbidden. Those matchups are also avoided whenever possible in the round of 32 and the Sweet 16. "They'll still try to avoid having teams from the same conference meet as much as possible, but the first priority is keeping everyone on their true seed line," said David Worlock, the NCAA's media coordinator for March Madness. Looking ahead: Historic regular-season success doesn't guarantee anything in the crucible that is March Madness. To wit, the two best leagues ever by non-conference scoring margin (1997 ACC and 2024 Big 12) sent a combined one team to the Elite Eight. If the 2025 SEC wants to cement its place as the best ever, it will need to show up when it matters most. ⚽️ WUNDERKIND YAMAL, 17, MIGHT ALREADY BE THE WORLD'S BEST PLAYER (David Ramos/Getty Images) Lamine Yamal sparked Barcelona into the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, adding to a growing-but-already-quite-large sample size of greatness. From Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell: Lamine Yamal is 17 years old and sometimes — when he's not scoring Champions League goals, or flooring defenders, or leading Barcelona to the top of La Liga — he looks it. He still wears dental braces. He gets his secondary school exam scores in June. And at other times, he looks like the best soccer player in the world. Because even at 17, he might be. That's no longer a reactionary, exaggerated claim. There's a hesitance to anoint him because there are dozens of great players whose résumés are more extensive. There is Rodri, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner. There is Mo Salah, who has had the best 2024-25 season of anybody in world football. There are Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr., who have been doing Lamine-like things for much longer. But Yamal, at least on occasion, looks like a more complete player. He leads La Liga in assists and goal-creating actions. His progressive dribbling numbers are nearly on par with Vini's. And so is his sauce. Some of his on-ball skills are mind-boggling. His personal list of "defenders I made look silly" is already ridiculously long. "I think it's silly to compare him to Messi, because Messi is unique and there will never be anyone like him," Gavi, Yamal's Spain and Barcelona teammate, said in January. But then he continued: "Lamine, for me, is the best today." ⛳️ UNDER THE KNIFE TIGER ISN'T GOING OUT LIKE THIS We won't see Tiger at Augusta this year. (Warren Little/Getty Images) Tiger Woods underwent surgery on Tuesday for a ruptured Achilles, an injury that will in all likelihood keep him out of all four majors this season. From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: We're not going to see Tiger Woods playing golf any time soon. But if you think we'll never see Tiger Woods play golf again… think again. It would be easy to declare Woods' career over — another surgery, another lost year in a career that has precious few years left to give. It would be easy… and it would be wrong. Tiger Woods isn't going out like this. He'll be back, one way or another. When he leaves the game of golf, it will be on his own terms. This isn't to say he'll ever lift another trophy. Woods will almost surely end up forever three short of Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors. He'll almost certainly remain tied with Sam Snead for most PGA Tour victories at 82. And yet… you wouldn't bet your house against Woods, would you? Because just when you think he's out, he rallies back to win the U.S. Open on a broken leg, or win the Masters one more time. Woods built his career on dominance, but he sustained it on resilience. Underestimate either one, and you'd be in the clubhouse signing your scorecard well before he was. ? HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH WATCHLIST: FINALS PREVIEW IN BOSTON? OKC beat Boston in their first meeting back in January. (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) The Celtics host the Thunder tonight (7:30pm ET, ESPN) in a clash of title favorites as Boston's season-long mission to repeat as champions continues. Title odds: Boston (+220 at BetMGM) and OKC (+225) are heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals, followed by the Cavaliers (+500), Lakers (+1000), Nuggets (+1200) and Warriors (+1200). More to watch: ? NCAAM: Lamar at McNeese (5pm, ESPN2); Navy at American (7pm, CBSSN); Montana vs. Northern Colorado (11:30pm, ESPN2) … Southland, Patriot and Big Sky title games. ? NCAAW: Montana vs. Montana State (5pm, ESPNU); Rice vs. USF (7pm, ESPNU); Wyoming vs. San Diego State (10:30pm, CBSSN) … Big Sky, AAC and MWC title games. ⚽️ Champions League: Round of 16, second leg* (1:45-4pm, Paramount+) … Four quarterfinal spots on the line. ? NHL: Sabres at Red Wings (7:30pm, TNT); Ducks at Utah (10pm, TNT) ? Tennis: Indian Wells, Quarterfinals (2pm, Tennis) … No. 3 Coco Gauff and No. 5 Madison Keys, the two top-ranked American women, are both in action. *Where it stands: Atlético Madrid (1-2) vs. Real Madrid; Lille (1-1) vs. Dortmund; Aston Villa (3-1) vs. Club Brugge; Arsenal (7-1) vs. PSV. Who will join Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the quarterfinals? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.