Members phkrause Posted March 14, 2025 Author Members Posted March 14, 2025 ? Good morning! Just three days left until you can start filling out your bracket. Life is good. ? Exciting news from Yahoo Sports HQ: We launched a new home for sports collectibles coverage powered by some of the top publishers in the space. In today's edition: Rick Pitino can coach, Kansas mashes five straight homers, "Behind the Lens," NWSL season preview, The Players Championship tees off, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Automatic bids: McNeese, American and Montana punched their tickets to the NCAA men's tournament, while Montana State, USF and San Diego State secured spots in the women's field. ⚽️ The final eight: The Champions League quarterfinals are set, with Real Madrid (by inches in a shootout), Dortmund, Arsenal and Aston Villa advancing to join Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. ⚾️ Historic power surge: Kansas hit an NCAA record-tying five straight home runs in the third inning en route to a 29-1 shellacking over the same Minnesota team that beat them one day earlier. Go figure. ? Thunder 118, Celtics 112: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (34-5-7) and Chet Holmgren (23-15) led OKC past Jayson Tatum (33-8-8) and Boston in a battle of the two NBA title favorites. ? NFL offseason: DeMarcus Lawrence is a Seahawk, Evan Engram is a Bronco, the Rams released Cooper Kupp, the Falcons are keeping Kirk Cousins and the Steelers made an offer to Aaron Rodgers. See all the latest moves here. ? GOAT DEBATE IS RICK PITINO THE BEST COLLEGE HOOPS COACH EVER? The guy can coach. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) Just asking: Is Rick Pitino the best coach in the history of college basketball? From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel: Pitino is rarely mentioned in such a debate in part because his 758 career victories, his .712 winning percentage and even his two NCAA titles (one of which the NCAA "vacated" due to sanctions) fall far short of other contenders. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski won 1,202 games with a .766 winning percentage at Duke and Army, while taking home five national titles. John Wooden won 10 national championships at UCLA. Bob Knight won 902 games and three titles at Indiana despite coaching only one player who would ever become a NBA All-Star (Isiah Thomas). Meanwhile, Adolph Rupp won 82.2% of his games at Kentucky, and in a more modern era, Roy Williams was victorious 77.4% of the time at North Carolina and Kansas. There are others. As such, Pitino rarely finds his name among the greatest of the greats. He wasn't a college lifer though, entrenched for decades at a single program. Part of this was his NBA dalliances (eight seasons with the Celtics and Knicks). And part of it was due to the various scandals that seemed to crop up across the decades, leaving him to be seen with caution by some schools. That meant either re-climbing the coaching ladder or even bouncing him out of the college game (from 2018-2020, for example, he coached in the Greek Professional League and won two titles). Yet where consistent longevity is costing him in sheer numbers, the job-hopping and rebuilds he constantly produces offers a different résumé point. The guy can coach anyone, anywhere, at any time. Pitino has restored St. John's to local and national prominence. (Porter Binks/Getty Images). The 72-year-old is in his second season with St. John's. He took over a storied but middling program and is about to lead them to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019. The Johnnie's are 27-4 and won the Big East regular season title … by three games. This will be the sixth different school Pitino has led to the NCAA tournament — the most of any coach — joining Boston University (1983), Providence (1987), Kentucky (1991), Louisville (2003) and Iona (2021). It took five seasons as a young coach at BU, but other than that each program he has led made it within two years of being eligible for March Madness. And while some of the schools have had historic success and great resources, none were in good shape when he arrived. In the season prior, the programs went a combined 76-105 (.419). Kentucky was even saddled with crippling sanctions, including a two-year postseason ban. He's been innovative — his embrace of the 3-point shot with Providence, where guard Billy Donovan would drive and kick out, was decades ahead of its time. He's been relentless — his teams always play full-throttle defense, often with a full-court press. He’s been resilient — he coached in an era where the NCAA once charged him as an assistant at Hawaii with giving players coupons for free food at McDonalds to today's open market transfer portal where players could buy their own restaurant. None of it mattered. Has whistle; will win. Always. Now he heads to the Big East Tournament again, looking to win the league again, in the same Madison Square Garden where after a high school game in 1970 he signed on the scorer's table his scholarship papers with the University of Massachusetts. Bottom line: Pitino's numbers and accomplishments may never register up there with the other greats of the college game. But if you needed someone to take over a listless program, who else are you calling? ? PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS (Hannah Peters/Getty Images) Caption: Tim Bringer of France competes in the Slopestyle final during the first stop on the 2025 Crankworx World Tour — the Super Bowl of mountain biking. Date: March 8, 2025 Location: Rotorua, New Zealand Behind the lens: Here's photographer Hannah Peters on how she lined up this shot… I checked the weather report the night before and the sunrise was right around the time of this event. I knew I needed to get there early if I were to make the most of it. There were only a few athletes that were getting high enough on the jump to line up perfectly with the sun. I was perched on the side of a hill, adjusting myself in between each rider to try to get the perfect angle. I was constantly looking at the position of the light, changing my exposure to create the silhouette and adapting my aperture to emphasize the rays from the sun. Then it came down to a bit of luck and timing — I needed the right athlete doing the right trick at the right time, all while flying through the shape of the sun. Camera/technique: Nikon Z9 camera body. Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 VR S lens. Exposure 1/3200 sec; f22; ISO 640. ⚽️ YEAR 13 NWSL SEASON PREVIEW The 13th NWSL season kicks off on Friday, and it should begin much like the last one ended: with 12 teams chasing Orlando and Washington, Jeff writes. The favorites: The Pride and Spirit both set the league record with 18 wins last season before meeting in the championship game, where Orlando won its maiden title. There's no good reason why they can't run it back again. Orlando lost just twice last year, a stunning turnaround after five straight sub-.500 seasons, and the Pride's core — led by Brazilian legend Marta and Zambian star Barbra Banda — remains intact. Washington, which beat Orlando in last week's Challenge Cup, has the makings of a juggernaut. The Spirit boast seven USWNT members, including MVP finalist Trinity Rodman and reigning ROY Croix Bethune. Others to watch: Last year's third, fourth and fifth-place finishers headline our next three most interesting teams to watch. The Kansas City Current were every bit as dangerous as the frontrunners last year, led by newcomer Temwa Chaŵinga, who scored a league-record 21 goals en route to winning MVP. Now in Year 5, the 2022 runners-up seek their first title. Gotham FC are hard to pin down. The 2023 champs finished just four points behind Orlando last year, but then saw half a dozen key contributors leave in the offseason. Still, they've retooled with a number of shrewd signings and might surprise some people. Speaking of hard to pin down, the North Carolina Courage haven't made it out of the first round since winning two straight titles in 2018-19. But they took a clear step forward last year and traded for rising USWNT star Jaedyn Shaw this offseason to help lead their attack. ? THE FIFTH MAJOR WATCHLIST: THE PLAYERS TEES OFF Golf's most prestigious non-major begins today at TPC Sawgrass (7:30am ET, ESPN+; 1pm, Golf), where 144 golfers will compete for the largest purse on the PGA Tour ($25 million). The super group: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (two-time defending champion), No. 2 Rory McIlroy (2019 champion) and No. 3 Xander Schauffele tee off at 1:29pm. See more pairings, tee times. More to watch: ⚾️ Spring Breakout: Red Sox at Rays (7pm, MLB); Cubs at Dodgers (9pm, MLB.TV) … Year 2 of MLB's showcase gets underway.* ? NBA: Lakers at Bucks (7:30pm, TNT); Kings at Warriors (10pm, TNT) … Stephen Curry is two 3-pointers shy of 4,000. Second place has 3,127 (James Harden). ? NCAAW: Stephen F. Austin at Southeastern Louisiana (5pm, ESPNU) … Southland title game. ? NHL: Panthers at Maple Leafs (7pm, ESPN+); Golden Knights at Blue Jackets (7pm, ESPN+); Oilers at Devils (7:30pm, Disney+); Capitals at Kings (10:30pm, ESPN) … All of these teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. ? Tennis: Indian Wells quarterfinals (2pm, Tennis) … No. 11 Ben Shelton vs. No. 13 Jack Draper (8pm) and No. 2 Iga Świątek vs. No. 8 Qinwen Zheng (2pm) headline today's slate. ⚽️ Champions Cup: Cavalier (0-2) vs. Inter Miami (8pm, FS2) … Lionel Messi takes the field with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. ⛳️ LIV: Singapore (9pm, Fox Sports app) … At Sentosa Golf Club. ? Overtime Elite: YNG Dreamerz (1-1) vs. City Reapers (7pm, YouTube) … Game 3 in the best-of-five finals. *How it works: Each organization has compiled an "All-Star team" featuring their minor league prospects, who will play 16 total games against each other over the next four days. 18 of 30 teams are sending their No. 1 prospect, and 72 of MLB's top 100 prospects are participating. 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 15, 2025 Author Members Posted March 15, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Cosm in action, Flagg injures ankle, NIL stars of yesteryear, Selection Sunday is nearly here, dad trades his son (possibly for nothing), and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Flagg injures ankle: Duke lost Cooper Flagg to an ankle injury during their win over Georgia Tech. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, X-rays were negative, but the presumptive No. 1 pick is unlikely to play the rest of the ACC tournament. "It's not worth it," said head coach Jon Scheyer. ? Keys can't lose: Madison Keys dominated Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells for her 16th straight win, the second-longest streak this century by any woman over 30 (Serena Williams). Next up: a semifinal meeting with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, whom she beat in the Australian Open final. ? Curry hits No. 4,000: Stephen Curry reached another milestone in the Warriors' blowout win over the Kings, becoming the first player to make 4,000 career three-pointers. In fact, only one other player has hit even 3,000 threes (James Harden, 3,127). ? Automatic bid: Stephen F. Austin secured their spot in the women's NCAA tournament with a victory in Thursday's lone conference title game (Southland). ? Grand Slam Track: The 96 competitors for April's inaugural Grand Slam Track event in Jamaica include Paris 2024 gold medalists Gabby Thomas, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Quincy Hall and Cole Hocker. ? LET'S GO DANCING WATCHLIST: SELECTION SUNDAY Get your brackets ready. The final 17 men's and 14 women's automatic bids will be determined this weekend ahead of Selection Sunday. The men's bracket will be revealed first (6pm ET, CBS), followed by the women's bracket (8pm, ESPN). More to watch: ? NBA: Lakers at Nuggets (Fri. 9:30pm, NBA); Knicks at Warriors (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Magic at Cavaliers (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Suns at Lakers (Sun. 3:30pm, ABC); Thunder at Bucks (Sun. 9pm, ESPN) ? NHL: Stars at Jets (Fri. 8pm, NHL); Devils at Penguins (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Golden Knights at Red Wings (Sun. 1pm, TNT); Stars at Avalanche (Sun. 3pm, TNT) ⛳️ PGA: The Players Championship (Fri-Sun, Golf/NBC) … Lucas Glover, Camilo Villegas and J.J. Spaun (-6) are tied for the lead after Round 1. ⚽️ NWSL: Orlando vs. Chicago (Fri. 8pm, Prime); Kansas City vs. Portland (Sat. 12:45pm, ABC); Angel City vs. San Diego (Sun. 6:50pm, ESPN2) … Opening weekend. ? F1: Australian Grand Prix (Sat. 11:55pm, ESPN) … Season-opening race in Melbourne. ? Tennis: Indian Wells (Fri-Sun, Tennis) … Women's semifinals today, men's on Saturday and both finals on Sunday. ⚽️ EFL Cup: Liverpool vs. Newcastle (Sun. 12:30pm, Paramount+) … Final at Wembley. ? Six Nations: Final Matchday (Sat. 10:15am-4pm, Peacock) … France, England and Ireland all remain in contention for the title. ? Unrivaled: Laces vs. Rose (Sun. 7:30pm, TNT); Vinyl vs. Lunar Owls (Sun. 8:30pm, TNT) … The winners will meet in Monday's championship. Plus… MLS Week 4 (Sat-Sun, Apple); NASCAR at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sun. 3:30pm, FS1); MLB Spring Breakout (Fri-Sun, MLB/MLB.TV); PWHL (Sat-Sun, YouTube); Overtime Elite Finals (Fri-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 March 16, 2025 Author Members Posted March 16, 2025 NBC extends Olympics deal Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The Olympics will stay on NBC through 2036, Axios' Sara Fischer reports. NBCUniversal and its parent company, Comcast, struck a new $3 billion deal to extend their exclusive Olympics rights — the pinnacle of NBCU's sports distribution strategy for decades. ? Last year's games in Paris averaged more than 30 million viewers over the course of the 17-day event, the biggest audience since 1994. 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 March 17, 2025 Author Members Posted March 17, 2025 The March Madness brackets are revealed on Selection Sunday The fields are set and it’s time for a big exhale before the madness truly kicks into gear. https://www.cnn.com/sport/live-news/selection-sunday-march-madness-03-16-25/index.html? ? 1 hoop thing: Madness tips off March Madness brackets were unveiled on Selection Sunday, with Auburn securing the overall No. 1 seed for the men's tournament and UCLA snagging the spot for the women's. Finalize your brackets before the men's first round starts at 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday. Women's brackets are due Friday. ? Men's Final Four projection, from AP basketball writer Tim Reynolds: Michigan State vs. St. John's ... Duke vs. Gonzaga. The road ends: Michigan State vs. Duke in the final on Monday, April 7, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Duke wins it all! Women's Final Four picks: UCLA vs. UConn and Notre Dame vs. South Carolina. For the trophy: UConn vs. South Carolina on Sunday, April 6, in Tampa. UConn wins their 12th women's title. How to win your pool: Men ... Women ... Printable bracket: Men ... Women. Full schedule: Men ... Women ... How to watch: Men ... Women. 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 18, 2025 Author Members Posted March 18, 2025 ? Good morning! It's time to fill out your brackets! Bonus: You'll be entered for a chance to win $50K. In today's edition: Brackets revealed, Bengals lock up Chase and Higgins, 17-year-old wins at Indian Wells, the Hanshin Tigers steal the show, playoff at The Players, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Chase, Higgins get paid: The Bengals have agreed to big-money extensions with their top two wideouts, making Ja'Marr Chase the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL (four years, $161M) and Tee Higgins the league's highest-paid WR2 (four years, $115M). ? Get to know the name: Mirra Andreeva, 17, won her second straight WTA 1000 event on Sunday at Indian Wells, where she beat the top two players in the world in back-to-back matches to become the tournament's youngest female champion since Serena Williams in 1999. ⚽️ The wait is over: Newcastle defeated reigning champion Liverpool, 2-1, in Sunday's League Cup final to win the club's first major domestic trophy since 1969 and end one of English soccer's most famous droughts. ? Attendance record: The PWHL's Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens played in front of 14,288 fans on Sunday night in Detroit, setting an attendance record for a professional women's hockey game in the U.S. ?? American wins LA: Matt Richtman won the 40th annual Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, becoming the first American man to take the title in 31 years. It was just the second marathon for Richtman, a former All-American cross-country runner at Montana State. ? MARCH MADNESS MEN'S BRACKET: 14 OF 16 SEC TEAMS GET BIDS The SEC will send a record 14 teams to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. That's by far the most ever by a single league, obliterating the previous mark of 11 set by the Big East in 2011. South Region: Auburn's reward for earning the No. 1 overall seed? A potential matchup with an under-seeded Louisville team… in Kentucky. Michigan vs. Michigan State in the Elite Eight? Not if the Wolverines look past a very dangerous UCSD squad (30-4 record, 36th in KenPom). West Region: Florida is the new title favorite, St. John's is on fire, Drake has all the makings of a Cinderella and the two-time defending champions can't be ignored. Bill Self vs. John Calipari is quite the coaching matchup, and Calipari vs. Rick Pitino would be even better. East Region: The fate of this region may come down to the state of Cooper Flagg's ankle (the latest: expected to play on Friday). Elsewhere: Alabama has the nation's highest-scoring offense, Arizona rarely goes quietly in March and BYU is a trendy pick to make a deep run. Midwest Region: If the seeds hold, No. 1 Houston vs. No. 2 Tennessee could be a defensive battle for the ages. But don't be surprised if March regulars like Kentucky (NCAA-record 62 appearances), Purdue (2024 runner-up) and Gonzaga (nine straight Sweet 16s) muck things up. Notes: Title favorites: Florida has the best odds to cut down the nets (+350 at BetMGM) after winning Sunday's SEC championship game. Duke (+360) is right behind them, followed by Auburn (+400), Houston (+600), Alabama (+1200) and Tennessee (+1400). The bubble: North Carolina (36 NET ranking), Texas (39), Xavier (45) and San Diego State (52) were the "Last Four In," while Ohio State (41), Boise State (44), West Virginia (51) and Indiana (54) were the "First Four Out." Here are the five biggest snubs. Multi-bid leagues: SEC (14), Big Ten (8), Big 12 (7), Big East (5), ACC (4), Mountain West (4), West Coast (2). First Four: The action begins tomorrow with No. 16 St. Francis PA vs. No. 16 Alabama State (South) and No. 11 North Carolina vs. No. 11 San Diego State (South). Then on Wednesday, it's No. 16 Mount St. Mary's vs. No. 16 American (East) and No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 Xavier (Midwest). Good read: What the selection committee got right and wrong Quick links: Fill out your bracket | Printable bracket ? MARCH MADNESS WOMEN'S BRACKET: BRUINS ON TOP While the SEC made history on the men's side, the Big Ten made history on the women's side, landing a record 12 bids and earning two No. 1 seeds courtesy of its California newcomers. Region 1: UCLA earned the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in program history. Joining them in this corner of the bracket: the nation's leading scorer (FSU's Ta'Niya Latson), the nation's leading rebounder (LSU's Aneesah Morrow) and Harvard, one of three Ivies (!) in the field. Region 4: USC beat UCLA twice before losing to them in the Big Ten title game. Now, they could face them again in the Final Four — but only if they beat a little program called UConn. Tough draw. A popular upset pick here? Murray State, the nation's top scoring team, over Iowa. Region 2: The defending champion Gamecocks got some extra motivation when they missed out on the No. 1 overall seed. The biggest threats to South Carolina? No. 2 Duke and No. 3 North Carolina, who could be on a collision course (but beware Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes!). Region 3: For the first time since 2013, the top two teams in a region (No. 1 Texas, No. 2 TCU) are from the same state. And for the 43rd time in the last 43 tournaments, Tennessee made the field. Team to watch: Notre Dame, by far the most talented No. 3 seed. Notes: Title favorites: South Carolina has the best odds to cut down the nets (+270 at BetMGM), followed by UConn (+275), UCLA (+500), USC (+550), Texas (+600) and Notre Dame (+600). First-timers: Arkansas State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Grand Canyon, George Mason, UC San Diego and William & Mary are in the women's tournament for the first time. And in W&M's case, this is the school's first trip to either tournament (more on that this week). Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (12), SEC (10), ACC (8), Big 12 (7), Ivy (3), Big East (2), A-10 (2). First Four: The action begins Wednesday with No. 16 Southern vs. No. 16 UCSD (Region 1) and No. 11 Princeton vs. No. 11 Iowa State (Region 3). Then on Thursday, it's No. 16 William & Mary vs. No. 16 High Point (Region 3) and No. 11 Washington vs. No. 11 Columbia (Region 2). Quick links: Fill out your bracket | Printable bracket ⚾️ TOKYO SERIES THE TIGERS STEAL THE SHOW Hiroto Saiki and Teruaki Satō pose for a photo following the Tigers' 3-0 win over the Dodgers. (Gene Wang/Getty Images) The best team in the National League? This weekend in Japan, it looked like the Hanshin Tigers, who swept the Cubs and Dodgers in back-to-back exhibitions and didn't allow a single run. Saturday: Tigers 3, Cubs 0 Sunday: Tigers 3, Dodgers 0 The other games: Los Angeles and Chicago fared better against the Yomiuri Giants, with the Dodgers winning 5-1 on Saturday and the Cubs winning 4-2 on Sunday. What they're saying: "These two days were priceless," said Tigers manager Kyuji Fujikawa, whose team won the 2023 Nippon Professional Baseball championship. "Really good ballclub," added Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "They clearly showed they can play at the top level." Stars of the weekend: LHP Keito Mombetsu, 20, threw five perfect innings against the Cubs; RHP Hiroto Saiki, 26, struck out seven Dodgers over five innings; 3B Teruaki Satō, 26, smacked a three-run homer off two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell. What's next: The Cubs and Dodgers open the MLB regular season against each other tomorrow at the Tokyo Dome, where five Japanese players will be in the dugouts: Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Rōki Sasaki for Los Angeles; Seiya Suzuki and Shōta Imanaga for Chicago. ? MONDAY FINISH WATCHLIST: PLAYOFF AT THE PLAYERS J.J. Spaun had a chance to win on 18, but his birdie putt came up just short. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun will return to TPC Sawgrass this morning (9am ET, Golf/Peacock) for a three-hole playoff to decide The Players Championship after ending Sunday's weather-delayed final round tied at 12-under. Prize money: The winner gets $4.5 million and the runner-up gets $2.73 million, part of the largest purse on Tour ($25 million total). How it works: McIlroy and Spaun will start at the par-5 16th, then play their way into the clubhouse. If there's still a tie, they'll play sudden-death at the island green 17th. If it's still tied after that, they'll play the 18th. From there, play will continue starting at the 16th until a winner is determined. More to watch: ⛳️ TGL: Los Angeles vs. New York (7pm, ESPN2) … Semifinals.* ? Unrivaled: Vinyl vs. Rose (7:30pm, TNT) … Championship.** ? NBA: Heat at Knicks (7:30pm, ESPN); Nuggets at Warriors (10pm, ESPN) *Double duty: All six golfers teeing it up tonight at SoFi Center made the cut over the weekend at The Players Championship: Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood and Sahith Theegala (LA) vs. Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Cameron Young (NY). **Semifinals recap: Rhyne Howard and Vinyl BC (6-9) pulled off a stunning 73-70 upset over league MVP Napheesa Collier and Lunar Owls BC (13-2), while Chelsea Gray led Rose BC (9-6) to a 63-57 win against Alyssa Thomas and Laces BC (7-8). 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 18, 2025 Author Members Posted March 18, 2025 More than half of US adults don’t want legal betting on college sports in their state: AP-NORC poll A survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 6 in 10 Americans think betting on professional sports should be legal in their state, but only about 4 in 10 U.S. adults say the same thing about legalized wagering on college sports. Read More. These dedicated runners have done every LA Marathon for nearly 4 decades They have run through heartache and grief, battling illnesses and injuries as their bodies have aged. Some are now using wheelchairs, including the oldest who is 87. Despite it all, the Los Angeles Marathon’s Legacy Runners have stuck to their mission: finish the race. Read More. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 18, 2025 Author Members Posted March 18, 2025 ? Good morning! Have you filled out your bracket yet? Two days left. In today's edition: MLB in Japan, Rose wins Unrivaled title, Rory closes in on $100 million, schools in both tourneys, the end of recruiting, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Rose win the title: Rose claimed Unrivaled's inaugural title with a 62-54 victory over Vinyl. Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and her teammates earned $50,000 each for the win, nearly a quarter of the average Unrivaled salary ($220,000) and a third of the WNBA's (~$150,000). ⛳️ New York advances to Finals: New York Golf Club, led by world No. 3 Xander Schauffele, upset top-seeded Los Angeles Golf Club in the first TGL semifinal to book a spot in next week's best-of-three championship. ? Sixers shut down George: Paul George will miss the rest of the season with groin and knee injuries. He played just 41 games this year for the 76ers (23-45), who remain six games out of a play-in spot. ? Stingley gets paid: The Texans signed All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr. to a three-year, $90 million extension, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. ⚾️ Strider's electric return: Braves righty Spencer Strider, who led the majors in strikeouts in 2023, struck out six across 2.2 perfect innings in his first appearance since undergoing elbow surgery last April. See what else is trending on Yahoo Sports. ⚾️ TOKYO SERIES AMERICA, JAPAN AND THE NATIONAL PASTIME Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the field for his pre-game warmup before the 2025 opener. (Masterpress/Getty Images) The MLB season began a couple hours ago in Tokyo, where the Dodgers and Cubs are playing a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome, Jeff writes. Homecoming: No matchup better represents MLB's recent explosion of Japanese talent, with five Japanese players taking the field this week on their native soil. The Dodgers boast three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani alongside RHPs Yoshinobu Yamamoto (today's starter) and rookie Rōki Sasaki (tomorrow's starter). For the Cubs, LHP Shōta Imanaga (today's starter) was an All-Star last year as a rookie, while OF Seiya Suzuki has hit 55 HR since debuting in 2022. As the season-opener plays out on the other side of the world, let's examine the long and shared history of our National Pastime and Japan's most popular sport… The Waseda University baseball team in Bakersfield, California, circa May 1905. (Archive Photos/Getty Images) Back at the beginning: Baseball has been in Japan for nearly as long as it's been in the states thanks to American teacher Horace Wilson, who moved to Tokyo in 1872 and taught the game to his students. The game flourished for decades, and in 1905 the next great cultural exchange took place when the Waseda University team traveled from Tokyo to the U.S. to play colleges up and down the West Coast. Waseda brought home skills like the wind-up and breaking ball and were influenced by college marching bands, which inspired the ōendan, or "cheering squad" now synonymous with Japanese baseball. Sports diplomacy: Waseda's trip kicked off decades of similar series, with more than 100 U.S. college and pro teams embarking on baseball tours of Japan dubbed Nichibei Yakyū. (Nichibei means "Japan and the U.S.," and "yakyū" means baseball.) Babe Ruth sits with Japanese bat boys during his 1934 barnstorming tour. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images) The Babe abroad: The most consequential of these Nichibei Yakyū came in 1934, when Babe Ruth led a team of future Hall of Famers on a 19-game barnstorming tour against a Japanese all-star team organized by the president of Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper. Lasting impact: That all-star team stayed together, and two years later helped form Japan's first professional baseball league, which in 1950 reorganized itself into the NPB. You know that team today as the Yomiuri Giants, who remain the country's oldest professional sports team. Willie Mays and Masanori Murakami chat in the dugout prior to a doubleheader. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images) Coming to America: In 1964, lefty hurler Masanori Murakami made history as MLB's first Japanese-born player. 30 years later, Hideo Nomo picked up where he left off and the infusion of talent has rapidly accelerated ever since. All told, 81 Japanese players have donned an MLB uniform, with No. 82 debuting tomorrow when Sasaki takes the mound. ⛳️ PGA TOUR RORY WINS PLAYERS, CLOSES IN ON $100M When Jack Nicklaus* won the first Players Championship in 1974, he earned $50,000. When Rory McIlroy won the 2025 edition on Monday, he earned $4.5 million. Rolling in dough: McIlroy is already at $8.7 million in on-course earnings this year and is now $290,938 away from joining Tiger Woods* as the PGA Tour's second $100 million man. By the numbers: Career earnings: $99,709,062 Career starts: 281 Average per outing: $382,027 Plus: McIlroy also banked $33 million for winning the 2022 Tour Championship ($18 million) and the 2019 Tour Championship ($15 million), but that bonus money, since 2019, is not considered part of a golfer's official earnings, notes Golfweek's Todd Kelly. Question: Is Rory playing the best golf of his career at age 35? In his last 25 starts, he has five wins, three runners-up, 14 top 5s, 22 top 25s and only one missed cut. *Speaking of Jack and Tiger… McIlroy joined the two of them, and Scottie Scheffler, as the only four golfers in history to win multiple majors and multiple Players Championships. ? MARCH MADNESS ONE SCHOOL, TWO TOURNAMENTS (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) 27 schools made both NCAA tournaments. That number will be trimmed to 26 tonight when North Carolina and San Diego State go head-to-head in the men's First Four. Looking back: There have been 15 instances where a school advanced to both the men's and women's Final Four in the same year. More than half of those (8) have come in the last 15 years, including two last season alone. 1983: Georgia 1999: Duke 2002: Oklahoma 2003: Texas 2004: UConn (both won titles) 2005: Michigan State 2006: LSU 2009: UConn (women won) 2011: UConn (men won) 2013: Louisville (men won) 2014: UConn (both won) 2016: Syracuse 2017: South Carolina (women won) 2024: NC State 2024: UConn (men won) Looking ahead: Who are the top candidates to pull off the Final Four "double" this year? Duke is the safest bet (1 seed for men, 2 seed for women), but don't sleep on Maryland (4 for both), Tennessee (2 and 5), Kentucky (3 and 4), Alabama (2 and 5), UCLA (7 and 1), Michigan State (2 and 7) and UConn (8 and 2). ? OLD MEN ON CAMPUS THE END OF RECRUITING AS WE KNOW IT? (Giphy) 21.9 years old. That's the average age of a college baseball player this season, up from 20.1 years old in 2022. What's happening? The uptick in age is partly due to COVID redshirts (extra year of eligibility), which will soon be a thing of the past. But it's also a result of the transfer portal, which is here to stay. As coaches focus more time and resources on luring transfers, less attention is being paid to high schoolers, and there are fewer roster spots available for them. It's not just baseball… St. John's basketball coach Rick Pitino says he won't recruit a single high school player this year, opting instead to focus on the portal. "We're losing [three seniors]. You can't replace them with high school kids," said Pitino. He even said he'd turn down a 5-star recruit. "I don't think you can win big with high school kids." ? AND WE'RE OFF... WATCHLIST: THE MADNESS BEGINS (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) The men's NCAA tournament begins tonight with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. No. 16 Saint Francis vs. No. 16 Alabama State (6:40pm ET, truTV): Saint Francis is here despite going 13-17 against D-I teams this season. The winner gets No. 1 Auburn. No. 11 UNC vs. No. 11 SDSU (9:10pm truTV): The 2022 runner-up vs. the 2023 runner-up. The winner gets No. 6 Ole Miss. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Dodgers vs. Cubs (6:10am, Fox) … Season-opener in Tokyo. ? NBA: Nets at Celtics (7:30pm, NBA); Bucks at Warriors (10pm, NBA) ? NHL: Utah at Oilers* (9pm, ESPN) ⛳️ TGL: Atlanta vs. The Bay (7pm, ESPN) … Winner will face New York in the finals. *Triple digits: Oilers star Leon Draisaitl (101 points) has his sixth 100-point season, tied for the seventh-most in NHL history. 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 19, 2025 Author Members Posted March 19, 2025 Who invented the March Madness bracket? Staten Island bar and Kentucky postal worker stake claims Trying to prove the real inventor of the March Madness pool seems about as implausible as picking a perfect bracket. Read More. ? March Madness stumps AI Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios AI chatbots aren't quite ready to pick your March Madness brackets, Axios chief tech correspondent Ina Fried writes. Why it matters: Tech companies tout AI as semi-autonomous agents. But Ina's testing shows that plenty of tasks are still beyond its capabilities. ? The big picture: March Madness has long been a tech proving ground, from video streaming to picture-in-picture. Plus, companies are always competing to be your second screen while you watch the games. Perplexity, a top AI startup, is incorporating odds from prediction market Kalshi. Ina's first-person account: OpenAI says ChatGPT is better at analyzing matchups or strategy than building full brackets. That holds true for others, too. I thought AI might struggle as much as humans to pick the correct winners. But I didn't anticipate how much trouble the chatbots had with the brackets themselves. Chatbots confidently offered picks that were impossible. Keep reading to see how leading chatbots tackled Ina's bracket — and where and how things went awry. 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 20, 2025 Author Members Posted March 20, 2025 ? Good morning! Five months ago, the Commanders beat the Bears on an improbable Hail Mary. On Tuesday night, a similar play occurred — on the basketball court. Life update: This is my final edition of this newsletter as a single man. Your boy is getting married on Saturday! Kinda nervous, mostly excited. Jeff has you covered until I return. In today's edition: How to pick a March Madness winner, Dodgers move to 1-0, Mary & William, Wife Carrying (a real sport that exists!), my bracket predictions, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? Alabama State, UNC advance: March Madness got off to a thrilling start with Alabama State beating Saint Francis (PA) on a Hail Mary buzzer-beater in the "First Four" opener. The nightcap was a snoozer: North Carolina 95, San Diego State 68. ? All-Americans: Auburn's Johni Broome and Duke's Cooper Flagg were both unanimous first-team AP All-Americans. Joining them on the first team: Alabama's Mark Sears, Purdue's Braden Smith and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. ⛳️ Last two standing: Atlanta crushed The Bay to reach TGL's inaugural championship. They'll play New York next week in a best-of-three match with $13.5 million on the line ($9 million to the winners, $4.5 million to the losers). ? Trump, Putin talk hockey: Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to organize hockey games between NHL and KHL players, and President Donald Trump reportedly supported his idea during a phone call on Tuesday. Russia has not competed internationally since being sanctioned in 2022. ? One-and-done: Last March, head coach Darian DeVries left Drake for West Virginia. 12 months later, he's leaving Morgantown to become the head coach at Indiana. ? BRACKETOLOGY HOW TO PICK A MARCH MADNESS WINNER 66 Division I men's basketball teams still have a shot to cut down the nets next month, but history — and data — tells us that some have a much better chance than others, Jeff writes. The winning formula: All but one champion since 2001 has entered March Madness in both the top 21 in adjusted offensive efficiency and the top 44 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. The lone exception? UConn in 2014 (19th in defense, 57th in offense). 12 teams fit the bill this year: No. 1 Florida No. 1 Auburn No. 1 Duke No. 1 Houston No. 2 Alabama No. 2 Tennessee No. 3 Texas Tech No. 3 Wisconsin No. 3 Iowa State No. 4 Arizona No. 6 Illinois No. 8 Gonzaga Any surprises? Three of the top 12 overall seeds didn't quite make the cut. No. 2 Michigan State and No. 2 St. John's are lacking offensively; No. 3 Kentucky is lacking defensively. But wait, there's more: While the trend above is the most data-driven and predictive, it's hardly the only one to consider while filling out your bracket. Beasts of the East: No team in the western half of the country has won the title since Arizona in 1997. Baylor (Waco, Texas) is the westernmost champion since then, and just two of this year's top 16 overall seeds are west of them: No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 4 Arizona. The preseason ranking corollary: In the 64-team era (since 1985), no 1-seed or 2-seed who was unranked in the preseason AP poll has ever made the Final Four. That's bad news for 2-seeds Michigan State and St. John's, who are the 38th and 39th teams to fit that description. The Week 6 rule: Every champion since 2004 was ranked in the top 12 of the Week 6 AP poll. This year's contenders: No. 1 Auburn, No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Iowa State, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Purdue, No. 5 Oregon, No. 7 Marquette, No. 7 Kansas and No. 8 Gonzaga. And finally… If you're thinking of picking a Cinderella to win it all, consider this: In the 39 tournaments since the field expanded to 64, just five teams lower than a 3-seed have cut down the nets: No. 8 Villanova (1985), No. 6 Kansas (1988), No. 4 Arizona (1997), No. 7 UConn (2014) and No. 4 UConn (2023). Go deeper: Ranking every team in the tournament (Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports) ? DEBUTANTS AT LONG LAST, W&M IS GOING DANCING William & Mary was established by royal charter in 1693 by King William II and Queen Mary II, making it the second oldest college in America after Harvard (1636). Three centuries later, W&M is finally going dancing. The drought is over: With a 66-63 win over Campbell in Sunday's CAA title game, William & Mary clinched the first NCAA tournament berth for the women's program, which has been around for 105 seasons, and the first-ever berth for the school as a whole. It wasn't looking good for the Tribe last week, when they ended their regular season with an 11-18 record. But March loves an underdog, and four days (and four wins) later they became the first No. 9 seed to ever win the CAA tournament. They trailed 14-0 in the title game before battling back to accomplish what many at the Williamsburg, Virginia, school thought might never happen. "We talked a lot about belief," said coach Erin Dickerson Davis. "You have to believe. Nobody else can believe for you." What's next: W&M will make its tournament debut tomorrow night in a "First Four" contest against fellow 16-seed High Point. The winner gets the privilege of playing top-seeded Texas. For the men, the wait continues… The William & Mary men's team, which has been around even longer than the women (120 seasons), still hasn't experienced March Madness. In fact, they're one of just three men's programs that has never made the NCAA tournament despite being eligible since its inception in 1939. The other two? Army and The Citadel. My take: They should rename the school Mary & William in honor of the women's team making the NCAA tournament first. It's only right. ⚾️ TOKYO SERIES DODGERS OPEN TITLE DEFENSE WITH A WIN The 2025 MLB season began just like the 2024 one ended, with the Dodgers riding key hits and dominant pitching to victory, Jeff writes. Dodgers 4, Cubs 1: Los Angeles beat Chicago in Tokyo despite former MVPs Mookie Betts (illness) and Freddie Freeman (ribs) missing the game and Cubs starter Shōta Imanaga hurling four no-hit innings to open the contest. The Dodgers' star at the plate was Japan's own Shohei Ohtani, who was the only player on either team to notch multiple hits or score multiple runs. Ohtani's countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned the win after allowing three hits and one run in five innings of work. The bullpen took care of the rest, closing out the game with four scoreless, hitless frames. What's next: Game 2 of the Tokyo Series is currently underway on FS1. After its conclusion, both teams will return home to finish their spring training schedules ahead of the real Opening Day next Thursday. Instant reactions: Six takeaways from the season-opener (Jake Mintz and Jordan Schusterman, Yahoo Sports) ? MARCH MADNESS WATCHLIST: FIRST FOUR (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) The men's First Four concludes tonight while the women's First Four begins. Men: The winner of No. 16 Mount St. Mary's* vs. No. 16 American (6:40pm ET, truTV) faces No. 1 Duke; the winner of No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 11 Texas (9:10pm, truTV) faces No. 6 Illinois. Women: The winner of No. 11 Princeton vs. No. 11 Iowa State (7pm, ESPNU) faces No. 6 Michigan; the winner of No. 16 Southern vs. No. 16 UCSD (9pm, ESPNU) faces No. 1 UCLA. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Dodgers vs. Cubs (6:10am, FS1) … Tokyo Series, Game 2. ? NBA: Pistons at Heat (7:30pm, ESPN); Nuggets at Lakers (10pm, ESPN) ? NHL: Avalanche at Maple Leafs (7pm, TNT); Kraken at Wild (9:30pm, TNT) ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Wolfsburg vs. Barcelona (1:45pm, YouTube); Man City vs. Chelsea (4pm, YouTube) … Quarterfinals, first leg. *Fun fact: Mount St. Mary's point guard, Xavier Lipscomb, has the name of two other teams in the tournament (No. 11 Xavier, No. 14 Lipscomb). And as long as we're playing that game, St. Mary's (No. 7) is also in the field. 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 20, 2025 Author Members Posted March 20, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome to arguably the single greatest sports day of the year, with non-stop high-stakes hoops from noon to midnight. Cherish it, and if you haven't done so yet, fill out your brackets. In today's edition: The Madness begins, Dodgers sweep Tokyo Series, Poch's first big test, NBA prospects to watch during the tourney, Scottie's Masters menu, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI heADLINES ? First Four: Xavier outlasted Texas, 86-80, and Mount St. Mary's beat American, 83-72, to conclude the men's First Four; Iowa State stormed back to beat Princeton, 68-63, and Southern cruised past UCSD, 68-56, to open the women's First Four. ? Cade called game: Cade Cunningham banked in a three-pointer with less than a second left to give Detroit a 116-113 win over the Heat, who've now lost nine straight. Friendly reminder that the not-so "boring" Pistons (39-31) are most definitely worthy of your attention. ? Trump to pause Penn's funding: President Donald Trump's administration reportedly intends to pause $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over the school's handling of transgender athletes, most notably swimmer Lia Thomas ('22). ? All-Americans: USC's JuJu Watkins, UConn's Paige Bueckers and UCLA's Lauren Betts were all unanimous first-team AP All-Americans. Joining them on the first team: Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and Texas' Madison Booker. ? Fate of the tush push: The elimination of the "tush push" is one of three rule changes the NFL will consider during its annual league meeting later this month. ? ROUND OF 64 LET THE MADNESS BEGIN (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) And we're off! The men's NCAA tournament gets underway today with 16 games in Lexington, Providence, Denver and Wichita. Early afternoon: The Boilermakers earned a top-four seed for the eighth consecutive tournament, twice as long as any other active streak in the nation. No. 8 Louisville (-2.5) vs. No. 9 Creighton (12:15pm ET, CBS) No. 4 Purdue (-8.5) vs. No. 13 High Point (12:40pm, truTV) No. 3 Wisconsin (-17.5) vs. No. 14 Montana (1:30pm, TNT) No. 1 Houston (-29.5) vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville (2pm, TBS) Late afternoon: Gonzaga is seeking a record-breaking 10th straight trip to the Sweet 16, but first they've got to get by Georgia in a battle of the Bulldogs. No. 1 Auburn (-32.5) vs. No. 16 Alabama State (2:50pm, CBS) No. 5 Clemson (-7.5) vs. No. 12 McNeese (3:15pm, truTV) No. 6 BYU (-2.5) vs. No. 11 VCU (4:05pm, TNT) No. 8 Gonzaga (-6.5) vs. No. 9 Georgia (4:35pm, TBS) Primetime: Speaking of Bulldogs, Yale hopes to knock out a 4-seed from the SEC for the second consecutive year after squeaking past Auburn in the first round last March. No. 2 Tennessee (-18.5) vs. No. 15 Wofford (6:50pm TNT) No. 7 Kansas (-5.5) vs. No. 10 Arkansas (7:10pm, CBS) No. 4 Texas A&M (-7.5) vs. No. 13 Yale (7:25pm, TBS) No. 6 Missouri (-6.5) vs. No. 11 Drake (7:35pm, truTV) Late night: The Wolverines' reward for winning the Big Ten is a date with the Tritons, who've lost just four times this season and whose 15-game winning streak is the longest in the nation. No. 7 UCLA (-5.5) vs. No. 10 Utah State (9:25pm, TNT) No. 2 St. John’s (-18.5) vs. No. 15 Omaha (9:45pm, CBS) No. 5 Michigan (-2.5) vs. No. 12 UCSD (10pm, TBS) No. 3 Texas Tech (-14.5) vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington (10:10pm, truTV) ? NATIONS LEAGUE POCH'S FIRST BIG TEST: MEET THE SQUAD (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The USMNT has its first real test of the Mauricio Pochettino era tonight in Los Angeles (7pm ET, Paramount+), where the Americans will face Panama in the Nations League semifinals. Meet the squad: The 23-man roster features players from eight leagues across seven countries. Goalkeepers (3): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace) Defenders (7): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach) Midfielders (6): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Brian Gutierrez (Chicago Fire), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon) Forwards (7): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo) Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Timothy Weah (Juventus), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps) An inexperienced bunch: Though most of the usual suspects are playing tonight — namely Pulisic, McKennie, Adams and Weah — nine players have fewer than 10 caps with the national team. That's partly due to three injury replacements with seven combined USMNT appearances. Looking ahead: Canada and Mexico meet in the second semifinal later this evening (10:30pm, Paramount+). The winners will meet on Sunday for the championship. 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 23, 2025 Author Members Posted March 23, 2025 NBA champion Boston Celtics to be sold for a record $6.1 billion Private equity mogul William Chisholm agreed to buy the Boston Celtics on Thursday in a deal that values the NBA’s reigning champions and the most-decorated franchise in league history at a minimum of $6.1 billion — the largest price ever for an American professional sports team. Read More. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 24, 2025 Author Members Posted March 24, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: The men's Sweet 16 is set, the women's tournament has been filled with blowouts, Vonn finds the podium in her comeback, Ingebrigtsen makes history at Indoor Worlds, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI headlineS ⚽️ Nations League champs: Mexico beat Panama, 2-1, in a dramatic Nations League final to win the four-year-old competition for the first time. In the third-place game, the USMNT stumbled again with its second straight clunker in a 2-1 loss to Canada. ? Coaching moves: Virginia is hiring VCU's Ryan Odom — who led UMBC over the Cavaliers in 2018's historic 16-over-1 upset — as their next head coach … Texas is hiring Xavier's Sean Miller to replace Rodney Terry, who they fired after losing to, yes, Xavier in the First Four. ? Djokovic passes Nadal: Novak Djokovic keeps finding new records to break. This time, his third-round win at the Miami Open was the 411th of his career in an ATP Masters 1000 event, passing Rafael Nadal for the most all-time. ? Badgers are champs again: Wisconsin won its record-extending eighth women's NCAA hockey national championship, beating Ohio State, 4-3 (OT), in their third straight title game matchup. ⚾️ What's wrong with Mookie? Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts hasn't played since before last week's Tokyo Series due to a mysterious illness that's left him unable to keep any food down. "My body's just kind of eating itself," he said, as he's fallen from 175 to 157 pounds. ? 16 TEAMS LEFT MADNESS FINALLY COMES TO MARCH It took almost the whole weekend, but on Sunday night the Madness finally came to March. ICYMI: After Colorado State nailed a go-ahead three with six seconds left, Maryland's Derik Queen hit the first buzzer-beater of this year's tournament to give the Terps a 72-71 win over the Rams and send them into the Sweet 16. Oregon nearly pushed Arizona to a similar end in the final game of the weekend, but ultimately ran out of time in a thrilling loss to their former Pac-12 foe. Powerhouses dance on: No. 12 Colorado State's loss means that this year's Sweet 16 is about as chalky as it gets, with just one team left lower than a 6-seed. And No. 10 Arkansas, an SEC program coached by Hall of Famer John Calipari, isn't exactly a Cinderella. Speaking of the SEC: The league that sent a record 14 teams to the tournament has now sent a record seven teams to the Sweet 16, eclipsing the mark set by the ACC in 2016. That's right: half of the SEC's tournament teams are still dancing into the second weekend. The Big Ten (four teams left), Big 12 (four) and ACC (one) are the only other conferences with a team left in the tournament, shattering the previous record for the fewest leagues represented in the Sweet 16 (seven). Sweet 16 matchups: Thursday: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Maryland (San Francisco); No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Arizona (Newark); No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 6 BYU (Newark); No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Arkansas (San Francisco) Friday: No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Purdue (Indianapolis); No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 5 Michigan (Atlanta); No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky (Indianapolis); No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (Atlanta) Field notes: Streak snapped: Gonzaga's narrow loss to Houston snapped the Bulldogs' run of nine straight Sweet 16 appearances, tied with North Carolina (1985-93) and Duke (1998-2006) for the longest such streak since the tournament expanded to 64 games in 1985. No three-peat: UConn's quest for an unprecedented three-peat ended in painful fashion, as the Huskies led top-seeded Florida for nearly the entire second half of the Gators' eventual 77-75 win. Historic matchup coming: Kentucky has played no opponent more than Tennessee, which it has faced 241 times since 1910. But the two SEC foes have never met in the NCAA tournament… until now. That game is gonna be good. Coach Cal's resurgence: John Calipari has more NCAA tournament wins in his first season with Arkansas (2) than he had across his final four seasons with Kentucky (1). Title odds: Duke (+225 at BetMGM) is now the clear favorite to win the championship ahead of Florida (+350), Houston (+500) and Auburn (+525), the only other teams with better than 17-to-1 odds. ? WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT BLOWOUTS AND FAVORITES RULED THE FIRST ROUND The first round of the women's tournament made all sorts of history, none of which was good for the underdogs. Favorites flex their muscles: No team seeded 11 or lower won a first-round game for the first time since the field expanded to 64 in 1994. And the average margin of victory was 26.5 points, the highest of any round in tournament history, per ESPN's Michael Voepel. By the numbers: Those blowouts — which included three 60-point shellackings (plus another two by 50+ and three more by 40+) — came courtesy of both high-octane offenses and lock-down defenses. A record six teams scored at least 100 points in the first round (UConn, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas). In fact, that ties the record for the most 100-point games across an entire tournament. Duke and USC held their opponents to just 25 points, the second-fewest in any NCAA tournament game (Howard scored 21 against South Carolina in 2022). Things are looking up, though: With those underdogs eliminated, the second round has thus far been much more competitive. The average margin of victory across Sunday's eight games was 11.5 points, with just one decided by more than 20. ? MARCH MADNESS WATCHLIST: CLOSING OUT THE SECOND ROUND The second round of the women's tournament ends today, and the eight-game slate features two unanimous first-team All-Americans (UConn's Paige Bueckers and USC's JuJu Watkins), the nation's leading scorer (FSU's Ta'Niya Latson) and the nation's leading rebounder (LSU's Aneesah Morrow). No. 2 NC State vs. No. 7 Michigan State (12pm ET, ESPN) No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Illinois (2pm, ESPN) No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa (4pm, ESPN) No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 5 Alabama (5pm, ESPN2) No. 3 LSU vs. No. 6 Florida State (6pm, ESPN) No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 6 West Virginia (7pm, ESPN2) No. 2 UConn vs. No. 10 South Dakota State (8pm, ESPN) No. 1 USC vs. No. 9 Mississippi State (10pm, ESPN) More to watch: ⛳️ TGL: New York vs. Atlanta (9pm, ESPN2) … Opening match* in the best-of-three Finals. ? NBA: Lakers at Magic (7pm, NBA); Bucks at Suns (10pm, NBA) ? NHL: Wild at Stars (8pm, ESPN+) … A battle of Western Conference playoff contenders. ⚾️ Exhibition: Red Sox at Sultanes de Monterrey (9:10pm, MLB) … First of a two-game series in Mexico at Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey. *Tonight's lineups: Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel and Patrick Cantlay (Atlanta) vs. Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Cameron Young (New York). 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 25, 2025 Author Members Posted March 25, 2025 ? Men's Sweet 16 is set Bracket: Axios Visuals The SEC has seven teams in this year's Sweet Sixteen — a new record for any one conference. Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee are all in the mix. The SEC also set the record for most teams in the tournament, with 14. And only two SEC teams — Kentucky and Tennessee — play each other in the Sweet 16, so the conference's historic dominance is poised to continue. 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 26, 2025 Author Members Posted March 26, 2025 ? Good morning! The opening weekend of March Madness is officially in the rearview. How are your brackets looking? In today's edition: The women's Sweet 16 is (almost) all chalk, JuJu's season is over, the curse of NHL 1-seeds, Grant Holloway never loses, Capture the Flagg, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI headlineS ? JuJu's season is over: In a massive blow for USC and every basketball fan, superstar JuJu Watkins tore her ACL during Monday's win over Mississippi State. The potential Player of the Year's season is over. ? Ward aces pro day: Miami QB Cam Ward is increasingly looking like a lock to be selected No. 1 by Tennessee after impressing at his pro day following a visit from top Titans brass. ? Drake-Big Ten pipeline: Drake's last three coaches have all been hired by Big Ten programs in the past week: Ben McCollum is going to Iowa and Colorado State's Niko Medved (Drake '17-'18) is going to Minnesota after West Virginia's Darian DeVries ('18-'24) went to Indiana. ?? White House visits: President Trump invited the Chiefs to the White House to celebrate their 2020 Super Bowl after they originally missed that opportunity due to COVID, and Ohio State will visit next month to celebrate their CFP title. ? Last night in the NBA: The Lakers fell to the Magic for their second straight loss since LeBron James returned; Anthony Davis scored 12 points in his first game back since getting injured in his Mavs debut; Devin Booker hit a game-winner to lift the Suns over the Bucks. ? STILL DANCING THE WOMEN'S SWEET 16 IS (ALMOST) AS CHALKY AS IT GETS Paige Bueckers tied her career-high with 34 points to lead UConn to their 31st straight Sweet 16. What a photo. (UConn Athletics) If you thought the men's Sweet 16 was chalky, just wait until you see the women's. Last teams standing: A trio of 5-seeds are the only thing stopping this year's Sweet 16 from being all chalk for the second time in tournament history (1999). No. 1 UCLA No. 1 South Carolina No. 1 Texas No. 1 USC No. 2 UConn No. 2 TCU No. 2 Duke No. 2 NC State No. 3 Notre Dame No. 3 LSU No. 3 Oklahoma No. 3 North Carolina No. 4 Maryland No. 5 Ole Miss No. 5 Tennessee No. 5 Kansas State Matchups: The regional semifinals begin on Friday. Friday: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Maryland (Birmingham); No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 North Carolina (Birmingham); No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 5 Ole Miss (Spokane); No. 2 NC State vs. No. 3 LSU (Spokane) Saturday: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Tennessee (Birmingham); No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (Birmingham); No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Kansas State (Spokane); No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Oklahoma (Spokane) Welcome to the Sweet 16: TCU is in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever, continuing their epic turnaround after winning just a single conference game two years ago. Maryland coach Brenda Frese celebrates with her players. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Game of the day: On Sunday, the Maryland men pulled off the most thrilling victory of the weekend; on Monday, the Maryland women won one of the most exhilarating games in recent NCAA tournament history. Maryland 111, Alabama 108 (2OT): The Terps stormed back from 17 down in the third quarter to reach their fourth Sweet 16 in the past five years, forcing OT with a late three before ultimately holding on for the win in the tournament's first double-overtime game since 2022. The Terps were led by a trio of 20-point scorers in guards Sarah Te-Biasu, Shyanne Sellers and Kaylene Smikle, who combined for 78 points, seven steals and nine threes — including Te-Biasu's clutch triple with 12 seconds left that sent the game to OT. Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker nearly dragged the Tide to the Sweet 16 by herself, scoring a program-record 45 points in the loss, tied for the fourth-most by a woman in NCAA tournament history. That included three clutch foul shots to send the game to double-OT. Second-highest scoring game ever: The 219 points scored were the second-most ever in a women's tournament game. Ironically, the Tide were also on the losing end of the highest-scoring game, falling 121-120 to Duke in quadruple overtime in 1995. ? RACE FOR THE CUP NHL FRONTRUNNERS: CURSE OF THE NO. 1 SEED? (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) The Capitals and Jets face off tonight in a matchup of the NHL's two best teams. And though that looks on the surface like a potential Stanley Cup Final preview, history — and the current title odds — says otherwise. Conference frontrunners: With three weeks left in the regular season, Washington (102 points) and Winnipeg (100) hold sizable leads atop the East and West. But entering the playoffs as your conference's 1-seed doesn't end with a trip to the finals as often as you'd expect. 2001 was the last year in which both No. 1 seeds faced off for the title, when the Avalanche beat the Devils for their second championship. Since then, just seven of the ensuing 22 Stanley Cup Finals have featured a 1-seed. When they do make it that far, though, they tend to win, with six* of those seven hoisting the Cup. Top 10 title favorites: Add it all up and it's not hard to understand why these two regular-season juggernauts currently have just the fifth- and seventh-best odds to win the Stanley Cup, per BetMGM. Panthers (+575) Stars (+600) Avalanche (+750) Oilers (+750) Capitals (+1000) Hurricanes (+1000) Jets (+1100) Golden Knights (+1100) Lightning (+1200) Maple Leafs (+1300) Playoff picture: If the season ended today, these 16 teams would make the playoffs. East: Capitals (102 points), Hurricanes (90), Panthers (89), Maple Leafs (87), Lightning (85), Devils (81), Senators (79), Canadiens (75) West: Jets (100), Stars (94), Golden Knights (92), Avalanche (89), Kings (87), Oilers (87), Wild (85), Blues (81) *1-seeds to win the Cup since 2002: Red Wings (2002, 2008), Lightning (2004), Blackhawks (2013), Avalanche (2022), Golden Knights (2023). The 2011 Canucks are the lone 1-seed to reach, but lose, the Cup in that time. ? CAPTURE THE FLAGG THE NBA'S TANKING PROBLEM Flagg put up an 18-9-6 line in Sunday's win over Baylor. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Cooper Flagg hasn't worn an NBA uniform yet, but make no mistake about it: After an incredible season and a dominant opening weekend in his first (and only) March Madness, his presence is being felt all across the league. From Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh: The 18-year-old made his NCAA tournament debut Friday against Mount St. Mary's, fighting through an ankle injury that knocked him out for most of the ACC tournament. You can be sure that the stands will be peppered with NBA scouts and executives getting a closer look at the loaded Duke Blue Devils, but they know what they're getting with Flagg. The 6-foot-9 forward has long been considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick while leading the ACC and the entire NCAA field in just about every advanced metric. We can take a guess at how NBA teams feel about Flagg because the league has launched multiple investigations into teams for purposely sitting good players on bad teams: i.e. tanking. This problem isn't new as the NBA has wrestled with the black eye of tanking for decades. It's clear that tanking practices are alive and well. Last week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $100,000 for violating the league's Player Participation Policy involving 2023 All-Star Lauri Markkanen, who sat against the Washington Wizards earlier in the month (league investigators determined that Markkanen was fit to play). The league has also reportedly launched an investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers, who have a top-6 protected first-round pick in the 2025 Draft, for sitting their stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. However, there are more subtle tanking practices that have taken hold across the NBA that seem to be, at the very least, tolerated by the league office. And it has created a problematic climate that staffers around the league worry could get dangerous quickly. ? TGL WATCHLIST: CROWNING A CHAMP Billy Horschel led Atlanta to victory on Monday. (Brennan Asplen/TGL Golf via Getty Images) TGL's inaugural season ends tonight, with Atlanta and New York facing off in Match 2 (and, if necessary, Match 3) of the best-of-three finals (7pm ET, ESPN). Atlanta leads, 1-0: After Atlanta narrowly won Monday's championship opener, New York must win tonight's first match to force a winner-take-all showdown at 9pm. Well, not quite winner-take-all: The champs earn the $9 million grand prize, but second place still pockets $4.5 million. More to watch: ? NBA: Warriors at Heat* (7:30pm, TNT); Thunder at Kings (10pm, TNT) ? NHL: Capitals at Jets (8pm, ESPN+) ? NIT: Chattanooga at Bradley (7pm, ESPN2); North Texas at Oklahoma State (9pm, ESPN2) … Quarterfinals. *Jimmy's return: After five-plus seasons and two Finals appearances with the Heat, Jimmy Butler returns to Miami tonight for the first time since he was traded to Golden State at the deadline. And the Warriors have flourished with their new playmaker, going 16-4 since his Feb. 8 debut. ? ALTERNATE LOGOS SWEET 16, THROWBACK EDITION (X/@T3Bracketology) Behold, the men's Sweet 16… but with throwback logos. It's the graphic I never knew I needed, but am so thankful I have. 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 28, 2025 Author Members Posted March 28, 2025 ? Good morning! Ladies and gentlemen, baseball is back. Here are 30 bold predictions for the season ahead. In today's edition: Opening Day, the most intriguing potential Final Fours, LeBron is inevitable, Filipino teen makes history, NBA mock draft, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI headlineS ? LeBron is inevitable: LeBron James lifted the Lakers past the Pacers, 120-119, on a tip-in at the buzzer to snap L.A.'s three-game losing streak. He also saved a streak of his own, scoring 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter for his 1,283rd consecutive game with at least 10 points. ? Stunner in Miami: Alexandra Eala, ranked 140th in the world and just 19 years old, stunned No. 2 Iga Świątek at the Miami Open to become the first Filipino player ever to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal. ⚽️ Boston Legacy: Boston's 2026 NWSL expansion team, which first announced its name last fall as the widely-criticized BOS Nation FC, has rebranded as Boston Legacy Football Club. ? From legend to coach: Ali Farokhmanesh, the former Northern Iowa guard whose late three helped beat top-seeded Kansas in the 2010 NCAA tournament, has been promoted from assistant to head coach at Colorado State. ⛳️ Hello, friends: Don't worry, golf fans: Jim Nantz isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The longtime CBS broadcaster plans to call the Masters until 2036, which would be his 51st edition and the 100th overall. Thanks for the heads up, Jim! ⚾️ PLAY BALL! MLB 2025: MEET THE MAIN CHARACTERS It's Opening Day! To get you ready for the action, here are the top 50 people who will impact the 2025 MLB season, according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz. Top 10: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers DH/SP: There are endless avenues to explain the scope and scale of Ohtani's influence, but let's keep it simple. Here is a human being whose athletic greatness has energized nations, reshaped local economies and rewritten the rules of the sport itself. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Blue Jays 1B: The will-they, won't-they extension talks have officially reached opening day of Vlad's walk year. Even if he reaches free agency, he won't get Soto money ($765M); but $500 million is certainly in play. Juan Soto, Mets RF: The $765 million man is the key to Steve Cohen's dream of biting into the Yankees' Big Apple stranglehold. Soto reached the World Series after spending just one year in the Bronx; imagine what he can accomplish with 15 years in Queens. Aaron Judge, Yankees RF: For all the home runs and individual accolades, Judge's career will ultimately feel incomplete if he fails to win a championship in pinstripes. He can still rectify that, but a month shy of his 33rd birthday, he might have less time than you think. Bryce Harper, Phillies 1B: Like Judge, Harper's a two-time MVP turning 33 this year whose only missing piece is a ring. It's incredible to think that by season's end he'll have spent as much time in Philly as in Washington, and that he's firmly in the veteran stage of his career. Paul Skenes, Pirates SP: The reigning ROY looks a lot like the clear-cut best pitcher in baseball. That alone won't make the Pirates competitive; but as last year showed us, even if the Buccos stink, every Skenes start is relevant. Spencer Strider, Braves SP: The 2023 strikeout king, who missed nearly all of last season after undergoing elbow surgery, should return sometime in April to form one of the best 1-2 punches in the majors alongside reigning Cy Young Chris Sale. Ronald Acuña Jr, Braves RF: Like his teammate, the 2023 MVP also missed most of last season after tearing his ACL for the second time in four years. How he and Strider play upon their returns (he's expected back in May) will have an enormous impact on the Braves. Rōki Sasaki, Dodgers SP: Few prospects have Sasaki's talent, but at this point he's significantly less polished than teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto was upon joining L.A. last winter. He's going to be great eventually, but what happens in Year One is a total mystery. Bobby Witt Jr, Royals SS: Since the beginning of the Integration Era, here's the list of players Witt's age (24) or younger to post an fWAR higher than the 10.4 he delivered last year: Mickey Mantle. That's it. That's the list. 11-50: 11-20: Elly de la Cruz (Reds SS), Gunnar Henderson (Orioles SS), Rafael Devers (Red Sox 3B), Alex Cora (Red Sox manager), Alex Bregman (Red Sox 3B), Tarik Skubal (Tigers SP), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers SP), Jacob deGrom (Rangers SP), Jimmy Pitaro (ESPN president), Rob Manfred (MLB commissioner) 21-30: Kyle Tucker (Cubs RF), Jose Altuve (Astros LF), Cam Smith (Astros RF), Freddie Freeman (Dodgers 1B), Mookie Betts (Dodgers SS), Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres RF), Jackson Merrill (Padres CF), Jackson Chourio (Brewers RF), Jackson Jobe (Tigers SP), Jackson Holliday (Orioles 2B) 31-40: Jasson Domínguez (Yankees LF), Sandy Alcántara (Marlins SP), Luis Robert Jr. (White Sox CF), Nolan Arenado (Cardinals 3B), Jed Hoyer (Cubs president), Pete Alonso (Mets 1B), Francisco Lindor (Mets SS), Mike Trout (Angels RF), Buster Posey (Giants president), Justin Verlander (Giants SP) 41-50: Max Scherzer (Blue Jays SP), Munetaka Murakami (NPB slugger), Stu Sternberg (Rays owner), Corbin Burnes (D-Backs SP), Corbin Carroll (D-Backs OF), Lawrence Butler (A’s OF), Clay Holmes (Mets SP), Junior Caminero (Rays IF), James Wood (Nats OF), Chandler Simpson (Future Rays OF) Opening Day snapshot: Welcome to the Show! Angels RHP Ryan Johnson is the 24th player in MLB history to make the big leagues directly out of the draft … Astros RF Cam Smith is the third-fastest position player to make the majors (32 games in the minors) … Nationals RHP Brad Lord made the opening day roster after working at Home Depot this winter. Roster continuity rankings: For the second year in a row, the Phillies lead the majors in continuity, returning a whopping 93% of last year’s plate appearances and 80% of innings pitched. The Tigers, Royals, Mariners and Twins round out the top five. Rays game postponed: 28 of 30 teams are playing today, but the Rays and Rockies have to wait until tomorrow to start their season to give Tampa Bay an extra day to prepare Steinbrenner Field — their temporary, minor league home — for major league action. Title favorites (via BetMGM): The Dodgers (+240) have by far the best odds to win the World Series, followed by the Braves (+900), Yankees (+900), Phillies (+1100), Mets (+1200), Orioles (+1600), Red Sox (+1800), Astros (+1800) and Rangers (+2200). ? SWEET 16 THE ROAD TO SAN ANTONIO The men's Sweet 16 begins today, and by the end of the weekend just four teams will be heading to San Antonio. But the 256 potential Final Four combinations are not all created equal. Here are 10 of our favorites, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg: All chalk: Auburn, Florida, Duke, Houston … Only once has the Final Four comprised entirely No. 1 seeds (2008) since the tournament expanded in 1985. All chaos: Ole Miss, Arkansas, BYU, Purdue … Every Final Four since 2012 has featured at least one team seeded 5 or lower. In a tournament defined by the favorites so far, how funny would it be to see each region's lowest seed emerge victorious? New blood: Ole Miss, Texas Tech, BYU, Tennessee … The Rebels have never been past the Sweet 16, the Cougars (31) and Vols (26) have the most tournament appearances without a Final Four and the Red Raiders are the only West Region team left without a title. First-year coaches: Michigan, Arkansas, Kentucky, BYU … Dusty May (Wolverines), John Calipari (Razorbacks), Mark Pope (Wildcats) and Kevin Young (Cougars) are all in their first year at the helm of their current programs. All-SEC: Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee … Just once have three teams from the same conference made the Final Four (Big East, 1985). The mighty SEC, with seven teams* still alive, could be the first to send four. Defense wins championships: Michigan State, Maryland, Duke, Houston … Five of the nation's top six defenses are still alive (those four plus Tennessee). Only St. John's was eliminated. NBA prospects abound: Michigan State, Maryland, Duke, Houston … Three of these teams have at least one potential lottery pick (Michigan State's Jase Richardson, Maryland's Derik Queen and the Duke trio of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach). The gridiron gang: Michigan, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee … This would make for quite the CFP semifinals. The brainiacs: Michigan, Florida, Duke, Purdue … According to U.S. News and World Report, Duke (6), Michigan (21), Florida (30) and Purdue (46) are the highest-rated academic institutions in their regions. The mascot melee: Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Houston … What if every mascot came to life and had an epic brawl? Far too much time was wasted trying to figure out how an Elephant would fare against a Blue Devil. *Other all-SEC permutations: Auburn could be replaced by Ole Miss (South), Florida could be replaced by Arkansas (West) and Tennessee could be replaced by Kentucky (Midwest). ? CLASS OF 2025 NBA MOCK DRAFT 1.0 With the Sweet 16 tipping off today, it's a perfect time to break out our first mock of the 2025 NBA draft, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor. Top 10: Wizards: Cooper Flagg (F, Duke) Jazz: Dylan Harper (G, Rutgers) Hornets: Ace Bailey (F, Rutgers) Pelicans: VJ Edgecombe (G, Baylor) 76ers: Derik Queen (C, Maryland) Nets: Kasparas Jakučionis (G, Illinois) Raptors: Jeremiah Fears (G, Oklahoma) Heat: Tre Johnson (G, Texas) Spurs: Collin Murray-Boyles (F, South Carolina) Trail Blazers: Kon Knueppel (G/F, Duke) ? STACKED SLATE WATCHLIST: BASEKETBALL It's no Sports Equinox, but Opening Day and the Sweet 16 falling on the same day is a treat nonetheless. ⚾️ Opening Day: The 14-game slate includes two on national television: Brewers at Yankees (3pm ET, ESPN) and Tigers at Dodgers (7pm, ESPN), which features last year's AL Cy Young (Tarik Skubal) squaring off against a two-time winner (Blake Snell). ? Sweet 16: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 6 BYU (7:09pm, CBS); No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Maryland (7:39pm, TBS); No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Arizona (9:39pm, CBS); No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Arkansas (10:09pm, TBS) More to watch: ? NBA: Mavericks at Magic (7pm, NBA) ? NHL: Kings at Avalanche (10pm, ESPN) ? NCAA Men's Hockey: Regionals (2pm-8:30pm, ESPNU/ESPN2) … The 16-team* NCAA tournament begins today with the first four regional games. ⛳️ LPGA: Ford Championship (7pm, Golf) … 19 of the world's top 20 golfers tee it up in Arizona, including No. 1 and defending champion Nelly Korda. ⛳️ PGA: Houston Open (8:15am, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf) … The first of two straight tournaments in Texas before the Masters tees off on April 10. ⛸️ World Figure Skating Championships: Day 2 (11am, Peacock; 3pm, USA) ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Barcelona (4-1) vs. Wolfsburg (1:45pm, YouTube); Chelsea (0-2) vs. Man City (4pm, YouTube) … Quarterfinals, second leg. ? Tennis: Miami Open (1pm, Tennis) … No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 6 Jasmine Paolini and No. 4 Jessica Pegula vs. Alexandra Eala in the women's semifinals. 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 29, 2025 Author Members Posted March 29, 2025 ? Opening Day Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images ?The New York Yankees line up for the National Anthem today as the 2025 baseball season begins. Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images ⚾️ Los Angeles Angels players warm up before playing the Chicago White Sox. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images ?? Military planes conducted a flyover for the Washington Nationals' Opening Day. 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 30, 2025 Author Members Posted March 30, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! Thanks for letting me (Jeff) captain the ship this week. In today's edition: Texas Tech's epic comeback, Alabama's historic three-point barrage, Opening Day across the league, here come the Huskies, heavyweight history, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI headlineS ? Stunning defeat: The Lakers suffered what had to be the worst loss of the NBA season, falling 119-117 to the Bulls on a halfcourt buzzer-beater from Josh Giddey — Chicago's third made three-pointer in the final 10 seconds (!) of the game. ? Crosby passes Gretzky: With his first-period goal on Thursday, Sidney Crosby clinched the 20th point-per-game season of his career, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most such seasons in NHL history. ? McCaffery hired: Penn hired former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery to take over the program at his alma mater, where he was the Quakers' point guard from 1979-82. ? Tortorella fired: The Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella, who went 97-107-33 during his three years in Philly. This season has been the low point, with the Flyers sitting dead last in the Metropolitan. ? Dogfighting indictment: Former NFL RB LeShon Johnson has been charged in a federal dogfighting case after 190 dogs were seized from him in October under the Animal Welfare Act. ? SWEET 16, DAY 1 AND THEN THERE WERE 12... Darrion Williams (R) after hitting the game-tying three with nine seconds left. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) All four favorites won on Thursday, and though three did so relatively comfortably — including one in a historic performance — it took every last second of the game for the Red Raiders to avoid the upset at the hands of John Calipari's Razorbacks. Texas Tech 85, Arkansas 83 (OT): The Razorbacks were unconscious for much of the second half, but the Red Raiders went on a 16-3 run over the final four minutes to force overtime, where they held on for a thrilling victory to reach their first Elite Eight since 2019. Down 16 with 10 minutes left, it was the second-largest comeback ever in the Sweet 16. Alabama 113, BYU 88: The Tide rode the single greatest shooting performance in March Madness history to their second straight Elite Eight, hitting an NCAA tournament-record 25 three-pointers* to shatter the previous mark of 21 (Loyola Marymount, 1990). All-American Mark Sears hit 10 triples alone, one shy of the tournament record. Duke 100, Arizona 93: Cooper Flagg (30 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks) outdueled Caleb Love (35 points, 4 rebounds) to lead the Blue Devils to their third Elite Eight in the last four years. Florida 87, Maryland 71: The Gators put a sloppy first half behind them (13 turnovers) to defeat the Terps and advance to their first Elite Eight since 2017. This was Florida's eighth straight victory in the Sweet 16, tied for the second-longest streak ever (UNC, 11). What's next: There are four more Sweet 16 games tonight before the Elite Eight tips off on Saturday, when No. 1 Florida will take on No. 3 Texas Tech in San Francisco and No. 1 Duke will take on No. 2 Alabama in Newark. Further reading: How Arkansas' all-time March Madness collapse cost John Calipari an Elite Eight berth (Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports) *Crazy but true: If Alabama hadn't made a single two-point field goal the entire game, they still would have won (25 three-pointers plus 18 free throws). ⚾️ baseball's back IN PHOTOS: OPENING DAY (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Washington, D.C. — The Phillies beat the Nationals, 7-3, in extra innings as Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber both homered in their old ballpark. But MacKenzie Gore was spectacular in defeat, becoming the ninth pitcher in MLB history with at least 13 strikeouts on Opening Day. (Harry How/Getty Images) Los Angeles — The champs rolled out the blue carpet for their home-opener, celebrating their eighth World Series title with gold-trimmed jerseys, a star-studded flag-raising ceremony and a 5-4 win over the Tigers. And yes, of course Shohei Ohtani hit a homer. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) Toronto — The Rogers Centre looked great, but that didn't stop the Orioles from walloping six homers in a 12-2 rout of the Blue Jays. That included two each from Cedric Mullins and Adley Rutschman and one from Tyler O'Neill — his record sixth straight Opening Day with a tater. The Captain takes the field. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) New York — The Yankees survived some late drama to beat the Brewers, 4-2, but it was the beginning of the game that provided the fireworks when Austin Wells — the first Yankees catcher ever to bat leadoff — became the first catcher in MLB history to hit an Opening Day leadoff HR. (Kevin M. Cox/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Houston — The Astros spoiled Juan Soto's Mets debut with a 3-1 victory that ended, how else, with Soto at the plate and runners on the corners. He worked a 3-0 count before All-Star closer Josh Hader followed with three strikes in a row to secure the win. More Scores: Red Sox 5, Rangers 2 Marlins 5, Pirates 4 Giants 6, Reds 4 White Sox 8, Angels 1 Guardians 7, Royals 4 (10) Padres 7, Braves 4 Cardinals 5, Twins 3 Cubs 10, Diamondbacks 6 Mariners 4, Athletics 2 Baseball's back: Opening Day takeaways ? SWEET 16 HERE COME THE HUSKIES The most decorated team in women's college basketball history hasn't won a national championship since 2016. But UConn's path to Tampa is suddenly wide open as the Huskies look like an NCAA tournament juggernaut once again. Title odds: Despite being a 2-seed, UConn enters the Sweet 16 as the favorite to cut down the nets after JuJu Watkins' unfortunate injury rendered USC a far less dangerous potential Elite Eight opponent for the Huskies. UConn (+155 via BetMGM) South Carolina (+175) UCLA (+650) Texas (+800) Notre Dame (+1100) The rest: LSU (+3000), USC (+4000), Duke (+4000), NC State (+5000), TCU (+5000), Kansas State (+8000), Tennessee (+8000), Oklahoma (+12500), Maryland (+17500), North Carolina (+20000), Ole Miss (+20000) The superstar leading the way: Even if JuJu were healthy, the Trojans (or anyone else) would have their hands full trying to stop Paige Bueckers, whose record-setting career is missing only a national championship. Five years ago it was Bueckers, not fellow freshman Caitlin Clark, who took the college basketball world by storm, becoming the first freshman ever to win the Naismith Women's POY. But an injury the next year and Clark's meteoric rise pushed her out of the spotlight. Now the consensus No. 1 pick in next month's WNBA draft is putting the finishing touches on one of the most efficient seasons of all time, becoming the first player in college or the pros (men or women) to shoot 50/40/90 while leading the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Elsewhere: UConn doesn't take the court until tomorrow (against Oklahoma), but this afternoon features a historic matchup when Duke and UNC square off in the NCAA women's tournament for the first time ever. Sweet 16: Ranking every team from most to least likely to win the title (Cassandra Negley, Yahoo Sports) ? HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY THE LONG COUNT: THE BOXING CONTROVERSY THAT DEFINED AN ERA (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) If a team of screenwriters tried to come up with the perfect antagonist for a champion like Jack Dempsey, they probably couldn't do much better than Gene Tunney. And 98 years ago in Chicago, those two fearsome heavyweights fought the biggest and most controversial boxing match the world had ever seen. From Uncrowned's Ben Fowlkes: You'll often see the 1920s referred to as the "golden age of sports." There are a couple reasons for this, but a big part of it is the slate of huge stars that emerged in this decade. Baseball had Babe Ruth. Football had "Red" Grange. Golf had Bobby Jones. And boxing? Well, obviously it had Jack Dempsey, "The Manassa Mauler," whose heavyweight title run lifted the sport to new heights at the box office and beyond. For a long time, the "million-dollar gate" — that is to say, a boxing match (or any live entertainment) that brought in $1 million or more in ticket sales — was considered to be boxing's four-minute mile. No one had ever broken that barrier, or even really come all that close. Then Dempsey did it. Then he did it four more times after that. That's how big a star Dempsey was during the roaring '20s. But just because he was a star didn't mean he was universally loved. As the writer Paul Gallico once put it, while Dempsey ended his career as "the most popular prizefighter that ever lived," for years before that he was "one of the most unpopular and despised champions that ever climbed into a ring." What finally brought the public all the way around wasn't his many victories. Instead it was two specific defeats, both of which came at the hands of Gene Tunney, "The Fighting Marine." The second of their two fights drew a reported crowd of just over 104,000 to Chicago's Soldier Field in 1927, resulting in boxing's first $2 million gate ($2,658,660 to be exact, equivalent to about $48.5 million in today's money). It was the biggest boxing match the world had ever seen. It would end in one of the sport's greatest controversies, enshrined forever in boxing lore as "the long count fight." It was also the perfect controversy for the age of newsreels and stylish gangsters, mass media and decadent wealth, savagery and civilization. ? ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR WATCHLIST: MADNESS ALL WEEKEND The NCAA tournament's second weekend continues today, as the men's Final Four will be set by Sunday followed by the women's on Monday. Men's Sweet 16 (Friday): No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (7:09pm ET, CBS); No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky (7:39pm, TBS); No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 5 Michigan (9:39pm, CBS); No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Purdue (10:09pm, TBS) Women's Sweet 16 (Friday): No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 North Carolina (2:30pm, ESPN); No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Maryland (5pm, ESPN); No. 2 NC State vs. No. 3 LSU (7:30pm, ESPN); No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 5 Ole Miss (10pm, ESPN) Men's Elite Eight (Saturday): No. 1 Florida vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (6:09pm, TBS); No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama (8:49pm, TBS) Women's Sweet 16 (Saturday): No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (1pm, ABC); No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Tennessee (3:30pm, ABC); No. 2 Uconn vs. No. 3 Oklahoma (5:30pm, ESPN); No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Kansas State (8pm, ESPN) More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Orioles at Blue Jays (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Mets at Astros (Fri. 8pm, Apple); Twins at Cardinals (Sat. 2:15pm, FS1); Braves at Padres (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) … Opening weekend. ? NBA: Suns at Timberwolves (Fri. 8pm, NBA); Celtics at Spurs (Sat. 8pm, NBA); Rockets at Suns (Sun. 9pm, NBA) ? NHL: Utah at Panthers (Fri. 7pm, NHL); Bruins at Red Wings (Sat. 8pm, ABC); Sharks at Kings (Sun. 10pm, ESPN) ⛳️ Golf: Houston Open (Fri-Sun, Golf/NBC); Ford Championship (Fri-Sun, Golf) … Four players are tied for the lead (-5) in Houston and Charley Hull (-9) leads in Arizona. ? NCAA Men's Hockey: Regionals (Fri-Sun, ESPNU/ESPN2) … The Frozen Four will be determined by Sunday. ? UFL: Week 1 (Fri-Sun, Fox/ESPN) … The second season opens with all eight 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 31, 2025 Author Members Posted March 31, 2025 ? 1 for the road Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios The College Basketball Crown, a new postseason tournament, tips off its inaugural run in Las Vegas tomorrow with 16 men's teams, Axios' Analis Bailey reports. Sign of the times: $500,000 in name, image and likeness brand ambassador deals is on the line, making it one of the first postseason college basketball tournaments to explicitly tie team success to NIL cash. How it works: Automatic bids were given to the top two teams from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East. A selection committee picked the rest. The field includes USC, Nebraska, Villanova, Arizona State, and Georgetown. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer cuts down the net at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., last night after beating Alabama to advance to the Final Four. Photo: C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos Madness update: Florida and Duke punched their Final Four tickets for the men's tournament. The other two teams will clinch tonight. The women's Final Four will be set by tomorrow night. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 31, 2025 Author Members Posted March 31, 2025 ? 1 hoop thing: Final Four favorite NCAA via X For the first time since 2008 — and only the second time ever — all No. 1 seeds have reached the men's Final Four. Auburn will face Florida ... Duke takes on Houston. ? The favorite: Duke — with superstar Cooper Flagg — is the frontrunner to win the title, followed by Florida, Houston and Auburn, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. ? How to watch: Semifinals start on Saturday (6:09 p.m. ET, CBS) from the Alamodome in San Antonio. 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 31, 2025 Author Members Posted March 31, 2025 In today's edition: The year of the No. 1 seed, "torpedo bats" in the Bronx, Clark card shatters record, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI headlineS ? Last four standing: Penn State and Western Michigan will make their Frozen Four debuts next week in St. Louis alongside defending champion Denver (19th appearance) and longtime powerhouse BU (25th). ⚾️ Still perfect: The Dodgers are the first reigning World Series champions to start 5-0 since the 1985 Tigers, and a win tonight against the Braves would tie their best start since moving to Los Angeles in 1958. ? Chasing Gretzky: Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 890 on Sunday. He's now five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time mark with nine games left in the regular season. ? Willard to Nova: Kevin Willard is leaving Maryland for Villanova, ending a messy process that clouded his team's Sweet 16 run. Willard returns to the Big East after spending 12 seasons at Seton Hall from 2010-2022. ? Stuck on 99: 19-year-old Jakub Meník upset Novak Djokovic in the Miami Open final to prevent his idol from winning his 100th ATP title. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula to hoist the women's trophy. ? FINAL FOUR THE YEAR OF THE NO. 1 SEED A historically chalky NCAA tournament is getting the finale it deserves: Four No. 1 seeds at the Alamodome. The Final Four: Duke (East), Florida (West), Houston (Midwest) and Auburn (South) will enter Saturday's semifinals in San Antonio with a combined 135-16 record and the most impressive statistical résumé we've ever seen. Duke (35-3): The Blue Devils are in the Final Four for the 18th time, which trails only UNC (21). Their win over Alabama was their 22nd this season by 20+ points, tied for the fifth-most in D-I history. Florida (34-4): The Gators are still chomping thanks to late comebacks against UConn and Texas Tech, and they will now participate in the first SEC vs. SEC matchup in the history of the men's Final Four. Houston (34-4): No program has won more NCAA tournament games over the past five years than the Cougars (15), who have lost just once in regulation all season (their other three losses came in OT). Auburn (32-5): Can you imagine going 32-5, finishing atop arguably the best league ever, advancing to the Final Four and being considered the least likely champion by oddsmakers? Pretty wild! Déjà vu: The only other time the Final Four was all No. 1 seeds was in 2008 when Kansas (champions), Memphis (runner-up), UNC and UCLA all made it. Coincidentally, that Final Four was also held in San Antonio. Notes: Title odds: Duke (+100 at BetMGM) is the betting favorite, followed by Florida (+275), Houston (+400) and Auburn (+525). How's this for a storyline? When Bruce Pearl got the Auburn job in 2014, he hired a 28-year-old from Columbia as his Director of Basketball Ops. His name? Todd Golden, the man he'll coach against on Saturday. Rare feat: Duke's Jon Scheyer joins Hubert Davis (UNC) and Dick Harp (Kansas) as the only men to take their alma mater to the Final Four as both a player and head coach. Matchups: Duke vs. Houston pits the nation's No. 1 offense vs. the nation's No. 1 defense in a Sweet 16 rematch from a year ago; Florida vs. Auburn pits the SEC regular season champs vs. the SEC tournament champs. The Gators won their first meeting in early February, 90-81. ⚾️ BRONX BOMBERS "TORPEDO BATS" ARE THE TALK OF BASEBALL The Yankees tied the MLB record with 15 home runs in their first three games of the season — thanks in part to some unusual equipment. Driving the news: During their nine-homer, 20-run victory over the Brewers on Saturday, play-by-play announcer Michael Kay explained that at least a few Yankees were using a new type of bat that was designed by a physicist and features a barrel closer to the hands. "The Yankee front office, the analytics department, did a study on Anthony Volpe, and every single ball, it seemed like, he hit on the label. He didn't hit any on the barrel. So they had bats made up where they moved a lot of the wood into the label so the harder part of the bat is going to actually strike the ball." Who's using the bats? Volpe, Jazz Chisholm, Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells used the "torpedo bats" to hit a combined six home runs this weekend, and other Yankee hitters plan to wield them. Aaron Judge, who already has four home runs, is notably not one of them. The bats don't violate any MLB rules, which only stipulate that bats must be made of solid wood, be no longer than 42 inches or thicker than 2.61 inches, and not have a cup at the tip deeper than an inch. "The concept makes so much sense. I know I'm bought in," Volpe said on Sunday. "I'm sure there's a part of our clubhouse that would've wanted it to be a secret. But it was always going to get out." Bigger than the Yankees: Other teams dabbled with "torpedo bats" in spring training, and Orioles All-Star Adley Rutschman is among the non-Yankee hitters who wielded one this weekend. Asked how many other teams are toying with bat optimization, one high-ranking front-office person offered a revealing response: "After this weekend? Roughly 29." A "torpedo bat" (above) compared to a regular-shaped bat. (Kevin Smith) The inventor: These bats are the brainchild of MIT physicist Aaron Leanhardt, who worked for the Yankees from 2018-2024 before joining the Marlins this past offseason. He began conceptualizing the "torpedo" barrel in 2022 and worked closely with MLB rules officials and bat manufacturers to bring it to life last year. "People back in the day swung very heavy bats made out of hickory, and then someone had this genius idea to swing something lighter, something like ash, and that was revolutionary back in the 1920s, 30s, 40s… and then the industry kind of stayed the course for quite some time. Ultimately, it just takes people asking the right questions and being willing to be forward thinking." The new normal? Unless MLB cracks down on this design, there's reason to believe it could become the weapon of choice for many hitters. "It makes sense to everyone who plays," says retired infielder Kevin Smith, who spent the 2024 season in the Yankees farm system. "It's not going to make you an elite hitter if you aren't already (I tried)," Smith added. "But for the best in the world, any slight advantage could be the difference." "Lenny was always amazed it wasn't already a thing. He would say, '5-10 years from now this is all anyone will be using.'" Bottom line: For decades, the process for choosing a bat was "yeah, this one feels good." As MLB's 150th season gets underway, it appears players are just now realizing that they can take a far more detailed approach and customize their lumber to fit their swing. 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 April 2, 2025 Author Members Posted April 2, 2025 ? Good morning! In 1995, Tony Gwynn had 15 strikeouts in 585 at-bats. In 2025, Rafael Devers has 15 strikeouts in 19 at-bats. In today's edition: The women's Final Four is set, the "torpedo bat" is spreading fast, Duke trio headlines NBA Big Board, free concessions at Coastal Carolina, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI headlineS ⚾️ Sactown smackdown: The first MLB game in Sacramento did not go well for the home team, as the Cubs demolished the A's, 18-3, in their Sutter Health Park debut. Chicago catcher Carson Kelly led the way, hitting for the Cubs' first cycle since 1993. ? More football on Christmas: The NFL is planning a Christmas Day tripleheader this year (a Thursday) after the success of last year's two-game slate. The first two games will be on Netflix and the third will be on Prime Video. ⚾️ PED suspension: Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended 80 games for violating MLB's PED policy. The 2024 All-Star tested positive for a banned substance called chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). ? Rodgers to Pittsburgh? If Aaron Rodgers is going to play in 2025, the Steelers appear to be his most likely destination. The free agent QB met with the Pittsburgh coaching staff over the weekend and had a throwing session with new Steelers wideout DK Metcalf. ? Miles passes on WNBA: Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles was widely projected to be the No. 2 pick in this year's WNBA draft. Instead, she will forgo the draft and enter the transfer portal. ? FINAL FOUR FAVORITES FIGHT ON (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) The women's Final Four isn't quite as chalky as the men's, but look past the seeds and you'll find a foursome of favorites heading to Tampa, Jeff writes. The Final Four: No. 1 seeds UCLA, South Carolina and Texas are joined by No. 2 seed UConn — the most decorated program in women's college basketball history and the No. 1 team in the nation entering the tournament, according to the NCAA's NET rankings. UCLA (34-2): This is the first-ever Final Four for the Bruins, who have a chance to become the sixth school to win both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments, joining UConn, Baylor, Stanford, Maryland and UNC. South Carolina (34-3): Over the past five seasons, Dawn Staley's Gamecocks have won 169 of their 180 games, reached five Final Fours and claimed two national championships. Will they make it a third on Sunday? Texas (35-3): The Longhorns beat the Horned Frogs in Monday's Lone Star State Showdown to reach their first Final Four since 2003, finally breaking through after four Elite Eight appearances in the past five years. UConn (35-3): It's unfathomable what the Huskies have done under Geno Auriemma, but one number is pretty easy to follow: This is their 24th Final Four in the past 34 tournaments. No other team has reached more than 14 in that time (Stanford). Stat of the day: South Carolina has gone 72-3 over the past two seasons. Their only three losses? UCLA, Texas and UConn. You could not have hand-picked a more appropriate Final Four. Notes: Title odds: UConn (-130 at BetMGM) is the betting favorite, followed by South Carolina (+250), Texas (+600) and UCLA (+750). Like brother, like sister: Four years ago, Jaime Jaquez Jr. (now with the Heat) led the UCLA men to the Final Four. On Sunday, his younger sister Gabriela nailed a career-high four threes, including a late dagger, to help lead the UCLA women there. Rare feat: Texas' Vic Schaefer is the fifth head coach to take multiple schools to the women's Final Four (Mississippi State), joining Gary Blair (Arkansas, Texas A&M), Kim Mulkey (Baylor, LSU), Marianne Stanley (ODU, Stanford) and C. Vivian Stringer (Cheyney, Iowa, Rutgers). Matchups: South Carolina vs. Texas marks the first SEC matchup in the Final Four or later since the 2017 title game, when the Gamecocks beat… Schaefer's Mississippi State squad; UCLA vs. UConn features two unanimous AP All-Americans in Paige Bueckers and Lauren Betts. ⚾️ BOOMSTICK THE "TORPEDO BAT" IS SPREADING FAST Elly de la Cruz after his second homer of the game. (Jeff Dean/Getty Images) "Torpedo bats" entered the American consciousness over the weekend thanks to the Yankees' home run barrage. But this story extends far beyond the Bronx. Confirmed users: In addition to the five Yankees (Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm, Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Paul Goldschmidt) who are wielding the oddly-shaped lumber, there are nine other known users around the league — and the list is expected to grow. Cubs: Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner Reds: Elly De La Cruz, Jose Trevino Mets: Francisco Lindor Orioles: Adley Rutschman Rays: Junior Caminero Blue Jays: Davis Schneider Twins: Ryan Jeffers What they're saying: De La Cruz used the "torpedo bat" for the first time on Monday night and went 4-for-5 with two HRs and seven RBIs in Cincinnati's 14-3 win over Texas. "It feels good," said the star shortstop. "It feels really good." What to watch: Some teams have begun ordering shipments of "torpedo bats," and numerous players have said they're intrigued. Marlins field coordinator Aaron Leanhardt, who invented the bat while working for the Yankees, says his team will begin using them soon. "We're getting ramped up right now with it. You'll see them on the field here in a couple weeks or so." Of note: While "torpedo bats" are a new phenomenon, they've been around longer than you might think. Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton was apparently using one last postseason when he hit seven homers in 14 games. I guess nobody really noticed because it wasn't a story yet. Want to buy your own? Bat manufacturers Marucci and Victus are already selling made-to-order "torpedo bats" online. They cost roughly $200 and ship within a week. ? 2025 DRAFT NBA BIG BOARD: DUKE TRIO LEADS THE WAY (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Our 2025 NBA Draft Big Board features the top 60 prospects in this year's class. 11 of them will take the floor this weekend at the Final Four — and six will be playing for Duke. Top prospects in San Antonio: Duke: Cooper Flagg (1), Khaman Maluach (5), Kon Knueppel (7), Tyrese Proctor (30), Isaiah Evans (37), Sion James (46) Auburn: Tahaad Pettiford (14), Johni Broome (52) Houston: Milos Uzan (38), Joseph Tugler (47) Florida: Walter Clayton Jr. (55) Blue Devils trio eyes history (again)… In 2019, Duke produced three top-10 picks in Zion Williamson (No. 1), R.J. Barrett (No. 3) and Cam Reddish (No. 10). Six years later, a new Blue Devils trio — Flagg, Maluach and Knueppel — could achieve the same rare feat. ? GO DEEPER GOOD READS Scheyer cuts down the net after defeating Alabama on Saturday to reach the Final Four. (Elsa/Getty Images) ? Jeff Eisenberg: Jon Scheyer filled the biggest shoes of all, and he appears to be a perfect fit Scheyer isn't just handling the pressure of coaching in the considerable shadow of Mike Krzyzewski. He is authoring one of college basketball's smoothest and most successful transitions from coaching icon to hand-picked successor. The sliding track in Lake Placid. (Al Bello/Getty Images) ? Jay Busbee: Could the U.S. host 2026 Winter Olympic events? The 2026 Winter Games will begin in just over 10 months in the Milan-Cortina region of northern Italy. But it's possible a few events might take place a whole lot closer to Americans' home — in Lake Placid, New York. (David Berding/Getty Images) ? Vincent Goodwill: Detroit vs. Everybody, just like it used to be The Pistons franchise seems to be buoyed by instances that firmly plant Detroit on one side and everyone else on the other. Call it Detroit vs. Everybody. ? MLB ON TBS WATCHLIST: YANKS LOOK TO STAY HOT (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) The Yankees host the Diamondbacks tonight (7:05pm ET, TBS) as the Bombers look to continue their torpedo bat-fueled 3-0 start. Historic start: Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge picked up where he left off, becoming the first Yankee ever to hit four home runs in the first three games of the season. Only Adrian González has ever hit more home runs in his team's first three games (five, in 2015 with the Dodgers). More to watch: ? NBA: Suns at Bucks (7:30pm, TNT); Timberwolves at Nuggets (10pm, TNT) … Kevin Durant (ankle) is expected to miss at least a week. ? NIT: North Texas vs. UC Irvine (7pm, ESPN); Chattanooga vs. Loyola Chicago (9:30pm, ESPN2) … Semifinals in Indianapolis. ? CBC: DePaul vs. Cincinnati (3pm, FS1); UCF vs. Oregon State (5:30pm, FS1); Villanova vs. Colorado (8:30pm, FS1); Tulane vs. USC (11pm, FS1) … First round in Las Vegas. ? NHL: Oilers at Golden Knights (10pm, ESPN+) … Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl (104 points) and Vegas' Jack Eichel (93) rank third and fourth in scoring. ⚽️ EPL: Arsenal vs. Fulham (2:45pm, Peacock); Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United (3pm, Peacock) … Arsenal (58 points) and Forest (54) trail only Liverpool (70). ? McDonald's All-American Games: Girls (6:30pm, ESPN2); Boys* (9pm, ESPN) … At Barclays Center in Brooklyn. *Wanna feel old? Cameron and Cayden Boozer (sons of Carlos) and Alijah Arenas (son of Gilbert) will be on the floor in tonight's McDonald's All-American Boys Game. 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 April 3, 2025 Author Members Posted April 3, 2025 Why college basketball coaches say the game no longer has the same appeal Coach after coach have walked away from college basketball, saying it no longer holds the appeal it once did. Some specifically blamed the transfer portal and the pressure to compete for players with endorsement money, a topic that stretches beyond basketball. Read More. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted April 3, 2025 Author Members Posted April 3, 2025 ? NFL replaces first-down chains Crew members hold the down markers during a Dolphins-Patriots game in 2023. Photo: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images The NFL will sideline the physical chains it has long used to measure first downs, and rely instead on cameras beginning next season. Cameras are "an efficient alternative to the process of walking chains onto the field and manually measuring" 10 yards, the league said in a release. The chains will still be available as a secondary option. 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 April 3, 2025 Author Members Posted April 3, 2025 ? 1 fun thing: Ovechkin chases hockey history Data: Hockey Reference. Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Alexander Ovechkin has eight games left this season to score four times and become the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, Axios' Everett Cook writes. Why it matters: The current career record of 894, set by Wayne Gretzky, was one of those sports records that many thought could never be broken — and Ovechkin's on the verge of doing it at age 39. Ovechkin's been a model of consistency over his 20 seasons playing for the Washington Capitals (charted above). The Russian winger has never scored less than 30 goals in a full, non-pandemic or lockout season, and prior to this year, had missed just 35 total career games due to injury. He likely would've broken the record weeks ago had he not missed 16 games due to a broken fibula. 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 April 3, 2025 Author Members Posted April 3, 2025 ? Good morning! The Dodgers (7-0) and Padres (6-0) still haven't lost. The Braves (0-6) still haven't won. Quote of the night: "Neither team is defending. It looks like Stevie Wonder's guarding Ray Charles out there." (Ed Cooley, Georgetown) In today's edition: Ryan Leonard's whirlwind week, NFL rule changes, the two centers of the baseball universe, a Masters prelude, MLB power rankings, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. ? ICYMI headlineS ? Jokić makes history, Nuggets lose: Nikola Jokić posted a 61-point triple-double (the most points ever scored as part of a triple-double)… in the Nuggets' 140-139 (2OT) loss to the Timberwolves. Denver is now 0-3 when he scores 50+ points. ? New rules for 2025: NFL owners approved a variety of rule changes on Tuesday. Among them: Hawk-Eye cameras will measure first downs, both teams will possess the ball in OT during the regular season, and touchbacks will be spotted on the 35-yard line (as opposed to the 30). ? Wooden Award finalists: Cooper Flagg (Duke), Johni Broome (Auburn) and Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida) headline the men's finalists, while fellow Final Four participants Paige Bueckers (UConn), Lauren Betts (UCLA) and Madison Booker (Texas) headline the women's finalists. ? Four goals away: Alex Ovechkin scored his 891st career goal in the Capitals' 4-3 win over the Bruins. He's now four goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky with eight games left in the regular season. ? Maryland hires Williams: Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams is leaving College Station for College Park, where he'll replace Kevin Willard (now at Villanova). Williams went 120-73 in six seasons with the Aggies and was twice named SEC Coach of the Year. ? NHL DEBUT RYAN LEONARD'S WHIRLWIND WEEK (Rich Gagnon/Getty Images) It's that time of year again, when the NCAA hockey season comes to a close and elite college players join the NHL for the stretch run. Few are as good as Ryan Leonard, and perhaps none get to start their careers under circumstances quite as exciting as his, Jeff writes. Homecoming debut: Leonard, a Massachusetts native who spent the last two seasons at Boston College, made his Capitals debut on Tuesday night against his hometown Bruins, registering 14:14 of ice time in Washington's 4-3 win. That was the culmination of a wild three days for the 20-year-old left winger, who played his final college game on Sunday, signed his entry-level contract (and ostensibly attended classes) on Monday and played his first NHL game on Tuesday. As if joining a contender weren't exciting enough, Leonard also has a front row seat as Alex Ovechkin closes in on the NHL's most famous record. His whirlwind week continues tonight when the first-place Caps face the Hurricanes on national TV. Welcome to the league, kid! A super prospect: The Capitals drafted Leonard eighth overall in 2023 after he helped the U.S. win silver and gold medals in successive U18 World Championships. He hasn't slowed down since, putting up historic numbers at Boston College (61 goals in 78 games) and leading Team USA to back-to-back golds at the Junior World Championships. (X) How cool is this? Leonard signed his contract surrounded by his teammates in their college locker room. Right around that time, he received a text from Alex Ovechkin asking if he wanted to get sushi once the Capitals landed in Boston. An hour later, he was singing and dancing with the Great Eight. Then came another surreal moment: "Ovi wanted to see where I went to school, so [we] went there for an hour just to show him, and he loved it," Leonard said. Looking ahead: Leonard could make an instant impact for the Capitals when the playoffs begin later this month, where he'll hope to join the ranks of other top prospects like Chris Kreider* and Cale Makar who jumped directly from college into the postseason with great success. *Kreider, also a BC alum, joined the Rangers three days after winning the 2012 NCAA championship and scored five goals in the playoffs (including multiple game-winners) before playing a single regular-season game. ⚾️ JERSEY SALES NYC AND LA: THE TWO CENTERS OF THE BASEBALL UNIVERSE Aaron Judge and Freddie Freeman during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) It's no secret that many of MLB's biggest stars are in New York and Los Angeles, but this stat really crystallizes it: The six most popular jerseys* belong to players in those two cities: Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) Juan Soto (Mets) Mookie Betts (Dodgers) Aaron Judge (Yankees) Francisco Lindor (Mets) Rounding out the top 20: 7. Bryce Harper (Phillies), 8. Jose Altuve (Astros), 9. Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves), 10. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers), 11. Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), 12. Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres), 13. Elly De La Cruz (Reds), 14. Gunnar Henderson (Orioles), 15. Paul Skenes (Pirates), 16. Kiké Hernandez (Dodgers), 17. Corey Seager (Rangers), 18. Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), 19. Anthony Volpe (Yankees), 20. Manny Machado (Padres) *Methodology: These rankings are based on sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network of sites, including MLB Shop, since the culmination of the 2024 World Series. ? WOMEN'S AMATEUR WATCHLIST: A PRELUDE TO THE MASTERS (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) The sixth edition of the Augusta National Women's Amateur tees off today in Georgia (1:30pm ET, Golf), where 72 golfers from 23 countries — including 49 of the world's top 50 amateurs — will compete at the storied club* a week before the Masters, Jeff writes. What's at stake: The winner earns a spot in four of the five LPGA majors this year, and there's precedent for them to do well there: 2023 ANWA champion Rose Zhang finished top 10 at three majors that year, and she's now the 19th-ranked golfer in the world. More to watch: ? NBA: Knicks at Cavaliers (7pm, ESPN); Pistons at Thunder (9:30pm, ESPN) … Four playoff teams take the court. ? NHL: Capitals at Hurricanes (7pm, TNT); Avalanche at Blackhawks (9:30pm, TNT) … Alex Ovechkin is four goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky. ⚾️ MLB: Diamondbacks at Yankees (7:05pm, Prime); Braves at Dodgers (8:38pm, MLB) … Los Angeles is the first reigning champion to start 7-0 since the 1933 Yankees. ⚽️ Copa del Rey: Atlético Madrid (4-4) vs. Barcelona (3:30pm, ESPN+) … Semifinals, second leg; Real Madrid awaits. ⚽️ Coppa Italia: AC Milan vs. Inter Milan (3pm, Paramount+) … Semifinals, first leg. ⚽️ Champions Cup: LAFC vs. Inter Miami (11:30pm, FS1) … Quarterfinals, first leg. *How it works: The first two rounds of the 54-hole tournament are held at nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club. The top 30 players (plus ties) then advance to Saturday's final round at Augusta National. ⚾️ WAY TOO EARLY MLB POWER RANKINGS (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Our first MLB power rankings have arrived, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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