Members phkrause Posted July 20, 2025 Author Members Posted July 20, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Baseball is back, Lillard's return, Watt gets paid, Buddhist monk in contention at The Open, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? Watt gets paid: T.J. Watt has agreed to a three-year, $123 million extension with the Steelers, making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. ? Lillard's return: Damian Lillard is finalizing a three-year, $42 million deal to return to the Trail Blazers. He's also still owed $113 million by the Bucks, who waived the injured guard last month. ?? Kenyan runner suspended: Marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for HCTZ, which can be used to mask the presence of PEDs. ? Howell resigns: NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell announced his resignation on Thursday after a month of criticism over his leadership and past. ⚾️ Another burglary: The home of NL All-Star Ketel Marte was burglarized during Tuesday's All-Star Game, the latest in a string of thefts of homes owned by professional athletes. See what else is trending on Yahoo Sports. ⚾️ PLAY BALL! BASEBALL IS BACK (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) MLB's second half starts today, as all 30 teams begin their 10-week race to the end of the regular season. Here's where things stand with the All-Star break in the rearview. American League: The Tigers, in pole position to earn the AL's No. 1 seed, are also the only team in baseball with more than a 5.5-game division lead. East: The perennially competitive division is yet again a gauntlet, with the top four teams separated by just 5.5 games. Toronto recently leapfrogged New York for the lead, but Boston is hot on their heels after entering the break on a 10-game win streak. Central: Welcome back, Detroit. The Tigers are in line to capture their first Central crown since winning four straight from 2011-14. The Twins, Royals and Guardians are more than 10 games back and likely fighting only for wild card spots. West: Houston is inevitable. Despite a slow start, the 'Stros have built a five-game lead over the Mariners as they seek their eighth division title in nine years. Playoff picture: If the season ended today, the Tigers and Astros would get first-round byes while the Blue Jays and Mariners would meet in one Wild Card series and the Yankees and Red Sox (!!) would meet in the other. Further reading: Nine storylines to watch in the second half (Russell Dorsey, Yahoo Sports) (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) National League: The top of the league mostly comprises the usual suspects, but the Cubs are crashing the party as they seek their first postseason berth since 2020 and their first 90-win season since 2018. East: The two-horse race between the Phillies and Mets, separated by just 0.5 games, should be thrilling down the stretch. Will New York capture its first division title since 2015? Or will Philly make it two straight? Central: The Brewers — who won seven straight entering the break to pull within a game of the Cubs, and claimed three of the last four division titles — won't make it easy on Chicago. And don't forget about the Cardinals and Reds, who are both still in shouting distance. West: You'll never believe it, but the Dodgers are in first place. If that holds, it will be their 12th division title in 13 years. Playoff picture: If the season ended today, the Dodgers and Cubs would get first-round byes while the Phillies and Padres would meet in one Wild Card series and the Brewers and Mets would meet in the other. ⛳️ THE OPEN BUDDHIST MONK IN CONTENTION AT PORTRUSH Kaewkanjana shakes hands with his playing partner after Round 1 on Thursday. (Warren Little/Getty Images) For some, golf is a path to spiritual enlightenment. For Sadom Kaewkanjana, spiritual enlightenment is a path to golf. Kaewkanjana, of Thailand, isn't just an accomplished professional golfer; he's an ordained Buddhist monk. And after one round of the 2025 British Open at Royal Portrush, he's one stroke off the clubhouse lead at 3-under. "Honestly, I play in my country, have no like links course before," he said after his round. "So when I play links course, it's a new experience for me. I really enjoy to play a links course. It's fun to play with a windy course and tough conditions. So very enjoy to play on a links course." A three-time winner on the Asian Tour, Kaewkanjana missed the cut in the two PGA Championships he's played, and finished at T11 in the 2022 British. After that major, he stepped away from the game. "I was ordained because I wanted to return the greatest merit and repay my parents," he said at the time. "I was cut off from the rest of the world when I was ordained," he added. "That made me feel more calm. I was able to concentrate more, which will help me improve my game of golf." He qualified for this year's Open by winning the Kolon Korea Open on the Asian Tour, and after his round, he discussed how his new calling has helped him prepare for these tournaments. "It's a new experience being a monk," he said. "They help like more concentrate on the golf course or outside the golf course. It's made me a lot of focus. Forget everything outside, just live in the present. So I really enjoy being a monk." "Forget everything outside, just live in the present" is pretty much the most perfect advice possible for playing golf, but especially in a tournament of rain and wind like the Open. Kaewkanjana's round included two birdies and an eagle against just one bogey. While the calm and serenity that comes from his ordination has helped him get to this point, the 27-year-old Kaewkanjana has some higher ambitions. "My goal is like I want to play in the Masters my whole life," he said. "I want to play one time. So to get in the world ranking into the top 50, that's my goal." Calm, serenity ... and a tee time at Augusta National. That's the secret to a full life right there. ? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports) ? WNBA All-Star Weekend | Fri-Sat, ESPN/ABC The festivities begin tonight in Indianapolis with the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest (8pm ET, ESPN), where Atlanta's Allisha Gray hopes to defend both titles. Then comes tomorrow's main event (8:30pm, ABC), which Caitlin Clark will unfortunately miss due to injury. Among the new rules in this year's game: a 4-point shot. ⛳️ The Open Championship | Fri-Sun, NBC/USA/Peacock The second round is underway at Royal Portrush, where the field of 156 are fighting to make the cut at the season's fourth and final major. ⚽️ Women's Euros, Quarterfinals | Fri-Sat, Fox Spain and Switzerland meet today in Bern (3pm), followed by France vs. Germany tomorrow in Basel (3pm). Who will join Italy and England in the semifinals? ? Boxing, Title Fights | Sat. DAZN/Prime The day starts in London, where Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) compete for the undisputed world heavyweight championship at Wembley Stadium (4:45pm, DAZN PPV). Then it's off to Las Vegas, where 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time in four years for the WBC welterweight title (11pm, Prime PPV) against Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs). More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Red Sox at Cubs (Fri. 2:20pm, MLB); Giants at Blue Jays (Sun. 12pm, Roku); Tigers at Rangers (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) … The second half gets underway. ? UFC 318: Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier (Sat. 10pm, ESPN+ PPV) …. Their trilogy bout, which doubles as Poirier's final fight, headlines the card in New Orleans. ? Tour de France: Stages 13-15 (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … Riders will get their final rest day on Monday before closing the Tour with six straight days of racing next week. ? NASCAR: Dover Motor Speedway (Sun. 2pm, TNT) … The semifinals of the "In-Season Challenge" heads to Delaware's Monster Mile. ? IndyCar: Toronto (Sun. 12pm, Fox) … Álex Palou has won seven of 12 races so far this season. With three more victories in the final five races, he'll tie the single-season record. ⚽️ MLS: 14 games (Sat. 7:30-10:30pm, Apple) … The season is two-thirds of the way over. Currently in first place: Philadelphia (46 points) and San Diego (42). ? PLL: Week 8 (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ESPN2/ABC) … The league will celebrate its fifth annual Indigenous Heritage Weekend in Fairfield, Connecticut. ? The Basketball Tournament: Rounds 1-2 (Fri-Sun, Fox/FS1/FS2) … The 12th annual tournament for $1 million. ? SCORING LEADERS NBA TRIVIA (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Damian Lillard is eighth among active NBA players in career points (22,598). Question: How many of the seven players ahead of him can you name? Hint: All seven played in the Western Conference last season. Answer at the bottom. ? SNAPSHOT PHOTO FINISH Pogacar rides through the Pyrenees on Thursday. (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) The 112th Tour de France is more than halfway done, through 12 of 21 stages entering today's time trial. Hautacam — Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar had briefly ceded the yellow jersey to Ireland's Ben Healy, but on Thursday he showed why he's a three-time champion, dominating the mountain stage to take a 3 minute, 31 second lead over his biggest rival, two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard. Trivia answer: LeBron James (42,184 points); Kevin Durant (27,687); James Harden (27,687); Russell Westbrook (26,205); Stephen Curry (25,386); DeMar DeRozan (25,292); Chris Paul (23,011) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 21, 2025 Author Members Posted July 21, 2025 > Golf world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler cruises to victory by four strokes at British Open to win his fourth major championship (More) > Alan Bergman, Oscar-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning songwriter for performers including Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, dies at age 99 (More) | Eileen Fulton, actress who starred in "As the World Turns" for 50 years, dies at age 91 (More) > Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier leads Team Collier to 151-131 victory over Team Clark in WNBA All-Star Game (More) | Mario Barrios draws with Manny Pacquiao to retain WBC welterweight title; Pacquiao, 46, was attempting to become oldest boxer to win welterweight world championship (More) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 22, 2025 Author Members Posted July 22, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Monday. In today's edition: Scottie wins another major, Trump threatens Commanders, "Pay Us What You Owe Us," Tour de France update, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? Trump demands name changes: President Donald Trump is threatening to hold up a new stadium deal for the Commanders if they don't restore their "Redskins" name. He also called for the Guardians to change back to "Indians." ⚾️ Milwaukee stays hot: The Brewers won their 10th straight game on Sunday (and swept the Dodgers for the second time in the span of two weeks) to tie the Cubs atop the NL Central at 59-40. ? Charlotte wins title: No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel led the Hornets to their first Summer League championship, scoring 21 points against the Kings in Sunday's title game en route to earning MVP honors. ⚽️ Final Four: Italy (over Norway), Spain (over Switzerland), England (over Sweden) and Germany (over France) advanced to the Women's Euros semifinals, with the latter two winning on penalties. ? Lakers add Smart: Former Celtics standout Marcus Smart is set to join the Lakers on a two-year deal after agreeing to a buyout with the Wizards. ⛳️ SCHEFF'S KISS SCOTTIE CRUISES TO FOURTH MAJOR TITLE Scheffler lifts the iconic Claret Jug on the 18th green. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Golf is not the most important thing in Scottie Scheffler's life, as he explained so well last week. But boy, is he good at it. A league of his own: The world's top-ranked golfer cruised to a four-shot victory on Sunday at Royal Portrush to win his first Open and his fourth major title. Nobody even came close to catching Scheffler (-17), who finished the week 59-of-63 (93.7%) on putts inside 10 feet. The 29-year-old is now just a U.S. Open victory away from becoming the seventh golfer to complete the career grand slam. Elite company: Scheffler joins Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Gary Player as the only golfers to win the Open, Masters and PGA Championship before age 30. "He is the bar that we're all trying to get to. In a historical context, you could argue that there's only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run [like] the one that Scottie's been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive." — Rory McIlroy, who finished T7 (-10) in front of an adoring home crowd. Wild stat: Scheffler and Woods each took exactly 1,197 days from their first major win to their fourth. Scheffler celebrates with his son, Bennett, and wife, Meredith. (Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images) What's Scottie’s ceiling? With four majors in hand, Scheffler has firmly entered the conversation of all-time greats, writes Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: No, he's nowhere near Tiger and Jack. He's not in the class of Arnold Palmer or Gary Player just yet. Golf's pantheon rewards not just numerical excellence, but sustained greatness, and for all of Scheffler's achievements, he only won his first tournament barely three years ago. Still, there are only 21 men in golf history who have won more majors than Scheffler's four. He's 29 years old and playing golf not just at an elite level, but a sustainable one. Given the depth and breadth of talent in the world today, it's unlikely Scheffler will be able to get to Woods' 15 and Nicklaus' 18 majors, but could he pass Palmer's seven, Watson's eight, Player's nine? It's always treacherous to speak in absolutes when it comes to golf, but in this case … absolutely. The last word: "I don't think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here's Scottie sort of taking that throne," Xander Schauffele said Sunday. "When you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for us." ?? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Indianapolis — WNBA players made a statement amid pivotal CBA negotiations, wearing shirts that read "Pay us what you owe us" ahead of Saturday's All-Star Game. All-Star Game recap: Napheesa Collier scored a record 36 points in a 151-131 win over Caitlin Clark's squad. (Harry How/Getty Images) Las Vegas — Manny Pacquiao appeared to have made history on Saturday in his comeback bout against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. But then the judges took it away, denying the 46-year-old a legendary victory. Controversial result: Despite winning on the majority of scorecards from both his fellow fighters and boxing analysts online, Pacquiao's return ended in a majority draw. Two judges scored it 114-114, while one had it 115-113 for Barrios. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) New York — The Mets retired former captain David Wright's No. 5 jersey and inducted him into the team's Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on Saturday. No. 5 forever: Wright is the 10th Met to have his number retired by the organization, joining legends like Tom Seaver, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez and Mike Piazza. ? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD (Richard Pelham/Getty Images) London — Oleksandr Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in Round 5 on Saturday at Wembley Stadium to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion. One of the greats: Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) is the first men's boxer to become an undisputed champion for a third time, following previous reigns at cruiserweight (2018) and heavyweight (2024). (Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images) Basel, Switzerland — Germany stunned France on Saturday thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who made clutch save after clutch save to send her team to the Women's Euro semifinals. F*ck cancer: Berger, 34, is a two-time thyroid cancer survivor. The only visible sign of what she's been through is on her neck, where a tattoo reading "All we have is now" covers up scars from her treatment. Fans cheer on cyclists during Stage 14 of the Tour de France. (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Luchon Superbagnères, France — I have absolutely no idea what is happening in this photo. ?? LE TOUR CHARTED: TOUR DE FRANCE STAGES (SportsBall) Riders have reached the mountains at the Tour de France, where two-time champion Tadej Pogačar holds the overall lead through 15 of 21 stages entering today's off day. Stage winners: ?? Jasper Philipsen (Belgium) ?? Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) ?? Tim Merlier (Belgium) ?? Pogačar (Slovenia) ?? Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) ?? Ben Healy (Ireland) ?? Pogačar ?? Jonathan Milan (Italy) ?? Merlier ??????? Simon Yates (England) ?? Jonas Abrahamsen (Norway) ?? Pogačar ?? Pogačar ?? Thymen Arensman (Netherlands) ?? Tim Wellens (Belgium) Looking ahead: The action resumes tomorrow with Stage 16, where the peloton will take on the steepest summit finish of the whole race — the legendary Mont Ventoux. Worth a follow: SportsBall is one of my favorite Instagram accounts. A brilliant combination of data and art. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 22, 2025 Author Members Posted July 22, 2025 ? Good morning! When Rich Hill made his MLB debut back in 2005, Bobby Witt Jr. was five years old and Jac Caglianone was two. They're now all Royals teammates. In today's edition: Behind the Lens with Getty Images, CP3 returns to Los Angeles, wild ending in Philly, the rise of Italian women's soccer, the major season's four-cut club, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? CP3 returns to Clippers: Chris Paul has signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Clippers ahead of his 21st (and likely final) NBA season, returning to the franchise he called home from 2011-17. Is this the best Clippers teams he's ever been on? ? Jerry takes jabs: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opened training camp by taking passive aggressive digs at Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott and other Dallas players. His comments, unsurprisingly, did not seem to go over very well. ? Venus returns: Venus Williams teamed with Hailey Baptiste to win their doubles opener at the DC Open — her first time competing at a tournament in more than a year. "I just love this game," said Williams, 45, who hopes her sister Serena, 43, makes a comeback of her own. ? AAC rebrands: The American Athletic Conference has changed its name to The American Conference, or simply The American, as part of a rebranding effort. The conference also announced its new mascot, "Soar," the eagle. ? Liberty add Meesseman: Former Mystics star Emma Meesseman is joining the Liberty midseason as New York looks to defend its title. Meesseman is a three-time defending Euroleague MVP and earned WNBA Finals MVP honors back in 2019. ? PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS Cars on the track during Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover Motor Speedway. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images) When I came across this photo yesterday, I was immediately floored. But I could not, for the life of me, figure out what was happening in the frame. How was the image being reflected like that? To find out, I went straight to the source: the man behind the camera. His answer blew me away. Sean Gardner, Getty Images Stringer: Dover is a bit special to me — it was one of the first races I ever covered when I started shooting NASCAR for Getty Images 14 years ago. And even now, no matter how many times we return to a track, each weekend is a chance to see something new. The morning of the Xfinity Series race brought several rain showers, which led to the cancelation of Cup practice and qualifying. I'd already shot some rain features earlier and noticed some interesting reflections in another part of the track. So, the idea was already planted in my mind: time to look for something a little more dynamic. After I shot the race start and some pre-race frames, I went out exploring. I walked between Turns 3 and 4 and immediately noticed a large puddle. I wasn't sure if the image I had in my head was going to work, but as I walked closer, it all started to come together. (Courtesy of Getty Images) So, there I was, lying flat on my belly in the middle of Turn 3, giggling a little — along with the safety crews, who were clearly entertained watching me commit to this puddle-shot adventure. I only stayed there for about two laps, but I got lucky — the cars bunched up perfectly during a restart, and I captured the frame I was hoping for. That was it. I stood up with a wet shirt, a soaked camera strap, and a grin. Then it was off to find the next unique moment. There's a good feeling that comes from making a frame that works — even if it's fleeting. So here's to today. And whatever comes tomorrow. ⚾️ WALK-OFF WILD ENDING IN PHILLY (Giphy) The Phillies held onto their slim lead atop the NL East with one of the wildest, strangest and most unique endings you'll ever see on Monday, beating the Red Sox on — of all things — a walk-off catcher's interference. A series of unfortunate events: The bottom of the 10th, as all extra innings do, started with a zombie runner on second base. From there, Boston did just about everything in its power to give this game away, and Philly gladly obliged. The first batter drew a four-pitch walk, putting men on first and second, followed by a wild pitch to the second batter, which moved each runner up. With first base open, the Sox opted for an intentional walk in hopes of setting up a double play. The third batter, 2B Edmundo Sosa, quickly got to two strikes, but when he checked his swing on the fifth pitch, his bat caught the tip of Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez’s glove. Upon review, the umpires called it a catcher's interference, giving Sosa first base and bringing in the game-winning run. Rare occurrence: There have been 242,212 games in MLB history, and this was just the second to end on a walk-off catcher's interference. The first? Dodgers 5, Reds 4 on Aug. 1, 1971. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles… The rare feats on Monday weren't limited to the City of Brotherly Love. Shohei Ohtani, in his sixth pitching start of the season, became the first pitcher to both hit and allow a home run in the first inning of the same game since 1979. ⚽️ WOMEN'S EUROS LE AZZURRE: A NATION ON THE RISE Italy celebrates after beating Norway to clinch a spot in the semifinals. (Andrea Amato/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Italy faces England today for a spot in the Women's Euro final — a monumental achievement for a team of women who only earned the right to turn pro in their own country three years ago. What they're saying: "It's a great joy to be among the top four in Europe," said captain Cristiana Girelli, who led Le Azzurre to their first semifinal since 1997. "Obviously we do this for our glory but there is a much deeper meaning … which is that in Italy, women can play soccer too." A long time coming: Italy's Serie A Femminile was founded in 1968, but remained amateur for decades even as their men's counterpart stood at times as the world's premier soccer league. Players earned as little as $67 per week, plus an $86 match bonus, and benefits like healthcare and pensions were a pipe dream. The turning point came in 2019, when Italy's surprise run to the Women's World Cup quarterfinals ignited a passionate fanbase that showed how popular women's soccer could be, driving calls for professionalization. It helped that at the same time, clubs like Juventus and AC Milan began investing more heavily in their women's teams. Just one year later, following a new law passed by the Italian Senate that removed the salary cap, the Italian soccer federation voted unanimously to grant professional status to Serie A Femminile beginning in 2022. The last word: "We've reached something amazing, something extraordinary, and however it goes, I really hope it continues to feed this passion, this love for us," said Girelli. "I really hope that with all my heart, because we struggled to get here." ? STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS Suárez celebrates after hitting his 35th home run of the season on Sunday. (Norm Hall/Getty Images) ⚾️ 36 HR No player in MLB history has been traded in-season after reaching 35 home runs. Diamondbacks All-Star 3B Eugenio Suárez, who is now up to 36 after homering for the fifth time in three games on Monday, is a strong candidate to become the first as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. ? 10.5 wins Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State (10.5 wins) have the highest college football season win totals at BetMGM. Alabama, Boise State, Clemson, Georgia, Liberty, Miami and Texas (9.5 wins) have the second-highest. ? $200 million In the most lucrative membership proposal in college sports history, Memphis has made a $200 million offer to enter the Big 12, sources tell Yahoo Sports. For now, it does not have enough support but potentially sets a standard for all future expansion. ? 355 goals Boston Cannons attackman Marcus Holman tied Paul Rabil for second-most goals (355) in pro field lacrosse history on Saturday and now trails only John Grant Jr. (393) for most all-time. Holman's history-making goal came during the PLL game of the year: Denver 18, Boston 17. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JULY 22 Mont Ventoux's eerie "moonscape" pictured in 2021, the last time it featured on the Tour. (Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images) ? Tour de France, Stage 16 | 6:10am ET, Peacock Today's 107-mile ride starts in Montpelier before concluding with a punishing climb up Mont Ventoux. The "Giant of Provence" has an eerie, moonlike landscape and a unique reputation on the Tour: "The Ventoux is a god of Evil, to which sacrifices must be made," said French philosopher and cycling fan Roland Barthes. ⚽️ England vs. Italy | 3pm, Fox The first Women's Euro semifinal pits the defending champion Lionesses against Le Azzurre, who've reached the final four for the first time since 1997. More to watch: ⚽️ MLS: All-Star Skills Challenge (9pm, Apple/Prime) … Players will compete in six different skills challenges in Austin ahead of tomorrow's All-Star Game. ⚾️ MLB: Red Sox at Phillies (6:45pm, TBS) … Richard Fitts (1-3, 4.28 ERA) vs. Christopher Sanchez (8-2, 2.50 ERA). ? WNBA: Fever at Liberty (8pm, ESPN); Dream at Aces (10pm, ESPN) … First day back from the All-Star break. ⚾️ JOURNEYMAN MLB TRIVIA Hill pitching for the Royals' Triple-A team this year. (Omaha Storm Chasers) Rich Hill, 45, has been called up to start tonight's game for the Royals, which will be his MLB record-tying 14th team. Question: Who currently holds that record? Hint: He famously threw a 149-pitch, 8-walk no-hitter for Arizona in 2010. Answer at the bottom. ⛳️ MAJOR SEASON THE FOUR-CUT CLUB Golf's four major trophies. (David Cannon/Getty Images) Golf's major season has come and gone, and while it's clear who's had the best year, Scottie Scheffler isn't the only player to find wide-ranging success at the biggest events of 2025. Exclusive club: Just 16 golfers made the cut at all four majors, including the winners of all four. And while the top three (as ranked by cumulative score to par) are, appropriately, the world's top three golfers, there are a few names on this list that might surprise you. ?? Scottie Scheffler: -32 ? Rory McIlroy: -11 Xander Schauffele: -10 Corey Conners: -8* Jon Rahm: -6 Harris English: -5 Matt Fitzpatrick: -1 Tyrrell Hatton: -1 ? J.J. Spaun: +1 Aaron Rai: +3 Viktor Hovland: +3 Maverick McNealy: +5 Sam Burns: +6 Daniel Berger: +7 Rasmus Hojgaard: +14 Brian Harman: +17 Looking ahead: There are just two events left in the PGA Tour's regular season before the three-leg FedEx Cup playoffs begin on Aug. 7 in Memphis. Then comes the Ryder Cup in late September at New York's iconic Bethpage Black. *Conners made the cut at the U.S. Open but withdrew after Round 3 with a wrist injury. Given how tough Oakmont was playing, his -8 cumulative score would have likely been at least a few strokes worse. Trivia answer: Edwin Jackson Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 23, 2025 Author Members Posted July 23, 2025 > Ozzy Osbourne, legendary rock star and Black Sabbath frontman, dies at age 76 just over two weeks after performing in his final concert, which raised $190M for charity (More) | See previous write-up on Osbourne's last concert (More) > US Olympic and Paralympic Committee bans transgender women from competing in women's sports, complying with recent President Donald Trump executive order (More) > "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone sign five-year, $1.5B deal with Paramount for global streaming rights to the animated series (More) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 24, 2025 Author Members Posted July 24, 2025 ? Good morning! The Mariners snapped the Brewers' 11-game win streak on Tuesday, taking away free burgers for the entire city of Milwaukee. Not cool, Seattle. Not cool. In today's edition: MLB awards watch, Venus makes history, China's next big thing, MLS All-Star Game, 28 days of Fantasy, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ?? USOPC trans ban: The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women's sports, citing an "obligation to comply" with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. ⚾️ Holliday gets record bonus: The Rockies gave No. 4 pick Ethan Holliday a $9 million signing bonus, the most ever given to a high schooler and the fourth-most among all draft picks in MLB history. ? Ratings drop: The WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.2 million viewers, which is the second-most ever but still represents a 36% drop from last year (3.44M), when Caitlin Clark (who didn't participate this year) led her All-Star teammates against the U.S. Olympic team. ? Hendrickson holds out: Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson did not report to training camp amid a monthslong contract dispute. The four-time Pro Bowler called Cincinnati's latest offer "atrociously low." ? UFL teams to relocate: The UFL's entire USFL division (Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers) will reportedly be relocated for the 2026 season. ⚾️ MVP, CY, ROY MLB AWARDS WATCH (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) With MLB's second half underway, and just over two months left in the regular season, let's take stock of the three major awards races. American League MVP: With all due respect to the greatest offensive season by a catcher in MLB history and the Cy Young frontrunner, this one's a slam dunk at the moment. Aaron Judge (NYY): The Yankees captain is having the best season of his career in the midst of one of the greatest four-year runs in league history. He's on pace for 12.3 WAR, per FanGraphs, which would be the best since Barry Bonds in the early aughts. Remove Bonds, and it's the best since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1927. Cal Raleigh (SEA): The Mariners backstop is on track to become the first catcher with a 50-homer season, and Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the only players in baseball with a better OPS. Just a remarkable year from Big Dumper. Tarik Skubal (DET): With no other hitter clearly in third place, this goes to the league's best pitcher for two years running. Cy Young: Skubal is vying to become the first back-to-back AL Cy Young winner since Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000, but his competition in Boston isn't that far behind. Skubal (DET): Detroit's ace leads all qualified MLB starters in both strikeout and walk rate, which is outrageous. He also has the best WHIP (0.81) and is tied for the best ERA (2.19) in the AL. Garrett Crochet (BOS): The hard-throwing southpaw leads the majors in strikeouts (165) and is tied with Skubal for the AL's best ERA. And to think he only became a starter last year. Hunter Brown (HOU): While his numbers are still excellent (2.57 ERA, 0.99 WHIP), a couple so-so starts in July have opened the door for guys like Jacob deGrom (2.28 ERA, 0.90 WHIP) and Max Fried (2.43 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) to take his spot. Rookie of the Year: The Athletics might not have a home city or a major league ballpark, but they do have the league's two best rookies. Jacob Wilson (A's): The first rookie shortstop ever voted by fans to start the All-Star Game has the fifth-best average in the majors (.315). Nick Kurtz (A's): He's the only AL rookie with more homers or a higher OPS than Wilson, and with 29 fewer games played this race could tighten considerably. Carlos Narváez (BOS): The Red Sox backstop has the third-best OPS among all AL catchers (.774). National League MVP: At some point, Shohei Ohtani will cede the throne of the greatest player on the planet. We are nowhere near that point as he barrels toward his fourth MVP in five years. Ohtani (LAD): The same guy who leads the NL in HR (36), runs (95) and OPS (.993) also has a 1.50 ERA through six starts since returning from elbow surgery. Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC): The Cubs' youngster is arguably the best outfielder in the majors, to say nothing of his 26 HR and 28 SB, both top five in the NL. Add it up and he trails only Judge for the MLB lead in WAR. Juan Soto (NYM): All-Star snub and cold start aside, the Mets' $765 million man has looked like himself — aka a top five player — for at least the last two months. Cy Young: As with the AL, this is a two-man race at the moment. Zack Wheeler (PHI): On the one hand, you have Philly's two-time runner-up who leads the league in WHIP (0.88) and strikeouts (164) and is third in ERA (2.39). Paul Skenes (PIT): On the other is Pittsburgh's phenom, who boasts a league-best 1.91 ERA and a stellar 0.91 WHIP that trails only Wheeler's. Good thing we've still got two months left to sort this out. Logan Webb (SF): The Giants' ace is leading the NL in innings for the third straight year, and could nab his third straight top-six Cy Young finish. Rookie of the Year: Who do you choose: the solid player who's been there all season or the lightning rod with just six starts under his belt? Drake Baldwin (ATL): The Braves' backstop has an .837 OPS and 11 HR (both second among NL rookies) to go along with above-average defense behind the dish. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL): The rookie sensation boasts a 2.45 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, which earned him a controversial All-Star selection after just five starts. Hyeseong Kim (LAD): The 26-year-old Korean is batting a scorching .317 through 53 games for the reigning champs. ? Listen: What to watch for post All-Star break (Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Yahoo Sports) ? SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) Washington, D.C. — A day after winning her doubles match, 45-year-old Venus Williams stunned world No. 35 Peyton Stearns with a straight-sets victory at the DC Open — her first tour-level singles match in over a year and first win since 2023. Unreal. Turn back the clock: Williams is the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since 2004, when 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won in the first round at Wimbledon. Chloe Kelly (L) celebrates with her teammates after scoring the game-winner. (Harriet Lander/The FA via Getty Images) Geneva, Switzerland — Defending champion England is headed back to the Women's Euro final after their 2-1 comeback victory over Italy. They get the winner of Germany-Spain on Sunday. Historic strike: Chloe Kelly's 119th-minute game-winner, a rebound off her own blocked penalty kick, was the latest game-winning goal in Women's Euro history. Pogačar crosses the finish line just ahead of Jonas Vingegaard after a thrilling race to the top of Mont Ventoux. (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Mont Ventoux, France — Tadej Pogačar made history on Tuesday in his pursuit of a fourth Tour de France victory, climbing the iconic Mont Ventoux in just 54:51, a full minute faster than the previous record. France gets on the board: Valentin Paret-Peintre won Stage 16 to give the host nation its first stage win of this year's race. Pogačar still holds the overall lead by 4 minutes, 15 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard. ? SUMMER LEAGUE YANG HANSEN HAS ARRIVED (Harry How/Getty Images) The Trail Blazers shocked the NBA world last month when they drafted Chinese center Yang Hansen with the No. 16 pick. How surprising was the pick? When Yang's name was called, he was sitting in the stands with fans rather than in the green room with his fellow draftees because he hadn't received an invitation. Sin City sensation: Despite being a relative unknown in America, the 7-foot-1 Yang is already a phenomenon in his native country. That was apparent this month in Las Vegas, where he was one of the biggest stars of Summer League, writes Ben Golliver of the Washington Post: Thousands of Chinese and Chinese American fans traveled to Sin City to watch Yang play … Tencent, a Chinese media company, dispatched a documentary crew to follow him … and more than a dozen reporters from China covered his games. Back in China, 5.2 million people watched Tencent's free broadcast of the Blazers' exhibition against the Grizzlies, according to an NBA official, dwarfing the 1.1 million Americans who watched No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg's debut for the Mavericks on ESPN. On Tencent's paywalled service, one of Yang's games drew 3.4 million viewers — 16 times the service's average. And on China Central Television, Yang's summer league games garnered larger average audiences than the national broadcast network's telecasts of this year's NBA playoffs. Next in line: Yang is the third Chinese player to be drafted in the first round, joining Yao Ming (No. 1 in 2002) and Yi Jianlian (No. 6 in 2007). His favorite player is Nikola Jokić and he flashed Jokić-like vision in Vegas, where Yang had a higher assist rate than any of the 15 players picked ahead of him. ? CATCH UP QUICK COMING SOON: COLLEGE FOOTBALL! (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) The 2025 college football season kicks off exactly one month from today. Here are some stories to get you up to speed, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg. Familiar faces, new places: 10 biggest QB transfers to know Miami's Carson Beck (from Georgia), UCLA's Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee) and Oklahoma's John Mateer (Washington State) headline the list of high-profile signal callers who will be donning new jerseys this fall. (Dillon Marshall/Yahoo Sports) Coaching carousel: Here are all the new head coaches Just six power conference schools (UNC, Wake Forest, Stanford, Purdue, UCF, West Virginia) hired new head coaches this offseason, but there was plenty of movement elsewhere. More from Yahoo Sports: CFP expansion: The latest buzz Betting: Win totals for every team QB battles: Competitions to watch Looking ahead: The season begins on August 23, with Iowa State vs. Kansas State (in Dublin, Ireland) headlining Week 0. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) ⚽️ MLS All-Star Game | 9pm ET, Prime/Apple The best players from North America's top two leagues go head-to-head, with the MLS All-Stars (led by Lionel Messi) hosting the Liga MX All-Stars in Austin. ⚽️ Germany vs. Spain | 3pm, Fox The second Women's Euro semifinal pits eight-time tournament champion Germany against reigning World Cup champion Spain. The winner gets England in Sunday's final. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Red Sox at Phillies (7pm, ESPN); Yankees at Blue Jays (7pm, Prime) ? Tour de France: Stage 17 (7:35am, Peacock) … Riders travel 100 miles from Bollène to Valence in southeastern France. ? WNBA: Dream at Mercury (10pm, CBSSN) … Atlanta (13-10) visits Phoenix (15-7) in a battle of likely playoff teams. ? BOX OFFICE MOVIE TRIVIA (Giphy) "Happy Gilmore 2," the sequel to the popular 1996 comedy, premiered in NYC on Tuesday and hits Netflix on Friday. Question: What other golf movie beat "Happy Gilmore" at the 1996 box office? Answer at the bottom. ? COMING SOON 28 DAYS OF FANTASY (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) For many of us, Yahoo Fantasy is the first place we had a football league. For others, it's the tried-and-true place we go every fantasy football season, creating a ritual that we share with friends and family each and every Sunday. To celebrate our 28th year of delivering fantasy football, we're dropping 28 BIG NEW features over 28 straight days starting August 4. More ways to play. More ways to draft. More ways to win. Trivia answer: "Tin Cup" Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 25, 2025 Author Members Posted July 25, 2025 ? Good morning! How good has Scottie Scheffler been this season? His caddie, Ted Scott, is estimated to have earned more in 2025 ($1.92M) than the average PGA Tour player ($1.73M). In today's edition: MLB trade deadline tiers, Saban-Manning theory, MLS triumphs in All-Star Game, Ryder Cup standings, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ⚽️ MLS wins All-Star Game: Despite Lionel Messi's absence, the MLS All-Stars beat the Liga MX All-Stars, 3-1, in Austin for their third win in four tries under this format. Philadelphia forward Tai Baribo, who scored the game-winning goal, was named MVP. ⚾️ Ohtani homers again: Shohei Ohtani homered in his fifth straight game, tying six other Dodgers for the longest such streak in franchise history. And just like that, he holds the outright NL lead with 37 bombs. ⚽️ Spain moves on: Spain beat Germany, 1-0, in extra time to advance to Sunday's Women's Euro final, where they'll face defending champion England in a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final, which Spain won. ? Training camp headlines: "[Russell Wilson] is our starter," said Giants coach Brian Daboll; Daniel Jones got more reps than Anthony Richardson as the Colts' QB1; Terry McLaurin, Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson are among the seven most notable holdouts (or hold-ins). ⚾️ Rare occurrence: The Pirates became the first team since 1980 to get swept by the worst team in a league (White Sox) and then sweep the best team in that league (Tigers) in back-to-back series after the season's midpoint. ⚾️ BUY, SELL, HOLD MLB TRADE DEADLINE: WHERE DO ALL 30 TEAMS STAND? (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) The 2025 MLB Trade Deadline is one week from today (July 31). Where does each team stand? Below, Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz puts all 30 clubs into tiers based on their outlook. Full buy Teams with legitimate World Series aspirations, who, like all of us, could use a little bit of extra support. 9 teams: Cubs (60-42), Astros (60-42), Blue Jays (60-42), Dodgers (60-43), Mets (59-44), Phillies (58-44), Yankees (56-46), Padres (55-47), Mariners (54-48) The Brewers and Tigers Outstanding ballclubs with strong farm systems that should be all-in, but given their transactional track records and organizational DNA, it's unlikely that the chips go flying into the pot. 2 teams: Brewers (61-41), Tigers (60-43) Stand pat/thread the needle Clubs likely to either sit on their hands or participate in a little buy/sell dribble-drabble. They're too good to full sell but not good enough to full buy, so they'll do neither or both. 5 teams: Giants (54-49), Rangers (53-50), Rays (53-50), Reds (53-50), Angels (49-53) The Red Sox Given the roller coaster that has been their season thus far, the Red Sox exist in their own tier. What the hottest baseball soap opera of 2025 will do at the deadline is anyone's guess. 1 team: Red Sox (55-49) The teams with the keys Clubs that, if they decide to pull the plug, have enviable assets to sell. How they perform over the next week will likely determine their course of action at the deadline. 5 teams: Cardinals (52-51), Guardians (51-10), Diamondbacks (50-53), Royals (50-53), Twins (49-53) Light sell You can't have an estate sale with an empty house. These subpar teams simply don't have many expiring contracts to trade and would prefer to hold on to anybody who can help them in 2026. 5 teams: Marlins (48-53), Braves (44-57), Athletics (42-62), Nationals (41-61), Rockies (26-76) Obvious full sell Anything and everything must and will go. 3 teams: Orioles (44-57), Pirates (42-61), White Sox (37-66) ? RUMOR MILL COULD SABAN RETURN TO THE NFL TO COACH MANNING? Nick Saban talks with Peyton Manning before an Alabama-Tennessee game in 2018. (Wade Payne/AP Photo) I'm a sucker for a juicy sports rumor, and it's hard to get much juicier than this: Could Nick Saban return to the NFL next season to coach Arch Manning? Here's Colin Cowherd on Wednesday's episode of "The Herd" on FS1: This is the worst kept secret in the South. Jimmy Haslam, owner of the Browns — huge SEC, Tennessee booster, leans heavily on the Manning family. Very close to the Manning family. Arch Manning is part of the Manning family. Nick Saban is incredibly close not only to Jimmy Haslam, but to the Manning family as well. And so Saban, if he could land, I'm told, a top quarterback — like Harbaugh going to the Chargers for [Justin] Herbert — he would take a phone call from the NFL. And there are two teams guaranteed to be awful this year in the NFL: Cleveland and the Saints. Nick Saban has coached in Cleveland with the Browns … and he coached at LSU. The Mannings are royalty in New Orleans … and the Mannings are royalty to Jimmy Haslam. Haslam's circle of trust, according to an article in The Athletic last year, is the Manning family and Jimmy Sexton. Sexton is Nick Saban's agent. … This story is a poorly kept secret. The Mannings. Haslam. Jimmy Sexton. Nick Saban. … Saban's not going to college. He would take a call in the NFL. … This is not a conspiracy theory. To recap: Arch Manning could be a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Browns and Saints could be candidates to select him. The Mannings have connections to both franchises, as does Nick Saban, who is close to the Mannings. Could that result in Saban returning to the sidelines next season with Arch as his signal-caller? Let the speculation begin. ⛳️ USA VS. EUROPE RYDER CUP STANDINGS The Ryder Cup trophy at Bethpage Black, pictured here in 2022. (Gary Kellner/PGA of America via Getty Images) Golf's major season is over, and while the race for the FedEx Cup playoffs continues today at the 3M Open in Minnesota, the more intriguing race is for the 24 coveted spots at the Ryder Cup in September. How it works: The top six Americans in the Ryder Cup rankings following the BMW Championship on Aug. 17 will automatically make the team, as will the top six Europeans following the Betfred British Masters on Aug. 24. The final six players on each side will then be chosen by the captains. Below, the current top 12 for each team… ?? USA Just two players have guaranteed their spots so far: Scottie Scheffler, whose lead is insurmountable, and Bryson DeChambeau, who has been guaranteed a spot by captain Keegan Bradley. Top 6: Scheffler (32,420 points) Xander Schauffele (13,384) J.J. Spaun (12,479) Russell Henley (11,624) DeChambeau (10,775) Harris English (10,386) 7-12: Justin Thomas (10,208); Collin Morikawa (9,744); Ben Griffin (8,605); Bradley (8,039); Maverick McNealy (7,414); Brian Harman (7,008) What to watch: Bradley is playing some of the best golf of his life and must decide whether he wants to make himself the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. ?? Europe Rory McIlroy has already made the team. The other 11 spots are still up for grabs, but some believe captain Luke Donald will pick almost exactly the same roster that dominated the Americans two years ago in Rome. Top 6: McIlroy (3,441) Robert MacIntyre (1,345) Tommy Fleetwood (1,315) Tyrrell Hatton (1,279) Shane Lowry (1,234) Sepp Straka (1,227) 7-12: Rasmus Højgaard (1,135); Justin Rose (1,020); Ludvig Åberg (1,007); Viktor Hovland (930); Thomas Detry (780); Matt Wallace (753) ? STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) ⚾️ 220 games later The Rockies beat the Cardinals, 6-0, on Wednesday for their first shutout in 220 games, snapping the longest streak without one in MLB's modern era (since 1900). Their last shutout was an 8-0 victory over the Padres on May 15, 2024. Signs of improvement: The Rockies have gone from historically atrocious (9-50 start to the season) to regular bad (17-26 since), and currently sit at 26-76. They’ll need to win at least 15 of their remaining 60 games to avoid breaking the modern MLB record for losses in a season (121). ⚽️ 120,000 viewers MLS commissioner Don Garber revealed that Apple TV+'s MLS Season Pass is averaging 120,000 unique viewers per match. The good news: That's a 50% increase over last year, per Garber. The bad news: That's not a very big number. ESPN reportedly averaged 343,000 viewers for MLS matches during the 2022 season, the last in which the league aired games outside of Apple. ? $432.6 million The NFL's 32 franchises each reportedly received a record $432.6 million in revenue sharing payouts over the last fiscal year. That's up from roughly $400 million last season and means the total handed out was a whopping $13.8 billion. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JULY 24 She's still got it. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) ? DC Open | 11am ET, Tennis On Tuesday, Venus Williams stunned world No. 35 Peyton Stearns for her first tour-level singles victory since 2023. Today, the 45-year-old will face an even stiffer test against No. 24 Magdalena Fręch in the Round of 16 (7:30pm). Plus: Grand slam champions Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka square off in the first women's match of the day (1pm). More to watch: ? Tour de France: Stage 18 (6am, Peacock) … 107 miles from Vif to Courchevel. ? WNBA: Aces at Fever (7pm, Prime) … Indiana will debut a "Stranger Things" inspired uniform in celebration of the Netflix series' final season, coming out later this year. ⛳️ PGA: 3M Open (7:45am, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf) … The penultimate event of the regular season tees off at TPC Twin Cities. ⚾️ FLASHBACK MLB TRIVIA (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images) 42 years ago today, Royals legend George Brett unleashed one of baseball's most memorable tirades after umpires overturned his ninth-inning home run and ruled him out for having too much pine tar on his bat, ending the game. Question: Who were the Royals playing when the "Pine Tar Incident" occurred? Answer at the bottom. ? SNAPSHOT PHOTO FINISH (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) Washington's Jacob Young scaled the wall in Nationals Park on Wednesday to rob Cincinnati's Will Benson of a two-run blast. Itwas Young's third incredible home run robbery this season. Trivia answer: Yankees Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 27, 2025 Author Members Posted July 27, 2025 > Comic-Con International 2025, the world's biggest comic book and pop culture convention, kicks off in San Diego; see full schedule of TV and movie panels (More) > Chuck Mangione, two-time Grammy-winning jazz musician who released more than 30 albums, dies at age 84 (More) > The 112th Tour de France wraps this weekend; see updated standings heading into final stages (More) | All five charged members of Canada's junior world hockey team found not guilty of 2018 sexual assault (More) From doo-wop to the Spice Girls: Tomorrow's Society & Culture newsletter dives into the rich history of musical girl groups. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 27, 2025 Author Members Posted July 27, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: NBA report cards, Trump's executive order, F1 returns, MLS standings, baseball's most-traded man, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? College sports executive order: President Trump issued his long-discussed executive order intended to "save college sports" amid a rapidly-changing landscape. Here's what the order actually means. ? Not guilty: Five Canadian junior hockey players accused of sexual assault were acquitted due to inconsistencies in the accuser's story, ending the months-long Hockey Canada trial stemming from an incident in 2018. ⚾️ And we're off: A week from the deadline, the always-busy Mariners made the first move, trading for Diamondbacks' first baseman and 2024 All-Star Josh Naylor. ? March Madness update: Expansion remains on the table for the NCAA basketball tournaments, but it's unlikely to happen for this upcoming season, according to NCAA president Charlie Baker. ⛳️ Scorecard worth saving: Adam Svensson nailed a 50-foot eagle putt at the last for a course-record 11-under 60 at TPC Twin Cities, taking the clubhouse lead at the 3M Open. ? REPORT CARDS NBA OFFSEASON GRADES FOR EVERY TEAM (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) How has each NBA team fared this summer? Here are our offseason report cards, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach. West Nuggets: A Thunder: A Rockets: A Grizzlies: B Mavericks: B Spurs: B Clippers: B Jazz: B Lakers: C Warriors: C Suns: C Timberwolves: C Trail Blazers: C Kings: D Pelicans: F (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) East Magic: A Hawks: A Knicks: B 76ers: B Cavaliers: B Heat: B Hornets: B Wizards: B Celtics: C Bucks: C Pacers: D Pistons: D Nets: D Raptors: D Bulls: F ?️ FORMULA 1 12 RACES DOWN, 12 TO GO The top 10 drivers at midseason. (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Formula 1 returns this weekend from its three-week hiatus with exactly half the season remaining. McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are in a tight race atop the standings, while four-time defending champion Max Verstappen* lurks in third place. Looking ahead: The second half kicks off on Sunday in Belgium, features two more stops in the U.S. and ends in Abu Dhabi in early December. ?? July 27: Belgian GP (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps) ?? Aug. 3: Hungarian GP (Hungaroring) ?? Aug. 31: Dutch GP (Circuit Park Zandvoort) ?? Sept. 7: Italian GP (Autodromo Nazionale Monza) ?? Sept. 21: Azerbaijan GP (Baku City Circuit) ?? Oct. 5: Singapore GP (Marina Bay Street Circuit) ?? Oct. 19: United States GP (Circuit of the Americas) ?? Oct. 26: Mexico City GP (Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez) ?? Nov. 9: São Paulo GP (Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace) ?? Nov. 22: Las Vegas GP (Las Vegas Street Circuit) ?? Nov. 30: Qatar GP (Losail International Circuit) ?? Dec. 7: Abu Dhabi GP (Yas Marina Circuit) Alone at the top: While the race for the drivers' championship can't be called just yet, the constructors' championship is as good as over: McLaren (460 points) has a bigger lead over second-place Ferrari (222) than Ferrari does over last-place Alpine (19). *What to watch: The next three races could be very telling for Verstappen's chances, as Red Bull's superstar loves driving on his "home" tracks in Belgium (where he was born) and the Netherlands (which he represents). ⚽️ WHERE IT STANDS MLS STANDINGS: BACK FROM THE BREAK (Henry Russell /Yahoo Sports) MLS returns from the All-Star break today, as all 30 teams take the field with roughly one-third of the season remaining. Stacked slate: Five games this weekend are between teams currently in playoff position, headlined by a matchup in Miami between the last two Supporters' Shield winners (best record), and one in San Diego where the home team surprisingly sits atop the West in their inaugural season. San Diego FC (West No. 1) vs. Nashville SC (East No. 2) Inter Miami (East No. 5) vs. FC Cincinnati (East No. 1) Columbus Crew (East No. 4) vs. Orlando City (East No. 6) LAFC (West No. 5) vs. Portland Timbers (West No. 6) Philadelphia Union (East No. 3) vs. Colorado Rapids (West No. 7) Power rankings: Where every team stands at the break (MLS) ? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST Pogačar out in front during Stage 18 on Thursday. (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) ?? Tour de France | Fri-Sun, Peacock The 112th Tour de France ends on Sunday in Paris (9:30am ET), where Tadej Pogačar — whose lead over Jonas Vingegaard is up to 4 minutes, 26 seconds — is likely to win his fourth yellow jersey. ⚽️ England vs. Spain | Sun. 12pm, Fox The Women's Euros come to an end on Sunday in Basel, Switzerland, where the Lionesses seek their second straight European championship in a rematch of the 2023 World Cup Final, which Spain won. ? World Aquatics Championships | Fri-Sun, Peacock The highly-anticipated swimming program begins tomorrow, with the first medal events coming on Sunday (7am) in the men's and women's 4x100m free relay and 400m freestyle — the first of Katie Ledecky’s four events. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Phillies at Yankees (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Dodgers at Red Sox (Sat. 7pm, Fox); Mets at Giants (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) ? WNBA: Fever at Sky (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Dream at Lynx (Sun. 7pm, NBA) ?️ F1: Belgian GP (Sun. 9am, ESPN) … Kicking off the second half of the season. ⛳️ PGA: 3M Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Adam Svensson (-11) leads by two strokes after Round 1. ⛳️ LIV: UK (Fri-Sun, Fox/FS1/FS2) … At JCB Golf & Country Club, 60 miles south of Manchester. ? Tennis: DC Open (Fri-Sun, Tennis) … Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe (7pm) headlines tonight's slate. ⚽️ MLS: 15 games (Fri-Sat, Apple) … Back from the All-Star break. ? NASCAR: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sun. 2pm, TNT) … Five races left in the regular season. ? IndyCar: Grand Prix of Monterey (Sun. 3pm, Fox) … Four races left in the season. ? Banana Ball: Savannah Bananas vs. Texas Tailgaters (Sat. 7pm, ESPN) … At Citizens Bank Park in Philly. ? PLL: Week 9 (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ESPN2) … In Salt Lake City. ? THE HULKSTER WRESTLING TRIVIA Hogan in 2009. (Paul Kane/Getty Images) Hulk Hogan died Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest, leaving behind a complicated legacy. Question: What was Hulk Hogan's real first and last name? Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ HAPPY TRAILS A JOURNEYMAN'S JOURNEY ENDS Chavez in 2022. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) Pitcher Jesse Chavez, the most traded player in MLB history, is retiring at age 42 after 18 seasons, 10 trades and 13 stints with nine teams: Pirates (2008-09) Braves (2010, 2021, 2022-25) Royals (2010-11) Blue Jays (2012) Athletics (2012-15) Dodgers (2016) Angels (2017, 2022) Cubs (2018, 2022) Rangers (2018-2020) The bespectacled reliever's transactions page reads like a novel. Trivia answer: Terry Bolea Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 28, 2025 Author Members Posted July 28, 2025 Showdown in the Ring The origins of pro wrestling Professional wrestling is a story-driven form of wrestling that entertains audiences through precise techniques, demanding athleticism, and theatrical melodrama. Professional wrestling matches are scripted, or, to use the industry’s term, “worked.” Despite that fact, performers are expected to maintain the illusion of the fictional narrative—or “kayfabe”—by remaining in character. (View a guide to the language of professional wrestling here.) It’s common knowledge that professional wrestling is scripted, yet wrestling fans keep watching. Similar to people who attend the opera, they suspend their disbelief to enjoy the performances. ... Read our full overview on pro wrestling here. Also, check out... > An oral history of the inaugural WrestleMania. (More) > Why one French philosopher loved pro wrestling. (More) > How meta-narratives drive pro wrestling. (More) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 29, 2025 Author Members Posted July 29, 2025 Sports, Entertainment, & Culture > Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar tops two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark to win his fourth Tour de France title and second in a row (More) > Destiny's Child reunites for first time since 2018 in Las Vegas as Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" tour closes after 32 concerts across the US and Europe (More) > England tops Spain in penalty shootout to win 2025 UEFA Women's European soccer championship (More) | National Baseball Hall of Fame inducts Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, the late Dave Parker, and the late Dick Allen (More) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 29, 2025 Author Members Posted July 29, 2025 ? Good morning! Short and sweet edition for you today. In today's edition: Tadej wins Le Tour, Cooperstown's Class of 2025, "The Big Amish" is on fire, Lionesses back on top, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? TOUR DE FRANCE TADEJ POGAČAR, CHAMPION YET AGAIN (Dirk Waem/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images) Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar wrapped up yet another dominant Tour de France victory on Sunday in Paris, beating Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard by 4 minutes, 24 seconds to capture his fourth yellow jersey and cement his status as one of the greatest competitors the sport has ever seen. The four-timers club: Pogačar is one of just six men to win the Tour de France at least four times, and he's still only 26 years old. One more yellow jersey will tie him atop the leaderboard. ?? Jacques Anquetil: 5 (1957, 1961-64) ?? Eddy Merckx: 5 (1969-72, 1974) ?? Bernard Hinault: 5 (1978-79, 1981-82, 1985) ?? Miguel Induráin: 5 (1991-95) ?? Chris Froome: 4 (2013, 2015-17) ?? Pogačar: 4 (2020-21, 2024-25) Wild stat: Pogačar also finished second in 2022 and 2023, making him the only rider ever to finish on the Tour de France podium six years in a row. (That, of course, does not include Lance Armstrong, whose seven straight victories were stripped for doping.) One-sided rivalry: Vingegaard, a two-time champion himself (2022-23), could have been cycling's dominant force in any other era. Instead, he finished as the runner-up to his Slovenian rival yet again, just as he did last year and in his 2021 debut. Go deeper: Tadej Pogačar and the boredom of perfection (Patrick Redford, Defector) ⚾️ ROOKIE SENSATION THE BIG AMISH'S HISTORIC NIGHT (Tim Warner/Getty Images) A's rookie Nick Kurtz authored perhaps the single greatest offensive performance in MLB history on Friday as he continued a red-hot start to his big league career. By the numbers: The 22-year-old lefty went 6-for-6 against the Astros with 4 HR, a double and 8 RBIs, notching MLB's 20th four-HR game (and first by a rookie) while matching the single-game record of 19 total bases. His double, by the way, came about a foot shy of going over the fence, too. Kurtz also scored six runs, which is somehow an even rarer feat than hitting four homers. This was just the ninth six-run game in MLB history. Add it all up and he's the first player ever — over an entire career — to have a game with 4+ HR, a game with 5+ XBH, a game with 6+ hits, a game with 6+ runs and a game with 8+ RBIs. And he did it all in one night, at age 22, in his 66th game. What they're saying: "It's arguably the best game I've ever watched from a single player," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said of "The Big Amish," an appropriate nickname for the 6-foot-5 slugger from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "This kid continues to have jaw-dropping moments." Zoom out: As unbelievable as Friday's feat was, it hardly came out of nowhere. Kurtz was the No. 4 pick in last year's draft, raced through the minor leagues and is now off to one of the best starts in MLB history. His 23 HR are tied for the most among 1B despite playing just 67 games, and his 1.061 OPS since debuting on April 23 trails only Aaron Judge (1.138) during that time. A July for the ages: Kurtz's 1.052 slugging percentage this month trails only Barry Bonds in April 2004 (1.132) for the highest ever in a calendar month (min. 75 PA). ROY favorite: Kurtz's scorching run has made him a massive betting favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year (-1600 at BetMGM), surging past teammate Jacob Wilson (+700). ⚽️ WOMEN'S EUROS THE LIONESSES ARE BACK ON TOP (UEFA Photo via Getty Images) England held off Spain in a shootout on Sunday to capture their second straight Women's Euro title, while also getting revenge for their loss in the 2023 World Cup final. ICYMI: Spain took an early 1-0 lead on a header from Mariona Caldentey, but England returned the favor in the 57th minute with an equalizer off the head of Alessia Russo. Neither side found the net again, and the Lionesses ultimately prevailed, 3-1, in penalties. England's grit on Sunday mirrored how they responded to adversity all month long, starting back in early July when they became the first defending Women's Euro champion to lose their opener before dominating the rest of the group stage. In the quarterfinals, they trailed Sweden, 2-0, before scoring twice in the closing minutes and winning in penalties. And in the semis, they trailed Italy, 1-0, before tying it up late in stoppage time and winning on the latest goal ever scored in the tournament (119th minute). Are you not entertained? Sunday's finale capped a knockout round full of thrillers. The largest margin of victory across seven matches was 2-0. The other six games: three shootouts, two extra-time wins and a 2-1 victory in the 90th minute. ? SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) ?? Cooperstown, New York — Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Dick Allen and Dave Parker were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, the latter two posthumously, increasing the membership to 351. (Paul Devlin/Getty Images) ??????? Troon, Scotland — Lottie Woad, 21, notched a three-shot victory at the Women's Scottish Open, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951) as the only LPGA golfers to win in their pro debut. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) ?? Singapore — Canada's Summer McIntosh is aiming to match Michael Phelps' record of five individual golds at the swimming world championships, and her first one came Sunday in the 400-meter freestyle. (Lewis Storey/Getty Images) ??????? Blackpool, England — Luke Littler, 18, took the World Matchplay crown on Sunday to become the fifth player to complete darts' Triple Crown (Matchplay, Premier League and World Championship). ⚾️ MILESTONE MLB TRIVIA Trout reacts after hitting a home run on Sunday to push him past 1,000 RBIs. (Luke Hales/Getty Images) Mike Trout reached 1,000 career RBIs on Sunday, becoming the ninth active player to reach the milestone. Question: How many of the other eight can you name? Hint: Five NL, three AL. Answer at the bottom. ? TEASER COMING TOMORROW (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports) The 2025-26 Clippers are on track to be the oldest team in NBA history. Could this work out in LA's favor? Or are they already toast? We'll dive in tomorrow. Trivia answer: Freddie Freeman (1,284); Paul Goldschmidt (1,224); Nolan Arenado (1,175); Andrew McCutchen (1,127); Carlos Santana (1,126); Giancarlo Stanton (1,123); Manny Machado (1,115); Bryce Harper (1,019) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 29, 2025 Author Members Posted July 29, 2025 Stops and starts Josh Johnson has played for 14 different teams in the NFL — including the San Francisco 49ers four times, the Baltimore Ravens three times and three other teams twice. That all adds up to a record. It’s a life of loneliness and resiliency. Year of adult sports leagues Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios Team sports have become one of the fastest-growing types of exercise, with 20% of U.S. adults — up from 11% in 2020 — now saying they play them, according to a CivicScience survey shared with Axios' Sami Sparber. Why it matters: Rec leagues help you stay active and socially connected. ?️ Getting outside with friends (and without screens) has become especially important to younger adults, says Galen Beers, executive director of the Sport & Social Industry Association. "No one's going out of business because people aren't playing. In fact, it's the opposite," Beers tells Axios. By the numbers: Volleyball (30% of total players), soccer (18%) and softball (15%) were the most popular sports last year, per preliminary data from the trade group, which counts roughly 150 leagues as members. ?️ The big picture: Just over half of adults get the recommended 150 minutes of cardio exercise each week, per the latest CDC analysis. And many report feeling lonely, which brings its own serious health risks. ? Zoom in: "The social aspect is just as important as the sport itself," says Rachel Hogan, who works with clubs in Austin, Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Minneapolis. Players are often new to the city or looking to meet people outside of work, she tells Axios. ? Some even find romance on the field. One league has been dubbed the "best dating app" in Denver. Between the lines: A rec sports renaissance could help rebuild the fraying community bonds that political scientist Robert Putnam warned about in "Bowling Alone." ? "My hockey community has been a huge support for me as I have navigated changes in my life," longtime player Ben Smith recently told Salt Lake Magazine. ? Sami's thought bubble: I joined a kickball team with friends this spring and found it delightful to jockey against fellow Austinites whom I'd probably never meet otherwise. Bonding with people from different generations and backgrounds comes with several perks, including fresh perspectives, research suggests. ? What's next: Soccer will likely bump in popularity as the World Cup kicks off next year. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 29, 2025 Author Members Posted July 29, 2025 > Bubba Wallace becomes first Black driver to win a major race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, taking Brickyard 400 crown (More) | Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders reveals his bladder was removed following cancer diagnosis (More) > Dwight Muhammad Qawi, former world champion boxer in multiple weight classes, dies at age 72 after five-year battle with dementia (More) | Wallis Annenberg, philanthropist whose foundation donated around $1.5B to charitable causes, dies at age 86 (More) > Warner Bros. Discovery announces it will spin off into two future businesses, Warner Bros. (streaming and studios) and Discovery Global (comprising TV networks, Discovery+, and other assets) (More) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 29, 2025 Author Members Posted July 29, 2025 ? Good morning! Another day, another newsletter. In today's edition: GameStop x PSA scoop, the oldest team ever, the worst call ever, 23-minute triple-double, remembering Ryne Sandberg, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? Shooting at NFL HQ: Four people were killed by a gunman on Monday in the midtown Manhattan skyscraper that houses the NFL's corporate offices, as well as top financial firms. The gunman then shot and killed himself. ⚾️ Betting scandal expands: Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, one of the top arms on the trade market, has been placed on paid leave in connection with MLB's ongoing sports betting investigation, joining teammate Luis Ortiz. ? Coach Prime's diagnosis: Deion Sanders announced that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer earlier this year, but has since been "cured" after having his bladder surgically removed. He said he'll likely have a portable toilet on the Colorado sidelines this fall. ⚾️ Harper gets heated: Bryce Harper reportedly told Rob Manfred to "get the f*** out of our clubhouse" when the commissioner brought up the potential implementation of a salary cap as part of the next CBA. The current labor deal expires at the end of next season. ? New-look Luka: Luka Dončić showed off his new physique on the cover on Men's Health. "My whole body looks better," said the Lakers star, who's adopted a gluten-free, low-sugar diet. ? COLLECTIBLES EXCLUSIVE: GAMESTOP, PSA LAUNCHING DIGITAL "POWER PACKS" (PSA) GameStop's collectibles business has boomed since partnering with trading card grading and authentication company Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) last fall to turn its storefronts into grading submission centers. Now, the two companies are expanding their partnership with a digital collectibles experience called "Power Packs," Yahoo Sports has learned. What's new? Power Packs is a new GameStop trading card platform that "bridges the thrill of card collecting with the convenience of the digital world," says Nat Turner, who is the CEO of Collectors Universe (which owns PSA) and sits on the GameStop board. Invites to the beta version of the platform go live today, according to GameStop. How it works: The experience begins with a collector purchasing a virtual Power Pack, revealing a PSA-graded trading card securely stored in the PSA Vault. From there, they have three options: Sell the card back instantly (with values powered by Card Ladder's dynamic pricing) Keep it in the PSA Vault (with options to store it there, sell directly on eBay or potentially receive a PSA Instant Offer) Ship the card home (for a fee) More details: Power Packs have five price tiers ($25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000) that offer varying chances of pulling cards of certain values. Football and Pokémon cards will be available at launch, with plans to add more categories in the future. Acquired cards are managed through the Power Packs website (powerpacks.gamestop.com when it goes live) and payouts can be sent via direct deposit or added to the user's Power Packs balance. (PSA) Hot new trend: Repacks have emerged as a popular offering recently, allowing collectors to buy packs curated by individuals or hobby-related businesses rather than sealed boxes directly from the manufacturer. They typically contain a number of lower-value cards worth less than the price of the repack but offer the chance at "chases" worth much more, per cllct. PSA sees Power Packs as a way to bring more transparency to the space. "The existing repack landscape is full of individuals who are creating these things on their own. They're not thinking about the end consumer. They're thinking about how much money they can generate," says Tommy Paderes, GM of Power Packs at PSA. "This is our foray into creating a fun experience while utilizing the trust and transparency that comes with PSA grading. GameStop really wanted to bring this to life, and it was a natural fit knowing that we could build the technology and they could deliver it to the mass market." A shift in strategy: GameStop played a starring role in the 2021 "meme stock" frenzy and has undergone a dramatic transformation since then, pivoting from a video game retailer to a hybrid entity with an increased focus on collectibles (sales jumped 55% YoY in the first quarter to $211.5 million) and cryptocurrency (they bought $500 million of Bitcoin in May). "We've moved the business from a big reliance on hardware and software to collectibles," said CEO Ryan Cohen during a recent interview on Fox Business Network. "We're selling a ton of trading cards, both sports and TCG. It's a much more durable business." Since partnering up nine months ago, GameStop stores have facilitated grading of over 1 million cards by PSA. That partnership is now going digital as PSA embraces the future of the hobby (virtual experiences) and GameStop embraces the future of its business (fewer brick-and-mortar locations). What's GameStop up to? The company declined comment for this story but did post a video last night teasing this announcement as part of something called "Push Start Arcade," which could hint at a larger initiative around digital gaming and virtual wallets. The company's cult-like following is already speculating about what this all could mean. ? OK, BOOMER THE OLDEST TEAM IN NBA HISTORY (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports) With 40-year-old Chris Paul officially in the fold, the 2025-26 Clippers are on track to be the oldest team in NBA history with an average age of 33.2 years old, as noted by Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh on the latest episode of "The Big Number" NBA podcast. Oldest teams since the merger: 2025-26 Clippers: 33.2 (weighted for playing time) 2000-01 Jazz: 32.0 1997-98 Rockets: 32.0 1997-98 Bulls: 31.7 1999-00 Jazz: 31.5 What they're saying: "The Hakeem Rockets, the Jordan Bulls, the Stockton and Malone Jazz … these were the most ancient NBA teams ever … and they look like children compared to this Clippers team," said Haberstroh. Roster breakdown: Paul is expected to be part of a core Clippers rotation that also includes James Harden (who will be 37 by the start of next season), Brook Lopez (37), Nicolas Batum (36), Kawhi Leonard (34), Bogdan Bogdanović (33), Bradley Beal (32) and Kris Dunn (31). Zigging when others are zagging: The Clippers plan to trot out a historically old squad during a time when the NBA is getting younger and more athletic. Look no further than the 2025 NBA Finals, which featured the lowest average age on record (25.5 years old) and crowned the youngest champion (24.7) in a half-century. It's a bold strategy, to say the least. Here's Tom: "It's such a different roster than where the league seems to be headed. … If you look at age trends over the last decade or so, older teams are winning more in the regular season, but the further you go into the postseason, it gets younger and younger than in previous generations. So I feel like this Clippers team is built for the No. 1 or No. 2 seed … but not necessarily for winning the title." ⚾️ BALLS AND STRIKES IS THIS THE WORST CALL IN BASEBALL HISTORY? (Giphy) Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin threw a pitch right down the middle of the plate… and umpire Brian Walsh called it a ball. I was watching this live and couldn't believe my eyes. Never been more confused by a call in my life. ? STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS (Yahoo Sports) ? 23 minutes Seattle's Skylar Diggins recorded her first career triple-double (11 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) on Monday in less than 23 minutes of game action, the lowest minutes total ever in a WNBA triple-double. ⛳️ $21.94 million LIV Golf's Joaquin Niemann, who won his fifth event of the season this past weekend in the U.K., has now made more in on-course earnings this year ($21.94 million) than PGA Tour money leader Scottie Scheffler ($19.2 million). ? 9-9-9 J.J. Watt dominated the viral "9-9-9 Challenge," eating nine hot dogs and drinking nine beers during a nine-inning Brewers game. In fact, he finished with 3.5 innings to spare… and still had room for a postgame meal. Built different. ? SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS Patriots QB Drake Maye signs autographs. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) ?? Foxborough, Massachusetts — All 32 NFL teams have reported to training camp, and there's no shortage of intrigue and storylines so far. The peloton cycles by a vintage Volkswagen Kombi bus. (Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images) ?? La Gacilly, France — The fourth edition of Le Tour Femmes (Women's Tour de France) is underway. Current leader: Marianne Vos of the Netherlands. South Korea's Somi Lee plays a shot during Tuesday's practice round at Royal Porthcawl. (Warren Little/Getty Images) ??????? Bridgend, Wales — The Women's Open tees off this week at Royal Porthcawl, which comes in at No. 65 on the World's Top 100 Golf Courses list. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JULY 29 George Springer and the Blue Jays suddenly have the best record in the AL. (Duane Burleson/Getty Images) ⚾️ Rays at Yankees | 7pm ET, TBS The AL East takes center stage today, with the Yankees hosting the Rays in primetime and the Orioles hosting the Blue Jays in a split doubleheader (12:35pm ET, MLB; 6:35pm). Watch out for Toronto, whose lead atop the division has grown to 5.5 games — their highest since 1993, when they went on to win the World Series. More to watch: ? WNBA: Aces at Sparks (10pm, NBA) … Los Angeles has the league's longest active winning streak at five games. ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Six matches (7-11pm, Apple/FS1) … 18 MLS clubs and 18 Liga MX clubs battle it out in the fifth edition of the tournament. ⚾️ MVP RACE MLB TRIVIA (Luke Hales/Getty Images) Cal Raleigh is the betting favorite to win AL MVP (-135 at BetMGM) for the first time this year, leapfrogging an injured Aaron Judge. Question: Raleigh would be just the third catcher this century to win MVP. Who were the other two? Hint: AL Central, NL West. Answer at the bottom. ? BASEBALL ICON REMEMBERING RYNO (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) Cubs legend Ryne "Ryno" Sandberg, one of the best second basemen and humblest superstars in MLB history, passed away Monday at age 65 after a battle with cancer. Immortal words: From Sandberg's Hall of Fame induction speech in 2005… "The reason I am here, they tell me, is that I played the game a certain way, that I played the game the way it was supposed to be played. I don't know about that, but I do know this: I had too much respect for the game to play it any other way. And if there is a single reason I am here today, it is because of one word: 'Respect.'" "I was taught you never, ever disrespect your opponent or your teammates or your organization or your manager. Make a great play — act like you've done it before. … Hit a home run — put your head down, drop the bat, run around the bases. Because the name on the front is a lot more important than the name on the back." "A lot of people say this honor validates my career, but I didn't work hard for validation. I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that's what you're supposed to do — play it right and with respect. If this validates anything, it's that learning how to bunt, and hit and run, and turn two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light on the dugout camera." No. 23 forever: The Cubs unveiled a Sandberg statue outside Wrigley Field last year and will honor him the rest of this season by wearing a jersey patch with his No. 23 and signature. Trivia answer: Joe Mauer (2009 AL MVP with the Twins) and Buster Posey (2012 NL MVP with the Giants) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 30, 2025 Author Members Posted July 30, 2025 Passion and purpose Ukrainian swimmer Vladyslav Bukhov fled his hometown as a child in 2014, when Russia first invaded his country. Then came the 2022 attack. Forced to train in a war zone, Bukhov never thought he would become a world champion. Now he’s trying to do it again. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 30, 2025 Author Members Posted July 30, 2025 > Thirteen novels tapped for prestigious 2025 Booker Prize for fiction longlist, featuring authors from across nine nations (More) > Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" tour hauls in over $400M in ticket sales, with Beyoncé becoming the first American artist to top $400M in two separate tours, including her 2023 "Renaissance Tour" (More) > American Katie Ledecky wins 1,500-meter freestyle at 2025 World Aquatics Championships to extend her record for most world championship individual gold medals with 17 (More) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 30, 2025 Author Members Posted July 30, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Trade deadline check-in, Ledecky's reign continues, Big Dumper eyes rare MVP, T-Mac is back, 18-inch putter gets it done, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? Gunman targeted NFL: The gunman who killed four people in Manhattan on Monday was targeting the NFL's headquarters, which the league has now temporarily closed. Police reportedly found a note on the gunman's body that claimed he had CTE and wanted his brain studied. ⚾️ Injuries galore: All-Stars Byron Buxton, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jacob Wilson all landed on the injured list yesterday. Star outfielders Juan Soto and Jackson Chourio both got pulled from their games with injuries, too. ⚽️ Müller to Vancouver: German legend Thomas Müller is joining the Vancouver Whitecaps after spending the last 25 years with Bayern Munich, where the 35-year-old won a Bundesliga-record 13 titles and scored 227 goals. ? Sequel scores big: "Happy Gilmore 2" generated 46.7 million views in three days, making it the biggest U.S. opening weekend ever for a Netflix film. ? Hendrickson ends holdout: Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson will report to Bengals camp today despite still seeking a long-term deal. And with that, the NFL's final holdout has come to an end. ⚾️ MLB DEADLINE TRADING PLACES: RELIEVER SWAPS TEAMS MID-MATCHUP (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) Seranthony Domínguez woke up on Tuesday as an Oriole and suited up for their day game against the Blue Jays. He went to bed as a Blue Jay, having just pitched against… the Orioles. Talk about a whirlwind. Trading places: Domínguez was in the bullpen for Baltimore's 16-4 win in the opener … swapped clubhouses after getting traded … then pitched an inning of relief for the Blue Jays in the nightcap, striking out two players he'd called teammates hours earlier in a 3-2 Toronto loss. "After the first game, I was sitting there hanging out with the guys when they told me, 'Hey [you got] traded, go to the next dugout,'" said the veteran reliever. Domínguez had an upside down "8" on his uniform because of how quickly they had to get him his Blue Jays gear. I'm willing to cut the equipment manager some slack. What are the odds? Juaron Watts-Brown, the returning prospect in the trade, also switched clubhouses on Tuesday. Coincidentally, his former team, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays Double-A), were playing his new team, the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles Double-A). Trade deadline tracker: Latest news and updates (Yahoo Sports) Related baseball history: On May 30, 1922, the Cardinals and Cubs swapped outfielders in the middle of a doubleheader ? SWIMMING WORLDS LEDECKY'S REIGN CONTINUES (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) Katie Ledecky continued her reign as the queen of the 1500m freestyle on Tuesday in Singapore, winning gold with the fifth-fastest time ever (15:26.44) for a historic 28th world championship medal. Chasing Phelps: Those 28 medals (22 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze) broke a tie with fellow American Ryan Lochte for the second-most by any swimmer. Only Michael Phelps, with 33, has more. Catch her if you can. (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images) Queen of the 1500: Six of those medals have come in the 1500, a race Ledecky hasn't lost since she was in junior high school 15 years ago. She's held the world record since 2013 and owns the 11 fastest times ever — though that number was much higher before Tuesday. Italy's Simona Quadarella swam the race of her life to earn silver, finishing "just" five seconds behind Ledecky at 15:31.79, the 12th-fastest time ever. Before Tuesday's final, Ledecky owned the 24 fastest times ever. Now, she'll have to settle for 25 of the 26 fastest. Coming up: Ledecky, 28, has two more events this week, beginning with tomorrow's 4x200 free relay. Then it's the main event — perhaps of the entire world championships — when she squares off against 18-year-old Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh in the 800m free. ⚾️ BIG DUMPER RALEIGH EYES RARE CATCHER MVP Catchers have won just 18 MVPs. Could Raleigh make it 19? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Cal Raleigh's dream season has leveled up yet again, as the Mariners' catcher moved ahead of an injured Aaron Judge this week as the AL MVP favorite. Head-to-head: Seattle's catcher and New York's captain are head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league, leading or ranking second in just about every major statistical category. Raleigh: 41 HR (leads MLB), 87 RBI (leads MLB), 71 R (2nd in AL), 64 BB (3rd in AL), 12 SB (leads catchers), .260/.368/.613 (.981 OPS is 2nd in AL) and 5.2 WAR (3rd in AL). Judge: 37 HR (2nd in AL), 85 RBI (2nd in AL), 90 R (leads AL), 73 BB (leads AL), .342/.449/.711 (1.160 OPS leads MLB) and 6.7 WAR (leads MLB). Wild stat: "Big Dumper" is on pace for 62 long balls, which wouldn't merely shatter the record for a catcher (48 by Salvador Perez) — it would also tie Judge's AL record set back in 2022. Exclusive club: If Raleigh's sensational season does indeed end with an MVP, it will be an exceedingly rare victory: 12 catchers have combined to win just 18 of the 210 MVP awards ever handed out,* per MLB.com: Yogi Berra (1951, 1954, 1955) Roy Campanella (1951, 1953, 1955) Johnny Bench (1970, 1972) Mickey Cochrane (1928, 1934) Bob O'Farrell, Cardinals (1926) Gabby Hartnett, Cubs (1935) Ernie Lombardi, Reds (1938) Elston Howard, Yankees (1963) Thurman Munson (1976) Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez (1999) Joe Mauer (2009) Buster Posey (2012) *The first modern MVP was awarded by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 1931, but MLB.com's tally also includes earlier versions of the award. ? STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS (U.S. Open) ? 16 teams The USTA confirmed 14 of the 16 teams that will compete in the U.S. Open's new-look mixed doubles tournament, which will take place during qualifying week (Aug. 19-20) and feature a $1 million prize. The teams include 14 players ranked in the top 10 (eight men, six women), as well as seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams. ⛳️ 5 golfers Two-time Open Championship winner Pádraig Harrington won the Senior Open on Sunday in England, making him the fifth golfer to win both editions of the Open. The other four: Gary Player, Tom Watson, Darren Clarke and Bob Charles. ⚾️ 17 straight seasons Andrew McCutchen is the 11th player in MLB history to start a career with at least 17 consecutive 10-HR seasons, joining Hank Aaron (23 straight), Eddie Murray (20), Carl Yastrzemski (20), Barry Bonds (19), Albert Pujols (19), Frank Robinson (19), Harold Baines (18), Mickey Mantle (18), Jeff Kent (17) and Willie McCovey (17). ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 30 (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) ? Liberty at Lynx | 8pm ET, ESPN Two of the top three teams in our latest power rankings meet in a rematch of last year's WNBA Finals, where New York prevailed. The defending champs, who've dropped two straight and just lost Breanna Stewart to a leg injury, could really use a win. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Rays at Yankees (7pm, Prime) … Zack Littell (8-8, 3.72 ERA) vs. Will Warren (6-5, 4.82 ERA). ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Inter Miami vs. Atlas (7:30pm, Apple) … Opening game for Lionel Messi's squad. ? T-MAC NBA TRIVIA McGrady at the 2025 Slam Dunk Contest. (Tyler Kaufman/NBAE via Getty Images) Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is joining NBC as a studio analyst for the upcoming NBA season. Question: Can you name the seven teams McGrady played for during his NBA career? Hint: Five East, two West. Answer at the bottom. ⛳️ TINY PUTTER UNIQUE, BUT EFFECTIVE! (Giphy) Philippe Gariépy shot a 1-under 71 on Monday at the PGA Championship of Canada while using an 18-inch putter, the shortest legal length allowed in golf. My man looks absolutely ridiculous and my back hurts just watching him. That said, my putting game is in shambles at the moment so I may have to try this. Trivia answer: Rockets (6 seasons), Magic (4), Raptors (3), Knicks (1), Pistons (1), Hawks (1), Spurs (1) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 31, 2025 Author Members Posted July 31, 2025 > NFL preseason kicks off tonight (8 pm ET, NBC) with the Los Angeles Chargers taking on the Detroit Lions in the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game (More) | How does the NFL make money? (More) > Laura Dahlmeier, two-time Olympic gold medal-winning biathlete, dies at age 31 following a climbing accident in northern Pakistan (More) > NBA sets up 2026 regular season matchups in Berlin (Jan. 15) and London (Jan. 18) featuring the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies (More) | USA Track and Field championships begin today from Eugene, Oregon; see complete schedule (More) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 31, 2025 Author Members Posted July 31, 2025 ? Sports leagues face new reckoning Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios The major sports leagues are confronting a potentially costly reality in sports gambling: If you embrace it, problems will come, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes. Why it matters: Recent investigations into baseball, football and basketball players have raised fears about the integrity of sports — and whether certain plays, or even whole games, are being manipulated. Threat level: Easy mobile access to legal betting is leading to growing suspicions of players conspiring with gamblers. Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase — one of baseball's best relief pitchers — was placed on paid leave this week as part of a wider MLB investigation into sports betting. The NFL has suspended at least 11 players for gambling since 2022. Former NBA player Jontay Porter was accused of disclosing confidential information about his health to a bettor. Another player, Malik Beasley, is under federal investigation over gambling allegations tied to NBA games. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted July 31, 2025 Author Members Posted July 31, 2025 ? Good morning! The MLB trade deadline is tonight at 6pm ET, and Yahoo Sports' Baseball Bar-B-Cast will be going live on YouTube at 5:30pm to react/discuss. Tune in! In today's edition: NFL offseason power rankings, the most-watched American athletes, chasing .300, Lynx win WNBA Finals rematch, Hall of Fame trivia, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ⚾️ Deadline tracker: Eugenio Suárez is returning to the Mariners, Twins closer Jhoan Duran is heading to Philly, Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley is heading to the Mets, and identical twins Taylor and Tyler Rogers were traded hours apart … Live updates. ✈️ NBA in Europe: The NBA will play six games in Europe over the next three seasons, beginning with two Grizzlies-Magic games in Berlin and London this January. The league will go to Manchester and Paris in 2026-27, followed by Berlin and Paris in 2027-28. ? USC lands top recruit (again): Saniyah Hall, ESPN's No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2026, has committed to USC. The Trojans have now landed three of the last four No. 1 recruits, with Hall joining JuJu Watkins in 2023 and Jasmine Davidson in 2025. ? Another break-in: Three people attempted (unsuccessfully) to break into the home of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday, the latest in a string of thefts of homes owned by professional athletes. ? Sharpe out at ESPN: The Worldwide Leader has cut ties with Shannon Sharpe less than two weeks after the Hall of Fame tight end settled a sexual assault lawsuit brought forth by a former romantic partner. ? 1-32 NFL OFFSEASON POWER RANKINGS (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab has spent the NFL offseason putting together a magnum opus, ranking and previewing every team to get you ready for the 2025 season. Below, we break down his power rankings division-by-division. NFC East: The defending champions, appropriately, will start the season atop our rankings. And while there's a chance the Commanders could contend for the division in Year 2 of the Jayden Daniels era, Washington fans should prepare for some regression after last year's whirlwind campaign. Eagles (No. 1 in Frank's rankings) Commanders (10) Cowboys (18) Giants (27) North: Last year, they were the most dominant division in NFL history. This year, if the 5-win Bears take a step forward behind new head coach Ben Johnson, they could be even better. Lions (3) Vikings (6) Packers (7) Bears (15) South: Tampa Bay's active five-year playoff streak is the longest in the NFC, and the preseason outlook suggests they have a good chance of extending that to six. Buccaneers (8) Falcons (21) Panthers (29) Saints (31) West: Just four wins separated first and last place last year, and based on these rankings it could be just as close this fall. The biggest question is whether the perennial contenders in San Francisco can bounce back after a season in which everything that could go wrong, did. Rams (12) 49ers (13) Seahawks (17) Cardinals (19) AFC East: It's Super Bowl or bust for the Bills, who should have no trouble winning a weak division but still must find a way to get past the Chiefs. Four of their last five seasons have ended with a playoff loss to Kansas City. Bills (5) Dolphins (23) Patriots (25) Jets (28) North: Speaking of Super Bowl or bust, Baltimore is still looking for its first trip to the Big Game with Lamar Jackson under center. Cincinnati, meanwhile, hopes to rebound after somehow missing the playoffs despite all-time great seasons from Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Ravens (2) Bengals (14) Steelers (20) Browns (30) South: Congratulations to Houston, which might run away with this division by default, particularly if C.J. Stroud bounces back from his sophomore slump. It will be fascinating to watch Travis Hunter attempt to be a two-way player in Jacksonville, though. Texans (16) Jaguars (22) Colts (24) Titans (32) West: The last time we saw the Chiefs, they were getting their doors blown off in the Super Bowl. But let's not forget that was their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six years and Patrick Mahomes hasn't even turned 30 yet. The AFC still very much runs through Kansas City. Chiefs (4) Chargers (9) Broncos (11) Raiders (26) Countdown: The NFL preseason kicks off tonight with the annual Hall of Fame game, and the regular season begins in 35 days, with the Eagles hosting the Cowboys on Thursday, Sept. 4. ? FOOD FOR THOUGHT WHO'S THE MOST-WATCHED AMERICAN ATHLETE? Sandberg sits in the dugout at Dodger Stadium on May 4, 1997. (Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport via Getty Images) Bloomberg columnist Conor Sen posed the following question in the wake of Ryne Sandberg's passing this week, and I can't stop thinking about it: "Between WGN, ESPN, the raw number of baseball games that are played, and the timing of Sandberg's career, is he the most-watched athlete on TV in American history?" Superstation stars: There are certainly more famous American athletes than "Ryno," but does anyone have more cumulative TV exposure? The Chicago legend has a strong case, as do other players who starred for the Cubs and Braves during the Superstation Era (1980s-1990s), when their games were broadcast nationally on WGN (Cubs) and TBS (Braves). So who is it? Who's the most-watched athlete on TV in American history? The superstation stars are hard to beat, but what about Tom Brady, who played in 10 Super Bowls? Or Derek Jeter, who played in seven World Series? Or Michael Jordan, who enjoyed a level of fame in the 90s that's hard to fathom in today's fractured media environment? Or Michael Phelps, who had America's undivided attention for five straight Olympics? My top 10 candidates, in no particular order: ⚾️ Ryne Sandberg ⚾️ Chipper Jones ⚾️ Dale Murphy ⚾️ Derek Jeter ? Michael Jordan ? Kobe Bryant ? LeBron James ? Tom Brady ? Michael Phelps ⛳️ Tiger Woods Who gets your vote? Who am I missing? Shoot me an email with your thoughts: kendall.baker@yahooinc.com. I'll share the best responses tomorrow and hopefully arrive at a definitive answer to this question. It's a fun one! ⚾️ SENIOR CIRCUIT NL BATTING TITLE: CHASING .300 Will Smith might be the NL's only hope to avoid some ignominious history. (Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Never before in MLB's 150-year history has a batting champion in either league finished the season with an average under .300. Could that change this year? Where it stands: Plenty of AL players are over the threshold, but just one NL player — Dodgers catcher Will Smith — is hitting comfortably above .300 at the moment (.325). The problem, though, is that he's right on the edge of not having enough plate appearances to qualify. In order to qualify for the batting title, you must accumulate at least 3.1 plate appearances per team game, which comes to 502 across a full season. Smith is at 3.12 right now, and as a catcher who doesn't play every day he could easily fall below the requisite 502. Behind Smith are a host of players straddling .300, led by Padres 3B Manny Machado (.302), Marlins OF Kyle Stowers (.298) and Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman (.297). If Smith doesn't qualify, and no one else tops .300 on the final day of the season, voilà. What to watch: Smith could still claim the title even if he doesn't qualify, thanks to an interesting wrinkle in how final calculations are made. If he ends the season under 502 PAs, the balance will be made up with hitless at-bats (i.e. if he's 10 PA shy, 10 hitless at-bats would be added to his total). If he still leads the league after that, the batting title is his. ? SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS Mullins' latest masterpiece took away a HR from Blue Jays catcher Ali Sánchez on Wednesday. (Orioles) Baltimore — There are "Web Gems," and then there's what Orioles centerfielder Cedric Mullins has done in the last five days, robbing the Blue Jays of home runs on Wednesday and Monday after taking away extra bases with this absurd diving grab over the weekend. Is this farewell? The 30-year-old outfielder, who's been an Oriole since they selected him in the 13th round of the 2015 draft, is a popular trade candidate ahead of tonight's deadline. If this is farewell, he certainly gave fans in Baltimore quite a week to remember him by. Collier celebrates after making a three-pointer. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images) Minneapolis — MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier (30 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks) and the Lynx held on late for a 100-93 win over the Liberty in a rematch of last year's WNBA Finals. Different directions: While first-place Minnesota (23-5) improved to a perfect 5-0 after a loss, the defending champion Liberty (17-9) lost their third straight game and learned that Breanna Stewart will be sidelined indefinitely with a bone bruise in her knee. (Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images) Singapore — French superstar Léon Marchand, who won five medals (including four golds) at last summer's Olympics, shattered Ryan Lochte's world record in the 200m individual medley (1:52.69) in Wednesday's world championship semifinal. More history: Luca Urlando took gold in the 200m butterfly, becoming the first American man to medal in the event at worlds since Michael Phelps in 2011, and Jack Alexy set an American record in his 100m freestyle semifinal (46.81). ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JULY 31 Midfield prior to last year's Hall of Fame Game. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ? NFL Hall of Fame Game | 8pm ET, NBC The NFL preseason officially kicks off tonight in Canton, Ohio, where the Chargers and Lions will square off in the annual Hall of Fame Game ahead of Saturday's Class of 2025 enshrinement. ⛳️ Women's Open Championship | 7am-2pm, USA/Peacock The LPGA's fifth and final major of the year teed off at Royal Porthcawl in Wales while you were sleeping. All eyes are on 21-year-old phenom Lottie Woad, who is the betting favorite to win in just her second week as a professional. More to watch: ⛳️ PGA: Wyndham Championship (7am, ESPN+; 3pm, Golf) … Playoff spots are on the line in the final event of the regular season. ⚾️ MLB: Braves at Reds (7pm, MLB); Rangers at Mariners (10pm, MLB) … Eugenio Suárez is back with his former team after being traded to Seattle on Wednesday. ? WNBA: Valkyries at Mystics (7:30pm, Prime) … As it stands, Washington is the last team in the playoffs and Golden State is the first team out. ?♀️ Swimming: World Championships (7am, Peacock) … Katie Ledecky goes for another medal in the women's 4x200m free relay (8:44am). ? CANTON HALL OF FAME TRIVIA Busts on display inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Question: Which NFL team has the most Hall of Famers? Hint: NFC. Answer at the bottom. ? MACtion YOUTUBE COMMENT HALL OF FAME (Giphy) The YouTube comments section has a reputation for being a pretty ugly corner of the internet. But on Monday, nestled under a video of MAC highlights from last season, was a comment from user @teaking701 that belongs in the YouTube Hall of Fame. Congrats on your 5-star recruits and $100M facilities, SEC fans. Meanwhile, the MAC is out here playing real football in front of 14 people and a raccoon on a Tuesday night during a blizzard. You ever seen a punter throw a touchdown to a long snapper while the scoreboard's on fire? Didn't think so. While y'all are busy arguing over which frat-funded dynasty is slightly less fraudulent, Toledo's cooking up a triple-reverse flea flicker in a game that ends 43-42 after six missed PATs and a goalpost gets stolen. That's not football. That's MACtion. You wouldn't survive one quarter in Ypsilanti. Long live the MAC. Trivia answer: Chicago Bears (41) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted August 2, 2025 Author Members Posted August 2, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! It's also August? When did that happen? Read and react: I got hundreds of replies regarding yesterday's "most-watched athlete" prompt. Thank you! So many fascinating takes. We'll dive back in on Monday and land on a definitive answer. In today's edition: MLB trade deadline, Chargers win opener, Paul Skenes is ridiculous, baseball meets NASCAR, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? No more chains: NFL fans got their first glimpse of the new virtual measurement system for first downs during Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, officially ending the league's longstanding use of the chain gang. ? Knicks extend Bridges: The Knicks signed forward Mikal Bridges to a four-year, $150 million extension, taking a slight discount from the max deal he was eligible for to help New York's roster-building efforts. ?️ Verstappen's staying put: Max Verstappen is staying with Red Bull after all, putting an end to the rumors that the four-time defending champion might leave at the end of the season. ? McLaurin wants out: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, who had his best season last year with Jayden Daniels under center, has requested a trade after spending the offseason seeking a contract extension. ? Stanford's new AD: Stanford hired former Nike CEO John Donahoe as their new athletic director, opting for a non-traditional candidate to take over in the evolving college sports' landscape. ⚾️ WINNERS AND LOSERS GRADING EVERY TEAM'S TRADE DEADLINE (James Pawelczyk/Yahoo Sports) Thursday's trade deadline saw a flurry of moves as buyers set up their rosters for the stretch run, sellers looked to the future… and the Twins said goodbye to just about their entire clubhouse. Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz graded every team's moves, broken down below by division. AL East: The biggest moves included Toronto adding 2020 Cy Young Shane Bieber, the Yankees acquiring back-end bullpen help in closers David Bednar and Camilo Doval and the Orioles sending fan-favorite and Baltimore lifer Cedric Mullins to the Mets. Yankees: A- Orioles: B+ Blue Jays: B- Rays: C Red Sox: F Central: The Tigers probably should have done more to shore up their roster for the playoffs, but nothing was more shocking than the Twins trading 10 of the 26 guys on their active roster. A sad day for Minnesota fans. Guardians: B Royals: C White Sox: C Tigers: D Twins: F West: Really excellent work across the board here, highlighted by Houston's reunion with Carlos Correa, Seattle's reunion with Eugenio Suárez and the A's acquisition of Leo De Vries, the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball. Athletics: A Astros: A- Mariners: A- Rangers: C Angels: C- NL East: The Mets added four meaningful rentals without giving up any of their elite prospects, the Phillies got one of the league's most dominant relievers in Jhoan Duran and Washington's interim GM did what he had to do, selling five rentals to further bolster their rebuild. Mets: A- Marlins: B+ Nationals: B Phillies: B Braves: F+ Central: Milwaukee and Chicago were oddly quiet for teams with the two best records in the league, and Pittsburgh didn't do nearly enough for a team so far out of it, holding onto three rentals that could have netted them solid returns to improve their future outlook. Reds: B Cardinals: B- Cubs: C+ Brewers: D+ Pirates: F+ West: San Diego GM AJ Preller strikes again, making a deadline splash that may or may not pan out but sure gives fans something to be excited about, headlined by the addition of O's slugger Ryan O'Hearn and A's closer Mason Miller to a bullpen already stacked with elite arms. Diamondbacks: B+ Padres: B Rockies: B Dodgers: C Giants: C- ? SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS Don't tell these guys it's just the preseason. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images) Canton, Ohio — The NFL preseason kicked off on Thursday night as Trey Lance (13/20, 120 yards, 2 TD) led the Chargers to a dominant 34-7 win over the Lions in the annual Hall of Fame Game. The results, of course, don't matter. What matters is football is back. That is the face of someone who knows she could have set a world record. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) Singapore — How good is Canada's Summer McIntosh? The 18-year-old won gold by three seconds in the 200m butterfly at swimming worlds, but was visibly frustrated that she missed out on the world record by 0.18 seconds due to an extra breath taken in the final meters. Other results: Léon Marchand won his third straight world title in the 200m individual medley and Katie Ledecky won her 29th medal at worlds — a silver in the 4x200m free relay in which her team set an American record but still fell to Australia. Young phenom Lottie Woad tees off while playing partner Lydia Ko looks on. (David Cannon/Getty Images) Bridgend, Wales — The Women's Open began Thursday at Royal Porthcawl, where 50 golfers finished the day under par as light rains had little impact on the field at the LPGA's final major of the season. Leaderboard: Japanese players dominated Round 1, with Rio Takeda and Eri Okayama (-5) tied for first, Miyu Yamashita (-4) in third and three fellow countrywomen among the nine golfers tied for fourth (-3). Athletes compete in the 100m hurdles for the women's heptathlon on Thursday. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Eugene, Oregon — The USATF Outdoor Championships got underway on Thursday at the legendary Hayward Field, where the nation's best athletes will compete for coveted spots at this fall's World Championships in Tokyo. ⚾️ UNHITTABLE BY THE NUMBERS: SKENES' HISTORIC START (Justin Berl/Getty Images) Paul Skenes is off to one of the best starts to a career in MLB history. Before he takes the mound on Saturday, it's worth taking a moment to appreciate what the Pirates ace has accomplished so far. 1.89 ERA MLB's live-ball era, coinciding with a league-wide rise in offensive statistics, began in 1920. Since then, no one has had a better ERA through their first 45 career starts than Skenes' 1.89. 4 pitchers Skenes (1.96 ERA last year, 1.83 ERA this year) is on pace to become just the fourth pitcher in the last 75 years to post a sub-2.00 ERA in consecutive seasons (min. 20 starts in each). The other three? Clayton Kershaw (2013-14), Greg Maddux (1994-95) and Sandy Koufax (1963-64). Ridiculous company. And he's doing this during his rookie and sophomore campaigns… 22 consecutive starts Skenes has yet to allow a run in the first inning this season through 22 starts, tied for the second-longest such streak to begin a season in MLB history. He didn't allow a first-inning run in any of his last five starts last season, either, bringing his overall streak to 27 straight. 17 wins Skenes has just 17 wins through those historic first 45 starts despite allowing 1 or 0 earned runs well over half the time (28 of 45). Unfortunately, that's life as a Pirates starting pitcher. It's also a great reminder that pitcher wins are a useless statistic. -250 Thanks to a ridiculous July that saw him put up a 0.67 ERA with 36 strikeouts against just three walks in five starts, Skenes (-250 at BetMGM) has leapfrogged Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (+200) as the NL Cy Young favorite. If he wins, he'll join Vern Law (1960) and Doug Drabek (1990) as the only Pirates to win the award. ? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST So that's what a baseball field in a NASCAR stadium looks like. (MLB) ⚾️ Braves vs. Reds | Sat. 7:15pm ET, Fox Atlanta and Cincinnati — who made history on Thursday when both scored eight runs in the eighth inning — take the field for the MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway, the league's first-ever game in Tennessee. With over 85,000 tickets sold, it will break MLB's single-game attendance record. Hall of Famers Chipper Jones (Braves) and Johnny Bench (Reds) will throw out ceremonial first pitches. ?♀️ Swimming Worlds | Fri-Sun, Peacock The three-week long event in Singapore ends on Sunday, but not before giving us a race for the ages when Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh square off in the 800m free (Sat. 8:21am). Ledecky, who holds the world record, can become the first swimmer with seven world titles in one event, while McIntosh can get one step closer to matching Michael Phelps' record of five individual golds at a single worlds (three so far, one race coming after this). ⛳️ Women's Open Championship | Fri-Sun, USA/NBC/Peacock Round 2 is underway at Royal Porthcawl. World No. 1 Nelly Korda and betting favorite Lottie Woad teed off hours ago, while the superstar trio of No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, No. 5 Minjee Lee and No. 20 Charley Hull heads out at 8:16am. ?? USATF Outdoor Championships | Sat-Sun, NBC/Peacock Olympic medalists Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas are among those competing this weekend at Oregon's Hayward Field. ⚽️ NWSL | Fri-Sun, Prime/ABC We've reached the season's midpoint, with all 14 teams having played exactly half of their 26-game schedule. The two headliners: First-place Kansas City at seventh-place Louisville (Fri. 8pm, Prime), and fifth-place Portland at fourth-place Washington (Sun. 12:30pm, ABC). More to watch: ⛳️ PGA: Wyndham Championship (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Joel Dahmen (-9) leads by one stroke after Round 1. ? WNBA: Lynx at Aces (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Fever at Storm (Sun. 3pm, ABC) … Caitlin Clark (groin) will miss her 15th game. ?️ F1: Hungarian GP (Sun. 9am, ESPN) … McLaren seeks its fourth straight win, and 11th in 14 races. ? NASCAR: Iowa Speedway (Sun. 3:30pm, USA) … The top four drivers are separated by just 20 points with four regular-season races left. ? Banana Ball: Savannah Bananas vs. Firefighters (Fri. 7pm, ESPN; Sat. 7pm, ESPN2) … At Camden Yards. ? Tour de France Femmes: Stages 7-9 (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … The fourth edition of the women's Tour ends on Sunday. ? PLL: Week 10 (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ABC) … In Denver. ? CLASS OF 2025 HALL OF FAME TRIVIA Eric (L), Jared, Antonio and Sterling. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Jared Allen, Eric Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. Question: With the addition of Jared and Eric, the Hall of Fame will have five "Allens." Can you name the other three? Hint: Running back (Class of 2003), offensive lineman (2013) and head coach (2002). Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ 1-2 PUNCH SEATTLE'S DYNAMIC DUO Suárez and Raleigh when they were last teammates, in 2023. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images) With Eugenio Suárez (36 HR) reuniting with Cal Raleigh (42), the Mariners become just the second team in MLB history to have two players with 35+ HR entering August. The first? The 1961 Yankees: Roger Maris (40) and Mickey Mantle (39). Trivia answer: Marcus Allen, Larry Allen, George Allen Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted August 4, 2025 Author Members Posted August 4, 2025 ? 1 for the road: Baseball dream come true Screenshot: ESPN/YouTube The Savannah Bananas, baseball's hugely popular answer to the Harlem Globetrotters, and Make-A-Wish gave a sports-crazy 11-year-old with a rare genetic condition the chance to join the team for a day. Bear — the youngest of three sons of our colleague Kristin Burkhalter, EVP of Axios Live — signed a contract requiring him to have "the most fun of your life." The team is known for wild antics — backflip catches or mid-game dance moves — and playing with a quirky, fast-paced set of rules known as Banana Ball. ESPN filmed the visit for the "My Wish" series. Watch ESPN's segment. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted August 4, 2025 Author Members Posted August 4, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: MLB's historic parity, NFLPA replaces Howell, high school phenom on the track, French cyclist ends drought, Baker's Dozen and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports… ? ICYMI headlineS ? Luka extension: The Lakers signed Luka Dončić to a three-year, $165 million max extension, solidifying his place as the future of the franchise. Their next challenge? Finding a secondary star who will eventually take over for 40-year-old LeBron James. ? NFLPA elects White: David White has been elected as the new interim executive director of the NFLPA. The former Screen Actors Guild power broker replaces Lloyd Howell, who resigned last month amid scandal. ? Historic sale: A group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca is purchasing the WNBA's Connecticut Sun for a women's sports record $325 million. The team is expected to move to Boston by 2027. ? ESPN buys RedZone: The Worldwide Leader made a blockbuster deal with the NFL to acquire "NFL RedZone," along with other NFL Media assets, in exchange for up to 10% equity in ESPN. ? Cowboys standoff: Superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons has requested a trade from the Cowboys amid stalled contract negotiations with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who seems unfazed by the tactic. ⚾️ 12 SPOTS THE MLB PLAYOFF PICTURE IS WIDE OPEN (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) With eight weeks left in the regular season, MLB's playoff picture is filled with the usual suspects. But given the historic level of parity at the top, there's no telling what the field will look like come October. Wild stat: The top 10 teams in MLB were separated by just 4.5 games entering August — the tightest gap through July in history. That's grown ever-so-slightly to six games in the ensuing few days thanks to the Brewers' continued hot streak,* but the competitive balance on display should make for an entertaining race to the postseason. Where it stands… AL playoff picture: The Blue Jays (65-48) and Tigers (65-48) would earn byes to the ALDS if the season ended today, while the Astros (62-50) would host the Mariners (60-53) in one wild card series and the Red Sox (62-51) would host the Yankees (60-52) in the other. In the hunt: The Rangers (58-55), Guardians (56-55), Royals (56-56), Rays (55-58) and Angels (54-58) are all within 5.5 games of a wild card spot. Not gonna happen: The Twins (52-59) and Orioles (51-61) were major deadline sellers, while the Athletics (49-65) and White Sox (42-70) are simply too far gone. NL playoff picture: The Brewers (67-44) and Dodgers (65-47) would earn byes to the NLDS if the season ended today, while the Phillies (63-48) would host the Padres (62-50) in one wild card series and the Cubs (65-46) would host the Mets (63-49) in the other. In the hunt: The Reds (58-54), Giants (56-56), Marlins (55-55) and Cardinals (56-57) are all within 6.5 games of a wild card spot. Not gonna happen: The Diamondbacks (53-59), Pirates (48-64), Braves (47-63), Nationals (44-67) and Rockies (30-81) are looking to the future. *No juggernauts: As good as the Brewers have been, their league-best winning percentage through July was just .593 — the lowest by the MLB leader entering August in any season in the modern era (since 1900). ?? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA Lutkenhaus (L) had the same reaction as everyone watching at home. Incredible. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) Eugene, Oregon — 16-year-old phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus ran one of the greatest 800m races in history on Sunday at the USATF Outdoor Championships, where he took second to qualify for Worlds. Consider this: Lutkenhaus was in a field with three different world champions, and he beat all but one… who held him off by 0.11 seconds. The winner is 28. Cooper is a rising high school junior. It's pure insanity. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Bristol, Tennessee — The MLB Speedway Classic had all the makings of a spectacle, but a rain delay/postponement and logistical problems turned into a nightmare for fans, many of whom didn't return on Sunday when play resumed to see the Braves beat the Reds, 4-2. 91,032: That was the official attendance on Saturday, making this the most-attended game in MLB history (though the rain made sure it didn't last for long). (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Canton, Ohio — Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe (L to R) were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, bringing the total membership up to 382. Player profiles: Antonio Gates (2003-18) | Eric Allen (1988-2001) | Jared Allen (2004-15) | Sterling Sharpe (1988-94) (Hannah Foslien/NWSL via Getty Images) Washington, D.C. — Trinity Rodman powered the Spirit to a 2-1 win over the Thorns with a stoppage time game-winner in her triumphant return to the field after missing three months with a back injury. NWSL standings: With the second half of the season now underway, here's what the playoff field would look like if the season ended today: Kansas City (36 points), Orlando (26), Washington (26), San Diego (25), Seattle (24), Portland (22), Louisville (20), Gotham FC (19). ? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD (Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images) Châtel, France — Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday, becoming the first French winner of cycling's biggest race since 1989. The drought is over: "Not since Bernard Hinault last won the men's Tour de France in 1985 and Jeannie Longo won the women's edition in 1989 has a French cyclist taken home the yellow jersey — a long, long wait for a nation whose summers have been entwined with the race for more than a century." (Issy Ronald, CNN) (Warren Little/Getty Images) Bridgend, Wales — Japan's Miyū Yamashita (-11) won the Women's Open Championship by two strokes to clinch her first major title and become the 21st different winner this season on the LPGA Tour. Nation on the rise: Prior to last season, Japanese golfers had won just three major championships on the LPGA Tour. They've now won four of the last nine. (L-R) Kate Douglass, Regan Smith, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske celebrate their gold-medal winning relay. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Singapore — The U.S. women finished the swimming world championships with a bang, setting a world record in the 4x100m medley relay after Katie Ledecky beat Summer McIntosh to win her seventh consecutive world title (!!) in the 800m free. Final tally: The U.S. topped the medal table with nine golds (Australia was second, with eight) and 29 overall medals (Australia, 20). (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Seoul, South Korea — Spurs legend Son Heung-min officially said goodbye to Tottenham following Sunday's preseason friendly against Newcastle in his native Korea. Next stop: Los Angeles. Coming to America: LAFC is reportedly paying Tottenham $20-26 million for the 33-year-old forward, which could make it the richest transfer fee in MLS history (current record: $22 million). ? STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS "Whoops! You're losing to the Marlins." Great sign. (Rich Storry/Getty Images) ⚾️ 24-24 The Yankees have a winning regular season record vs. every MLB franchise… except the Marlins, who swept New York over the weekend to even their all-time series at 24 wins apiece. ⛳️ 1,000th winner Cameron Young won the Wyndham Championship to conclude the PGA Tour's regular season and finalize the 70-man postseason field. The victory marked Young's inaugural Tour win, and made him the 1,000th unique winner in Tour history. ⚽️ 9 out of 10 Brazil beat Colombia in a shootout on Saturday to win their ninth Copa América Femenina title (out of 10 total). Marta was named Player of the Tournament (who else?) after scoring twice in the final and saving the day with this legendary strike. ⚾️ 17-16 The Rockies erased a 9-run deficit on Friday to beat the Pirates, 17-16, in one of the wildest games ever. All 18 players scored, which is incredibly rare, and the hero for Colorado was literally the worst offensive player in the majors entering the night. ⚾️ DUAL THREAT MLB TRIVIA (Giphy) Fill in the blank: ________ hit his 100th career home run on Sunday to become the first player in MLB history with 20+ HR and 20+ SB in each of his first four seasons. Hint: Centerfielder. Answer at the bottom. ? BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND Trivia answer: Julio Rodríguez (Mariners) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted August 4, 2025 Author Members Posted August 4, 2025 French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt wins women’s Tour de France at her first attempt CHATEL, France (AP) — French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt won the women’s Tour de France at her first attempt on Sunday, launching an attack to clinch the final stage and increase her overnight lead. https://apnews.com/article/tour-de-france-women-ferrandprevot-d84335ad4b736f9388452386484880ef? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
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