Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

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? Good morning! One more sleep until the NFL season kicks off. Have you drafted your fantasy team yet?   In today's edition: Buckeyes top AP poll, AI officiating in the NFL, U.S. Open photos, McLaren's sky-high valuation, 28 days of Fantasy, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.   Let's sports...

? TOP 25 AP POLL: BUCKEYES ON TOP (Yahoo Sports) Ohio State climbed to No. 1 in this week's AP poll, LSU and Miami moved into the top five, and FSU jumped into the rankings after upsetting Alabama, which plummeted to its lowest spot in 17 seasons.   Notes: The defending national champion Buckeyes are at the top of a regular-season poll for the first time since November 2015. Texas' fall to No. 7 was the biggest for a preseason No. 1 since Auburn dropped to No. 8 after losing their 1984 opener. LSU has its highest ranking after Week 1 since it was No. 3 in 2012, and Miami has its highest ranking after Week 1 since it was No. 5 in 2004. South Carolina is in the top 10 in the regular season for the first time since it was No. 8 in December 2013. Musical chairs: Only three teams in the Top 25 are in the same spot they held in the preseason poll following a high-stakes Week 1 slate that saw four top-10 teams lose.

? TECHNOLOGY AI OFFICIATING IS COMING TO THE NFL. WILL IT HELP? (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Since the formation of the NFL, the task of officiating games has fallen entirely to stripe-shirted humans. Now, with AI and motion-capture technology leaping forward, the NFL is exploring how to remove human error from the officiating process.   From Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg:   The push to modernize began with finding a replacement for the antiquated chain gang. Starting this fall, the NFL will no longer use two orange posts connected by 10 yards of chain to measure if a team got a first down or not.   After officials manually spot the ball, high-definition cameras installed at every stadium will track its precise location relative to the line to gain, saving time and improving accuracy.   Optical tracking technology that captures the movements of athletes and the football in real time could allow the NFL to automate more officiating decisions in the near future.   The league has begun looking into whether the Sony Hawk-Eye optical tracking system can calculate where the football should be spotted if a punt sails out of bounds, NFL VP of football technology Rama Ravindranathan told Yahoo Sports.   Other possible uses for optical tracking, according to Ravindranathan, include determining whether a player has thrown a backward pass, identifying illegal formation or illegal man downfield penalties or assessing if a QB has left the pocket on potential intentional grounding calls.   Those, in Ravindranathan's words, are "super aspirational" goals. Then there's the challenge that Ravindranathan describes as even more "complicated."   Fans have long clamored for technology to precisely determine where the ball should be spotted, and many believe the league is "overdue" to make that change.   So if there are six high-resolution Hawk-Eye cameras tracking the football at every NFL stadium and a coin-sized chip in every football transmitting data on its location, why hasn't the league implemented a real-time automated ball-spotting system yet?   The roadblock, Ravindranathan says, is "the very nature of football." Tracking the location of the football is not enough.   Any system would have to accurately detect the location of the football at the precise moment that the ball carrier's knee or forearm touches the ground or an official blows his whistle to signal forward progress has been stopped. And it would have to communicate its conclusion to on-field referees almost instantly.   "The technology isn't quite there yet," former NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino told Yahoo Sports. "That's the next technological iteration that we've got to figure out."

? QUARTERFINALS IN PHOTOS: U.S. OPEN DAY 10 (Elsa/Getty Images) Carlos Alcaraz cruised past Jiří Lehečka, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, to reach his third straight major semifinal. He's now won 44 of his last 46 matches and has dropped just one service game (and no sets) all tournament. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) Novak Djokovic defeated Taylor Fritz, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, to reach his 53rd Grand Slam semifinal, breaking a tie with Chris Evert for the most all-time. With Fritz eliminated, the 22-year major drought for American men will now officially extend to at least 2026. (Robert Prange/Getty Images) Jessica Pegula advanced to her second straight U.S. Open semifinal with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Barbora Krejčíková, and she has still not lost a set in New York. Next up: top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who advanced after her opponent withdrew due to injury. (Heather Khalifa/AP Photo) Venus Williams waved goodbye after losing alongside Leylah Fernandez in the doubles quarterfinals. Was this farewell? The 45-year-old legend didn't completely close the door on one more comeback.

? STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS Chapman hasn't allowed a hit since July 23. (Boston Red Sox) ⚾️ 46 straight batters   Aroldis Chapman's ERA is down to 1.00 after going 16 straight appearances — a span of 46 straight batters — without allowing a hit. The Red Sox rewarded their 37-year-old closer on Sunday with a $13.3 million contract for next season.   ?️ $5 billion   McLaren was reportedly on the brink of folding in 2020. Five years later, the F1 team's majority owners have purchased the 30% stake they didn't own at a $5 billion valuation, making McLaren one of the world's most valuable sports organizations.   ? 24 years old   Iga Świątek, 24, is the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams in the same year since Maria Sharapova in 2005. She faces Amanda Anisimova this afternoon for a spot in the U.S. Open semis.   ⚾️ 120 mph   Shohei Ohtani hit the 100th home run of his Dodgers career on Tuesday, and it left his bat at 120 mph, making it one of the hardest-hit home runs in recorded MLB history.

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3 Naomi Osaka is playing her best tennis in years. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) ? U.S. Open, Day 11 | 11:30am ET, ESPN   The men's and women's quarterfinals conclude today.   Men: No. 8 Alex de Minaur, seeking his first Grand Slam quarterfinal victory in six tries, takes on No. 25 Félix Auger-Aliassime (11:30am), who reached the semis here back in 2021; No. 1 Jannik Sinner faces No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti in a battle of Italians (8:10pm).   Women: No. 2 Iga Świątek and No. 8 Amanda Anisimova (1:10pm) play in a rematch of their lopsided Wimbledon final (Świątek won, 6-0, 6-0); No. 11 Karolína Muchová seeks her third straight U.S. Open semifinal berth against No. 23 Naomi Osaka (7pm), who last reached a major semifinal in 2021.   More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Astros (8:10pm, Prime) … Will Warren (8-6, 4.30 ERA) vs. Jason Alexander (4-1, 4.61 ERA). ? EuroBasket: Group Stage (2:15pm, DAZN) … Nikola Jokić leads Serbia against Turkey in their group stage finale.

? WINNERS NFL TRIVIA (Giphy) Question: Which active NFL franchise has the best regular-season winning percentage?   Hint: They've won 2 Super Bowls.   Answer at the bottom.

? YAHOO FANTASY 28 DAYS, 28 NEW FEATURES (Yahoo Sports) To celebrate 28 years of Yahoo Fantasy Football, we launched a new Fantasy feature for 28 straight days in August.   Catch up on all the new features, and draft your team today! The NFL season kicks off tomorrow.

Trivia answer: Ravens (.574 win percentage; 268 wins, 199 losses, 1 tie)

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? NFL returns tomorrow

Chart: Axios Visuals The NFL season starts tomorrow night with the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys (8:20 p.m. ET on NBC + Peacock). ?? On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs play the LA Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil, the first of seven international games this season. ?️ Then, the season's first football Sunday. Steelers' QB Aaron Rodgers will return to MetLife Stadium to face the Jets on Sunday. Photo: Justin Berl/Getty Images ? Our thought bubble: We asked Axios' NFL guru Neal Rothschild to cook up some preseason power rankings (above). ?‍⬛ Why Ravens at No. 1: They bring back their key weapons from last year's No. 1 offense. QB Lamar Jackson will be on a rampage after getting passed over for MVP last year. Micah Parsons speaks at his introductory news conference Friday in Green Bay, Wis. Photo: Morry Gash/AP ? Neal is bullish on New England returning to the playoffs under new coach Mike Vrabel, bearish on the Bengals, and unconvinced by Green Bay despite the acquisition of star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Preseason guide.

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> The 2025 NFL regular season kicks off tonight (8:20 pm ET, NBC) with the Dallas Cowboys taking on the Philadelphia Eagles (More) | The internet's best resources on the NFL (1440 Topics) | FIFA to use dynamic pricing model for 2026 World Cup (More)

> Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp to headline Farm Aid 40th Anniversary music festival on Sept. 20 to benefit US farmers (More) | Newsmax files antitrust lawsuit against Fox News, accusing Fox of holding monopoly on conservative viewership (More)

> "Superman" sequel announced with July 2027 release date (More) | "The Office" spinoff, "The Paper," renewed for a second season ahead of today's series premiere (Peacock) (More)

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? Good morning! The NFL is back, baby. In today's edition: Kawhi Leonard bombshell, NFL RedZone adds commercials, NFL kickoff power rankings, "Network" debuts, U.S. Open in photos, and more.  Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Record-setting viewership: Ohio State's win over Texas drew an average of 16.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched Week 1 college football game of all time. ? End of an era: Commercials are coming to NFL RedZone this season, longtime host Scott Hanson confirmed Wednesday. "Seven hours of commercial-free football" is officially dead. ? Taylor Swift halftime show? Could Taylor Swift play the Super Bowl halftime show this season? "It's a maybe," said Roger Goodell on the Today Show. ? Reese takes shots: Chicago Sky star Angel Reese put her team on notice in the midst of a dreadful 10-30 season, calling out players and coaches alike. She later apologized for the tone of her comments. ? Streameast shut down: Streameast, the world's largest illegal sports streaming platform, has been shut down after a year-long investigation. The network of 80 unauthorized domains generated 1.6 billion visits over the past year.

? FOLLOW THE MONEY A $28 MILLION NBA BOMBSHELL (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Did the Clippers use a fraudulent endorsement to circumvent the NBA salary cap and retain Kawhi Leonard? That's the claim in the latest bombshell report from journalist Pablo Torre. The claim: Leonard was allegedly paid $28 million for a no-show job with a now-bankrupt environmental firm called Aspiration, according to internal emails, contracts, bank statements and interviews. Aspiration, a "green bank" aiming to reduce the world's carbon footprint, was partially funded by a $50 million investment from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, whose net worth is $153 billion. On Wednesday's episode of "Pablo Torre Finds Out," Torre said one of his sources from Aspiration, a former employee in their finance department, told him that Leonard's "marketing" deal with the firm was simply a way for the team "to circumvent the salary cap." Source: I didn't so much discover [Leonard's deal] as I was told about it. Torre: And what was your reaction? What were you told? Source: My reaction was what the f***. And I was told … we have a $28 million marketing deal with Kawhi Leonard, and if I had any questions about it, essentially don't [ask], because it was to circumvent the salary cap. Torre: Did you ever see proof of Kawhi Leonard marketing or endorsing Aspiration in any way? Source: Never, not once. The single largest payment to an individual for marketing that Aspiration ever made has completely evaded all press. It's honestly incredible. Nothing. He didn't have to do anything. Leonard and Ballmer after signing the star as a free agent in 2019. (Scott Varley/Daily Breeze via Getty Images) How did Torre uncover this? Earlier this year, Aspiration filed for bankruptcy after their co-founder was arrested for wire fraud, which he pleaded guilty to last month. Among the outstanding creditors listed in the bankruptcy filing was an LLC called K2 Aspire, which is owned by Leonard. From there, Torre began connecting the dots. First, he found the terms of Leonard's $28 million marketing deal — a four-year agreement signed in 2022 — which was odd considering the famously private superstar is not an obvious candidate for a company spokesperson. Just one month after Leonard signed a team-friendly extension in 2021, Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration. Two months after that, Leonard registered his LLC. The following spring, his deal with Aspiration kicked in. Mighty coincidental. What they're saying: The Clippers issued a statement denying the allegations. As for the league: "We are aware of this morning's media report involving the LA Clippers and are commencing an investigation," NBA spokesman Mike Bass told Yahoo Sports. (X) Zoom out: It's hard to believe Ballmer invented such machinations involving team sponsors and deals with players. So if this is indeed a scandal, it's likely not limited to one team. Could the Knicks have engaged in something similar when Jalen Brunson took a below market deal? This is also hardly a groundbreaking strategy. Just look at the last few years in college sports, where new NIL rules allowed teams to entice recruits with generous payments under the guise of a third-party sponsorship. If the Clippers are found to have circumvented the salary cap — which commissioner Adam Silver called "a cardinal sin of the NBA," and which last happened in 2000 — they could be subject to fines, lost draft picks, suspensions and even voided contracts. Further reading: Will the NBA open Pandora's box with investigation of Clippers and Kawhi Leonard? (Vincent Goodwill, Yahoo Sports)

? SEASON KICKOFF NFL POWER RANKINGS (Taylar Sievert/Yahoo Sports) The Eagles top our kickoff power rankings ahead of tonight's game against the Cowboys, who come in at No. 22.

?️ WATCH NOW "NETWORK" DEBUTS ON YAHOO SPORTS (Yahoo Sports/Boardroom) "Network with Rich Kleiman," a new show from Yahoo Sports and Boardroom, premieres today. What to expect: Hosted by Boardroom co-founder and CEO Rich Kleiman, "Network" is a talk show that delves into the intersection of sports, business and culture through candid conversations with prominent figures at the forefront of their fields. Kleiman on "Network": "As opposed to on Boardroom, where I'm interviewing people about their business and their life, this show is more of a peek into a real-life conversation I would have if I were out for dinner with my guest. When Strahan and I sat down for Episode 1… this is how I talk to my friends and my network." On Boardroom x Yahoo Sports: "I think it's a sign of where media is going. Partnership is going to be a very big component of how brands continue to grow and evolve. Instead of Yahoo saying, 'we're launching our version of Boardroom,' you guys acknowledged and appreciated what we had built and knew that we could benefit from the monster that is Yahoo." Episode 1: Michael Strahan (available now) Upcoming guests: DK Metcalf, Mark Cuban, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ryan Clark, Donovan Mitchell, Taylor Rooks and more. Network is available across Yahoo Sports platforms, including the newly-launched yahoosports.tv and Boardroom hub. Fans can also access it via boardroom.tv and all major podcast providers.

? QUARTERFINALS IN PHOTOS: U.S. OPEN, DAY 11 (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Naomi Osaka, welcome back. The four-time Grand Slam champ beat Karolína Muchová, 6-4, 7-6, to reach her first major semifinal since 2021. "I appreciate the journey a lot more now," she said. "I'm grateful to be playing well in this city." (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Jannik Sinner continues to look just about unbeatable, dominating Lorenzo Musetti, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, to reach his fifth straight major semifinal. He's now one win away from becoming the fourth player in the Open Era to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a year (Laver, Federer, Djokovic). (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Amanda Anisimova got her revenge against Iga Świątek with a 6-4, 6-3 win, reaching her first U.S. Open semifinal less than two months after Świątek double-bageled her in the Wimbledon final. "Today is the most meaningful victory I've had in my life," said the 24-year-old American. (Elsa/Getty Images) Félix Auger-Aliassime, who hadn't made it past the fourth round of a major in his last 14 tries, upset Alex de Minaur, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 7-6, to reach his second U.S. Open semifinal (2021). De Minaur, meanwhile, falls to 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals.

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, SEPT. 4 (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) ? Cowboys at Eagles | 8:20pm ET, NBC The Super Bowl champions open the 2025 NFL season at home as 8.5-point favorites against their division rivals. Game 1 of 272. Man, it feels good to be back. Betting preview: Odds, predictions, player props (Matt Russell, Yahoo Sports) ? U.S. Open, Day 12 | 7pm, ESPN The women's semifinals are this evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium. First up: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 4 Jessica Pegula (7pm) in a rematch of last year's final. Then it's No. 8 Amanda Anisimova vs. No. 23 Naomi Osaka (8:10pm) in the nightcap. Good read: Pegula out for revenge — and her first Grand Slam title (Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports) ? Lynx at Aces | 10pm, Prime The MVP frontrunners collide in a matchup between two of the WNBA's best teams, as Napheesa Collier and the top-seeded Lynx (32-8) visit A'ja Wilson and the red-hot Aces (26-14), who've won 12 straight games to climb to the No. 3 seed. Watch: How has the Aces surge impacted the standings and MVP race? (Caroline Fenton, Yahoo Sports) More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Phillies at Brewers (4:10pm, MLB) … Ranger Suárez (10-6, 3.02 ERA) and Freddy Peralta (16-5, 2.58 ERA) take the mound for two first-place teams. ? EuroBasket: Group Stage (8am, DAZN) …Here's where things stand entering the final day of group play.

? 2X CHAMPS SUPER BOWL TRIVIA Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni lift the Lombardi Trophy. (Michael Owens/Getty Images) The Eagles are one of six NFL franchises with exactly two Super Bowl wins. Question: Can you name the other five? Hint: Three AFC, two NFC. Answer at the bottom.

? CLASS OF 2026 NFL BIG BOARD: CLEMSON LEADS THE WAY (Yahoo Sports) Clemson may have lost its opener, but the Tigers still have one of the nation's most talented rosters, with four of the top 30 players on Nate Tice's first NFL Draft Big Board of the season. A pair of juniors lead the way in the top 10, with defensive lineman Peter Woods — a 6-foot-4, 300-plus pound interior game wrecker — at No. 1 and edge rusher T.J. Parker at No. 7. Another junior defender, lightning-fast cornerback Avieon Terrell, comes in at No. 19, and senior QB Cade Klubnik rounds things out at No. 28. Other top programs: Oregon (3) has the second-most players in Nate's top 30, followed by Ohio State, Texas, Auburn, Miami, Alabama and Utah (2 each). Big Board: Top 30 players

Trivia answer: Ravens, Dolphins, Colts, Rams, Buccaneers

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NFL Kicks Off

The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-20 last night to kick off the 2025-26 NFL season. Tonight, the Kansas City Chiefs face the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil (8 pm ET, YouTube), the first of seven international games, before Sunday's 13-game lineup. See full schedule here.   QB Aaron Rodgers begins his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers—and possibly his final NFL season—against his former team, the New York Jets. Meanwhile, Washington QB Jayden Daniels looks to build on a standout rookie year that ended with the Commanders’ first conference championship game in 33 years. In Monday night's only game, the Chicago Bears take on the Minnesota Vikings, with Chicago QB Caleb Williams aiming for redemption after the Bears' rocky 5-12 season. See more top storylines here.    This year also brings rule changes, from tweaked kickoffs to banned celebrations. Read the updates in full here.

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> The 2025 US Open wraps this weekend; see latest updates and schedules for both the women's and men's tournaments (More)

> College Sports Commission approves 8,300 name, image, and likeness deals for college athletes worth nearly $80M; the commission is tasked with approving contracts between athletes and third-party entities (More)

> "Bluey" animated feature film, based on the popular children's TV show, sets August 2027 release date (More) | Justin Bieber's second surprise album of the year, "Swag II," released this morning (More)

Back-to-school season: Tomorrow's 1440 Society & Culture email explores the history and operations of America's private schools (followed by a Sunday deep dive into public schools). Subscribe here!

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? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: NFL season preview, Clark ruled out for the year, Amanda and Aryna advance, Darian Mensah's journey to Duke, Pirates sweep Dodgers, EuroBasket Sweet 16, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Clark won't return: Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the WNBA season due to the groin injury that has kept her out since mid-July. "Disappointed isn't a big enough word to describe how I am feeling," the Fever star wrote in a post announcing the news. ? Injury to monitor: Christian McCaffrey, who missed 13 games last season with a calf injury, was limited at Thursday's practice… due to a calf injury. Scary news for 49ers fans and fantasy owners, alike. ? Valkyries clinch: The Golden State Valkyries clinched a postseason berth with a win over the Wings, becoming the first WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season. ⚽️ Thompson to Chelsea: Angel City and USWNT star Alyssa Thompson is headed to Chelsea for a women's record $1.34 million transfer fee. She'll join fellow Americans Naomi Girma and Cat Macario on the Blues. ? Class of 2025: Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday alongside Billy Donovan (coach), Danny Crawford (ref), Mickey Arison (owner) and the 2008 U.S. men's Olympic team.

? SEASON PREVIEW THE NFL IS BACK IN YOUR LIFE (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Seven long months after the Eagles blew out the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the NFL is finally back in our lives. Time for a quick refresher to prepare the season ahead. What's new? Stars on new teams: Micah Parsons (Packers), Aaron Rodgers (Steelers), Geno Smith (Raiders), Davante Adams (Rams) and Stefon Diggs (Patriots) are among the stars who switched teams this offseason. Regime changes: Pete Carroll (Raiders), Liam Coen (Jaguars), Aaron Glenn (Jets), Ben Johnson (Bears), Kellen Moore (Saints), Brian Schottenheimer (Cowboys) and Mike Vrabel (Patriots) are the seven new head coaches. New rules, other changes: The tush push survived another season; kickoffs changed again (touchbacks will go to the 35-yard-line, instead of the 30); overtime will follow the playoff format (both teams get the ball); technology has replaced the "chain gang." Viewing guide: NFL games will air across 10+ channels and streaming platforms this season, ranging from traditional channels (ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, etc) to streaming services (Netflix, Prime, Peacock, etc) and even YouTube (for free!). (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) Season predictions: Who will end up with the major hardware, from individual awards to the Lombardi Trophy? Who will surprise us? Who is destined to disappoint? Our experts make their picks. Follow along all season: Our full lineup of NFL shows, including "Inside Coverage" (live episodes) and "Football 301," is now streaming on Yahoo Sports Network. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

? SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) Philadelphia — The Eagles held on to beat the Cowboys, 24-20, in the NFL season-opener, which featured a 64-minute lightning delay, an ejection for spitting and an excellent performance from Jalen Hurts (19/23, 152 yards; 62 rush yards, 2 TD). Historic in defeat: CeeDee Lamb (7 catches, 110 yards) became the fastest Cowboy to reach 500 career receptions (82 games)… though he could have used a few more after some costly drops in crunch time. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) New York — Amanda Anisimova came back to beat Naomi Osaka, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, in an epic three-setter to reach her second straight Grand Slam final. And while Osaka's deep run may have ended just shy of the finish line, it was still perhaps the most important development of the decade for the viability of women's tennis as a mainstream sport. Last two standing: Anisimova will face top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the final after the Belarusian defeated Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to reach her third Grand Slam final this year. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Pittsburgh — Paul Skenes shut down the Dodgers with six scoreless innings, lowering his MLB-leading ERA to a microscopic 1.98 and his career ERA to 1.97 — the lowest through 52 career starts by any pitcher in the Live Ball Era (since 1920). What's wrong with the Dodgers? The NL West leaders were just swept by the last-place Pirates and are three games under .500 since the All-Star Break. Their only saving grace during this cold streak is that the Padres, their closest competition in the division, haven't been much better. (Sakis Savvides/AP Photo) Limassol, Cyprus — Giannis Antetokounmpo fell just shy of a triple-double (25 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists) in Greece's 90-86 win over Spain, which knocked the defending champions out of EuroBasket on the final day of group play. Dynasty toppled: Spain had won four of the last six EuroBasket titles, and hadn't failed to advance out of the group stage since 1977. Only the Soviet Union (14) and Yugoslavia (8) have more championships.

? RAGS TO RICHES DARIAN MENSAH'S JOURNEY TO DUKE (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The new athlete-compensation era isn't all bad. If you need proof, look no further than Duke QB Darian Mensah, who became a millionaire overnight and changed his family's fortunes forever. From Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger: As a longtime acupuncture and massage therapist, Naomi Brebes-Mensah considers herself "a healer." She's calm, steady and always optimistic. With her, the glass is half-full. Life has challenged that attitude. In 2008, she lost her biggest support system when her mother died. Not long afterward, her husband left her to raise their three children and a fourth belonging to him whom she informally adopted. She had to file for bankruptcy, her car was repossessed and she lived — the family of five — in a three-bedroom apartment within a low-income housing development. "I was on food stamps and going to the Christian church for bags of food," Naomi said. "That was the hardest." Now, years later, when discussing her family's current situation, Naomi grows emotional, her voice cracking as she apologetically pauses during the conversation. The past eight months have been overwhelming. Her son signed a multi-million-dollar contract to play college football, changing the family's financial fortunes. Darian Mensah, so under-recruited out of high school that he yielded one FBS scholarship offer, is a player who just 13 months ago had started zero college games yet became one of the most sought-after figures in the transfer portal after a breakout season at Tulane, igniting a bidding war among schools that resulted in, perhaps, the most lucrative contract in the early history of this new era of college sports. Darian went from a little-known, unpaid California kid to a multi-millionaire almost overnight. "You have to believe in miracles when this stuff happens," Naomi said. "Obviously, it was his hard work and dedication, but I believe that nothing is by accident or chance." See him in action: Mensah and the Blue Devils host No. 11 Illinois on Saturday at noon in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

? EUROBASKET NBA PLAYERS IN THE SWEET 16 Luka during Thursday's win over Israel. (Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images) EuroBasket 2025 has reached the knockout stage, with 16 teams still fighting for continental supremacy. Round of 16: There are 26 active NBA players left in the tournament. ?? Serbia (4): Nikola Jokić (Nuggets), Bogdan Bogdanović (Clippers), Nikola Jović (Heat); Tristan Vukčević (Wizards) ?? France (4): Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Guerschon Yabusele (Knicks) ?? Germany (3): Dennis Schröder (Kings), Franz Wagner (Magic), Tristan Da Silva (Magic) ?? Greece (2): Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) ?? Turkey (2): Alperen Şengün (Rockets), Adem Bona (76ers) ?? Georgia (2): Goga Bitadze (Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Raptors) ?? Slovenia (1): Luka Dončić (Lakers) ?? Latvia (1): Kristaps Porziņģis (Hawks) ?? Finland (1): Lauri Markkanen (Jazz) ?? Lithuania (1): Jonas Valančiūnas (Nuggets) ?? Bosnia and Herzegovina (1): Jusuf Nurkić (Jazz) ?? Israel (1): Deni Avdija (Blazers) ?? Portugal (1): Neemias Queta (Celtics) ?? Sweden (1): Pelle Larsson (Heat) ?? Italy (1): Simone Fontecchio (Heat) ?? Poland (0) What to watch: The competition, co-hosted by four countries, now moves exclusively to Riga, Latvia, for the knockouts. The hosts take on Lithuania in the Round of 16. Other top matchups: Nikola Jokić's Serbia vs. Lauri Markkanen's Finland and Luka Dončić's Slovenia vs. two-time champion Italy.

? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST For the second straight year, Week 1 features a game in Brazil. (Wagner Meier/Getty Images) ? NFL Week 1 | Friday, Sunday The Chiefs and Chargers play tonight in Brazil (8pm ET, YouTube), followed by Sunday's glorious 13-game slate. Notable matchups include Aaron Rodgers' return to the Meadowlands and Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen in Buffalo. 1pm: Bucs at Falcons (Fox); Bengals at Browns (Fox); Giants at Commanders (Fox); Panthers at Jaguars (Fox); Dolphins at Colts (CBS); Raiders at Patriots (CBS); Cardinals at Saints (CBS); Steelers at Jets (CBS) 4pm: Titans at Broncos (Fox); 49ers at Seahawks (Fox); Lions at Packers (CBS); Texans at Rams (CBS) 8:20pm: Ravens at Bills (NBC) ? U.S. Open | Fri-Sun, ESPN The men's semifinals are today, with No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 7 Novak Djokovic in the afternoon (3pm) and No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 25 Félix Auger-Aliassime in the evening (7pm). Then comes the women's final tomorrow between No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 8 Amanda Anisimova (4pm), followed by the men’s final on Sunday (2pm). ? CFB Week 2 | Saturday A week after getting spoiled with three top-10 matchups, there's just one game between ranked teams this weekend as No. 18 Oklahoma hosts No. 15 Michigan (7:30pm, ABC). Other highlights include Iowa at No. 16 Iowa State (12pm, Fox), and No. 11 Illinois at Duke (12pm, ESPN). ⛳️ Walker Cup | Sat-Sun, Golf/Peacock The 50th edition of the Walker Cup, the amateur version of the Ryder Cup, tees off tomorrow at Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, California. The Americans hold a commanding 39-9-1 lead over Great Britain and Ireland, including four straight wins. ⚾️ Blue Jays at Yankees | Fri-Sun, MLB Huge series this weekend in the Bronx, where the Yankees (78-62) host the first-place Blue Jays (81-59) with a chance to tie them atop the AL East. Tonight (7:05pm) and tomorrow (1:05pm) will air nationally on MLB Network, while Sunday's game (1:35pm) is free on MLB.TV. More to watch: ? EuroBasket: Round of 16 (Sat-Sun, DAZN) … The quarterfinals will be set by Sunday. ?? Friendly: USMNT vs. South Korea (Sat. 5pm, TNT) … The first of two September friendlies for the Americans. ?️ F1: Italian GP (Sun. 9am, ESPN2) … Points leader Oscar Piastri seeks his sixth straight top-two finish. ? NASCAR: Illinois (Sun. 3pm, USA) … The second of 10 playoff races. ? WNBA: Sparks at Dream (Fri. 7pm, ION); Liberty at Storm (Fri. 10pm, ION); Fever at Mystics (Sun. 3pm, NBA) … The Storm, Fever and Sparks are fighting for the last two playoff spots. ⚽️ NWSL: Gotham FC vs. Angel City (Sun. 5pm, ESPN) … Two-thirds of the way through the season, Gotham is the last team in and Angel City is the first team out of the playoffs. ? Banana Ball: Savannah Bananas vs. The Firefighters (Fri-Sat. 10pm, truTV) … At San Diego's Petco Park. ⛳️ DP World Tour: Irish Open (Fri-Sun, Golf) … Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka headline a stacked field.

? TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Question: Which Power 4 school has the longest active AP poll drought, dating all the way back to 2012? Answer at the bottom.

⚾️ IRON MAN 30 YEARS LATER... (John Iacono/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)  30 years ago this weekend, Cal Ripken Jr., played in his 2,131st consecutive major league game, breaking Lou Gehrig's record to become baseball's new "Iron Man." For this, he received a 22-minute standing ovation from the Baltimore faithful. A moment in time: "It was larger than baseball. It was larger than Cal," said Chris Berman, who called the game for ESPN. "To me, it represented America and a work ethic ideal. It represented packing a lunch and going to work… whether you're a baseball player or a coal miner. The enormity was unparalleled by anything else I've seen." The Orioles will celebrate the 30th anniversary of 2131 tomorrow (Sept. 6) at Camden Yards, where Ripken will be joined by family, friends and former teammates. He'll be driven around the warning track in a red Corvette convertible, a nod to his celebration 30 years ago.

Trivia answer: Rutgers

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> Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka tops American Amanda Anisimova to win her second straight US Open (More) | ... and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz beats Italy's Jannik Sinner to win his second US Open and sixth career Grand Slam title (More)

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? Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: Recapping NFL Sunday, Alcaraz wins sixth major, SEC puts stamp on AP poll, USA wins Walker Cup, O's pull off stunner, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ? AP Poll, Week 3: 11 of the SEC's 16 teams are in the top 25 after Auburn and Missouri entered this week's poll. No. 15 Tennessee (up 7), No. 13 Oklahoma (up 5) and No. 20 Utah (up 5) were the biggest risers; USF entered at No. 18 after beating then-No. 13 Florida, which fell out entirely. ?? Trump booed in NYC: President Trump was booed multiple times during the U.S. Open men's final, which began 30 minutes late due to the extra security checks put in place for his attendance. ⚽️ South Korea 2, USA 0: The USMNT struggled once again in a home loss, despite the return of Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah and Sergiño Dest. We're 10 months out from the World Cup and the vibes are… not great. ? Belichick bans Pats: After leading UNC to its first win, Bill Belichick confirmed his decision to ban Patriots scouts from Tar Heels practice. "It's clear that I'm not welcome around their facility, so [they're] not welcome at ours. Pretty simple." ? Thomas reclaims record: Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas took back the WNBA's single-season assist record that she lost to Caitlin Clark last year, dishing out 342 dimes (9.2 per game) and counting with two games remaining.

? WEEK 1 RECAPPING NFL SUNDAY Matt Prater celebrates with his new teammates after kicking the game-winner. (Michael Owens/Getty Images) Bills 41, Ravens 40: Josh Allen and the Bills overcame a 40-25 deficit late in the fourth quarter to stun Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in the first "Sunday Night Football" game of the season, which may not be topped all year. Matt Prater signed with Buffalo on Thursday and played the hero on Sunday with a walk-off field goal. Allen (4) and Jackson (3) combined for seven TDs, and Derrick Henry added 169 rushing yards and two scores in a losing effort. Allen had 251 passing yards… in the fourth quarter alone. John Harbaugh's 17 blown double-digit leads in the second half are the most since at least 1991, per AP. Rare victory: The Bills are the fourth team since 2000 to win a game despite trailing by 15+ points in the final four minutes. All other teams are 3-2,312 in those situations. SCORIGAMI! This was the first 41-40 final score in NFL history. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) Steelers 34, Jets 32: Aaron Rodgers (22/30, 244 yards, 4 TD) balled out in his Pittsburgh debut, which came against his former team. This was his 28th game with 4+ TD passes and 0 INTs, tying Tom Brady for the most such games in NFL history. Rodgers: "I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets. … There were probably people in the organization who didn't think I could play anymore. So it was nice to remind those people that I still can." Micah Parsons celebrates sacking Jared Goff in his Packers debut. (John Fisher/Getty Images) More from Sunday: Unders went 11-0 in the other games, as offenses struggled to put points on the board. Buccaneers 23, Falcons 20 Bengals 17, Browns 16* Raiders 20, Patriots 13 Packers 27, Lions 13** Cardinals 20, Saints 13 Rams 14, Texans 9 Commanders 21, Giants 6*** 49ers 17, Seahawks 13 Broncos 20, Titans 12 Colts 33, Dolphins 8**** Jaguars 26, Panthers 10   Sunday recap: Winners and losers *Dominant in defeat: The Browns out-gained the Bengals, 327-141, and held them to just 7 yards in the second half. That's the fewest yards in the second half by a winning team in the last 25 years, per ESPN. **Good read: In Micah Parsons' first game since being traded, he and the Packers look scary (Charles Robinson, Yahoo Sports) ***Déjà vu: The Giants have failed to score a TD in three consecutive season openers. ****Scoring machine: The Colts put up points on every single offensive drive, making them the first team since at least 1978 to accomplish that feat in a game.

? US OPEN ALCARAZ BECOMES FASTEST TO 6 MAJORS (Sarah Stier/Getty Images) Carlos Alcaraz beat rival Jannik Sinner, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, on Sunday to claim his second US Open crown and become the youngest player (22 years, 4 months, 2 days old) in the Open Era to win six major titles. Alcaraz titles: 2022 US Open 2023 Wimbledon 2024 French Open 2024 Wimbledon 2025 French Open 2025 US Open The Big Two era: The Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry is setting up to be the defining one of the post-Big Three era. They have split the last eight major titles (four each), and Sunday marked the third straight Grand Slam final meeting between the pair. With the win, Alcaraz supplants Sinner as world No. 1. (Ben Rothenberg) The big picture: Alcaraz is already an all-time great at just 22 years of age. Can he become the greatest? From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: It's no doubt a long way from six majors to Novak Djokovic's 24, which will probably stand as the all-time marker when the 38-year-old says goodbye to the sport within the next year or two. … But if Alcaraz averages two majors over the next nine years, he'll catch Djokovic by age 31. It admittedly sounds absurd. And there are all kinds of factors from health to a simple loss of desire that could derail him somewhere along the way. A decade in sports is a very long time. But have you watched this guy play? And have you considered that he still lives with his parents in Spain and has his brother cut his hair on occasion? Point being, he's still a kid. He's still improving. And every time he wins one of these, he shows something new. When Alcaraz arrives in Australia next January, the pressure will be on to win that title — the one major he hasn't claimed yet — and become the ninth man to win the career Grand Slam. He'll probably do it, too. Because the reality is, no tennis player in history has checked so many boxes so early in their career. Even Nadal, whose record Alcaraz broke Sunday as the youngest to get to No. 6, did not possess this kind of all-surface ability until a bit later.

?? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Elsa/Getty Images) New York — Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova, 6-3, 7-6, to win her fourth career major and second straight US Open. She's the first woman to win back-to-back titles at Arthur Ashe since Serena Williams won three straight from 2012-14. Wild stat: Sabalenka has won at least one set in 103 consecutive Grand Slam matches, which is 93 more (!!!) than any other active women's player. Naomi Osaka owns the next-longest streak, at 10 matches. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) Baltimore — The Orioles were one out away from being no-hit by Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday. Instead, they came back for a walk-off, 4-3 victory on the 30th anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr.'s Iron Man streak. Never seen anything quite like it. No no-no's? Yamamoto's bid would have been the first no-hitter all year. If no one else gets a no-hitter over these next two months, this will mark the first MLB season since 2005 without one. (Luke Hales/Getty Images) Pebble Beach, California — The U.S. dominated Great Britain and Ireland for its fifth straight Walker Cup victory, extending its lead in the all-time series to 40-9-1 in the amateur competition. Highlights: High schooler Mason Howell holed out from the fairway to win his Sunday foursomes; 34-year-old Stewart Hagestad, now 5-0 in the Walker Cup, nailed a long putt to win Sunday singles; Preston Stout put his approach two feet from the cup to seal the Americans' victory. (James Gilbert/Getty Images) Gainesville, Florida — USF stunned then-No. 13 Florida on the road with a walk-off field goal by Nico Gramatica — son of nine-year NFL kicker Martin — for their second straight win over a ranked opponent. (They crushed Boise State last week.) Misery Index: "The last time Florida fans were happy with their program was 2019, which feels like an eternity," writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken. "The next time they'll be happy with it is the day they give [head coach Billy] Napier his buyout."

? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD (Massimo Ceretti/FIBA via Getty Images) ?? Riga, Latvia — Lauri Markkanen and Finland stunned Nikola Jokić and Serbia at EuroBasket, knocking out the tournament favorites to reach the quarterfinals where they'll face Georgia, which also pulled off an upset with a win over France. The final eight: Finland and Georgia are joined by Turkey, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Greece and Slovenia in the quarterfinals, which begin tomorrow. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images) ?? Monza, Italy — Max Verstappen dominated Sunday's Italian Grand Prix for his third win of the season, beating McLaren's duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri by 20 seconds to cap off a historic weekend on the track. Pedal to the metal: Monza lived up to its "Temple of Speed" nickname, as Verstappen set the records for both the fastest race (155.79 mph) and fastest lap (164.47 mph) in F1 history. Mbappé celebrates his goal in France's World Cup qualifier. (Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images) ?? Wrocław, Poland — Kylian Mbappé's goal in France's 2-0 win over Ukraine was the 51st of his international career, tying him with Thierry Henry for the second-most ever with Les Bleus. Only Olivier Giroud (57) has more. Reminder: He's only 26! Elsewhere in Europe: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in Portugal's 5-0 win over Armenia, which marked the team's first match since losing countryman Diogo Jota to a car crash. The team honored him with a minute of silence before the game. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) ?? Straffan, Ireland — Rory McIlroy won the Irish Open in epic fashion, hitting a 27-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole in front of an adoring home crowd to force a playoff against Joakim Lagergren, whom he beat on the third playoff hole. 20-win club: This was Rory's 20th win on the DP World Tour, making him the 12th golfer in history to reach that milestone.

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, SEPT. 8 The Ben Johnson era begins in Chicago. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) ? Vikings at Bears | 8:15pm ET, ABC/ESPN   Week 1 concludes with an NFC North showdown on "Monday Night Football." QB J.J. McCarthy makes his NFL debut for Minnesota, while first-year head coach Ben Johnson looks to start 1-0 in Chicago.   Betting lines (via BetMGM): Spread: MIN -1.5 Over/Under: 43.5 Moneyline: MIN -125, CHI +105 Alternate broadcast: Peyton and Eli return for their fifth season of the "ManningCast," airing alongside the game on ESPN2. Randy Moss, who completed his cancer treatment last week, will join as a guest.

? RECORD BOOKS NFL TRIVIA King Henry ran wild on "Sunday Night Football." (Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) Derrick Henry scored his 107th and 108th rushing TDs on Sunday, moving him past Jim Brown for sixth on the all-time list. Question: Who are the only five players with more rushing scores than Henry? Hint: Three played this century. Answer at the bottom.

? BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND ? Isaac TeSlaa!!! ⚾️ Rafaela robbery ⚾️ Robertson robbery ⚾️ Alexander robbery ⚾️ Friedl robbery ? Pat being Pat ? Snags it for six ? Vintage D-Hop ? Running angry ? Ramsey calls game ? What a rally! ? McCulley hauls it in ? One-handed INT Watch all 13.

Trivia answer: Emmitt Smith (164 rushing TDs), LaDainian Tomlinson (145), Marcus Allen (123), Adrian Peterson (120), Walter Payton (110)

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? Good morning! Has your best friend signed up for Yahoo Sports AM yet? In today's edition: Baseball players aren't drinking, Tokito's Golden Slam, Verlander moves up all-time Ks list, "The Mountain" makes history, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Vikings 27, Bears 24: Minnesota stormed back to beat Chicago thanks to the brilliant play of J.J. McCarthy, whose NFL debut started slow but finished strong as he went 6/8 with 101 total yards and 3 TDs in the Vikings' 21-point fourth quarter. ⚽️ Historic trade: The North Carolina Courage are reportedly trading USWNT midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to NJ/NY Gotham FC for an NWSL record-shattering $1.25 million, more than twice as much as the previous record for an intraleague trade. ? YouTube's record stream: The Chargers' win over the Chiefs on Friday drew 17.3 million global viewers and set the record for the most concurrent viewers ever on a YouTube live stream. ⚾️ Trea lands on IL: Trea Turner, who leads the NL with a .305 average, was placed on the 10-day IL with a strained hamstring. The Phillies hope to have their shortstop back in time for the playoffs. ? Bigsby to Philly: The Eagles have acquired running back Tank Bigsby from the Jaguars in exchange for a fifth- and sixth-round pick in next year's draft, marking Philly's fifth trade in the past month.

? CUTTING BACK AMERICANS, AND BASEBALL PLAYERS, ARE DRINKING LESS (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) America is drinking less than ever — and the same is true for baseball players, who are increasingly choosing not to imbibe. From Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz: There is a mini-fridge, stocked with beer, tucked away under a counter inside the Mets' home clubhouse. More often than not, a metal laundry cart obstructs the cooler from view and from use. Not that it gets much action, anyway. After most games, those rows of Millers and Coors are left untouched. Every once in a while, a particularly thirsty Met will wander over and scoop out a cold one … but generally, the box of suds is a vestige of an era gone by. It is much more common these days to see a half-dressed ballplayer downing a cherry juice, a smoothie or a protein shake than it is to see one nursing a lager, an ale or a fifth of whiskey. Such is professional baseball in 2025. Conversations with more than 30 major-league players, coaches and front-office personnel point toward a definitive trend: Ballplayers are drinking less than ever before. Nearly all the figures interviewed for this story pointed to a combination of factors behind the downtick in boozing. Some emphasized the omnipresence of social media and the unease of being intoxicated in public as a public figure. Others focused on the increasing legality and availability of marijuana, preferred by many as an alternative to drinking. One throughline for everybody was the heightened level of competition in the big leagues. Pitchers have never thrown harder, hitters have never swung faster; sacrificing any edge for a hard night out is simply not worth the trade-off. Whatever the reason, baseball's teetotalling turn mirrors a larger societal trend. Last month, a Gallup poll revealed that a record-low 54% of American adults said they consume alcohol. That decline has been propelled, in large part, by young adults and Gen-Zers. A 2023 study from the University of Michigan found that "Binge drinking in the past two weeks was reported by 27.2% of young adults [ages 19-30], which is the lowest level the study has ever recorded. Daily use of alcohol also reached a new all-time study low in 2023, reported by 3.6% of young adults." Babe Ruth pours a beer in his New York City apartment, circa 1935. (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images) The relationship between ball and booze dates to the game's earliest days. Babe Ruth, the sport's original mythmaker, was renowned for his beer consumption. … The 1980s Mets, a raucous bachelor party disguised as a ballclub, would drink together before, during and after games. The days of a larger-than-life personality such as Derek Jeter peppering the tabloids with rowdy nightlife exploits are long gone. … These days, being out after sundown with a drink in hand is just not worth the attention it brings. Instead, today's baseball stars give the tabloids virtually nothing to work with. When Paul Skenes made an appearance at a bar in Omaha during the College World Series back in June, he sipped water from a plastic cup. Aaron Judge is a homebody with a newborn. The same is true for Shohei Ohtani, famous for his dedication to a regimented sleep routine. But just because postgame activities have become less rambunctious doesn't mean players have cut out vice altogether. One big-league manager, when asked why he thought players were drinking less, leaned back in his chair and chuckled before pinching his thumb and pointer finger together at his lips to mime the puffing of a joint. "I don't think guys drink as much because now they smoke and play video games," an All-Star pitcher opined. As one National League reliever explained it: "Once my weed consumption went up, my ERA went down." Keep reading.

? GOLDEN SLAM TOKITO ODA WON'T STOP WINNING (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Japan's Tokito Oda made history last week at the US Open, winning the wheelchair singles title to complete the career Golden Slam at the tender age of 19 and follow in the footsteps of his fellow countryman — the GOAT of wheelchair tennis. The Golden Slam: Oda dropped just one set during his dominant run in New York, where he claimed his seventh career major title after winning one Australian Open (2024), two Wimbledons (2023, 2025) and three French Opens (2023-25). Add in last summer's gold medal in Paris and he's just the second man with a career Golden Slam in wheelchair singles. The first? That would be Japan's Shingo Kunieda, who won an astonishing 28 wheelchair singles Grand Slams from 2007-22 to go along with Paralympic gold in 2008, 2012 and 2020. He also won 22 majors (and one gold) in doubles. Oda and Kunieda are joined by Diede de Groot of the Netherlands as the only singles players with a career Golden Slam* in wheelchair tennis, which uses roughly the same rules as standard tennis but allows for the ball to bounce twice. What he's saying: Oda, who began using a wheelchair at age nine following a bone cancer diagnosis, described what it's like to follow in the footsteps of a legend after winning his maiden Slam back in 2023: "To be honest, there is pressure. People overseas call me 'Next Shingo'. I am happy, but at the same time … I want people to know me as Tokito Oda. I know I have what it takes to make that happen, and I have the responsibility to deliver good results." Consider them delivered. *The other Golden Slams: Aside from Oda, Kunieda and de Groot, just five players have won a career Golden Slam in singles: Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

⚾️ STEE-RIKE 3 VERLANDER PASSES PERRY ON K'S LIST (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Justin Verlander keeps etching his name in the MLB record books. His latest accomplishment? Passing Gaylord Perry for eighth on the all-time strikeout leaderboard. By the numbers: The three-time Cy Young winner has 3,536 career strikeouts in just 3,543.1 innings — by far the fewest among pitchers in the top 10. Randy Johnson (4,135.1 IP) is the only other one who’s thrown fewer than 4,700 innings. Another way to visualize that? Strikeouts per 9. Verlander's career K/9 of 8.98 is the 35th-best mark ever and the third-best on the list above, trailing only Randy Johnson (10.61) and Nolan Ryan (9.55), a pair of freaks put on this earth for the sole purpose of striking out hitters. The other seven guys are more a testament to longevity, with an average K/9 of 6.64 that would rank 258th all-time. Walter Johnson's K/9 of 5.34, the lowest of the 10, ranks just 527th. Turn back the clock: Verlander, 42, isn't just playing out the string and collecting empty stats; he's put up a sterling 2.61 ERA across his last nine starts for the Giants, who've won 12 of their last 15 games to move within three games of the final wild card berth. What's next: Verlander needs 39 strikeouts over his final four starts to pass Don Sutton for seventh. And if the elder statesman returns for another season as planned he could realistically pass Bert Blyleven for fifth.

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, SEPT. 9 (New York Yankees/Getty Images) ⚾️ Tigers at Yankees | 7pm ET, TBS   Detroit (82-62) and New York (80-63) are both locks to make the playoffs, though the Yankees would love join the Tigers as likely division winners. While Detroit holds an 8.5-game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central, New York trails the Blue Jays by 2 games in the AL East.   ⚽️ USMNT vs. Japan | 7:30pm, TNT   The USMNT fell to 7-6 in 2025 with another sub-par performance in Saturday's loss to South Korea. Can they bounce back tonight in Columbus, Ohio, and snap their two-match losing streak?   More to watch: ? EuroBasket: Poland vs. Turkey (10am, DAZN); Greece at Lithuania (2pm, DAZN) … Giannis Antetokounmpo headlines the quarterfinal slate. ? WNBA: Sparks at Mercury (10pm, NBA); Valkyries at Storm (10pm, League Pass) … The Sparks (20-22) and Storm (22-21) are fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot. ? Vuelta a España: Stage 16 (8:30am, Peacock) … Two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard leads by 48 seconds with six stages left.

? MVP NFL TRIVIA (Michael Owens/Getty Images) Reigning MVP Josh Allen has leapfrogged Lamar Jackson as the MVP favorite (+350 at BetMGM) following Buffalo's comeback win over Baltimore on Sunday night. Question: If Allen repeats as MVP, he'll be the third player to win in back-to-back years this century. Who were the other two? (One did it twice.) Hint: 2003-04, 2008-09, 2020-21. Answer at the bottom.

?️‍♀️ STRONGMAN "THE MOUNTAIN" SETS WORLD RECORD (Giphy) Thor Björnsson, who played "The Mountain" on "Game of Thrones," broke his own deadlift world record on Saturday with a weight of 1,124 pounds. The Viper never stood a chance, did he…

Trivia answer: Peyton Manning (2003-04, 2008-09) and Aaron Rodgers (2020-21)

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? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: MLB power rankings (and team MVPs), Kawhi saga deepens, NFL power rankings, cliff diving in photos, 66-year-old freshman, Tatis robs another one, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ? The field is set: Seattle clinched the final WNBA playoff spot in their final regular season game. They'll join Minnesota, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Golden State and Indiana in the eight-team field. ⚽️ USA 2, Japan 0: The USMNT got a much-needed win thanks to goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun, the 16th and 17 different players to score for the U.S. in 18 games under Mauricio Pochettino. ⚾️ Milestone home runs: Kyle Schwarber joined Ryan Howard as the only Phillies to mash 50 HR in a season; Aaron Judge (359 HR) passed Yogi Berra for fifth-most as a Yankee. Three more and he'll pass Joe DiMaggio for fourth. ? New Denver stadium: The Broncos plan to build a new privately funded stadium in historic Burnham Yard, with plans to open in 2031. The team currently plays at Empower Field at Mile High (2001-present), which replaced Mile High Stadium (1960 to 2000). ? Bulls extend Giddey: Josh Giddey signed a four-year, $100 million extension to stay in Chicago, where he averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 30.2 minutes per game last season.

⚾️ 1-30 MLB POWER RANKINGS & MVPs Standings entering play on Tuesday. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) The Brewers, Phillies, Blue Jays, Yankees and Dodgers sit atop our final power rankings of the regular season, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman. Team MVPs: Who has been the best player on each team? Brewers: Freddy Peralta (RHP) 16-5, 2.50 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 176:61 K:BB, 5.4 WAR Phillies: Trea Turner (SS) .815 OPS, 15 HR, 69 RBI, 94 R, 36 SB, 5.4 WAR Blue Jays: George Springer (RF) .943, 28 HR, 73 RBI, 93 R, 16 SB, 3.9 WAR Yankees: Aaron Judge (RF) 1.103 OPS, 44 HR, 98 RBI, 115 R, 11 SB, 7.6 WAR Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani (DH/RHP) 1.001 OPS, 48 HR, 91 RBI, 129 R, 3.75 ERA, 6.4 WAR Tigers: Tarik Skubal (LHP) 13-4, 2.10 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 222:28 K:BB, 6.7 WAR Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CF) .786 OPS, 28 HR, 87 RBI, 85 R, 34 SB, 6.4 WAR Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF) .794 OPS, 20 HR, 62 RBI, 96 R, 29 SB, 5.4 WAR Astros: Hunter Brown (RHP) 11-7, 2.25 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 190:52 K:BB, 5.7 WAR Red Sox: Garrett Crochet (LHP) … 15-5, 2.57 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 228:42 K:BB, 5.5 WAR Mets: Juan Soto (RF) .921 OPS, 38 HR, 93 RBI, 109 R, 30 SB, 5.8 WAR Mariners: Cal Raleigh (C) .923 OPS, 53 HR, 113 RBI, 95 R, 14 SB, 5.7 WAR Rangers: Jacob deGrom (RHP) 11-7, 2.78 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 169:35 K:BB, 3.0 WAR Giants: Logan Webb (RHP) 14-9, 3.12 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 201:41 K:BB, 3.6 WAR Reds: Hunter Greene (RHP) 6-4, 2.59 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 113:19 K:BB, 3.8 WAR Royals: Bobby Witt Jr (SS) .852 OPS, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 90 R, 34 SB, 6.0 WAR Guardians: José Ramírez (3B) .870 OPS, 28 HR, 76 RBI, 91 R, 37 SB, 5.2 WAR Diamondbacks: Geraldo Perdomo (SS) .824 OPS, 17 HR, 91 RBI, 89 R, 24 SB, 5.7 WAR Cardinals: Willson Contreras (1B) .786 OPS, 20 HR, 78 RBI, 67 R, 4 SB, 2.4 WAR Rays: Junior Caminero (3B) .836 OPS, 41 HR, 103 RBI, 86 R, 7 SB, 3.8 WAR Orioles: Trevor Rogers (LHP) 8-2, 1.51 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 87:20 K:BB, 5.2 WAR Braves: Matt Olson (1B) .828 OPS, 23 HR, 80 RBI, 82 R, 1 SB, 5.1 WAR Athletics: Nick Kurtz (1B) 1.015 OPS, 29 HR, 73 RBI, 76 R, 2 SB, 4.8 WAR Angels: Zach Neto (SS) .790 OPS, 25 HR, 60 RBI, 81 R, 25 SB, 4.8 WAR Twins: Byron Buxton (CF) .897 OPS, 30 HR, 74 RBI, 85 R, 22 SB, 4.9 WAR Pirates: Paul Skenes (RHP) 10-9, 1.98 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 195:39 K:BB, 7.0 WAR Marlins: Kyle Stowers (LF) .912 OPS, 25 HR, 73 RBI, 61 R, 5 SB, 3.6 WAR Nationals: James Wood (LF) .830 OPS, 27 HR, 88 RBI, 79 R, 15 SB, 3.6 WAR White Sox: Colson Montgomery (SS) .846 OPS, 18 HR, 47 RBI, 36 R, 2.7 WAR Rockies: Hunter Goodman (C) .867 OPS, 30 HR, 87 RBI, 68 R, 1 SB, 3.3 WAR

? NBA INVESTIGATION THE PLOT THICKENS... Leonard during the Raptors victory parade in 2019. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) As the NBA begins its investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap by setting up a lucrative "no-show" endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard, a new report claims Leonard's camp sought a similar deal from the Raptors. The backdrop: Leonard was on top of the basketball world during the summer of 2019. He'd just led Toronto to its first NBA title and was entering unrestricted free agency in his prime. The race for his services came down to three teams: the incumbent Raptors, the Lakers and the Clippers, who ultimately landed him. The latest: Leonard, through his uncle Dennis Robertson, made requests to the Raptors that summer that "line up almost perfectly" with the deal he allegedly received from Aspiration, the now-bankrupt former Clippers sponsor at the center of the controversy. That's according to a new report from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. Here's Arthur: Robertson's list was long, and absurd. … Two details stand out, in retrospect. One, Robertson asked for ownership stakes in outside companies … And two, the Raptors were told they needed to match at least $10 million per year in extra sponsorship income. Teams are allowed to introduce players to team sponsors; teams cannot negotiate deals, and [Raptors ownership] was aware of that fact. But it didn't end there. As one source put it, when told about all the corporate sponsors in Toronto who would be happy to have Leonard as a pitchman, his camp said, "We don't want to do anything." Raptors representatives said any sponsor would want to shoot ads or arrange appearances; Robertson reiterated Leonard didn't want to do anything for the money. That's when the Raptors realized Leonard wasn't asking to be introduced to Toronto's lucrative corporate community; they were being asked to arrange no-show jobs, and arrange no-investment investments. [Ownership] rejected both proposals.

? 1-32 WEEK 2 NFL POWER RANKINGS (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The Eagles remain atop this week's NFL power rankings, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab, with the Bills (previously No. 5) and Packers (previously No. 6) slotting in right behind them. Biggest risers: Chargers (up 5), Colts (up 5), Raiders (up 5), Steelers (up 4), Packers (up 3), Bills (up 3) Biggest fallers: Patriots (down 5), Bears (down 5), Seahawks (down 5), Dolphins (down 4), Chiefs (down 3)

? EXTREME SPORTS IN PHOTOS: CLIFF DIVING (Romina Amato/Red Bull via Getty Images) Some of the world’s best cliff divers descended on Bosnia and Herzegovina over the weekend for the third stop of the 2025 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. (Romina Amato/Red Bull via Getty Images) This competition took place at the Old Bridge in the city of Mostar, named for the bridge keepers ("mostari") who guarded it during the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. The first two stops were in the Philippines (April) and Italy (June), with the finale coming next week in Boston. (Dean Treml/Red Bull via Getty Images) How it works: 12 men and 12 women compete at each event, with the men diving off a 27-meter platform (88.5 feet) and the women diving from 21 meters (69 feet). They're in the air for about three seconds, reach speeds in excess of 50 mph and hit the water with 2-3x the force of gravity. (Dean Treml/Red Bull via Getty Images) Australia's Rhiannan Iffland, who's captured eight straight season-long titles and five straight high diving world championships, won in Mostar to remain comfortably atop this year's standings. Romania's Constantin Popovici, the 2023 champion, won the men's event but sits in fourth place heading into next week's finale.

? BACK TO SCHOOL LSU'S 66-YEAR-OLD FRESHMAN (Screenshot) Kent Broussard grew up not just as a fan of LSU football, but specifically of their marching band. Half a century later, the retired accountant is living out his dream as a member of the Tiger Band. Broussard, who first saw the Tigers play at age nine back in 1968, made his marching band debut over the weekend at Tiger Stadium. The 66-year-old freshman, who's carrying a full-time course load this semester, is 41 years older than anyone else in the band. The last word: "It's that dream I've had for 30 years, to do this," said Broussard. "My slogan is: people retire, but dreams don't."

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10 Luka is coming off a 42-point outburst in Slovenia's win over Italy. (Christina Pahnke/Corbis via Getty Images) ? EuroBasket, Quarterfinals | DAZN   Four of the tournament's top 10 scorers take the court today as the last eight concludes. Lauri Markkanen (26 ppg) and Finland play Georgia in the first quarterfinal (10am ET), followed by red-hot Luka Dončić (34 ppg) and Slovenia vs. Germany's duo of Franz Wagner (20.7 ppg) and Dennis Schröder (20.2 ppg) in the second (2pm).   More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Tigers at Yankees (7pm, Prime) … Jack Flaherty (7-13, 4.85 ERA) vs. Carlos Rodón (16-7, 3.12 ERA). ? Vuelta a España: Stage 17 (8:30am, Peacock) … Riders travel 89 miles from O Barco de Valdeorras to Ponferrada in northwest Spain.

⚾ TEAM LEADER MLB TRIVIA (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) Kyle Schwarber (50 HR) has hit the second-most home runs by a Phillie in a single season, trailing only Ryan Howard (58). Howard, meanwhile, has hit the second-most career home runs as a Phillie, with 382. Question: Who is the only Phillie with more career HR than Howard? Answer at the bottom.

⚾️ WEB GEM CATCH OF THE NIGHT (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Fernando Tatis Jr. did it again, robbing yet another home run with a sensational leaping catch over the right-field wall in San Diego. Wild stat: The Padres superstar has robbed four home runs in his last 27 games at Petco Park. Is that good? I feel like that's good.

Trivia answer: Mike Schmidt (548 HR)

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> WNBA regular season wraps up tonight with the playoffs set to begin Sunday; see complete postseason bracket and schedule (More) | WNBA history (1440 Topics)

> Eight Detroit Tigers employees accused of sexual misconduct in the past two years, report reveals (More) | NCAA permanently bans three men's basketball players for betting on their own games (More)

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? Good morning! Never forget. In today's edition: The return of returns, "The Man in the Red Bandana," USF is back, World Cup presale opens, a trio of No. 1 picks, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Banned for gambling: The NCAA has permanently banned three men's basketball players for betting on games last season at Fresno State and San Jose State. Per the NCAA: the players "bet on their own games, one another's games and/or provided information that enabled others to do so." ⚾️ The streak is over: Aroldis Chapman allowed his first hits since July 23rd, which resulted in a walk-off loss for the Red Sox and snapped his streak of 50 straight hitless batters spanning 17 appearances, the third-longest such streak since 1901. ? The plot thickens (again): In December 2022, Clippers co-owner Dennis J. Wong reportedly made an almost $2 million investment in Aspiration, which turned around and paid Kawhi Leonard $1.75 million, according to Pablo Torre. ⚾️ Tigers misconduct: Eight high-ranking men affiliated with the Detroit Tigers have been accused of misconduct toward women since 2023, The Athletic reports. Six of the eight were either fired, resigned or did not have their contracts renewed. ? Unrivaled expansion: The women's 3v3 league is adding two expansion teams and a dedicated player development pool ahead of its second season, which tips off in January. Earlier this week, Unrivaled raised new capital at a $340 million valuation.

? KICKOFFS THE RETURN OF RETURNS (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The NFL made it a priority this season to bring one of the game's most exciting plays back from the brink of extinction. So far, so good. By the numbers: 75.6% of kickoffs were returned during Week 1, which is the highest single-week return rate since 2010.* That's also more than two times last year's rate (32.8%) and nearly four times the record low from 2023 (21.8%). The return of returns: The increase is thanks to an updated rule that sees the ball placed at the 35-yard line after a touchback, disincentivizing kickers from booting it through the end zone. In 2023, when the NFL was actively trying to limit returns due to the safety risks they posed under old rules, touchbacks were placed at the 25. Last year, when the league implemented its first iteration of the new dynamic kickoff rule, they were placed at the 30. *What happened after 2010? As you can see in the chart above, return rates dropped precipitously in 2011. Why? Kickoffs moved up five yards that year from the 30 to the 35, beginning the trend of increased touchbacks that has only just begun reversing.

?? NEVER FORGET THE MAN IN THE RED BANDANA (Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) 24 years ago today, the world changed forever. An annual tradition: Every year on 9/11, I watch "The Man in the Red Bandana," a tribute to former Boston College lacrosse player and volunteer firefighter Welles Crowther, who died after saving nearly 20 lives that day. When Flight 175 hit the South Tower, people on the 78th floor sky lobby huddled together, frightened and confused. There was no escape as far as they could tell. Then, a man with a red bandana covering his nose and mouth suddenly appeared from the wreckage and smoke. He spoke in a calm voice and guided them to a stairway, leading them to safety. The man in the red bandana made three trips to the sky lobby, saving as many people as he could, until the burning building collapsed. Welles Crowther beside a firetruck. (Alison Crowther) A few months later, stories from survivors surfaced about the mysterious man wearing the red bandana. When Alison Crowther read an article about the hero in the New York Times, she knew that man was her son, Welles, who had carried a red handkerchief since he was a boy. ‌Watch: "The Man in the Red Bandana"

? ON THE RISE AFTER YEARS OF IRRELEVANCE, USF IS BACK (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) USF is America's hottest underdog. Not bad for a college football program better known for parking tickets than wins. Four years ago, at a beach in Antigua, under an umbrella and with a drink in hand, Alex Golesh created the blueprint for his first head coaching job. Beside him, nestled in her reclining chair, wife Alexis watched the waves lap the shore as her husband spent the week furiously scribbling into his iPad, mapping out what he'd accomplish every day for his first 90 days if a school ever hired him. He calls this a "vacation." Some 18 months later, after South Florida picked him to take over a program that had won four games in three seasons, Golesh arrived in Tampa to find a team with a 2.2 GPA, no uniform meal schedule, a shared training room and not near enough academic counselors. Players traveled to games on an off-brand airline company with sporadic air conditioning, had less than $250,000 of NIL pay and, at times, returned from practice with their vehicles ticketed or worse. In December of 2022, Golesh began working through that blueprint, day by day. Now, on Day 1,012, his USF Bulls are all the rage in the sport, having upended the 13th-ranked Florida Gators to win a 16th game in his 28th at the school. They've got a 3.1 GPA, at least three set team meals a day, a separate training room, plenty of academic tutors, a new airline, perhaps the most NIL of any non-power league FBS program and no more parking tickets. The big picture: Leaders are positioning USF — which was passed over by the Big 12 in the last round of expansion — to be the most attractive brand of the non-power leagues before the long-discussed, and perhaps inevitable, split of NCAA Division I transpires. Will the top 30 FBS teams split off? The top 50? The top 70? "You'll have Tier 1 and Tier 2," says Will Weatherford, the chair of the USF board of trustees. "We are not going to let ourselves slip down and be left behind again. We've made our choice not knowing where the [demarcation] line is going to be. … We've invested more in our football program the last three years than the previous 20-25. We've gone all-in." Coming up: No. 18 USF visits No. 5 Miami this weekend.

⚽️ TICKETS 2026 WORLD CUP: PRESALE NOW OPEN The World Cup trophy on display last year in Miami. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/FIFA via Getty Images) We're still 273 days away from the 2026 World Cup, but the ticketing process has already begun with the first presale applications opening yesterday. How it works: You can't buy your tickets quite yet, but Visa cardholders may enter a draw anytime from now through next Friday, Sept. 19, for a chance to purchase tickets to one of the 104 matches at next summer's event in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. If your application makes it through the random selection process, you'll be notified via email and given a specific date and time slot to purchase tickets. Tickets will initially range from as low as $60 to as high as $6,730 for the final at MetLife Stadium. But prices could grow much higher due to FIFA's controversial decision to employ dynamic pricing at the World Cup for the first time. What they're saying: New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, running on a platform of making the city more affordable, launched a petition on Tuesday that calls on FIFA to abandon its dynamic pricing plan and place a cap on resale prices. "For the first time, FIFA is using dynamic pricing, where they're gonna figure out in real time how much they can get away with charging for a ticket. The tickets can be resold on an official FIFA platform with no price cap. That means you can buy a ticket for $60 and sell it for $6,000." "What this all means is the biggest sporting event in the world is happening in your backyard, and you'll be priced out of it." Venues: MetLife, hosting the final plus seven additional games, is one of 16 venues across 11 U.S. cities, three in Mexico and two in Canada. ?? MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) ?? AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) ?? Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) ?? NRG Stadium (Houston) ?? Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) ?? SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) ?? Lumen Field (Seattle) ?? Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) ?? Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) ?? Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) ?? Hard Rock Stadium (Miami) ?? Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) ?? Estadio BBVA (Monterrey) ?? Estadio Akron (Guadalajara) ?? BC Place (Vancouver) ?? BMO Field (Toronto) Looking ahead: If you miss out on the Visa presale, you can try again during the early ticket draw (Oct. 27-31), final draw (Dec. 5), random selection draw (mid-December) or hope to get lucky with last-minute sales.

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, SEPT. 11 (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) ? Commanders at Packers | 8:15pm ET, Prime   The first "Thursday Night Football" game of the season on Prime is a good one, with two NFC contenders squaring off at Lambeau Field after both took care of business with convincing wins in Week 1. Spread: GB -3.5 Over/Under: 47.5 Money: GB -190, WAS +155 ? WNBA regular-season finale | 8pm, NBA   All eight playoff spots have been secured entering the final night of the WNBA regular season, but seeding is still up for grabs in tonight's four-game slate: Liberty at Sky (8pm, NBA); Mercury at Wings (8pm, League Pass); Valkyries at Lynx (8pm, NBA); Aces at Sparks (10pm, NBA).   More to watch: ? NCAAF: NC State at Wake Forest (7:30pm, ESPN) … The Wolfpack are 7-point favorites on the road. Both teams are 2-0. ⚾️ MLB: Astros at Blue Jays (3pm, MLB); Royals at Guardians (7:15pm, Fox); Mets at Phillies (7:15pm, Fox) … Division leaders and wild card contenders take the field. ⛳️ PGA: Procore Championship (10am, ESPN+; 6pm, Golf) … 10 of the 12 members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team tee it up at Silverado Resort in Napa, California. ⛳️ DP World Tour: BMW PGA Championship (7am, Golf/Peacock) … 11 of the 12 members of the European Ryder Cup team tee it up at Wentworth, just west of London.

? GLOBAL GAME NBA TRIVIA (Christina Pahnke/Corbis via Getty Images) Germany (over Slovenia) and Finland (over Georgia) advanced to the EuroBasket semifinals, where they join Turkey and Greece. Germany (Dirk Nowitzki) and Greece (Giannis Antetokounmpo) are two of the six non-U.S. countries to produce an NBA MVP. Question: Can you name the other four countries? Hint: Three different continents. Answer at the bottom.

⚾️ TOP PICKS 1-1-1 Hey, that's pretty cool! Rare sighting: Paul Skenes and Henry Davis are the first-ever pitcher/catcher battery comprised of No. 1 overall picks, and they've now faced seven fellow No. 1 picks together, all this season: Jackson Holliday, BAL (No. 1 in 2022) Spencer Torkelson, DET (2020) Royce Lewis, MIN (2017) Mickey Moniak, COL (2016) Dansby Swanson, CHC (2015) Carlos Correa, MIN (2012) Bryce Harper, PHI (2010) P.S. … As a diehard Orioles fan (it's been a rough year), I'm obligated to tell you that we won this game, 2-1, in the 10th inning on rookie Dylan Beavers' first career walk-off, and that this was our fourth walk-off win in our last five games. Go O's. P.P.S. … Skenes (5 IP, 2 H, 8 K) was brilliant once again. He's now started 53 MLB games and allowed a grand total of 67 earned runs. His ERA as a rookie: 1.96. His ERA as a sophomore: 1.92. It's completely ridiculous.

Trivia answer: Canada (Steve Nash, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), Serbia (Nikola Jokić), Cameroon (Joel Embiid), Nigeria (Hakeem Olajuwon)

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> The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards air Sunday (8 pm ET, CBS), hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze; see predictions for each category (More)

> Canelo Alvarez takes on Terence Crawford tomorrow (9 pm ET, Netflix) for the undisputed super middleweight boxing championship (More)

> The 2025 World Track and Field Championships kick off from Tokyo tomorrow; see preview and schedule (More) | Chelsea Football Club charged with 74 breaches of Football Association rules related to payments to agents (More)

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? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: WNBA playoff preview, Packers look dominant, Mets look lost, Super Bowl rematch, catchers going yard, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ROAD TO GLORY BRING ON THE WNBA PLAYOFFS (Yahoo Sports) The WNBA regular season came to an end on Thursday, setting the stage for eight teams to begin their championship quest. Who's in? The field was already set, but the seeds and matchups were determined after last night's finale. Lynx (34-10): Minnesota responded to its heartbreaking Game 5 finals loss last season by mowing down the rest of the league and clinching the 1-seed with two weeks to spare. They do look vulnerable entering the playoffs, though, having lost five of their final 11 games. Aces (30-14): Vegas ended the season on a 16-game winning streak, the second-longest ever. They're the fourth team in league history to win 15 straight games, and the previous three all went on to win the title. Dream (30-14): Atlanta's first season under head coach Karl Smesko went gangbusters, as they won a franchise-record 30 games behind an MVP-caliber season from nine-year vet Allisha Gray, who averaged career-highs in points (18.4), rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.5). Mercury (27-17): How did Phoenix respond in its first season without Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner? By finishing over .500 for the first time since 2021. Credit triple-double queen Alyssa Thomas, who should score her fourth straight top-five MVP finish. Liberty (27-17): The defending champs had an up-and-down season due to a laundry list of injuries to their star players. But now that everyone's healthy, would it really surprise you if Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and company ran it back? Fever (24-20): On the one hand, Indiana's season hardly went as planned considering Caitlin Clark (groin) played just 13 games and will miss the playoffs. On the other, they still set a franchise record with 24 wins and finished over .500 for the first time in a decade. Storm (23-21): Which Seattle squad will we see next week? The one that started 14-9, the one that lost nine of 12 coming out of the All-Star break, or the one that finished 6-3 to clinch the final playoff spot in their last game of the season? Valkyries (23-21): It's going to be hard to deny Natalie Nakase the Coach of the Year award after Golden State became the first WNBA expansion team ever to make the playoffs in their debut season. Who's out? The Sparks (21-23) have missed the playoffs five years in a row after missing them in just four of their first 24 seasons. The Mystics (16-28), Sun (11-33), Sky (10-34) and Wings (10-34) are also out. What to watch: The first round tips off on Sunday, with the higher seed hosting Games 1 and 3 (if necessary): No. 1 Lynx vs. No. 8 Valkyries, No. 2 Aces vs. No. 7 Storm, No. 3 Dream vs. No. 6 Fever, No. 4 Mercury vs. No. 5 Liberty. Then comes the best-of-five semifinals followed by the WNBA Finals, which for the first time ever will be a seven-game series.

? SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Green Bay — The Packers turned in their second straight dominant defensive performance in a 27-18 win over the Commanders. After the game, Micah Parsons egged on fans as they chanted, "Thank you, Jerry!" (Alika Jenner/Getty Images) Seattle — Rookie Harry Ford came through with a pinch-hit, walk-off sacrifice fly in the 12th inning to lift the Mariners over the Angels, 7-6, and tie the Astros atop the AL West. (Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images) Tokyo — Officials and workers prepare the National Stadium ahead of the World Athletics Championships.

? SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT THE MAIN EVENT: CANELO VS. CRAWFORD (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) When Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Terence "Bud" Crawford step through the ropes on Saturday in the Netflix main event, the weight of U.S. boxing rests firmly on their shoulders. From Uncrowned's Darian Desai: Boxing in the U.S. is arguably at its lowest point since its first golden age began in the early 20th century. Long gone are the days when the sport thrived on major networks like CBS, NBC, ABC, HBO, Showtime and ESPN. Today, HBO and Showtime have exited the sport, and ESPN has cut ties with Top Rank, leaving the broadcasters' future in the sport unclear. No major television network is truly invested in boxing. On Saturday, however, boxing could get the shot in the arm it desperately needs. Two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, including the biggest star of the past decade in Alvarez, collide in front of 60,000 fans at Allegiant Stadium and what will surely be a multi-million audience on Netflix. The last superfight in U.S. boxing was Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia in April 2023. Alvarez-Crawford, unlike Davis-Garcia, features two of the best fighters in the world — Davis and Garcia were the two biggest stars in the division rather than pound-for-pound top fighters — and it's not behind an $80 paywall. Boxing is in the shop window this week. Millions of potential casual fans will have the chance to stumble upon the event, making it a rare mainstream showcase for the sport. And boxing desperately needs to show out for the folks passing by.

? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) ? NFL, Week 2 | Sunday   A Super Bowl rematch headlines this weekend's slate, as the Chiefs seek revenge for the shellacking they suffered at the hands of the Eagles back in February.   Best games: In addition to the Super Bowl rematch, other games to watch include a pair of NFC North teams looking to avoid an 0-2 start, DK Metcalf's reunion with Seattle and Joe Flacco's return to Baltimore. Bears at Lions (1pm ET, Fox) Seahawks at Steelers (1pm, Fox) Browns at Ravens (1pm, CBS) Broncos at Colts (4:05pm, CBS) Eagles at Chiefs (4:25pm, Fox) Falcons at Vikings (8:20pm, NBC) Week 2 lines: Against-the-spread picks for every game (Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports)   ? NCAAF, Week 3 | Saturday   Saturday's slate features three games between ranked teams and plenty more worth watching, including the 108th Backyard Brawl in Morgantown and Florida vs. LSU in Death Valley. Wisconsin at No. 19 Alabama (12pm, ABC) No. 6 Georgia at No. 15 Tennessee (3:30pm, ABC) Pitt at West Virginia (3:30pm, ESPN) No. 18 USF at No. 5 Miami (4:30pm, The CW) Arkansas at No. 17 Ole Miss (7pm, ESPN) Florida at No. 3 LSU (7:30pm, ABC) No. 16 Texas A&M at No. 8 Notre Dame (7:30pm, NBC) ? Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford | Sat. 9pm, Netflix   One of the biggest bouts in recent memory takes center stage on Saturday in Las Vegas, where Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) hopes to defend his undisputed super middleweight belts against Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), who's jumping up a few weight classes and putting his perfect record on the line. The main card begins at 9pm, followed by the main-event at 11pm.   ? World Athletics Championships | Sat-Sun, CNBC/Peacock   The 20th edition of worlds begins in Tokyo, where 2,000+ athletes will compete in 49 events across nine days. The headliner this weekend comes on Sunday morning with the 100m finals, featuring Sha'Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for the women (9:13am) and Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson for the men (9:20am).   ⚾️ Yankees at Red Sox | Fri-Sun   Boston (81-66) has owned New York (81-65) this year, leading the season series 8-2 entering their final meeting this weekend at Fenway Park (Fri. 7:10pm, Apple; Sat. 4:10pm, MLB; Sun. 7pm, ESPN). The stakes couldn't be higher, as they're separated by just a half-game in the standings.   ? PLL Championship | Sun. 12:30pm, ABC   The seventh Premier Lacrosse League season comes to an end in New Jersey, where the New York Atlas and Denver Outlaws are both seeking their first championship.   ? EuroBasket, Final Four | Friday and Sunday, DAZN   Lauri Markannen's Finland takes on Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner's Germany in today's first semifinal (10am), while Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greece faces Alperen Şengün's Turkey in the second (2pm). The winners meet in the final on Sunday (2pm).   More to watch: ? WNBA Playoffs: Valkyries at Lynx (1pm, ESPN); Fever at Dream (3pm, ABC); Liberty at Mercury (5pm, ESPN); Storm at Aces (10pm, ESPN) … Round 1 tips off. ⚽️ EPL: Manchester City vs. Manchester United (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock) … The 197th Manchester Derby. ⚽️ MLS: San Diego vs. Minnesota (Sat. 10:30pm, Apple) … The top two teams in the West square off in SoCal. ⚽️ NWSL: KC Current vs. Washington Spirit (Sat. 7:30pm, ION) … The league's top two teams meet in Kansas City. ? Banana Ball: Savannah Bananas vs. The Firefighters (Sat. 7pm & Sun. 3:30pm, truTV) … At Yankee Stadium. ⛳️ Golf: PGA's Procore Championship (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf); DP World Tour's BMW PGA Championship (Fri-Sun, Peacock/Golf) … Mackenzie Hughes (-9) leads in California; Ludvig Åberg and Tom Vaillant (-8) lead in England. ? NASCAR: Bristol Motor Speedway (Sat. 7:30pm, USA) … The playoff field will be cut from 16 to 12. ? Vuelta a España: Stages 19-21 (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … The season's third and final Grand Tour comes to an end on Sunday in Madrid.

? GO DEEPER GOOD READS Henry running hills in the Dallas area. (Courtesy of AJ Billings) ? Jeff Eisenberg: How Derrick Henry is defying Father Time NFL running backs excelling into their 30s are rare. Derrick Henry's discipline is why he's the exception. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images) ⚾️ Jake Mintz: The Mets are reeling and running out of time: 'Nobody's happy' After three straight losses to the Phillies, the division is out of reach, and the Mets' hold on a wild card is in danger. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) ? Dan Wolken: Should players be allowed to bet on pro sports? After two days of college hoops betting scandals, it's clear the sport has a gambling issue. But allowing athletes to bet on other sports may make matters only worse. (Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images) ♟️Jack Baer: Why the world's No. 2 chess player is gaming the system with 'Mickey Mouse' tournaments Hikaru Nakamura has competed in the Louisiana State Championship and Iowa Open this month. He won the latter by beating a 13-year-old.

? TROPHY CASE WNBA TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Question: Four of the eight teams in this year's WNBA Playoffs have won multiple championships. Can you name them all? Answer at the bottom.

⚾️ GOING YARD BACKSTOPS HITTING BOMBS Langeliers rounds the bases after hitting a home run. (G Fiume/Getty Images) Cal Raleigh (MLB-leading 53 HR) isn't the only catcher hitting bombs this year. He's joined by the A's Shea Langeliers (30 HR) and Colorado's Hunter Goodman (30 HR), making this the first season since 1999 in which at least three catchers hit 30 homers. The three catchers in 1999? Mike Piazza (40), Iván Rodríguez (35) and Mike Lieberthal (31).

Trivia answer: Lynx (4 titles), Storm (4), Mercury (3), Aces (2)

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> American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Jamaican Oblique Seville win women's and men's 100-meter titles at Track and Field World Championships (More) | 2025 WNBA playoffs kick off; see complete first round schedule (More) > "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" hauls in $70M for the biggest US domestic box office opening weekend ever for an anime film (More)  > Terence Crawford beats Canelo Alvarez to become first male boxer to be undisputed world champion in three weight classes (More) | Ricky Hatton, British former world champion boxer, dies at age 46 (More)

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? Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: NFL Sunday recap, Crawford topples Canelo, Scottie wins again, Week 4 AP poll, Germany wins EuroBasket, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Playoff spots clinched: The Brewers (91-59) and Phillies (89-61) became the first two MLB teams to clinch playoff berths. Philly's magic number to win their second straight NL East title is down to one. ⛳️ Scheffler wins again: Scottie Scheffler (-19) held off Ryder Cup teammate Ben Griffin to win the Procore Championship and join Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers since 1960 with back-to-back six-win seasons. ? Two coaches fired: UCLA fired DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry after 0-3 starts. Players on those teams can now enter the transfer portal. ? Atlas win PLL title: The New York Atlas beat the Denver Outlaws, 14-13, to win their first Premier Lacrosse League title. 2024 league MVP Jeff Teat (3 goals, 3 assists) earned Championship MVP honors. ? Knighton banned: 21-year-old American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, a two-time world championship medalist in the 200m, was banned four years after testing positive for the steroid trenbolone. He won't be eligible to run in the Olympics again until Brisbane 2032, when he's 28.

? WEEK 2 SUNDAY SCOREBOARD (David Eulitt/Getty Images) The Chiefs are 0-2 for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era after losing their Super Bowl rematch, the Cowboys eked past the Giants in an overtime thriller, Joe Burrow (toe surgery) will be sidelined at least three months, the Lions offense roared in Detroit, Atlanta crushed Minnesota on "SNF," and the Colts still haven't punted. Who's 2-0? Buffalo, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Arizona, Los Angeles (Rams) and Green Bay. Who's 0-2? New York (both), Miami, Kansas City, Cleveland, Tennessee, Chicago, Carolina and New Orleans.

?? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Ed Mulholland/TKO Worldwide LLC via Getty Images) Las Vegas — Terence Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) scored a stunning and unprecedented victory over Canelo Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium, winning by unanimous decision to become the first male boxer with undisputed titles in three different weight classes. Big day at the book: One bettor at BetMGM won $2.8 million on Crawford's victory, wagering $2 million on the +140 underdog. Another bettor at Caesars Palace won $1 million on a $715,000 bet at the same odds, and those were just a couple of the six-figure wagers placed on Crawford. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images) Seattle — The Mariners sit alone atop the AL West after winning their ninth straight game. They're just one game ahead of the Astros (who they play this week) and three ahead of the Rangers. Buckle up. Playoff picture: The wild card races in both leagues are as tight as can be. The Yankees, Red Sox, Astros, Rangers and Guardians are separated by five games for three spots in the AL; the Mets, Giants, Diamondbacks, Reds and Cardinals are separated by four games for the NL's final spot. Cloud played the hero in Game 1. (Aryanna Frank/Getty Images) Phoenix — The defending champion Liberty beat the Mercury, 76-69 (OT), in their playoff opener behind a huge game from Natasha Cloud against her former team (23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals). Scoreboard: The Liberty were the only lower seed to win their first round opener. Elsewhere: Aces 102, Storm 77; Dream 80, Fever 68; Lynx 101, Valkyries 72. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Bristol, Tennessee — Christopher Bell won Saturday night's chaotic race at Bristol Motor Speedway to close out the Round of 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. 12 drivers left: The 10-race playoffs now move onto the Round of 12 with the standings as follows: Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick.

? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD (Matteo Marchi/FIBA via Getty Images) ?? Riga, Latvia — Germany beat Turkey, 88-83, to capture their second EuroBasket title, and first since 1993. Dennis Schröder, who plays for the Kings, was named EuroBasket MVP after averaging 20.3 points and a tournament-high 7.2 assists per game. Team of the tournament: EuroBasket's "All-Star Five" was comprised entirely of NBA players, with Schröder (Kings) joined by teammate Franz Wagner (Magic), Turkey's Alperen Şengün (Rockets), Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) and Slovenia's Luka Dončić (Lakers). (Hannah Peters/Getty Images) ?? Tokyo, Japan — Melissa Jefferson-Wooden dominated the women's 100m final at the World Athletics Championships with a time of 10.61 seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever. The 24-year-old American remains unbeaten this year in the 100m. Meanwhile, on the men's side… Jamaica's Oblique Seville (9.77 seconds) picked up a surprising win over countryman Kishane Thompson (9.82) and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles (9.89). Seville is the first Jamaican man to win 100m gold at worlds since Usain Bolt in 2015. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) ??????? Manchester, England —City dominated United, 3-0, in the 197th Manchester Derby behind a brace from Erling Haaland, who leads the Premier League with five goals through four matches. Four points in four games: Manchester United (1-1-2) are off to their worst start since the 1992-93 season, the first season it was officially called the Premier League. (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) ?? Madrid, Spain — The final stage of the Vuelta a España was canceled on Sunday after pro-Palestinian protesters repeatedly disrupted the race and entered the course near the finish line. Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France champion, was declared the winner. Vingegaard: "People are protesting for a reason," the champ said after the race. "It's unfortunate that the protests are taking place during the race, and nearly all riders agree on that, but these people are desperate to find a way to be heard."

? TOP 25 AP POLL, WEEK 4 (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) The bottom half of the AP poll got a big shake-up this week after a handful of upsets across the country. Notes: No. 24 Notre Dame dropped 16 spots after their last-second loss to Texas A&M but stayed in the poll, making them the first ranked 0-2 team since 1988. The Fighting Irish's two losses have come by a combined four points against two current top-10 teams. No. 18 Georgia Tech has its highest ranking since 2015 after beating Clemson with a walk-off field goal. The Tigers, meanwhile, fell out of the poll entirely as the preseason No. 4 team is now 1-2 and clearly not the top-tier operation it used to be. No. 20 Vanderbilt has its highest ranking since 2008 after blowing out South Carolina on the road, 31-7. The Gamecocks, like their Palmetto State neighbors Clemson, also tumbled out of the poll after the loss. Elsewhere: Georgia moved into the top five after outlasting Tennessee, 44-41 (OT), for their ninth straight win over the Vols … Texas fell one spot to No. 8 after an easy win over UTEP (but another ugly outing from Arch Manning) … Miami moved up one spot to No. 4 after drubbing USF. FWIW, our Yahoo Sports Top 10 has the Hurricanes at No. 2.

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, SEPT. 15 Pete Carroll and the Raiders will look to start 2-0. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) ? MNF doubleheader | 7pm ET, ESPN/ABC   Week 2 concludes with a double dose of "Monday Night Football." First up: Buccaneers at Texans (7pm, ESPN/ABC) in Houston. Then it's Chargers at Raiders (10pm, ESPN) in the nightcap.   ⚾️ Cubs at Pirates | 6:40pm, MLB   NL Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes, who leads the league in ERA (1.92), WHIP (0.92) and WAR (7.4), takes the mound against NL ROY favorite Cade Horton, who's 10-4 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in his first 21 career games.   ? World Athletics Championships, Day 3 | 7am, Peacock   Today's highlights include the men's 1500m semis (8:30am) and the women's 100m hurdles final (9:20am).

⚾ POSTSEASON MLB TRIVIA (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) The Phillies are headed to the postseason for the fourth straight year. Question: Who are the only three MLB teams with longer active playoff streaks? Hint: If the season ended today, two streaks would be extended and one would end. Answer at the bottom.

? BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND ? Malik Nabers! ? Mitchell Tinsley! ? Cam Ward's first TD ⚾️ Rocchio calls game ? Mossed him ? At the buzzer ⚾️ Absolute moonshot ? Aubrey sends it to OT ⚽️ Zubimendi! ? Crazy pass, crazy hurdle ⚾️ Wood with a dart ? TeSlaa does it again ? Wizardry from Teat Watch all 13.

Trivia answer: Dodgers (12 seasons), Astros (8), Braves (7)

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> Swedish American pole vaulter Armand Duplantis breaks world record for 14th time at 2025 World Track and Field Championships (More) | See latest schedule and results (More) > Sunday's Primetime Emmy Awards haul in 7.4 million viewers, an 8% increase over last year and the most since 2021 (More)  > Pulitzer Prize finalist Arthur Sze tapped as the 25th US poet laureate (More) | Read a selection of Sze's poems (More)

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? Good morning! We're through two weeks of the NFL regular season. 16 more to go. In today's edition: Skenes spotlight, Bucs and Chargers win on MNF, Champions League kicks off, stone skimming scandal, photo finish and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Phillies clinch NL East: The Phillies rallied past the Dodgers for an extra-innings victory to clinch their second straight NL East title, holding a massive 12.5-game lead over the Mets in second. ? Another new Heisman favorite: Miami QB Carson Beck is the new Heisman Trophy favorite (+700 at BetMGM) following early-season turns from Texas QB Arch Manning, LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier and Oklahoma QB John Mateer. ? Mondo does it again: Sweden's Mondo Duplantis set the pole vault world record for a 14th time, clearing 6.30 meters for his third straight gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. ? Brady is back (sort of): Tom Brady is "coming out of retirement" to play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, an exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia in March. He'll play alongside current NFL stars like Saquon Barkley and CeeDee Lamb, as well as former teammate Rob Gronkowski. ? Burton wins MIP: Valkyries guard Veronica Burton was named the WNBA's Most Improved Player, taking full advantage of her first year as a starter by smashing her career-highs in points (11.9), rebounds (4.4) and assists per game (6.0).

⚾️ NL CY YOUNG PAUL SKENES KEEPS LEVELING UP (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) Ahead of his start tonight in Pittsburgh, we're shining the spotlight on NL Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes, whose cerebral approach to pitching is helping him elevate even further in his sophomore season. From Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman: Even if you had zero knowledge of his record-setting statistics, Paul Skenes passes the eye test emphatically. Witness an inning or two of the 6-foot-6 right-hander at work, and you'll be treated to elite velocity, sharp movement and a varied assortment of pitches that routinely befuddle the best batters on the planet. All of it makes sense on the surface. But dig deeper into what really enables Skenes' success, and it becomes clear that his raw talent is far from the only thing fueling this unrivaled start to a career. The Pirates' ace thrives at the intersection of his profound physical ability and intense curiosity regarding his craft. And despite already being one of the greatest young pitchers the game has ever seen, the 23-year-old is still in the early stages of fully comprehending what he's capable of. Skenes celebrates after winning the 2023 national championship. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) In many respects, self-discovery has defined Skenes' supercharged journey to the top of the sport. His first two years of college baseball were spent as a two-way player at the Air Force Academy, initially as a catcher and closer before he transitioned to the rotation as a sophomore while continuing to slug. At that point, Skenes still viewed baseball as secondary to his military track; he was merely playing for fun. It wasn't until he transferred to LSU and ditched the bat that his substantial potential on the mound started to crystallize, thanks in large part to the tutelage of pitching coach Wes Johnson (now the head coach at the University of Georgia). Even then, Skenes overwhelmed opponents using almost exclusively two pitches — a four-seam fastball and a slider — in his season with the Tigers en route to being selected No. 1 overall by Pittsburgh. Barely more than two years later, Skenes' repertoire is seven pitches deep. As a rookie, Skenes seized headlines and dropped jaws with a pitch referred to as a "splinker" — an offering that features the mid-90s velocity commensurate with a sinking two-seam fastball but with a grip and enough vertical drop to also be considered a splitter. What was so remarkable about the pitch, which immediately rated as one of the best in the league, wasn't just its aesthetic absurdity but also the fact that Skenes developed it in the time between being drafted and making his major-league debut less than a year later. Skenes has a career ERA of 1.94 through 311 innings. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) That knack for innovation carried into Year 2. Skenes tinkered in spring training with adding a more traditional sinker and a cutter to an arsenal that had widened to six pitches in 2024, including three breaking-ball variations (curve, sweeper, slider) and a rarely used changeup. It felt like overkill to some, but there was a method to the madness. And while Skenes shelved the cutter before the regular season (for now, anyway), the sinker has become a staple of his high-octane attack. More recently, however, a different one of Skenes' many pitches has taken center stage as his most intriguing weapon: the changeup. But unlike with the sinker, which Skenes intentionally introduced and has meticulously mastered, the changeup's glow-up into a plus-plus offering has come as something of a surprise, even to Skenes himself. "I don't know what's up with that pitch," he admitted.

? WEEK 2 MNF DOUBLEHEADER (Logan Bowles/Getty Images) Buccaneers 20, Texans 19: For the second straight week, Baker Mayfield engineered a game-winning touchdown drive with two minutes to go. And for the fifth straight season, the Bucs are 2-0. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Chargers 20, Raiders 9: The Bolts look like the team to beat in the AFC West after defeating the Chiefs in Brazil in Week 1 and cruising past the Raiders in Vegas on Monday night.

⚽️ LEAGUE PHASE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KICKS OFF (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) The UEFA Champions League kicks off today across Europe, where 36 teams begin the League Phase portion of the tournament and PSG kicks off its title defense. How it works: Each team will play eight matches against a pre-determined draw. The top eight teams advance to the Round of 16; the next 16 teams (9-24 in the standings) advance to a two-leg playoff to determine the rest of the Round of 16; the bottom 12 teams (25-36) are eliminated. The field: ??????? England (6): Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, Tottenham ?? Spain (5): Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal ?? Italy (4): Inter Milan, Juventus, Atalanta, Napoli ?? Germany (4): Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt ?? France (3): PSG, Marseille, Monaco ?? Belgium (2): Club Brugge, Union Saint-Gilloise ?? Portugal (2): Benfica, Sporting CP ?? Netherlands (2): Ajax, PSV ?? Norway (1): Bodø/Glimt ?? Denmark (1): Copenhagen ?? Turkey (1): Galatasaray ?? Kazakhstan (1): Kairat ?? Greece (1): Olympiacos ?? Cyprus (1): Pafos ?? Azerbaijan (1): Qarabağ ?? Czechia (1): Slavia Prague Power rankings: Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Arsenal are the early favorites.

? MEANWHILE, IN SCOTLAND CHEATING SCANDAL ROCKS STONE SKIMMING (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Is nothing sacred? The world stone skimming championships have been rocked by a cheating scandal, after several competitors were disqualified for tampering. More than 2,200 people, from 27 countries, attended this year's event on the tiny island of Easdale off the west coast of Scotland. Rules state that stones must come from naturally occurring island slate, however some were found to have been ground into a "suspiciously circular" shape to help them bounce on water. Entrants choose their own stones and judges use a measuring device, the "ring of truth," to ensure they are no bigger than three inches in diameter. Each competitor is allowed three skims and stones must bounce at least twice on water before sinking. Stones are measured by judges using the "ring of truth." (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) What they're saying: "There was a little bit of stone doctoring," said organizer Dr. Kyle Mathews. "They had shaped it so that it was perfectly circular and fitted our three inch measurer [and] we just didn't notice at the time that they were suspiciously circular."

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, SEPT. 16 The Aces have won 17 straight games. (Ian Maule/Getty Images) ? WNBA Playoffs, First Round | ESPN   Two road teams can clinch a spot in the semifinals tonight, while two home teams must win to keep their seasons alive. First up, the Dream (up 1-0) visit the Fever (7:30pm ET); then it's the Aces (up 1-0) at the Storm in the nightcap (9:30pm).   ⚾️ Padres at Mets | 7:10pm, TBS   New York (77-73) finally snapped its eight-game losing streak to remain in the third wild card spot by the narrowest of margins, but the Diamondbacks (76-75), Reds (75-75) and Giants (75-75) are all within two games of the Mets. San Diego (82-68) is firmly in the second wild card and could still catch the Dodgers (84-66) atop the NL West.   More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Matchday 1 (12:45pm, Paramount+/CBSSN) … Six games kick off the League Phase, headlined by Juventus vs. Dortmund (3pm, Paramount+). ⚽️ U.S. Open Cup: Nashville vs. Philadelphia (8pm, CBSSN) … Semifinal. ? World Athletics Championships: Day 4 (7:30am, Peacock) … Highlights include the women's (8:07am) and men's 400m semis (8:35am) and the men's 110m hurdles final (9:20am).

? WINLESS COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Question: There are 11 remaining winless teams in FBS. Can you name them all? Hint: Their logos are highlighted above.

? 0.03 SECONDS PHOTO FINISH (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) It was literally a photo finish on Monday in Tokyo, where Tanzania's Alphonce Felix Simbu (left) beat Germany's Amanal Petros by 0.03 seconds to take gold in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships. That's right: 26.2 miles boiled down to three-hundredths of a second. Pretty epic way for Simbu to win his country's first-ever gold medal at worlds.

Trivia answer: Akron, Eastern Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Sam Houston, San Jose State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Western Michigan

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? 1 for the road: NFL ratings juggernaut

Image: Fox Sports Almost 34 million viewers watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Fox last weekend — the network's best-ever audience for a regular-season Sunday game. Among the factors juicing viewership (with Taylor Swift watching from the VIP suite of Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium): The game was a rematch of the last Super Bowl ... the lead-in was overtime Cowboys-Giants ... and Fox is aggressive about promoting across its platforms. It's the most-watched Week 2 NFL telecast on record, and the most-watched telecast of any kind since the Super Bowl, Fox Sports said. By comparison, about 24.6 million tuned in to watch President Trump's inauguration in January, according to Nielsen. His joint address to Congress in March had 36.6 million. The Oscars got just under 20 million viewers. ? Stunning stat: NFL games represented 72 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts last year. 16 were political events.

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? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Raleigh and Ohtani make history, NFL power rankings, Aces win streak snapped, NIL's impact on the USMNT, remembering Robert Redford, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Rematch draws huge ratings: The Eagles' Week 2 win over the Chiefs drew 33.8 million viewers on Fox, making the Super Bowl rematch the most-watched regular-season Sunday telecast ever. ? Bueckers wins ROY: Paige Bueckers was named the WNBA's Rookie of the Year after the Wings guard finished fifth among all players in scoring (19.2 ppg) and steals (1.6), and ninth in assists (5.4). ⛳️ Masters on Prime: Starting next year, the Masters will feature four additional hours of broadcast coverage on Amazon Prime, with two hours during each of the first two rounds. ? Dabo fires back: Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney got quite animated defending his program amid a disappointing 1-2 start. "If they want me gone, they're tired of winning, they can send me on their way because that's all we've done is win." ? AU signs Charles: Athletes Unlimited signed Tina Charles for its fifth season this winter, making her the first former WNBA MVP to join the league.

⚾️ DINGERS HOMERING THEIR WAY TO HISTORY (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Cal Raleigh hit his 55th and 56th home runs of the season on Tuesday, passing Mickey Mantle (54) for the most by a switch hitter and tying Ken Griffey Jr. (56) for the most by a Mariner. When Raleigh gets hot, he gets hot. In fact, he's now the first player in MLB history with a multi-home run game against 10 different teams in the same season. Speaking of red-hot: The Mariners have won 10 straight games to claim their spot atop the AL West. They currently hold a half-game lead over the Astros. What to watch: With 11 games left, can Raleigh match Aaron Judge's American League record of 62 homers? (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Shohei Ohtani became the sixth MLB player to post consecutive 50 HR seasons, joining Alex Rodriguez (2001-02), Sammy Sosa (1998-2001), Ken Griffey Jr. (1997-98), Mark McGwire (1996-99) and Babe Ruth (1920-21; 1927-28). McGwire and Sosa had their runs tainted by steroids, while Rodriguez had his own PED allegations later in his career. Ohtani joins Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber in the 50-HR club, making 2025 the third season ever to see three players hit 50 homers (1998, 2001). P.S. … Did I mention Ohtani also threw five no-hit innings on Tuesday?

? 1-32 NFL POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 3 (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The Packers leapfrogged the Bills and Eagles to climb into the top spot of our latest NFL power rankings, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab. Historic start: With wins over the Lions and Commanders, Green Bay is just the fifth team since the 1970 merger to start 2-0 against teams that each won at least 12 games the previous season. And they didn't eke out those victories, either, with their +23 point differential leading the NFC. Who's up, who's down? Biggest risers: No. 7 Rams (up 5), No. 11 Colts (up 9), No. 14 Cardinals (up 4), No. 15 Falcons (up 7), No. 19 Seahawks (up 4) Biggest fallers: No. 16 Vikings (down 8), No. 18 Bengals (down 4), No. 20 Steelers (down 4), No. 22 Jaguars (down 7), No. 25 Bears (down 4)

? SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Alika Jenner/NBAE via Getty Images) ?? Seattle — The Storm stunned the Aces in an 86-83 comeback win, closing on a 16-4 run to keep their season alive and snap Vegas' 17-game winning streak. They play a winner-take-all Game 3 tomorrow night in Sin City. Meanwhile, in Indiana: The Fever walloped the Dream, 77-60, to win their first playoff game since 2015 and force Game 3 in Atlanta tomorrow night. (Michael Steele/Getty Images) ?? Tokyo — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke the 400m American record at the World Athletics Championships, winning her semifinal in 48.29 seconds for the fastest time in the world this year. Seems her decision to focus on the flat 400m this year is paying off! More from worlds: Kenya's Faith Kipyegon won her fourth 1500m world title, becoming the first woman to win four world titles in any distance-running event. (Aitor Alcalde/UEFA via Getty Images) ?? Madrid — Kylian Mbappé converted a pair of penalty kicks to give Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Marseille in their Champions League opener. He now has 50 goals in just 64 matches with Los Blancos. Thriller in Turin: The most exciting match of the day was in Italy, where Juventus scored twice in stoppage time to rescue a point with a 4-4 draw against Dortmund.

⚽️ PAY TO PLAY HOW NIL MONEY COULD SHAPE USMNT'S FUTURE (J Studios/Getty Images) The college sports revenue-sharing era is reshaping choices for young athletes. What does it mean for the U.S. men's national team? From Yahoo Sports' Sanjay Sujanthakumar: It's the timeless hypothetical hovering over American men's soccer: What if our best athletes played the sport? USMNT and Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards isn't offended by it. "I understand it. I truly do," he said. "I just think it's very unrealistic." Salivating for the shortcut to a dominant USMNT, the mainstream sporting public often wonders aloud if NBA or NFL superstars could have conquered soccer instead, and if their next-generation clones are the answer. But that's missing the point. "I think the argument gets lost pretty quickly when it's about, like, 'If LeBron James was our center midfielder…' It's not really about that," said former MLS and USMNT midfielder Kyle Martino, who noted that Lionel Messi is 5-foot-7. Indeed, peel off the literal layer of the question, and there's the socioeconomic connotation that Richards and Martino both address. "I just think because of how accessible basketball and football are, our best athletes don't really choose soccer over any other sport," Richards said. In addition to the inner-city accessibility of basketball, Martino highlighted its economic appeal. "It's upward mobility, it's a life-changing possibility, and it's the stakes of if it doesn't happen, what? What happens in your life?" The life-changing potential of a career in football or basketball has dramatically expanded in the era of college athletes being paid. NIL compensation plus schools directly sharing revenue with athletes — funneled overwhelmingly to football and basketball players — has reinforced the stature and draw of those sports. Could that ultimately limit the ceiling of the U.S. men's national team, preserving that hypothetical as no more than a fantasy?

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17 Rai Benjamin celebrates winning Olympic gold over Karsten Warholm last summer. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images) ? World Athletics Championships, Day 5 | 8am, Peacock   The men's 400m hurdles semifinals (8:30am) features all three medalists from last year's Olympics (USA's Rai Benjamin, Norway's Karsten Warholm, Brazil's Alison dos Santos), while the men's 1500m final (9:20am) will be without the defending Olympic champion after American Cole Hocker was controversially DQ'd for "jostling" in the semifinal.   ? WNBA Playoffs, First Round | ESPN   The defending champion Liberty (up 1-0) will try to clinch a spot in the semifinals at home against the Mercury (8pm ET), who hope to force a decisive Game 3. Out west, the top-seeded Lynx (up 1-0) visit the Valkyries (10pm) after winning Game 1 by 29 points.   Injury report: Breanna Stewart will be a game-time decision after injuring her knee during overtime of New York’s Game 1 win.   More to watch: ⚽️ Champions League: Liverpool vs. Atlético (3pm, Paramount+); Bayern vs. Chelsea (3pm, Paramount+); Ajax vs. Inter Milan (3pm, CBSSN) … ⚽️ U.S. Open Cup: Minnesota vs. Austin (8:30pm, CBSSN) … Winner faces Nashville in the championship. ⚾️ MLB: Guardians at Tigers (6:40pm, FS1); Yankees at Twins (7:40pm, Prime); Phillies at Dodgers (10:10pm, MLB)

? ROY WNBA TRIVIA (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Paige Bueckers is the fourth straight No. 1 overall pick to win WNBA Rookie of the Year. Question: Can you name the last three? Hint: Dream, Fever, Fever. Answer at the bottom.

? THE NATURAL RIP, MR. REDFORD (Tri-Star Pictures) Robert Redford passed away on Tuesday at 89 after a legendary career in film, with one of his most iconic roles coming as Roy Hobbs in 1984's "The Natural." "When I walk down the street, people will look at me and say, 'There goes Roy Hobbs, the best that ever was in this game.'" Fun fact: Redford played high school baseball with Hall of Famer Don Drysdale and earned a scholarship to play at Colorado. "At one time, I wanted to be a pro ballplayer," he said. "So it was very much in my DNA, and I always wanted to make a film about baseball."

Trivia answer: Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark

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> ABC suspends "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" indefinitely following Kimmel's comments about Charlie Kirk during his opening monologue on Monday night's show (More)

> Gino the gorilla dies at age 44; the silverback gorilla was the oldest gorilla at Disney's Animal Kingdom and had been at the park since its 1998 opening (More)

> Two-time Olympic medalist Fred Kerley becomes first track athlete to commit to Enhanced Games, a competition allowing use of performance-enhancing drugs (More) | Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits 56th home run to break Mickey Mantle's record for most single-season homers by a switch-hitter (More)

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? Good morning! If you're able, head over to Peacock right now to watch Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the women's 400 meter final at the World Athletics Championships. More below. In today's edition: Breaking the unbreakable, Cubs clinch playoff berth, the rise of QB-OC package deals, Lynx stage comeback to advance, the highest-paid NFL players, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

? ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Cubs clinch: The Cubs are headed back to the postseason for the first time since 2020 after clinching a playoff berth on Wednesday with a win over the Pirates. ? NCAA eliminates portal: The spring transfer portal has officially been eliminated in college football. Players will now have just one opportunity per year to change schools, with the dates of that window still TBD. ⚽️ Messi staying put? Lionel Messi is reportedly nearing a multi-year contract extension with Inter Miami. There had previously been rumors linking Messi to other clubs, most notably Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli. ? Nakase wins COY: Natalie Nakase was named WNBA Coach of the Year after leading the Valkyries to the playoffs in their inaugural season. The former Clippers assistant received 53 of 72 first-place votes. ?️ D.C. stadium approved: In an 11-2 vote, the D.C. City Council gave final approval for a $3.8 billion project that includes a new Commanders stadium at the old RFK Stadium site, as well as development of the surrounding area.

⏱️ 400 METERS BREAKING AN UNBREAKABLE RECORD America's queen of the 400-meter hurdles has a new challenge. (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images) Can Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone break an unbreakable record? All eyes will be on the American superstar in today's 400 meter final (9:24am ET, Peacock) at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. From Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg: On Oct. 6, 1985, at the height of East Germany's era of systematic state-sponsored doping, the country's most celebrated sprinter delivered her most astonishing performance. Marita Koch demolished a world-class field in the women's 400-meter dash, bolting out of the blocks at a blistering pace, building an overwhelming lead and streaking to victory in a world-record time of 47.60 seconds. For the next 34 years, only one woman came within a second of Koch's record. Even now, no one has come within a half second. The fastest quarter milers in the world seldom dared to dream of wiping Koch's name out of the record books. Her time was considered, as NBC Sports track and field analyst Ato Boldon puts it, "impossible" to beat. McLaughlin-Levrone dominated the field in Tuesday's semifinal. (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images) The challenger: Everything changed earlier this year when America's queen of the 400-meter hurdles decided to search for a new challenge. Two-time Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone already had lowered the 400 hurdles world record six times since June 2021 and redefined what was attainable in her signature event. The 26-year-old became curious how fast she could complete a single lap of the track without 10 obstacles to leap over. The answer is fast. Superhumanly fast. Maybe even peerlessly fast. On Tuesday night, in the last of three semifinal heats at track and field's World Championships in Tokyo, McLaughlin-Levrone cruised to victory in 48.29 seconds, more than a second quicker than any other competitor. McLaughlin-Levrone's time didn’t just shatter the American record in the women's 400 previously held by Sanya Richards-Ross. It also established McLaughlin-Levrone as the most serious threat in four decades to topple Koch's controversial world record. When McLaughlin-Levrone returns to the Japan National Stadium track for today's final, the gold medal won't be all that's at stake. The way that McLaughlin throttled down over the final 30 meters in Tuesday's semifinal has fueled excitement that she could clock a sub-48-second time in the final, or perhaps even make a run at 47.60. Marita Koch sets a world record for 400 meters at the World Cup Athletics on October 06, 1985. (Kenneth Stevens/Fairfax Media via Getty Images) A tainted record: Critics have long alleged that Koch only ran 47.60 with the aid of banned PEDs, and there's evidence to suggest as much. But unless she admits wrongdoing (she maintains she was clean), Koch's world record will remain, leaving it up to current and future runners to topple her mark. If anyone is up to that challenge, it's probably McLaughlin-Levrone, who has made a career out of achieving the improbable. By 16, the New Jersey native had already claimed her first Gatorade high school athlete of the year award, rewritten the high school record book and made her first U.S. Olympic team. When McLaughlin-Levrone turned pro after her freshman year at Kentucky, fellow American Dalilah Muhammad had just started to bust through old barriers by dipping under 53 seconds in the 400 hurdles. McLaughlin-Levrone took that and built on it, dragging along a generation of young hurdlers who are now starting to run 51s and 52s alongside her. Can McLaughlin-Levrone now redefine what is possible in a second event? Can she eclipse a world record long thought to be unbreakable? "Anything is possible with Sydney," says LaTanya Sheffield, a former American record holder in the 400 hurdles and USA Track & Field's women's head coach at the 2024 Paris Olympics. "Whoever thought the 400 hurdles would see 50.2? So we need to get on her bandwagon and believe in some things that we previously couldn't imagine."

? DYNAMIC DUOS THE RISE OF QB-OC PACKAGE DEALS Devon Dampier followed his OC from New Mexico to Utah this offseason. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images) Just a few years ago, a QB and offensive coordinator actively in the transfer market as a package deal would be unusual. Now, the QB-OC bundle is all the rage, writes Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. Combo steal: Four notable programs are currently 3-0 after acquiring such a package this offseason or last offseason. No. 11 Oklahoma plucked QB John Mateer and OC Ben Arbuckle from Washington State this year. No. 16 Utah landed QB Devon Dampier and OC Jason Beck from New Mexico this year. No. 20 Vanderbilt signed QB Diego Pavia and OC Tim Beck from New Mexico State after the 2023 season. Michigan State employs QB Aidan Chiles and OC Brian Lindgren, who came from Oregon State last year alongside head coach Jonathan Smith. Coming up: Three of those four tandems will be put to the test in high-profile games this weekend. The Sooners host No. 22 Auburn, the Utes host No. 17 Texas Tech and Michigan State visits No. 25 USC. Behind the scenes: Here's Ross on Dampier and Beck, who are thriving in Salt Lake City after departing Albuquerque together… Last November, as the New Mexico Lobos season came to an end, Jason Beck noticed something was off with his QB. Soon afterward, Devon Dampier told his offensive coordinator the news: He'd be entering the transfer portal with the goal of turning his sensational sophomore season into a spot on a power conference program's roster. This made Beck's own decision all the more easy. Courted by a host of power league schools himself, Beck decided he'd also leave for another coordinator gig. "When Dev let me know he would be leaving, it at least solidified the idea," Beck said. "It was, 'Let me see if I can get a job elsewhere and take Dev with me!'"

? STATS DU JOUR BY THE NUMBERS (Yahoo Sports) ? 1-76   Entering Wednesday, the Lynx were 0-76 when trailing by 14+ points entering the fourth quarter. They are now 1-76 after coming back to beat the Valkyries, 75-74, and advance to the WNBA semifinals.   Meanwhile, in Brooklyn: The Mercury blew out the defending champion Liberty, 86-60, to force a winner-take-all Game 3.   ⚾️ 30-for-31   Red Sox SS Trevor Story made history on Tuesday when he stole his 30th base in 30 tries, tying Trea Turner's record for the most steals in a single season without getting caught. On Wednesday, Story was finally thrown out, ending his run of perfection and erasing his name from the record books.   What to watch: Twins speedster Byron Buxton (24-for-24) currently has the third-most steals ever in a season without getting caught. Will he stay perfect? Can he swipe seven more bags and break Turner’s record?   ?️ ~$40 million   Stephen A. Smith's annual salary is pushing $40 million, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reports ($). His ESPN deal is for five years and $105 million, his SiriusXM deal (for a new political show) is for three years and $36 million, and he brings in additional revenue from his YouTube channel and podcast.   ⚽️ 90+2'   Virgil van Djik's 92nd-minute header lifted Liverpool past Atlético Madrid, 3-2, in their Champions League opener. Arne Slot's side are making a habit of this: they've now won five straight matches (including all four Premier League games) with goals scored after the 80th minute.

? MEGA MILLIONS THE HIGHEST-PAID NFL PLAYERS IN 2025 (Lev Akabas/Sportico) The NFL's 20 highest-paid players will earn an estimated $1 billion this year on and off the field, per Sportico's annual calculations. Top 3: Patrick Mahomes leads the way at $80 million ($50M in salary/bonus + $30M in endorsements), followed by Josh Allen at $73 million ($58M + $15M) and Justin Herbert at $71 million ($60M + $11M). Can you spot the outlier? Travis Kelce is the only player in the top 20 earning more from endorsements ($32 million) than salary/bonus ($17.25 million). That's not all that surprising given his off-field celebrity, incredibly famous fiancée and highly successful podcast, which recently inked a three-year deal worth over $100 million.

? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, SEPT. 18 Josh Allen is back in action. (Michael Owen/Getty Images) ? Dolphins at Bills | 8:15pm ET, Prime   The undefeated Bills are Week 3's biggest favorite (-12.5 at BetMGM) against the winless Dolphins, and Buffalo has won five straight over Miami and 10 of 11 this decade. This could get ugly in a hurry.   ? WNBA Playoffs, First Round | ESPN2   Tonight brings a pair of winner-take-all Game 3's in Atlanta and Las Vegas, with the Dream hosting the Fever (7:30pm) and the Aces hosting the Storm (9:30pm) for a spot in the semifinals.   ? World Athletics Championships | 7am, Peacock   In addition to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s pursuit of a world record in the women's 400m final (9:24am), we've got the men's 200m semis (8:02am) headlined by Noah Lyles and Kenneth Bednarek, and the women's 200m semis (8:24am) headlined by Jamaica's Shericka Jackson and 100m world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.   More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Padres at Mets (1:10pm, MLB); Cubs at Reds (7:15pm, Fox); Giants at Dodgers (10:10pm, MLB) … Six teams in the playoff race. ⚽️ Champions League: Man City vs. Napoli (3pm, Paramount+); Newcastle vs. Barcelona (3pm, Paramount+) … Full six-game slate. ? NCAAF: Rice at Charlotte (7:30pm, ESPN) … Week 4 kickoff.

? QB1 NFL TRIVIA (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Jake Browning is expected to be the Bengals starting QB for the next three months (at least), replacing an injured Joe Burrow. Question: Where did Browning go to college? Hint: Big Ten. Answer at the bottom.

? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Notre Dame Athletics) The flyover at Notre Dame Stadium last Saturday. Incredible shot.

Trivia answer: Washington