Members phkrause Posted December 3, 2025 Author Members Posted December 3, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome to December. In today's edition: Kiffin's disastrous exit, OKC keeps it rolling, Super Bowl favorites fall, MLS Cup Final is set, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Coaching carousel: Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU (more below), Kentucky fired Mark Stoops after 13 seasons, Florida hired Jon Sumrall (Tulane), Arkansas hired Ryan Silverfield (Memphis), Auburn hired Alex Golesh (USF), Michigan State hired Pat Fitzgerald (ex-Northwestern), and more. ?️ Down to the wire: Red Bull's Max Verstappen won Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix to set up a season-ending three-way race for the title. McLaren's Lando Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points and teammate Oscar Piastri by 16 points entering the finale in Abu Dhabi. ? NBA Cup knockouts: Group play is complete and the knockout stage is set for the in-season tournament, with the Magic, Raptors, Knicks and Heat advancing in the East and the Thunder, Lakers, Spurs and Suns advancing in the West. ⚽️ Iran boycotts draw: Iran is boycotting this week's World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., after members of its delegation were denied visas to enter the United States. Barring further action, Iran still plans to compete in next summer's World Cup. ? Deadline extended again: The WNBA and players association have agreed to extend their CBA for a second time as negotiations continue, this time through January 9. The first extension was set to run out on Sunday night. ? COACHING CHANGE KIFFIN'S DISASTROUS EXIT FROM OLE MISS (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) After weeks of public scrutiny and private consternation, Lane Kiffin finally made his decision on Sunday, ditching Ole Miss on the eve of the College Football Playoff to take the job at LSU. Behind the scenes: In his statement announcing his departure, Kiffin said he wanted to coach the Rebels in the postseason but the school wouldn't allow it. Hard to disagree with them on that one. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: Kiffin leaving the No. 7 team in the country to take a job with another SEC program before the sport's marquee event is bad for the product, and no other well-run sports league would tolerate it. While it's easy to blame "the system" or "the calendar," as you might have heard on ESPN over the weekend, this is a story of individual choices and responsibilities. It's Kiffin's choice to leave a trail of sleaze on his way out of town. And it's the choice of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and other college sports leaders to do nothing about it, to shrug their shoulders and to rail against professionalization of college sports when making it a priority would be the best path for their business. Instead, lack of action is a strategic choice, and it's one that needs to be called for what it is: A dereliction of duty in protecting the best interests of college football. Don't you think, during all those years of the Patriots winning championships, that other NFL franchises would have liked to break up the dynasty by putting a huge pile of cash in front of Bill Belichick right before a Super Bowl run? Loyalty wasn't the reason it never happened. It's not possible because the NFL understands how bad it would be for its product and has made rules that govern when and under what circumstances coaches can change jobs when they're under contract. Without collective bargaining, college sports has often run into legal trouble when trying to regulate anything regarding compensation or movement of personnel. And yet, every time people like Sankey end up on Capitol Hill begging for some type of NCAA protection legislation, it's amazing how the focus is always on the chaos of NIL and the transfer portal while the coaching carousel never gets mentioned as a source of harm for the product and schools that pour hundreds of millions of dollars into their programs. Kiffin celebrates with Ole Miss players after winning Friday's Egg Bowl. (Justin Ford/Getty Images) A coach leaving is, by definition, traumatic and overwhelming. Players start thinking about their own futures and options. Routines get broken up. It would truly defy the odds if Ole Miss was as good of a team under these circumstances as it has been for the past three months. That's Kiffin's fault, and his reputation will pay a price across generations. The circus of the last few weeks will go down in SEC infamy, a forever stain on his already pock-marked record. But this is also the product of an ecosystem where players changing jobs on a whim or for a paycheck is a crisis that needs to be dealt with immediately and regulated through a literal act of Congress, while coaches getting paid $10 million a year wrecking their own teams gets met with a shoulder shrug. This might be the first time it's happened in college football. But in the 12-team playoff era, you can bet it won't be the last. If the leaders of college sports aren't willing to make this as much of a priority as opt-outs and portal windows while it turns their national playoff into a punch line, they've lost all sense of perspective on what's good or bad for the game. ? #THUNDERUP OKC IS UNSTOPPABLE (William Purnell/Getty Images) The 2024-25 Thunder put together a historic campaign en route to a championship. So far this season, the defending champs look even better. Historic start: OKC beat Portland on Sunday to win their 12th straight game and become just the fourth team in NBA history to start a season 20-1 or better. The 1969-70 Knicks started 20-1 and went on to win the championship. The 1993-94 Rockets started 20-1 and went on to win the championship. The 2015-16 Warriors started 21-0 and went on to lose in the NBA Finals. The 2025-26 Thunder started 20-1 and [TBD]. The straw that stirs the drink: Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up 33-5-7 on 67.3% true shooting, which is pretty incredible for a guy who rarely even plays in the fourth quarter and has been without his wingman, Jalen Williams, for all but two games. If not for Nikola Jokić, who is casually averaging a near 30-point triple-double, SGA would be the runaway favorite to win back-to-back MVPs. He scored 20+ points for the 93rd consecutive game on Sunday, which is the longest streak by any player not named Wilt Chamberlain (126 straight). Just how good are these guys? Well, let's see: Last year's Thunder team outscored opponents by 12.9 points per game, which broke the previous NBA record that had stood for more than half a century (12.3 by the 1971-72 Lakers). This year's Thunder squad? They're outscoring opponents by 15.5 points per game. More nights than not, they're cruising to victory. Looking ahead: What if I told you the NBA's best team could soon be adding the NBA's best prospect? The Thunder own the Clippers' 2026 first-round pick, and L.A.'s putrid 5-15 start means OKC currently has a 10% chance of landing the No. 1 pick (and a 40% chance of landing a top-four pick) in next year's draft. Something to keep an eye on as L.A.'s season spirals dangerously out of control. ? WEEK 13 DOES ANYBODY WANT TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL? The Panthers took down the heavily-favored Rams on Sunday in Charlotte. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images) The Rams, Eagles, Chiefs, Seahawks and Colts entered Week 13 as the five betting favorites to win the Super Bowl. Four of those teams (all but Seattle) promptly lost and got exposed in various ways. The big picture: The final month of the regular season is upon us, and it's hard to find any reliable contenders. In the NFC, the defending champion Eagles (8-4) are flailing and the rock solid-seeming Rams (9-3) just showed they, too, are prone to a bad loss. The Bears (9-3) are the No. 1 seed, but can they really be trusted? The Seahawks (9-3), 49ers (9-4), Packers (8-3-1) and Buccaneers (7-5) are the other teams in playoff position, while the Lions (7-5), Cowboys (6-5-1) and Panthers (7-6) are all in the hunt. Meanwhile, in the AFC: The Colts (8-4) have gone from "best team in the league" to ceding control of their own division to the Jaguars (8-4). They now find themselves in the messy middle alongside the Bills (8-4), Chargers (8-4), Texans (7-5), Chiefs (6-6), Ravens (6-6) and Steelers (6-6). The Broncos (10-2) have won nine straight games to leapfrog the Patriots (10-2) for first place, but they continue to fly under the radar. Perhaps that's because they barely eked out most of those wins, with seven of the nine being decided by four or fewer points. Week 13 Scoreboard: Cowboys 31, Chiefs 28 (Thanksgiving) Packers 31, Lions 24 (Thanksgiving) Bengals 32, Ravens 14 (Thanksgiving) Bears 24, Eagles 15 (Black Friday) Texans 20, Colts 16 Panthers 31, Rams 28 Seahawks 26, Vikings 0 Broncos 27, Commanders 26 (OT) Bills 26, Steelers 7 Buccaneers 20, Cardinals 17 Jets 27, Falcons 24 Jaguars 25, Titans 3 49ers 26, Browns 8 Chargers 31, Raiders 14 Dolphins 21, Saints 17 Fantasy Focus: Underdog in your league? Week 13 showed there is always hope for an upset ?? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Inter Miami crushed NYC FC, 5-1, on Saturday to reach the MLS Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. Breakout star Tadeo Allende netted a hat trick, giving him eight goals across Miami's five playoff games. Meanwhile, out West: Vancouver ended top-seeded San Diego's dream debut season with a 3-1 victory, sending the Whitecaps to their first MLS Cup Final. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Seattle — The Seattle Torrent drew 16,014 fans to Climate Pledge Arena on Friday for their inaugural home game, breaking the attendance record for a professional women's hockey game in the U.S. On the ice: Seattle lost, 3-0, to two-time defending champion Minnesota, leaving the expansion Torrent as the only PWHL team without a win through two weeks of action. Michigan head coach Dusty May celebrates with the Wolverines. (Zach Del Bello/Players Era/Getty Images) Las Vegas — No. 7 Michigan dominated the Players Era Festival with blowout victories over No. 21 Auburn (102-72) and No. 12 Gonzaga (101-61), making the Wolverines the first team in AP poll history (since 1948) to post consecutive 30-point wins against ranked opponents. On the women's side: No. 4 Texas won the Players Era Festival after beating No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina on consecutive days. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Copper Mountain, Colorado — Death, taxes, and Mikaela Shiffrin winning the slalom. Sunday's victory, which came in front of an adoring crowd on her home snow, marked the Olympian's fourth straight win in her best discipline and her record-extending 104th career World Cup win. A league of her own: How dominant was Shiffrin? The 1.57-second gap between her and the runner-up was the same as the gap between the runner-up and 11th place. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, DEC. 1 The Giants and Pats haven’t played in New England since 2019. Yes, that is Tom Brady. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) ? Giants at Patriots New England hosts New York (8:15pm ET, ABC/ESPN) in just their fourth meeting since Super Bowl XLVI nearly 14 years ago. Can the last-place Giants (2-10, six straight losses) pull off another stunner against the first-place Pats (10-2, nine straight wins)? ⚽️ USWNT vs. Italy The Americans close out the year in Fort Lauderdale with another friendly against the Italians (7pm, TBS/HBO Max) just three days after beating them, 3-0, in Orlando. More to watch: ? NBA: Bulls at Magic (7:30pm, Peacock); Suns at Lakers (10pm, Peacock) … The Lakers (15-4) have won seven straight games to take over second place in the West. ? NHL: Penguins at Flyers (7pm, NHL) … Philly hosts the season's second Battle of Pennsylvania. The Flyers took round one in a shootout. ? DUAL THREAT NFL TRIVIA (Cooper Neill/Getty Images) Josh Allen recorded his 76th career rushing touchdown on Sunday, passing Cam Newton for the most by a QB in NFL history. Question: Who ranks third on that list with 63 rushing TDs? Hint: Unlike Allen and Newton, he was not a first-round pick. Answer at the bottom. ? BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND Treylon Burks! (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) This weekend featured some of the best catches you'll ever see on the football field. Four of them top our list, and five made the cut overall. Top 13: ? Treylon Burks!!! ? KJ Duff!!! ? Puka Nacua!!! ? Brock Bowers!!! ? Pitt at the buzzer ? Stanford at the buzzer ⚽️ Tyler Adams from way out ? CJ Daniels!!! ? Assist while injured ? Ridiculous finish ? No-look goal ? Hardy to the house ? Block → Dunk Watch all 13. Trivia answer: Jalen Hurts Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 4, 2025 Author Members Posted December 4, 2025 ⚽ 1 for the road: U.S. Soccer's big plans Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios The U.S. Soccer Federation is undertaking ambitious and sprawling projects around next year's World Cup to boost the game from the youth ranks to the pros, AP reports. Why it matters: The organization's ultimate aim is to spread the sport at the youth level through school and community programs, expand fundraising efforts and position the U.S. professional leagues and national teams for future success. ? Between the lines: The growth potential in the U.S. is enormous. This structural shift could reshape the talent pipeline. Soccer Forward, the federation's legacy project announced last year, has begun selling schools on expanded soccer programs and bringing mini-fields into communities where the sport doesn't have a big footprint. The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, the U.S. Soccer Federation built on the financial infusion and the public's excitement to help launch Major League Soccer two years later. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 4, 2025 Author Members Posted December 4, 2025 ? Good morning! It's a great day to have a great day. In today's edition: Cinderella is on life support, the problem with the preseason poll, USWNT finish 2025 on a high note, Pats win 10th straight, déjà vu in Durham, photo finish and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Coaching carousel: UCLA is hiring James Madison head coach Bob Chesney, who will finish out the season with the Dukes (11-1) as they eye a CFP berth; Kentucky is hiring Oregon OC Will Stein; BYU's Kalani Sitake is reportedly "the focus" of Penn State's search. ? Hoops rankings: Purdue (men) and UConn (women) remain No. 1 in the latest AP polls, but Michigan (men) and LSU (women) sit atop the season's first NET rankings, which will be used by the NCAA selection committees leading up to March Madness. ?? College Football Brasil: NC State and Virginia will open the 2026 season in Rio de Janeiro, marking the first college football game ever played in South America. ⚾️ Swapping boroughs: Two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams is moving from the Bronx to Queens after the closer signed a three-year deal with the Mets worth more than $50 million. ? Dickie V's tournament debut: Dick Vitale and Charles Barkley will team up to call two college basketball games this season, including a First Four NCAA tournament game in March that will mark Vitale's March Madness debut. ? THE GROWING DIVIDE SO LONG, CINDERELLA? Julie Andrews poses with a glass slipper in the role of Cinderella, circa 1957. (Silver Screen Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images) Last season's chalky Sweet 16 sparked concerns about the growing divide between the haves and have nots in men's college basketball. The opening month of a new season has only fueled those concerns. From Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg: After the opening weekend of last season's historically chalky NCAA tournament, the remaining teams all shared something in common: Every team that advanced to the round of 16 hailed from a power conference. There were no giant-slaying underdogs for TV viewers to fall in love with, no small-conference afterthoughts punching above their weight class. A Sweet 16 loaded with nothing but big brands stoked growing concerns in college basketball circles that de facto free agency (a.k.a. the transfer portal) was widening the gap between well-heeled power-conference programs and everyone else. For days, debate raged over whether the absence of the usual March magic was a one-year aberration or the start of a troubling trend. Would the one-two punch of a soaring NIL market and the lack of transfer restrictions turn out to be "the death of mid-major Cinderella runs," as former Duke star and current ESPN analyst Jay Williams argued at the time? Or were scorching hot takes like that a wild overreaction to results from a single NCAA tournament? (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Early results: While it's too soon to definitively answer those questions, early evidence suggests that teams from smaller conferences have reason to be worried that they'll struggle to compete in March. Besides Gonzaga, not a single team from outside college basketball's power conferences has cracked the AP Top 25 so far this season, and high-majors are swatting aside smaller-conference competition with unprecedented ease. There were 378 matchups in November between high-majors and non-Gonzaga teams from other conferences. The little guy won just 22 of those games (5.82%), which is by far the lowest winning percentage of the past decade. Consider this: As recently as three Novembers ago, non-Gonzaga mid- and low-majors beat power-conference foes more than 16% of the time. But now that so much of the sport's talent is concentrated in the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC and Big East, those early-season upsets almost never happen (1 out of every ~17 meetings). While the transfer portal does work both ways, mid-major coaches say that it's tougher now than it was five years ago to find power-conference players seeking to drop down a level in search of more playing time. The NIL money available to a SEC or Big Ten benchwarmer often surpasses the market for a SoCon or Horizon League starter. "In the past, if you did a good job evaluating and a good job recruiting and you found guys who were a notch above your level, they wouldn't leave because they'd have to sit out some place," former Fairleigh Dickinson and Iona coach Tobin Anderson told Yahoo Sports. "Now with the portal and nonstop free agency, a good low-major or mid-major team for the most part is going to lose its best players every year." ? TOP 25 IS IT TIME TO DITCH THE AP PRESEASON POLL? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Here's a crazy stat: 12 of the 25 teams in the preseason AP college football poll finished the regular season unranked. Food for thought: Is it time to ditch the preseason poll? That initial Top 25 is a total crapshoot in the transfer era, with so many teams completely remaking their rosters year-to-year. The voters are just guessing. Teams are ranked at the beginning of the season that shouldn't be, and wins against those teams are inflated all year long. The opposite is also true: teams are unranked at the beginning of the season that should be ranked, and that can limit how high they climb. The big picture: While the CFP rankings take precedent midseason, the AP rankings inform the committee's first reveal and are used as a guide in the weeks that follow. So one could argue that the preseason AP poll — which is, again, a total guessing game — has an indirect influence on the playoff field. What's the solution? The simplest change would be to start the rankings after Week 1, or maybe even later than that (after Week 3?), to give voters a chance to actually watch teams play. In theory, this gives everyone a blank slate and encourages voters to rank teams based solely on the present, rather than letting the previous season (and any other preconceived notions) influence the rankings. What do you think: Is it time to ditch the preseason AP poll? Is delaying the initial rankings a week (or a few) a good potential solution? Any other ideas? ?? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA That about sums up the game. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images) Foxborough, Massachusetts — The Patriots cruised to a 33-15 victory over the Giants on "Monday Night Football," winning their 10th straight game to regain control of the AFC's No. 1 seed and the NFL's best record (11-2). Wild stat: The 2025 Patriots are the first team in NFL history to win 10 straight games in a single season while scoring at least 23 points and allowing 23 or fewer points in every game of the streak. Jaedyn Shaw celebrates her goal. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images) Fort Lauderdale, Florida — The USWNT closed out 2025 on a high note, picking up a 2-0 victory over Italy in their final match of the year behind a pair of first-half goals from Cat Macario and Jaedyn Shaw. Year in review: The U.S. went 12-3 this year across a dozen friendlies and the SheBelieves Cup, as head coach Emma Hayes used the lack of major tournaments as an opportunity to expand the player pool for the next World Cup cycle. (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) Baton Rouge, Louisiana — Lane Kiffin was introduced as LSU's new head coach on Monday, officially accepting "the best job in America" after being lured from Ole Miss by a lucrative deal that was finalized in a private airport hangar in Baton Rouge. Contract details: Kiffin's seven-year, $91 million contract makes him the nation's second highest-paid coach (Kirby Smart). As part of his deal, Kiffin will receive bonuses based on how far Ole Miss advances in the playoff… and those bonuses will be paid by LSU. ? DIAPER DANDY DÉJÀ VU IN DURHAM (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) Last season, a Duke freshman (Cooper Flagg) led the team in every major statistic en route to being the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Could the same thing happen again this season? Déjà vu: Highly-touted freshman Cameron Boozer leads the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes, and he's firmly in the mix to be the top selection in June. Flagg (2024-25): 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks, 30.8 minutes Boozer (2025-26): 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks, 28.0 minutes Wild stat: Boozer is the only Division I or NBA player in the last 30 seasons to have 175+ points, 75+ rebounds, 25+ assists, 10 or fewer turnovers and an undefeated record over an eight-game span… and he did it in the first eight games of his career. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, DEC. 2 The Thunder blew out the Warriors in their first meeting last month. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) ? NBA on NBC We've got ourselves quite the doubleheader tonight, with the Celtics hosting the second-place Knicks (8pm ET) and the Warriors hosting the first-place Thunder (11pm). Top scorers on display: All four teams have a player among the league's top-13 scorers in OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32.5 ppg), New York's Jalen Brunson (28.5), Boston's Jaylen Brown (28.4) and Golden State's Steph Curry (27.9). ? Men's College Hoops Just nine men's programs have won at least three national championships, and six of them are playing against each other tonight in a trio of ranked matchups: No. 15 Florida at No. 4 Duke (7:30pm, ESPN), No. 5 UConn at No. 21 Kansas (9pm, ESPN2) and No. 16 UNC at No. 18 Kentucky (9:30pm, ESPN). The nine three-time winners: UCLA (11 titles), Kentucky (8), UNC (6), UConn (6), Duke (5), Indiana (5), Kansas (4), Florida (3) and Villanova (3). More to watch: ? NCAAW: No. 1 UConn at South Florida (5pm, ESPN2) … The top-ranked Huskies have won 23 straight games dating back to last season. ? NHL: Lightning at Islanders (7pm, ESPN+) … Tampa Bay (16-7-2) has won seven straight and 15 of 18 to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference. ⚽️ Premier League: Fulham vs. Man City (2:30pm, USA) … Erling Haaland has scored more than half (14) of City's 27 goals this season. ⚽️ La Liga: Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid (3pm, ESPN+) … First-place Barça hosts fourth-place Atleti. ?️ 5X CHAMPS F1 TRIVIA Verstappen celebrates after winning Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images) If Max Verstappen wins the Formula 1 championship this weekend in Abu Dhabi, he will become the fourth driver to win at least five F1 titles. Question: Which three drivers would he join? Hint: England, Germany, Argentina. Answer at the bottom. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH Fireworks lit up the south stand at Johan Cruyff Arena. (Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images) ?? Amsterdam, Netherlands — Sunday's match between Ajax and Groningen was abandoned in the sixth minute after Ajax supporters set off copious fireworks in honor of a recently deceased member of the club's ultras group, the F-Side. The match will resume today behind closed doors. Trivia answer: Lewis Hamilton (7 titles), Michael Schumacher (7), Juan Manuel Fangio (5) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 5, 2025 Author Members Posted December 5, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Quote of the day, penultimate CFP rankings, Big Numbers, NFL playoff picture, LSU won't stop scoring, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Sitake stays put: BYU's Kalani Sitake, whom Penn State was reportedly targeting to be their next head coach, has instead signed an extension to remain in Provo. Great news for the Cougars (11-1), who are about to play in the Big 12 championship for a spot in the CFP. ? Clips part ways with CP3: The Clippers sent Chris Paul home in the middle of their road trip, parting ways with the future Hall of Famer in the middle of his 21st and final NBA season. Specifics of the split are not yet known. ⚽️ U.S. books elite matchups: The USMNT will face Belgium, Portugal and Germany in friendlies next year during their two international windows (March and June) ahead of the World Cup. All three teams are currently ranked in the top 10, with a fourth opponent still to be determined. ?️ Max's new teammate: Red Bull is promoting Isack Hadjar to be their second driver next season in place of Yuki Tsunoda. Hadjar will be Max Verstappen's fourth teammate in the past three years, as Red Bull searches for some stability alongside their four-time defending champ. ? Thrilling night of college hoops: Unranked Syracuse stunned No. 13 Tennessee, 62-60; No. 4 Duke held off No. 15 Florida's furious rally for a 67-66 win; No. 16 North Carolina (over No. 18 Kentucky) and No. 5 UConn (over No. 21 Kansas) both picked up narrow road victories. ? WORDS TO LIVE BY QUOTE OF THE DAY (Sean Meagher/The Oregonian) Oregon State's new head football coach, JaMarcus Shephard, shared some powerful words on Tuesday. So powerful, in fact, that I decided to start today's edition with them. Amid constant headlines about coaching salaries, NIL payments and CFP predictions, this is the stuff that really matters. JaMarcus Shephard: I think that each and every one of us approaches each day with a little bit of brokenness inside of us. Everyone has a little bit of brokenness inside of them, regardless of how you grew up, regardless of what your home environment was. Everybody has a little bit of brokenness and a will to win. I want everyone to know that you can still achieve the level of success that you want, regardless of the brokenness that you have inside. These young men walking around here, they have issues that you would never know. I've been in this position, l've been in this office now for just over 24 hours and I already had a young man break down crying in my office. All of them are walking around with a little bit of brokenness, and I just wanted to help reinforce in them that, no, you could have the type of success that you want to have regardless of that. So, that inspires me every day. It's funny, my wife gotta listen some days. I get up in the morning, I look in the mirror, and I say to myself, "There's someone who needs you today, big dog. They need you. They need you now. They don't need you a week from now. They don't need you a month from now. They need you today. I don't care what's going on in your life right now. Go help them." And that is what my life is all about. It's about helping people. ? 12-TEAM PLAYOFF CFP: COULD NOTRE DAME FALL OUT? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Did the College Football Playoff Committee just set a trapdoor for Notre Dame to fall right out of the field and be replaced by Miami? From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: After weeks of propping up Notre Dame's feeble résumé to make it seem like the Irish were a lock for the 12-team field as long as they finished 10-2, there is legitimate drama surrounding the playoff's most divisive contender as we head into the final weekend. In a surprise Tuesday night during the penultimate ranking show on ESPN, the committee moved Alabama up to No. 9 and dropped Notre Dame to No. 10. That's crucial because, with the ACC and American Conference champions almost certainly finishing outside of the top-12, the last at-large spot will go to the team ranked No. 10. Why is that potentially bad news for Notre Dame? It all comes down to, of all things, the Big 12 championship game between Texas Tech and BYU. The Red Raiders are ranked No. 4 and seem to be a playoff lock regardless of what happens. BYU is No. 11 and would get an automatic bid with a win, giving the Big 12 a second playoff team — and knocking Notre Dame out of playoff position. (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) But here's where it gets really interesting. Say Texas Tech wins, as expected. That would presumably knock the Cougars down in the rankings among other two-loss teams. And if the committee's ordering of the two-loss teams looks like it did this week, that means the final two teams to evaluate for the last spot would be either Notre Dame or … Miami. So far, the selection committee has resisted a direct either/or comparison between Notre Dame and Miami because the Irish have been ranked several spots ahead. But if that becomes the inevitable choice for the final playoff spot, would the committee not have to default to Miami's 27-24 win over Notre Dame in Week 1 as the tiebreaker to jump the Hurricanes into the final at-large spot? "The head-to-head is one data point the committee will use," selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said Tuesday. "It's obviously easier to use when the teams are back-to-back [in the rankings] as opposed to when they're separated by a team or two or three as has been the case." Uh, oh, Irish. At the very least, the committee understands the theatrical aspect of what it just did. One way or another, Notre Dame vs. Miami for the final spot would be the most explosive controversy in the 12-year history of the CFP. ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) ⚽️ 100 goals Manchester City's Erling Haaland scored his 100th Premier League goal in his 111th match on Tuesday, making him the fastest player to reach the century mark. The previous record of 124 matches, held by Alan Shearer, stood for 30 years. Fastest to 100 goals: Haaland (111 matches), Shearer (124), Harry Kane (141), Sergio Agüero (147), Thierry Henry (160), Mohamed Salah (162), Ian Wright (173), Robbie Fowler (175), Les Ferdinand (178), Michael Owen (185), Andy Cole (185). ? 116.8 points NBA teams are scoring at a historic clip to start the season, averaging 116.8 points per game through November. That's the third-highest mark entering December since the early 1960s, trailing only the 1961-62 season (118.1 ppg) and 1960-61 season (117.4 ppg), back when legends like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were at the height of their powers. The game has changed: Back in 1961-62, NBA teams attempted 108 field goals (none of which were threes) and 37 free throws per game. This season, they're attempting 89 field goals (37 of which are threes) and 25 free throws per game. The final scores may look the same, but it's a completely different sport. ? $3.3 million One bettor at BetMGM put $50,000 on the Bears earlier this season to win the Super Bowl at 66-1 odds. The bet would win $3.3 million, which is currently the largest reported futures bet for Super Bowl LX at any legal U.S. sportsbook. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) ? 45.3% of games Zion Williamson, already limited to just 10 games this season due to injury, will now miss "extended time" with an adductor strain. Since entering the league in 2019, the Pelicans star has played in just 224 of a possible 494 regular-season games. That's a 45.3% availability rate. Dark days in New Orleans: Though it's still early, this is looking like it may be another lost season for the Pelicans, who have the worst record in the NBA (3-19) and fired their head coach last month. Now their best player is back in street clothes… again. ? $228 million Total buyouts for 15 fired FBS coaches in 2025 has reached $228 million, which is a record by nearly $100 million. The biggest buyouts: LSU's Brian Kelly ($54 million), Kentucky's Mark Stoops ($38 million), Michigan State's Jonathan Smith ($33.5 million), Florida's Billy Napier ($21 million), Auburn's Hugh Freeze ($15.8 million) and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy ($15 million). ? 38 years old Sidney Crosby is defying Father Time in his age-38 season, fueling the Penguins' surprise start (13-7-5) and ranking third in the NHL with 18 goals. The ages of the other players in the top five: 20, 27, 28 and 30. ? WEEK 14 NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) With five weeks left in the regular season, just 10 teams in each conference still have a realistic shot of making the playoffs. NFC: The Bears are No. 1 in the NFC entering December for the first time since 2006, which is also the last time they reached the Super Bowl. It hasn't always been pretty, as evidenced by their +6 scoring differential (eighth-best in the conference), but wins are wins. Bears (9-3) Rams (9-3) Eagles (8-4) Buccaneers (7-5) Seahawks (9-3) Packers (8-3-1) 49ers (9-4) … In the hunt: Lions (7-5), Cowboys (6-5-1), Panthers (7-6) Highly unlikely: Falcons (4-8), Vikings (4-8), Commanders (3-9) Eliminated: Cardinals (3-9), Saints (2-10), Giants (2-11) Games of the week: Cowboys at Lions (Thursday night), Bears at Packers, Eagles at Chargers (Monday night) (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) AFC: The Chiefs have made at least the Conference Championship in all seven seasons of the Patrick Mahomes era. In Year 8, they may need to run the table to even reach the postseason. Patriots (11-2) Broncos (10-2) Jaguars (8-4) Ravens (6-6) Chargers (8-4) Colts (8-4) Bills (8-4) … In the hunt: Texans (7-5), Steelers (6-6), Chiefs (6-6), Highly unlikely: Dolphins (5-7), Bengals* (4-8), Jets (3-9), Browns (3-9) Eliminated: Raiders (2-10), Titans (1-11) Games of the week: Colts at Jaguars, Steelers at Ravens, Texans at Chiefs (Sunday night), Bengals at Bills Go deeper: Week 14 power rankings (Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports) *Could Cincy pull off a stunner? The wild card is out of the question for the 4-8 Bengals, but they're just two games behind the division-leading Ravens and Steelers (both 6-6) with five games to play. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3 Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis during Monday's win over Denver. (Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) ? Heat at Mavericks Dallas — which has won two straight for the first time all season — hosts Miami (8:30pm ET, NBA) as the Mavs seek another victory behind rookie Cooper Flagg, who appears to have put his slow start behind him. Heating up: In the past week, 18-year-old Flagg has become the youngest player in NBA history to score 35+ points in a game and the youngest to dish out 10+ assists. After averaging 13.9 points on 40.3% FG in his first 10 games, Flagg has averaged 19.9 points on 51.5% FG in his last 11. ⚽️ Premier League, Week 14 A trio of top-12 matchups headline today's six-game slate. First-place Arsenal hosts 12th-place Brentford (2:30pm, USA), fifth-place Brighton hosts fourth-place Aston Villa (2:30pm, Peacock) and eighth-place Liverpool hosts sixth-place Sunderland (3:15pm, Peacock). More to watch: ? NHL: Sabres at Flyers (7:30pm); Mammoth at Ducks (10pm) … Anaheim (16-9-1) sits in first place in the Pacific. ? NCAAM: No. 6 Louisville at No. 25 Arkansas (7:15pm, ESPN); Clemson at No. 12 Alabama (7:15pm, ESPNU); SMU at No. 17 Vanderbilt (9:15pm, SEC) … Vandy is off to its first 8-0 start since 2007-08 behind the nation's second-best offense (97.9 ppg). ? NCAAW: No. 17 Kentucky at Miami (5pm, ESPN2); Virginia at No. 15 Vanderbilt (5pm, SEC); NC State at No. 9 Oklahoma (7pm, ESPN2); No. 19 Tennessee at Stanford (9:15pm, ESPN2) … The Vandy women are also off to an 8-0 start, their first since 2011-12. ? MVP RACE NBA TRIVIA Giannis and Luka in action last month. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) The top four betting favorites for NBA MVP are all international players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Nikola Jokić Luka Dončić Giannis Antetokounmpo Question: Can you name the countries all four were born in? Answer at the bottom. ? TRIPLE DIGITS LSU WON'T STOP SCORING (Matthew Hinton/AP Photo) Fifth-ranked LSU isn't just off to an undefeated start — they've accomplished something no other team in the history of the sport has ever done before. Keep it 100: The scorching-hot Tigers (8-0) have scored 100 points in all eight games so far, breaking a 43-year-old NCAA record for the longest streak of 100-point games at any point in a season. LSU 108, Houston Christian 55 LSU 115, SE Louisiana 26 LSU 118, Georgia Southern 70 LSU 117, Charlotte 59 LSU 101, Tulane 71 LSU 112, Alcorn State 49 LSU 113, Marist 53 LSU 112, Washington State 35 Flashback: The previous record was held by Louisiana Tech, which scored 100+ in six straight games in February 1982 before winning the inaugural NCAA women's basketball championship that March. Here's the kicker: The same woman had a hand in both streaks. In 1982, Kim Mulkey was Tech's All-American starting point guard. 43 years later, she's LSU's head coach. Trivia answer: Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Jokić (Serbia), Dončić (Slovenia), Antetokounmpo (Greece) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 5, 2025 Author Members Posted December 5, 2025 ? Spotify's top artists of '25 Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Bad Bunny was Spotify's top global artist this year, breaking Taylor Swift's two-year streak, Axios' Maxwell Millington reports. ? Album release dates played a part in the Puerto Rican star's rise to the top. ? Bad Bunny's "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" dropped in January, while Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" came out in October — giving it less time to rack up listens. Also topping Spotify's charts... ? Top U.S. songs of 2025: "Luther (with sza)" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, "Die With a Smile" by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, and "Ordinary" by Alex Warren. ? Top U.S. albums of 2025: "I'm the Problem" by Morgan Wallen, "SOS Deluxe: Lana" by SZA, and "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" by Bad Bunny. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 7, 2025 Author Members Posted December 7, 2025 ? Good morning! There are 28 days left in 2025. Make the most of 'em. In today's edition: Serena comeback rumors, Giannis trade talk, Heisman watch, big wave surfing at Nazaré, why MLB front offices are so risk-averse, Jalen Brunson for mayor, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Most-watched game: The Cowboys' win over the Chiefs on Thanksgiving drew a staggering 57.2 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched regular-season NFL game ever. It shattered the previous record of 42.1 million viewers in 2022. ? National Signing Day: USC ended National Signing Day with the top-ranked recruiting class (per Rivals), snapping the SEC's 17-year streak of inking the No. 1 class. Rounding out the top 10: Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Tennessee, Miami, Texas A&M and LSU. ? Giannis trade talks: Giannis Antetokounmpo's will-they, won't-they future with the Bucks may finally be nearing a conclusion. The two sides are reportedly discussing a potential exit with a resolution expected "in the coming weeks." ⚽️ Rodman deal vetoed: The Washington Spirit's multi-million dollar offer to retain Trinity Rodman has reportedly been vetoed by NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman. The star forward was ready to accept the deal but Berman felt the structure of the contract violated the spirit of the league. ? Coaching carousel: South Florida is hiring Ohio State OC Brian Hartline as their new head coach; Kansas State will hire Texas A&M OC Collin Klein to replace Chris Klieman, who is retiring. ? THE G.O.A.T. IS SERENA MAKING A COMEBACK? Williams during the 2022 U.S. Open. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Serena Williams has filed the necessary paperwork to return to tennis, but the 23-time Grand Slam winner says she isn't making a comeback. What's going on? Catch up quick: News broke Tuesday that Williams had informed the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that she is pursuing reentry into the anti-doping pool. "She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool. I do not know if this means she is coming back, or just giving herself the option. All I can say is she's back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts." — ITIA spokesperson, via The Athletic The backdrop: Williams, 44, last played a competitive match during the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. The day after her defeat, she applied for official retirement with the ITIA, which meant she was exempt from random drug testing. To be eligible to return, she would need to be listed in the testing pool for six months, setting her up for a potential comeback in 2026. Yes, but: Williams took to social media on Tuesday to deny the rumors. "Omg yall I'm NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy." So, what's going on here? Here's my take: Williams is planning to return to tennis in some capacity, whether that's singles or doubles (possibly alongside her sister, who made her own comeback last year). But reporters finding her name on a testing list is such a lame, unexciting way for that news to break that she's denying it for now. This is the G.O.A.T. we're talking about here. If she comes back, that's a huge story. The kind of story she breaks herself with a fully orchestrated roll out. We're talking sit-down interview, announcement video, an official return date, the works. Not a random report on a Tuesday about random drug testing. Of note: According to tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, Williams had previously sought a comeback in August, with a likely eye on playing doubles at the U.S. Open alongside Venus. That never materialized. ? WHO YA GOT? HEISMAN WATCH (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The race for the Heisman Trophy is as close — and exciting — as humanly possible, with the winner likely decided this weekend by the two quarterbacks of the nation's last two undefeated teams… who happen to be facing off in the Big Ten Championship. Sayin vs. Mendoza: Ohio State sophomore Julian Sayin and Indiana junior Fernando Mendoza are co-favorites to win the award (+165 at BetMGM), and it's not hard to see why given their similar résumés and the fact that whoever wins on Saturday will enter the CFP as the No. 1 seed. Sayin: 3,065 yards on a 78.9% completion rate (currently the best mark ever); 30 TDs against 5 INTs; 184.8 passer rating (leads FBS); 27 rush yards Mendoza: 2,758 yards on a 72% completion rate; 32 TDs (leads FBS) against 5 INTs; 183.7 passer rating (second in FBS); 243 rush yards and 6 TD The third horse in the race: There remains an outside chance that Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia (+200) could win instead. His stats are comparable (3,192 yards, 71.2% completion rate, 27 TDs, 8 INTs, 171.5 RTG; 826 rush yards, 9 TD), but his Commodores didn't make the SEC title game, so he won't get the chance to make a final statement like Sayin and Mendoza will. What to watch: Heisman voting ends Monday, with the finalists announced that night. The winner will be revealed next Saturday at Manhattan's Lincoln Center. ? SURF'S UP IN PHOTOS: RIDING GIANTS (David Ramos/Getty Images) Big wave surfers rode some giants on Tuesday in Nazaré, Portugal, a once sleepy fishing village that has become a world-renowned destination thanks to the giant waves that crash along its shores. (David Ramos/Getty Images) Some have described riding these waves as being more akin to snowboarding. In the photo above, the water even looks like snow! (David Ramos/Getty Images) Eight of the 11 biggest waves ever surfed — all at least 70 feet — came at Nazaré. The other three came at Cortes Bank in Southern California and Jaws Beach in Maui. ? GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ Russell Dorsey: Why MLB front offices have become more risk-averse and what it means for the trade market There was a time not too long ago when MLB teams seemed more willing to take big swings in the trade market, moving highly touted prospects in order to acquire established big-league talent. Those days seem to be gone, as front offices have taken a more risk-averse approach in recent years, trying to be more cautious when it comes to making trades. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) ? Dan Wolken: Conference championship weekend has lost its appeal, and only one coach seems to care about it anyways For better or worse, the college football season is a three-month qualifier for the CFP. That is the lens through which fans, players and coaches increasingly see the sport. The upside to that plays out every week, where more than a dozen games — many of which were formerly irrelevant in the old system — have a direct impact on the field. The downside is that conference championship games, for the most part, exist as filler programming that adds very little to the fabric of the season. If anything, they mostly just get in the way of college football's ability to offer a more sensible schedule. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) ? Dan Devine: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, is getting better at everything — in case you haven't noticed It's hard to make memorable highlight reels out of below-the-rim finishes, midrange Js and two-hand chest passes back out to a popping Isaiah Joe. But it's also hard to make those plays again, and again, and again, with the economy of movement of an elite marathon runner, while never messing anything up. It all contributes to a sense of frictionlessness in Gilgeous-Alexander's ongoing growth, from lottery pick to trade-haul jewel to starter to All-Star to All-NBA to All-Everything. How do you track the development of a player who made the leap three years ago and then … just hasn't stopped leaping? ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, DEC. 4 The Lions obliterated the Cowboys, 47-9, in last year's matchup at Jerry World. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images) ? Cowboys at Lions Detroit hosts Dallas (8:15pm ET, Prime) in what could be one of the most entertaining "Thursday Night Football" games of the year as two of the NFL's four highest-scoring offenses go head-to-head in a game that suddenly has huge playoff implications. Where it stands: The Cowboys (6-5-1) have won three straight while the Lions (7-5) have lost four of seven. Whoever wins tonight will be the first team outside the NFC playoff picture. ? ACC/SEC Challenge Three ranked matchups tonight in women's hoops: No. 11 UNC at No. 2 Texas (7pm, ESPN2), No. 3 South Carolina at No. 22 Louisville (7pm, ESPN) and No. 18 Notre Dame at No. 13 Ole Miss (9pm, ESPN2). Plus: Duke hosts No. 5 LSU (9pm, ESPN), which seeks its record-extending ninth straight 100-point game. The Tigers (8-0) have won every game so far by 30+ points. ? NCAA Volleyball Championship The 64-team women's volleyball tournament tips off with 16 first-round games (3pm-10:30pm, ESPN+). Kentucky is the only No. 1 seed in action today, while the other three (Nebraska, Pitt, Texas) take the court tomorrow. More to watch: ⛳️ PGA: Hero World Challenge (10:45am, Peacock; 1:30pm, Golf) … Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth headline the exclusive 20-player field in The Bahamas. ? NBA: Warriors at 76ers (7pm, NBA) … Eighth in the West vs. ninth in the East. ? Swimming: U.S. Open Championships (7pm, Peacock) … The world's best swimmers compete in the final major long-course meet of the year. ? TROPHY CASE HEISMAN TRIVIA Heisman contender Julian Sayin celebrates after beating Michigan on Saturday. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Ohio State is one of three schools (Notre Dame, Oklahoma) with seven Heisman Trophy winners. Question: Can you name the only school with more? Answer at the bottom. ? ELECTION DAY BRUNSON, GEHRIG AMONG WRITE-INS FOR NYC MAYOR New Yorkers cross 42nd Street and 7th Avenue in Times Square on Primary Election Day. (Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images) The New York mayoral election was settled a month ago, with Zohran Mamdani scoring a win over Andrew Cuomo. What was not settled were the write-in votes. Off-menu choices: The full list of write-in votes was released Tuesday, and more than a few people opted to cast their votes for a wide array of sports figures. From Yahoo Sports' Jack Baer: It's hard to say what possesses a person to vote for Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson or former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. We have even more questions for the people who voted for Hank Aaron (who died in 2021) or Lou Gehrig (who died in 1941). Brooklyn native Sandy Koufax, who remains alive and attending World Series games at 89, got a vote after leaving the city with the Dodgers in the 1950s. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart got two votes, or three if you count the vote for "Jackson Dart." So did his teammate, running back Cam Skattebo, and New York Yankees playoff hero Cam Schlittler. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also got a vote, as did three NFL players who have been division rivals for New York teams their entire careers: Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and, of course, Tom Brady. On the media side, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith got two votes while pondering a political career. In terms of volume, Knicks star Jalen Brunson took the win among athletes with 27 votes, well ahead of second place, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge's 11. If you count the votes for "Jaylen Brunson" and "Jalen Bronson," he tied with Hillary Clinton for the 12th-most votes among write-in candidates. Trivia answer: USC (eight winners) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 7, 2025 Author Members Posted December 7, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: The World Cup draw is here, Lions beat Cowboys on TNF, Weekend Watchlist, how the ACC could miss the CFP, Kroenke's sports empire is thriving, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? LeBron's streak ends: LeBron James scored fewer than 10 points for the first time since 2007, snapping his mind-blowing streak after 1,297 straight games of double-digit scoring. Michael Jordan has the second-longest streak ever (866) and Kevin Durant now has the longest active one (267). Typical LeBron: James had a chance to keep the streak going on Thursday night, with eight points and the ball as time ran out in a tie game. But instead of taking the shot himself, he made the extra pass and found Rui Hachimura in the corner for a game-winning buzzer-beater. ? Vandy's last-ditch effort: No. 14 Vanderbilt reportedly explored the possibility of playing a 13th game this weekend in an effort to boost their odds of making the College Football Playoff. As it stands, the Commodores have next to no chance of making the 12-team field. ? Giannis out 2-4 weeks: Hours after reports surfaced that the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo were discussing his future with the team, the two-time MVP went down with a non-contact calf strain that's expected to sideline him for 2-4 weeks. ? Coaching carousel: James Madison is hiring former Florida head coach Billy Napier, who was fired midseason; Penn State is reportedly focused on Iowa State's Matt Campbell. ? Class of 2026: Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin, Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver and Nigel "The Dark Destroyer" Benn headline the International Boxing Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. They'll be inducted in June at the Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, 30 miles east of Syracuse. ⚽️ GLOBAL GAME THE WORLD CUP DRAW IS HERE (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) The draw for the 2026 World Cup is this afternoon (12pm ET, Fox) at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where each participating nation will learn their group stage opponents for next summer's tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. How it works: The record 48-team field, currently split into four pots of 12, will be drawn into 12 groups of four that will compete against each other in the opening round-robin. 42 nations have already qualified, with the final six set to be determined via playoff in March. From Yahoo Sports' Steven Goff: The World Cup draw will bring together coaches and officials from qualified teams, diplomats and politicians, celebrity guests, former soccer stars and current and former non-soccer athletes. It will rekindle the bromance between the bosses of soccer and the host country, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino expected to award U.S. President Donald Trump with a peace prize that, until last month, did not exist. It will throw a bone to a nation's capital, which, in a World Cup rarity, was passed over as a match venue because of an inadequate stadium. And if that's not enough, if a global TV audience demands even more from the drawn-out festivities beyond Kevin Hart, Robbie Williams, Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal, Wayne Gretzky and Aaron Judge, there is … The Village People. (But will they improvise "Y-M-C-A" into "F-I-F-A?") Oh yes, there is the soccer aspect, too. For the unengaged American observer, it's Selection Sunday for the NCAA basketball tournament but with greater unpredictability, far more wrinkles and a much longer runway to the competition. Soccer fans worldwide will debate the groups and pathways to the knockout stage until the June 11 grand opening at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. ? SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS Gibbs jogs out of the tunnel before the game. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) ?? Detroit, Michigan — The Lions overwhelmed the Cowboys in Thursday's 44-30 victory behind another huge game from Jahmyr Gibbs (120 yards, 3 TD), putting Detroit (8-5) just a game out of the playoffs and sending Dallas (6-6-1) back to the brink of postseason irrelevancy. Jahmyr matches Barry: Gibbs has now scored a staggering 47 touchdowns in his first 45 career games, tying Barry Sanders for the most before turning 24 in NFL history. And he's still got four games left to pass him. (Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images) ?? Athens, Greece — Greek rower Stefanos Ntouskos lights a cauldron with the Olympic flame in front of the Parthenon during the Olympic torch relay on Wednesday. Countdown to Milan Cortina: The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Games is just 63 days away on February 6 (though curling actually begins two days earlier). (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) ?? Albany, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler plays his first tee shot during Wednesday's practice round at Albany Golf Course ahead of the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial PGA Tour event hosted by Tiger Woods. Leaderboard: Scheffler, naturally, is among the leaders entering the second round after shooting a 6-under 66 on Thursday. He's tied at the top with four others (Akshay Bhatia, Wyndham Clark, J.J. Spaun, Sepp Straka) in the limited field of 20 golfers. (Alex Grimm/Getty Images) ?? Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany — A Freiburg supporter waits in the stadium for the DFB Cup Round of 16 match between Sport-Club Freiburg and SV Darmstadt 98 at Europa-Park Stadion. Eight teams left: Germany's annual domestic cup has reached the quarterfinals, where Bayern Munich — undefeated in league play this season — are favorites to emerge with their record 21st title. No other club has more than six. ? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST The Power 4 championships are all on Saturday. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) ? FBS Conference Championships All nine FBS conferences play their championship games this weekend. Four will take place tonight, with games hosted by the higher-ranked teams. The other five will take place tomorrow at NFL stadiums. CUSA: Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State (Fri. 7pm ET, CBSSN) Sun Belt: Troy at No. 25 James Madison (Fri. 7pm, ESPN) American: No. 24 North Texas at No. 20 Tulane (Fri. 8pm, ABC) Mountain West: UNLV at Boise State (Fri. 8pm, Fox) Big 12: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 BYU (Sat. 12pm, ABC) … AT&T Stadium (Cowboys) MAC: Miami-Ohio vs. Western Michigan (Sat. 12pm, ESPN) … Ford Field (Lions) SEC: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 9 Alabama (Sat. 4pm, ABC) … Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Falcons) Big Ten: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Indiana (Sat. 8pm, Fox) … Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts) ACC: No. 17 Virginia vs. Duke (Sat. 8pm, ABC) … Bank of America Stadium (Panthers) What's at stake: The five highest-ranked winners of these nine games following Sunday's final CFP rankings reveal will earn an automatic berth in the 12-team playoff. ⚽️ MLS Cup Final Inter Miami hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps in Saturday's MLS championship (2:30pm, Fox/Apple) as both clubs seek their first title. Messi vs. Müller: Miami's Lionel Messi and Vancouver's Thomas Müller will face off for the 11th time in their storied careers, with Müller holding a significant 7-3 advantage. Their presence in this final also means that, no matter what, someone will walk away from this game as the first player to have won both a World Cup and an MLS Cup.* *Messi won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina while Müller won in 2014 with Germany. Two other players could join the club, too: Miami's Sergio Busquets won the 2010 World Cup with Spain and Miami's Rodrigo de Paul won alongside Messi in 2022. ? NFL Week 14 Sunday's slate is headlined by three critical divisional matchups in which the winner will claim sole possession of first place with four games left. AFC South: Colts at Jaguars (1pm, CBS) … Indy and Jacksonville are both 8-4. AFC North: Steelers at Ravens (1pm, CBS) … Pittsburgh and Baltimore are both 6-6. NFC North: Bears at Packers (4:25pm, Fox) … Chicago (9-3) leads Green Bay (8-3-1) by a half-game. Best of the rest: The 8-4 Bills, currently holding the AFC's final playoff spot, host the 4-8 Bengals (1pm, Fox); The 6-6 Chiefs, who may need to run the table for a shot at the postseason, host the 7-5 Texans (8:20pm, NBC). ?️ F1 Season Finale Three drivers are still alive for the championship entering Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (8am, ESPN2) — the 24th and final race of the F1 season. McLaren's Lando Norris (408 points) controls his own destiny, but Red Bull's Max Verstappen (396) and McLaren's Oscar Piastri (392) can still catch him, though Piastri is an extreme long shot. Verstappen will win the title if… He wins the race and Norris finishes outside the top three; or he finishes second and Norris finishes eighth or lower; or he finishes third and Norris finishes ninth or lower. If Verstappen misses the podium, he cannot win the title. ? NCAA Men's Basketball It's heaven on the hardwood this weekend with six ranked matchups: No. 11 Gonzaga at No. 18 Kentucky (Fri. 7pm, ESPN2); No. 10 Iowa State at No. 1 Purdue (Sat. 12pm, CBS); No. 4 Duke at No. 7 Michigan State (Sat. 12pm, Fox); No. 6 Louisville at No. 22 Indiana (Sat. 2pm, CBS); No. 14 Illinois at No. 13 Tennessee (Sat. 8pm, ESPN); No. 20 Auburn at No. 2 Arizona (Sat. 10pm, ESPN). Player of the Year? Preseason All-American Braden Smith has been lights out for top-ranked Purdue, becoming just the third player in the last three decades to go 8-0 with 100+ points, 70+ assists and 15+ made threes through eight games. He also dropped one of the smoothest dimes you'll see all season in Tuesday's win over Rutgers. ⚽️ NCAA Soccer Championships The Men's Tournament has reached the Elite Eight and the Women's Tournament has reached the College Cup (Final Four), which is being held at CPKC Stadium, home of the NWSL's Kansas City Current. Men: No. 7 Georgetown vs. No. 15 NC State (Fri. 6pm, ESPN+); No. 8 Portland vs. No. 16 Furman (Fri. 10pm, ESPN+); No. 4 Maryland vs. Washington (Sat. 1pm, ESPN+); No. 14 Akron vs. Saint Louis (Sat. 1pm, ESPN+) Women: No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Florida State (Fri. 6pm, ESPNU); No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 2 Duke (Fri. 8:45pm, ESPNU) … Winners meet on Monday in the championship. More to watch: ? NBA: Lakers at Celtics (Fri. 7pm, Prime); Mavericks at Thunder (Fri. 9:30pm, Prime); Warriors at Cavaliers (Sat. 7:30pm, NBA) … OKC's only loss this season (21-1) came by two points. We're officially on 74-win watch. ? NHL: Golden Knights at Devils (Fri. 7pm, NHL); Avalanche at Flyers (Sun. 1pm, NHL) … Colorado (19-2-6) has just two regulation losses all season. No other team has fewer than five. ? NCAAW: Purdue at No. 6 Michigan (Sun. 12pm, BTN); DePaul at No. 1 UConn (Sun. 1pm, FS1); Oregon at No. 4 UCLA (Sun. 3pm, FS1); No. 21 Washington at No. 16 USC (Sun. 8pm, BTN) ⚽️ Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Arsenal (Sat. 7:30am, USA); Manchester City vs. Sunderland (Sat. 10am, Peacock) … Top-six matchups. ? NCAA Volleyball Championships: First and Second Round (Fri-Sat, ESPN+) … The field will be cut to 16 by Saturday night. ⛳️ PGA: Hero World Challenge (Fri-Sun, Peacock/Golf/NBC) … The 20-player event continues at Albany Golf Club in The Bahamas. ? Swimming: U.S. Open Championships (Fri-Sat, Peacock) … The year's final major long-course meet concludes in Austin, Texas. ? MMA: UFC 323 (Sat. 10pm, ESPN+ PPV) … Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan's bantamweight title fight headlines the card in Las Vegas. ❄️ The Snow League: China (Fri-Sat, Peacock) … 36 snowboarders and 16 freeskiers will compete in the second event of Shaun White's winter sports league, which kicked off this past March in Aspen. ? 12-TEAM PLAYOFF COULD THE ACC MISS OUT ON THE CFP? Virginia beat Duke, 34-17, in their first matchup last month. (Lance King/Getty Images) The ACC has produced three of the last 12 college football national champions. This year, thanks to bad losses, bad coaching and a bonkers five-team tiebreaker, the league is in very real danger of missing the College Football Playoff entirely. State of play: The 12-team playoff includes seven at-large teams and five automatic qualifiers designated for the five highest-ranked conference champions. The five AQs are often misunderstood as being designated to the four power league champions, plus the highest-ranked non-power league champion. But that's not the case. The outlook: If No. 17 Virginia beats unranked Duke in Saturday's ACC title game, they'll get the fourth AQ bid and the No. 11 seed, while the winner in the American (No. 20 Tulane vs. No. 24 North Texas) will get the fifth AQ bid and the No. 12 seed. But if Duke wins… and No. 25 JMU beats Troy in the Sun Belt title game… the fifth and final AQ bid would almost certainly go to the 12-1 Dukes (ironic name) over the 8-5 Blue Devils. From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: The ACC is one bad game away from scrapping with the American and Sun Belt conferences for slots in the CFP. All due respect to the American and Sun Belt, but they aren't exactly the conference of Bobby Bowden, Duke-Carolina and The U. The conference might still slide in via the at-large route; Miami sits at No. 12 in the CFP rankings and is idle this weekend. A loss by No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 championship would set up a head-to-head comparison with No. 10 Notre Dame, which Miami beat earlier this season. And if No. 9 Alabama gets its crimson doors blown off in the SEC championship, that could open another spot in the CFP bracket. Absent that possibility, though, the chances of an ACC lockout ride on the 3.5-point favorite Cavaliers. The entire conference will be rooting so hard for Virginia that Duke might as well be an out-of-conference opponent. ? PAST CHAMPS WORLD CUP TRIVIA (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images) With the draw for the 23rd FIFA World Cup coming later today, it's worth looking back at the first 22 editions, which have featured just eight winning nations. Question: Can you name all eight? Hint: Five Europe, three South America. Answer at the bottom. ? TITLE FAVORITES THE KROENKE EMPIRE IS THRIVING Stan Kroenke. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) What do the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal Football Club have in common? They're all owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), the holding company* started in 1999 by businessman Stan Kroenke, the 113th-richest person in the world. What else do they have in common? They're all thriving. Kroenke teams are currently favored to win the Super Bowl (Rams), Stanley Cup (Avalanche), English Premier League (Arsenal) and Champions League (Arsenal), and the Nuggets have the second-best odds to win the NBA title. The great empire: In the age of sports empires, KSE is king, sporting a valuation of $21.2 billion, according to CNBC. That puts them well ahead of other multi-team conglomerates like Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (Commanders, 76ers, Devils, Crystal Palace) at $14.6 billion and Fenway Sports Group (Red Sox, Liverpool, Penguins) at $14.2 billion. *KSE holdings: In addition to the Rams, Nuggets, Avalanche and Arsenal, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment also owns the Colorado Rapids (MLS), Colorado Mammoth (NLL) and Arsenal Women's Football Club (WSL). The company also owns each team's home stadium, including SoFi Stadium (home of the Rams and Chargers), as well as Altitude TV (Denver-area sports network) and Skycam (camera system). Trivia answer: Brazil (5 World Cup wins), Germany (4), Italy (4), Argentina (3), France (2), Uruguay (2), England (1), Spain (1) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 8, 2025 Author Members Posted December 8, 2025 ⚾ Hall of Fame quest Dale Murphy #3 of the Atlanta Braves during photo day in spring training in 1978. Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images Rick Klein, a baseball fan who also happens to be Washington bureau chief for ABC News, usually covers political campaigns. But recently he's been working on a different sort of campaign: He's trying to get his hero, Dale Murphy, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Why it matters: Murphy played for the Braves. But his fans are everywhere, in part because media mogul Ted Turner owned the Braves and broadcast their games nationally on TBS, the "superstation." "[F]or much of the '80s, American households with cable could watch more Braves games than those of any other professional franchise," Klein, who grew up in New York, writes. "He was the all-American good guy on some pretty bad Atlanta Braves teams, a superstar on the field and off." Dale Murphy during the alumni weekend red-carpet roll call before a 2023 game at Truist Park in Atlanta. Photo: Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves via Getty Images A vote tomorrow will decide if Murphy will claim his place in the Hall of Fame. Among those rooting for him: Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia, Spencer Cox of Utah, and Ron DeSantis of Florida, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), "House of Cards" actor Michael Kelly, rapper Killer Mike and country superstar Jason Aldean. The bottom line: "No matter what happens in the final vote, [this effort has] already resonated in a way that's deeply meaningful for Murphy's countless fans, as well as the man himself," Klein writes. More on Klein's "fan campaign for baseball immortality." ps:Not only him but also Dan Mattingly, both of these people should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame!!!!! Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 9, 2025 Author Members Posted December 9, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome back, friends. In today's edition: The CFP field is set, NFL Sunday scoreboard, Miami wins MLS Cup, Norris wins F1 title, Kent to Cooperstown, "Google me," and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? SELECTION SUNDAY THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF IS SET (Yahoo Sports) The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was finalized on Sunday. Shockingly, not everyone is happy. The controversy: Notre Dame was left out of the field in favor of Miami, who had been ranked behind them for every iteration of the CFP rankings prior to Sunday. How did the Hurricanes leapfrog the Irish despite neither team playing a game? It came down to head-to-head. With BYU losing in the Big 12 title game, there was no longer a buffer between Notre Dame and Miami, allowing the committee to prioritize the Hurricanes' win over the Irish back in August. After being snubbed, Notre Dame says it won't play a bowl game. Consider it a sign of the times: it's playoff or bust for the top programs now. What they're saying: "There is no explanation that could possibly be given to explain the outcome," Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports. "Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time." In an interesting wrinkle, as part of a memorandum of understanding signed by CFP officials last spring, Notre Dame will be assured of making the playoff if it is ranked in the top 12 starting next year, Bevacqua tells Yahoo Sports. So if this year's circumstances unfolded next year, the final at-large team (Miami) would have been automatically bumped from the field for No. 11 Notre Dame. Looking ahead: Duke's win in the ACC title game opened the door for both Tulane and James Madison to make the playoff, where they'll be significant underdogs. No. 9 Alabama (-1.5) at No. 8 Oklahoma No. 10 Miami (+3.5) at No. 7 Texas A&M No. 11 Tulane (+16.5) at No. 6 Ole Miss No. 12 JMU (+21.5) at No. 5 Oregon First-round byes: No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Texas Tech Good read: CFP committee sends a message by leaving Notre Dame out of the field (Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports) ? WEEK 14 NFL SUNDAY SCOREBOARD Christian Watson celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown. (John Fisher/Getty Images) Packers 28, Bears 21 … A late INT helped Green Bay seal the win and take over first place in the NFC North. They'll meet again in Chicago in two weeks. Texans 20, Chiefs 10 … KC's streak of nine straight AFC West titles is officially over, and they're barely alive in the wild-card race. Jaguars 36, Colts 19 … Indianapolis lost its third straight game, and Daniel Jones likely needs season-ending surgery. Not great! Titans 31, Browns 29 … Shedeur Sanders (4 TD) had his breakout game, but fellow rookie Cam Ward got the victory. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) Steelers 27, Ravens 22 … From "Fire Tomlin" to first place in the AFC North. Amazing what a win over a rival can do. Broncos 24, Raiders 17 … A penalty as time expired led to a meaningless Raiders field goal, and a bad beat for the ages (DEN -7.5). Saints 24, Buccaneers 20 … Tampa Bay (7-6) is now tied with Carolina atop the NFC South, and they play each other twice over the next month. Rams 45, Cardinals 17 … Matthew Stafford and company put on a show in Arizona, reminding us all why they're Super Bowl favorites. (Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) Bills 39, Bengals 34 … Joe Burrow's back-to-back INTs sunk Cincinnati in a dazzling shootout with Josh Allen in a snowstorm. Seahawks 37, Falcons 9 … With its seventh loss in eight games, Atlanta (4-9) sealed an eighth straight losing campaign. Vikings 31, Commanders 0 … Minnesota flipped the script after getting shut out last week in Seattle. Dolphins 34, Jets 10 … Miami won its fourth straight game as Tua Tagovailoa improved to 8-0 against the Jets. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Rich Storry/Getty Images) Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-1, on Saturday to claim their first MLS championship and provide the signature moment of Lionel Messi's brief but stunningly successful career in North America's top league. More hardware: After winning league MVP for the second straight year, Messi was named MVP of the MLS Cup. He had two assists in the final to give him 15 goal contributions in the playoffs (six goals, nine assists), the most ever in a single postseason. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) Washington, D.C. — The World Cup draw was held on Friday at the Kennedy Center, where Spain (+400 at BetMGM) and England (+600) emerged as the favorites, France drew a tough schedule that includes an opener against Erling Haaland's Norway, and the USMNT caught a break with a favorable draw. Mark your calendars: The Americans open play in Group D against Paraguay in Los Angeles (June 12), then take on Australia in Seattle (June 19) before returning to Los Angeles for their final group stage matchup against either Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo (June 25). (Ian Maule/Getty Images) Las Vegas — Petr Yan stunned Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title with one of the most shocking upsets in recent memory, handing the Georgian his first loss since 2018 to snap the longest win streak in bantamweight history (13 in a row). End of an era: UFC 323 marked the final pay-per-view event of the year, if not ever. The MMA promotion is moving from ESPN to Paramount+ beginning next year, with all major events included in the standard subscription rather than put behind an additional paywall. ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Mario Renzi/Formula 1 via Getty Images) ?️ 423-421 Though Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lando Norris (McLaren) finished third to eke out his first F1 championship by the slimmest of margins, snapping Verstappen's four-year title streak with a 423-421 advantage. Close calls: Norris' two-point victory was the closest since Lewis Hamilton won by a single point in 2008. Overall, in 76 seasons, there have been eight wins by one point and one win by a half-point (Niki Lauda over Alain Prost in 1984). ⚾️ 14 of 16 votes Jeff Kent was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday by the 16-member Contemporary Era Committee. Candidates needed 12 votes for election, and the five-time All-Star second baseman received 14. Who missed the cut? Carlos Delgado got the second-most votes with nine, followed by Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy with six. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela all got fewer than five, which means they'll be ineligible for the next Contemporary Era ballot in 2028. ? 28,303 points James Harden (28,303 points) made history on Saturday when he passed Carmelo Anthony (28,289) for 10th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. LeBron James (first) and Kevin Durant (eighth) are the only active players ahead of him. All-time rankings: Harden is second on the 3-point list (behind only Stephen Curry) and fifth on the free-throw list (Karl Malone, James, Moses Malone, Kobe Bryant). He's also 13th on the assist list — and fourth on the turnover list. (Illinois State Athletics) ? +23.5 Illinois State pulled off a stunning upset over North Dakota State in the second round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday, scoring 15 points in the final three minutes to beat the top-ranked Bison, 29-28, as 23.5-point underdogs. Even that undersells the magnitude of this upset, though. North Dakota State, which came in with a 16-game win streak, hadn't lost a home playoff game since 2016 and was so good this year that they received AP poll votes! Last eight standing: The Redbirds were the only unseeded team to reach the quarterfinals, where they'll play No. 8 UC Davis. The other matchups: No. 2 Montana State vs. No. 7 Stephen F. Austin, No. 3 Montana vs. No. 11 South Dakota and No. 4 Tarleton State vs. No. 12 Villanova. ? 81-58 No. 10 Iowa State stormed to an 81-58 victory over No. 1 Purdue on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming the previously undefeated Boilermakers in a way nobody does at Mackey Arena. Historic blowout: The 23-point margin of victory matches the largest-ever home defeat in college basketball history by a top-ranked program. Not since Villanova beat UConn, 96-73, in 1995 has the AP poll's No. 1 team suffered such a one-sided loss. ⚽️ 4 teams left The men's College Cup (Final Four) is set, with No. 15 NC State, No. 16 Furman, Washington and Saint Louis emerging from the 48-team field of an upset-laden tournament that saw five of the top six seeds lose before the third round. Davids vs. Goliath: Saint Louis has won an NCAA men's record 10 national championships, while NC State, Furman and Washington are all seeking their first. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, DEC. 8 (Kirby Lee/Getty Images) ? Eagles at Chargers Philly and Los Angeles square off tonight at SoFi Stadium (8:15pm ET, ABC/ESPN) in a matchup of 8-4 teams trending in different directions. The Eagles have lost two straight while the Chargers have won four of five. Injury report: Chargers QB Justin Herbert is questionable after undergoing surgery on his non-throwing hand. If he can't suit up, former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance will get his first start for the Bolts. ⚽️ Women's College Cup Final Top-seeded Stanford and third-seeded Florida State meet tonight in Kansas City (7pm ESPNU) for an all-ACC national championship. The Cardinal are seeking their fourth title, while the Seminoles are seeking their fifth (and third in five years). More to watch: ? NBA: Suns at Timberwolves (7:30pm, Peacock) … Minnesota (15-8) has won five straight to pass Phoenix (13-10) for sixth in the West. ? NHL: Lightning at Maple Leafs (7:30pm, NHL) … Tampa (16-10-2) has lost three straight but is still clinging to first place in the Atlantic. ? NO PLAYOFFS NFL TRIVIA The Jets last made the playoffs in 2011. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images) The NFL's two longest active playoff droughts were extended on Sunday when the Jets (15 straight seasons) and Falcons (8 straight) were officially eliminated. Question: Which team has the third-longest active playoff drought (7 straight)? Hint: They've never won a Super Bowl (but they've appeared in two). Answer at the bottom. ? "GOOGLE ME" TALKING THE TALK, WALKING THE WALK (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) On Dec. 20, 2023, Indiana's newly-hired football coach Curt Cignetti was asked how he planned to sell his vision to recruits. His response? "It's pretty simple. I win. Google me." Back then, it sounded like bravado. Two years later, it reads like prophecy. Walking the walk: Since his arrival in Bloomington, Cignetti's Hoosiers have authored one of the great turnarounds in college football history. They've gone 24-2, made back-to-back playoffs, and now they're Big Ten champions for the first time since 1967 and the No. 1 team in the land. Trivia answer: Panthers Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 10, 2025 Author Members Posted December 10, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Flashback: 21 years ago today, Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds to lift the Rockets to victory over the Spurs. I was 13 years old at the time, and vividly remember watching the highlights on SportsCenter before school. In today's edition: The magical Week 6 AP poll, Chargers top Eagles in OT, ranking every bowl game, World Cup adds water breaks, meet the boxer with 100 losses, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Chargers 22, Eagles 19 (OT): The Chargers (9-4) intercepted Jalen Hurts four times, including on the final play of the night, to win for the fifth time in six games and hand the Eagles (8-5) their third straight loss. ⚽️ Seminoles crowned champs: Florida State beat Stanford, 1-0, to win its fifth women's soccer national title (2014, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2025). Wrianna Hudson scored the game-winner in the 87th minute. ? Heisman finalists: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin were named finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Mendoza is the heavy betting favorite to win the award. ⚾️ MLB Draft Lottery: The White Sox (27.7%), Twins (22.2%), Pirates (16.8%), Orioles (9.2%) and Athletics (6.6%) have the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in tonight's MLB Draft Lottery, which airs at 5:30pm ET on MLB Network. ? Rivers eyes return: The Colts are hosting Philip Rivers for a workout today after Daniel Jones' season-ending injury. Rivers, 44, hasn't played since the 2020 season, when he led Indianapolis to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. ? TOP 12 THE MAGICAL WEEK 6 AP POLL (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) It's only December, but history tells us we already know who will be cutting down the nets in April: one of the top 12 teams above. The streak: The past 21 men's basketball national champions (and 35 of the past 36) were all ranked in the top 12 of the Week 6 AP poll during their title-winning seasons. 2024-25: Florida (Week 6 rank: 9) 2023-24: UConn (5) 2022-23: UConn (3) 2021-22: Kansas (7) 2020-21: Baylor (2) 2019-20: COVID 2018-19: Virginia (6) 2017-18: Villanova (1) 2016-17: UNC (7) 2015-16: Villanova (12) 2014-15: Duke (2) 2013-14: UConn (9) 2012-13: Louisville (6) 2011-12: Kentucky (3) 2010-11: UConn (4) 2009-10: Duke (7) 2008-09: UNC (1) 2007-08: Kansas (3) 2006-07: Florida (5) 2005-06: Florida (7) 2004-05: UNC (5) 2003-04: UConn (1) By the numbers: During the streak, the average Week 6 ranking of the eventual national champion has been 4.9. No other week has been a better barometer; not even the final AP poll before the NCAA tournament, where the soon-to-be champs had an average ranking of 5.5. From Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg: It's easy to explain why the Week 6 poll is more predictive than the Week 1-5 iterations. By early December, most high-majors have played at least a few games against fellow power-conference programs. There is more data available to help separate contenders and pretenders than there previously was in November. The more vexing question is why the Week 6 poll has proven more reliable than AP voters' late-season evaluations. In theory, three more months of games should provide a richer understanding of which teams are truly elite. In reality, many of the teams that prove themselves national-championship caliber in November and December never drop out of the AP top 10 the rest of the season. The most recent outliers: The last national champion that didn't crack the top 12 in Week 6 was Carmelo Anthony's 2002-03 Syracuse squad, which wasn't even ranked until mid-January. Before that, you have to go all the way back to Danny Manning's 1987-88 Kansas team (aka. "Danny and the Miracles"), which entered the tournament with 11 losses and unexpectedly won the title as a No. 6 seed. Looking ahead: Who's the most likely team to defy 20-plus years of history? BetMGM lists No. 18 Florida and No. 19 Kansas among its dozen national title favorites, and No. 13 Illinois, No. 14 UNC, No. 17 Arkansas and No. 22 St. John's aren’t far behind. ? POSTSEASON EVERY BOWL GAME, RANKED (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) Bowl season ain't what it used to be, to put it kindly. The increased emphasis on the CFP has made these games feel like glorified exhibitions, and numerous teams (including Notre Dame, Iowa State and Auburn) have opted out. But that didn't stop us from ranking them all anyway. Every bowl game, ranked: Below are the 35 bowls being played from Dec. 13 to Jan. 2 (not including first-round playoff games), ranked from best to worst. Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan (Dec. 31) ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 14 Vanderbilt vs. No. 23 Iowa (Dec. 31) Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 12 BYU vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech (Dec. 27) Gator Bowl: No. 19 Virginia vs. Missouri (Dec. 27) Music City Bowl: Illinois vs. Tennessee (Dec. 30) Alamo Bowl: No. 16 USC vs. TCU (Dec. 30) Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke (Dec. 31) LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington (Dec. 13) Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona vs. SMU (Jan. 2) New Mexico Bowl: No. 25 North Texas vs. San Diego State (Dec. 27) 11-20: Liberty Bowl (Navy vs. Cincinnati); Texas Bowl (No. 21 Houston vs. LSU); Rate Bowl (New Mexico vs. Minnesota); Cure Bowl (ODU vs. South Florida); Frisco Bowl (UNLV vs. Ohio); Myrtle Beach Bowl (Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan); Hawaii Bowl (Cal vs. Hawaii); IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Troy vs. Jacksonville State); Fenway Bowl (Army vs. UConn); Pinstripe Bowl (Penn State vs. Clemson) 21-30: Military Bowl (Pitt vs. ECU); Boca Raton Bowl (Louisville vs. Toledo); Gasparilla Bowl (NC State vs. Memphis); Las Vegas Bowl (No. 15 Utah vs. Nebraska); Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (Miami-Ohio vs. Fresno State); Potato Bowl (Washington State vs. Utah State); GameAbove Sports Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Northwestern); New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs. WKU); Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State); Xbox Bowl (Missouri State vs. Arkansas State) 31-35: 68 Ventures Bowl (Louisiana vs. Delaware); First Responder Bowl (FIU vs. UTSA); Independence Bowl (Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech); Birmingham Bowl (App State vs. Georgia Southern); Armed Forces Bowl (Rice vs. Texas State) ⚽️ STAY HYDRATED WATER BREAKS ARE COMING TO THE WORLD CUP Bayern Munich's Sacha Boey takes a water break during the Club World Cup. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) To combat the heat of a North American summer, the 2026 World Cup will feature something new: water breaks. Stay hydrated: Every game will include three-minute "hydration breaks" at the 22-minute mark of each half, effectively breaking games into quarters. The clock will still run during these breaks, with three additional minutes added to each half's stoppage time. Last summer's Club World Cup, also held in the U.S., featured similar breaks during matches played on exceptionally hot days. But at next summer's World Cup, the breaks will be included in every game, regardless of temperature, "to ensure equal conditions for all teams." The schedule itself was also crafted with heat-related player safety in mind, with afternoon games earmarked for indoor stadiums or cities with temperate climates, while hotter locales will host most of their games in the evening. Between the lines: Player safety is the primary objective, but that's not the only impact these breaks will have. For starters, broadcasters can sell six extra minutes of commercials per game. But they also provide coaches with two additional opportunities to speak with players, giving the best in-game tacticians a tangible advantage. Looking ahead: The World Cup kicks off in Mexico in 184 days (June 11), when the first of three opening ceremonies will be held at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The following day, two more will be staged ahead of the openers in Canada (BMO Field, Toronto) and the U.S. (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles). ? 100 LOSSES MEET BOXING'S "PROFESSIONAL LOSER" (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) In 101 pro fights across seven years, England's Jake Pollard has lost 100 of them. Yet he not only survives, but thrives in a sport that quietly depends on men just like him. How? From Uncrowned's Lewis Watson: "People can call me what they like. B-side fighter, professional loser, scumbag, piece of s*** — I've had it all. And honestly? I couldn't care less." Jake Pollard says the words with conviction. The 33-year-old leans back and takes a slow sip of his lager. He smiles, revealing a gap where a tooth once sat on the right side of his mouth, and never once breaks eye contact. It's a grey Thursday afternoon in West Yorkshire, and we've met in an uncomplicated pub in the heart of Bradford's city center. Jake (1-100, 0 KOs) speaks to Uncrowned just a fortnight after his 101st professional fight and 100th professional defeat. On October's Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley undercard at London's O2 Arena, he was stopped for only the sixth time in his career — this time by rising prospect Hassan Ishaq (2-0, 2 KOs). The defeat itself didn't surprise him; the attention that followed did. Broadcast live on DAZN, Jake's performance — and the story behind it — struck a chord far beyond the usual diehards of the sport. "I guess it's a weird concept for people to understand if they're not in the game," he concedes. "I try to explain my role as best I can. I'm there to turn up, test these prospects and see if they are any good or not. I'm that first rung on their ladder — but if they aren't up to it, they will be quick to find out once I hit them!" "The away corner dressing room is like a community," he says. "You know you're all there expecting to lose, but you look out for each other and share stories." "Everyone in the hall or arena wants you to lose — they want to see you laid out on your back covered in blood. They're sickos, really. So you feel a bit like a caged dog going into a dog fight. It's only you and your coach that want the opposite." ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, DEC. 9 (Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images) ? NBA Cup Quarterfinals The knockout round of the in-season tournament tips off with two Eastern Conference matchups. First up, the Magic host the Heat in a Sunshine State battle (6pm ET, Prime); then the Raptors, who've lost three straight, host the Knicks, who've won three straight (8:30pm). ? Jimmy V Classic ESPN's annual men's basketball doubleheader honoring legendary coach Jim Valvano is tonight at Madison Square Garden. No. 10 BYU and Clemson square off in the first leg (6:30pm), followed by No. 5 UConn vs. No. 18 Florida (9pm) in a meeting of the last two national champions. More to watch: ? NHL: Golden Knights at Islanders (7pm, TNT); Avalanche at Predators (9:30pm, TNT) … Colorado (48 pts) is the best team in the league. Nashville (24 pts) is the worst. ⚽️ Champions League: Inter Milan vs. Liverpool (3pm, Paramount+) … One of nine games to kick off Matchday 6. ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Real Madrid vs. Wolfsburg (3pm, Paramount+) … One of four games to kick off Matchday 5. ? NICKNAMES CFP TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Question: Do you know the nicknames of all 12 teams in this year's College Football Playoff? The teams: Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Tulane, James Madison Answer at the bottom. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Freestyle Chess/Stev Bonhage) ?? Cape Town, South Africa — Ahead of this week's Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour Finals, grandmasters competed in an underwater competition, where American Hans Niemann emerged victorious. Underwater chess: The competition was held in the Silo Hotel's rooftop pool, where a chess set was placed at a depth of 3.5 feet. Each time a player surfaced after making a move, their opponent had to immediately dive down to make their own move. Trivia answer: Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oregon Ducks, Ole Miss Rebels, Texas A&M Aggies, Oklahoma Sooners, Alabama Crimson Tide, Miami Hurricanes, Tulane Green Wave, James Madison Dukes Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 11, 2025 Author Members Posted December 11, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Epic comeback at the Garden: No. 10 BYU erased a 22-point deficit against Clemson on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, completing the 67-64 comeback victory on a wild three at the buzzer. In today's edition: Utah's landmark deal, Messi wins MVP (again), NFL power rankings, Teddy Bear Toss, A'ja Wilson named TIME's Athlete of the Year, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ MLB Draft Lottery: The White Sox won the MLB Draft lottery, earning the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft after entering the night with the best odds of any team. The Rays, Twins, Giants and Pirates round out the top five. ⚽️ Messi wins MVP: Lionel Messi won his second straight MLS MVP, becoming the first player in league history to win the award in consecutive seasons and just the second to win the award multiple times, period. ⚾️ MLB Winter Meetings: Kyle Schwarber is signing a five-year, $150 million deal to stay in Philly and Edwin Díaz is joining the Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million deal, giving the two-time defending champs the best reliever on the market. ? Rivers returns to Indy: The Colts signed Philip Rivers to their practice squad as a potential replacement for Daniel Jones (Achilles). Rivers, 44, hasn't played since 2020, when he led the Colts to the playoffs in his 17th NFL season. ⚽️ USMNT to face Senegal: The Americans will play Senegal in Charlotte on May 31 in their penultimate World Cup tuneup. Their other three tuneups will come in Atlanta in late March (against Belgium and Portugal) and in Chicago in early June (against Germany). ? PAY TO PLAY PRIVATE EQUITY HAS ARRIVED ON CAMPUS (Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) College sports' rapid transformation from amateur endeavor to professional industry has taken another leap forward in the wake of Tuesday's news: private equity has officially arrived on campus. A landmark deal: The University of Utah is finalizing a first-of-its-kind agreement with PE firm Otro Capital to create a for-profit entity that will operate the university's athletics business and is expected to generate upwards of $500 million in capital, reports Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. The venture is centered around the creation of Utah Brands & Entertainment LLC — a private, independent offshoot of the athletic department whose primary goal is to generate more revenue across areas including ticketing, concessions, corporate sales and sponsorships. In a fascinating wrinkle, the university — which retains majority ownership of the new entity — is allowing prominent donors to purchase a stake, essentially formalizing their status as boosters. Indeed, the $500 million figure includes both Otro's nine-figure cash infusion and commitments from donors. The big picture: The early NIL era was heralded as the culmination of a decades-long fight against the myth of amateurism. Turns out it was just the beginning, with schools now set to share revenue directly with athletes and enlist outside capital partners — like Utah is doing — to help navigate this brave new world. Here's Ross: The emergence of private equity in college sports is a long time coming. For the last two years, as university athletic departments face mounting financial stressors, dozens of schools pursued private capital or equity deals, including conferences as a whole — most notably the Big 12 and Big Ten. However, when these projects reached the finish line, they were stymied for various reasons. For instance, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has twice presented such a deal before his presidential board. Big Ten officials nearly reached the point of a vote on a $2.4 billion capital deal before at least two schools — USC and Michigan — scuttled the project. Yormark's pursuit of a capital deal caught the attention of Harlan and Utah administrators, who, more than two years ago, began the process that resulted in the potential deal with Otro. Looking ahead: There are only so many more ways to continue closing the gap between college and pro sports, and one of the biggest — collective bargaining — may be on its way. Athletes.Org released a detailed framework on Monday for what a college sports CBA could look like, and dozens of athletic directors are meeting this week at an annual conference in Las Vegas where collective bargaining will be a main topic of conversation. ? WEEK 15 NFL POWER RANKINGS (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The top of our NFL power rankings held steady this week outside of two scorching-hot newcomers to the top 10, which replaced two reeling teams. Moving in: The Texans (8-5) jumped seven spots to No. 7 (and climbed into the AFC playoff picture) after winning their fifth straight game behind the league's best defense. The Chargers (9-4) jumped three spots to No. 10 after winning five of their last six and gutting out Monday's overtime victory against Philly. Moving out: Speaking of the Eagles (8-5), they fell five spots to No. 12 after Jalen Hurts' five-turnover performance resulted in their third straight loss. The Colts (8-5), meanwhile, fell 12 spots to No. 22 after losing their third straight game, losing Daniel Jones for the season and losing their grip on a playoff spot. ?? SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) ?? Orlando, Florida — The Magic overcame a game-opening 15-0 deficit to beat the Heat, 117-108, and advance to the NBA Cup semifinals. Desmond Bane (37-6-5) led the way for Orlando, scoring exactly 37 points for the third time in his last six games. The nightcap: The Knicks also advanced after cruising past the Raptors, 117-101, behind Jalen Brunson (35-3-4) and Josh Hart (21-6-4). Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates his game-winner. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) ?? Milan, Italy — Liverpool beat Inter Milan, 1-0, on an 88th-minute penalty to climb into the top eight of the Champions League table three-quarters of the way through the league phase. Elsewhere: Tottenham beat Slavia Prague, 3-0, on two penalties and an own goal; Atalanta came back to beat Chelsea, 2-1; Barcelona beat Frankfurt, 2-1, on a brace from Jules Koundé in a three-minute span. Calgary goalkeeper Eric Tu dives into the pile of teddy bears. (Leah Hennel/Getty Images) ?? Calgary, Canada — Fans of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen showered the ice with 26,828 stuffed animals on Sunday during the team's 30th annual Teddy Bear Toss, which remains one of the great traditions in sports. Teddies for charity: Since their inaugural 1995 toss — triggered by the team's first goal in each annual game — the Hitmen have collected 508,300 teddy bears, which they then donate to local hospitals and charities. ? SPOTLIGHT WILSON NAMED TIME ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (Kanya Iwana/TIME) Aces superstar A'ja Wilson was named TIME's Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the second straight WNBA player to earn that honor after Caitlin Clark in 2024. Unmatched résumé: Wilson won her record fourth WNBA MVP in 2025 after leading Vegas to their third title in four years. She also won her second straight scoring title, second WNBA Finals MVP and third DPOY, all while being a "culture shifter" whose impact merely begins on the court. While refusing to relinquish her supremacy on the basketball court, Wilson has managed to extend her power far beyond the field of play, a trick that only a precious few athletes can pull off. LeBron. Ali. Serena. A'ja. "A'ja isn't a rising star anymore," says philanthropist Melinda French Gates, whose publishing imprint released Wilson's best-selling memoir, Dear Black Girls, in 2024. "She's at the center of her own solar system." ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10 OKC beat Phoenix, 123-119, late last month. (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) ? NBA Cup Quarterfinals The knockout round of the in-season tournament continues tonight with two Western Conference matchups. First up, the historically-hot Thunder host the Suns (7:30pm ET, Prime). Then it's Spurs at Lakers in the nightcap (10pm, Prime). Best start ever? OKC (23-1) is one win away from matching the 2015-16 Warriors for the best 25-game start in NBA history. ⚽️ Real Madrid vs. Manchester City Today's Champions League slate is headlined by a heavyweight clash between 2023 champion City and 2024 champion Madrid (3pm, Paramount+), both of whom currently sit second in their respective domestic leagues. Best of the rest: Defending champion PSG visits Athletic Club (3pm, Paramount+) and Premier League leader Arsenal, the lone undefeated team in Champions League play, visits Club Brugge (3pm, Paramount+). ? Overtime Nationals Powerhouse programs Corner Canyon (Utah) and St. Frances Academy (Maryland) will go head-to-head tonight (7pm, ESPN2) in the inaugural Overtime Nationals High School Football Championship at Baltimore's Under Armour Stadium. What's at stake: In addition to owning the title of National Champion, the winner of the game will also receive a $250,000 donation to their school. More to watch: ? NHL: Rangers at Blackhawks (7:30pm, TNT); Kings at Kraken (10pm, TNT) … Connor Bedard is thriving (40 points, sixth-most in the league), but Chicago has lost eight of 10. ? NCAAW: No. 11 Iowa at No. 10 Iowa State (7pm, ESPN) … The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last nine games in the Cy-Hawk Series. ? Women's Hockey: USA vs. Canada (7pm, NHL) … Edmonton hosts Game 3 of the Rivalry Series after the Americans won the first two games at home. ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Barcelona vs. Benfica (12:45pm, Paramount+) … One of five matches to close out the penultimate Matchday of the group stage. ⚾ CLOSERS MLB TRIVIA (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Edwin Díaz, the newest Dodger, has 253 saves since his MLB debut in 2016, tied for the second-most in the majors in that time. Question: Who is the only player with more saves since Díaz's debut? Hint: He began his career with the Dodgers. Answer at the bottom. ? GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ Jake Mintz: If the Tigers aren't trading Tarik Skubal, they need to go for it this winter With the back-to-back AL Cy Young set to hit free agency next fall, Detroit must act aggressively this offseason to try to build a legitimate World Series contender for what might well be Skubal's final year with the team. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) ? Charles McDonald: The Chiefs are staring at their longest offseason in a decade — and it could be just the reset they need After seven straight years of reaching at least the AFC Championship, the Chiefs are 6-7 and looking like a good bet to miss the playoffs entirely. Maybe that's just the medicine they need after coasting for so long on Patrick Mahomes' arm and Steve Spagnuolo's game-planning. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports) ? Morten Stig Jensen: The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market: What's the best deal for all 30 teams? The Greek Freak hasn't formally requested a trade yet, but it certainly seems like we might be heading that way. So it feels prudent to gauge what each team could theoretically offer the Bucks for their two-time MVP. Trivia answer: Kenley Jansen (334 saves) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 11, 2025 Author Members Posted December 11, 2025 Private equity tackles college sports Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios A landmark deal could open the floodgates for private equity in college sports, Axios' Dan Primack writes. ? University of Utah trustees yesterday approved the creation of a for-profit company, in partnership with PE firm Otro Capital. The new venture, Utah Brands & Entertainment, will manage a variety of UU athletic operations, including media, hospitality, licensing and finance. ? Otro, which declined comment, is a cornerstone equity investor — though with a minority stake — and will get a share of annual revenue. Two trends are converging here: ? PE's growing interest in sports. ?️ College sports are becoming more like pro sports, thanks to name, image and likeness agreements and the transfer portal — plus an NCAA settlement that lets schools pay student-athletes. ? A source familiar with the deal: "College sports is big business, but it needs to be a better business." "Schools still are begging for money from donors, cutting non-revenue sports, borrowing from the states, and even considering borrowing from private equity." Yet questions remain about putting a for-profit structure on a taxpayer-supported, nonprofit institution. ? Some sports investors also have questioned whether PE can materially improve college sports finances, given that the biggest revenue stream — media rights — is negotiated at the conference level. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 12, 2025 Author Members Posted December 12, 2025 ? Good morning! We're trying something new this morning, previewing a larger interview that we'll drop in full later today. So enjoy this short AM edition, and we'll see you back here soon. In today's edition: A preview of our conversation with NCAA president Charlie Baker, Sherrone Moore fired and detained by police, Orioles land Alonso, Thunder erupt in 49-point blowout, Yahoo Fantasy Football studs, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Moore fired, detained: Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore for cause on Wednesday after an investigation found he had "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member." Later in the day, Moore was taken into police custody as a suspect in an alleged assault. ⚾️ Alonso to Baltimore: The Orioles are signing former Mets 1B Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal, bringing one of the league's best sluggers to Baltimore on the long-term contract he tried and failed to secure last year. ? NFL launching flag league: With flag football set to make its Olympic debut in 2028, the NFL has voted to launch a professional league. This move allows the NFL to enter into an agreement with a partner and invest up to $32 million. ⚽️ The "Rodman Rule": The NWSL will vote on a new roster mechanism that would allow teams to pay stars significantly above the salary cap. This comes after commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed a deal that would have paid Washington's Trinity Rodman over $1 million annually. ⚾️ Buck wins Frick Award: Joe Buck is being honored with the Baseball Hall of Fame's 2026 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting, following in his father's footsteps after the elder Buck won the award in 1987. ? SPORTS BETTING CHARLIE BAKER INTERVIEW (TEASER) Charlie Baker at a Big East basketball event in October. (Porter Binks/Getty Images). Sports betting has consumed American culture in recent years. I spoke with NCAA President Charlie Baker about the impact it's having on college sports in a wide-ranging interview that will land in your inboxes later today. A brief preview of our conversation… Kendall Baker: According to a recent NCAA study, 36% of Division I men's basketball student-athletes reported experiencing social media abuse related to sports betting within the last year, while 29% reported having interacted with a student on campus who had placed a bet on their team. What are your immediate thoughts when you see numbers like that? Charlie Baker: After my appointment was announced in December 2022, I went out and visited about 1,000 student athletes on campuses, mostly in and around New England, which is where I was living. Basically just to sort of say, "tell me what's going on." So much of those conversations were about sports betting — and especially the abuse and harassment that came with it — that one of the first things we did when I got to the NCAA was a survey of 18 to 22 year olds on sports betting. I wanted to see if what I'd been hearing anecdotally was true; that the peer group of a lot of kids who play college sports were really betting on it in a very significant way. The answer that came back was that, yeah, a ton of people between the ages of 18 and 22 — never mind the grown ups — were betting on college sports. And these are the kids that student athletes are interacting with, going to class with, eating in the cafeteria with and all the rest. When I was in college, it would have been a very weird day if we had a game coming up and I didn't have classmates and friends asking me, "How's it gonna go tonight?" But that was just chatter. Now, it's guidance and inside information, and I think that creates a completely different dynamic for athletes, especially those playing at a big-time level. Stay tuned: My full interview with Charlie will drop later today, and we'll send it straight to your inbox. Talk then. ? SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) ?? Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — The Thunder posted the biggest blowout of the season in Wednesday's 138-89 win over the Suns. With the victory, they advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals and matched the best 25-game start in NBA history (24-1). We're witnessing history, folks! The nightcap: The Spurs also advanced after beating the Lakers, 132-119, behind Stephon Castle's big night (30-10-6). Despite the loss, you simply must watch LeBron James posterize Luke Kornet. He turns 41 in three weeks! (Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) ?? Madrid, Spain — You'll never believe it, but Erling Haaland scored in Manchester City's 2-1 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, giving him a record 51 goals through his first 50 starts in the Champions League. Elsewhere: USMNT star Weston McKennie scored a stunner in Juventus' 2-0 win over Pafos; Arsenal beat Club Brugge, 3-0, to remain undefeated in the league phase. Britta Curl-Salemme celebrates a second-period goal. (Leila Devlin/Getty Images) ?? Edmonton, Canada — The U.S. women routed Canada, 10-4, on Wednesday to clinch their first Rivalry Series victory since 2020. They've won all three contests so far in this year's four-game series. What's next: The fourth and final game is on Saturday, after which both sides will cut their 30-player rosters to the 23 who will compete in February's Milan-Cortina Olympics. Vonn during a training session on Thursday. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) ?? St. Moritz, Switzerland — Lindsey Vonn, 40, is set to make her season debut at this week's World Cup event as she gears up for the Winter Olympics. Looking ahead: Vonn's comeback after her five-year retirement was largely fueled by her drive to compete in one last Olympics, specifically at Cortina, where she's had tremendous success in the past. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, DEC. 11 The Bucs beat the Falcons in their season-opener, winning 23-20 on Emeka Egbuka's last-minute TD. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) ? Falcons at Buccaneers Tampa Bay hosts Atlanta on "Thursday Night Football" (8:15pm ET, Prime) as the reeling Bucs (7-6) — who've lost four of five — cling to their playoff hopes against the already-eliminated Falcons (4-9). A streak and a drought: The Buccaneers, currently tied atop the division with the Panthers, are seeking to extend their NFC-best five-year postseason streak, while the Falcons already extended their NFC-worst postseason drought to eight years. ? NCAA Volleyball Championship The Sweet 16 begins today after the tournament's opening weekend saw the top teams dominate, with 15 of the 16 highest seeds all reaching the third round. Today's slate: No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 3 Creighton (1pm); No. 1 Kentucky vs. Cal Poly (3:30pm); No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 Pitt (7pm); No. 2 SMU vs. No. 3 Purdue (9:30pm). … All games on ESPN2. More to watch: ? NHL: Golden Knights at Flyers (7pm, ESPN); Panthers at Avalanche (9:30pm, ESPN) … Colorado (2022), Vegas (2023) and Florida (2024-25) won the past four Stanley Cups. ? NCAAM: Iowa at No. 4 Iowa State (8pm, FS1) … The Cyclones have won three of the past four games in the Cy-Hawk Series. ⚾ SLUGGERS MLB TRIVIA (Rich Storry/Getty Images) Pete Alonso — the newest Oriole — has mashed 264 home runs since debuting in 2019, third-most in the majors in that time. Question: Who are the only two players with more homers since Alonso's debut? Hint: A righty and a lefty. Answer at the bottom. ? YAHOO FANTASY FANTASY FOOTBALL STUDS (Yahoo Sports) The fantasy football playoffs are upon us (for most leagues) as we enter Week 15 of the NFL season. Got any of these guys on your roster? Trivia answer: Aaron Judge (285 HR) and Kyle Schwarber (268) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 12, 2025 Author Members Posted December 12, 2025 Time magazine names ‘Architects of AI’ as its person of the year for 2025 The “Architects of AI” were named Time’s person of the year Thursday, with the magazine citing 2025 as when the potential of artificial intelligence “roared into view” with no turning back. https://apnews.com/article/time-person-of-year-2025-77ec65c6792bc99ec2ce1919c5f421ea? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 14, 2025 Author Members Posted December 14, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Philip Rivers is back, MLB free agency update, Weekend Watchlist, the concerning rise of NBA calf injuries, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Falcons stun Bucs on TNF: The Falcons stormed back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Buccaneers, 29-28, on a walk-off field goal. At one point, Tampa Bay's win probability was 97.1%. ⚽️ FIFA blasted for pricing: Fans are furious with FIFA's latest World Cup ticket price hike. Get-in prices have risen by hundreds of dollars for some games and the affordable tickets long promised appear to be scarce, if not entirely unattainable. ? MJ and NASCAR settle suit: Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing prevailed in its antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, which was settled "in a way that will benefit the industry going forward." ? SEC schedule release: The SEC's inaugural nine-game conference schedule next season features a real doozy in Week 3, when new LSU coach Lane Kiffin is set to return to Oxford to face his former team. ? Vonn makes history: Lindsey Vonn, 41, has become the oldest skier ever to win a World Cup downhill event, coming out on top at the season opener for the discipline in St. Moritz, Switzerland. ? HIRED GUN PHILIP RIVERS' UNRETIREMENT Rivers pictured during Wednesday's practice. (Indianapolis Colts) Philip Rivers is a grandfather. He hasn't played an NFL snap in almost five years. And on Sunday, he could start for the Colts. From Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein: In the heat of the 2023 NFL season, an AFC team with a chance at the playoffs faced a dilemma. The club's starting QB was out for the year with a fractured shoulder. The remaining QB room was shallow and soon to get shallower. But the Browns' defense ranked first overall that season. And at 7-3, they were just half a game out of the division lead. So on Nov. 20, 2023, Cleveland signed a 38-year-old Joe Flacco off the couch. He'd been throwing two to three times a week with his brother while without an NFL roster spot all season and running some to keep his fitness up. "I definitely believe," Flacco said two days after the signing, "I can still play." Four 300-yard passing games in five starts, a Browns playoff berth and a still-now-revived NFL tenure suggest Flacco was right that he could. Rivers pictured during the 2020 season with the Colts. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) Philip Rivers' unretirement this week to join the Colts is far from a clean parallel. And yet, the recent memory of Flacco tempts coaches, executives and players around the NFL to wonder: What if? To be clear, Rivers is 44 years old, six more senior than Flacco at that signing. Rivers' last NFL action came 59 months ago, a far cry from Flacco's 11-month layoff. And Rivers' omission of any clear throwing routine he's recently followed suggests that his recent readiness probably doesn't resemble that of 2023 Flacco. And yet, as the Colts took snaps in individual drills Thursday, reporters saw Rivers leading the charge. His chance to start against the Seahawks on Sunday is very real, as is the energy he's bringing to the team after Daniel Jones joined fellow QB Anthony Richardson Sr. on injured reserve. Will the admittedly not-mobile-in-his-prime-and-certainly-not-now Rivers be able to step back into form against the league's No. 2 defense well enough to produce and stay healthy? Head coach Shane Steichen said the club will take its decision day by day, as the Colts also assess sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard's knee injury recovery. But the tone from Rivers, Steichen and teammates did not suggest he was leaving his family and risking his 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist status (for at least five years) to ride the bench as a mentor. ⚾️ WINTER MEETINGS MLB FREE AGENCY: WHO'S STILL AVAILABLE? (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The MLB Winter Meetings have come and gone, and though a few significant deals came together in Orlando, most of the biggest names are still out there waiting to be signed. Who's off the board? 16 of our Top 50 free agents have inked new contracts so far this offseason. Kyle Schwarber, DH (our No. 3 free agent): Staying with the Phillies (5 years, $150M) Pete Alonso, 1B (5): Going to the Orioles (5 years, $155M) Dylan Cease, SP (10): Going to the Blue Jays (7 years, $210M) Edwin Díaz, RP (11): Going to the Dodgers (3 years, $69M) Josh Naylor, 1B (15): Staying with the Mariners (5 years, $92.5M) Trent Grisham, OF (16): Accepted Yankees qualifying offer (1 year, $22M) Gleyber Torres, 2B (17): Accepted Tigers QO (1 year, $22M) Shōta Imanaga, SP (20): Accepted Cubs QO (1 year, $22M) Brandon Woodruff, SP (22): Accepted Brewers QO (1 year, $22M) Devin Williams, RP (27): Going to the Mets (3 years, $51M) Robert Suárez, RP (28): Going to the Braves (3 years, $45M) Mike Yastrzemski, OF (31): Going to the Braves (2 years, $23M) Ryan Helsley, RP (33): Going to the Orioles (2 years, $28M) Cedric Mullins, OF (34): Going to the Rays (1 year, $7M) Raisel Iglesias, RP (45): Staying with the Braves (1 year, $16M) Anthony Kay, SP (50): Going to the White Sox (2 years, $12M) Who's still available? 34 of our Top 50 are still available, including 12 of our top 20. Top 20 hitters: Kyle Tucker, OF (1); Alex Bregman, 3B (2); Bo Bichette, SS (4); Munetaka Murakami, IF (6); Cody Bellinger, OF (7); Kazuma Okamoto, 3B (13); Jorge Polanco, 2B (18) Top 20 pitchers: Framber Valdez, SP (8); Ranger Suárez, SP (9); Zac Gallen, SP (12); Tatsuya Imai, SP (14); Michael King, SP (19) The rest: Lucas Giolito, SP (21); JT Realmuto, C (23); Eugenio Suárez, 3B (24); Ha-Seong Kim, SS (25); Luis Arraez, IF (26); Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF (29); Harrison Bader, OF (30); Luke Weaver, RP (32); Willi Castro, UTIL (35); Merrill Kelly, SP (36); Tyler Mahle, SP (37); Zach Eflin, SP (38); Zack Littell, SP (39); Griffin Canning, SP (40); Max Kepler, OF (41); Miguel Andújar, OF (42); Rob Refsnyder, OF (43); Brad Keller, RP (44); Chris Bassitt, SP (46); José Quintana, SP (47); Justin Verlander, SP (48); Marcell Ozuna, DH (49) ? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST Army Cadets watch play behind a pair of Navy players at last year's game. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) ? Army vs. Navy Army (6-5) and Navy (9-2) face off on Saturday at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium in the 126th edition of America's Game (3pm ET, CBS). The Midshipmen, who won last year, hold a 63-55-7 advantage in the rivalry over the Black Knights. What's at stake: The winner will clinch this year's Commander-in-Chief's Trophy as the winner of the annual series among the three service academies. Additionally, if Navy wins, it will mark the first time in program history they've won at least 10 games in back-to-back years. ? NFL Week 15 Sunday is chock-full of critical matchups with playoff implications, headlined by a clash atop the AFC East, a meeting of first-place teams in Denver and the Chiefs' potential 2025 swan song. Bills at Patriots (1pm, CBS): New England (11-2) can clinch its first division title since 2019 by beating Buffalo (9-4) for the second time this season. Chargers at Chiefs (1pm, CBS): Kansas City (6-7) could be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose this week. With three games left! Stunning. Packers at Broncos (4:25pm, CBS): Green Bay (9-3-1) leads Chicago by a half-game in the NFC North, while Denver (11-2) leads the Chargers by two games in the AFC West. Lions at Rams (4:25pm, Fox): Detroit (7-5), coming off a victory, has alternated wins and losses every week since starting 4-1. The Rams (10-3) remain the Super Bowl betting favorites. Best of the rest: The surging Seahawks (10-3) host the flailing Colts (8-5) in Seattle (4:25pm, CBS); the Bengals (4-9) host the division rival Ravens (6-7), who are a game behind Pittsburgh (1pm, CBS); the Cowboys (6-6-1) host the Vikings (5-8) on "Sunday Night Football" (8:20pm, NBC). ? NBA Cup Semifinals The in-season tournament continues in Las Vegas on Saturday night, where the Magic face the Knicks in the East final (5:30pm, Prime) and the Thunder face the Spurs — who may get Victor Wembanyama back from injury — in the West final (9pm, Prime). Historic start: The Thunder (24-1) are tied with the 2015-16 Warriors for the best 25-game start ever, and their scoring differential (+437) is significantly better than any other team through 25 games in NBA history. ? FCS Playoffs The quarterfinals kick off tonight, and the Final Four will be set by tomorrow evening. Schedule: No. 7 Stephen F. Austin at No. 2 Montana State (Fri. 9pm, ESPN); No. 12 Villanova at No. 4 Tarleton State (Sat. 12pm, ESPN); No. 11 South Dakota at No. 3 Montana (Sat. 3:30pm, ABC); Illinois State at No. 8 UC Davis (Sat. 5pm, ESPN+). ⚽️ Men's College Cup The Final Four kicks off tonight in Cary, North Carolina, where No. 16 Furman takes on Washington in the first semifinal (6pm, ESPNU) and No. 15 NC State takes on Saint Louis in the second (8:30pm, ESPNU). A long time coming: Furman, Washington and NC State have never won a national championship, and though Saint Louis has a record 10 titles, the last one came all the way back in 1973. More to watch: ? NCAA Volleyball: Sweet 16, Elite Eight (Fri-Sun, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) … The Final Four will be determined this weekend. ? NCAAM: No. 16 Texas Tech vs. No. 17 Arkansas (Sat. 12pm, ESPN2); No. 23 Nebraska at No. 13 Illinois (Sat. 4pm, Peacock); No. 1 Arizona at No. 12 Alabama (Sat. 9:30pm, ESPN); No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 25 UCLA (Sat. 11:30pm, ESPN) ? NCAAW: No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 23 Oklahoma State (Sat. 4pm, ESPNU); No. 1 UConn at No. 16 USC (Sat. 5:30pm, Fox); No. 2 Texas vs. No. 13 Baylor (Sun. 1pm, ABC); No. 22 Louisville at No. 12 North Carolina (Sun. 4pm, ACC) ? NHL: Oilers at Canadiens (Sun. 7pm, NHL) … Connor McDavid has recorded 12 points in his last four games to climb into second on the league leaderboard, with 48. ? Celebration Bowl: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M (Sat. 12pm, ABC) … Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts the de facto HBCU National Championship. ⚽️ Premier League: Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City (Sun. 9am, NBC) … Second place vs. fourth place. ⛳️ Golf: Grant Thornton Invitational (Fri-Sun, Golf/NBC) … Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida, hosts the third annual edition of this co-ed event featuring 16 teams of PGA and LPGA golfers paired together. ? Women's Hockey: USA vs. Canada (Sat. 9pm, NHL) … Edmonton hosts the fourth and final game in this year's Rivalry Series. ? PBR: Unleash The Beast (Fri-Sat, 8pm, Paramount+) … The new Professional Bull Riders season opens in Manchester, New Hampshire. ? GO DEEPER GOOD READS: NBA EDITION (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Tom Haberstroh: The two scariest words in the NBA: Calf strain This time last season, there were 18 calf injuries at the 20-game mark. This season, it's up to 25 incidents, representing an increase of nearly 40%. More significant, however, is the elongated recovery timeline of these injuries. The number of games lost due to calf injuries, through 20 games played, skyrocketed from 36 to 108. A tripling of last season's total. (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) Kelly Iko: Gap year? Behind the Celtics' surge in the East with Jaylen Brown playing quarterback Boston's recent surge with Brown at quarterback (the team owns the league's No. 1 offense over the past two weeks) and its quality of wins (a combined 4-2 against the Pistons, Knicks and Cavaliers) are forcing a recalibration of the Eastern Conference hierarchy in what was supposed to be a gap year. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Kevin O'Connor: Ja Morant's return begs a question: Does he help the Grizzlies? In the last month, while Morant has been sidelined, something amazing happened: The Grizzlies started winning by running, cutting and sharing the ball. When Morant is on the floor, the Grizzlies make the fewest passes per half-court possession of any team in the NBA. They stop operating as a team and start functioning as an audience for one man. When he sits? They make the third-most passes. From last to third. Just by removing one person. ?? USA ACADEMY TRIVIA U.S. Naval Academy graduates throw their caps during the 2025 graduation and commissioning ceremony. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) Question: Where are the three service academies (Army, Navy, Air Force) located? Please provide city and state. Answer at the bottom. ? 1-ON-1 ICYMI: CHARLIE BAKER INTERVIEW (Porter Binks/Getty Images) In just a few short years, sports betting has gone from an occasional Vegas detour to a constant presence in American life. A tap away on your phone. A fixture in every commercial break. A storyline woven into every game. As betting has surged, so have the ripple effects: social media abuse, integrity concerns, pressure on athletes, and an entirely new culture forming around wins, losses, and prop bets. College sports sits at the center of that storm. So I spoke with NCAA President Charlie Baker (no relation) about what he's seeing, what worries him and what comes next. Trivia answer: West Point (New York), Annapolis (Maryland), Colorado Springs (Colorado) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 16, 2025 Author Members Posted December 16, 2025 ? NFL era ends Patrick Mahomes is sacked during the Kansas City Chiefs' loss to the Los Angeles Chargers yesterday. Photo: David Eulitt/Getty Images The Kansas City Chiefs — an NFL powerhouse that's won three of the last six Super Bowl titles — will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. It's also the first time Patrick Mahomes won't reach the AFC championship game since becoming the team's starter in 2018. ? Stunning stat: Only one team in NFL history — the 2009-2019 New England Patriots — has made more consecutive playoff appearances. Go deeper: Mahomes out for season (ESPN) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 16, 2025 Author Members Posted December 16, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: Chiefs eliminated as Mahomes tears ACL, Mendoza wins the Heisman, Wemby's Spurs down the Thunder, Messi's tour of India turns chaotic, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Husker heartbreak: Texas A&M stunned previously undefeated Nebraska in the NCAA volleyball quarterfinals, knocking out the No. 1 overall seed to join Kentucky, Pitt and Wisconsin in the Final Four. ? NHL blockbuster: The Wild acquired superstar Quinn Hughes in a blockbuster trade with the Canucks, bringing the 2024 Norris Trophy winner (best defender) to Minnesota as they seek to snap their skid of nine straight playoff series defeats. ? UM launches investigation: Michigan has hired a law firm to investigate how things have been handled by its athletic department in the wake of numerous scandals, most notably those involving Connor Stalions and Sherrone Moore. ⚾️ MLB deals roundup: RHP Merrill Kelly is returning to the Diamondbacks (2 years, $40M) months after they traded him away; 2B Jorge Polanco is going to the Mets (2 years, $40M); active saves leader Kenley Jansen is going to the Tigers (1 year, $11M). ? FCS Final Four: No. 2 Montana State (over No. 7 Stephen F. Austin), No. 3 Montana (over No. 11 South Dakota), No. 12 Villanova (over No. 4 Tarleton State) and Illinois State (over No. 8 UC Davis) notched quarterfinal victories to reach the semifinals of the FCS playoffs. ? END OF AN ERA CHIEFS ELIMINATED, MAHOMES LOST FOR SEASON Mahomes lays on the ground after his fourth-quarter injury. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) The Chiefs' season went from bad to worse on Sunday in Kansas City, where a 16-13 loss to the Chargers officially eliminated them from the playoffs and a late knee injury put Patrick Mahomes out for the season with a torn ACL. Dynasty over? Even before Mahomes' devastating injury, many presumed the Chiefs were nearing a crossroads in the dynasty that saw them make 10 straight postseason appearances, reach seven straight AFC title games and win three Super Bowls. The question now is whether that dynasty will be put on pause, or end altogether. From Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson: This is what a crossroads in a dynasty feels like. You look left, there's some problems. You look right, some more problems. The Patriots experienced it during their decade-long Super Bowl drought. And it was brought upon in some of the same ways this Chiefs team came up short. But the key for the Patriots was that in their drought, Brady and Belichick hung in and eventually the right levers were pulled and the correct buttons were reset. They certainly had the titanic-sized egos that could have sunk it all. Go ask the early 1990s Dallas Cowboys about that. Maybe that's the first real task in Kansas City. To absorb the (for now) one lost season and turn the microscope within. Some dynasties end in sports. A spare few others just pause. Distinguishing what makes the difference between the two is the next great chapter that Mahomes and Reid have to write together. Josh Allen and the Bills pulled off a stunning 21-point comeback to snap the Patriots’ 10-game win streak. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) Scoreboard: Bills 35, Patriots 31 Broncos 34, Packers 26 Seahawks 18, Colts 16 Saints 20, Panthers 17 Vikings 34, Cowboys 26 49ers 37, Titans 24 Commanders 29, Giants 21 Texans 40, Cardinals 20 Jaguars 48, Jets 20 Ravens 24, Bengals 0 Bears 31, Browns 3 Eagles 31, Raiders 0 ? HEIS-MENDOZA A HOOSIER WINS THE HEISMAN (Adam Hunger/Getty Images) Indiana's dream season continued on Saturday night in Manhattan, where junior QB Fernando Mendoza was awarded the Heisman Trophy. In addition to being Indiana's first Heisman winner in over 127 seasons of football, he's also the first Big Ten player to win the Heisman since Ohio State's Troy Smith in 2006. Mendoza is the fourth straight Heisman winner who transferred schools during his college career, joining Travis Hunter (2024), Jayden Daniels (2023) and Caleb Williams (2022). Voting tally: Mendoza finished with 2,362 total points (643 first-place votes) to beat out Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, who was second with 1,435 points (189 first-place votes). Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love was third with 719 points and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin was fourth with 432 points. Overlooked no more: "I want every kid out there who feels overlooked, underestimated, to know I was you," said Mendoza, a 2-star recruit out of high school. "The truth is, you don't need the most stars, hype, or rankings. You just need discipline, heart and people who believe in you. I hope this moment shows you that chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem." ? NBA CUP WEMBY RETURNS, SPURS DOWN THUNDER (Steve Marcus/Getty Images) Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence on Saturday night in Las Vegas to help the Spurs beat the league-best Thunder, 111-109, and advance to the NBA Cup Final. What he's saying: "I keep asking these guys for the last 12 games, just get better, do some beautiful things," said Wemby after posting 22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 21 minutes. "I'm just glad to be a part of something that's growing to be so beautiful. Pure and ethical basketball." From Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko: If the first quarter of Saturday night's semifinal was a reminder of the reign of terror the Thunder have enjoyed for months, the second was a reminder of the French force that refuses to bend the knee. His introduction to the game — coming off the bench for the first time in his career — changed everything. The friendly skies that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had coasted in since October were now met with 7-foot-4 turbulence. Missed Spurs shots became simple second-chance opportunities for the gangly center. Half-court sequences that OKC would typically carry out in its sleep were now being second-guessed. For one glorious evening, the now 24-2 Thunder looked less like the most devastating team in the sport and more like a group that forgot just how impactful Wembanyama truly is. What's next: The Spurs will face the Knicks in tomorrow's NBA Cup Final after New York eliminated Orlando, 132-120, behind Jalen Brunson's season-high 40 points. ? SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS Hoke Smith II reacts after a first-half touchdown. (David Jensen/Getty Images) ?? Baltimore, Maryland — Navy retained the Commander-in-Chief's trophy with a comeback 17-16 win over Army on Saturday in the 126th edition of their storied rivalry. Elsewhere: Bowl season got underway as Washington routed Boise State, 38-10, in the LA Bowl and South Carolina State outlasted Prairie View A&M, 40-38 (4OT), in a thrilling Celebration Bowl. U.S. keeper Aerin Frankel makes a save. (Leila Devlin/Getty Images) ?? Edmonton, Canada — The U.S. women beat Canada, 4-1, on Saturday at Rogers Place to clinch the first sweep in the seven-year history of their Rivalry Series. Next up: the 2026 Winter Olympics. Total domination: The Americans outscored the Canadians 24-7 across the four-game series, led by five goals each from Abbey Murphy and captain Hilary Knight. (Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images) ??????? London, England — Another day, another goal from Erling Haaland. Two, in fact, as he scored a brace in Manchester City's 3-0 win over Crystal Palace to keep them two points shy of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. Wild stat: Haaland has now scored more goals with Manchester City (147) than Cristiano Ronaldo did with Manchester United (145), despite playing fewer than half as many games (168 vs. 346). Security personnel attempt to control the crowd as Messi leaves the stadium. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images) ?? Kolkata, India — Lionel Messi's tour of India got off to a chaotic start on Saturday when fans — angry that he was barely visible during his brief appearance at Salt Lake Stadium — hurled objects onto the field. The event's chief organizer was jailed and pledged to refund tickets. Immortalizing the GOAT: The three-day tour's festivities began earlier in the day when a gargantuan 70-foot statue of Messi was unveiled in soccer-crazed Kolkata. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, DEC. 15 Acrisure Stadium. (Michael Owens/Getty Images) ? Dolphins at Steelers The Steelers host the Dolphins on "Monday Night Football" (8:15pm ET, ESPN) in a game that has playoff implications for both teams. Where it stands: Pittsburgh (7-6) narrowly leads Baltimore (7-7) in the NFC North, while Miami (6-7) has won four straight to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. ? NBA on Peacock Four of the NBA's best teams take the floor in tonight's doubleheader, with the Celtics (15-10) hosting the Pistons (20-5) in the first game (7pm) and the Nuggets (18-6) hosting the Rockets (16-6) in the nightcap (9:30pm). Jokić's historic pace: Three-time MVP Nikola Jokić seems to have gotten better yet again, with his current player efficiency rating (35.98) sitting more than three points higher than his own previous NBA record (32.85). It's worth noting that Giannis Antetokounmpo (34.97) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32.94) are also both currently besting that previous record. ⚽️ College Cup Final A first-time NCAA champion will be crowned tonight in men's soccer, as No. 15 NC State takes on Washington in the College Cup Final (7pm, ESPNU). This is the Wolfpack's first appearance in the title game, and the Huskies' second in the past five years. More to watch: ? NHL: Panthers at Lightning (7pm, NHL) … These Sunshine State foes have won four of the last six Stanley Cups. ⚽️ Premier League: Manchester United vs. Bournemouth (3pm, USA) … United (7-4-4) have just one loss in their last nine league games. ? FINALS NBA TRIVIA Allan Houston makes a move against Sean Elliott in the NBA Finals. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) The Knicks and Spurs, who will meet in the NBA Cup Final, have also faced off once in the NBA Finals. Question: What year did that matchup take place? Answer at the bottom. ? BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND (Yahoo Sports) ? Hail (Lake) Mary ⚽️ From way out! ? Jaxson Hayes slam ? Baba Miller slam ? Shootout save ⚽️ Ridiculous strike ? Keeps it alive! ⚽️ Final Four goal ? Caleb to DJ ? Seton Hall alley oop! ? Hutchinson INT ? Heckuva save ? Cleared for takeoff! Watch all 13. Trivia answer: 1999 (Spurs won, 4-1) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 17, 2025 Author Members Posted December 17, 2025 ? Good morning! Just nine more sleeps until Christmas. In today's edition: Washington wins NCAA men's soccer title, Steelers top Dolphins on MNF, Mendoza leads 2025 AP All-Americans, the perils of an 18-game NFL season, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Arch to return: Arch Manning will return to Texas for his junior year rather than declare for the NFL draft. After a rough start to the season, he ended up leading the Longhorns to a 9-3 record that nearly got them into the College Football Playoff. ? Flagg makes history: Cooper Flagg scored a career-high 42 points in the Mavericks' overtime loss to the Jazz, breaking LeBron James' record for the most points ever scored in a game by an 18-year-old. He turns 19 this Sunday. ⛳️ Scottie named POY again: Scottie Scheffler was named the PGA Tour's Player of the Year again, joining Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win the award in four consecutive seasons. ? AP polls: Arizona (men) and UConn (women) remain atop their respective AP Top 25 polls, which featured little change after a week devoid of notable upsets. ⚽️ Red Bulls hire Bradley: Former USMNT captain Michael Bradley has been named head coach of the New York Red Bulls, taking over a job his father, Bob, held two decades ago. Bradley led the club's MLS Next Pro squad to a title last month. ⚽️ NCAA SOCCER HUSKIES COMPLETE EPIC RUN TO TITLE (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images) Washington was unseeded entering the NCAA men's soccer tournament. Four weeks later, they're national champs. Cinderella run: The Huskies beat NC State, 3-2, in Monday's title game to win their first national championship and become the first team to win six matches away from home in the tournament — taking down five seeded teams along the way. First Round: Washington 3, Oregon State 2 (OT) Second Round: Washington 1, SMU 0 Sweet Sixteen: Washington 1, Stanford 0 Elite Eight: Washington 3, Maryland 1 Semifinal: Washington 3, Furman 1 Final: Washington 3, NC State 2 (OT) Golden goal: Washington blew a two-goal lead in the second half, but Harrison Bertos scored 1:54 into overtime for the walk-off championship victory. What they're saying: "That was a heck of a game and all 10,000 people in attendance got to witness a spectacle," said Huskies head coach Jamie Clark. "And it was a spectacle because NC State didn't hang their head down 2-0 and they pushed us right to the limit." ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Michael Owens/Getty Images) ? 23rd straight win The Steelers beat the Dolphins, 28-15, last night to win their 23rd consecutive home game on Monday Night Football, the longest such streak since MNF began in 1970. Speaking of streaks: This was Miami's 14th straight loss (including playoffs) in games colder than 40 degrees. ? 7 undefeated teams No. 1 Arizona (9-0) is one of seven undefeated teams remaining in men's DI hoops, along with No. 2 Michigan (10-0), No. 3 Duke (10-0), No. 4 Iowa State (10-0), No. 13 Vanderbilt (10-0), No. 15 Nebraska (11-0) and Miami-Ohio (10-0). Historic start: The top-ranked Wildcats are the first team in the history of the AP poll (since 1948) with five wins over ranked opponents in their first nine games. They've earned their undefeated start. (Carl Recine/Getty Images) ⚽️ 277 goal involvements Mohamed Salah was involved in his 277th goal for Liverpool on Saturday, breaking the record for most goal involvements (goals and assists) for a single club in Premier League history. Whose record did he break? The Egyptian has 188 goals and 89 assists for Liverpool in England's top flight, overtaking Wayne Rooney's tally of 276 goal involvements (183 goals, 93 assists) for Manchester United. ? 27 years With the Chiefs eliminated from playoff contention, the upcoming NFL postseason will be the first in 27 years (since 1998) without either Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. Who were the QBs in 1998? John Elway (Broncos), Brett Favre (Packers), Steve Young (49ers), Dan Marino (Dolphins), Drew Bledsoe (Patriots), Randall Cunningham (Vikings), Elvis Grbac (Chiefs), Kordell Stewart (Steelers), Mark Brunell (Jaguars), Trent Dilfer (Buccaneers), Danny Kanell (Giants), Scott Mitchell (Lions). ? BEST OF THE BEST 2025 AP ALL-AMERICANS (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Indiana's Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza headlined the AP All-America first team, which was released on Monday alongside the second and third teams. Notes: By conference: The Big Ten (10) had by far the most players on the 27-man first team, followed by the SEC (6), Big 12 (3), C-USA (2), ACC (1), American (1) and MWC (1), plus three independents. By school: Ohio State led the way with four first-team players, including three from their FBS-best defensive unit. Notre Dame, USC, Iowa, Texas A&M and Texas Tech were the only other schools with multiple first-team players. By class: Seniors (14) and juniors (10) comprised almost the entire first team, with just three underclassmen making the cut: sophomores Jeremiah Smith, Ahmad Hardy and Leonard Moore. Sign of the times: Nearly half of the first-team players (12 of 27) didn't begin their careers at their current schools, which has become the norm in the transfer portal era. 100 years later… This year marked the 100th anniversary of the inaugural AP All-America team selected back in 1925. To celebrate, the AP named its all-time All-Americans back in August, with guys like Tim Tebow, Barry Sanders and Dick Butkus leading the 25-player first team and Archie Griffin, Lawrence Taylor and Champ Bailey leading the second. ? INJURY REPORT THE PERILS OF AN 18-GAME NFL SEASON (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: If football is good, more football is better, right? If NFL Sundays are the finest of Sundays, why not create another one? More football means more revenue for the league and broadcast partners, more opportunity for fantasy and gambling for fans, more of everything that makes football great. Who wouldn't want the NFL season to add an 18th game? "I'm not a big fan of it," one NFL player said back in July when asked about the possibility of the NFL season moving to 18 games. "You've seen the amount of injuries that have kind of piled up there at the end of seasons, and you want to have the best players playing in the biggest games." That player was Patrick Mahomes, who is now lost for the season thanks to a Week 15 ACL tear. Also gone for 2025: Green Bay's Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL around the same time Mahomes did. Every play in the NFL is a roulette-wheel spin that carries with it the possibility of a catastrophic injury. And every extra game means another 40 or 50 spins of that wheel. For Mahomes and Parsons, the wheel came up double-zeroes on Sunday. Asking who's next — wondering whose season is about to be derailed by injury — is a grim endeavor, but a necessary one if we're talking about adding yet another game. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, DEC. 16 Wanna know just how tall Wemby is? His teammate here, Dylan Harper, is 6-foot-5. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) ? NBA Cup Final The Spurs and Knicks face off tonight in Las Vegas (8:30pm ET, Prime), where a champion will be crowned in the third annual in-season tournament. Prize money: Each player on the winning team will earn $530,933, while each player on the runner-up will take home $212,373. That may be a drop in the bucket for the NBA's biggest stars, but it's a substantial prize for those on league-minimum deals. ? NHL on TNT Sidney Crosby and the Penguins host Connor McDavid and the Oilers in the first leg of the doubleheader (7:30pm), while the Kraken host the league-leading Avalanche in the nightcap (10pm). Alone at the top: Colorado (23-2-7) doesn't just have the best record in the NHL, their +54 goal differential is more than twice as high as the next best mark (Stars, +25). More to watch: ? NCAAM: No. 11 Louisville at No. 20 Tennessee (7pm, ESPN); DePaul at No. 22 St. John's (7pm, Peacock); Butler at No. 5 UConn (8:30pm, Peacock) ? NCAAF: Troy vs. Jacksonville State (9pm, ESPN) … The Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. ? 2K CLUB NFL TRIVIA Simpson in action on Dec. 16, 1973, against the Jets at Shea Stadium. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) 52 years ago today, O.J. Simpson became the first of nine players in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Question: How many of the other eight can you name? Answer at the bottom. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Federico Modica/NordicFocus/Getty Images) ?? Davos, Switzerland — Italy's Davide Graz competes in a cross-country World Cup event. What a shot. Trivia answer: Eric Dickerson (2,105 yards in 1984); Adrian Peterson (2,097 yards in 2012); Jamal Lewis (2,066 yards in 2003); Barry Sanders (2,053 yards in 1997); Derrick Henry (2,027 yards in 2020); Terrell Davis (2,008 yards in 1998); Chris Johnson (2,006 yards in 2009); Saquon Barkley (2,005 yards in 2024) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 18, 2025 Author Members Posted December 18, 2025 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day to you and yours. In today's edition: Knicks win NBA Cup, Crawford retires from boxing, the parallels between Pete Golding and Steve Fisher, NFL power rankings, emailing with the Warriors owner, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Bud Crawford retires: Terence "Bud" Crawford, 38, announced his surprise retirement from boxing on Tuesday. This comes just months after dethroning Canelo Álvarez to improve to a perfect 42-0 (31 KOs) and lay legitimate claim to the title of best boxer of his generation. ? NBA expansion talk: The NBA has been flirting with expansion for years now, but Adam Silver says a decision is coming in 2026. He specifically threw out Seattle and Las Vegas as possibilities for new teams. ⚽️ FIFA slashes ticket prices: A week after fans responded with outrage over World Cup ticket prices, FIFA said it will provide each participating federation with a limited quantity of $60 tickets to each game to distribute to their fans. ? ACC adds 9th game: The ACC is joining the other power conferences in moving to a nine-game conference schedule starting next year. The only caveat is that due to having an odd number of members (17), not every team will be able to play nine games each season. ? Saban, the owner: Nick Saban has purchased a minority stake in the NHL's Nashville Predators. "Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal," said the Hall of Fame football coach, who already owns multiple car dealerships in Tennessee's capital. ? MID-SEASON CHAMPS KNICKS USE TEAM EFFORT TO WIN NBA CUP (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) The Knicks won the NBA Cup without a hero, and that should frighten the rest of the league. Game recap: Despite an 11-of-27 shooting night for Jalen Brunson and an injury that temporarily sidelined Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks erased a double-digit deficit to defeat the Spurs, 124-113, and win the third NBA Cup title. For a team that hasn't won the NBA Finals since 1973, that certainly means something. OG Anunoby posted a game-high 28 points. Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson added double-digit points off the bench. Josh Hart kept doing Josh Hart things. Mitchell Robinson extended possession after possession with 10 offensive rebounds and 15 total boards… in 18 total minutes. What they're saying: "Without Tyler Kolek, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Clarkson, we don't win this game," said Brunson while accepting NBA Cup MVP honors. From Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko: New York can make a strong claim as the deepest, most talented team in the East — and perhaps the NBA as a whole. How many teams can match the sheer offensive brilliance and leadership of Brunson? The two-way skill set of Anunoby and Mikal Bridges? Towns' unicorn-like gravity? Hart's glue? Robinson's ability to generate second-chance points? Clarkson's instant scoring off the bench? This is why the Knicks should be feared. Brunson is the head of the snake, a likely MVP candidate and rightfully so. But take a stroll into Madison Square Garden and think that slowing him down is a surefire way to victory, and your mistakes haven't even begun. New venues coming soon? Las Vegas has hosted the first three NBA Cup Finals, but that could be changing. Adam Silver told the NBA on Prime pregame show that "some storied college locations" are under consideration to host future title games. My top 3, if that happens: Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas) Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke) The Palestra (Penn) Which college arena would you like to see host the NBA Cup Finals? ? COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CAN PETE GOLDING BE THE STEVE FISHER OF FOOTBALL? Brent Musburger interviews Steve Fisher after the Wolverines won the 1989 national championship. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images) As Ole Miss prepares for the College Football Playoff, the Rebels will be hoping that the parallels with Michigan basketball don't end with the mid-season promotion of an assistant coach. From Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg: In March 1989, two days after Selection Sunday, Michigan men's basketball coach Bill Frieder made a major miscalculation: he incorrectly assumed that he could accept a job offer from another school yet still coach the Wolverines in the NCAA tournament. The morning after Frieder revealed that he intended to leave for Arizona State after the season, Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler summoned Frieder's top assistant Steve Fisher to his office for a 7 a.m. meeting. When the 43-year-old assistant coach arrived, Schembechler didn't waste time with small talk or pleasantries. "Fisher, can you coach this team?" Fisher recalls Schembechler gruffly asking. "Because there's no way Bill Frieder's going to coach them." 36 years after Schembechler famously told Frieder not to bother showing up to the NCAA tournament, that banishment has gained newfound relevance. It's by far the closest historical precedent to the messy breakup that resulted in Ole Miss refusing to let Lane Kiffin coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff after he spurned them for conference rival LSU. Golding looks on prior to the Rebels' game against Georgia in October. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) As sixth-seeded Ole Miss prepares for its opening round matchup against 11th-seeded Tulane on Saturday, the Rebels will be hoping that the parallels with Michigan basketball don't end with the ill-timed coaching change. They'll try to emulate how the '89 Wolverines rallied around their anonymous new coach, embraced the role of jilted underdogs and stormed to their program's first — and still only — national championship. Can newly promoted Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding become the Steve Fisher of college football? Can Golding enter the College Football Playoff with zero wins as a head coach and then guide the Rebels to an improbable national title? Fisher will be watching with great interest from his home in Del Mar, California. "I wish [Golding] good luck," he said. "I hope he has a great run and I'll be following it closely." ? THROUGH THE LENS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Stew Milne/Getty Images) ?? Montgomery, Alabama — Jacksonville State beat Troy, 17-13, on Tuesday night to win the Salute to Veterans Bowl in a matchup of schools located just 162 miles apart. 3-for-3: Jacksonville State has played in a bowl game in each of its three seasons at the FBS level. Marshall is the only other team (1997-99) to appear in bowl games in each of its first three eligible seasons. (Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images) ?? Courchevel, France — American skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin continued her unbeaten run to start the World Cup slalom campaign, winning the night event in the French Alps on Tuesday for her fourth victory in four tries this season. All-time leaders: This was Shiffrin's record 105th World Cup victory, 19 clear of second-place Ingemar Stenmark. On Friday, American Lindsey Vonn won her 83rd race, which ranks third. (Jan Kruger/FIFA via Getty Images) ?? Doha, Qatar — Ballon d'Or winners Ousmane Dembélé (France, PSG) and Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona) were named the best men's and women's players at FIFA's 10th annual awards ceremony. Best XI: Dembélé was one of six PSG players to make the Best Men's XI, while Bonmatí was one of seven members of the Spanish national team to make the Best Women's XI. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) ?? Murcia, Spain — Carlos Alcaraz runs during his VO2 Max test as he trains for the 2026 Australian Open. VO2 max, explained: VO2 max is the maximum amount, or volume (V), of oxygen (O2) your body can use as a fuel source for exercise. Put simply, it's a gauge of how much hard work your body can do and is an objective way to tell how fit you are. ? WEEK 16 NFL POWER RANKINGS (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) With just three weeks left in the regular season, the NFL playoff picture — and overall hierarchy — is taking shape. Where does your team sit in our latest power rankings? Rising: No team had a bigger jump this week than the Ravens, who climbed four spots to No. 15 after blanking the Bengals to keep their playoff hopes alive. And though the Vikings may be eliminated, they still climbed three spots to No. 20 behind a vastly improved J.J. McCarthy. Falling: The Packers suffered the biggest fall, dropping four spots to No. 9 after not only losing their game, but more importantly losing Micah Parsons for the season (ACL). The No. 17 Cowboys, No. 23 Dolphins and No. 24 Bengals all dropped three spots after losses. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17 The Red Wings won on Tuesday to take over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic. (Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) ? NHL on TNT The first-place Red Wings host the Mammoth in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader (7:30pm ET), followed by the second-place Golden Knights hosting the Devils in the nightcap (10pm). ? Bowl Games Bowl season continues tonight with two games: Old Dominion vs. USF in the Cure Bowl in Orlando (5pm, ESPN), and Louisiana vs. Delaware in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama (8:30pm, ESPN). More to watch: ? NBA: Grizzlies at Timberwolves (8pm, NBA) … Minnesota (17-9) is sixth in the West and Memphis (12-14) is ninth. ⚽️ FIFA Intercontinental Cup: PSG vs. Flamengo (12pm, DAZN) … Qatar hosts the final for the second annual competition featuring each continent's title winner. ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Juventus vs. Man United (3pm, Paramount+) … One of nine games in the final matchday of the league phase. ? JUCO: Hutchinson vs. Iowa Western (7pm, ESPNU) … The junior college national championship at West Texas A&M’s Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. ? MVP RACE NFL TRIVIA (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Matthew Stafford, 37, remains the betting favorite to win his first MVP, which would make him just the sixth player in NFL history to win the award at age 37 or later. Question: Can you name the other five? Hint: 1963, 2002, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2021. Answer at the bottom. ? DIRECT LINE AN EMAIL FROM THE OWNER Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob, pictured in 2024. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) A Warriors fan emailed team owner Joe Lacob on Sunday night, expressing his frustration about Golden State's poor start to the season. He didn't expect Lacob to respond two minutes later. The email: Warriors fan Justin Dutari found an email address that he thought belonged to Lacob and shot off a quick note with the subject line "Please read." He complained about Steph Curry needing to shoulder so much of the scoring load, said Jimmy Butler is playing out of position, and asked him to "please do something about this team." The owner's response: You can't be as frustrated as me. I am working on it. It's complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy [Butler] is not the problem. Trivia answer: Tom Brady (40 years old in 2017); Aaron Rodgers (37 in 2020, 38 in 2021); Peyton Manning (37 in 2013); Rich Gannon (37 in 2002); Y.A. Tittle (37 in 1963) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 21, 2025 Author Members Posted December 21, 2025 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. Programming note: This will be our last regular edition of 2025. We'll have a "Year in Review" on Monday before taking a break until the New Year. In today's edition: Seahawks stun Rams on TNF, Weekend Watchlist, the most-collected athletes of 2025, checking in on the NBA MVP race, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? NFC WEST SEAHAWKS STUN RAMS IN GAME OF THE YEAR Seattle celebrates after converting the game-winning 2-point conversion in overtime. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) The Seahawks pulled off one of the wildest comebacks in franchise history on Thursday night against the Rams, turning a late 30-14 deficit into a 38-37 (OT) win that could completely reshape the NFC playoff picture. By the numbers: Entering Thursday, the Seahawks were 0-172 all time when trailing by 15 or more points in the fourth quarter. They're now 1-172 thanks in part to a gutsy decision to go for the 2-point conversion and the win in overtime. Where it stands: The Seahawks now control the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. ? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) ? College Football Playoff While the top four seeds (Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech) enjoy their well-earned byes, the next eight teams take the field this weekend at each higher seed's home stadium. No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma (Fri. 8pm ET, ABC/ESPN): The Tide, the only three-loss team in the field, get another chance to beat the Sooners, who were responsible for one of those three defeats last month in Tuscaloosa. No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M (Sat. 12pm, ABC/ESPN): The Hurricanes and Aggies are both making their inaugural appearances in the CFP despite both narrowly missing out on their own conference championship games. No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss (Sat. 3:30pm, TNT): The Green Wave got annihilated by the Rebels, 45-10, when they met in Week 4. Will the outcome be different this time around in Ole Miss' first game without Lane Kiffin on the sideline? No. 12 JMU at No. 5 Oregon (Sat. 7:30pm, TNT): Only undefeated Indiana has a longer active winning streak than the Dukes, who've won 11 straight to reach the CFP just four years into their FBS tenure. The mighty Ducks, whose only loss came against those Hoosiers, await in Eugene. Good read: Why you should root for JMU, even if the Dukes probably don't have a shot against Oregon (Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports) ? NFL Week 16 This weekend's slate features the first Saturday games of the season — and six matchups between teams in the playoff hunt. Packers at Bears (Sat. 8:20pm, Fox): The winner between Chicago (10-4) and Green Bay (9-4-1) will take over first place in the NFC North. Chargers at Cowboys (Sun. 1pm, Fox): Los Angeles (10-4) has won three straight; Dallas (6-7-1) must win out to have a chance at the playoffs. Buccaneers at Panthers (1pm, Fox): Tampa Bay (7-7) and Carolina (7-7) are tied atop the NFC South and play each other twice in the final three weeks. Jaguars at Broncos (4pm, Fox): Denver (12-2) has won 11 straight, while Jacksonville (10-4) is nearing its first 11-win season since 2007. Steelers at Lions (4:25pm, CBS): Pittsburgh (8-6) is trying to hold off the Ravens for the AFC North, while Detroit (8-6) is the first team outside the NFC playoff picture. Patriots at Ravens (8:20pm, NBC): New England (11-3) is a game ahead of the Bills in the AFC East, while Baltimore (7-7) is a game behind the Steelers in the North. Betting preview: Against-the-spread picks, predictions for every game (Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports) ? Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua What happens when a 6-foot-1 YouTuber-turned-boxer takes the ring against a 6-foot-6 heavyweight champion? We'll find out tonight when Jake Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) and Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) square off in Miami (10:30pm, Netflix). Change of plans: Tonight's fight was supposed to feature the 195-pound Paul and Gervonta "Tank" Davis, who generally competes at 135 pounds. Instead, due to Tank's ongoing legal issues, Paul — who bulked up to 216.6 pounds as of Thursday's weigh-in — will face the 245-pound Brit with a gargantuan 82-inch reach. Good luck, buddy. ? NCAA Volleyball Championship No. 1 Kentucky will face No. 3 Texas A&M on Sunday (3:30pm, ABC) in the first all-SEC title game in tournament history. The run of a lifetime: The Aggies are looking to cap off an epic conclusion to their best season ever after knocking off previously undefeated No. 1 Nebraska to reach their first Final Four and then sweeping No. 1 Pitt to reach their first title game. Can they take down a third straight No. 1 seed — 2020 champion Kentucky — to hoist their first championship trophy? ? College Hoops NBA and NHL arenas will host more than a dozen neutral-site men's and women's games this weekend, including five between ranked teams. Men: No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 21 Auburn (Sat. 6:30pm, Peacock) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Pacers); No. 8 Houston vs. No. 14 Arkansas (Sat. 5:30pm, CBS) at Prudential Center (Devils); No. 3 Duke vs. No. 19 Texas Tech (Sat. 8pm, ESPN) at MSG. Women: No. 16 Louisville vs. No. 17 Tennessee (Sat. 11am, Fox) and No. 1 UConn vs. No. 11 Iowa (Sat. 1:30pm, Fox) at Barclays Center (Nets). More to watch: ? FCS Semifinals: No. 2 Montana State vs. No. 3 Montana (Sat. 4pm, ABC); No. 12 Villanova vs. Illinois State (Sat. 7:30pm, ESPN2) … The 125th "Brawl of the Wild" in Bozeman is in such high demand that tickets cost more than any of this weekend's CFP games. ? D2 Championship: Ferris State vs. Harding (Sat. 4pm, ESPN2) … Both teams have perfect 15-0 records and have combined to win the last four titles. ? NBA: 76ers at Knicks (Fri. 7pm, Prime); Thunder at Timberwolves (9:30pm, Prime); Rockets at Nuggets (Sat. 5pm, NBA) ? NHL: Red Wings at Capitals (Sat. 12:30pm, NHL); Capitals at Red Wings (Sun. 1pm, NHL) … Two of the best teams in the East play a home-and-home on back-to-back days. ⚽️ Premier League: Man City vs. West Ham (Sat. 10am, USA); Everton vs. Arsenal (Sat. 3pm, NBC); Aston Villa vs. Man United (Sun. 11:30am, NBC) … Arsenal (36 points), City (34) and Villa (33) are separated by just three points at the top of the table. ? Bowl Games: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan (Fri. 11am, ESPN); Memphis vs. NC State (Fri. 2:30pm, ESPN) … Myrtle Beach Bowl in South Carolina and Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa. ⛳️ Golf: PNC Championship (Sat-Sun, NBC/Golf) … Orlando's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club hosts the annual tournament featuring 20 pros playing alongside family members. ? DATA DUMP WHO WERE THE MOST-COLLECTED ATHLETES OF 2025? Jayden Daniels led the way in 2025. (PSA) Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) graded 20 million cards in 2025, their most ever in a single year. Which athletes were best represented? ? Basketball Michael Jordan (206k) Caitlin Clark (136.7k) Victor Wembanyama (110.2k) Kobe Bryant (74k) LeBron James (59k) Rounding out the top 10: Cooper Flagg (48.2k), Stephen Curry (33k), Anthony Edwards (30k), Shaquille O'Neal (27.5k), Luka Dončić (24.4k) ? Football Jayden Daniels* (236.1k) Bo Nix* (115.2k) Caleb Williams* (99.1k) Drake Maye* (94.2k) JJ McCarthy* (89.4k) Rounding out the top 10: Michael Penix Jr. (75.6k), Brock Bowers (52.5k), Patrick Mahomes (52k), Malik Nabers (42k), CJ Stroud (38.4k) ⚾️ Baseball Shohei Ohtani (165.4k) Paul Skenes* (91.7k) Ken Griffey Jr. (65.1k) Aaron Judge (56k) Elly De La Cruz (45.4k) Rounding out the top 10: Nolan Ryan (37k), Bobby Witt Jr. (35k), Jackson Holliday (28.1k), Jackson Chourio (28k), Bo Jackson (27.3k) How PSA grading works: It all starts with getting your cards to them, either by mail or drop-off locations. Once received, PSA authenticates each card, grades it on a 1–10 scale, then seals it in a tamper-proof holder with a unique barcode. After grading, collectors can choose what to do next: ship cards home, store them securely in the PSA Vault, or sell instantly through PSA's eBay partnership or their cash-offer marketplace. The big picture: Because grading costs time and money, collectors tend to submit cards they believe will hold or gain value, making the most-graded players a proxy for where collector attention is focused. So think of this data as a snapshot of who mattered most to the hobby in 2025 — and who might matter most in the future. *Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Paul Skenes were all among the top 10 most-collected athletes of 2025, which follows a familiar pattern in the hobby. Breakout rookies (or rookies viewed as potential future stars) invite speculation and draw heavy grading volume from collectors thinking financially. "It's like buying a stock at an IPO or getting in on the ground floor of a startup," says PSA president Ryan Hoge. "You see these rookies and want to bet on them at the very start of their career." ? BEST OF THE BEST NBA MVP RANKINGS: THE RACE IS HEATING UP (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) We have officially hit the one-third mark of the NBA season, so what better time to take stock of an MVP race that is as stacked with top-end talent as it has ever been, writes Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach. Top 6 candidates: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): The Thunder are so far and away the league's best team, and SGA is so far and away their best player, that it's hard to argue against him as the MVP. OKC is on pace to break the regular-season wins record, and their point guard is averaging 32-5-6 in such a consistent manner that it feels like he's programmed to do so. Nikola Jokić (Nuggets): Jokić is averaging another 30-point triple-double, which is ridiculous. He leads the league in rebounding and assists, and he ranks fifth in scoring. His last season, when he finished second in MVP voting, was arguably the most impressive statistically in league history, and he has been even better this year, shooting 67.6% on 2-point attempts and 43.3% on 3s. His production and efficiency are unprecedented. Jalen Brunson (Knicks): Brunson is the straw that stirs New York's drink on offense. The Knicks operate like the league's best outfit when he is in the game, scoring 126 points per 100 possessions, and like a bottom-five offense when he is on the bench (111.1 points per 100 possessions). With exceptional footwork, he gets wherever he wants, and usually, even at 6-2, he can manufacture a clean look for himself or someone else from there. Defensively, however, there is a limit to what Brunson can do. Luka Dončić (Lakers): Offensively, you cannot ask for more from Dončić, who is leading the league per game in points (34.7), field-goal attempts (23.1), 3-point attempts (10.7) and free-throw attempts (12.3). He is doing a lot, and while he could be more efficient, there are few players capable of getting to their spots and finishing from them as well as Dončić. Like Brunson, defensively is where he struggles. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs): We are running out of ways to laud Wembanyama, who as an athletic 7-foot-4 specimen is capable of things on a basketball court that others simply are not. He can score inside and outside, over everyone, but it is his defense that truly separates him. He all but blocks out the sun with his 8-foot wingspan. Cade Cunningham (Pistons): The Pistons are a surprising top seed, and Cunningham is their driving force. Quite literally. He is among the league's leaders in drives, prodding his way to his spots, where he can either pull up over a smaller defender, find Jalen Duren rolling to the basket or spread it out to a shooter. He beats you in many ways. Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Alperen Şengün (Rockets). ? BOXING MOVIE TRIVIA (United Artists/Archive Photos/Getty Images) 45 years ago today, Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull" was released in theaters. Question: Robert De Niro won Best Actor for his portrayal of the movie's main character, whose autobiography inspired the film. What was his name? Hint: JM. Answer at the bottom. ? PAY TO PLAY CHARTED: CFP SPENDING (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) How do the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff compare financially? Here's what each football program spent during the 2023-24 academic year, which is the most recent data we have from the U.S. Department of Education. Speaking of spending: You won't believe how much these teams spend on balloons. Trivia answer: Jake LaMotta Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 27, 2025 Author Members Posted December 27, 2025 ? Good morning! Welcome to our final edition of 2025. To mark the occasion, we've put together a "Year in Review." Happy Holidays, and see you in 2026! Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... JANUARY Ohio State head coach Ryan Day went from "hot seat" to national champion in a matter of weeks. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) ? Buckeyes back on top (Jan. 20): Less than two months after a heartbreaking loss to Michigan, Ohio State got its vindication: A 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in college football's grand finale to win the program's seventh national championship. More headlines: ⚾️ Jan. 21: Ichiro Suzuki, C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Many believed Ichiro would join Mariano Rivera as the Hall's only unanimous selections. Instead, he joined Derek Jeter as the only players to fall exactly one vote shy. ? Jan. 29: Tragedy struck in the nation's capital, as 67 people died when an incoming flight collided with a military helicopter above the Potomac River. Among the dead were several members of the figure skating community, who were returning from a camp in Kansas. Plus: Mike Evans matched Jerry Rice's NFL record with his 11th straight 1,000-yard season (Jan. 5); TGL debuted at Florida's SoFi Center (Jan. 7); Madison Keys* won the Australian Open for her first Grand Slam (Jan. 25), while Jannik Sinner repeated as champ in Melbourne (Jan. 26). *Historic run: Keys became the first woman since Australia's Evonne Goolagong in 1980 to defeat four top-10 seeds at a single major. And it was none other than Goolagong who handed Keys her trophy. FEBRUARY Luka during his Lakers debut on Feb. 10 against the Jazz. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) ? Luka to the Lakers (Feb. 2): "Yes, this is real." Those were ESPN reporter Shams Charania's words after breaking the news of a trade so surprising, so inconceivable, so seemingly lopsided that everyone assumed he'd been hacked. Almost a year later, it's still hard to believe this actually happened. More headlines: ? Feb. 9: Two years after an agonizing loss in Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles got sweet revenge by blowing out the Chiefs, 40-22, to win their second Super Bowl* and end Kansas City's three-peat dreams. ? Feb. 20: Canada beat the USA, 3-2, to win the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off after Connor McDavid scored an overtime goal reminiscent of Sidney Crosby's at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Plus: Josh Allen edged out Lamar Jackson for MVP in the closest vote since 2003* (Feb. 6); Kevin Durant became the eighth member of the 30K points club (Feb. 11); Diana Taurasi announced her retirement (Feb. 25). *Multi-time champs: The Eagles became the 16th franchise to win multiple Super Bowls, joining the Ravens (2), Buccaneers (2), Colts (2), Rams (2), Dolphins (2), Commanders (3), Raiders (3), Broncos (3), Chiefs (4), Giants (4), Packers (4), 49ers (5), Cowboys (5), Steelers (6) and Patriots (6). MARCH Yankees catcher Austin Wells hits a home run with a torpedo bat. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images) ⚾️ Damn the torpedoes (March 27-30): Torpedo bats came out of nowhere to dominate headlines at the start of the MLB season, as numerous players wielded the oddly-shaped — and seemingly extra-powerful — bats designed by a physicist. The Yankees were at the center of the narrative after hitting an MLB record-tying 15 home runs in their first three games. More headlines: ? March 4: LeBron James passed a once-unthinkable milestone by scoring his 50,000th career point* (including playoffs), which is nearly 6,000 more than any other player in NBA history. ⛳️ March 17: Rory McIlroy won the Players Championship in a rare Monday playoff over J.J. Spaun, joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler as the only golfers to win multiple majors and multiple Players. Plus: Newcastle won the EFL Cup to capture their first trophy since 1969 and snap one of English soccer's longest droughts (March 16); Atlanta beat New York to win the inaugural TGL championship (March 25). *Most career points (including playoffs): LeBron James (50,695), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (44,149), Karl Malone (41,689), Kobe Bryant (39,283) and Michael Jordan (38,279). APRIL Victory at last. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) ⛳️ Rory’s masterpiece (April 13): Rory McIlroy finally conquered Augusta, defeating Justin Rose in a playoff to win the Masters and complete his career Grand Slam. Jim Nantz crushed the call: “The long journey is over! McIlroy has his masterpiece!” More headlines: ? April 6: Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history and breaking a record many thought would never be broken. He's currently at 911. ? April 6-7: UConn destroyed South Carolina to win their record-extending 12th NCAA women's national title, and Florida beat Houston in a nail-biter to win their third men's title. Plus: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed a $500 million contract* with the Blue Jays (April 6); Wrexham became the first team in England's top five divisions to earn promotions in three consecutive seasons (April 26). *The 10 richest MLB contracts by total value: Juan Soto ($765M), Shohei Ohtani ($700M), Guerrero Jr. ($500M), Mike Trout ($426.5M), Mookie Betts ($365M), Aaron Judge ($360M), Manny Machado ($350M), Francisco Lindor ($341M), Fernando Tatis Jr. ($340M) and Bryce Harper ($330M). MAY The team of the year in European soccer. (Carl Recine/Getty Images) ⚽️ Treble achieved (May 31): Paris Saint-Germain crushed Inter Milan, 5-0, to win their first Champions League title and clinch a rare treble, becoming the ninth club* ever to win their domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup in the same season. More headlines: ? May 2: Gregg Popovich stepped down as Spurs head coach, ending his tenure after 29 years. Pop's 1,422 regular-season victories are the most ever, while his 170 playoff wins and five titles both rank third. ? May 25: Team USA won gold at the men's world hockey championship for the first time in 92 years, beating Switzerland thanks to a golden goal in overtime. Plus: The Mavericks won the Cooper Flagg lottery (May 12); Shai Gilgeous-Alexander beat out Nikola Jokić to win his first MVP (May 21); ESPN's "Around the Horn" said goodbye after 23 years on the air (May 23). *European treble winners: Celtic (1966-67), Ajax (1971-72), PSV Eindhoven (1987-88), Manchester United (1998-99), Barcelona (2008-09; 2014-15), Inter Milan (2009-10), Bayern Munich (2012-13; 2019-20), Manchester City (2022-23) and PSG (2024-25). JUNE The 2024-25 Thunder were one of the best team ever. Could the 2025-26 version end up being even better? (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) ? Thunder storm to title (June 22): The Thunder beat the Pacers in seven games to win their first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City and put the finishing touches on one of the best seasons in NBA history.* More headlines: ? June 8: Carlos Alcaraz rallied from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a five-set epic and win his second straight French Open title. At 5 hours, 29 minutes, it was the longest final ever at Roland Garros. ? June 17: The Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup over the Oilers, completing a near-perfect three-year run that saw them win 11 of 12 possible playoff series. Plus: Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka for her first French Open title (June 7); J.J. Spaun won the U.S. Open on a 65-foot walk-off putt (June 15); LSU swept Coastal Carolina to win its second College World Series title in three years (June 22). *One of four: The 2024-25 Thunder became the fourth team in NBA history to win 84+ games in a season, joining the 1995-96 Bulls, 1996-97 Bulls and 2015-16 Warriors. JULY Kershaw salutes the Dodger Stadium crowd. (Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) ⚾️ Mr. 3000 (July 2): Clayton Kershaw became the 20th member of the 3,000 strikeout club, and just the fourth lefty (Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, C.C. Sabathia). Two months later, he announced his impending retirement, and six weeks after that he went out on top as world champion. More headlines: ⛳️ July 20: Scottie Scheffler cruised to a four-stroke victory at Royal Portrush to win his first Open Championship and fourth career major.* ?♂️ July 27: Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar won his second straight Tour de France to become the sixth four-time winner and the firs to ever make the podium six years in a row. All at the age of 26. Plus: Iga Świątek and Jannik Sinner won their maiden Wimbledon titles (July 12-13); Chelsea beat PSG to win the Club World Cup (July 13); Cal Raleigh became the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby (July 14). *What are the odds? Scheffler and Tiger Woods each took exactly 1,197 days from their first major win to their fourth. AUGUST Parsons made an instant impact in Green Bay before tearing his ACL this month. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) ? Parsons to the Packers (Aug. 28): The long standoff between Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones ended with the Cowboys trading their superstar pass rusher the Packers, who proceeded to make him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history with a four-year, $188 million deal. More headlines: ? Aug. 3: Katie Ledecky won her seventh consecutive world title in the 800-meter freestyle and 30th overall world championship medal, second only to Michael Phelps' 33. ⛳️ Aug. 24: Tommy Fleetwood finally, finally, got his first win on the PGA Tour in his 164th start. And he picked quite a time for it, clinching the Tour Championship’s $10 million prize. Plus: Chinese Taipei beat Nevada to win the Little League World Series* (Aug. 24); Ohio State beat Texas in one of the most-hyped Week 1 college football games ever (Aug. 30); the Seattle Sounders won the Leagues Cup, becoming the first MLS club to claim every possible North American trophy (Aug. 31). *Streak snapped: American teams had won the past six LLWS titles, with Hawaii claiming two championships (2018, 2022) and Louisiana (2019), Michigan (2021), California (2023) and Florida (2024) each claiming one. SEPTEMBER Team Europe celebrates another Ryder Cup victory. (David Cannon/Getty Images) ⛳️ Europe 15, USA 13 (Sep. 28): Team Europe held off a late rally from Team USA to win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. It was a familiar feeling for the Europeans, who have now won 11 of the last 14 tournaments, and five of the last 10 on American soil. More headlines: ? Sep. 13: Terence Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) stunned Canelo Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) to become the first male boxer with undisputed titles in three different weight classes. Three months later, Crawford retired. ⚾️ Sep. 24: The Mariners won their first division title since 2001 and Cal Raleigh became the seventh member of the 60-HR club, joining Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Aaron Judge, Roger Maris and Babe Ruth. Plus: Aryna Sabalenka* and Carlos Alcaraz won their second US Open titles (Sep. 6-7); A'ja Wilson became the WNBA’s first four-time MVP (Sep. 21); the Guardians erased a 15.5-game deficit to leapfrog the Tigers and clinch the AL Central (Sep. 28). *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. OCTOBER Finals MVP A'ja Wilson celebrates a basket. (Ian Maule/Getty Images) ? Dynasty cemented (Oct. 10): The Aces swept the Mercury to win their third title in four years, cementing one of the greatest dynasties in WNBA history. And to think, just two months and a 17-game win streak earlier, it looked like they might miss the playoffs entirely. More headlines: ? Oct. 23: Heat guard Terry Rozier and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were arrested by the FBI for their connection to a pair of illegal gambling cases. Both remain on unpaid leave. ⚾️ Oct. 27: The Dodgers beat the Blue Jays in one of the longest and craziest* games in World Series history, winning an 18-inning marathon thanks to a walk-off home run from Freddie Freeman. Plus: The NHL's Utah Mammoth played their first game under their new name (Oct. 9); the NBA returned to NBC for the first time in 21 years (Oct. 21); the 32nd Sports Equinox occurred (Oct. 27). *By the numbers: When the dust finally settled, 609 pitches had been thrown by 19 different pitchers, 37 runners had been left on base, 25 position players had been used and nearly seven hours had passed (6:39). NOVEMBER It's a great time to be a Dodgers fan. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) ⚾️ Back-to-back (Nov. 1): The Dodgers outlasted the Blue Jays in one of the best World Series ever to become the first back-to-back champions since the Yankees at the turn of the century. Yoshinobu Yamamoto won MVP with an all-time performance, becoming the first pitcher to notch three wins in a single Fall Classic since Randy Johnson in 2001. More headlines: ⚽️ Nov. 22: Gotham FC completed an unprecedented run from the No. 8 seed to the NWSL title, pulling off a series of upsets to become just the third active team with multiple championships. ? Nov. 30: After weeks of public scrutiny and private consternation, Lane Kiffin decided to ditch Ole Miss on the eve of the College Football Playoff to take the job at SEC rival LSU. Plus: Kyle Larson won his second NASCAR Cup Series championship thanks to a late caution flag (Nov. 2); Jaguars kicker Cam Little hit an NFL-record 68-yard field goal (Nov. 2); Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani repeated* as AL and NL MVPs (Nov. 13). *Historic occurrence: This was the first time in MLB history that the same two players won AL and NL MVP in consecutive seasons. Ohtani won his fourth, second only to Barry Bonds (7), while Judge became the 13th three-time winner. DECEMBER Moore appears via video during his arraignment. (Ryan Sun-Pool/Getty Images) ? Moore fired, detained (Dec. 10): Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore for cause after an investigation found he had "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member." Hours later, Moore was taken into police custody as a suspect in an alleged assault. More headlines: ⚽️ Dec. 6: Inter Miami beat Vancouver, 3-1, to win the club's first MLS Cup title. Lionel Messi contributed two assists to put the finishing touches on his second straight league MVP award. ?️ Dec. 7: McLaren's Lando Norris finished third at the Abu Dhabi GP to eke out his first F1 championship by the slimmest of margins, snapping Max Verstappen's four-year title streak with a 423-421 advantage. Plus: Erling Haaland became the fastest player to 100 Premier League goals (Dec. 2); LeBron James' streak of scoring at least 10 points ended after 1,297 straight games* (Dec. 4); James Harden passed Carmelo Anthony to move into the top 10 on the NBA's all-time scoring list (Dec. 6). *How nuts is this? Prior to Dec. 4, the last time LeBron scored fewer than 10 points was Jan. 5, 2007, when Cooper Flagg was 15 days old. They played a game against each other three weeks ago. ??? Hope you enjoyed our final edition of 2025! I'd love to get your feedback as we head into the new year. Shoot me an email with any thoughts or ideas you have: kendall.baker@yahooinc.com. Love y'all! Talk soon. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 29, 2025 Author Members Posted December 29, 2025 ? 1 fun thing: Dean of NFL announcers Al Michaels reports from the sidelines before a 2019 game in Pittsburgh. Photo: Keith Srakocic/AP Al Michaels hit 40 years as the play-by-play announcer for one of the NFL's primetime packages this season, AP writes in an interview with the broadcasting legend. Why it matters: Michaels has called more NFL games than any other announcer, past or present. ? By the numbers: The Christmas night game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on Prime Video will be his 779th NFL broadcast, according to research from the 506 Sports Archive. CBS' Kevin Harlan is the closest among active announcers, with 542. The late Pat Summerall, who ranks second behind Michaels, announced 734 games. ? Michaels has worked with eight analysts. Cris Collinsworth worked with him the longest, at 13 seasons, while his seven years with John Madden rank among the best booth pairings. Full interview. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 ? The year big events came back Data: Nielsen. (The Tony Awards weren't held in 2020 and the Golden Globes didn't air in 2022.) Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Major live TV events saw a notable ratings bump this year — underscoring how much audiences crave communal, real-time experiences even as their daily viewing habits fragment, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer writes. Why it matters: The pandemic shift to streaming drove historic low TV ratings for live events that have started to rebound. ? By the numbers: Fox's Super Bowl LIX broadcast in February drew 128 million viewers, according to Nielsen, making it the most-watched Super Bowl and U.S. telecast ever. NBC's 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade reached 34.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, a record combined audience. Nearly 45 million people watched the three Thanksgiving Day NFL games on average, according to Nielsen, shattering last year's record of 34.5 million viewers. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 5 Author Members Posted January 5 ? Sluggish box office Data: Box Office Mojo. Chart: Axios Visuals The North American box office fell short of the $9 billion analysts projected for 2025, thanks to underperforming sequels and superhero movies, Axios' Sara Fischer reports. Why it matters: Domestic entertainment tends to thrive amid inflation as people pull back from international travel. But while concerts and theme parks boomed last year, theaters struggled. Zoom in: The domestic box office brought in roughly $8.6 billion last year — a big dip from the pre-pandemic highs of $11.9 billion and $11.4 billion in 2018 and 2019. PG-rated films dominated ticket sales. 2025's top domestic performer was "A Minecraft Movie." Read on. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 5 Author Members Posted January 5 ? 1 for the road: NFL playoffs set NFL via X The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks secured first-round byes for the NFL playoffs, which start Saturday. The Pittsburgh Steelers grabbed the final spot with a dramatic win over the Baltimore Ravens that ended with a missed field goal. ESPN playoff guide ... TV schedule ... Overview story: Steelers, Panthers, Jaguars secure division titles. Broncos clinch AFC's No. 1 seed. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.