Members phkrause Posted January 6 Author Members Posted January 6 ? Good morning! It's great to be back. Now, let's see if we remember how to do this thing. Breaking news: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim was sacked this morning after 14 months at the club. The Red Devils currently sit sixth in the Premier League. In today's edition: Bring on the NFL postseason, Big Numbers, college football's unlikely Final Four, Unrivaled tips off, goal of the year, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Falcons clean house: The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot on Sunday night. Atlanta went 8-9 in both seasons under Morris and has now finished with a sub-.500 record eight years in a row. ? Team USA revealed: Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, Golden Knights center Jack Eichel and Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck headline the 25-man roster set to represent the United States at next month's Olympics. ? Portal season begins: The college football transfer portal officially opened on Friday. Among the biggest moves so far are North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker following head coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State, ex-TCU QB Josh Hoover committing to Indiana, and ex-Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby committing to Texas Tech. The portal will close on Jan. 16. ?? Coming to America: Three MLB teams have landed Japanese stars this offseason, with the White Sox signing 1B/3B Munetaka Murakami (2 years, $34M), the Astros signing RHP Tatsuya Imai (3 years, $54M) and the Blue Jays signing 3B Kazuma Okamoto (4 years, $60M). ? Fury un-retires (again): Tyson Fury's fifth retirement from boxing has ended the same way as his previous four, with the former two-time heavyweight champion announcing a return to the ring. "Nothing better to do than punch men in the face and get paid for it," wrote the 37-year-old. ? 32 ENTERED, 14 REMAIN BRING ON THE NFL POSTSEASON (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) The NFL regular season came to an epic conclusion on Sunday night in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers secured the final playoff spot over the rival Ravens thanks to a missed field goal as time expired. ICYMI: Truly an incredible last 10 minutes. More from Week 18: The Panthers lost to the Bucs but still won the NFC South, the Broncos and Seahawks won to secure their conference's top seeds, and the Raiders locked up the No. 1 pick despite beating the Chiefs on a walk-off field goal. NFC playoff field Seahawks* (14-3) Bears (11-6) Eagles* (11-6) Panthers* (8-9) Rams (12-5) 49ers (12-5) Packers (9-7-1) *Elite company: Seattle's Sam Darnold is one of just two QBs in NFL history to win 14 games in back-to-back seasons. The only other QB to do that? Tom Brady. *Controversial decision: The Eagles rested their starters in Sunday's loss to the Commanders. Had they won, they would have leapfrogged the Bears for the No. 2 seed. *The Panthers are the first franchise in NFL history to make the playoffs twice with a losing record. The 2014 team also made the field with a 7-8-1 record. AFC playoff field Broncos* (14-3) Patriots* (14-3) Jaguars* (13-4) Steelers (10-7) Texans* (12-5) Bills (12-5) Chargers (11-6) *Could history repeat? The last time the Broncos earned the No. 1 seed (2015), they went on to win the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium, which will host this year's game. *Worst to first: The AFC East champion Patriots join the Bears and Panthers as teams that won their division this season after finishing in last place a year ago. *Going streaking: The AFC South ended the regular season on a trio of lengthy streaks. The Jaguars won eight straight games, the Texans won nine straight games and the Colts lost seven straight games. ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS The NFL's new single-season sack king. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images) ? 23 sacks Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett set the NFL sack record on Sunday with his 23rd of the season, breaking the mark of 22.5 sacks previously held by Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021). Finishing strong: Garrett set the record with a faster get-off speed (0.23 seconds) than any player on any sack this season. "Probably the best get-off I ever had," he said after the game. ? 96 of 100 Sports represented 96 of the top 100 most-watched telecasts in 2025, tying an all-time record, per Sports Business Journal. Of those 96 broadcasts, 92 were football games (84 NFL, eight college), two were World Series games, one was the men's college basketball title game and one was the Kentucky Derby. As for the non-sports broadcasts? The only four to make the top 100 were President Trump's inauguration, his address to a joint session of Congress in March, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Oscars. ? 0 INTs The Jets made the wrong kind of history (how unlike them!), becoming the first NFL team since 1933 to go an entire season without recording an interception. For reference: In 1933, the NFL passing leader (Harry Newman of the Giants) had 973 yards and interceptions weren't even an official statistic. It's legitimately unbelievable that this happened in 2025, when the Jets defense allowed 3,674 passing yards and had infinitely more opportunities for a pick. ? 30-6 Following their historic 24-1 start, the Thunder are just 6-5 in their last 11 games. That includes three losses to the Spurs and one each to the Timberwolves and Suns, with the latter coming on Sunday courtesy of Devin Booker's last-second 3-pointer. Looking ahead: OKC (30-6) is still on pace for 68 wins, which would be tied for the fifth-most ever in a season. But the 73-win mark set by the 2015-16 Warriors appears much safer than it did a month ago. ? BRACKET BUSTERS COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S UNLIKELY FINAL FOUR (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) We should all spend the next two weeks wrapping our minds around what's happened to college football this season. In Year 2 of the 12-team playoff, the sport has gone crazy in the best possible way. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: Take a look at that final four. That weird, disorienting, beautiful final four. One of Indiana, Oregon, Ole Miss or Miami is going to win the national title. Can we pause for moment and celebrate how impossible that would have seemed a mere three years ago and how cool it is now? Here's Indiana, historically one of the worst programs in major college football, bullying everyone to a 14-0 record and the well-deserved status as national championship favorite thanks to a genius named Curt Cignetti who was hiding in plain sight until he was 60 years old. Here's Oregon, the poster child for new money that hung around the elite for so long it became the establishment, hoping to deliver the national championship 87-year-old Nike founder and mega-booster Phil Knight yearns to experience. Here's Ole Miss, the school that never lost a tailgate party but also never won a modern-era SEC championship, trying to save its conference from a playoff humiliation while the coach who built the program watches from Baton Rouge because he deemed it easier to win a title there. And here's Miami, a team that wasn't projected to make the CFP until the selection committee pulled a switcheroo at the last second and vaulted the Hurricanes over Notre Dame for the final spot in the field. Meanwhile? Goodbye Georgia. See ya, Ohio State. Best of luck in your future endeavors, Alabama. All we ever wanted was a postseason where the teams deemed to be elite by poll voters or committee members had to prove it on the field in a playoff format that looked like every other level of football. Now we have it, and it's proven one thing definitively: When you put teams into a tournament bracket, unexpected stuff happens. Even in college football. Bottom line: For far too many years, the paradigm of college football was based mostly on what we thought we knew about teams. It used to be a beauty pageant. Now, it's a month-long exam. Finally, the results are in. They may not be what we expected, but at least we know we're getting the truth. ? SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images) ?? Miami, Florida — The Rangers crushed the Panthers, 5-1, in Friday's Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park behind a masterclass from Mika Zibanejad, who had a hand in all five goals with a hat trick and a pair of assists. Sunshine State: Florida's inaugural outdoor NHL game was unsurprisingly the warmest Winter Classic ever, with a temperature of 63.1 degrees Fahrenheit at puck drop. (Warren Little/Getty Images) ??????? London, England — 18-year-old Luke "The Nuke" Littler won his second straight World Darts Championship on Saturday, dropping just four sets all tournament en route to becoming the first repeat champion in a decade. Climbing the leaderboard: Littler, already the youngest champion ever, is now one of just seven two-time winners, trailing only three-time champion Michael van Gerwen and 14-time champion Phil Taylor. Belinda Bencic of Team Switzerland serves during Day 2 of the United Cup. (Paul Kane/Getty Images) ?? Perth, Australia — The United Cup began on Friday, with 18 nations competing in the fourth edition of the mixed-gender tournament. Among those in action are four of the world's top 10 men and three of the world's top 10 women. Who's favored? The United States is the No. 1 seed and defending champion, followed by No. 2 Canada and No. 3 Italy, whose men have won three straight Davis Cups and whose women have won two straight Billie Jean King Cups. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images) ?? Tangiers, Morocco — A Senegal supporter cheers for his side during their Round of 16 victory over Sudan in the Africa Cup of Nations. 12 teams left: Senegal, Mali, Cameroon and Morocco have reached the quarterfinals in the 35th edition of AFCON. They'll be joined by the winners of two games today (Egypt vs. Benin, Nigeria vs. Mozambique) and two games tomorrow (Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso, Algeria vs. DR Congo). ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, JAN. 5 (NCAA) ? FCS National Championship No. 2 Montana State and Illinois State play for the title tonight in Nashville (7:30pm ET, ESPN), where someone will be crowned champion for the first time in at least four decades. Meet the contenders: The Bobcats won their only championship in 1984, though this is their third trip to the title game in the last five years. The Redbirds, who stunned undefeated defending champion North Dakota State in the second round, are seeking their first title and would become the first unseeded champion since Richmond in 2008. ? Unrivaled The second season of the 3-on-3 women's league featuring 54 WNBA players tips off today in Miami, where eight teams (up from six last year) begin their 14-game regular season. Today's schedule: Mist vs. Hive (1pm, truTV); Vinyl vs. Laces (2:15pm, truTV); Rose vs. Lunar Owls (8pm, TNT); Breeze vs. Phantom (9:15pm, TNT). More to watch: ? NBA: Knicks at Pistons (7pm, Peacock); Nuggets at 76ers (8:30pm, Peacock); Warriors at Clippers (10pm, Peacock) … Detroit (26-9) and New York (23-12) are the top teams in the East. ? NCAAM: No. 13 Nebraska at Ohio State (6:30pm, FS1); No. 24 USC at No. 9 Michigan State (8:30pm, FS1) … The Cornhuskers (14-0) are off to their best start ever, and are one of just six remaining undefeated teams. ? World Juniors: Sweden vs. Czechia (8:30pm, NHL) … Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosts the final of the 50th World Junior Hockey Championship. ? RECORD BOOKS NBA TRIVIA (Chris Coduto/Getty Images) Russell Westbrook reached 26,711 career points on Friday to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer among point guards. Question: Whose record did he break? Hint: He played the majority of his career on a team that has since changed its name and city. Answer at the bottom. ⚽️ HIGHLIGHT GOAL OF THE YEAR (Giphy) Fulham's Harrison Reed scored a stoppage-time screamer in the 97th minute on Sunday to snatch a point against Liverpool. Early contender for goal of the year. Trivia answer: Oscar Robertson (26,710 points) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 6 Author Members Posted January 6 ? 1 hoop thing: New college polls Rankings: AP; Table: Alex Fitzpatrick and Jacque Schrag Arizona sits atop today's new AP men's college basketball rankings, while the UConn Huskies lead the women's pack. The Michigan men have plenty to celebrate, despite being No. 2: They're the first team in AP poll history to rack up three straight 30-point wins against ranked opponents, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello. The UConn women, meanwhile, "are off to their best start since 2017-18, when they started 36-0 before losing in the Final Four." (ESPN) Go deeper. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 7 Author Members Posted January 7 ? Good morning! How's your 2026 going? Mine started with a bang, as I learned I'm going to be a girl dad! Can't wait. In today's edition: A memorable Sunday in Pittsburgh, Thunder lose again, AP hoops polls, NFL power rankings, "Top Gun" offense, Teddy Bear Toss, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? NFL coaching carousel: The Browns fired Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon after three seasons and the Raiders fired Pete Carroll after one season. Those three teams join the Giants, Titans and Falcons among the league's six coaching vacancies. ? Thunder blown out: OKC's slide continued with a stunning 27-point home loss to the lowly Hornets, falling to 6-6 in their last 12 games after going 24-1 in their first 25. Their pursuit of the single-season wins record has officially hit a wall. ? Bobcats crowned champs: Montana State outlasted Illinois State, 35-34 (OT), to win its first FCS title since 1984. How good was this game? It featured a 20-point comeback, a blocked FG, a blocked PAT in overtime and a game-winning score on 4th and 10. ? Trae on the move? After the Hawks began talks with Trae Young's camp last week about moving the four-time All-Star, reports now suggest the Wizards are a potential landing spot in a deal that would be centered around C.J. McCollum's expiring contract. ? Rose Bowl makes history: Indiana's blowout win over Alabama drew 23.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched CFP game in the 12-team era. By comparison, last week's other three quarterfinals all fell short of 20 million viewers. ❤️ ONE NIGHT IN PITTSBURGH WHY WE LOVE SPORTS Frank (L) and Clayton. (Frank Michael Smith) Frank Michael Smith is one of my favorite people in sports — and millions of followers on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms agree. Frank is also a loyal Yahoo Sports AM reader, and he was kind enough to share a memorable experience he had on Sunday that captures the magic of sports. Frank Michael Smith (Pittsburgh) writes: My father in-law barely speaks English. He arrived from São Paulo and was greeted by Pittsburgh weather at its worst, a new culture, and a Steelers team in the midst of yet another late season collapse. None of it mattered. The moment he stepped foot in the North Shore, he belonged. The days before the Steelers Week 18 showdown versus the Ravens were ordinary, but packed with new experiences. His first snowball, icy roads, and a Bloody Mary he politely finished but vowed never to order again. Clayton was treating each day like an open invitation. The guy was down for anything, but when the Steelers blew their Week 17 game vs. Cleveland, I knew what had to be done. I broke the news that things were about to get serious. The purest most authentic version of my city lives inside Steelers January football. I explained to Clayton that it wouldn't be enough to dress warm. We had to leave the house looking like Eskimos if we were to endure my struggling Steelers for 3.5 hours in 20 degree weather. Clayton smiled and said…"nova experiência" (new experience). Clayton waving a Terrible Towel. (Frank Michael Smith) We both speak a bit of each other's languages, but once we rolled into the North Shore our broken conversations weren't necessary. The crowd spoke for us. Collective groans after the Steelers went down by 10 points early, and eruptions after they stormed back to seize the lead with 4 minutes remaining. Clayton understood the winner take all stakes, but nothing could prepare him for the pandemonium after Baltimore missed a 44 yard field goal that sent the Steelers to the playoffs. When I say the crowd exploded, I mean for a minute there I was nervous about the structural integrity of the venue. It was a level of euphoria usually reserved for an AFC Championship game. We hugged each other and seemingly everyone else in a 15 foot radius. This is what sports are all about. They transcend distance and language. They bring people together and transform random visits into core memories. Years from now, Clayton won't remember the weather. He'll remember the night Pittsburgh adopted him. ✍️ Submit your story: Do you have a fondest sports memory? Or an example of sports having a positive impact on your life? If you'd like to share, email me at kendall.baker@yahooinc.com. We hope to feature more of these kinds of stories throughout 2026. ? WEEK 10 AP POLLS: ARIZONA, UCONN ON TOP (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Arizona held off Michigan for the top spot in this week's AP poll by a single point (!!), while Nebraska moved into the top 10 for the first time since 1966. Conference call: The Power 4 are dominating this season, with nearly every team in the top 25 coming from the Big 12 (7), Big Ten (6), SEC (5) and ACC (5). The Big East and West Coast round things out with one team each. (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) The women's poll got a major shakeup with Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Louisville replacing Iowa State, LSU and TCU in the top 10 after the latter three all lost last week. The very top, however, remains unchanged as the top four has comprised the same four teams every week this season. Streak snapped: Notre Dame's run of 85 consecutive appearances in the top 25 ended after the Irish lost twice last week. That had been the third-longest active streak in the nation behind UConn (615) and South Carolina (257). ? WEEK 18 NFL POWER RANKINGS: FINAL EDITION (Taylar Sievert/Yahoo Sports) Our final NFL power rankings of the season are in, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab. How do they compare to our power rankings entering Week 1? Seahawks (17 in Week 1) Broncos (8) Patriots (21) Rams (14) Jaguars (15) 49ers (13) Texans (17) Bears (16) Eagles (1) Bills (5) Chargers (11) Packers (6) Steelers (20) Panthers (29) Vikings (7) Lions (3) Falcons (23) Ravens (2) Buccaneers (9) Colts (25) Cowboys (22) Saints (32) Bengals (12) Chiefs (4) Dolphins (27) Browns (30) Commanders (10) Giants (28) Titans (31) Cardinals (19) Jets (26) Raiders (24) Biggest risers: No team vaulted more spots from Week 1 to Week 18 than the Patriots (up 18), followed closely by the Seahawks (up 16) and Panthers (up 15). The Rams, Jaguars, Texans and Saints (up 10) made the next largest jumps. Biggest fallers: The Chiefs (down 20) fell the furthest over the course of the season, followed by the Commanders (down 17), Ravens (down 16), Lions (down 13), Bengals (down 11), Cardinals (down 11) and Buccaneers (down 10). ? DIVISION III RIVER FALLS RIDES "TOP GUN" OFFENSE TO TITLE (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Indiana's ascent from cellar dweller to juggernaut has been the story of the FBS season. A little farther north in River Falls, Wisconsin, another football team just completed an epic turnaround of its own. Champions at last: UW-River Falls beat North Central (Illinois), 24-14, on Sunday to win their first D-III national championship, toppling a dynasty that has reached six straight title games and putting the finishing touches on a historically dominant campaign. A long time coming: The Falcons hadn't won their conference outright since 1985, hadn't reached the playoffs since 1996, and endured 19 consecutive losing seasons entering the pandemic. Something needed to change. That's when head coach Matt Walker, who took over in 2011 and jokes that he "should've been fired three times," implemented what's been dubbed the "Top Gun" offense. Walker developed the up-tempo scheme alongside newly-promoted OC Joe Matheson during the lost COVID season. Their goal? Become "the fastest team to ever play," he told The Athletic ($). What they're saying: "It was desperation," Matheson said of creating the offense, which utilizes a wide array of formations. "If you have the personnel to run 12 personnel, that's what you do. But we had to find ways to get our kids to success. People don't understand how important it is to have a head coach that is willing to do crazy things." Well, the crazy thing worked: The "Top Gun" offense immediately paid dividends, resulting in four straight winning seasons before going supernova this fall. The Falcons (14-1) averaged 556 yards of offense on 84 plays per game this season, by far the best marks across all NCAA divisions. What does 84 plays per game look like? One snap roughly every 20 seconds, a truly dizzying rate. No player benefitted more from the scheme than QB Kaleb Blaha, who won the Gagliardi Trophy (D-III's Heisman) and broke Joe Burrow's NCAA record for most individual yards in a season, with 6,189 combined passing (4,971) and rushing yards (1,218). The last word: "It took 15 years to get here," said Walker after hoisting the national championship trophy. "I had teams that won no games, won one. Everyone stayed committed to this vision. I'm speechless." ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JAN. 6 Duke, led by Cameron Boozer, has lost just one game this season — by just one point. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images) ? NCAA Men's Basketball Tonight's stacked slate is headlined by a pair of ranked-on-ranked matchups, with No. 6 Duke visiting No. 20 Louisville (7pm ET, ESPN) and No. 14 Texas Tech visiting No. 8 Houston (9pm, FS1). Best of the rest: No. 2 Michigan at Penn State (7pm, FS1); No. 18 Georgia at Florida (7pm, SEC); Texas at No. 21 Tennessee (9pm, ESPN2); TCU at No. 22 Kansas (9pm, ESPN). More to watch: ? NBA: Heat at Timberwolves (8pm, NBC); Mavericks at Kings (11pm, NBC) … Minnesota's Anthony Edwards ranks seventh in scoring (29.4 ppg). ? NHL: Panthers at Maple Leafs (7:30pm, TNT) … Both teams are currently outside the playoff picture. ⛳️ TGL: The Bay vs. Atlanta (5pm, ESPN) … Shane Lowry, Ludvig Åberg and Wyndham Clark vs. Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay and Chris Gotterup. ? RECORD BOOKS NFL TRIVIA (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images) Derrick Henry just recorded his fifth career season with at least 1,500 rushing yards, tied for the most such seasons in NFL history. Question: Who is he tied with? Hint: Spent his entire career with one team. Answer at the bottom. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Capitals, collected 81,796 stuffed animals for charity during Sunday's Teddy Bear Toss. The furry friends will be donated to children throughout Central Pennsylvania. Trivia answer: Barry Sanders Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 8 Author Members Posted January 8 ? Good morning! Thanks for all the "Why We Love Sports" submissions. Some really amazing stories I can't wait to share. The hope is to include one per week until we run out. Hopefully we never do! Quote of the day: Ole Miss coach Joe Judge when asked about how hectic this week has been given their fractured coaching staff and transfer portal uncertainty: "My next door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez. I know this is more chaotic." In today's edition: Ravens fire Harbaugh, the NHL's best team has a problem, the legend of Trinidad Chambliss, NBA power rankings, Wemby being Wemby, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Harbaugh out in Baltimore: The Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday, ending an 18-season tenure that included 12 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl win (2013). The franchise stalwart coached the Ravens for more than half of their 30-year existence. ? All-Star voting update: Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetekounmpo remain their conference's top vote-getters for next month's NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Voting ends on Jan. 14, with starters announced five days later. ⛳️ WTGL coming soon: Following the success of TGL, whose second season began last week, LPGA golfers are getting a league of their own. Women's TGL is set to debut next winter at the same custom-built stadium in Florida where the men play. ? NASCAR commish resigns: Steve Phelps, who was named NASCAR's first commissioner less than a year ago, has resigned amid backlash over a series of inflammatory texts he sent that were revealed during a recently-settled lawsuit. ? Record purse in Melbourne: The Australian Open, which begins in less than two weeks, announced a record $74.9 million prize purse for this year's tournament, including $2.8 million each for the men's and women's singles champions. ? POWER PLAY THE NHL'S BEST TEAM HAS A PROBLEM Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche have been dominant. Just not on the power play. (Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The best team in the NHL has one glaring weakness — and it could end up costing them a chance at history. Alone at the top: The Avalanche were expected to be good this season, but no team is ever expected to be this good. Their 31-3-7 record at the halfway mark was the best since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1995-96. They're the fourth team in NHL history to record multiple 10-game winning streaks in a season, and they currently have six more wins (and 11 more points) than any other team. They score the most goals (3.95 per game) and allow the fewest (2.21), and the second-best team in each category (3.45 and 2.63) isn't even close. Yes, but: For all their success, there's one area where the Avs struggle mightily: the power play. They've scored just 23 goals in 143 man-up opportunities, good for a 16.1% success rate that ranks 26th out of 32 teams — an extreme outlier for a first-place squad with championship aspirations. Consider this: Colorado is on pace to become just the fifth team to win 60 or more games in a season. Here's where the other four ranked in power play percentage: 2022-23 Bruins: 22.2% (12th) 2018-19 Lightning: 28.2% (1st) 1995-96 Red Wings: 21.3% (2nd) 1976-77 Canadiens: 24.89% (2nd) Again, the Avalanche rank 26th. It's hard to fathom such an otherwise dominant team struggling to this degree in man-up situations, especially when that unit typically features arguably the best player (MVP favorite Nathan MacKinnon) and defenseman (Norris Trophy favorite Cale Makar) in the league. Colorado's power play problems cost them in their last two games, when they went a combined 0-for-6 in tight losses to the Panthers and Lightning. And if they don't find a fix, it will likely derail their shot at the regular-season wins record (65), and could hinder them in the playoffs when man-up situations often define a series. Bottom line: The Avalanche have spent most of the season looking like one of the best teams of the century. But remove a player from the opposing team, and suddenly they look surprisingly bad. ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images) ? 1 month Tuesday marked exactly one month until the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in the northern Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, where roughly 3,000 athletes from over 90 countries will compete for glory. Athletes by country: The USA leads the way with 154 athletes, followed by Italy (151), Canada (117), Germany (103), France (99), Switzerland (95), Czech Republic (91), Sweden (91), Finland (78) and Norway (51). ? -7.34 GSAx Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom was awful in Tuesday's 9-0 loss to the Islanders, allowing nine goals on just 24 shots on net. In fact, his performance was the single worst in NHL history by goals saved above expected (-7.34 GSAx), which calculates the difference between goals allowed (9) and expected goals allowed (1.66). GSAx, explained: Goals saved above expected measures how many more (or fewer) goals a goalie allowed compared to an average goalie facing the same quality and quantity of shots. In layman's terms, Markstrom surrendered roughly 7 more goals than an average goalie would have. ⚾️ 21 of 50 21 of our top 50 MLB free agents remain unsigned despite spring training being just six weeks away. "The key word is methodical," said one agent of the slow-moving market. "I just don't see any urgency." Who's still available? OF Kyle Tucker (1), 3B Alex Bregman (2), SS Bo Bichette (4), OF Cody Bellinger (7), LHP Framber Valdez (8) and LHP Ranger Suárez (9) are all in our top 10 and remain unsigned. Others include RHP Zac Gallen (12), C J.T. Realmuto (23), 3B Eugenio Suárez (24) and RHP Justin Verlander (48). The RedHawks celebrate Tuesday's victory over Western Michigan. (Miami-Ohio Athletics) ? 6 undefeated teams Six men's college basketball teams are still undefeated, which is almost unheard of this late in the season. In fact, that's the same number of unbeatens through nine weeks as in the last five seasons combined. One is not like the others: Five of those teams are ranked power conference programs (No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Iowa State, No. 9 Nebraska and No. 11 Vanderbilt). The sixth is Miami (Ohio), a mid-major that hasn't been ranked since 1999 and hasn't been to the NCAA tournament in two decades. ? 25 straight losses Colts QB Riley Leonard continued a truly astonishing streak with last week's loss to the Texans, as former Notre Dame QBs have now lost 25 consecutive NFL starts over the past 14 seasons. The last one to get a win? Chiefs QB Brady Quinn in Week 13 of the 2012 season. The full list: Quinn lost four straight games to end his career in 2012, Jimmy Clausen lost the final four starts of his career across the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Bears and Panthers, DeShone Kizer went 0-15 for the Browns in 2017 and Ian Book lost his only start for the Saints in 2021. ⚽️ 4 points A few Premier League teams at the top of the table stand out above the rest, but the middle class is as jumbled as ever with just four points separating fifth-place Chelsea from 14th-place Crystal Palace as the second half of the season gets underway. Fun fact: It took just 20 weeks for the Premier League to complete a "circle of parity," indicative of a league in which almost any team can beat any opponent on any given matchday. ? RISING STAR THE LEGEND OF TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS Trinidad Chambliss is interviewed after leading Ole Miss to victory in the Sugar Bowl. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Trinidad Chambliss has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past year, going from a D-II backup in Michigan to a playoff hero in the Deep South. Will his legendary story continue for another season at Ole Miss? From Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger: A couple miles off campus, across the street from a Super Walmart and adjacent to a Chili's, there exists a Planet Fitness that served as the primary workout space for a newly added transfer football player for the Ole Miss Rebels. For a couple weeks in May, few if anyone recognized the former Division II quarterback from Ferris State as he swiped a fob for access to the Planet Fitness franchise's Oxford location, where, every day, he lifted weights and performed conditioning work with the general public of this college town. In a little-known fact, Trinidad Chambliss wasn't ruled academically eligible at Ole Miss until well into the summer. "I couldn't even work out with the team," Chambliss told Yahoo Sports in an interview earlier this fall from the team’s football facility. "There was a point over the summer where they thought I had to go back to Ferris State." The anecdote is yet another interesting piece in one of the most fascinating stories in the recent history of the sport. It's a made-for-TV spectacle, a story with all the hallmarks for a Netflix documentary. But a few days before Chambliss leads his streaking Ole Miss Rebels into a College Football Playoff semifinal against the Miami Hurricanes, the quarterback's tale is overshadowed by its latest chapter: It is not clear whether his story will continue in college beyond this month. Chambliss celebrates after leading Ferris State to the D-II national championship last December. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Lording over Chambliss — and perhaps the entire college football quarterback transfer market — is a decision from the NCAA to grant him a sixth season of eligibility next year. Three days into the 15-day transfer portal, the association has not ruled. Chambliss — his legal representation, parents, agent and current school, too — is left in limbo while preparing for the biggest game of his life. "The unknown is uncomfortable," says Trent Chambliss, the quarterback's father. While a half-dozen elite quarterback transfers make their future decisions and sign multi-million dollar contracts with a new school or their current program, Trinidad Chambliss is twisting in the winds of uncertainty, unable to officially strike a new deal. That didn't stop him overnight Sunday from agreeing to a new contract with the Rebels contingent on having the waiver granted, according to those with knowledge of the situation. The agreement sets up potential legal action if his waiver is not granted. Millions of dollars are now on the line. ? 1-30 NBA POWER RANKINGS (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) The NBA championship picture is increasingly becoming a landscape, rather than a portrait of the mighty Thunder. Biggest risers: Clippers (up 5), Celtics (up 4), Warriors (up 4), Bulls (up 4), Bucks (up 4), Wizards (up 4). Biggest fallers: Nuggets (down 6), Mavericks (down 5), Knicks (down 4), Grizzlies (down 4) Nets (down 4). ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7 Jaylen Brown has put the Celtics on his back this season. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) ? NBA on ESPN Four teams firmly in the playoff picture take the court tonight as the second-place Celtics host the fourth-place Nuggets (7pm ET) and the second-place Spurs host the third-place Lakers (9:30pm). Red-hot C's: Since getting off to a slow 5-7 start, Boston has gone 18-5 behind MVP candidate Jaylen Brown, who's averaging a career-high 29.6 points. ? NHL on TNT The Capitals host the Stars (7pm) in a heavyweight matchup, then it's Blues at Blackhawks (9:30pm) in the nightcap. More to watch: ? NCAAM: No. 3 Iowa State at Baylor (8pm, Peacock); No. 13 Alabama at No. 11 Vanderbilt (9pm, ESPN2); Kansas State at No. 1 Arizona (9pm, FS1) … Iowa State, Vanderbilt and Arizona remain undefeated. ? NCAAW: St. John's at No. 1 UConn (7:30pm, truTV) … The Huskies (15-0) have won 31 straight games dating back to last season. ⚽️ Premier League: Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa (2:30pm, Peacock); Manchester City vs. Brighton (2:30pm, Peacock) … Villa and City are tied for second, six points behind Arsenal. ? AT THE HELM NFL TRIVIA Harbaugh walks off the field after Sunday's loss in Pittsburgh. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) John Harbaugh was the NFL's second-longest-tenured head coach (18 seasons) before he was fired Tuesday. Question: Who is the only active NFL head coach who has been in his job longer? Answer at the bottom. ? WAIT, WHAT? HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT (Giphy) There are things Victor Wembanyama can do that no one else in the NBA can do. Or maybe no one else on Earth. Exhibit A: See above. Did he just scissor kick basketballs stuck in a 10-foot basket? While nursing a bad knee? Yes. Yes, he did. Consider this: The Guinness Book of World Records lists the highest unassisted martial arts kick (male) at 9 feet, 8 inches. Watch that GIF again… It certainly looks like Wemby’s foot gets within four inches of the rim, right? And he was only goofing off. Trivia answer: Mike Tomlin (Steelers) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 10 Author Members Posted January 10 ? Good morning! We are officially 1/52nd of the way through 2026. How does it feel? In today's edition: Trae to the Wiz, Nick Saban's coaching tree is dominating the CFP, Baseball Hall of Fame check-in, NFL mock draft, photo finish and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Trae to the Wiz: The Hawks have traded Trae Young to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, ending his seven-plus year tenure in Atlanta. Young was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks but they finished above .500 just twice. ? Football is king: NFL games averaged 18.7 million viewers this fall, making it the league's most-watched season since 1989. It also marked a 7% jump from last year, when games averaged 17.5 million viewers. ⚾️ A's trademark denied: The A's long journey from Oakland to Vegas has hit another speed bump, as the team's request to trademark "Las Vegas Athletics" and "Vegas Athletics" has been denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ? Kelce's uncertain future: While many expected this to be Travis Kelce's final season, he said he's still undecided about retirement because he still has "a lot of love for the game." Plus, do we really think the final catch of his Hall of Fame career is going to come from Shane Buechele? ⚾️ Cubs-Marlins swap: The Cubs traded three hitting prospects to the Marlins for right-hander Edward Cabrera, who is coming off his best season after posting a 3.53 ERA across a career-high 137.2 innings. ? COACHING TREE NICK SABAN'S FINGERPRINTS ARE ALL OVER THE FINAL FOUR (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Curt Cignetti, Mario Cristobal, Dan Lanning and Pete Golding all coached under Nick Saban. Is it a coincidence their teams are still alive in the playoff? From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: Believe it or not, there was a time when being a Nick Saban disciple did not seem like a ticket to greatness. Particularly in the first part of his Alabama tenure, when schools were desperate to mimic Saban's methods, some of the more prominent names on his coaching tree like Derek Dooley, Jim McElwain and Will Muschamp could not reproduce his secret sauce when they got their chance to run SEC programs. But with Saban now comfortably on the ESPN desk, his influence over college football is inescapable. And his DNA is all over the four teams playing for a chance at this national championship. The Final Four: Indiana: Curt Cignetti, 64, was Alabama's wide receivers coach for Saban's first four seasons in Tuscaloosa, helping the Crimson Tide win two national championships (2009, 2011). Miami: Mario Cristobal, 55, landed at Alabama after a six-year head coaching stint at FIU. He spent four years as Saban's offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator and helped the Tide win the second College Football Playoff National Championship Game (2015). Oregon: Dan Lanning, 39, left a full-time coaching job at Sam Houston State in 2014 to work as a graduate assistant at Alabama, where he helped Saban win his fifth national title (2015) and changed the trajectory of his career. Ole Miss: Pete Golding, 41, was a defensive coordinator at UTSA who caught Saban's eye at a chalk talk and subsequently spent five years at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide win their most recent national title (2020). What they're saying: "I think everybody learned a lot from Nick," said Cignetti, who has clearly borrowed Saban's intensity, attention to detail and unwillingness to accept complacency from anyone in his organization. "I felt like after one year with Coach Saban, I had learned more about how to run a program than I maybe did the previous 27 as an assistant coach." ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) ? 65 years Missouri beat Kentucky, 73-68, on Wednesday for their first win at Rupp Arena in the 65-year history of their series. The victory continued a hot start for the Tigers (12-3), who have gone 2-0 to open conference play for the first time since joining the SEC in 2013. Wildcats struggling: On the other side, Kentucky (9-6) has dropped two straight, gone 4-4 in their last eight, and lost their conference home opener for the first time since 2013. There's still plenty of time to right the ship, but they could be playing themselves out of the NCAA tournament despite starting the season ranked in the top 10. ? 46 years old Matt LaFleur (Packers) and Kyle Shanahan (49ers) are the oldest head coaches among NFC playoff teams, and they're just 46 years old. Mike Macdonald (Seahawks) is 38, Sean McVay (Rams) is 39, Ben Johnson (Bears) is 39, Nick Sirianni (Eagles) is 44 and Dave Canales (Panthers) is 44. Meanwhile, in the AFC: It's a much older group on average. Liam Coen (Jaguars) is 40, DeMeco Ryans (Texans) is 41, Mike Vrabel (Patriots) is 50, Sean McDermott (Bills) is 51, Mike Tomlin (Steelers) is 53, Jim Harbaugh (Chargers) is 62 and Sean Payton (Broncos) is 62. Parc des Princes Stadium (L) home of PSG, and Jean Bouin Stadium, home of Paris FC. (Christophe Ena/AP Photo) ⚽️ 48 yards For years, Paris Saint-Germain was the only major soccer club to hail from the French capital. Then an upstart team called Paris FC moved in — right across the street. Wall Street Journal: The ultra-rich soccer rivals based just 48 yards apart ($) ? $6 billion Indiana alumnus Mark Cuban, whose net worth is $6 billion, has made another sizable donation to his alma mater's athletics department. After giving "a big number" in 2024, he upped the ante ahead of the football transfer portal window that opened on Friday. "Let's just say they are happier this year than last year," he said. Fun fact: Cuban and Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti both have Pittsburgh-area roots and were born in the same hospital three years apart. ⚾️ ROAD TO COOPERSTOWN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CHECK-IN (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame were due on New Year's Eve, and though the official announcement won't come until Jan. 20, we have a decent idea of who might be heading to Cooperstown* this summer thanks to the ever-reliable Hall of Fame Ballot Tracker. How it works: Every year since 2013, baseball fan Ryan Thibodaux has tracked all publicly-available ballots from Baseball Writers' Association of America voters. As of Wednesday, he's tracked 140 ballots out of an estimated total of 424. Where it stands: Players must receive at least 75% of the vote to be elected, and at least 5% to remain on next year's ballot. With that in mind, here's where the 27 players on this year's ballot stand with roughly one-third of ballots locked in. On track for election this year (2): Carlos Beltrán (88.4% of vote, 4th year of eligibility); Andruw Jones (83.0%, 9th). On track for sometime in the future (3): Chase Utley (66.7%, 3rd); Félix Hernández (58.5%, 2nd); Cole Hamels (32.0%, 1st) Could go either way (3): Andy Pettite (55.8%, 8th); Dustin Pedroia (25.2%, 2nd); David Wright (19.7%, 3rd) Staying alive (6): Bobby Abreu (38.8%, 7th); Jimmy Rollins (25.9%, 5th); Mark Buehrle (22.4%, 6th); Omar Vizquel (12.9%, 9th); Francisco Rodríguez (12.9%, 4th); Torii Hunter (4.8%, 6th) One and done (11): Ryan Braun (2.7%, 1st); Edwin Encarnación (1.4%, 1st); Shin-Soo Choo (0.7%, 1st); Hunter Pence (0.7%, 1st); Gio Gonzalez (0%, 1st); Alex Gordon (0%, 1st); Matt Kemp (0%, 1st); Howie Kendrick (0%, 1st); Nick Markakis (0%, 1st); Daniel Murphy (0%, 1st); Rick Porcello (0%, 1st) The odd superstars out (2): The two biggest names on the ballot are also the most controversial, as both Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez had their otherwise Hall of Fame careers tainted by steroids. Rodriguez, in his fifth year on the ballot, could still get in eventually with his vote total (47.6%) climbing from last year's high-water mark of 37.1%. But it's game over for Manny, who sits at just 43.5% in his 10th and final year on the ballot. *Already in: Jeff Kent, the 2000 NL MVP, already earned his spot in the Class of 2026 thanks to last month's vote by the Contemporary Era Committee. ? CLASS OF 2026 MENDOZA, MOORE HEADLINE MOCK DRAFT (Yahoo Sports) Four of the top seven players in our latest NFL mock draft will take the field this week in the CFP semifinals. That includes the projected top two picks, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza and Oregon QB Dante Moore, who will meet in Friday's Peach Bowl. Dive in: Mock draft 4.0 ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JAN. 8 (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) ? Fiesta Bowl Ole Miss and Miami square off tonight in Glendale, Arizona (7:30pm ET, ESPN), in the first of two College Football Playoff semifinals. Tomorrow, it's Indiana and Oregon's turn. Key matchup: Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss has gone nuclear in the playoffs, with 694 total yards, five TDs and no turnovers through two games. Will the Hurricanes' vaunted defense, which has 12 sacks and five forced turnovers in two games, be able to stop him? ⚽️ Arsenal vs. Liverpool The first-place Gunners host the fourth-place Reds (3pm, Peacock), who won their first match this season back in August at Anfield. Team effort: Despite Arsenal's 40 goals ranking second in the league, they don't have a single player currently in the top 20 of individual scoring leaders. Instead, they have eight different players with between three and five goals. More to watch: ? NBA: Heat at Bulls (8pm, NBA) … If the season ended today, Miami and Chicago would both be in the play-in tournament — just as they have been in each of the last three years. ? NCAAW: No. 18 Ole Miss at No. 5 Oklahoma (7pm, SEC+); No. 15 Michigan State at No. 23 Washington (9pm, BTN+) … The Big Ten (nine ranked teams) and SEC (eight) make up nearly 70% of the top 25, and four of those ranked teams square off tonight. ? NHL: Wild at Kraken (10pm, ESPN+) … There are a dozen games tonight, yet somehow this is the only one between two teams currently in playoff position. Today's full slate. ? POSTSEASON SUPER BOWL TRIVIA (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) NFL playoff teams: Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Steelers, Texans, Bills, Chargers, Seahawks, Bears, Eagles, Panthers, Rams, 49ers, Packers. Question: Which five teams in this year's field have never won a Super Bowl? Hint: Four AFC, one NFC. Answer at the bottom. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Paul Kane/Getty Images) ?? Perth, Australia — Team USA, led by a pair of wins by Coco Gauff, beat Greece on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the United Cup, where they are the No. 1 seed and defending champions. Trivia answer: Chargers, Bills, Jaguars, Texans, Panthers Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 11 Author Members Posted January 11 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Miami is moving on, Weekend Watchlist, WNBA CBA negotiations, Patrick Kane makes history, muted announcers, Name That City, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? HEADLINES ? Miami fires McDaniel: The Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel after four seasons and two playoff appearances, leaving one-quarter of NFL teams (8 of 32) without a head coach. Here are the best fits for each vacancy. ? Giannis won't request trade: The Bucks (16-21) could still decide to trade away their franchise player now or in the future, but it won't be at his request. "There will never be a chance … that I will come out and say 'I want a trade,'" said the two-time MVP. ⚾️ Manfred floats realignment: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred suggested in a radio interview that when the league eventually expands to 32 teams, he would realign the AL and NL "along geographic lines, which could alleviate a ton of the travel burden." ? Williams stays put: Washington QB Demond Williams will be returning to the Huskies after all. The rising junior had explored transferring this week despite signing a new NIL deal, sparking a national dialogue about such contracts. LSU and new coach Lane Kiffin were heavily rumored to be courting him. ? Kim dislocates shoulder: American snowboarder Chloe Kim dislocated her shoulder while training ahead of the Olympics, putting her pursuit of a third consecutive halfpipe gold in jeopardy. ? MIAMI PUNCHES TITLE GAME TICKET Carson Beck scores the game-winning touchdown. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Miami was the last team in the College Football Playoff field. Now they're one game away from winning the whole damn thing. ICYMI: Carson Beck rushed for the game-winning touchdown with 18 seconds left to lift the Hurricanes past Ole Miss, 31-27, and into the title game, where they'll have a chance to be crowned national champions for the first time since 2001. From Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger: Just off the University of Miami's campus, there's a bar somewhat hidden from the bustle of this city. The Sunset Tavern is where locals go, tucked behind a pizza joint at the intersection of Highway 1 and 58th Street, and then you must walk down a dark alley to this dive bar, strung with Christmas lights and featuring, usually, a live band. During Carson Beck's first week in Miami last January, after his stunning transfer from Georgia, the quarterback and the school's executive director and ace recruiter, Dennis Smith, snuck away for a chat about life. "Carson Beck was as broken of a human being I've seen," Smith recalled on Thursday night in the wake of Miami's semifinal playoff win. "He didn't want to go back to college. Had no choice. People ran him out. Confidence problems. Very angry at the world." Smith pauses to catch his breath. He composes himself and gestures toward a confetti-strewn celebration with Beck, of all people, at its center — the MVP of the Fiesta Bowl, the hero helping resurrect The U, the guy so many love to hate. "Here he is," an emotional Smith says, "a product of a kid who kept running the marathon." Homecoming: The CFP National Championship will be held on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium, which is Miami's home field. And there's a decent chance the Canes will be facing Miami native Fernando Mendoza. SEC haters, rejoice: With Ole Miss bowing out, the conference finishes 1-8 against Power 4 teams in bowls, 0-3 against Power 4 teams in the playoff, and will be absent from the national championship game for the third straight year after appearing in 16 of 17 from 2006-2022. ? WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Taylar Sievert/Yahoo Sports) ? Wild Card Weekend The road to Super Bowl LX begins this weekend with playoff games in Charlotte, Chicago, Jacksonville, Philadelphia and Foxborough. The Steelers and Texans play on Monday, while the top-seeded Broncos and Seahawks rest up for the divisional round. Rams at Panthers (Sat. 4:30pm ET, Fox): Despite the Rams' stunning Week 13 loss to the Panthers, Los Angeles is the biggest playoff road favorite (-10.5) in the Super Bowl era. Packers at Bears (Sat. 8pm, Prime): This is somehow only the third postseason matchup between these division rivals, with Chicago winning in 1941 and Green Bay winning in 2010. Bills at Jaguars (Sun. 1pm, CBS): Jacksonville has won eight straight games while Josh Allen has never won a road playoff game (0-4). Will those streaks continue on Sunday? 49ers at Eagles (Sun. 4:30pm, Fox): The last three Super Bowls have featured either Philly (2023, 2025) or San Fran (2024). Their health (Niners) and consistency (Birds) will determine whether they can make it four in a row. Chargers at Patriots (Sun. 8pm, NBC): The last time the Patriots hosted a playoff game was Tom Brady's final year in New England. Can his heir apparent, MVP candidate Drake Maye, begin a new era of postseason success? ? Peach Bowl Who will join Miami in the title game? We'll find out tonight when Indiana and Oregon meet in Atlanta (7:30pm, ESPN). The Hoosiers (14-0) are looking to continue their perfect season, while the Ducks (13-1) are seeking revenge against the only team to beat them this fall. QB battle: Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore could be the top two picks in the upcoming NFL draft. It's reminiscent of 2015, when FSU's Jameis Winston faced Oregon's Marcus Mariota in the first-ever CFP semifinal before they went No. 1 and No. 2 months later. More to watch: ? NBA: Thunder at Grizzlies (Fri. 8pm, NBA); Bucks at Lakers (Fri. 10:30pm, NBA); Timberwolves at Cavaliers (Sat. 1pm, Prime) … OKC (31-7) takes the court again after narrowly avoiding their third straight loss thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's heroics. ? NHL: Golden Knights at Sharks (Sun. 8pm, NHL) … San Jose's Macklin Celebrini, 19, is on pace for the second-most points ever in a season by a teenager (128). The only teen with more? Wayne Gretzky, of course (137). ? NCAAM: Wisconsin at No. 2 Michigan (Sat. 1pm, CBS); No. 24 SMU at No. 6 Duke (Sat. 2pm, ESPN); No. 1 Arizona at TCU (Sat. 4pm, ESPN); Oklahoma State at No. 3 Iowa State (Sat. 4pm, ESPN2); No. 16 Illinois at No. 19 Iowa (Sun. 12pm, Fox) ? NCAAW: No. 1 UConn at Creighton (Sun. 2pm, truTV); No. 2 Texas at No. 12 LSU (Sun. 3pm, ESPN); No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 6 Kentucky (Sun. 4pm, SEC); No. 19 Ohio State at No. 8 Maryland (Sun. 4pm, Peacock); No. 4 UCLA at No. 25 Nebraska (Sun. 7pm, BTN) ? Unrivaled: Rose vs. Breeze (Sun. 7:30pm, truTV) … The defending champion Rose take on Paige Bueckers and the Breeze in one of this weekend's six games. ? Tennis: United Cup (Fri-Sun, Tennis) … USA, Switzerland, Belgium and the winner of today's Poland vs. Australia match will compete in the semifinals, with the finals coming on Sunday. ? Running: World Athletics Cross Country Championships (Sat. 10am, Peacock/CNBC) … Tallahassee, Florida, hosts the 46th edition of the event, and first on U.S. soil since 1992. ? IS THE WNBA HEADED TOWARDS A WORK STOPPAGE? (Eakin Howard/Getty Images) Before the WNBA can begin its 30th season this spring, the league and players' union must agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. Unfortunately, the two sides remain stuck at an impasse ahead of tonight's deadline, with a work stoppage looking like a distinct possibility. What they're saying: "We are not coming to an agreement [by Friday], I can tell you that," Liberty star Breanna Stewart said Thursday, adding that they would not be extending the deadline again, either. Instead, the immediate expectation is that they'll enter a "status quo period" during which they'll continue to negotiate in good faith. Yes, but: The first work stoppage in league history remains very much on the table after 98% of players voted last month to authorize a strike "when necessary." To avoid that end, they'll need to find a way to close the gap that remains between their latest offers. The wedge issue: While important issues like practice facility standards, leave policies and retirement benefits are all part of the negotiations, the biggest sticking point remains salary structure and revenue sharing. League: The WNBA's latest offer proposed a maximum salary of $1.3 million (up from $250K last year), a minimum salary of $250,000 (up from $66K) and a cap of $5 million (up from $1.5M). Those numbers — fueled by the league's new $2.2 billion media rights deal kicking in this year — look great on the surface, but are tied to a revenue-sharing structure well below what the players want. Players: The union's counter, which included max salaries over $1 million and a cap of $10.5 million, proposed that players receive roughly 30% of gross revenue, with that number increasing over the life of the deal. The league, on the other hand, proposed that players receive just 15% of gross revenue, with that number decreasing over the life of the deal. The last word: "Despite what the league and the teams are trying to do, the players are not confused by the numbers. They want to be properly valued," WNBPA executive director Teri Jackson told USA Today. In other words, they remain steadfast to the message emblazoned across their chests at last year's All-Star Game: "Pay us what you owe us." ?? PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Detroit — Patrick Kane scored his 500th career goal on Thursday in the Red Wings' 5-1 win over the Canucks. He's the 50th player in NHL history to reach the milestone, and just the fifth born in the U.S. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) Chicago — Thursday's game between the Bulls and Heat was postponed (after a two-hour delay) due to condensation on the court caused by unusual January humidity. The United Center is also home to the Blackhawks, and the ice underneath the floorboards was melting. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) St. Louis — The U.S. Figure Skating Championships began on Wednesday, giving skaters one last chance to make their case to be named to the Olympic roster, which will be announced on Sunday. ? COMING SOON: MUTED ANNOUNCERS? (Getty Images) Sports fans tend to have strong opinions about announcers. Some are "amazing at what they do." Others are "so terrible I had to turn off the television." Soon, it might not matter. Customized sound: Thanks to new Dolby technology, Peacock users could soon have the ability to mute announcers and change crowd noise levels during broadcasts, per Sports Business Journal. Big picture: Dolby has been teasing this since 2015. Once it debuts on Peacock, expect other streamers to follow suit as viewer personalization — from the audio that you're hearing to the video that you're seeing — becomes the norm across sports. ?️ NAME THAT CITY (Lance King/Getty Images) Question: What city/stadium is pictured above? Hint: It will host an NFL playoff game this weekend. Answer at the bottom. ? NFL OFFSEASON PREVIEWS (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports) 14 NFL teams remain in the Super Bowl hunt. For the other 18 franchises, the offseason has already begun. How can they improve over the next seven months? AFC East: Dolphins | Jets North: Bengals | Browns | Ravens South: Colts | Titans West: Chiefs | Raiders NFC East: Commanders | Cowboys | Giants North: Lions | Vikings South: Buccaneers | Falcons | Saints West: Cardinals Trivia answer: Charlotte (Bank of America Stadium) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 13 Author Members Posted January 13 ? Good morning! Welcome back, friends. In today's edition: Wild Card Weekend delivers, Cubs sign Bregman, Indiana keeps rolling, the Miracle in Macclesfield, Vandy hoops is 33-0, assist of the year, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Cubs sign Bregman: Chicago signed star third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal, breaking the deadlock atop the free agent market and announcing themselves as clear-cut offseason winners. ? NFL All-Pros: Rams QB Matthew Stafford, picked over Patriots QB Drake Maye, headlined the NFL's All-Pro first team, which included three unanimous selections in Browns DE Myles Garrett, Rams WR Puka Nacua and Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. ⛳️ Koepka seeks return: Three weeks after stepping away from LIV Golf, five-time major winner Brooks Koepka has applied for reinstatement to the PGA Tour. The question now is whether there will be any punishment for such players wishing to return. ? Texas lands top transfer: Former Auburn WR Cam Coleman has committed to Texas, giving the Longhorns the top-ranked player in the transfer portal, per On3. Follow our transfer portal tracker until the window closes on Jan. 16. ? Youth brawl under investigation: A viral brawl that broke out between two "mites" teams (ages 8 and under) during the intermission of an AHL game on Saturday is under investigation by the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association, which is calling the incident "staged." ? SURVIVE AND ADVANCE A WILD CARD WEEKEND TO REMEMBER Josh Allen showing love to Bills Mafia. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images) Was that the most exciting weekend of playoff football… ever? The first five games of the Wild Card Round delivered four game-winning touchdowns scored in the final three minutes and four games decided by fewer than five points, the most ever in a single round. There were also a whopping 12 fourth-quarter lead changes, which is not only the most in a single round but the most ever in a single postseason (!!!). Jacksonville — The Bills went into Duuuval and came away with their first road playoff win since 1992 courtesy of Josh Allen's game-winning TD with just over a minute left. Final score: Bills 27, Jaguars 24. Elite company: Buffalo is just the fourth team ever to win a playoff game in six consecutive seasons, joining the Cowboys (1991-96), Patriots (2011-18) and Chiefs (2018-24). Caleb Williams and the Bears are moving on. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images) Chicago — The Bears' magical season continued on Saturday with an incredible comeback win over the Packers. They scored 25 points in the fourth quarter for a 31-27 victory that marked their first over Green Bay in the playoffs since 1941, one week after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The comeback kings: Before Chicago's victory, NFL teams were 3-158 all-time in the postseason when trailing by 15+ points entering the fourth quarter. Just another day in the life of Da Bears, who've won an NFL-record seven games this season in which they trailed with two minutes left. Colby Parkinson celebrates after his spectacular game-winning grab. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Charlotte — The Rams nearly suffered a huge upset, but MVP favorite Matthew Stafford — battling a finger injury — came through when it mattered most, finding Colby Parkinson for the game-winning score with 38 seconds left to clinch a 34-31 victory over the Panthers. Back and forth: This was one of two games this weekend (along with Bills-Jags) to feature four lead changes in the fourth-quarter, tied for the most in a playoff game in NFL history. The Niners stopped the Eagles' repeat bid in its tracks. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo) Philadelphia — The 49ers have been winning all season despite a never-ending stream of injuries to star players. Sunday was no different as they beat the defending champion Eagles, 23-19, after George Kittle tore his Achilles in the first half. Play of the game: The Niners scored in the fourth quarter on a trick play TD thrown by WR Jauan Jennings, whose talent as a passer should come as no surprise. He was once a four-star dual-threat QB recruit ranked ahead of Sam Darnold, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. Stefon Diggs runs off the field celebrating the victory. (Michael Owens/Getty Images) Foxborough, Massachusetts — Well, they can't all be thrillers, right? The Patriots capped off the weekend with a workmanlike 16-3 win over the Chargers, who managed just 207 total yards against New England's smothering defense. Herbert falters again: Maybe it's a shaky offensive line or myriad other factors, but Justin Herbert is now 0-3 in his postseason career with just two TDs against five turnovers as he yet again failed to play anywhere near the level he performed during the regular season. ? COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CAN MIAMI STOP THIS INDIANA FREIGHT TRAIN? Indiana coach Curt Cignetti hoists the trophy after winning the Peach Bowl. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) After their 56-22 semifinal beatdown of Oregon, the Indiana Hoosiers — yes, the Indiana Hoosiers — are one victory away from completing an undefeated championship season. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: The air horn at Mercedes-Benz Stadium blasted for the first time Friday night after just 11 seconds. It's a distinct, piercing sound with a unique local story, ringing through the sky here after every touchdown. This city began to sprout up from the ground nearly two centuries ago because it is where the Western & Atlantic railroad made its last stop. With a stake hammered into the ground, they originally called it Terminus — the end of the line. Since erecting this modern football palace nine years ago and adding the train horn to commemorate how it all began, nearly every great college football team has come through Atlanta on its way to a national title. But none have embodied that sound quite like Indiana. Sleek and efficient, powerful and unrelenting, the Hoosiers are barreling down the tracks like a locomotive running late for a date with destiny, blowing that horn as a warning to any creature in its path. Hey, after 139 years of mostly bad Indiana football, what's another 10 days to become the most mesmerizing national champion we've ever seen? Perhaps the Jan. 19 national championship game against Miami will become something other than a Hoosier coronation. But after Indiana's tour de force through the College Football Playoff, rarely have we encountered a college football team that looks and feels more inevitable than this one. ⚽️ FA CUP THE MIRACLE IN MACCLESFIELD Macclesfield players celebrate with supporters after the victory. (Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images) The magic of the FA Cup was on full display on Saturday when Macclesfield FC, a semi-pro side in the sixth tier of English soccer, pulled off the biggest upset in the tournament's 154-year history. Giant killers: Macclesfield beat Crystal Palace, 2-1, in the third round of the FA Cup, becoming the first non-league club to knock out the defending champions since 1909. Palace, currently 13th place in the Premier League, are 117 spots ahead of the Silkmen, who sit in 14th place in the sixth-tier National League North. That the game took place at Moss Rose — Macclesfield's 5,300-seat stadium where fans could storm the pitch to celebrate with their team — made the upset all that much sweeter. What they're saying: "It still doesn't feel real," said first-year manager John Rooney, who played for the Silkmen last season before retiring and whose older brother is, yes, English legend Wayne Rooney. "I spoke before the game about having a bit of hope in the FA Cup, but did I really believe it? Probably not. It's mad to say but I thought we were deserved winners on the day. I thought we were incredible." Isaac Buckley-Ricketts (L) and Paul Dawson scored Macclesfield's two goals. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) Upward trajectory: The Silkmen — named for the town's reputation as the center of Europe's silk industry in the 18th and 19th centuries — were formed just over five years ago as the successor to Macclesfield Town, a 150-year-old club that was liquidated amid mounting debts in 2020. They started in the ninth tier but have earned promotion three times in their first four seasons to reach the sixth tier. For reference, that's one level below where Wrexham FC sat when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney swooped in and bought the club five years ago. And they are still very much at the level where their captain, Paul Dawson, who scored their first goal, could be found pulling pints behind the club bar after the game. Non-league football at its finest. An emotional victory: The stunning result was dedicated to Ethan McLeod, Macclesfield's forward who tragically died in a car crash last month. "I was thinking about it when the final whistle went, Ethan was here," Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, who scored the second goal, said after the game. ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Vanderbilt sophomore Mikayla Blakes (R) ranks second in the nation in scoring at 24.9 points per game. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images) ? 33-0 Vanderbilt is the nation's only school with both basketball teams still undefeated, and the 11th-ranked men (16-0) and seventh-ranked women (17-0) have both matched the best starts in program history. Plus: Add in the football team's historic season, and the Commodores' top three programs are a combined 42-3 this academic year. ? $5,589 Ticket prices for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Miami are through the roof. As of Saturday morning, the cheapest ticket on GameTime was over $3,500 (including fees) and the average ticket price was $5,589 — more than double the average price of last year's title game. What might the crowd look like? The game is at Hard Rock Stadium where Miami plays its home games, so expect to see lots of Canes fans. But don't sleep on Hoosier Nation! Indiana has the largest living alumni base of any school in the country, and their fans took over Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for Friday's Peach Bowl. (Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) ? 22 titles, 22 cities With his victory in Brisbane to open the 2026 season, Daniil Medvedev has now won 22 ATP titles… in 22 different cities. He's never won the same tournament twice, and he's running out of events to win. The full list: Sydney, Winston-Salem, Tokyo, Sofia, Cincinnati, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Paris, London, Marseille, Mallorca, Toronto, New York, Los Cabos, Vienna, Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami, Rome, Almaty, Brisbane. ? 84th victory Two weeks after officially qualifying for the Olympics, 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn notched her second World Cup downhill victory of the season, and 84th of her career. That puts her two shy of matching Ingemar Stenmark for the second-most ever behind Mikaela Shiffrin (106). What she's saying: "Whatever I want to do, I can do it. And that's an amazing feeling because my body hasn't always been responding that way to me in the past," said Vonn after Saturday's win in Austria. "So now it's a whole other ball game … and I try to enjoy every single second I'm out here because it's just so fun to go fast." ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, JAN. 12 The Terrible Towels will be out in full force tonight. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) ? Texans at Steelers Wild Card Weekend concludes tonight in Pittsburgh (8:15pm ET, ESPN/ABC), where the AFC North champions host the red-hot Texans, who won nine straight games to close out the regular season. Speaking of streaks: The Steelers have won 23 consecutive Monday night home games (!!!), which is hard to believe but we promise it's true. The last time they lost on Monday night at home? Oct. 14, 1991. More to watch: ? NBA: Celtics at Pacers (7:30pm, Peacock) … The last-place Pacers (8-31) are on pace for the worst season in franchise history. ? NHL: Hurricanes at Red Wings (7pm, ESPN+) … The top two teams in the East face off in Detroit. ? Unrivaled: Mist vs. Phantom (7:30pm, TNT); Laces vs. Lunar Owls (8:45pm, TNT) ? PLAYOFFS NFL TRIVIA Pats fans have tasted plenty of postseason success. But one fan base has enjoyed even more. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) The Patriots notched their 38th playoff win on Sunday night, breaking a tie with the Packers for the second-most of any franchise. Question: Which team ranks first with 40 playoff wins? Answer at the bottom. ? HIGHLIGHT REEL TOP PLAYS: WEEKEND EDITION (Minnesota Women's Hockey) ? Assist of the year: Minnesota Gophers superstar Abbey Murphy broke the internet with a mind-bending assist, flipping the puck into the air, batting it through a defender's legs, then dishing it to her teammate for the goal. ? Caleb saves the day: Caleb Williams made the best throw of his life on 4th and 8, delivering a perfect ball while rolling to his left, jumping in the air and falling to the ground. How is this even possible? No, but like seriously. How'd he do this? ? Stan the Man: Stan Wawrinka hit an absolutely gorgeous backhand down the line at the United Cup. 40 years old, still got it! Tennis is going to miss this man when he retires at the end of the year. ⚽️ El Clásico nutmeg: Vinicíus Júnior nutmegged his defender and finished for a stunning goal in the 263rd meeting between Real Madrid and Barcelona. ? 49ers get tricky: The Niners stunned the Eagles on a trick play TD, with WR Jauan Jennings hitting RB Christian McCaffrey for a 29-yard score. Honorable Mention: Amen Thompson poster dunk plus the foul … Harry Kane with a wonder strike for Bayern Munich … Ryan Dunn perfectly timed this putback slam … Mendoza to Becker can't be stopped. Trivia answer: 49ers Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 15 Author Members Posted January 15 ? Good morning! Did Aaron Rodgers just play his final NFL game? He explained how he'll make his retirement decision after a blowout loss to the Texans. In today's edition: The "Returning Member Program," Texans destroy Steelers, Tarik Skubal's fascinating arbitration case, Harden passes Shaq, the Hughes Bowl, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Arizona, UConn still on top: Arizona increased its lead atop the men's AP poll after Michigan finally lost, dropping the Wolverines to No. 4 behind Iowa State and UConn. On the women's side, UConn became the unanimous No. 1 for the first time this season. ? LSU lands top transfer QB: Former Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt has committed to LSU, giving the Tigers the top-ranked QB in the portal, per On3. Keep up with our transfer portal tracker until the window closes on Jan. 16. ? WNBA moratorium: The WNBA and its players' union agreed to a moratorium that will freeze free agency while the two sides continue negotiations around a new collective bargaining agreement. ⚽️ Alonso sacked: In a surprising move, Real Madrid have sacked manager Xabi Alonso less than a year into his tenure following their loss to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final. B team manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who played with Alonso at the club, will replace him. ? NASCAR restores format: Starting this year, NASCAR will revert back to its old playoff format, "The Chase," wherein the top 16 drivers compete in a 10-race postseason with no eliminations. Whoever has the most points at the end wins the title. ⛳️ WELCOME BACK PGA TOUR TAKES DIRECT SHOT AT LIV (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) The PGA Tour-LIV Golf war had been quiet for nearly two years, but it just roared back to life — and the Saudi-backed Tour is now on the receiving end of the existential poaching threat it once dished out. Driving the news: The Tour has effectively welcomed back Brooks Koepka immediately, albeit at a potential eight-figure cost, and other prominent players could soon follow under the same conditions. Koepka must personally pay a $5 million charitable donation, and will be unable to access as much as $50 to $85 million in potential earnings through various penalty stipulations. Considering the five-time major winner earned an estimated $165 million in 3.5 years with LIV, this all worked out quite well for him financially. His reputation and legacy, however, are another story. What he's saying: "There was no negotiating. It's meant to hurt, it does hurt, but I understand. It's not supposed to be an easy path," Koepka told the AP on Monday. "I've got a lot of work to do with some of the players. There's definitely guys who are happy, and definitely guys who will be angry … If anyone is upset, I need to rebuild those relationships." Who else could follow? New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has created the "Returning Member Program," which is designed to lure the three most notable remaining LIV golfers — Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith — to return alongside Koepka. They have until Feb. 2 to decide. From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: While LIV has always preached the gospel of worldwide international golf, its identity was built (read: paid for) on the star power of its most prominent, major-winning players, starting with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, and later, Koepka, Rahm and DeChambeau. But now, by providing them with a path back to the PGA Tour with a hard deadline, Rolapp is threatening to cut the one thread of potential relevancy LIV Golf has here in America. If all three were to leave LIV — or perhaps just DeChambeau — the tour would still certainly continue. It's built up enough equity on the international circuit, and added enough international players of note, to remain a viable entity. And its financial backer — the Saudi Public Investment Fund — will never lack for cash. But golf is built on star power, and despite handing out nine-figure checks, Rahm (who joined LIV in 2023) remains the most recent significant addition. The breakaway tour has achieved some successes, but it's struggled to find ratings and narrative traction in America since Rahm's much-heralded arrival. Mickelson's snub: Returning Member Program eligibility is "limited to players who have been away for at least two years and who won The Players Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship between 2022 and 2025." Notably ineligible: Masters winners like Johnson, Patrick Reed and Mickelson, whose last major win was the PGA Championship in 2021. That 2022 cutoff seems oddly specific, doesn't it? ? WILD CARD ROUND TEXANS ROUT STEELERS FOR 10TH STRAIGHT WIN (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports) The Texans crushed the Steelers, 30-6, on Monday night in Pittsburgh to reach the Divisional Round for the third straight year. Defensive clinic: Though the Steelers hung around for three quarters, their offense couldn't get anything going against Houston's vaunted defense, which finally took over in the fourth with a pick-six and a scoop-and-score to clinch the blowout. The Texans not only won their franchise-record 10th straight game, but also notched their first-ever road victory in the postseason. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has now lost seven straight playoff games dating back to the 2017 season, which is two shy of matching the longest such streak ever (Lions, 1992-2017). Looking ahead: The final eight teams take the field this weekend in Seattle, Chicago, Denver and New England. 49ers (+7.5) at Seahawks: The NFC West foes split the regular-season series, with Seattle winning in Week 18 to earn the No. 1 seed. The Niners, down yet another star player after George Kittle tore his Achilles, have a tall task ahead of them. Bills (-1) at Broncos: Vegas isn't high on the Broncos, who are just the third No. 1 seed to be an underdog in the divisional round since it was introduced in 1970. The other two were the 1971 Vikings (lost) and 2017 Eagles (won). Rams (-4) at Bears: Los Angeles is just the 11th road favorite of at least three points in the second round of the playoffs. That's not necessarily a good thing, though, as those first 10 favorites went 3-7. Texans (+3) at Patriots: Either Houston — which, in case you've forgotten, started the season 0-3 — will reach their first ever AFC Championship, or New England will reach their first since 2018. Super Bowl odds: The Seahawks are the current betting favorite to win Super Bowl LX (+300 at BetMGM), followed by the Rams (+320), Bills (+550), Patriots (+600), Broncos (+750), Texans (+850), Bears (+1400) and 49ers (+2000). ⚾️ MLB OFFSEASON TARIK VS. THE TIGERS (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Tarik Skubal's arbitration case is shaping up to be perhaps the most fascinating in the system's 52-year history. $13 million apart: The two-time reigning Cy Young — entering his final year of arbitration eligibility — requested a $32 million salary last week at the deadline to file for arbitration, while the Tigers offered $19 million. That $13 million gap is by far the largest in MLB history. The $32 million figure requested by Skubal, who earned $10.2 million last season, would break the record for the largest one-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player (Juan Soto, $31M). Now, unless he and the Tigers reach an unlikely settlement in the coming weeks, it will be up to a panel of independent arbitrators to decide what Skubal's paycheck looks like this summer. Arbitration, explained: Players with between three and six years of MLB service time are eligible for salary arbitration, wherein the player and team both file a salary figure for the upcoming season. They can continue negotiating and avoid arbitration if they reach a settlement, but otherwise they head to a formal hearing. At the hearing, each side has one hour to present their case to a three-person panel, as well as 30 minutes for rebuttal. Those arguments are generally comp-driven, based on what players with similar age, service time and performance have earned in the past. Then it's up to the arbitrators to decide one number or the other — no middle ground. If they think the player is worth even $1 more than the mid-point of the two numbers, they'll choose his salary request; if they think he's worth $1 less, they'll choose the team's proposal. The wrinkle in Skubal's case: Though Skubal will almost certainly fetch more than $32 million annually when he hits the open market this fall as a free agent, the Tigers will be hoping the arbitrators stick to precedent when making their decision, as $32 million would shatter the record for biggest arbitration salary for a starting pitcher ($19.75M to David Price in 2015). His $22 million increase in salary would also shatter the record for biggest arbitration raise ($9.6M for Jacob deGrom in 2019). Skubal's precedent-breaking strategy, on the other hand, hinges on a pair of provisions in the CBA that provide a boost to arbitration-eligible players with more than five years of service time and any "special accomplishments" like setting records or winning awards. In other words, the back-to-back AL Cy Young winner is uniquely suited to argue for this record-breaking sum after going 31-10 across the last two seasons with a sterling 2.30 ERA, 469 strikeouts and just 68 walks. Between the lines: Skubal, a Scott Boras client, won't sign an extension this close to free agency. And at this point, particularly after what could be an acrimonious arbitration hearing in early February, Detroit may be more likely to trade than retain him. If they're heading in that direction, a lower salary will increase Skubal's trade value, which could explain the Tigers' lowball offer. ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ? 19 games Connor McDavid extended his career-best point streak to 19 games on Monday with two assists in Edmonton's 4-1 win over Chicago. He has 44 points during the streak (19 goals, 25 assists) to give him 80 on the season, one shy of Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL lead. Elite company: McDavid becomes just the fourth player in NHL history to record 10 consecutive 80-point seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Dale Hawerchuk and Phil Esposito. ? $127 million NIL Go cleared $127 million in deals through its first six months of operation, the College Sports Commission announced Monday. The clearinghouse, operated by Deloitte, launched in June following approval of the House settlement. Athlete breakdown: The 17,845 deals submitted to NIL Go between June 11 and December 31 came from nearly 11,000 unique athletes across 40 different sports, the CSC said. 44% of those athletes play a sport other than football or men's basketball. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) ? 28,614 points James Harden moved into ninth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list during Monday's win over the Hornets, overtaking Shaquille O'Neal. He passed him in his 1,187th game, slightly ahead of Shaq's pace of 1,207 career games played. Looking ahead: At 36 years old, Harden remains an elite scorer (25.6 ppg) with a chance to move further into the top 10. That said, he'll be stuck at No. 9 for a while. Next on the list is Wilt Chamberlain, who is nearly 3,000 points ahead of him with 31,419. ? 17th season Matthew Stafford is the second player in NFL history to be named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his 17th season or later. He joins longtime kicker Gary Anderson, who was also named to the first team in his 17th season, in 1998. In terms of QBs? Before Stafford, the longest wait for a quarterback was Fran Tarkenton, who was an All-Pro for the first time in his 15th season, in 1975. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JAN. 13 Wemby shoots over a pair of defenders in their first matchup this season. (Steve Marcus/Getty Images) ? Spurs at Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the first-place Thunder host Victor Wembanyama and the second-place Spurs tonight (8pm ET, NBC) in a potential Western Conference Finals preview. OKC's kryptonite: Though the Thunder (33-7) remain 5.5 games clear of the Spurs (27-12), San Antonio has won all three meetings so far this season. Yes, the Spurs are responsible for nearly half of OKC's losses. More to watch: ? NHL: Red Wings at Bruins (7:30pm, TNT); Stars at Ducks (10pm, TNT) … Detroit (28-15-4) is second in the East and Dallas (27-10-9) is second in the West. ? NCAAM: No. 16 Virginia at No. 20 Louisville (7pm, ESPN2); No. 2 Iowa State at Kansas (9pm, ESPN); No. 3 UConn at No. 25 Seton Hall (8pm, truTV) … Undefeated Iowa State has its highest ranking in program history. ⛳️ TGL: Jupiter Links vs. New York (7pm, ESPN) … Akshay Bhatia, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner vs. Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young. ⚽️ EFL Cup: Newcastle vs. Manchester City (3pm, Paramount+) … Semifinal. ? QB1 NFL TRIVIA Caleb Williams and Drake Maye were drafted with first and third overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images) Question: Where did the eight remaining starting NFL QBs attend college? Josh Allen Sam Darnold Drake Maye Bo Nix Brock Purdy Matthew Stafford C.J. Stroud Caleb Williams Hint: Two played at multiple schools. Answer at the bottom. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (NHL) Minnesota hosted the "Hughes Bowl" on Monday, with Jack and Luke's Devils emerging victorious over Quinn's Wild. Flashback: The original "Hughes Bowl" took place many years ago when the three brothers faced off in the family living room. Trivia answer: Allen (Wyoming), Darnold (USC), Maye (UNC), Nix (Auburn and Oregon), Stafford (Georgia), Purdy (Iowa State), Stroud (Ohio State), Williams (Oklahoma and USC) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 15 Author Members Posted January 15 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Quote du jour: Sean Payton has one request for Broncos fans ahead of Saturday's game in Denver: "For years we were conditioned to raise the noise level when they break the huddle. The noise level needs to be loudest when they ENTER the huddle." In today's edition: Tomlin steps down in Pittsburgh, college football's stupid calendar, Why We Love Sports, the road to the Winter Olympics, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Tomlin steps down: Mike Tomlin is stepping down in Pittburgh after 19 years, 13 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl title with the Steelers. There are now nine NFL teams changing coaches this offseason, one shy of the record. ? Best in the West: The Thunder crushed the Spurs, 119-98, to extend their lead atop the West and take revenge for San Antonio's three straight wins over them in December. ⚾️ Arenado to Arizona: The Cardinals have traded eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado to the Diamondbacks after five years in St. Louis. The 34-year-old third baseman, whose bat has declined precipitously in the last three years, has two years and $42 million left on his contract. ⛳️ Thanks, but no thanks? LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith appeared to distance themselves from the possibility of leaving to follow Brooks Koepka back to the PGA Tour. "I'm contracted through 2026," DeChambeau said, "so I'm excited about this year." ? NFL streaming record: The Bears' comeback win over the Packers in the Wild Card Round averaged 31.61 million viewers on Prime Video, making it the most-streamed NFL game ever. Last chance to shape the All-Star rosters! Your NBA All-Star votes count triple today. Don't miss this FINAL opportunity to give your favorite players the ultimate boost. Use your NBA ID and vote now on the NBA App before time runs out — three-for-one votes end tonight. ? COLLEGE FOOTBALL CALENDAR READY FOR INDIANA VS. MIAMI? WELL, HURRY UP AND WAIT (Giphy) College football loses all its momentum in the wait for a championship game. Something must change. From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: So, how about those College Football Playoff semifinals last week, huh? A thrilling Miami win, a dominant Indiana performance! Can't wait to see those two unlikely-but-deserving programs square off in … wait, another week from now? Yes, like a defensive lineman that recovered a fumble in his own red zone, the college football season started with unstoppable momentum and now, with the end in sight, is collapsing in a chaotic heap of its own making. In addition to final exams and holidays, college football also must navigate around the behemoths that are Tradition and NFL Football. Tradition is why college football must rotate its entire schedule around the bowls and New Year's Day, and the NFL is why college football has to surrender the Saturdays it's stacked up throughout the entire fall. The result of all these competing forces is the dog's breakfast of a schedule that the College Football Playoff has become. By the time this is all over, CFP games will have been played on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (Giphy) Indiana will have played exactly two football games between the Big Ten championship on Dec. 6 and the national championship 45 days later on Jan. 19. Two full weeks of NFL playoffs will air between the semifinals and the national championship. This isn't sustainable, and that doesn't even factor in the madness that is the transfer portal opening and closing in the middle of all this, along with all its attendant coach movement. No matter what, the college football powers that be have to get the sport finished up earlier than late January. Every bit of momentum from a magical, ridiculous season will have bled away by then. The season has to end earlier, ideally before the NFL playoffs start, but absolutely no longer than wild card weekend. Problem is, the NFL's not going to give up the Monday night playoff game it's held since 2021; college football missed the window on that one. But maybe a Tuesday night championship after the first wild card weekend would be better than waiting another six days…? No matter which way the sport goes in the future, it's still nearly a week to go until the 2026 national championship kicks off. Might as well spend that time kicking around ideas for the future. ❤️ FATHER AND SON WHY WE LOVE SPORTS (Tom Wolf) Tom Wolf (Bellingham, Washington) writes: My Dad LOVES baseball. In 1950 when he was 18 years old, he hitchhiked from his home in southwestern Wisconsin to Chicago to see the 1950 All-Star Game at Comiskey Park — the first one that went extra innings! Over the years, he passed that love down to his children, including me. He took us to Cubs games in the 60's and eventually to Cubs and Brewers games in the 70's. I stuck with the Cubs as my favorite team and there were a ton of lean years and a few "almosts" for the Cubbies during that stretch, but I never gave up hope that someday they would win a World Series. In 2003, the Cubs made it to the NLCS against the Florida Marlins and I was at Game 6 when they blew a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning (don't blame Steve Bartman), losing 8-3 and mandating a nerve-wracking Game 7. I was distraught after the game but woke up the next morning, excited and nervous about going that night. However, that morning my sister called me and told me that Dad had just suffered a cardiac arrest. He was in surgery and it was unclear if he was going to make it. Dad lived three hours away in Madison, Wisconsin, so I told my sister that I was heading up immediately. But she said there was nothing I could do at the hospital. And knowing I had tickets to Game 7 she said that I should go and that, knowing Dad, he would be disappointed if I didn't. (Tom Wolf) So I went to Game 7 and watched the Cubs lose 9-6. The fans were shocked. Angry. Devastated. I was at peace. I learned before the game that my Dad had survived his quintuple bypass surgery and that it looked like he was going to make it. When I drove to Madison to see him I said "next time you want to teach me a lesson about how baseball isn't the most important thing in the world, be more subtle." He said "deal!" 13 years later, the Cubs did make it to the World Series and I took my 85-year-old Dad to the first home World Series game at Wrigley Field in 71 years. This time he didn't have to hitchhike to get there! The Cubs lost but we celebrated the occasion knowing that even though you can't dictate the outcome of any game, you can always cherish the opportunity to share something special with someone special. Thanks, Dad. P.S. Dad is still alive today at 94 years old. He's no longer going to baseball games but he did stay up until 2 am to watch the end of the 2025 World Series Game 3 marathon! Go sports! ✍️ Submit your story: Do you have a fondest sports memory? Or an example of sports having a positive impact on your life? If you'd like to share, email me at kendall.baker@yahooinc.com. We hope to feature one story per week throughout 2026. ? NFL PLAYOFFS DIVISIONAL DOMINANCE: WEST IS BEST (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) All season long we watched as the top three teams in the NFC West laid waste to the rest of the NFL.* And now here we are, with the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers making up nearly half the remaining playoff field. Exclusive club: The 2025 NFC West is just the fourth division in NFL history to send three teams to the Divisional Round, with Seattle earning the bye as the top seed and Los Angeles and San Francisco winning their Wild Card matchups. The other three: 1992 NFC East: The Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins all made the last eight, with Dallas ultimately winning Super Bowl XXVII and birthing a dynasty that would win three titles in four years. 1997 NFC Central: The NFC North predecessor sent the Vikings, Packers and Buccaneers to the Divisional Round. Green Bay fell just shy of winning back-to-back titles, losing to John Elway's Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. 2022 NFC East: The most recent instance featured the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants in the final eight. This time, it was Philly that reached the Big Game, where they lost a heartbreaker to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. *Three-headed monster: The 49ers, Rams and Seahawks went 6-6 against each other during the regular season… and 32-7 against everybody else, good for an .821 winning percentage. ? THROUGH THE LENS IN PHOTOS: WINTER GAMES WARM-UP (Al Bello/Getty Images) Athletes around the globe are deep in preparation for the Winter Olympics with the Milan-Cortina Games just 23 days away. ?? Lake Placid, New York — Germany's Emma Weiss competes in the aerial qualifiers during last weekend's Freestyle World Cup event. Olympic spirit: Lake Placid, which hosted the Winter Games in 1932 and 1980, will hold a month-long festival of Olympic-inspired events in February. (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) ?? Milan, Italy — Here we have a composite image depicting numerous moments during Saturday's Coppa Italia at Milano Santagiulia Arena, which will host the Olympics hockey tournament. Rink concerns? Construction is well behind schedule at the Olympic hockey venues, leading to concerns from the NHL, whose players are participating for the first time since 2014. The playing surface now appears to be heading in the right direction, but "listing everything that still needs to be finished would be impossible," writes The Athletic's Chris Johnston ($). (Christian Bruna/Getty Images) ?? Bischofshofen, Austria — Norway's Isak Andreas Langmo competes in last week's Ski Jumping World Cup event. Ski jumping vs. aerials: We shared two photos here of skiers jumping high in the air, so what's the difference? Aerials (top photo) is a discipline in which athletes are judged on specific maneuvers, akin to the halfpipe. Ski jumping, meanwhile, is all about distance and form. (Leo Authamayou/NordicFocus/Getty Images) ?? Oberhof, Germany — Athletes compete during the men's relay at last weekend's Biathlon World Cup event. Did you know? The biathlon is the only winter sport in which Americans have never won an Olympic medal. Campbell Wright, a New Zealander with American parents, will look to end that drought next month after recently becoming the first American ever to win two medals at a world championships. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14 Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cooper Flagg takes the floor tonight in Dallas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) ? NBA on ESPN The 76ers host the Cavaliers (7pm ET) in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader, then the Mavericks host the Nuggets in the nightcap (9:30pm). ROY watch: Two of our top three rookies, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Steve Jones, are in action tonight. No. 1 Cooper Flagg leads the Mavericks in total points, rebounds, assists and steals, while No. 3 VJ Edgecombe is averaging 16-5-4 for the surprisingly frisky 76ers. ⚽️ AFCON Semifinals The final four teams in the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations take the field today in Morocco, with Senegal vs. Egypt in the first semifinal (12pm, beIN Sports) followed by Nigeria vs. Morocco in the second (3pm, beIN Sports). Names to know: Former Liverpool teammates and global superstars Mo Salah (Egypt) and Sadio Mané (Senegal) square off in the first game, while 2024 African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman (Nigeria) and AFCON leading scorer Brahim Díaz (Morocco) meet in the second. More to watch: ? NHL: Flyers at Sabres (7:30pm, TNT); Golden Knights at Kings (10pm, TNT) … Philadelphia, Buffalo and LA all fell out of playoff position on Tuesday, and can all jump right back in with a win tonight. ? NCAAM: Iowa at No. 5 Purdue (6:30pm, BTN); No. 10 Vanderbilt at Texas (9pm, ESPN2); Arizona State at No. 1 Arizona (10:30pm, FS1); No. 4 Michigan at Washington (10:30pm, BTN); No. 6 Duke at Cal (11pm, ACC) ⚽️ EFL Cup: Arsenal vs. Chelsea (3pm, Paramount+) … The winner will face Manchester City in the final. ? STORYBOOK SEASON HEISMAN TRIVIA (Adam Hunger/Getty Images) Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is one win away from becoming the fourth player in the CFP era (2014-present) to win the Heisman Trophy and the national championship in the same season. Question: Which three players would he join? Hint: They all play different positions. Answer at the bottom. ? TIME MACHINE LET'S TRAVEL BACK TO 2007... Tomlin in 2007. (Jason Cohn/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images) On Jan. 27, 2007, the Steelers promoted 34-year-old Mike Tomlin from defensive coordinator to head coach after the retirement of Bill Cowher. To get a sense of how long ago that is, here's what else was transpiring around that date… Peyton Manning had yet to win a Super Bowl. Lane Kiffin was announced as the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders four days earlier. He is now on his sixth different job since then. The Patriots had recently wrapped up a 16-0 regular season. You probably know what happened the next month. The top picks of that year's NFL Draft: JaMarcus Russell, Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas. Two of them worked out. Barry Bonds had yet to become MLB's all-time home run leader. Stephen Curry was a freshman at Davidson, and Tim Tebow was a freshman at Florida. Novak Djokovic was more than a year away from his first Grand Slam title. Usain Bolt was months from his first world championship medals. Apple announced the first iPhone the same month. Netflix, long known for DVD rentals through the mail, launched a video streaming service that month. The No. 1 song on the billboard charts that month? Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable." Barack Obama announced his first presidential campaign a month later. Martin Scorsese was on the verge of his first Academy Award for "The Departed." Trivia answer: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama (2020); Joe Burrow, QB, LSU (2019); Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (2015) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 15 Author Members Posted January 15 ? 1 for the road: Then there were 8 Caleb Williams and DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears celebrate after beating the Green Bay Packers. Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Texans' 30-6 blowout of the Steelers last night leaves just eight teams remaining in the NFL playoffs: Buffalo, Denver, Houston, New England, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and the L.A. Rams. ? ? The next game, between the Broncos and Bills, kicks off Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. ? The big postseason stunner so far: The Chicago Bears' 31-27 comeback win against the Green Bay Packers, who led 21-6 after the third quarter but collapsed in the fourth. ? The Bills broke hearts in Jacksonville with a late-game Josh Allen-fueled drive and game-sealing interception by Cole Bishop. After the game, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen got a pep talk from local reporter Lynn Jones that's since gone viral. See the schedule. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 16 Author Members Posted January 16 ⛷️ 1 for the road: Ski bummer Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Colorado has its worst snowpack at this point in the season since recordkeeping began nearly 40 years ago, Axios Denver's Alayna Alvarez reports. ? Low snowpack is a bummer for skiers and snowboarders — plus the businesses and towns relying on them. ? It also raises the risk of wildfires and summer water cuts, given the lack of snowmelt. Yes, but: There's still time to recover. Local meteorologist Chris Bianchi, posting on X: "We've got nearly 3 months until snowpack typically peaks." Go deeper ... Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 16 Author Members Posted January 16 ? Good morning! We had not one, not two, but three buzzer-beaters in men's hoops last night, with Kentucky, SMU and Ole Miss all winning at the last. In today's edition: Harbaugh to the Giants, the NBA's sudden scoring decline, the 100th Grand Slam of the century, highest-paid athletes of 2025, Yahoo Fantasy Baseball is here, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Well, that was quick: John Harbaugh and the Giants are reportedly working to finalize an agreement to make him New York's next head coach. ⚾️ Suárez to Boston: The Red Sox have signed LHP Ranger Suárez to a five-year, $130 million contract after the southpaw compiled a 3.38 ERA across eight years with the Phillies. With Suárez off the board, just four of our Top 10 free agents remain unsigned. ? Moore spurns draft: Oregon QB Dante Moore will return to Eugene for his junior season rather than declare for the NFL Draft, where he was considered a potential top-two pick. He'll be backed up by former Nebraska starter Dylan Raiola, who committed to the Ducks on Monday. ? Hoops portal change: The NCAA has shortened the basketball transfer portal to just 15 days following the men's and women's respective national championship games, meaning it will no longer be open during March Madness. ? Class of 2026: Mark Ingram, Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh headlined the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026, which includes 18 players and four coaches. ? SILENT WHISTLE ARE REFS BEHIND THE NBA'S SUDDEN SCORING DECLINE? (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Free throws have suddenly plummeted across the NBA this month, which has consequently suppressed scoring totals and led to a relentless cascade of bets cashing the under on point totals. Are referees behind this sudden scoring decline? From Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh: Team trips to the charity stripe have fallen from 26.1 free throws per 100 possessions in October to 24.6 in November to 23.1 in December to finally 21.7 in January, representing a nearly 20% decline from October to January in free-throw rate. The end result is games are seeing about eight points on average being wiped away in the month of January. In the long run, sportsbooks are quite efficient in predicting point totals and typically see over/under bets cash closely around 50% on either side, just as it had in October, November and December this season. But in the month of January, unders have cashed a remarkable 64.7% of the time, with normally sharp bookmakers wildly underestimating the mark on a nightly basis. (Yahoo Sports) The 2024 parallel: This wouldn't be the first time the NBA saw a midseason change in how tightly the games were being called, Tom writes: In early March 2024, I reported that teams were seeing a precipitous drop in scoring, anchored mostly by a sudden decline in free throws granted by officials. Were officials told to allow more physicality? There were weeks of denials, with the league office discrediting the notion that they secretly decided to let the players play more. In April, the league changed its tune. After the board of governors meeting, commissioner Adam Silver announced that they had made "a bit of an adjustment" in how the game was being officiated in order to bring more balance. "I think there was a sense earlier in the season that there was too much of an advantage for the offensive players," Silver said. Translation: The league pulled the strings to give certain advantages back to the defense. Which, by the way, I'm not arguing is a bad decision. The league kept it a secret and didn't tell anyone outside of the referees. Not the teams. Not the media. And sportsbooks were, just as they are now, trying to list accurate over/unders without complete information. Did the league office make another adjustment on the fly? According to several head coaches and executives, a league memo hasn't been sent out to alert the stakeholders the game was being officiated any differently. But many insiders have expressed skepticism that there is an explanation beyond an officiating alteration like the one seen in 2024. ? AUSTRALIAN OPEN THE 100TH GRAND SLAM OF THE CENTURY (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) When the Australian Open begins on Sunday in Melbourne, the 100th Grand Slam of the 21st century* will officially be underway. The first 99, as you may have heard, were dominated by just a handful of men. By the numbers: The Big Three of Novak Djokovic (24), Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (20) have won 66 of the 99 men's major titles this century, and the Big Two of Carlos Alcaraz (6) and Jannik Sinner (4) have added 10 more. Yes, five players are responsible for 77% of this century's Grand Slams, which is hard to even comprehend. Andy Murray (3), Stan Wawrinka (3), Andre Agassi (2) and Lleyton Hewitt (2) are the only other men who've won multiple titles, while 13 have won exactly one each. How's that compare to the women's side of things? Serena Williams (22) has claimed nearly a quarter of the titles but no other player has won more than seven (Justine Henin), and another nine women have won between three and six. So, who's going to win No. 100? Odds are very high it will be either Alcaraz or Sinner, who've combined to win every Slam in the past two years, but can anyone dethrone them? Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz have been knocking on the door for a while; world No. 3 Alexander Zverev reached the final in Melbourne a year ago; and you can never count out Djokovic, who may be 38 (and not in perfect health) but reached every major semifinal last year. *2000 or 2001? "This century" is usually referred to as starting in 2000, but technically that year belongs to the 20th century. The 21st century began on Jan. 1, 2001. ? STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Indiana coach Bob Knight (L) and players Scott May and Quinn Buckner hold the national championship trophy. (AP Photo) ? 50 years In 1976, Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers completed the most recent undefeated season in Division I men's basketball. Exactly 50 years later, Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers have a chance to complete the most recent undefeated season in Division I football. Chasing perfection: Since 1976, five Division I men's basketball teams have gone through the regular season undefeated. Ironically, the next to do so was Indiana State in 1979, led by Larry Bird, who had transferred from Indiana. The Sycamores, though, lost in the '79 final to Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Most recently, in 2021, Gonzaga was 31–0 heading into the title game before losing decisively to Baylor. (via Sports Illustrated) ?️ 911 days away Registration for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics ticket draw opened Wednesday and will remain open through March 18. Tickets will start from $28, and every discipline and session will be on sale. Though the 2028 Games are still years away, a full schedule has already been released. How it works: The first step in the ticket-buying process involves registering on the LA28 website. Fans who register will then be placed into a ticket draw. If you are selected as part of that draw, you earn a time slot during which you'll be able to purchase tickets. (Lev Akabas/Sportico) ?? 62 of 100 Americans make up 62 of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in 2025, according to Sportico's annual list. But the top 15 includes athletes from 12 different countries, and a total of 28 countries are represented in the top 100. By sport/league: The NBA had the most athletes in the top 100 (40), followed by the NFL (22), soccer (13), MLB (9), golf (6), boxing (4), racing (4) and tennis (2). ? 3 unbeatens And then there were three. Texas handed Vanderbilt its first loss of the season on Wednesday, leaving No. 1 Arizona, No. 8 Nebraska and unranked Miami (OH) as the only remaining undefeated teams in men's Division I hoops. Dropping like flies: There were six undefeated teams left entering last weekend before Michigan lost to Wisconsin, Iowa State got steamrolled by Kansas and Vandy took an "L" in Austin. ? REVOLVING DOOR ANOTHER SPIN ON THE NFL COACHING CAROUSEL (Giphy) There will be at least nine new NFL head coaches next season — with the Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Raiders, Ravens, Steelers and Titans all looking to fill vacancies. That's one shy of the record 10 new head coaches we saw in 2022. Here's the wild part: Of those 10 hires from 2022, eight have already been fired. Bears: Matt Eberflus ❌ Broncos: Nathaniel Hackett ❌ Buccaneers: Todd Bowles (still standing) Dolphins: Mike McDaniel ❌ Giants: Brian Daboll ❌ Jaguars: Doug Pederson ❌ Raiders: Josh McDaniels ❌ Saints: Dennis Allen ❌ Texans: Lovie Smith ❌ Vikings: Kevin O'Connell (still standing) Bottom line: The NFL coaching carousel has spun before. It's spinning now. And I can assure you, the NFL coaching carousel will spin again. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JAN. 15 The Magic pose in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) ?? NBA in Berlin The Grizzlies and Magic face off today in the NBA's first-ever regular-season game in Germany (2pm ET, Prime). The two teams will remain in Europe through Sunday, when they'll play the first game in London since 2019. More on Prime: There's also a star-studded doubleheader in the states this evening, with Kevin Durant's Rockets hosting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder (7:30pm) and Steph Curry's Warriors hosting Jalen Brunson's Knicks (10pm). ⛳️ Sony Open The PGA Tour's 2026 season begins today in Hawaii (12pm, ESPN+; 7pm, Golf), where 120 golfers will compete for a $9.1 million purse at Honolulu's Waialae Country Club. Headliners: No Scottie or Rory just yet, but the field does feature four of the world's top 10 players in No. 5 Russell Henley, No. 6 J.J. Spaun, No. 7 Robert MacIntyre and No. 8 Ben Griffin, as well as Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley and more. ? No. 4 Texas at No. 2 South Carolina This top-five matchup between SEC heavyweights is quickly becoming one of the nation's best women's college basketball rivalries. The Longhorns (18-1), coming off their first loss this season, were responsible for the Gamecocks' (17-1) only loss so far. Best of the rest: No. 9 Louisville at No. 23 Notre Dame (6pm, ACC); No. 25 Illinois at No. 8 Michigan (7pm, Peacock); No. 24 Nebraska at No. 15 Michigan State (7pm, BTN) More to watch: ? NHL: Flyers at Penguins (7pm, ESPN); Maple Leafs at Golden Knights (9:30pm, ESPN) … Philly and Pittsburgh have split the first two games in this season's Battle of Pennsylvania. ? NCAA Men's Hockey: No. 4 Michigan State at No. 2 Wisconsin (9pm, BTN) … The Big Ten has four of the nation's top eight teams, with No. 1 Michigan and No. 8 Penn State joining the Spartans and Badgers. Today's full slate. ? ON THIS DAY SUPER BOWL TRIVIA Bart Starr drops back to pass during Super Bowl I. (James Flores/Getty Images) 59 years ago today, the Green Bay Packers won the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game, known retroactively as Super Bowl I. Question: Who did they beat? Bonus points: What was the final score? Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ PLAY BALL FANTASY BASEBALL IS HERE! (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Yahoo Fantasy Baseball is officially live for the 2026 MLB season! Trivia answer: Packers 35, Chiefs 10 Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 16 Author Members Posted January 16 ? Point-shaving charges rock college hoops Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Over a dozen college basketball players were among 26 people charged today in a point-shaving scheme involving NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games. The scheme eventually involved 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA teams, who rigged or attempted to rig more than 29 games, prosecutors said. ? The players were allegedly paid $10,000 to $30,000 per game for their involvement. ?⚖️ The charges, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. ? The indictment says in part: "In placing these wagers on games they had fixed, the defendants defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors, who were all unaware that the defendants had corruptly manipulated the outcome of these games that should have been decided fairly, based on genuine competition and the best efforts of the players." Go deeper. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 20 Author Members Posted January 20 ? 1 fun thing: Mascot salaries Gritty, mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers. Photo: Len Redkoles/NHL via Getty Images Gritty's salary might make you rethink your career choice. The Philadelphia Flyers mascot makes about $250,000 a year, nearly as much as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, the nation's highest-paid governor, Axios Philadelphia's Isaac Avilucea writes. Gritty still lags behind the Denver Nuggets' Rocky the Mountain Lion ($625K), the Atlanta Hawks' Harry the Hawk ($600K) and the Chicago Bulls' Benny the Bull ($400K). Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 21 Author Members Posted January 21 ? 1 for the road: NFL's final four LA Rams troll the Chicago Bears. Via: LA Rams/Instagram After two snowy showdowns yesterday, the NFL conference championships on Sunday will determine which teams are off to the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX. The New England Patriots will play the Denver Broncos in Colorado at 3 p.m. ET. The Patriots took down the Houston Texans yesterday at home in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The LA Rams will face the Seattle Seahawks in Washington at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Rams beat the Bears yesterday in Chicago. ? The winners will head to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 22 Author Members Posted January 22 ? 1 for the road: Indiana wins college crown Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti hoists the championship trophy. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images Curt Cignetti came to Indiana to win championships. The old-school, blunt-spoken coach who began his Hoosiers tenure with a promise to bring swift success to the losingest program in college football completed his masterpiece last night, guiding Indiana to a 27-21 win over Miami in the College Football Playoff final and the first national championship in school history, AP reports. Why it matters: After taking advantage of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness money to build a championship roster, Cignetti coached the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking. They capped the season in front of 67,227 fans at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, concluding one of the most surprising turnarounds in college football history. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza celebrates after winning the championship. Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, this year's Heisman winner, has an "earnest, articulate wholesomeness," Sports Illustrated writes. The 22-year-old is a devout Catholic and "smart, graduating with a business degree from Cal in three years. He's tall, handsome, athletic, rich — and soon to be richer as an NFL first-round draft pick." The Athletic reports that Mendoza's postgame interviews "have drawn love and attention for their unique delivery and perfect grammar and prose" — including recent references to "process-oriented" and "flippin' champs." Lara Trump, Kai Trump, President Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner during the national anthem before last night's championship game in Miami Gardens. Go deeper: How Indiana won college football's national championship (ESPN). Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 22 Author Members Posted January 22 ? Good morning! Welcome back, friends. Nick Foles has a message for the Broncos and their fans: "I know it has been an emotional 24 hours. I feel for Bo and the team, and I'm sending prayers for a strong recovery. A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games." In today's edition: All hail the Hoosiers, NBA All-Star starters, the NFL's Final Four, we're underway in Melbourne, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? NFL coaching carousel: The Bills fired Sean McDermott after nine seasons, while the Giants (John Harbaugh), Falcons (Kevin Stefanski), Titans (Robert Saleh) and Dolphins (Jeff Hafley) hired new head coaches. ? Disaster for Golden State: Warriors star Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL during Monday's win over the Heat, ending his season and likely altering Golden State's plans at the trade deadline. Brutal blow. ⚾️ Bichette to New York: Bo Bichette is heading to the Mets on a three-year, $126 million deal. The former Blue Jays shortstop is expected to play third base in Queens despite having never played that position in the major or minor leagues. ? Goalie fight! San Jose's Alex Nedeljkovic and Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky dropped gloves and fought during the third period of the Sharks' win on Monday, marking the first fight between NHL goalies since 2020. ? Wildcats, Huskies still on top: Arizona, one of three undefeated men's teams (Nebraska, Miami-Ohio), remains atop the men's AP poll. UConn, one of two undefeated women's teams (Vanderbilt), remains atop the women's AP poll. ? NATIONAL CHAMPS HOOSIERS COMPLETE STORYBOOK SEASON (Yahoo Sports) Indiana beat Miami, 27-21, on Monday night in South Florida to win the program's first national championship, complete their perfect 16-0 season and author the greatest turnaround American sports has ever seen. An unlikely champion: Indiana had 100-1 preseason odds to win the national title, making them one of the biggest long-shot champions in sports history. Add in their status as a perennial doormat and I'd argue only Leicester City's unthinkable 2015-16 Premier League title (5,000-1 preseason odds) tops what Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers accomplished this season. "Back when I was waxing the staff table at [Indiana University of Pennsylvania] on Thanksgiving weekend … did I ever think something like this was possible? Probably not. But if you keep your nose down in life and keep working, anything is possible." — Cignetti, whose head coaching journey from D2 IUP (2011-16) to FCS Elon (2017-18) to FCS/FBS JMU (2019-2023) to the very top of college football after just two years in Bloomington is simply remarkable. Iconic. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Highlight of the night: There were a handful of plays that defined this game — none bigger than Fernando Mendoza's fourth-down TD run in the fourth quarter. It was a gutsy call by Cignetti, and the Heisman winner delivered, breaking multiple tackles before diving headfirst into the end zone for a 24-14 lead. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: These days, the world of college football often feels chaotic, sometimes even dark. But this felt pure — not because it was Indiana, but because of how it happened. The fundamentals. The self-belief. The three-star recruits who played like superstars, turning everything we knew about college football upside down. Game notes: Welcome to the club: Indiana is the first school to win its maiden FBS national championship since Florida claimed its first title in 1996. 50 years later: Indiana now has the most recent undefeated national champions in both football and men's basketball. Bob Knight's squad went 32-0 en route to winning the 1976 title. Double the hardware: Mendoza joins Derrick Henry (2015), Joe Burrow (2019) and DeVonta Smith (2020) as the only players to win the Heisman Trophy and the CFP title in the same season. Midwest supremacy: The Big Ten has now won three straight national titles (Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana) for the first time since 1940-42 (Minnesota, Minnesota, Ohio State), with the Wolverines, Buckeyes and Hoosiers all located inside a 300-mile radius mostly incorporating southern Indiana, central Ohio and southeastern Michigan. Has the South lost football? ? EAST AND WEST NBA ALL-STAR STARTERS REVEALED (Yahoo Sports) The 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters were announced Monday, with Lakers guard Luka Dončić (3.4 million) and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (3.2 million) receiving the most votes from fans. How it works: Fans are responsible for 50% of the vote, while NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) account for the rest. For the first time in the exhibition's near-75-year history, there are no positional requirements for lineups. That extends to the seven reserves from each conference, who will be selected by head coaches on Feb. 1. (Yahoo Sports) Notably absent: LeBron James' 21-year streak as an All-Star starter has officially come to an end. He finished eighth in fan voting, one spot ahead of Rockets forward Kevin Durant and one spot behind Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. As a reminder: There's a new USA vs. World round-robin format this year. Ideally, voting will fill the 24 spots with 16 Americans and eight internationals, forming three teams of eight. If those numbers aren't reached organically, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will pick additional All-Stars so that each group hits its mark. ? SURVIVE AND ADVANCE NFL PLAYOFFS: LAST FOUR STANDING (Yahoo Sports) The Conference Championships are set after a Divisional Round that saw the Patriots stifle the turnover-happy Texans, the Seahawks steamroll the 49ers, the Broncos outlast the Bills thanks in part to a controversial call, and the Rams survive the Bears' miraculous last-second score.* AFC: Patriots (-5.5) at Broncos For the 15th consecutive season, either the Patriots or Chiefs have reached the AFC Championship Game. The last time both franchises failed to make it this far was in 2010, when the Steelers beat the Jets (in Gang Green's most recent playoff game). New England, which has never won a playoff game in Denver (0-4 all-time), is playing in its first AFC title game of the post-Tom Brady era, and first started by a QB other than Brady since 1996. Denver is the biggest home underdog as a No. 1 seed in a conference title game since the 1970 merger after losing Bo Nix to a broken ankle. They'll turn to backup Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't thrown a single pass all season. Fun fact: The coaching matchup in this game is Mike (Vrabel) vs. Sean (Payton), while the coaching matchup in the NFC title game is also Mike (Macdonald) vs. Sean (McVay). NFC: Rams (+2.5) at Seahawks The NFC West foes meet for the third time this season after splitting the first two games with nearly the exact same number of points scored (58-57) and total yards (830-829). The Rams were the No. 1 scoring offense during the regular season (30.5 points per game), while the Seahawks were the No. 1 scoring defense (17.2). Seattle is back in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2014, which had been the conference's fourth-longest drought ahead of only the Cowboys (1995), Bears (2010) and Giants (2011). Los Angeles has won 10 playoff games under Sean McVay, who has twice as many postseason wins before the age of 40 as any other head coach in NFL history. He turns 40 on Saturday. Super Bowl odds: The Seahawks are favored to hoist the Lombardi Trophy (+150 at BetMGM), followed by the Rams (+220), Patriots (+250) and Broncos (+1300), whose odds cratered after Nix's injury. *Wild stat: Caleb Williams' last-ditch heave marked the fourth time in NFL postseason history that a team scored a game-tying TD (plus the PAT) in the last 30 seconds of the fourth quarter. All four of those teams ended up losing in overtime (1987 Seahawks, 2004 Chargers, 2015 Packers). ? THROUGH THE LENS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) ?? Honolulu, Hawaii — Chris Gotterup (-16) opened 2026 with a victory, winning the Sony Open by two strokes on Sunday to claim the first event of the new PGA Tour season, and the third of his young career. On the rise: The 26-year-old Maryland native, who turned pro in 2022, is up to a career-best ranking of No. 17 after becoming just the sixth golfer with at least three PGA Tour wins since the start of 2024. Sadio Mané has cemented himself as one of the greatest African players ever. (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images) ?? Rabat, Morocco — Senegal won their second Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, beating Morocco, 1-0 in extra time, after a pair of controversial calls in stoppage time led to a lengthy delay and a spectator brawl. How it went down: Senegal had a goal disallowed and Morocco was awarded a penalty on two questionable calls just minutes apart. Furious, Senegal's coach led his team off the field in protest as fans began brawling. Players didn't return for 15 minutes, after which Morocco missed the penalty and Senegal ultimately won on Pape Gueye's goal in extra time. Federer waves goodnight to the crowd. (James D. Morgan/Getty Images) ?? Melbourne, Australia — The Australian Open kicked off on Saturday with its first-ever formal opening ceremony. 87-year-old Rod Laver sat courtside in the arena named for him and Roger Federer stole the show as the star of a pair of exhibition matches. More history for Djokovic: Novak Djokovic's first-round victory was his 100th at the Australian Open, making him the first player to reach the century mark at three Grand Slams. He has 101 at Roland Garros, 102 at Wimbledon, and could reach 100 at the U.S. Open later this year (95). Bryan Mbeumo celebrates scoring United's first goal. (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images) ??????? Manchester, England — Manchester United stunned Manchester City, 2-0, in Saturday's Derby, snapping City's 13-match unbeaten streak in interim manager Michael Carrick's debut with the Red Devils. Title chances dwindling: City, which managed just one shot on target in the loss, are now seven points behind league-leader Arsenal after going four straight matches without a win. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JAN. 20 Spurs vs. Rockets in an all-Texas clash. Who ya got? (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) ? NBA on NBC Four Western Conference powers take the floor in tonight's doubleheader, with the Rockets hosting the Spurs in the first game (8pm ET) and the Nuggets hosting the Lakers in the second (10pm). Weathering the storm: Denver (29-14) has gone 7-4 since losing Nikola Jokić to a knee injury in late December. The three-time MVP is expected to return by month's end. ⚽️ Champions League Inter Milan hosts Arsenal (3pm, Paramount+) in a matchup between the first-place teams in Serie A and the English Premier League to headline the penultimate matchday of the league phase. Where it stands: With two matchdays left, the top eight teams in position to advance directly to the Round of 16 are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, PSG, Manchester City, Atalanta, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. More to watch: ? Australian Open: Second round (7pm, ESPN+; 9pm, ESPN2) … Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek headline the action in Melbourne. ? NHL: Bruins at Stars (7:30pm, TNT); Devils at Oilers (10pm, TNT) … Edmonton's Connor McDavid leads all players with 85 points (30 goals, 55 assists) in 50 games played. ? NCAAM: UCF at No. 9 Iowa State (7pm, CBSSN); Indiana at No. 3 Michigan (7pm, Peacock); LSU at No. 16 Florida (7pm, ESPN2); No. 15 Vanderbilt at No. 20 Arkansas (9pm, ESPN) ⛳️ TGL: Jupiter Links vs. Los Angeles (7pm, ESPN) … Max Homa, Akshay Bhatia and Kevin Kisner vs. Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala. ? RECORD BOOKS NBA TRIVIA Durant celebrates the victory. (Tim Warner/Getty Images) Kevin Durant passed Dirk Nowitzki for sixth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list during Sunday's win over the Pelicans. Question: Can you name the five players ahead of Durant (31,562 points)? Hint: Four played for the Lakers. Answer at the bottom. ? BAKER'S DOZEN WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: TOP 13 PLAYS (Yahoo Sports) ? Caleb's miraculous heave ? "The Boutte Beauty" ? Heismendoza!!! ⚽️ Dembélé, the magician ? Between the legs ? Between the legs 2.0 ⚽️ Teenage wonder goal ? Jordan Chiles, Perfect 10 ? Stafford's absurd throw ? Save at the doorstep ? Shaheed to the house ⚽️ Title-winning goal ? VJ Edgecombe! Watch all 13. Trivia answer: LeBron James (42,727 points); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387); Karl Malone (36,928); Kobe Bryant (33,643); Michael Jordan (32,292) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 23 Author Members Posted January 23 ? Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Stat of the day: Indiana had as many wins over AP Top 10 teams this season (6-0) as they had in their entire history as a program coming into the season (6-116-1). In today's edition: Buffalo's dynasty that never was, Welcome to Cooperstown, Cig is finally happy, NBA midseason awards, Photo Finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Duke sues its own QB: Duke has filed a lawsuit against QB Darian Mensah in an attempt to prevent him from transferring to a different school, arguing that such a move would violate the terms of his NIL deal. Mensah announced Friday that he'd be entering the portal amid heavily rumored interest from Miami. ? Knicks in crisis: Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting this week in the midst of a recent slump that has seen the Knicks (25-18) lose nine of their last 11 games, leading to frustration in the locker room and among a vocal New York fan base. ? Buckeyes open as favorites: Ohio State has opened as the favorite to win the 2026-27 CFP National Championship (+600 at BetMGM), followed by Notre Dame (+700), Oregon (+700), Texas (+700) and newly-crowned champion Indiana (+800). ⛳️ LIV lands NCAA champ: Reigning NCAA champion Michael La Sasso of Ole Miss is forfeiting the rest of his college eligibility (plus his Masters invite) to join Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers GC team with LIV Golf. ⚽️ City stunned again: Three days after losing to rival Manchester United, Manchester City suffered another shock defeat, this time in the Champions League to Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, which had entered the match winless in their first six league phase games. ? DECADE OF DISAPPOINTMENT BUFFALO'S DYNASTY THAT NEVER WAS (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) As Buffalo licks its wounds following yet another heartbreaking postseason loss, it's worth exploring whether the early 2020s Bills — an era that officially ended with Sean McDermott's recent firing — are the best team in NFL history to never win a Super Bowl. Consider this: The Bills are one of just four NFL teams to win a playoff game in six consecutive seasons. But while the Cowboys (1991-96), Patriots (2011-18) and Chiefs (2018-24) each won three Super Bowls during their streaks, Buffalo didn't even appear in one during theirs (2020-25). They've also turned losing postseason games into an art form, becoming the first team in NFL history to lose by three or fewer points in the playoffs in back-to-back-to-back seasons. And i's not like the Bills have just snuck into the playoffs, either. They've won five of the last six AFC East titles and, statistically, they've been the NFL's best regular-season team of the first half of the decade. By the numbers: It took a couple years for the Bills to jell under McDermott (hired in 2017) and Josh Allen (drafted in 2018), but since 2020 they lead the NFL in all four major regular-season stats, boasting the most wins of any team while having the best scoring offense and defense. Wins: 73 (Chiefs are second with 72) Points for: 2,896 (Cowboys: 2,722) Points against: 1,994 (Chiefs: 2,043) Differential: +902* (Ravens: +581) *First place by a mile: The gap between the Bills and second-place Ravens is larger than the gap between the Ravens and ninth-place Rams (+267). Josh Allen walks off the field following Saturday's loss to the Broncos. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) The dynasty that never was: Unfortunately for Buffalo, greatness is measured in rings, and the Bills are one of just four teams in the history of the "Big Four" leagues to have a .600+ win percentage in at least seven straight seasons without ever advancing to a championship, joining the 1968-75 Oakland Raiders, 1981-87 Milwaukee Bucks and 2004-11 San Jose Sharks. A different kind of sadness: This half-decade of near-dominance calls to mind the infamous "Four Falls of Buffalo," when Jim Kelly's Bills advanced to four straight Super Bowls from 1990-93… and lost all four of them. It begs the question: Is the current iteration of the team even more disappointing? It just might be. While losing four straight Super Bowls is devastating — particularly in retrospect, given Buffalo has still never won a championship — at least they made it to the grandest stage in American sports and gave themselves multiple chances. This decade's team, on the other hand, has yet to reach "The Big Game" and they've made only two AFC title games despite all their regular-season success. This year was especially crushing, as they failed to capitalize when their kryptonite in Kansas City finally faltered. Looking ahead: Keep your heads up, Bills Mafia. Josh Allen is only 29, and it takes only one glorious championship to forget all the past heartbreak. But you'd better get it done soon, because that kid in New England looks poised to turn your division into a gauntlet for the foreseeable future. ⚾️ CLASS OF 2026 BELTRÁN, JONES ELECTED TO HALL OF FAME (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) Cooperstown welcomed two new members on Tuesday, as Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were voted into the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Class of 2026: Beltrán (84.2% of the vote) and Jones (78.4%) — alongside Jeff Kent, voted in by the Contemporary Era Committee last month — will be inducted this summer in upstate New York. Beltrán (4th ballot): Few combined power and speed like Beltrán, who is one of five players in MLB history with 500 doubles, 400 homers and 300 steals. He was also as clutch as they come, with his 1.021 OPS in the postseason ranking eighth all-time (min. 100 PA). Jones (9th): He's on the shortlist of the best two-way players ever, joining Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt as the only guys with at least 10 Gold Gloves and 400 home runs. And his 24.4 defensive WAR ranks first all-time among outfielders, lending credence to former teammate Chipper Jones calling him the single best outfielder ever. Not quite there: Chase Utley (59.1%) made a big jump after receiving just 39.8% of the vote last year, and with seven years left on the ballot he's a near lock to make it eventually. Andy Pettitte (48.5% in his eighth year) and Félix Hernández (46.1% in his second year) were the only other players to earn more than 40% of the vote. Manny and Alex: As expected, Manny Ramirez (38.8%) didn't earn enough votes in his final year on the ballot, while Alex Rodriguez (40% in his fifth year) gained modest ground after last year's high-water mark of 37.1%. Can he earn another 35% of the vote over the next half-decade? The rest: Nine others earned enough of the vote to remain on the ballot another year, while 11 fell short of the 5% threshold. Still on the ballot: Bobby Abreu (30.8%), Jimmy Rollins (25.4%), Cole Hamels (23.8%), Dustin Pedroia (20.7%), Mark Buehrle (20%), Omar Vizquel (18.4%), David Wright (14.8%), Francisco Rodríguez (11.8%), Torii Hunter (8.7%) Fell off: Ryan Braun (3.5%), Edwin Encarnación (1.4%), Shin-Soo Choo (0.7%), Matt Kemp (0.5%), Hunter Pence (0.5%), Rick Porcello (0.5%), Nick Markakis (0.2%), Alex Gordon (0.2%), Howie Kendrick (0%), Daniel Murphy (0%), Gio González (0%) Looking ahead: After no newcomers were elected this time around — and just one, Hamels, even earned enough votes to stay on the ballot — next year's class includes at least one likely first-ballot Hall of Famer in Buster Posey. Further reading: With induction to Hall of Fame, voters forgive Beltrán's role in Astros sign-stealing scandal (Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports) What we learned about the cases of Utley, King Félix, Pettitte and more (Jordan Shusterman, Yahoo Sports) ? LIFE IS GOOD COACH CIG IS FINALLY HAPPY (@nataliecignetti) Curt Cignetti, who rarely smiles on the sidelines, is finally happy — and his daughter has the text receipts to prove it. From Yahoo Sports' Andy Backstrom: "Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Curt said in response to Natalie asking her dad if he's happy in the wake of the Hoosiers winning the national championship. The answer might sound obvious, but the question felt necessary, especially for Natalie, who asked the same one six years ago. At the time, Curt was in his first season as James Madison's head coach. The Dukes were still an FCS program, and a mighty good one at that. They were coming off a 66-21 win over Monmouth, Curt's first Division I playoff victory. JMU was 12-1. Natalie texted Curt, "are you happy!!!" His response: "No." Six years later: Cignetti is happy, 14 exclamation points and all. He also enjoyed a beer after Monday night's historic victory, which he called the best he's ever had. ? GO DEEPER GOOD READS: NBA EDITION (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Midseason Awards: MVP, ROY, Sixth Man of the Year and other awards at the halfway mark Who has been the MVP of the league at the season's halfway point? Who's winning the Rookie of the Year race? With every team hitting the 41-game mark, let's hand out midseason awards. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Injury Report: What does losing Jimmy Butler mean for the Warriors as we know them? Losing Jimmy Butler to a torn right ACL fundamentally changes who the Warriors are this season, and threatens a devastating alteration to who they could conceivably still be in the "fading" dynasty stage of the Stephen Curry/Draymond Green/Steve Kerr era. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Trade Deadline: Ranking the 25 'available' trade candidates, from worst to first With the NBA trade deadline two weeks away, let's rank the players who have reportedly been in trade talks. Can any of them meaningfully change a team's championship chances? Here we try to sort them in order, mostly, based on how much each could alter this year's title picture. ? VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21 Will Patrick Kane make history tonight? (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) ? NHL on TNT The Maple Leafs host the Red Wings in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader (7pm ET), followed by the Islanders at the Kraken in the second (9:30pm). Milestone watch: Detroit winger Patrick Kane (1,372) is three points away from passing Stars legend Mike Modano (1,374) for the most by an American-born player in NHL history. ? NBA on ESPN The Hornets host the Cavaliers in the first game (7pm), while the Bucks host the Thunder in the star-studded nightcap (9:30pm). Leading scorers: Three of the NBA's top eight scorers are playing tonight, with OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.8 ppg) ranking second, Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell (29.0) ranking seventh and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo (28.5) ranking eighth. More to watch: ? NCAAM: Cincinnati at No. 1 Arizona (9pm, FS1); Washington at No. 7 Nebraska (9pm, BTN) … The Wildcats and Cornhuskers look to keep their perfect seasons alive. ? Australian Open: Round 2 (7pm, ESPN+; 9pm, ESPN2) … Ben Shelton, Novak Djokovic, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova headline today's action in Melbourne. ⚽️ Champions League: Juventus vs. Benfica (3pm, Paramount+); Marseille vs. Liverpool (3pm, Paramount+) … Two of nine games to wrap up the penultimate matchday. ? TITLE TOWN CHAMPIONSHIP TRIVIA (Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) Indiana is one of three schools to win both an FBS national championship and an NCAA men's basketball tournament in the past 50 years (1976-present). Question: Can you name the other two? Answer at the bottom. ? THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka made quite the entrance in Melbourne, stealing the show with her jellyfish-inspired outfit. She won her match to advance to the second round. Trivia answer: Michigan and Florida Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 24 Author Members Posted January 24 The Eagles’ ‘Greatest Hits’ is the first album in US history to sell over 40M units NEW YORK (AP) — Take it easy ... and go quadruple diamond. The Eagles’ 1976 album “Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975” the bestselling album of all time in the U.S., has officially sold over 40 million units. That’s according to new certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. https://apnews.com/article/eagles-greatest-hits-platinum-1c3ae1afad6247d975f7e853e56f9709? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 25 Author Members Posted January 25 ? Yahoo! It's Friday! The Winter Olympics begin two weeks from today. Stat of the day: Before this week, Wilt Chamberlain was the only player in NBA history to record 40 points, 10 assists and 80% FG in a game. Then Toronto's Immanuel Quickley (Tuesday) and OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Wednesday) did it on back-to-back days! In today's edition: Sports at the Oscars, Weekend Watchlist, Why We Love Sports, NBA midseason report cards, the drought continues for "America's Team," and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ? ICYMI HEADLINES ? Huge ratings for CFP finale: Indiana's win over Miami in the national title game averaged 30.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-NFL sports telecast since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. ? Minter is coming (to Baltimore): The Ravens are hiring Chargers DC Jesse Minter as their new head coach. After spending the last four years under Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles and at Michigan, he'll now succeed Jim's brother, John, in Charm City. ⚽️ Rodman inks historic deal: Trinity Rodman has signed a three-year contract with the Washington Spirit reportedly worth over $2 million annually, including bonuses, making her the highest-paid women's soccer player in the world. ? NFL awards: MVP finalists Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, Josh Allen, Christian McCaffrey and Trevor Lawrence headline the list of finalists for the NFL's end-of-season awards, which will be announced during the "NFL Honors" show on Feb. 5, three days before the Super Bowl. ⚾️ Nats trade All-Star: In their first big move under new leadership, the Nationals traded All-Star lefty MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers for five prospects, including the No. 12 pick in last year's draft, Gavin Fien. ? BEST PICTURE SPORTS MAKE OSCARS SPLASH Timothée Chalamet on the set of "Marty Supreme." (James Devaney/GC Images) "Marty Supreme" and "F1" both received Oscar nominations for Best Picture on Thursday, becoming the 18th and 19th sports movies* to be up for the top honor at the Academy Awards. Historic duo: This marks the first time that two sports movies received Best Picture nominations in the same year. The full list (winners in bold): The Champ (1931) The Pride of the Yankees (1942) The Hustler (1961) Rocky (1976) Heaven Can Wait (1978) Breaking Away (1979) Raging Bull (1980) Chariots of Fire (1981) Field of Dreams (1989) Jerry Maguire (1996) Seabiscuit (2003) Million Dollar Baby (2004) The Blind Side (2009) The Fighter (2010) Moneyball (2011) Ford v Ferrari (2019) King Richard (2021) Marty Supreme (2025) F1 (2025) *Editor's note: This list is according to Variety. There may be other Best Picture nominees that could be considered sports-themed (this list on IMDB includes "Gladiator," for example). It ultimately comes down to your own definition of what is and isn't a "sports movie." ? VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) ? Conference Championships The Final Four teams take the field on Sunday with a chance to earn their place in Super Bowl LX. Who ya got? Patriots (-4.5) at Broncos (3pm ET, CBS) While the Patriots are starting MVP finalist Drake Maye, the Broncos are starting backup Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't thrown a pass in over two years. He's just the second QB in NFL history to make his first start of the season in a Conference Championship, joining Roger Staubach (1972 Cowboys). Rams (+2.5) at Seahawks (6:30pm, Fox) This is the ninth time since the 1970 merger that the No. 1 scoring offense (Rams) has faced the No. 1 scoring defense (Seahawks) in the Conference Championship or later. Good news for Seattle: the top defense went 7-1 in the first eight meetings. ? Australian Open The year's first Grand Slam reaches its halfway point this weekend (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/ESPN2), with all quarterfinalists set to be determined by Monday. Stan the Man: 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka, who plans to retire at season's end, won a marathon five-setter on Thursday to become the oldest man in 48 years to reach the third round of a major. Next up is a date with No. 9 Taylor Fritz. ? "Skyscraper" Netflix's latest foray into live sports arrives tonight (8pm) in the form of Alex Honnold's death-defying, untethered climb up Taipei 101, the 1,667-foot skyscraper in Taiwan's capital city. Honnold is best known for his untethered ascent up Yosemite's El Capitan, as documented in the Oscar-winning film, "Free Solo." What he's saying: "One of the big differences between climbing a building and rock climbing is that there really isn't a hardest single move," says Honnold. "The challenge comes from the overall physicality of it. The fatigue that [sets in] over the course of the building is slightly harder to anticipate. I don't know how it's gonna feel." ? No. 5 Vanderbilt at No. 2 South Carolina The undefeated Commodores will try to keep their perfect season alive in Sunday's blockbuster women's hoops matchup between SEC foes (3pm, ESPN). Best of the rest: No. 1 UConn, the nation's only other undefeated team, visits Seton Hall (Sat. 12pm, Peacock), and No. 10 Iowa hosts No. 12 Ohio State (Sun. 2pm, Peacock). ? UFC 324 Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje's lightweight title bout on Saturday night in Las Vegas (9pm, Paramount+) headlines the first UFC event of the year, and the first of the Paramount+ era. No more PPV: This is the first event under the UFC's new broadcast deal with Paramount+, which will allow viewers to watch every fight with a basic subscription to the streaming service ($8.99/month). That's a substantial change after years at ESPN+, where every numbered event cost $79.99, on top of the monthly subscription. ❄️ Winter X Games This weekend's event at Buttermilk Mountain (Fri-Sun, ESPN/ABC) marks the 25th annual Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. Athletes to watch: Americans Alex Hall and Nick Goepper (slopestyle), Austria's Anna Gasser (big air) and Australia's Scotty James (halfpipe) are among the Olympic medalists who will be using this weekend as a warm-up for next month's Winter Games. More to watch: ? NBA: Rockets at Pistons (Fri. 7pm, Prime); Knicks at 76ers (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Warriors at Timberwolves (Sat. 5:30pm, ABC); Lakers at Mavericks (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC) … Detroit (32-10) leads the East by a season-high 5.5 games. ? NHL: Lightning at Blackhawks (Fri. 7pm, ESPN); Canadiens at Bruins (Sat. 7pm, NHL); Avalanche at Maple Leafs (Sun. 1:30pm, NHL) … Colorado (34-5-9) has more regulation losses in their last eight games (3) than they did in their first 40 games (2). ? NCAAM: No. 22 UNC at No. 14 Virginia (Sat. 2pm, ESPN); No. 11 Illinois at No. 4 Purdue (Sat. 3pm, Fox); No. 6 Houston at No. 12 Texas Tech (Sat. 6:30pm, ESPN) … Houston (11 straight) and Illinois (8) are both riding long winning streaks. ⛳️ Golf: The American Express (Fri-Sun, Golf/ESPN+); Hero Dubai Desert Classic (Fri-Sun, Golf) … Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody (-10) lead in California; Francesco Molinari (-7) led after Round 1 in Dubai, with the second round already underway. ⚽️ EPL: Newcastle vs. Aston Villa (Sun. 9am, Peacock); Arsenal vs. Manchester United (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock) … Matchday 23 of 38. ⚽️ Friendly: USWNT vs. Paraguay (Sat. 5:30pm, TNT) … In Los Angeles. ❤️ MAN'S BEST FRIEND WHY WE LOVE SPORTS Jesse (R) rocking his Donovan McNabb jersey on a family trip to Detroit. (Kathleen Dobe-Call) Today's reader submission is especially timely given the QB situation in Denver, with backup Jarrett Stidham stepping in for the injured Bo Nix. Kathleen Dobe-Call (Syracuse, New York) writes: Since we're lifelong Syracusans, we of course closely follow SU teams. Our younger son, Jesse, was just a toddler when Donovan McNabb was drafted by the Eagles, so he quickly claimed Philadelphia as his NFL team. He wore his McNabb jersey everywhere — even to a Lions game when we took the boys to Detroit. He was crushed in 2005 when the Eagles lost the Super Bowl. He got his hopes up again in 2017 when they were playing so well, but was distraught when Carson Wentz went down with an injury, because he really thought they had a chance to go deep. As the Eagles made their playoff run, Jesse was excited that Nick Foles kept leading them to wins, but he tried not to get too confident, especially once we realized the Patriots would be their Super Bowl opponent. Jesse came home from college to watch Super Bowl LII with us, and we gathered around the living room TV together. As the teams traded touchdowns in the second half, we started to get that familiar sinking feeling that Tom Brady would pull it off yet again. But when Foles made that fourth-down pass to keep the drive alive, Jesse jumped up and yelled, "SO HELP ME GOD, IF NICK FOLES WINS THIS SUPER BOWL FOR US, I'M NAMING MY FIRST DOG AFTER HIM!" Sure enough, Foles then threw the touchdown to Zach Ertz, and it was upheld! More tense moments followed, until Brady's Hail Mary fell incomplete. The Eagles had won their first Super Bowl! Jesse was ecstatic! I was so, so happy for him. And sure enough, three years later, when Jesse got his first apartment, he got a sweet little corgi. Meet Foles… Jesse and Foles. (Kathleen Dobe-Call) ✍️ Submit your story: Do you have a fondest sports memory? Or an example of sports having a positive impact on your life? If you'd like to share, email me at kendall.baker@yahooinc.com. We hope to feature at least one story per week throughout 2026. ? HALFWAY POINT NBA MIDSEASON GRADES (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Every NBA team has played 41 games and most have played more, which means we're due for midseason report cards. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) ? YAHOO SPORTS NETWORK GOOD READS (The Athletic) In addition to Yahoo Sports' original offerings, we have a growing list of best-in-class partners. Here are the best reads of the week, courtesy of the Yahoo Sports Network. ? College Basketball: How NYU women's basketball quietly became D-III's No. 1 team (Eden Laase, The Athletic) There is a purity to this level of basketball. No pro dreams clouding minds. No bank accounts overflowing with NIL money. No scholarships tying players to the program. "Other levels are transactional," associate head coach Nettie Respondek said. "There's nothing holding these girls here. They can walk away at any time. But they play because they love their team, they love the game and they love the work." (Ben Cope/GOLF.com) ⛳️ Golf: Tommy Fleetwood finally won. Now comes the hard part (Sean Zak, GOLF.com) Whether it's fellow pros, family or just another golf writer, everyone has been asking him the same thing lately: "What's different, mate?" The truth: Tommy still doesn't know. "It's an obvious question to ask," Fleetwood admits. "Surely there must be something different. I ask myself that all the time as well." (Mike Roach via Getty Images) ? UFC: 'I was born to be here': Ateba Gautier is UFC 324's most terrifying young force (Chuck Mindenhall, Uncrowned) Ateba Gautier, a Cameroon-born middleweight built like a perfect Mr. Olympia, is an exception to the rule. He happens to be a lover AND a fighter. For Gautier, fisticuffs are an act of love. Love of fighting. Love of the warrior standing opposite him, welcoming him into the pocket. Love of the sport, the moment, and the ritual of parting a man from his senses. It's a love of fraternity, because to be locked in the cage is a shared experience that will last forever. (Cllct) ⚾️ Collectibles: 'This isn't me': Seven MLB error cards featuring photos of the wrong player (Ben Burrows, Cllct) When Carlos Beltrán was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday night, collectors might have started searching for his key rookie cards. Here's the problem: One of those cards, Beltrán's 1995 Topps Traded rookie, features a photo of a teammate who never climbed higher than Class AA. Beltrán isn't alone with this unfortunate case of mistaken identity. In fact, he's not even the first Hall of Famer to have an image of someone else pictured on his card. ? GLOBAL GAME NBA TRIVIA The MVP favorites at the midpoint. (Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) The last seven NBA MVP Awards went to non-Americans, and that streak looks poised to continue as the current betting favorites for this season's award are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) and Luka Dončić (Slovenia). Question: Who was the last American to win NBA MVP? Hint: Guard. Answer at the bottom. ? 30 YEARS THE COWBOYS' DROUGHT CONTINUES Cowboys fans wear bags over their heads during a 2010 game against the Jags. (Chris Chambers/Getty Images) This weekend's NFC title game, which yet again does not feature the Cowboys, serves as our annual reminder that "Big D" has had a rough go of it for, well, a while now. The drought continues: Dallas' last trip to the Conference Championship came all the way back in 1995, a 30-year drought that's the longest in the NFC and third-longest in the NFL. In fact, just six other teams across the "Big Four" leagues have suffered such a run of final four futility. ? NFL: Browns (last trip to the final four: 1989) and Dolphins (1992) ⚾️ MLB: Pirates (1992) and Reds (1995) ? NBA: Wizards (1979) and Hornets (never, enfranchised in 1988) One is not like the others: It's not all that surprising that the six teams above have endured such droughts; they're not exactly considered "Blue Bloods." But the Cowboys? They're "America's Team"! The most valuable sports franchise in the world! Yet they haven't reached their league's semifinals in three decades and counting. But hey, if they pull it off next year, that might just warrant another eight-episode Netflix documentary. Trivia answer: James Harden (2017-18) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 27 Author Members Posted January 27 > Super Bowl LX set, with New England Patriots facing Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8 after winning their respective conference championships yesterday; see preview (More) > Felipe Nasr wins third consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona for Porsche Penske Motorsport (More) | Skippylongstocking wins $3M Pegasus World Cup (More) > "Mercy" unseats "Avatar 3" at top of box office charts in weekend debut, delivers $11.2M opening weekend amid winter storm (More) Super Bowl Let’s party like it’s 2015: The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will meet up in the Super Bowl once again after winning their conference title games on Sunday. The Seahawks survived a last-gasp effort from the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC conference title game. And the Patriots made the plays they needed in snowy and windy conditions to defeat the Denver Broncos. Super Bowl LX kicks off in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, February 8. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted January 31 Author Members Posted January 31 👋 Good morning! It's a great day to have a great day. In today's edition: The tamest Grand Slam ever, Champions League roundup, NFL mock draft, Brooks is back, pirates invade the Stadium Series, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Is Giannis on the way out? The Bucks have reportedly begun listening to offers on Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. According to ESPN, multiple teams that have called the Bucks believe Milwaukee is "more open than ever" to moving the two-time MVP. 🏈 Cleveland hires Monken: The Browns have hired Ravens OC Todd Monken as their new head coach, making the 59-year-old one of the oldest first-time head coaches in NFL history. There are now just two remaining vacancies: Raiders and Cardinals. ⛳️ Reed leaves LIV: 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed announced that he is leaving LIV Golf to return to the PGA Tour, where he'll be eligible to compete as a full-time member beginning in 2027 (and a non-member this fall) due to his status as a "past champion." 🏈 Manning misses out again: Eli Manning has again fallen short of making it into the Hall of Fame in his second year as a finalist. Not quite as surprising as Bill Belichick's snub, though both are expected to reach Canton eventually. 🥊 Fury's return: Tyson Fury's fifth retirement will officially end this April, when the 37-year-old former heavyweight champion faces Arslanbek Makhmudov live on Netflix from his native U.K., where he hasn't fought in four years. 🎾 AUSTRALIAN OPEN A MAJOR THAT FEELS MINOR (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images) As we near the end of the year's first major, which has featured few upsets and little drama, it's worth asking: Has the 2026 Australian Open been the tamest Grand Slam ever? All chalk: For starters, the bracket has unfolded in a historically chalky fashion, depriving fans of anything even remotely close to an underdog story. To wit, this was the first major of the Open Era (1968-present) in which the men's Round of 16 featured only seeded players, and the first in which the top six men and women all reached the quarterfinals. That chalkiness has continued into the semifinals, particularly on the men's side, where the Final Four comprises the top four seeds: No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 2 Jannik Sinner, No. 3 Alexander Zverev and No. 4 Novak Djokovic. The women's semis were slightly less chalky, but still featured four of the world's top 12 players. Last night, while you were sleeping, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka beat No. 12 Elina Svitolina and No. 5 Elena Rybakina beat No. 6 Jessica Pegula to advance to the final. No juice: Chalkiness alone isn't an issue; in fact, it could be a boon if all those top seeds going head-to-head resulted in a series of headline-grabbing, thrill-inducing matches. But that has not happened. Instead, it's been mostly blowouts. Over half of men's matches (64 of 124) have been three-set sweeps, while just 20 have gone the distance. That held true in the quarterfinals, which saw no five-setters and just one four-setter. The women's draw has been even more lopsided, with nearly 70% of matches (88 of 126) finishing in two sets, including all four quarterfinals and both of last night's semifinals. And those blowouts have been even more noticeable because of where so many have them have come: Rod Laver Arena, the biggest and most prestigious venue at Melbourne Park, has hosted 46 matches so far — and just one has gone the distance. Bottom line: If this tournament ends with fireworks, we probably won't care or remember how it began. After all, a fourth straight major final between Alcaraz and Sinner is still on the table, as is Djokovic winning his record-breaking 25th slam. But up to this point, the 2026 Australian Open probably could've just been an email. ⚽️ 24 TEAMS LEFT IN PHOTOS: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images) Wednesday was the final day of the Champions League league phase, with all 36 teams taking the field simultaneously as they battled to reach the knockouts — either as an automatic qualifier (spots 1-8) or via a two-legged playoff (9-24). 🇵🇹 Lisbon, Portugal — You want drama? How about Benfica's goalie, Anatoliy Trubin, scoring a header in the final seconds of their 4-2 win over Real Madrid to sneak into the last spot in the playoff on goal differential. One of five: Trubin is just the fifth goalie to score in the Champions League, joining Lazio's Ivan Provedel (2023), Hapoel Tel Aviv's Vincent Enyeama (2010), Standard Liège's Sinan Bolat (2009) and Hans-Jörg Butt, who scored penalties in three different years for Hamburg (2000), Bayer Leverkusen (2002) and Bayern Munich (2009) — all against Juventus! Viktor Gyoekeres celebrates his goal. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) 🏴 London, England — Arsenal beat Kairat Almaty, 3-2, to become the first team in the league phase era to enter knockouts with a perfect record (8-0-0). The Gunners led the way for the Premier League, which dominated the league phase by taking five of the eight automatic qualifying spots (Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Man City). Tillman's second goal put Leverkusen up 2-0. (Marius Becker/Picture Alliance via Getty Images) 🇩🇪 Leverkusen, Germany — Bayer Leverkusen beat Villarreal, 3-0, to clinch a spot in the playoff thanks to a brace from Malik Tillman — one of five USMNT World Cup roster candidates whose teams advanced. The other four: Weston McKennie (Juventus), Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid), Yunus Musah (Atalanta) and Folarin Balogun (Monaco). Three of Barcelona's four goalscorers on Wednesday, when they clinched a spot in the knockouts. (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images) 🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain — Barcelona's star power was on full display in their 4-1 win over Copenhagen, with goals from Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Marcus Rashford and 18-year-old wunderkind Lamine Yamal — four of seven Barça players making at least $20 million this year. Qualified for the Round of 16: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, Manchester City. Qualified for the playoff: Real Madrid, Inter Milan, PSG, Newcastle, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag, Bodø/Glimt, Benfica. 🏈 CLASS OF 2026 NFL MOCK DRAFT 5.0 (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) Only two NFL teams are still playing, so the other 30 fan bases can start looking forward to April's draft. Who should your team be targeting with its first-round pick? Find out in our latest mock draft, courtesy of Nate Tice and Charles McDonald. Top 10: Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB (Indiana) … The Heisman winner's sheer professionalism could lift the floor up for a franchise that's been in the doldrums for oh so long. He's not an overwhelming athlete, but he's accurate, has good size and moves well in the pocket. Jets: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge (Miami) … The Jets would love a QB good enough to take here, but there isn't one. Bain doesn't have prototypical build, but he has incredible athleticism and skill to be an impact defensive end from Day 1. Cardinals: Francis Mauigoa, OT/OG (Miami) … The Cards could draft just about any position here given the state of their roster. Mauigoa is a mauling run blocker with clean technique who seldom gets caught out of position. Titans: Arvell Reese, Edge/LB (Ohio State) … Reese could be considered the best player in the draft. He would fit right in on Robert Saleh's defense off the edge and could create a wrecking duo with star DT Jeffery Simmons. Giants: Caleb Downs, S (Ohio State) … The Giants have been leaky to explosive plays over the past couple seasons, so they tab Downs as the highest-drafted safety since Jamal Adams in 2017. Browns: Spencer Fano, OT (Utah) … The Browns are getting a little old up front (and, frankly, bad) so it's time to add talent at offensive tackle. Fano has the ability to start right away with long-term development upside. Commanders: David Bailey, Edge (Texas Tech) … This one is a pretty easy pairing. The Commanders are starved for edge rushers, especially ones who can win one-on-one and get after the QB. That's exactly what Bailey brings to the table. Saints: Carnell Tate, WR (Ohio State) … Tyler Shough did enough to get another year as the starting QB in New Orleans, but the Saints' wide receiver room could use a bit of juice. Chiefs: Jeremiyah Love, RB (Notre Dame) … Love can take any touch to the house. He would raise the ceiling on Andy Reid's screen plays and be a real weapon in the run game, easing some of the burden on Patrick Mahomes. Bengals: Mansoor Delane, CB (LSU) … The Bengals need defense, obviously. However, they've spent so many recent assets along the defensive line, maybe they try another position here and go cornerback, which they also need. 11-32: The rest of our first round mock includes four Clemson Tigers (CB Avieon Terrell, DT Peter Woods, Edge T.J. Parker, OT Blake Miller), two more Ohio State Buckeyes (LB Sonny Styles, DT Kayden McDonald) and Alabama QB Ty Simpson to the Browns at pick No. 24 (via the Jaguars). 📚 GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) 🏀 Kevin O'Connor: Is Victor Wembanyama 'floating around the perimeter' too much? The Spurs superstar is already one of the best players in the world at age 22, and he's not yet in his prime. But have defenses figured out his weakness? (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 Andy Backstrom: The NFL's Olympic history is richer than you think The Winter Games are almost here, and that means the Summer Games are a mere two and a half years away. Those will be in Los Angeles, where NFL players will be able to participate in a newly introduced Olympic sport, flag football. NFLers have been in the Olympics before, though. Some of them even took part in the Winter Games. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ Jake Mintz: The biggest remaining questions before spring training It seems impossible, with half the country currently blanketed in snow, but the ceremonial start of the 2026 MLB season is just 12 days away. Let's run through some of the biggest loose ends that still need to be tied up as this eventful offseason winds down. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JAN. 29 (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) ⛳️ Farmers Insurance Open Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour headlines this weekend's event, which tees off today at Torrey Pines Golf Course outside San Diego (12pm ET, ESPN; 3pm, Golf). Welcome back: The five-time major champion is back after nearly four years with LIV Golf and will be making his first non-major start on the PGA Tour since the 2022 WGC Match Play, which no longer even exists. Are you near San Diego? Use Gametime to grab tickets for this weekend's tournament. 🎾 Australian Open, Men's Semifinals The all-chalk men's semifinals are on tap in Melbourne, starting with No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 3 Alexander Zverev (10:30pm, ESPN) and concluding with No. 2 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 4 Novak Djokovic (3:30am, ESPN). Chasing Federer: If Sinner beats Djokovic, he'll advance to his sixth consecutive Grand Slam final, which would be tied for the fourth-longest streak ever and more than halfway to Roger Federer's record of 10 in a row (2005 Wimbledon to 2007 U.S. Open). ⛳️ Tournament of Champions The 2026 LPGA season begins at Orlando's Lake Nona Golf & Country Club (11:30am, Golf), where an exclusive field of 39 women — the event is only open to winners from the last two years — will compete for a $2.1 million purse. Famous faces: 44 celebrities will play alongside the pros in their own separate competition. Among those teeing it up: Ray Allen, Brandi Chastain, Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Emmitt Smith, Charles Woodson and Urban Meyer. More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Thunder at Timberwolves (9:30pm, Prime) … Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 ppg) and Anthony Edwards (29.4 ppg) rank second and third in scoring. 🏀 NCAAW: No. 24 Alabama at No. 23 Georgia (6:30pm, SEC) … How strong is the SEC? The Tide and Bulldogs are both 18-3… and tied for seventh in the conference. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events listed above, and all the others happening in your city. 🏈 QB1 SUPER BOWL TRIVIA (Michael Owens/Getty Images) Drake Maye, 23, is set to become the third QB ever to start a Super Bowl before the age of 24. Question: Can you name the other two? Hint: 1984 and 2005. Answer at the bottom. 🏒 STADIUM SERIES HERE THERE BE PIRATES (NHL) The NHL is transforming Raymond James Stadium into a hockey-themed treasure map for this weekend's Stadium Series game between the Lightning and Bruins, paying homage to Tampa's rich pirate history and celebrating the city's annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Trivia answer: Dan Marino (Super Bowl XIX) and Ben Roethlisberger (Super Bowl XL) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 1 Author Members Posted February 1 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Alcaraz advances, Flagg vs. Knueppel, World Cup base camps, 30 hat tricks, "Uncrowned Saturday," and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🎾 While you were sleeping: Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz outlasted No. 3 Alexander Zverev in one of the longest matches in Australian Open history (5 hours, 27 minutes) to advance to the final, where he'll face the winner of No. 2 Jannik Sinner and No. 4 Novak Djokovic (playing now on ESPN). 🎿 Potential disaster: Lindsey Vonn crashed and injured her left knee during the final downhill before the Olympics. She was able to get to her feet and ski down the rest of the course, but she was clearly favoring her left knee and looked distraught as she entered the medical tent. 🏒 Alone at the top: Detroit winger Patrick Kane recorded his 1,375th career point (500 goals, 875 assists) on Thursday, passing Stars great Mike Modano for the most by an American-born player in NHL history. ⚾️ NBC lands star trio: NBC is finalizing deals with Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo to join its MLB broadcasts this year as the network begins its three-year, $600 million deal to air "Sunday Night Baseball" and other select games. ⛳️ Koepka's return: Brooks Koepka carded a 1-over 73 in his PGA Tour return, finishing the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open tied for 101st. A little rusty, but mostly just glad to be back. "It was good to get that out of the way," he said. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST The stage is (nearly) set. (Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images) 🎾 Australian Open Finals We've reached the finals in Melbourne, where two great matchups await for anyone willing to burn the midnight oil. Women: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 5 Elena Rybakina get things started (Sat. 3am ET, ESPN) in the first women's major final in 18 years to feature two players who didn't drop a set all tournament (Venus vs. Serena Williams at 2008 Wimbledon). Men: No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will either face No. 2 Jannik Sinner in their fourth consecutive major final or No. 4 Novak Djokovic, who's going for his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title (Sun. 3:30am, ESPN). 🏀 Men's College Basketball This weekend's slate is headlined by four matchups between ranked teams: No. 3 Michigan at No. 7 Michigan State (Fri. 8pm, Fox); No. 13 BYU at No. 14 Kansas (Sat. 4:30pm, ESPN); No. 23 Alabama at No. 19 Florida (Sun. 1pm, ABC); No. 9 Illinois at No. 5 Nebraska (Sun. 4pm, FS1). Game notes: The Wolverines' and Spartans' combined AP ranking of 10 is the best in the history of their rivalry; BYU (A.J. Dybantsa) vs. Kansas (Darryn Peterson) could be a matchup between the top two picks in this summer's NBA Draft. 🏀 Women's College Basketball We've got an embarrassment of riches this weekend in women's college hoops, with eight ranked-on-ranked matchups, including seven on Sunday alone. That's right: 64% of all ranked teams are playing against each other in the next three days. The matchups: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 17 Ole Miss (Fri. 3pm, SEC+); No. 15 Tennessee at No. 1 UConn (Sun. 12pm, Fox); No. 24 Alabama at No. 6 LSU (Sun. 12pm, SEC); No. 9 Michigan at No. 13 Michigan State (Sun. 12pm, FS1); No. 14 Baylor at No. 22 West Virginia (Sun. 1pm, ESPN); No. 12 TCU at No. 21 Texas Tech (Sun. 2pm, FS1); No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 4 Texas (Sun. 3pm, ABC); No. 8 Iowa at No. 2 UCLA (Sun. 4pm, Fox). 🏒 NHL Stadium Series The Lightning host the Bruins on Sunday (6:30pm, ESPN) at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, which will feature a spectacular pirate-themed design. This is the Sunshine State's second outdoor game this season after Miami's LoanDepot Park hosted the Winter Classic a month ago. Best of the rest: The second-place Red Wings host the first-place Avalanche (Sat. 1pm, ABC) and the third-place Ducks host the first-place Golden Knights (Sun. 9:30pm, ESPN). Are you near Tampa? Use Gametime to grab tickets for Sunday's outdoor spectacle. More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Raptors at Magic (Fri. 7:30pm, ESPN); Pistons at Warriors (Fri. 10pm, ESPN); Mavericks at Rockets (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Lakers at Knicks (Sun. 7pm, NBC); Thunder at Nuggets (Sun. 9:30pm, NBC) … The trade deadline is Thursday. ⚽️ EPL: Liverpool vs. Newcastle United (Sat. 3pm, Peacock); Aston Villa vs. Brentford (Sun. 9am, USA); Man United vs. Fulham (Sun. 9am, NBCSN) … Top-10 matchups. ⛳️ Golf: Farmers Insurance Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN/Golf/CBS); LPGA Tournament of Champions (Fri-Sun, Golf/NBC) … Justin Rose (-10) leads at Torrey Pines and Nasa Hataoka (-6) leads in Orlando. 🏈 NCAAF: Senior Bowl (Sat. 2:30pm, NFL) … The 77th edition of college football's premier All-Star Game features, among others, Heisman finalist QB Diego Pavia. 👊 Combat Sports: Shakur Stevenson vs. Teofimo Lopez Jr. for the WBO super lightweight title (Sat. 6pm, DAZN); UFC 325 at MSG (Sat. 9pm, Paramount+); WWE Royal Rumble 2026 (Sat. 2pm, ESPN app) … Scroll to the bottom for a deeper look, via Uncrowned. 🏁 NASCAR: The Clash (Sun. 8pm, Fox) … Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, hosts the annual preseason exhibition. 👟 Track & Field: Millrose Games (Sun. 4pm, NBC) … Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker headlines the world's most prestigious indoor track meet, held in New York City. ⚾️ Caribbean Series: Round Robin (Sun. 2pm, ESPN+) … The five-team, week-long tournament featuring Winter League champions from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama and the Dominican Republic gets underway. Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events listed above, and all the others happening in your city. 🏀 DIAPER DANDIES FROM ROOMMATES TO ROOKIES OF THE YEAR (Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, once college roommates at Duke, met for the first time as NBA rookies on Thursday in Dallas — and they did not disappoint. Flagg scored a career-high 49 points (20-29 FG), the most ever by a teenager, and added 10 rebounds. Knueppel scored a career-high 34 points (10-16 FG, 8-12 3PT) and made the game-winning free throws. By the numbers: Flagg leads all rookies in scoring (19.5 ppg) and is the more polished defender, while Knueppel is scoring in bunches himself (18.9 ppg) while ranking third in the entire league in made 3-pointers. Two peas in a pod: Flagg, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, and Knueppel, the No. 4 pick, formed a potent duo in Durham and remain close friends, even as the "Rookie of the Year" debate rages around them. "You couldn't find two people that are bigger fans of each other. I think that's something that can happen when it's, 'Well, is it Kon or is it Cooper?' You're not going to split those dudes apart, man, because both those guys love each other. I think that's the beautiful thing about it." — Duke coach Jon Scheyer (via The Athletic) ⚽️ 2028 WORLD CUP WHERE WORLD CUP TEAMS ARE SETTING UP BASE CAMPS The German Football Association chose Wake Forest as its base camp for FIFA World Cup 2026. (Wake Forest University) From Yahoo Sports' Steven Goff: When the World Cup draw concluded on a December afternoon in Washington, teams and their traveling supporters learned where they would be headed. For the German federation, the news fast-tracked planning for games in Houston, Toronto and Greater New York. It also set the stage for another trip to a decidedly quieter destination: Winston-Salem, North Carolina. While World Cup matches will take place in 16 big cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, teams will spend most of their time at base camps sprinkled around the continent — some in uncommon places, such as prep schools, college campuses and small cities with otherwise no ties to the five-week, 48-nation tournament. FIFA is not planning to verify camp selections until the week of Feb. 9, but some teams have already announced their picks and many others reportedly have finalized plans. Brazil said it has chosen Red Bull New York's Major League Soccer training center under construction in northern New Jersey. Croatia will practice at a boarding school near Washington. Spain is planning to set up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, while Norway chose Greensboro, North Carolina. Croatia will be training at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, (Croatian Football Federation) France is going to Boston and Portugal to Miami. Belgium seems set on Seattle, and South Korea announced Guadalajara, Mexico. Four teams, including England and reigning champion Argentina, want the Kansas City area. The U.S. team — which will play two of its three Group D matches in Greater Los Angeles — is expected to train full time in Southern California. The scramble for long-term stays, interrupted by short-term visits to match locations, began last year as teams began qualifying for the World Cup. FIFA assembled a brochure of 64 options that included pro facilities in metro areas as well as off-beat places such as Boise, Idaho; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Spokane, Washington. Federations also had the option of going off the board, though selections were subject to FIFA approval. FIFA's list offered ample and disparate candidates, but because priority was given to teams based on rank and proximity to game venues, federations ran the risk of missing out on their top choices. Such was the case with Germany, which bypassed the FIFA menu and chose to train at Wake Forest University and stay at the nearby Graylyn Estate, a boutique hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. "We are creating the best possible conditions for a successful tournament," said Andreas Rettig, managing director of sport for the German federation (DFB). "The environment is ideal, both in sporting and infrastructural terms." 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Tuch celebrates his hat trick. (Ben Ludeman/NHLI via Getty Images) 🏒 30 hat tricks Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored the NHL's 30th hat trick of January on Thursday night, surpassing December 1985 for the most in a calendar month in league history. And there's still two days left to add to that record-breaking tally. Unlikely scorers: Perhaps as impressive as the sheer volume this month is the fact that four of the 30 hat tricks were scored by defensemen: Edmonton's Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, Tampa Bay's Darren Raddysh and Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin. Just one other defenseman has scored one all season (New Jersey's Simon Nemec). 🏀 $900 The average ticket price for Sunday's Knicks-Lakers game — potentially LeBron James' last at Madison Square Garden — is $900 as of Thursday, according to Gametime, making it the most expensive regular-season NBA game since Kobe Bryant's final game in 2016. Flashback: The Knicks and Lakers last met in New York almost exactly one year ago (Feb. 1, 2025). A few hours after that game, Los Angeles traded for Luka Dončić. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) 🎾 7 straight finals Aryna Sabalenka has cemented her status as the modern queen of the hard court, joining Steffi Graf (1987-1990) and Martina Hingis (1997-2000) as the only women to make seven straight hard court Grand Slam finals in the Open Era (since 1968). Two in a row? For all of Sabalenka's dominance — she's reached at least the semifinals in 12 of her last 13 majors, and won four — the Belarusian has never won back-to-back Grand Slams. A victory over Elena Rybakina tomorrow would change that. ⚽️ 160 caps Crystal Dunn, 33, announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday after an accomplished career that included 160 USWNT appearances. Her retirement leaves just four active Americans with at least 100 caps: Lindsey Heaps (170), Rose Lavelle (116), Emily Sonnett (113) and Mallory Swanson (103). The résumé: From college to club to country, Dunn thrived everywhere she went. She won an NCAA championship at UNC, was the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NWSL Draft, won the 2015 NWSL MVP, three NWSL titles, Olympic bronze in 2020, Olympic gold in 2024 and the 2019 World Cup. 🥇 WINTER GAMES OLYMPICS TRIVIA The Olympic rings seen above the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. (Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images) Milan and Cortina will co-host the seventh Winter Olympics this century. Question: Which cities hosted the first six? Hint: Asia (3), North America (2), Europe (1). Answer at the bottom. 👊 FIGHT NIGHT TEASER: UNCROWNED SATURDAY (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) A marathon of high-stakes MMA and mega-watt boxing clashes, along with pro wrestling's single greatest in-ring gala? Welcome to the second annual Uncrowned Saturday. The lineup: 👊 UFC 325 (Sydney, Australia): Alexander Volkanovski is considered one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, if not the greatest. Diego Lopes is looking to avenge his loss against Volkanovski this past April, and many believe it's his time. (5pm ET, Paramount+) 🥊 Lopez Jr. vs. Stevenson (New York City): Once teenage sparring partners, now two of the best fighters of their generation, Teofimo Lopez Jr. and Shakur Stevenson finally meet with years of resentment, pride and unfinished business on the line. (6pm, DAZN) 🍿 WWE Royal Rumble 2026 (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia): This is like Carnival for pro wrestling — a free-for-all of 30 men and 30 women, all in survival mode to outlast their 29 other counterparts to be the last one standing at the end. (2pm, ESPN app). Good reads: MMA: After UFC's big Paramount debut numbers, is MMA set for another growth phase? Boxing: Lopez vs. Stevenson and the fine line between genius and madness Wrestling: The rehabilitation of Charlotte Flair: How an essay and unlikely pairing brought WWE's 'Queen' back to the top Combat Sports HQ: Uncrowned is your one-stop shop for all things MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. Follow along here, and be sure to catch the latest episode of The Ariel Helwani Show. Trivia answer: Salt Lake City (2002), Turin (2006), Vancouver (2010), Sochi (2014), Pyeongchang (2018), Beijing (2022) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 👋 Good morning! Super Bowl Week is upon us. In today's edition: Carlitos is champion once again, NFL completes coaching carousel, outdoor hockey wins the weekend, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Coaching carousel complete: The Raiders (Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak) and Cardinals (Rams OC Mike LaFleur) are both finalizing deals to hire new head coaches, filling the NFL's last two remaining vacancies. 🏀 NBA All-Star reserves: LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards headlined the 14 players selected as NBA All-Star reserves. They, along with the 10 starters, will be divided into three teams for this year's new-look All-Star Game format. 🏈 Tisch named in Epstein files: Emails between Jeffrey Epstein and Giants co-owner Steve Tisch — in which Epstein discusses setting Tisch up with various women — were among the millions of new documents released by the Justice Department on Friday. Tisch released a statement describing their relationship as brief and Epstein as "a terrible person." 👊 Fight Night: Shakur Stevenson dethroned Teofimo Lopez Jr. at Madison Square Garden to become a four-division world champion; Alexander Volkanovski defended his UFC featherweight title, beating Diego Lopes in front of a hometown crowd in Sydney, Australia. 🏀 George suspended: Paul George has been suspended 25 games without pay for violating the NBA's anti-drug program. The 76ers forward admitted to taking "improper medication," saying it was for a mental health issue. 🎾 AUSTRALIAN OPEN ALCARAZ: THE FUTURE GOAT OF TENNIS? Alcaraz hugs his latest trophy. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, on Sunday to win the Australian Open, dashing Djokovic's hopes of a 25th major title and cementing his status as a tennis legend… at just 22 years of age. Career Grand Slam: The win gave Alcaraz his seventh major and the career Grand Slam (a win at all four majors), making him by far the youngest to achieve that feat in the Open Era (1968-present). Alcaraz: 22 years, 8 months Rafael Nadal: 24 years, 3 months Djokovic: 29 years, 0 months Roger Federer: 27 years, 9 months Andre Agassi: 29 years, 1 month A changing of the guard: The Australian Open began with Federer headlining the inaugural opening ceremony and ended with Nadal in the stands, watching Djokovic face the next generation's biggest star. A star who combines the best attributes of the Big Three — Federer's creativity, Nadal's fire, Djokovic's mastery — and may ultimately surpass them all. Djokovic embraces Alcaraz after the match. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: We are watching Michael Jordan in 1992, Tiger Woods in 2000, Secretariat in 1973. The job is not done, the résumé is still evolving, and the records are not yet theirs. But our eyes do not deceive us. This smiling Spanish prodigy, this whirling dervish of speed and power and mental genius, has crossed the threshold between what we thought he could be and what he really is: An absolute monster whose entire package of skills is unequaled by anyone who has ever played tennis. As someone who grew up on Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who cherished how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal changed the sport and who has grown to appreciate the way Djokovic maintained his body and evolved his game to stay relevant into his late 30s, I don't think that's hyperbole. Alcaraz has everything. He is him. And he's only going to get better. Already, he is in a club with just nine names: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry are the only men who won all four Slams. What we don't know yet is whether 24 majors — the most sacred of Djokovic's many records — will eventually come into play. The gap is still huge, and so many things can happen, from injuries to major life changes to motivation to another all-time great coming along whose name we don't yet know. But at the rate he's going, Alcaraz would need to average two majors per year until he’s 31 to break the record. It's crazy to say, given how hard these tournaments are to win, but that feels firmly within the realm of possibility because there really are no more questions for Alcaraz to answer. Could he win on all surfaces? Yes. Could he eliminate the dips in focus that made things more complicated than they needed to be earlier in his career? It was only a matter of time. Could he turn his serve from a decent shot into a weapon? It happened in one offseason. So what's next? What's remaining? Just the history left to be made, and putting the numbers behind what our eyes tell us. While Djokovic, for now, is still the greatest of all time, Alcaraz is the best thing tennis has ever seen. 🇺🇸 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA I think this is what the kids call "aura." (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) East Lansing, Michigan — Michigan head coach Dusty May let the boos bounce off his back before Friday's rivalry game against No. 7 Michigan State, which ended in an 83-71 victory for the third-ranked Wolverines. Clean sweep: On Sunday, the ninth-ranked Michigan women completed the weekend sweep in East Lansing with a 94-91 (OT) victory over No. 13 Michigan State. Both games represented the highest-ranked matchup in the history of their rivalry. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images) Tampa, Florida — The Lightning mounted a four-goal comeback to stun the Bruins in Sunday's Stadium Series game, winning 6-5 (shootout) on an unseasonably cold night in front of 64,617 fans at Raymond James Stadium. Goalie fight! This game featured the first-ever outdoor goalie fight when Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy dropped gloves in the second period. After going nearly six years between NHL goalie fights, we've now seen two in the span of two weeks. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) New York, New York — Jarrell Miller provided the most entertaining moment of Saturday night's Shakur Stevenson-Teofimo Lopez undercard when his toupee was knocked clean off his head during his victory over Kingsley Ibeh. Bad hair day: Apparently Miller's baldness was a recent development caused by an unfortunate chemical mishap. "I get to my momma's house and she had some shampoo bottles under her table," he said after the fight. "And I shampooed … that s*** was like ammonia and bleach." (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) La Jolla, California — Justin Rose (-23) posted a historic victory at the Farmers Insurance Open, dominating the field by seven strokes and breaking the tournament record of 22-under set by Tiger Woods in 1999. At 45, he's the PGA Tour's oldest wire-to-wire winner since 2010. Meanwhile, on the LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda won the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Orlando — shortened to 54 holes due to freezing temperatures — for her first victory since 2024, when she won seven times. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Beaver Stadium traded football for hockey on Saturday. (Penn State Athletics) 🏒 74,575 fans It was 17 degrees in State College on Saturday, but 74,575 fans were in attendance for Penn State's hockey game against Michigan State, making it the second-most attended college hockey game ever. Only Michigan vs. Michigan State at The Big House in 2010 had more fans (113,411). Stramel's big day: The Spartans came away with a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory thanks largely to Charlie Stramel, who scored the golden goal to complete his hat trick. Stramel, drafted 21st overall by the Wild in 2023, should enter the NHL this spring. ⚾️ 0 active players Longtime MLB reliever David Robertson — a 2009 World Series champion with the Yankees — announced his retirement on Friday, leaving a nearly unprecedented vacuum in the sport: For just the second time since New York's inaugural title in 1923, there's not a single active player who won a ring with the Bronx Bombers. The only other time that happened? 1995. The drought continues: The Yankees' current 16-year World Series drought is just one shy of their longest ever (1979-95), not including the 21 years it took to win their first championship. 10 teams have won a title since New York's most recent in 2009: Dodgers (3x), Giants (3x), Astros (2x), Red Sox (2x), Rangers, Braves, Nationals, Royals, Cubs and Cardinals. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) 🏈 63% win percentage The Patriots will wear white jerseys on Sunday, a color that has historically delivered success on the NFL's biggest stage. 63% of all Super Bowls (37 of 59) have been won by the team wearing white. New England also went 5-0 this season with their all-white uniform combo. Yes, but: It should be noted that the past two Super Bowls were won by the team not wearing white. The Chiefs wore red in 2024, and the Eagles wore green last year. 🏀 8th trade Dennis Schröder is heading from the Kings to the Cavaliers as part of Saturday's three-team deal, marking the fifth time he's been traded in the last two years and the eighth time in his career. That's tied for the second-most ever behind only Trevor Ariza, who was dealt a remarkable 11 times. Schröder's journey: The Cavs will be the German point guard's 11th NBA team, following stints with the Hawks (2013-18), Thunder (2018-20), Lakers (2020-21), Celtics (2021-22), Rockets (2022), Lakers (2022-23), Raptors (2023-24), Nets (2024), Warriors (2024-25), Pistons (2025) and Kings (2025-26). 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, FEB. 2 Texas Tech is undefeated at home. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images) 🏀 No. 14 Kansas at No. 11 Texas Tech The Jayhawks and Red Raiders meet tonight in Lubbock (9pm ET, ESPN), where Texas Tech is a perfect 11-0. Can Kansas, which is just 3-3 on the road but has won five straight overall, hand them their first home loss? Loaded conference: The Big 12 may be the best league in the nation, with six teams in the top 25, all in the top 14: No. 1 Arizona, No. 8 Iowa State, No. 10 Houston, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 13 BYU, No. 14 Kansas. (Yes, I hear you, Big Ten fans, with five teams in the top 12.) 🏒 The Beanpot The 73rd annual edition of the Boston area men's hockey tournament begins tonight at TD Garden, with Boston College and Harvard kicking things off (5pm, ESPN+), followed by Boston University vs. Northeastern (8pm, ESPN+). The winners meet in the championship next Monday. All-time results: Defending champion Boston University has the most Beanpot titles (32), followed by Boston College (20), Harvard (11) and Northeastern (9). Are you near Boston? Use Gametime to grab tickets for tonight's doubleheader for as little as $30. More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Timberwolves at Grizzlies (7:30pm, Peacock); 76ers at Clippers (10pm, Peacock) … The trade deadline is on Thursday. 🏒 NHL: Sabres at Panthers (7pm, ESPN+) … Buffalo (31-18-5) is in the midst of the best stretch in team history, having won 20 of its last 25 games. ⛳️ TGL: Atlanta Drive vs. Jupiter Links (5pm, ESPN) … Chris Gotterup, Lucas Glover and Billy Horschel vs. Akshay Bhatia, Max Homa and Kevin Kisner. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🎾 GRAND SLAMS TENNIS TRIVIA Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina (L) poses with runner-up Aryna Sabalenka. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) While just two men have won the past nine Grand Slam singles championships, six different women have won during that period (2023-present). Question: Can you name all six? Hint: I already gave you two. Answer at the bottom. 🍿 BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND ⚽️ Scorpion kick goal 🏀 Darryn Peterson! 🏒 Filthy goal 🏒 Equally as filthy ⚽️ Incredible finish 🏀 Block + buzzer beater 🎾 What. A. Point. 🏒 Drew saves the day 🏀 AK Kebe dunk!!! 🏀 Kashie Natt dunk!!! 🥍 Goalie assist 🏀 Lefty LeBron 🏀 Steal + dime Watch all 13. Trivia answer: Aryna Sabalenka (3x), Iga Świątek (2x), Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Barbora Krejčíková Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted Thursday at 12:43 AM Author Members Posted Thursday at 12:43 AM 👋 Good morning! Three more sleeps 'til the Olympics, and five more sleeps 'til the Super Bowl. What a time to be alive. In today's edition: Super Bowl rematches, Harden trade talks, Why We Love Sports, four Ja(y)lens, spot the golfer, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Harden trade talks: In the days leading up to Thursday's trade deadline, the Clippers have engaged in discussions surrounding James Harden, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The Cavaliers are at the forefront of teams expressing interest. 🇫🇷 NFL in France: The Saints will play a game in Paris next season, marking the league's first regular-season game in France and one of at least eight taking place abroad, which is the most ever. The others announced include Australia, Brazil, Germany, Spain and three in the U.K. ⚾️ Three-team trade: The Mariners are acquiring All-Star Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals in a three-team trade with the Rays, adding the former Gold Glover to a roster that came a win away from reaching the World Series last fall. 🏒 Saban, the owner: Predators minority owner Nick Saban, who purchased a stake in the franchise in December, will assist in Nashville's search for a new GM after Barry Trotz retired from the role on Monday. 🏀 CBA talks continue: The WNBA and members of the players' union held an in-person meeting in New York on Monday as they continue negotiations for a new CBA in the midst of a busy offseason that includes a two-team expansion draft. 🏈 SUPER BOWL 60 PATS VS. SEAHAWKS: THE SEQUEL (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Super Bowl 60 isn't just another championship game. It's a sequel. Running it back: When the Patriots and Seahawks face off on Sunday, it will mark the 10th time that the same two franchises have met in multiple Super Bowls — and the first time these two have crossed paths on this stage since one of the most famous endings in league history. Super Bowl rematches: Steelers vs. Cowboys: Pittsburgh won their first two meetings (1976, 1979) behind MVPs Lynn Swann and Terry Bradshaw. Dallas got revenge 17 years later (1996) in what remains their most recent Super Bowl appearance. Dolphins vs. Redskins: Miami nearly pitched a shutout to complete their perfect season (1973). A decade later, Washington evened the score behind MVP John "The Diesel" Riggins (1983). 49ers vs. Bengals: San Francisco beat Cincinnati the first time behind MVP Joe Montana (1982), and the second time behind MVP Jerry Rice (1989) in what was head coach Bill Walsh's final game. Cowboys vs. Bills: Dallas destroyed Buffalo at the Rose Bowl (1993), then beat them again the following year at the Georgia Dome (1994) in the only back-to-back Super Bowl rematch. Patriots vs. Giants: The Helmet Catch ruined New England's perfect season (2008). Four years later, Eli Manning and the G-Men took down the dynastic Pats for a second time (2012). Patriots vs. Eagles: New England won the first meeting behind surprise MVP Deion Branch (2005). 13 years later, Philly got revenge behind their own surprise MVP, Nick Foles (2018). Patriots vs. Rams: The Pats stunned "The Greatest Show on Turf" to launch their dynasty (2002). 17 years and one relocation later, the Rams came up short against Tom Brady again (2019). Chiefs vs. 49ers: Kansas City scored 21 unanswered points to defeat San Francisco on the eve of the pandemic (2020). Four years later, they beat them again in Las Vegas (2024). Chiefs vs. Eagles: Kansas City won a thriller in their first meeting (2023) before Philly dominated the rematch two years later (2025) to deny Patrick Mahomes a historic three-peat. Patriots vs. Seahawks: New England won the first meeting (2015) thanks to Malcolm Butler's game-sealing interception in the end zone. What does Round 2 have in store? Super Bowl Week: Players took the stage on Monday in San Jose, while Roger Goodell addressed Steve Tisch's Epstein ties, the lack of minority head coaching hires and other topics in his state of the league address. ❤️ SIGNED BASEBALL WHY WE LOVE SPORTS An official Columbus Jets scorecard. (Major League Baseball) John J. (Columbus, Ohio native) writes: It was the summer of 1962, and my father and I were attending a Columbus Jets game as we often did. The Jets were the Pirates AAA farm team, and I was a big fan and an amateur baseball aficionado. The star of the team was Donn Clendenon, an all-tool athlete who was my favorite player. Early in the game I caught a foul ball and decided I wanted to ask Clendenon to sign it. So after the game I went to the parking lot exit near the Jets locker room and waited and waited for him to walk by. Many players did, but not Clendenon. Finally, a player walked out and asked if I wanted him to sign my ball. I told him I was waiting for Donn Clendenon. He replied that Clendenon had already left, so reluctantly I handed him the ball. After that I met dad in the parking lot and he asked, "Did you get his autograph?" I quietly replied no, but I got someone else's. "Do you know who Willie Stargell is?" The ball signed by Willie Stargell. (John. J) Editor's note: For those who don't know, Willie Stargell went on to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He spent 21 seasons with the Pirates, helping them win two World Series. Clendenon was no Stargell, but he did win World Series MVP in 1969 with the Miracle Mets. ✍️ Submit your story: Do you have a fondest sports memory? Or an example of sports having a profound impact on your life? If you'd like to share, email me at kendall.baker@yahooinc.com. We’ll keep sharing your stories until they run out! 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Jalen Brunson defends Jaylen Brown. (Al Bello/Getty Images) 🏀 4 Ja(y)lens 20 of the 24 NBA All-Stars have unique names. The only name found more than once? Ja(y)len, shared by four Eastern Conference All-Stars in New York's Jalen Brunson, Boston's Jaylen Brown, Detroit's Jalen Duren and Atlanta's Jalen Johnson. That's 33% of the team! The Jalen generation: Jalen Rose, whose name is a combination of his father's (James) and his uncle's (Leonard), was one of the first Jalens born in the U.S., and his popularity has spawned a generation of athletes with his name, or a variant thereof. ⚾️ 11 of 50 After slugger Eugenio Suárez signed with the Reds and three-time batting champion Luis Arráez signed with the Giants, just 11 of our top 50 free agents remain unsigned. Who's left? LHP Framber Valdez (No. 😎 leads the way, followed by RHP Zac Gallen (12), RHP Lucas Giolito (21), RHP Zack Littell (39), RHP Griffin Canning (40), OF Max Kepler (41), OF/DH Miguel Andújar (42), RHP Chris Bassitt (46), LHP Jose Quintana (47), RHP Justin Verlander (48) and DH Marcell Ozuna (49). Percy Harvin returns the second-half kickoff for a TD during Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images) 🏈 74.5% return rate Could we see a kickoff returned for a touchdown this weekend in the Super Bowl? The chances are certainly the highest they've been in a while after the NFL's new touchback rule led to 74.5% of kickoffs being returned this season, up from just 32.8% in 2024. Take it to the house: There have been 10 kickoff return touchdowns in Super Bowl history, most recently in 2014 by Seattle's Percy Harvin in Super Bowl XLVIII. The other nine: Jacoby Jones, BAL (2013); Devin Hester, CHI (2007); Ron Dixon, NYG (2001); Jermaine Lewis, BAL (2001); Tim Dwight, ATL (1999); Desmond Howard, GB (1997); Andre Coleman, SD (1995); Stanford Jennings, CIN (1989); Fulton Walker, MIA (1983). ⛳️ 72 made cuts Xander Schauffele's run of 72 consecutive made cuts — the longest active streak on the PGA Tour — finally ended at the Farmers Insurance Open, marking the first time in 1,391 days that he failed to make it to the weekend. The new active leader is Scottie Scheffler, with 65 in a row. Of course. All-time streaks: Schauffele is tied with Dow Finsterwald for the fifth-longest streak in PGA Tour history behind Tiger Woods (142), Byron Nelson (113), Jack Nicklaus (105) and Hale Irwin (86). 🏀 THE BIG APPLE JALEN BRUNSON WAS BUILT FOR NEW YORK (Boardroom) In the latest Boardroom Cover Story, Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson reflects on leadership, fatherhood and the journey from underdog to franchise cornerstone. From Boardroom's Rich Kleiman: Jalen Brunson is exactly where he's supposed to be. The Knicks All-Star point guard is sitting in White Plains, just minutes from the team's practice facility, on a cold winter afternoon during what he calls "the dog days" of the NBA season. His team is fighting through injuries, inconsistency, and the inevitable January grind that separates contenders from pretenders. But if you're looking for panic or frustration, you won't find it here. Brunson carries himself with the quiet confidence of someone who has already proven doubters wrong his entire life — from being drafted 33rd overall to becoming the face of basketball's most demanding franchise. "Everything that is going wrong is controllable," he says. It's the kind of statement that reveals everything about how Brunson operates: accountable, measured, and utterly certain that hard work is the only solution. This isn't bravado. This is the ethos of a player who was raised in NBA locker rooms, who learned leadership from his father, and who has turned perceived limitations into fuel for one of the league's most unlikely ascensions. Now, as he enters Year 4 of his Knicks tenure, Brunson is navigating the most delicate phase of his journey: evolving from underdog to franchise cornerstone while maintaining the hunger that got him here. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, FEB. 3 Cooper Flagg has scored 83 points in his last two games. Is that good? (Sam Hodde/Getty Images) 🏀 NBA on NBC The scuffling Mavericks host the surging Celtics in the first game of tonight's doubleheader (8pm ET), followed by Suns at Trail Blazers in the nightcap (11pm). Brighter days ahead: Dallas (19-30) isn't yet a contender, but a year after losing Luka Dončić, their future looks bright thanks to the rapid ascendance of Cooper Flagg, writes Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko. In Dallas or Portland? Use Gametime to grab tickets to tonight's games at the American Airlines Center and Moda Center. 🏈 Pro Bowl The new-look (again) Pro Bowl is tonight in San Francisco (8pm, ESPN), where the AFC and NFC will face off in a flag football game on a temporary field built inside a convention center. The idea is to append this struggling event to the Super Bowl, which is hosting its weeklong pregame festivities at the same convention center. More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Penguins at Islanders (7:30pm, TNT); Kraken at Ducks (10pm, TNT) … Divisional clashes between current playoff teams in the Metro and Pacific. ⚽️ EFL Cup: Arsenal vs. Chelsea (3pm, Paramount+) … The Gunners lead 3-2 entering the second leg of the semifinal. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🏈 THE BIG GAME SUPER BOWL TRIVIA Kupp celebrates after winning Super Bowl LVI. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp is set to become just the sixth former Super Bowl MVP (Rams, 2022) to play in a Super Bowl with another team. Question: Can you name the other five? Hint: They won Super Bowl MVPs with the 49ers, Rams, Patriots, Colts and Broncos. Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH La Jolla's Torrey Pines State Beach offered the perfect backdrop to last weekend's Farmers Insurance Open. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Spot the golfer. Trivia answer: Jerry Rice (49ers, then Raiders); Kurt Warner (Rams, then Cardinals); Tom Brady (Patriots, then Buccaneers); Peyton Manning (Colts, then Broncos); Von Miller (Broncos, then Rams) Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
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