Members phkrause Posted February 27 Author Members Posted February 27 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: NHL snapshot, Konnor Griffin's viral blasts, Mount Rushmore of homers, the Olympics bump, Photo Finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Griffin's viral blasts: Super prospect Konnor Griffin, 19, fueled the hype machine on Tuesday by hitting two titanic blasts out of "Fenway South" during the Pirates' spring training win over the Red Sox. Get to know the name, folks. Scouts are calling him the best hitting prospect in at least a decade. 🏒 Near-record viewership: 20.7 million viewers tuned in for Team USA's gold-medal victory over Canada on Sunday, making it the second-most watched hockey game ever on NBC. Only 2010's gold-medal game drew a larger audience (27.6 million). ⚽️ Survive and advance: Bodø/Glimt (over Inter Milan), Atlético Madrid (over Club Brugge), Newcastle United (over Qarabag) and Bayer Leverkusen (over Olympiacos) advanced to the Champions League Round of 16 after winning their playoffs. 🇺🇸 Another medal for Helly: Team USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his outstanding play in the gold-medal game from President Trump, who welcomed the men's hockey team to the Capitol for Tuesday's State of the Union. 🏈 "America's Game" on the move? The Army-Navy game, played annually in mid-December, may move up a couple weeks so that it would count towards the conference title race and potential CFP inclusion. It would also give the playoff more scheduling wiggle room as it prepares for expansion. 🏒 POST-OLYMPICS BACK IN ACTION: NHL RESUMES PLAY (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) lls it, is alive and well this season. Tha (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Western Conference: The West is home to the Stanley Cup favorites (Avalanche) and three of the top four Hart Trophy contenders in Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (-225 at BetMGM), San Jose's Macklin Celebrini (+325) and Edmonton's Connor McDavid (+850). The only other serious contender is Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov (+550). 💔 RIP, MAZ MOUNT RUSHMORE OF HOMERS Maz heads toward home plate after his historic blast. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) In the wake of Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski's recent passing, we felt it prudent to honor his iconic World Series walk-off with its rightful place on the Mount Rushmore of MLB home runs. The top four: Maz's World Series clincher sits alongside three other homers that, in our humble opinion, represent the most iconic in the game's 150-year history. Bill Mazeroski (1960): World Series, Game 7 … The first walk-off homer to win the Fall Classic, and still the only one to come in Game 7, gave the Pirates their first championship in 35 years. The light-hitting second baseman went on to make the Hall of Fame for his glove, but will always be remembered for his blast against Yankees reliever Ralph Terry. Bobby Thomson (1951): The Shot Heard 'Round the World … Thomson's Giants trailed the crosstown Dodgers by 13 games on Aug. 11 before finishing the season on a 37-7 run to tie them on the last day, forcing a best-of-three playoff for a spot in the World Series. Thomson's walk-off, three-run shot against Ralph Branca in Game 3 triggered an all-time great call from Russ Hodges: "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" Joe Carter (1993): Touch 'em all, Joe! … The only other World Series-clinching walk-off home run came in Game 6, where Carter turned a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 victory over the Phillies for Toronto's second straight title. A quick shoutout to this Blue Jays lineup, which featured three future Hall of Famers in Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar. Hank Aaron (1974): No. 715 … Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs stood for nearly four decades before Hammerin' Hank hit No. 715. Naturally, Vin Scully was on the call: "What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol." An illustration of Ruth "calling his shot." (Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) Honorable mentions: Kirk Gibson, 1988 (Hobbled heroics); Carlton Fisk, 1975 (Waves it fair); Barry Bonds, 2007 (No. 755); Mark McGwire, 1998 (No. 62); Babe Ruth, 1932 (Called shot*); Kirby Puckett, 1991 ("We'll see you tomorrow night!"); Aaron Boone, 2003 (ALCS walk-off); Ted Williams, 1960 (final career at-bat) *The Babe's legendary "called shot" in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series would have probably made it on Mount Rushmore if not for the mystery surrounding its true nature. Accounts differ as to whether the Yankees slugger was calling his shot or simply pointing at the Cubs dugout to remind his opponents, who had been jawing him all game, that he still had one strike left. As they say, "print the legend." 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) ⛸️ 5.4 million new followers Figure skating gold medalist Alysa Liu has gained an astonishing 5.4 million Instagram followers since the start of the Milan Cortina Olympics, going from 211k before the Games to 5.6M as of this morning. The Olympics bump: Liu isn't the only American hero to see a spike in IG followers. Jack Hughes jumped from 681k entering Sunday's hockey finale to over 1M after his golden-goal heroics. That makes the Devils star just the third active NHL player to eclipse that mark, joining Alexander Ovechkin (1.7M) and Connor McDavid (1.4M). ⚾️ -105 Team USA has won just one of the first five World Baseball Classics, but their stacked roster has positioned them as the odds-on favorite to win the upcoming 20-team tournament (-105 at BetMGM), which begins next week. Top contenders: Defending champion Japan (+350) and 2013 champion Dominican Republic (+425) are viewed as Team USA's strongest competition. The only other countries with better than 50-to-1 odds are Venezuela (+900), Puerto Rico (+2000) and Mexico (+2000). (Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images) ⚽️ 16 Americans Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso's beautiful strike in Tuesday's win over Club Brugge made him the 16th American to score a goal in the Champions League. The full list: Christian Pulisic is the leader (12 goals), followed by Weston McKennie (10), Ricardo Pepi (6), Folarin Balogun (5), Malik Tillman (5), DaMarcus Beasley (4), Jordan Siebatcheu (2), Tim Weah (2) Fabian Johnson (2), Jermaine Jones (2) and one each for Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Maurice Edu, Jovan Kirovski, Sacha Kljestan and Cardoso. 🏀 655 appearances UConn's Geno Auriemma made his 655th appearance in the AP Top 25 this week, breaking a tie with Stanford's Tara VanDerveer for the most by a head coach in the history of the women's poll. Huskies on fire: The defending champion Huskies (29-0), who've been ranked No. 1 all season, have won 45 consecutive games dating back to last February. That's the seventh-longest streak in D-I women's basketball history — and four of the six winning streaks with longer durations also belong to UConn. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25 The Nuggets beat the Celtics in their first meeting last month. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) 🏀 NBA on ESPN Tonight's heavyweight doubleheader begins in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder are hosting the Pistons in a battle of first-place teams (7:30pm ET). Then it's off to Denver for a game between the second-place Celtics and fourth-place Nuggets (10pm). Title contenders: OKC (+135 at BetMGM), Denver (+550), Boston (+1200) and Detroit (+1200) are four of the five betting favorites to win the NBA championship. 🏒 NHL on TNT The NHL's first post-Olympics doubleheader is a doozy, with the first-place Lightning hosting the Maple Leafs (7:30pm) and the first-place Golden Knights visiting the Kings (10pm). Team USA on display: Four gold-medal winning Americans are set to take the ice tonight, including Team USA captain Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs). The others: Jack Eichel (Golden Knights), Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights) and Jake Guentzel (Lighting). ⚽️ Champions League The knockout playoffs conclude today with four second-leg matches featuring an array of European giants, including the reigning champions (Paris Saint-Germain) and the winningest club in tournament history (Real Madrid). The winners advance to the Round of 16. Full slate: Atalanta (0-2) vs. Dortmund (12:45pm, Paramount+); Real Madrid (1-0) vs. Benfica (3pm, Paramount+); PSG (3-2) vs. Monaco (3pm, Paramount+); Juventus (2-5) vs. Galatasaray (3pm, CBSSN). More to watch: 🏀 NCAAM: No. 15 St. John's at No. 6 UConn (7pm, NBCSN) … The Johnnies (22-5) are 15-1 in the Big East for the first time since the 1984-1985 season, when they made their most recent Final Four appearance. 🏀 NCAAW: No. 8 Michigan at No. 13 Ohio State (8pm, Peacock) … Sophomores Jaloni Cambridge (Ohio State) and Olivia Olson (Michigan) are both on the Wooden Award late midseason top 20. ⛳️ LPGA: HSBC Women's World Championships (9:30pm, Golf) … Nine of the world's top 10 players headline the field at Singapore's Sentosa Golf Club. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. ⚾️ BIG LEAGUES MLB TRIVIA (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin, 19, is hoping to become the first teenager to make his MLB debut on Opening Day since 1989. Question: Which teenager debuted on Opening Day in 1989? Hint: His 630 home runs rank seventh all-time. Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) I've viewed thousands of photographs from the Milan Cortina Olympics. There are more iconic shots... More memorable moments... But this right here is my favorite photo. Australia's Abbey Willcox (aerials) looks like she's handplanting on the mountain! Trivia answer: Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 28 Author Members Posted February 28 > Art historian Christophe Leribault named new director of the Louvre; the former head of the Palace of Versailles and Orsay Museum is tasked with overseeing a security overhaul and facilities renovation (More) > Phil Collins, Jeff Buckley, and Shakira are among 17 nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (More, w/full list) > "Zootopia 2" surpasses "A Minecraft Movie" as the highest-grossing domestic release of 2025, with $424.2M after 13 straight weeks in the domestic top 10 (More) 🌹 What we learned about the Harlem Renaissance: Saturday's 1440 Society & Culture newsletter takes a look at the arts-driven revitalization of the Manhattan borough during the early 20th century. We're also exploring graffiti, the history of pizza, and much more. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 1 Author Members Posted March 1 🎸 1 music thing: Rock Hall's diverse new ballot Rock Hall's 2026 ballot includes (clockwise from top left): P!NK, Luther Vandross, Wu-Tang Clan and Mariah Carey. Photos via Getty Images The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame unveiled the nominees for its class of 2026 — and it's one of the most diverse ballots in recent memory, Axios Cleveland's Troy Smith writes. 🎤 The intrigue: The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis and Sade have all been nominated before. The rest are long-overdue snubs (Luther Vandross, INXS, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge) and several artists who seem plucked out of thin air (Wu-Tang Clan, P!NK, Shakira). The class will be announced in mid-April. Full list ... Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 1 Author Members Posted March 1 👋 Good morning! Three days left in February. How is it already almost March? In today's edition: The rule that could decide the NBA MVP, a game of 0.1 inches, UConn vaporizes St. John's, Champions League Round of 16, Play of the Day, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🏀 EVERY GAME COUNTS THE RULE THAT COULD DECIDE THE NBA MVP (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports) In a vacuum, this year's NBA MVP race looks a lot like last year's, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić separating themselves from the pack. But due to eligibility rules — and this year's injury epidemic — the two strongest candidates for the award might not even qualify for it. The 65-game rule: Three years ago, in order to reduce load management, the NBA implemented a new rule stipulating that players must appear in at least 65 (of 82) games to be eligible for end-of-season awards. And Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić are currently flirting with ineligibility. SGA, the current favorite (-125 at BetMGM), has already missed 11 games, including the last nine with an abdominal strain. That means he must play in at least 16 of OKC's final 22 games — hardly impossible, but not guaranteed. Jokić (+300) is in far more trouble, having already missed 16 of his allotted 17 games with various ailments. The chances of him playing at least 22 of Denver's final 23 games falls somewhere between slim and none. Other contenders in danger of becoming ineligible are Victor Wembanyama (+1400), who can miss only four more games, and Luka Dončić (+4500), who can miss only five more. So who does that leave? Detroit's Cade Cunningham (+425) is the only player left with better than 25-to-1 odds and fewer than 10 missed games. But Cade, of course, would be so much more than a mere process-of-elimination MVP. The fifth-year guard is averaging 25.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game while also taking a major leap defensively. His 1.5 steals, 1.0 blocks and 108.0 defensive rating all represent career-best marks. And you can't beat his narrative, leading the first-place Pistons (43-14) to their best record in two decades just two years after they won 14 total games. The dark horse: If anyone else can take advantage of all these injuries and make a late run for the award it's probably Jaylen Brown (+2500), who's been stellar in Jayson Tatum's absence and has Boston (38-20) sitting in second place in the East. Zoom out: Only one MVP in NBA history has failed to reach the 65-game threshold in a full 82-game season. That was Bill Walton, who played 58 games for the Trail Blazers in 1977-78 and narrowly beat out Spurs guard George Gervin. The next-closest was Joel Embiid, who played 66 games in 2023… one year before the rule change. ⚾️ SPRING TRAINING JUSTTTT A BIT OUTSIDE (MLB) One-tenth of an inch is roughly the thickness of a coin. It's also the distance by which Paul Skenes' 1-1 curveball to Matt Olson missed the zone on Wednesday. Upon further review: Home-plate umpire Chris Segal ruled the pitch a strike, but when Olson tapped his helmet, triggering MLB's new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System, the call was overturned. "When the season gets rolling, that's probably not the pitch that you're going to be challenging, but you've got to feel it out a bit," Olson said. "I figured, whatever. It was a backdoor sweeper that I felt kind of held up a little bit. I just said, 'Screw it, let's rip it and see what happens.'" The last word: "Good for [Olson], I guess," said Skenes, who had four strikes overturned during the game, though none closer than this one. "I don't know. I've got to throw it 0.1 inches lower." 🇺🇸 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA "USA! USA!" (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Newark, New Jersey — Olympic hero Jack Hughes (Devils) received a huge ovation in his first game back post-Milan, and he brought out Team USA teammate Tage Thompson (Sabres) to share the spotlight. Golden boys: "I wasn't expecting that. Very special. He's a class act. Cares about his teammates, cares about his country," said Thompson. "We battled through something together and we're gonna be able to share that moment for the rest of our lives. We're gonna be linked forever." Holy, Huskies! Absolute beatdown. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) Hartford, Connecticut — No. 15 St. John's managed just 40 points in Wednesday's blowout 72-40 loss to No. 6 UConn, which is the fewest points a Rick Pitino-led team has ever put up in a game. And he's been in the sport for five decades! Ice cold: The Red Storm missed 24 straight shots (!!) to end the game. Their final made field goal of the night came at the 17:28 mark of the second half. Claire Hutton (L) and Emma Sears smile for the camera. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images) Brentwood, Tennessee — The first day of training is in the books for the USWNT as the squad prepares for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup, where they'll be seeking their eighth title in 11 tries. Schedule: The Americans (No. 2 in the world) will play Argentina (30) this Sunday in Nashville, Canada (10) next Wednesday in Columbus, and Colombia (20) next Saturday in Harrison, New Jersey. ⚽️ SURVIVE AND ADVANCE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 16 TEAMS LEFT (UEFA Champions League) The Champions League Round of 16 was confirmed after Wednesday's playoff finales, with clubs from eight countries still alive in the quest for European soccer supremacy. Who's left: England rules the roost with over one-third of the remaining field, and twice as many teams as any other nation. 🏴 England (6): Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Tottenham 🇪🇸 Spain (3): Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid 🇩🇪 Germany (2): Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich 🇮🇹 Italy (1): Atalanta 🇫🇷 France (1): PSG 🇵🇹 Portugal (1): Sporting CP 🇹🇷 Turkey (1): Galatasaray 🇳🇴 Norway (1): Bodø/Glimt What's next: The remaining teams will learn their opponents and potential route to the final in tomorrow's Round of 16 draw, held at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. 👋 SIGNATURE GREETING THE ORIGIN OF "HELLO, FRIENDS" (Chris Condon/PGA Tour via Getty Images) Jim Nantz's signature greeting — "Hello, friends" — has become iconic over the years, especially for golf fans. Turns out, there's a heartwarming story behind it, as Nantz shared on the Vanity Index Podcast. Jim Nantz: So, my father suffered from Alzheimer's, and it was a 13-year battle that really helped, in many ways, to define my life, and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I'm gonna fast forward to 2002, and I'm by his bedside, and I mentioned to him, "Hey, I'm in Minnesota this weekend for the PGA Championship, and when I come on the air, I'm going to look into that camera and I'm gonna say, 'Hello, friends.' And that's for you, dad, because you have nothing but friends. You got it? That's going to be my little trigger line to let you know in that very moment, I'm thinking of you." Sure enough, I'm at Hazeltine that Saturday. I come on the air, and I said, "Hello, friends. Jim Nantz along with Lanny Wadkins…" I looked into that lens with that red tally light, and I was just imagining my father was back in Houston saying, "He said it! He said he was going to say it!" And I thought it was a one and done, to be honest. I just was going to send that message out one time. But after the show, a good friend of mine at CBS said, "I heard you say 'Hello, friends.' What was that all about?" I told him the backstory, he said, "That sounds like you. You ought to do that, like, all the time." So I did it the final round on Sunday, and I've done it every show since. And ya know, my dad's been gone now for a long time. He's been gone since 2008. But I've said it over and over again. ... And for that flicker of a second, I still think of him every single time. I say, "Hello, friends," and I think of my dad watching down on me, and it relaxes me, and I fall into the flow of the show. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, FEB. 26 Fears gets the crowd going during last week's win over UCLA. (Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 🏀 No. 13 Michigan State at No. 8 Purdue Two of the nation's best point guards take the floor tonight at Mackey Arena (8pm ET, Peacock) in a Big Ten heavyweight showdown. Floor generals: Spartans sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. and Boilermakers senior Braden Smith, both Player of the Year candidates, lead D-I by a mile in assists per game with 9.2 and 8.7, respectively. 🏒 NHL on ESPN The Rangers host the Flyers in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader (8pm) before the action heads to Los Angeles, where the Kings host the Oilers in a Pacific Division clash (10:30pm). Dynamic duo: Edmonton's Connor McDavid has an NHL-best 98 points (34 goals, 64 assists) while teammate Leon Draisaitl ranks fifth with 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Rockets at Magic (7:30pm, Prime); Timberwolves at Clippers (10pm, Prime) … All four are firmly in the playoff (or play-in) picture with roughly one-third of the season left. ⛳️ PGA: Cognizant Classic (6:45am, ESPN+; 2pm, Golf) … Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry headline the field at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. ⛳️ LPGA: HSBC Women's World Championships (9:30pm, Golf) … Auston Kim (-6) leads by a stroke in Singapore. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. ⚾ ON THIS DAY MLB TRIVIA (MPI/Getty Images) 91 years ago today (Feb. 26, 1935), the Yankees released 39-year-old Babe Ruth, ending his legendary tenure with the team. Question: Which team did Ruth join the following day? (A) Boston Red Sox (B) New York Giants (C) Philadelphia Athletics (D) Boston Braves (E) Birmingham Black Barons Answer at the bottom. 🏒 HIGHLIGHT PLAY OF THE DAY You've never seen a goal quite like this. Trivia answer: (D) Boston Braves Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 1 Author Members Posted March 1 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: The 40-20 rule, NFL report cards, Trump to convene college sports roundtable, Why We Love Sports, Photo Phinish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 NFL report cards: The NFL blocked the players union from publicly releasing its annual report cards, but that didn't stop the survey results from being leaked to the media. The Dolphins once again ranked first in player satisfaction, while the Steelers ranked last. How'd your team do? ⚽️ Pitch invaders tackle Messi: Inter Miami's friendly in Puerto Rico against Ecuadorian champion Independiente del Valle ended in abject chaos after multiple fans ran onto the field in the 89th minute, with one taking Lionel Messi to the ground. 🏀 Kon makes history: Hornets forward Kon Knueppel broke the NBA record for most 3-pointers made by a rookie… with 22 games to spare. He leads all NBA players with 209 triples this season and he's making them at a 44.2% clip, which ranks seventh in the league. ⚾️ Padres bids submitted: Five ownership groups have placed bids to purchase the Padres, according to reports. Prospective buyers include Warriors owner Joe Lacob and a group led by Drew Brees and Vuori founder Joe Kudla. 🏈 Richardson, Colts to split: The Colts and QB Anthony Richardson have mutually agreed to seek a trade that would give the 2023 No. 4 overall pick a fresh start as Indianapolis focuses on re-signing Daniel Jones. One team with interest? The Vikings. 🏀 CONTENDERS THE 40-20 RULE (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) The Celtics (38-20) lost their 20th game of the season on Wednesday, leaving just three teams that meet the "40 wins before 20 losses" championship standard. The 40-20 rule: The great Phil Jackson once proposed a simple yet powerful rule that if an NBA team reaches 40 wins before 20 losses, they're officially a title contender. And the Zen Master may have been onto something considering 42 of the last 46 champions did just that. This year's contenders: Thunder (45-15) Pistons (43-14) Spurs (43-16) The four exceptions: Since 1980, four teams have gone on to win the NBA title despite failing the "40-20" test. 1994-95 Rockets: Houston (47–35) limped into the postseason but made history once they got there, becoming the lowest-seeded team (sixth) ever to win a championship. 2003-04 Pistons: Detroit (54-28) found their missing piece in late February when they acquired Rasheed Wallace at the trade deadline. 2005-06 Heat: Miami (52-30) was 11-10 when Stan Van Gundy resigned in December. Pat Riley replaced him and promptly won his fifth championship as head coach. 2020-21 Bucks: Milwaukee (46-26) was hot and cold for much of the pandemic-shortened season before catching fire when it mattered most. Food for thought: Who's the most likely team to become the fifth exception to the 40-20 rule? The Celtics (38-20) are an obvious answer given how close they came to joining the club despite missing Jayson Tatum, who could be back for the playoffs. But the Rockets (37-21), Knicks (37-22), Nuggets (37-22), Cavaliers (37-23) and Timberwolves (37-23) are also firmly in the mix. Who ya got? 🎓 SHIFTING LANDSCAPE SOURCES: TRUMP CONVENING COLLEGE SPORTS ROUNDTABLE President Trump waves to the crowd during the CFP National Championship Game. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) The fight over the future of college athletics is reaching its most prominent battlefield yet: the White House. What's happening: President Donald Trump plans to convene a roundtable next Friday to further explore solutions for the industry's ills, sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports. Trump will serve as chair of the group — dubbed the Saving College Sports Roundtable — with Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Yankees president Randy Levine serving as vice chairs. Who's invited? The invitee list includes key political figures, prominent college sports stakeholders, television executives, millionaire businessmen, former Heisman Trophy winners, pro athletes, and more. Among the most notable names: Nick Saban Tim Tebow Adam Silver Condoleezza Rice Tiger Woods Bryson DeChambeau From Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger: For months now, Trump has made a priority his intention to provide college athletics with stability and protection from legal challenges, either through congressional legislation or his own executive order released last summer. However, any impact within the industry has been non-existent. What awaits the president is a room likely divided on how to fortify a college sports organization that stands at an inflection point — swiftly transforming into a more professionalized entity after court rulings deemed many NCAA policies in violation of antitrust laws. Devoid of a collective bargaining agreement or federal protection, college athletics is a landscape of few rules and regulations and little enforcement, while a collection of wealthy universities outspend their lower-resourced foes in what many administrators describe as a "race to the bottom." Ideas on solutions for the primary issue — how to pay college athletes — have even divided those within the industry itself, with arguments ranging from athlete employment to non-employment collective bargaining, from federal antitrust protection to amending the Sports Broadcasting Act so conferences can pool their media rights. ❤️ SERIES SAVED A LIFE WHY WE LOVE SPORTS Steve L. (Auburn, California) writes: In 1989, I was at Game 3 of the A's-Giants World Series with my friend Frank when the Oct. 17 earthquake struck. The stadium shook, the light towers swayed, and players streamed onto the field with their families. The game was obviously canceled, so I headed home to my apartment. After a couple of hours making my way across town, I arrived at my building and was in complete shock. The four-story structure had collapsed into a single partial floor, with firefighters and flashing emergency lights surrounding the rubble. I ran into a colleague from the building who was stunned to see me alive. They had found a deceased man in the area of my apartment. It was my neighbor's boyfriend. She, too, had perished in the quake. We shared a common wall. My apartment was completely destroyed. I should have been there. Instead, a trip to the World Series — and a lifetime spent loving the Giants — saved my life that day. ✍️ 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! 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST Wemby takes a shot during the NBA Cup Final. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) 🏀 NBA Three A-list matchups headline an excellent weekend in the Association. Tonight on ESPN: Cavaliers at Pistons (7pm ET); Nuggets at Thunder (9:30pm) … Four of the top six title favorites. Sunday on ABC: Spurs at Knicks (1pm) … San Antonio (11 straight wins) visits New York in a rematch of the NBA Cup Final, won by the Knicks. Best of the rest: Rockets at Heat (Sat. 3:30pm, Prime); Lakers at Warriors (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Timberwolves at Nuggets (Sun. 3:30pm, ABC); 76ers at Celtics (Sun. 8pm, NBC). 🏀 College Basketball The final weekend before conference championships begin is loaded with ranked-on-ranked matchups. Men: No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Illinois (Fri. 8pm, Fox); No. 11 Virginia at No. 1 Duke (Sat. 12pm, ESPN); No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona (Sat. 4pm, ESPN); No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 4 Iowa State (Sat. 4pm, CBS); No. 17 Alabama at No. 22 Tennessee (Sat. 6pm, ESPN); No. 20 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida (Sat. 8:30pm, ESPN) Women: No. 14 Maryland at No. 8 Michigan (Sat. 2:30pm, Fox); No. 4 Texas at No. 24 Alabama (Sun. 12pm, SEC); No. 12 Duke at No. 21 North Carolina (Sun. 12pm, ESPN); No. 13 Ohio State at No. 15 Michigan State (Sun. 12pm, BTN); No. 3 South Carolina at No. 16 Kentucky (Sun. 2pm, SEC+); No. 18 Baylor at No. 11 TCU (Sun. 4pm, ESPN) ⚽️ SheBelieves Cup The 11th annual edition of the four-team women's soccer tournament hosted by the United States kicks off on Sunday in Nashville, where Canada faces Colombia in the opener (2pm, truTV) followed by the USWNT vs. Argentina (5pm, TNT). Looking ahead: The second matchday is next Wednesday in Columbus, and the third is next Saturday in Harrison, NJ. Whichever team sits atop the standings after the round-robin will be declared the winner. More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Golden Knights at Capitals (Fri. 7pm, NHL); Penguins at Rangers (Sat. 12:30pm, ABC); Bruins at Flyers (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Panthers at Islanders (Sun. 6:30pm, ESPN) ⚽️ Premier League: Arsenal vs. Chelsea (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock) … The first-place Gunners host the fifth-place Blues in the North West London Derby. ⚽️ MLS: Orlando City vs. Inter Miami (Sun. 7pm, Apple) … The Florida Derby headlines this weekend's full slate. 🏀 Unrivaled: Regular season finale (Fri. 1pm, truTV) … After four games on Friday, the six-team playoffs tip off Saturday night (8:30pm, truTV). ⛳️ Golf: Cognizant Classic (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/NBC); HSBC Women's World Championships (Fri-Sat, Golf) … Austin Smotherman (-9) leads in Florida and Auston Kim (-9) leads in Singapore. 🏁 NASCAR: Circuit of the Americas (Sun. 3:30pm, Fox) … Tyler Reddick looks to make it three straight wins to open the season. 🏁 IndyCar: Firestone Grand Prix (Sun. 12pm, Fox) … Season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. 🍌 Banana Ball: Savannah Bananas vs. Texas Tailgaters (Sat. 7pm, Disney+) … Season-opener at Florida State. 🥍 PLL/WLL: Championship Series (Fri-Sun, ESPN App) … 6-on-6 lacrosse tournament in Springfield, Virginia. 🏂 The Snow League: Aspen (Fri-Sat, Peacock) … The third event in the inaugural season of Shaun White's winter sports league. Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. ⚾ BRONX BOMBERS MLB TRIVIA No. 52 forever. (Elsa/Getty Images) CC Sabathia will become the 24th Yankee to have his jersey number retired when the team enshrines the Hall of Famer's No. 52 this September in Monument Park. Question: Can you name the only other player on that list whose number is in the 50s? Hint: 1990s outfielder (No. 51) Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO PHINISH The Phillie Phanatic at spring training. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images) Did you know that there's a Mascot Hall of Fame? And that it was opened by a man who served as the Phillie Phanatic for more than 15 years? This is why you read this newsletter, right? For mascot facts? Trivia answer: Bernie Williams Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 4 Author Members Posted March 4 👋 Good morning! The FIFA World Cup kicks off in exactly 100 days. In today's edition: The next chapter at Yahoo Sports, post-combine NFL mock draft, "Throwback Tuesday," Team USA exhibition game, The Highlight, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT THE NEXT CHAPTER (Yahoo Sports) Nine years ago, I had an idea: What if I put SportsCenter in an email? That idea became Sports Internet (2017–18). Then Axios Sports (2019–23). Then Yahoo Sports AM (2023–present). And along the way, it grew into something far bigger than I ever imagined — from 100 subscribers at launch to closer to 1 million subscribers today. Now, it's time for the next chapter. I'm thrilled to announce that I've signed a multi-year contract with Yahoo Sports, where I'll be taking on a new role as Head of Newsletters and expanding the Yahoo Sports AM universe. What that means: New flagship newsletters Weekend editions Pop-up newsletters A bigger team (hiring soon!) More resources And don't worry: I'll still be the main author of Yahoo Sports AM, which will only improve thanks to the additional resources and team members. Jeff Tracy, my partner-in-crime for the last six years, is also here to stay. Why newsletters? In an era of endless scrolling and constant push notifications, a great newsletter can feel like stepping out of traffic and into a quiet room. It's calmer here. More intentional. More human. While social media gets noisier, newsletters get stronger. Add in the growth of new platforms like Substack and Beehiiv and I'm more bullish than ever on email — an old technology that somehow feels new again. That's why, in addition to launching our own newsletters, we will be partnering with other publishers, journalists and creators to build a first-of-its-kind newsletter network. Bottom line: I spent nearly a decade building one newsletter, one morning at a time. Now, it's time for something bigger — and you'll have a front row seat. I'll be sharing much more in the coming days and weeks. If you have any thoughts, email me at kendall.baker@yahooinc.com. I'll get back to you right away. 🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS Arike Ogunbowale celebrates with her Mist teammates after hitting the game-winner. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Brooklyn, New York — Unrivaled's top two teams will play for the championship tomorrow night after the top-seeded Phantom and second-seeded Mist won their semifinal matchups on Monday in front of a sold-out Barclays Center crowd. Stars of the night: Kelsey Plum (31 points, game-winning 3-pointer) and Kiki Iriafen (17 points, 11 rebounds) led the way for Phantom, while Breanna Stewart (23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and Arika Ogunbowale (21 points, game-winning 3-pointer) paced Mist. Ohtani takes the field during an exhibition game between Team Japan and the Orix Buffaloes. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) 🇯🇵 Osaka, Japan — Shohei Ohtani is back home, where he and his fellow countrymen are scrimmaging NPB teams in front of sold-out crowds as they prepare to defend their title at the World Baseball Classic. Predictably, Ohtani has received a hero's welcome of epic proportions. Back for more: Ohtani's performance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic kicked off what may just be the greatest three-year run in baseball history. Three MVP awards. Two World Series titles. $700 million contract. "If the last WBC was his proving ground, this one is his showcase," writes Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz. "How lucky are we all to witness it?" The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. (Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain — Martín Satriano's superb first-half volley lifted 11th-place Getafe to a surprise 1-0 win over second-place Real Madrid — their first victory at the Bernabéu in 18 years. That's now two straight league losses for Madrid, after they fell 2-1 to Osasuna on Feb. 21. Ripple effects: Satriano is only at Getafe because Real Madrid loaned Endrick to Lyon (Dec. 23), who then no longer needed Satriano and loaned him to Getafe (Jan. 16). Talk about unintended consequences for Los Blancos, who sit four points behind first-place Barcelona. North Korea's players pose for a photo before their match against Uzbekistan. They won 3-0. (Rick Rycroft/AP Photo) 🇦🇺 Sydney, Australia — After more than a decade in the shadows, North Korea's powerhouse women's soccer team (ranked No. 9 by FIFA) has returned to the international stage at the Women's Asian Cup — bringing the world's most secretive nation back into the spotlight. The backdrop: "Due to North Korea's political isolation, women's football is one of the very few areas in which the country can display excellence to international audiences," writes Jung Woo Lee, a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) 🏈 4 Buckeyes Our latest NFL mock draft has four Ohio State players going in the top 10: Arvell Reese at No. 2 (Jets), Sonny Styles at No. 3 (Cardinals), Carnell Tate at No. 8 (Saints) and Caleb Downs at No. 10 (Bengals). Fresh pod: Who boosted their stock at the scouting combine? Yahoo Sports' Andrew Siciliano, Charles Robinson and Frank Schwab break down the aftermath of the week in Indianapolis on a brand new episode of "Inside Coverage." Dive in. 🏀 31-0 UConn women's basketball won its 47th straight game on Sunday (tied for the fifth-longest streak in D1 history) to complete the 11th undefeated regular season in program history — and first in eight years. Utter domination: The Huskies are beating teams by an average of 37.8 points per game (!!!) and finished the regular season with 212 more forced turnovers (774) than field goals allowed (562). Think about that. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ 78 All-Stars 20 countries are set to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which begins tomorrow. Those 20 rosters collectively include 78 MLB All-Stars, with 36 being named to the All-Star team last year. By country: Team USA has the most MLB All-Stars (22), followed by the Dominican Republic (16), Venezuela (12), Puerto Rico (6), Mexico (5), Netherlands (4), Colombia (3), Japan (3), Canada (2), Italy (2), Great Britain (1), Cuba (1) and Korea (1). Seven competing countries have none. 📈 -170 Kon Knueppel has taken over as the new NBA Rookie of the Year favorite (-170 at BetMGM) as he continues his stellar play — and Cooper Flagg (+130) continues to miss time with a foot sprain. The former Duke teammates are supposed to share the court tonight in Charlotte, but Flagg is doubtful and will likely miss his eighth straight game. By the numbers: Flagg is averaging more points (20.4), rebounds (6.6) and assists (4.1) per game, but Knueppel isn't far behind at 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He also leads the entire league in made threes (211), while ranking ninth in 3-point percentage (44%). 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, MARCH 3 (NBC Sports) 🏀 "Throwback Tuesday" NBC will turn back the clock 30 years for tonight's Spurs-76ers game (8pm ET, NBC), recreating a 1995-96 NBA broadcast straight down to the announcers, graphics, pregame show and score bug. Familiar faces: Bob Costas, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello will call the game from the booth, with Jim Gray serving as sideline reporter. Hannah Storm will host the "NBA Showtime" pregame show alongside Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo. "We're not just going to give a taste of the history, it's going to be entirely about that," said Costas. "The thing we're not going to do … is dress like that era. But I do have those clothes in the back of the closet, yes. And luckily for me, they still fit." ⚾️ WBC Exhibition Games Team USA will play the Giants today (3pm, ESPN) in Scottsdale, Arizona, ahead of the World Baseball Classic. The Americans will play one more warm-up game tomorrow vs. the Rockies before flying to Houston for the first round of the WBC. More exhibition games: Colombia vs. Pirates; Netherlands vs. Orioles; Panama vs. Yankees; Canada vs. Blue Jays; Israel vs. Marlins; Nicaragua vs. Mets; Brazil vs. Athletics; Cuba vs. Royals; Italy vs. Cubs; Great Britain vs. Brewers; Mexico vs. Diamondbacks; Dominican Republic vs. Tigers; Puerto Rico vs. Red Sox; Venezuela vs. Astros. More to watch: ⛳️ TGL: The Bay vs. Jupiter Links (9pm, ESPN) … Lots on the line in regular-season finale, with the winner clinching the fourth and final playoff spot. 🏒 NHL: Panthers at Devils (7pm, TNT); Lightning at Wild (9:30pm, TNT) … Tampa Bay and Minnesota are legit title contenders. Florida and New Jersey? Not so much. 🏀 NCAAM: Clemson at No. 18 UNC (7pm, ESPN); TCU at No. 16 Texas Tech (7pm, FS1); No. 12 Nebraska at UCLA (11pm, FS1) … The final week of the regular season is upon us. Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🏎️ ON THE GRID F1 TRIVIA (Mark Thompson/Getty Images) The Formula 1 season begins this weekend in Melbourne with 11 teams on the grid (up from 10) after the sport added its first new entrant in a decade. Question: Which American automaker is joining the grid? A) Dodge Chevrolet C) Cadillac D) Tesla Answer at the bottom. 🏒 THE HIGHLIGHT ASSIST OF THE NIGHT (Giphy) Dallas center Sam Steel drags Vancouver's defense with him to the left and spins it behind him to Matt Duchene, who buries it on the wide-open net. Hot streak: The Stars vaporized the Canucks, 6-1, to record their ninth straight win (franchise record) and improve to 37-14-9 on the season. Only the Avalanche (40-10-9) have more points. Trivia answer: C) Cadillac Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 5 Author Members Posted March 5 🏀 1 sports thing: '90s hoop vibes, reborn Bob Costas interviews then-NBA commissioner David Stern after the Houston Rockets beat the New York Knicks in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals. Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBA via Getty Images NBC's "Throwback Tuesday" broadcast of tonight's Sixers-Spurs NBA game will be a '90s-themed nod to an era when the broadcasting giant was king of the court, Axios Philadelphia's Isaac Avilucea reports. 📺 NBC is re-creating the retro feel of its 1995-96 telecasts, from in-game announcers to on-screen graphics and grainy highlights packages. 🎙️ Bob Costas — the longtime face of "NBA on NBC" — is handling play-by-play duties alongside analysts Mike Fratello and Doug Collins, with Jim Gray reporting from the sideline. The retro telecast kicks off at 7 p.m. ET (NBC and Peacock). Go deeper ... Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 5 Author Members Posted March 5 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. ICYMI: Yahoo Sports AM universe is expanding! Here's my announcement from yesterday about the next chapter. In today's edition: The World Baseball Classic is here, Miami moves to 30-0, Cards to release Kyler, 100 days out, the Madness before the Madness, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 30-0: Miami (Ohio) escaped with a 74-72 win over Toledo to keep its perfect season alive, becoming the 15th team in men's D1 history, and just the fourth this century, to start 30-0. The RedHawks also clinched the regular-season MAC championship for the first time in 21 years. ⚾️ USA 15, San Francisco 1: Team USA dominated the Giants in their first pre-World Baseball Classic tuneup, one of 15 on Tuesday between MLB and WBC teams. They'll play another one today (against the Rockies) before heading to Houston for Friday's opener against Brazil. 🏈 Who wants Kyler? The Cardinals are set to release Kyler Murray, ending the former No. 1 pick's tenure in Arizona after seven seasons and just one trip to the playoffs. The talented but inconsistent QB, who is still owed $36.8 million, will get a fresh start somewhere this fall. ⚾️ PEDs suspensions: Braves OF Jurickson Profar has been suspended 162 games after his second positive PED test in the past year; Phillies CF Johan Rohas is facing an 80-game PED suspension, which he's appealing. 💵 The owner's box: Chinese billionaire Lin Bin is buying a 1% stake in the Dolphins' parent company at a shocking $12.5 billion valuation, per Sportico, which also reported that Broncos owner Rob Walton quietly bought 10% of the Diamondbacks at a $2 billion valuation in 2024. ⚾️ PLAY BALL THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC IS HERE (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) The sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic kicks off today, as 20 teams begin their quest to be the last nation standing when the final pitch is thrown in Miami later this month. Let's break down the field, group-by-group. Pool A: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rico will play their round-robin at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in baseball-crazed San Juan, though the host nation — yes, Puerto Rico competes internationally under its own flag — will be without its two best players as Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa were denied insurance due to recent injuries. Canada's best chance? Canada, by far the most accomplished baseball nation to never reach the WBC knockouts, has a golden opportunity to end that drought given their relatively weak group and the fact that they have arguably the best hitter (Mariners 1B Josh Naylor) and starting pitcher (Cubs righty Jameson Taillon) in Pool A. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Pool B: Tournament-favorite USA (-110 at BetMGM) will be joined by Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil at Houston's Daikin Park. There's star power aplenty here with the likes of Aaron Nola and Vinnie Pasquantino (Italy), Randy Arozarena and Alejandro Kirk (Mexico), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Great Britain)... and a handful of decent players wearing red, white and blue. American muscle: Seriously, this roster is ridiculous. You've got both reigning Cy Youngs in Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, three-time MVP Aaron Judge, two-time MVP Bryce Harper, reigning AL and NL HR champs Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber, young superstars Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson and 14 other All-Stars we don't even have space to mention here. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Pool C: Samurai Japan, the defending and three-time WBC champions, get to play at home in the Tokyo Dome against South Korea, Australia, Chinese Taipei and Czechia. Expect the Czechs, as they did in 2023, to again become tournament darlings thanks to a roster filled with average Joes who hold day jobs when they aren't striking out the most talented player of all-time. Who (else) to watch: All eyes will rightfully be on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but you'd be wise not to overlook Australia's Travis Bazzana (No. 1 overall pick by the Guardians in 2024), Korea's Do-yeong Kim (2024 KBO MVP) or Chinese Taipei's abundance of young talent, with a tournament-best six players currently on organizational Top-30 Prospect lists. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Pool D: This group, playing at Miami's LoanDepot Park, is the deepest of the four, with loads of MLB talent across the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Netherlands (mostly via the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao). Israel and Nicaragua are the underdogs here, though both are led by former MLB managers in Brad Ausmus (Israel) and, somewhat curiously, Dusty Baker (Nicaragua). Star power: The DR's lineup can just about match the USA's, with Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Julio Rodríguez, Ketel Marte and Junior Caminero among its ranks. Venezuela has Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, Eugenio Suárez, Luis Arráez and the Contreras brothers, while the Netherlands boasts Xander Bogaerts and Ozzie Albies. ⚽️ 100 DAYS OUT CAN THE WORLD CUP ESCAPE THE WORLD AROUND IT? (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) FIFA President Gianni Infantino loves saying "football unites the world" — an aspiration that has become a campaign slogan for the sport's global authority. With 100 days until the World Cup curtain rises in North America, Infantino and FIFA have their work cut out for them. From Yahoo Sports' Steven Goff: While FIFA and its partners celebrate the countdown to the largest World Cup in history, featuring a record 48 teams playing a record 104 matches spread across a record three countries, concerns beyond the pitch itself threaten to overshadow the first men's spectacle held in this part of the planet since 1994. In the wake of the U.S. and Israel bombing its country, Iran is questioning whether to participate. Cartel violence has rattled Mexico, which is scheduled to stage 13 matches during the five-week tournament co-hosted with the U.S. and Canada. From metropolitan Los Angeles to quaint Foxborough, Massachusetts, municipalities are pleading with the federal government for funds earmarked to provide security and logistics for tens of thousands of visitors. Fans are justifiably grousing about ticket prices, while cash-strapped cities are scaling back fan festivals. A world united? Hardly. 🏀 CHAMP WEEK THE MADNESS BEFORE THE MADNESS (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) March Madness is rightly lauded as the crown jewel of the college basketball season, but there's an argument to be made that the two-week conference championship sprint — which began Monday — is just as exciting. 31 leagues. 361 teams. All chasing coveted automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. Men's preview: Your guide to this week's conference tournaments (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) The main difference between men's and women's Champ Week? The power conferences are up first for the women, with the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC tournaments all tipping off today. One similarity? Both include some seriously wonky formats, like the Sun Belt and WCC's laddered brackets (the top seeds get so many byes!) and whatever the heck the Horizon League is doing. Women's preview: Can anyone upset South Carolina or UCLA? Will Duke repeat? 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 Lindsey Heaps celebrates her goal on Sunday against Argentina. (George Walker IV/AP Photo) ⚽️ SheBelieves Cup Two weeks after the U.S. swept Canada to win a pair of Olympic hockey gold medals, the rivalry comes to the soccer pitch, with the USWNT facing Canada tonight in Columbus (6:45pm ET, TNT) in the SheBelieves Cup. Argentina and Colombia play earlier in the day (3:30pm, truTV). Where it stands: The Americans (2-0 over Argentina) and Canadians (4-1 over Colombia) both notched wins on Sunday in Nashville, and Canada holds a slight edge in goal differential, should it come to a tiebreaker. The third and final matchday is on Saturday in Harrison, N.J. 🏀 Unrivaled Championship The second season of the upstart women's 3-on-3 basketball league concludes tonight in Miami (9:30pm, TNT), where top-seeded Phantom and second-seeded Mist will play for not only the championship, but a prize of $100,000 per player. Names to know: Mist are led by league co-founder and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, who will line up alongside former WNBA scoring champion Arike Ogunbowale and three-time All-Star Allisha Gray. Phantom are led by two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum and 2025 first-rounder Kiki Iriafen, but will be without Unrivaled DPOY Aliyah Boston, who was injured on Friday. More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Thunder at Knicks (7pm, ESPN) … Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 20+ points in 123 consecutive games, just three shy of matching Wilt Chamberlain's record. ⚾️ World Baseball Classic: Chinese Taipei vs. Australia (10pm, FS1) … The sixth iteration of the WBC gets underway at the Tokyo Dome. ⚽️ Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (2:30pm, USA); Brighton vs. Arsenal (2:30pm, Peacock); Man City vs. Nottingham Forest (2:30pm, Peacock); Man United vs. Newcastle (3:15pm, Peacock) … Five of the top six teams are in action. Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. Get tickets now! 🌎 WORLD MAJORS MARATHON TRIVIA Runners set off at the starting line. (Franck Robichon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) The Tokyo Marathon, held Sunday, is one of the seven World Marathon Majors. Question: Can you name the other six majors? Hint: Three in the U.S., two in Europe, one in Australia. Answer at the bottom. ⛳️ THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH Ace! (Rich Storry/TGL Golf via Getty Images) Jupiter Links Golf Club clinched the final TGL playoff spot on Tuesday night after beating The Bay Golf Club thanks to an electric hole-in-one from Tom Kim. What's next: Jupiter Links Will join No. 1 seed Boston, No. 2 seed Los Angeles and No. 3 seed Atlanta in the semifinals later this month. Trivia answer: Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin, London and Sydney (elevated to major status in 2025) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 6 Author Members Posted March 6 👋 Good morning! Thank you for all the kind messages about our big announcement this week. My inbox is overflowing — in the best way. Love you all. Man on fire: Orioles prospect Vance Honeycutt has an MLB-leading four home runs in spring training… in just four at-bats! His latest blast went 471 feet. In today's edition: College football's secret meeting, NBA tanking, Unrivaled title game, pivotal night in the Premier League, NFL free agency power rankings, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚽️ USA 1, Canada 0: The USWNT blanked Canada in their second SheBelieves Cup match, putting the Americans in the driver's seat to win the tournament for the eighth time in 11 tries. Their final match is on Saturday against Colombia. 🏈 NFL headlines: The Chiefs traded All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie to the Rams for four draft picks, including this year's first-rounder; the Patriots are releasing WR Stefon Diggs after one year in New England; Aaron Rodgers is taking his time deciding whether he'll play a 22nd season. 🏀 OKC wins at MSG: The Thunder fended off a late rally to beat the Knicks, 103-100, in a potential Finals preview. It may only be March, but the playoff atmosphere was palpable at Madison Square Garden. ⚾️ Team USA keeps rolling: The U.S. hammered the Rockies, 14-4, in their final World Baseball Classic tune-up behind five home runs, including a first-inning tank from Aaron Judge. Next up: the tournament-opener against Brazil, tomorrow in Houston. 🏀 Trial date set: The trial for the federal poker ring case involving Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and 29 other co-defendants has been set to begin on Nov. 2. A dozen defendants are expected to receive plea deals, but it's unclear whether Billups or Jones will be among them. 🏈 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S SECRET MEETING (Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports) With college sports in chaos, two key meetings this week could chart a path forward. From Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger: On Friday, dozens of dignitaries are scheduled to meet at the White House for a roundtable chaired by President Donald Trump to explore solutions for a college sports industry in crisis. But on Tuesday, some 1,300 miles away in Dallas, a more private gathering unfolded in secret. University trustees and wealthy donors, as well as at least two university presidents, held a summit hosted by Smash Sports, a private capital-backed group of former TV executives proposing a new model for college sports built around pooling FBS television rights. State of play: Sensing a vulnerability within the industry and fearing for its future, outside entities are mobilizing in an attempt to deliver capital to cash-craving schools and create a new governance structure. Two external plans are having the most success among high-ranking college executives: The Smash Sports proposal, dubbed "Project Rudy" in a nod to the famous Notre Dame walk-on, led by a group of former ESPN and Disney executives. The "Saving College Sports" campaign spearheaded by Texas oil tycoon Cody Campbell, a Texas Tech booster and board member with deep relationships in congress and the White House. Working with Washington: Both plans are centered around pooling FBS media rights to maximize the value of college football and increase revenues per school. Which means they both rely on one thing: Congress. To make their plans work, Project Rudy and Saving College Sports need Congress to amend the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to permit the 10 FBS conferences and the College Football Playoff — each now negotiating separate television deals — to negotiate one single media deal. Amending the SBA — under which pro sports leagues are granted antitrust protection to pool media rights — would, in theory, usher in billions more in revenue for colleges to offset soaring costs and, perhaps, bring more competitive balance to an industry that some believe has been monopolized by the two richest leagues: the Big Ten and SEC. Steve Bornstein, the architect of NFL Network who also worked for a decade as ESPN's CEO, describes the plan as "the right path" and believes the SEC and Big Ten should "do something for the greater good" as the sport's two behemoths. What's next: The pooling of media rights is expected to be a major topic of conversation at tomorrow's White House roundtable, where many of the parties warring with one another over industry solutions will find themselves in the same room. The big picture: This week's meetings in Dallas and Washington are the latest battlegrounds in a years-long power struggle between those in control of the current system and those seeking to change it. At stake: the future of a college football industry that, while unstable off the field, has evolved into America's second-most popular sport. "It's all coming to a head," says one key stakeholder. 🏀 STAT DU JOUR BIG NUMBER: 44 GAMES (NBA) The bottom 10 teams in the NBA are currently on a 44-game losing streak. That's not going to help the tanking narrative. 🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Medley, Florida — Despite a brilliant 40-point performance from Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart (32 points) and Mist topped Phantom, 80-74, to win the Unrivaled championship and the $600,000 prize pool that came with it. What's next: All eyes in the women's basketball world will now turn to the fight between the WNBA and its players' union as they continue negotiating a new CBA ahead of a season that's supposed to start May 8. (Gene Wang/Capture At Media/Getty Images) 🇯🇵 Tokyo, Japan — Australia beat Chinese Taipei, 3-0, in the World Baseball Classic opener behind home runs from Robbie Perkins and Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Bazzana: "The two things I thought about most growing up was playing in the WBC and obviously playing in the World Series," said the Guardians' top prospect, who grew up in Australia before attending Oregon State. "It's special." (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images) 🏴 Brighton, England — Bukayo Saka's first-half goal helped Arsenal beat Brighton, 1-0, and extend their lead atop the table to seven points on a pivotal night in the Premier League that saw other contenders stumble. Elsewhere: Second-place Manchester City dropped points at home in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest; Chelsea thrashed fourth-place Aston Villa; Newcastle took down third-place Manchester United on William Osula's incredible finish. 🏈 OFFSEASON NFL POWER RANKINGS: FREE AGENCY EDITION (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Before the NFL's free-agency frenzy begins next week, we ranked the most interesting teams to watch, from 1-32. Top 10: Rams (projected cap space: $42M): The top team on this list is off to a strong start after trading four picks to the Chiefs on Wednesday for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. Matthew Stafford might be 38, but the reigning MVP still has some juice left in him that the Rams can maximize with a few shrewd moves. Broncos ($21M): Denver fans, rejoice: Russell Wilson, the Broncos' top paid player each of the last two seasons despite no longer being on the team, is officially off the books. A couple new offensive weapons added to their stellar defense should make them a serious contender. Cowboys (-$58.4M): Jerry Jones continues to say what fans want to hear when it comes to spending in free agency. He said he is willing to "bust the budget" this offseason, but it's not like his team was "all in" two years ago like he famously claimed. So, we'll see. Chargers ($84.9M): The Bolts went 11-6 last season, will be getting two of the NFL's best offensive tackles back from injury, and also have the most projected cap space among 2025 playoff teams. Bills ($-8.8M): GM Brandon Beane avoided the axe that took out head coach Sean McDermott after yet another playoff disappointment. Will he prove ownership right and improve the offense around his superstar quarterback? Titans ($90.4M): The good news: They've got the most projected cap space in the league. The bad news: They've got arguably the most holes to fill, too. But Cam Ward looks like the real deal, which is a great place to start. Chiefs (-$8.6M): Kansas City is coming off a shocking 11-loss season and also has to wonder when Patrick Mahomes will be healthy from a torn ACL. How the front office approaches this pivotal offseason will be fascinating to watch. Jets ($74.1M): This team hasn't had a winning season since 2015 and needs more than one great offseason to get things right. But smart decisions in the coming weeks could lay the foundation for a return to competency in 2027. Raiders ($85.7M): All-world edge rusher Maxx Crosby wants out. The Raiders say they want him back. Once that situation is settled, we'll get a clearer picture of what Vegas might do with all that cap space. Falcons ($8.9M): Atlanta is mired in mediocrity after five straight 7- or 8-win seasons. They've moved on to a new head coach, but still have plenty to sort out with Kirk Cousins set to be released, Michael Penix recovering from a torn ACL and James Pearce's legal issues. 11-32: Seahawks ($60.7M), Patriots ($35.3M), Bengals ($47.5M), Commanders ($86.1M), Giants ($13.7M), Vikings (-$44.4M), Browns (-$24.6M), Steelers ($43.9M), Cardinals ($38.8M), Bears ($1.4M), Colts (-$4M), Buccaneers ($11.3M), Saints (-$44M), Texans (-$13.8M), 49ers ($22.9M), Eagles ($362k), Ravens ($20.4M), Lions (-$3.8M), Panthers ($7.6M), Jaguars (-$16.3M), Dolphins (-$6M), Packers (-$6.4M) 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, MARCH 5 Scottie plays a bunker shot during Wednesday's practice round. (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) ⛳️ Arnold Palmer Invitational One of the most anticipated events on the PGA Tour calendar tees off today (7:30am ET, ESPN+; 2pm, Golf) at Bay Hill Club in Orlando, where the entire world top 10 leads a 72-player field competing for a $20 million purse. Who to watch: No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, of course, is favored to win (+333 at BetMGM) after starting the year with four top-12 finishes. But watch out for No. 3 Tommy Fleetwood (five straight top-10 finishes dating back to last year), No. 19 Jacob Bridgeman (five straight top-20 finishes to start 2026) and No. 41 Jake Knapp (five straight top-11 finishes to start 2026). 🏀 NBA on Prime The Rockets host the Warriors in the first leg of tonight's Western Conference doubleheader (7:30pm), followed by Lakers at Nuggets in a star-studded nightcap (10pm). Crowded race: The Thunder and Spurs are in a league of their own atop the West, but the teams in third through seventh (Rockets, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Lakers, Suns) are separated by just 3.5 games. More to watch: ⚾️ WBC: South Korea vs. Czechia (5am, FS1); Australia vs. Czechia (10pm, FS1) … Pool C action at the Tokyo Dome. 🏒 NHL: Sabres at Penguins (7pm, ESPN); Islanders at Kings (9:30pm, ESPN) … Player to watch: Isles rookie and No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer is having a season for the ages. 🎾 Tennis: Indian Wells (2pm, Tennis) … First-round action for Venus Williams, Seb Korda and more. Seeded players enter the field next round. 🏀 NCAAM: No. 3 Michigan at Iowa (8pm, Peacock); Rutgers at No. 8 Michigan State (8pm, FS1) … The Great Lakes State duo are first and second in the Big Ten entering tonight. Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🏀 DYNAMIC DUO NBA TRIVIA (Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg are on track to become just the second pair of college teammates to finish as the top two scoring rookies in the same NBA season. Question: Who was the first such duo? Hint: UConn, 2004-05. Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ FANTASY BASEBALL STEP UP TO THE PLATE (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Step up to the plate with Yahoo Fantasy Baseball! Get your crew together and create a league today, or easily jump into a public league with other fans. Top selections: Aaron Judge has the highest average draft position on Yahoo Fantasy so far (1.5), followed closely by Shohei Ohtani (1.7). Rounding out the top five are Bobby Witt Jr. (3.6), Juan Soto (4.3) and Tarik Skubal (5.7). Trivia answer: Ben Gordon (Bulls) and Emeka Okafor (Bobcats) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 8 Author Members Posted March 8 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. First time for everything: The Braves' spring training win over the Blue Jays on Thursday ended on a successful ABS challenge. The first tap-off in history! Play of the day: Nasir Whitlock's half-court heave at the buzzer lifted Lehigh past Holy Cross and into the Patriot League semifinals. In today's edition: Team USA takes the field, Tatum's return, Paralympics begin, Why We Love Sports, Scheyer and Stevens, Sabres are rolling, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Tatum's return: Jayson Tatum is expected to make his season debut tonight against the Mavericks, just 10 months after going down with a torn Achilles. His rapid recovery, paired with Boston's unexpected success in his absence, should make them a serious title contender. 🏈 Moore to Buffalo: The Bears are trading WR DJ Moore to the Bills, giving Josh Allen a new weapon in the passing game. Chicago will receive a 2026 second-round pick in return, while Buffalo will also acquire a 2026 fifth-rounder along with Moore. 🏒 Deadline day: The NHL trade deadline is today at 3pm ET, and there have already been more than a dozen trades this week alone. No fireworks yet, but here are some players to keep an eye on. ⚽️ Miami visits White House: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, in town for a game against D.C. United, visited the White House on Thursday to commemorate the team winning the 2025 MLS Cup. 🏀 LeBron passes Kareem: LeBron James has broken yet another NBA record, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leader in field goals made. James previously passed Abdul-Jabbar in minutes played and points scored. ⚾️ WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC USA'S SUPERTEAM BEGINS ITS TITLE QUEST (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) After months of anticipation, the best roster ever assembled by USA Baseball begins its pursuit of a World Baseball Classic title tonight against Brazil (8pm ET, Fox). From Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman: Even as a relatively young tournament compared to the premier international competitions in other sports, the WBC has grown in reverence with each edition, as the star power has multiplied and the knockout stages have provided enduring highlights. For Team USA — champions in the event just once in five tries — this edition of the tournament is an opportunity to reassert itself as the undisputed home of baseball's very best. And if the rare strength of the roster is any indication, the opportunity is being taken quite seriously by those involved. The motivation permeating Team USA's star-studded roster is only amplified by how the last WBC ended: with Shohei Ohtani striking out Mike Trout to seal a 3-2 victory in the championship game and claim Samurai Japan's third tournament title. It's an image that has lingered in the baseball ether, replayed relentlessly both stateside and abroad, especially as Ohtani's highlight reel has grown. For Team USA manager Mark DeRosa, back at the helm after falling short three years ago, that final out lit a fire for him and the entire American baseball apparatus. "I think there's a fear of missing out on the United States' side. My talks in recruiting the players were a heck of a lot different this time around than in 2023," says DeRosa. "I just feel like there's been a tidal wave of emotion, kind of wanting to win this thing." (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) With the United States' men's hockey team's dramatic triumph over rival Canada in the Olympics still fresh in everyone's minds, it's no surprise that members of USA Baseball have been quick to reference that victory as something to strive for in their own domain. But the scenario on ice was much different: Team USA was playing the underdog role, while Canada had amalgamated a stunning amount of world-class talent — talent that was on display for much of the gold-medal game until USA seized victory in overtime. If we're drawing parallels to other national teams, USA Basketball is perhaps a more apt comparison. Even as the game of basketball has grown globally, with several of the best players on the planet hailing from other countries (sound familiar?), USA Basketball has usually had a deep enough pool of talent to emerge victorious in the highest profile international competitions. That notably includes the Summer Olympics, in which the USA men have taken gold in eight of the past nine tournaments. The lone defeat in that span — to Argentina in 2004 — spurred the so-called "Redeem Team" four years later, a play on the "Dream Team" that dominated in 1992. Taking it back to the diamond, it's fair to say that Team USA is entering the World Baseball Classic with elements of both the Dream Team and the Redeem Team. This is an unprecedented group of talent that also has something to prove. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Scheyer signals to his team during Monday's record-tying win. (Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 🏀 117 wins Jon Scheyer is 117-24 since taking over at Duke in 2022, tying Butler's Brad Stevens for the most wins by a D1 coach in their first four seasons. With one regular-season game left, plus the ACC and NCAA tournaments, it's safe to say Scheyer and the top-ranked Blue Devils will soon stand alone at the top of that list. Flashback: Stevens' best of those first four seasons (2007-11) was the 2009-10 campaign, when his Bulldogs went 33-5 and came about two inches away from upsetting Duke in the national title game. And who was the Blue Devils' point guard that season? A senior named Jon Scheyer. 🏒 14 years The Sabres' 14-year playoff drought, by far the longest in the NHL and the second-longest in major North American sports (Jets), should soon become a thing of the past as Buffalo hurtles toward clinching its first postseason berth since 2011. Scorching hot: The Sabres (37-19-6) have gone 26-5-2 since Dec. 9, outscoring their opponents by 44 goals in that span to climb to third place in the East, just four points behind the first-place Hurricanes. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) 🎶 4.16 billion views Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show was the fourth-most watched ever in terms of live audience (128.2 million), but when accounting for YouTube and other digital platforms it drew a record 4.16 billion views globally in the first 24 hours after his performance. Hardly surprising given the Puerto Rican star has been Spotify's most-streamed artist in four of the past six years. 4.16 billion?!? We throw around a lot of big numbers here (see: the literal name of this section), but it's worth pausing to grasp just how massive 4.16 billion is. For starters, that's more than half the world's population (8.27 billion) — roughly the equivalent of every person in the Americas, Europe and Africa combined. Obviously not every view is a different person, but still… Kinda crazy. ⚾️ +225 The Dodgers are heavy favorites to win their third straight World Series (+225 at BetMGM), giving them the shortest preseason title odds since the Yankees in 2003 (+200). On the one hand, just four preseason favorites have won it all this century; on the other hand, two of those were the Dodgers the past two seasons. Other contenders: The Yankees have the second-best odds to win the Fall Classic (+1000), followed by the Mariners (+1300), Blue Jays (+1300), Mets (+1400), Braves (+1600), Red Sox (+1600), Phillies (+1600), Cubs (+2000), Tigers (+2000), Orioles (+2200) and Astros (+2200). 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST The Paralympic logo on display in Cortina d'Ampezzo. (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) 🥇 Winter Paralympics The Milan Cortina Paralympics officially get underway this weekend, beginning with today's Opening Ceremony (1:30pm ET, USA). By the numbers: 665 athletes from 56 nations will compete in 79 medal events across six sports: Para Alpine Skiing, Para Biathlon, Para Cross-Country Skiing, Para Ice Hockey, Para Snowboard and Wheelchair Curling. ⚾️ World Baseball Classic Team USA takes the field this weekend in Houston for its first two games in the 20-team tournament, facing Brazil tonight (8pm, Fox) and Great Britain tomorrow (8pm, Fox). Giants ace Logan Webb gets the ball for the opener, and two-time reigning Cy Young Tarik Skubal starts tomorrow. Best of the rest: Japan — leading their opener against Chinese Taipei, 13-0, through six innings as of 7:30am this morning — faces South Korea tomorrow (5am, FS1) and Australia on Sunday (6am, FS1) in Tokyo. The Dominican Republic's superteam faces Nicaragua tonight (7pm, FS2) and the Netherlands on Sunday (12pm, Fox) in Miami. 🏎️ F1 Season Opener The 77th Formula 1 season kicks off on Saturday at the Australian Grand Prix (11pm, Apple TV), where McLaren and Lando Norris will begin their title defense. As a reminder, broadcast rights have shifted from ESPN to Apple, with all races available to Apple TV subscribers at no additional cost. New era: How you watch isn't the only thing changing this year. An 11th team (Cadillac) has also been added to the grid, meaning races will have 22 drivers instead of 20. Various new rules and regulations have also been implemented that will impact the car's power units, aerodynamics, tires and fuel. 🏒 Hockey Day in America USA Hockey's annual weeklong celebration of the sport is capped off on Sunday by a quadrupleheader of nationally-televised NHL games: Wild at Avalanche (2pm ET, TNT); Bruins at Penguins (4:30pm, TNT); Red Wings at Devils (7pm, ESPN); Oilers at Golden Knights (9:30pm, ESPN). Plus: There are four additional national broadcasts on Friday and Saturday: Panthers at Red Wings (Fri. 7pm, NHL); Capitals at Bruins (Sat. 12:30pm, ABC); Rangers at Devils (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Lightning at Maple Leafs (Sat. 7pm, NHL). 🏀 College Hoops The final weekend of the men's regular season is headlined by the sport's greatest rivalry, as top-ranked Duke hosts No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday night (6:30pm, ESPN). Sunday's marquee game isn't too bad either, with No. 3 Michigan hosting No. 8 Michigan State (4:30pm, CBS). Meanwhile, for the women: The Power Four all hold their conference championship games on Sunday, where Duke will be favored in the ACC (1pm, ESPN), UCLA in the Big Ten (2:15pm, CBS), South Carolina in the SEC (3pm, ESPN) and TCU in the Big 12 (5pm, ESPN). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Clippers at Spurs (Fri. 9:30pm, ESPN); Warriors at Thunder (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Celtics at Cavaliers (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Knicks at Lakers (Sun. 3:30pm, ABC); Rockets at Spurs (Sun. 8pm, NBC) … Full weekend slate. ⚽️ SheBelieves Cup: Canada vs. Argentina (Sat. 12:30pm, truTV); USA vs. Colombia (Sat. 3:30pm, TBS) … The USWNT (2-0) will clinch the title with a win or draw. A loss would open the door for Colombia (1-1) or Canada (1-1). ⛳️ PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/NBC) … Daniel Berger (-9) leads by three strokes at Bay Hill. 🎾 Tennis: Indian Wells (Fri-Sun, Tennis) … Early-round matches for Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and more. 🏁 NASCAR: Phoenix Raceway (Sun. 3:30pm, FS1) … Tyler Reddick already made history by winning the first three races of the season. Can he go 4-for-4? 🏁 IndyCar: Phoenix Raceway (Sat. 3pm, Fox) … No, that's not a typo. The two biggest domestic racing series will share the track this weekend. 👊 UFC 326: Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira (9pm, Paramount+) … Two all-time greats square off in a rematch in Las Vegas for the lightweight "BMF" title ("baddest motherf***er"). 🥍 PLL/WLL: Championship Series (Fri-Sun, ESPN App) … Semifinals and finals of the men's and women's six-on-six tournaments in Springfield, Virginia. Plus: ⚽️ MLS: Matchday 3 (Sat-Sun, Apple); ⛳️ LIV Golf: Hong Kong (Fri-Sun, FS1); 🏉 Six Nations: Week 4 of 5 (Fri-Sat, Peacock); 🏏 T20 World Cup Final: New Zealand vs. India (Sun. 9:30am, Willow TV) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🏈 MIRACLE IN MIAMI WHY WE LOVE SPORTS Paul O. (Frederick, Maryland) writes: It was November 1984, and I was one of four students at the University of Maryland covering sports for the college radio station. We were the WMUC broadcast crew for the football team that year, and excited that the Terps were in the midst of another successful season under Bobby Ross. An upcoming game at No. 6 Miami in the historic Orange Bowl was not to be missed. Given the limited budget of college radio, however, our only viable travel option was to drive the 1,000 miles from College Park to Miami. We piled into the best car any of us owned – a four-year old Toyota Celica GT – with our equipment, our bags and some snacks for the cramped 17-hour journey. Upon arriving at the Orange Bowl to set up for our broadcast, we made our way into the iconic stadium and found that the host school had assigned us to the roof of the press box. As the only media members in that open air setting, we literally had a bird's eye view of the field and most of Miami. A 31-0 first half drubbing by the Hurricanes did little to lift our spirits. We had driven through the night to witness Maryland's most embarrassing half of football in many years. Nobody was looking forward to another 30 minutes of this debacle. But somehow, things changed. Frank Reich in action during the second half. (RVR Photos/Imagn Images) QB Frank Reich came off the bench to replace Stan Gelbaugh in the second half, and the Terps began moving the ball. On the other side, the Bernie Kosar-led Miami offense that could do no wrong in the first half suddenly began stalling. With each possession, the Terps cut into the hefty deficit, and as the final minutes ticked down, the game was miraculously within reach. Six touchdown passes by Reich in the second half eventually led to the largest comeback in NCAA history at the time, a 42-40 win for Maryland that we were there to witness and to broadcast… from the rooftop of the historic Orange Bowl (RIP). Many great games were played in that classic stadium through the years, but none were ever better than that one for four college boys from College Park. The 17-hour drive home didn't seem nearly that long. ✍️ 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! 🏎️ ROLL CALL F1 TRIVIA Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez during preseason testing. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Cadillac has been added to the grid this season as F1's 11th team, and Sauber has rebranded to Audi. Question: Can you name the other nine teams? Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH Brazilian Paralympic snowboarder Andre Barbieri during Wednesday's training session in Cortina. (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) "The Olympics are where heroes are created; the Paralympics are where heroes come." — Ian Bonhôte, director of "Rising Phoenix," a Paralympics documentary that I highly recommend watching. It's on Netflix. Trivia answer: Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas, McLaren, Mercedes, Racing Bulls, Red Bull Racing, Williams Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 9 Author Members Posted March 9 Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images 🏡 The L.A. City Council this week designated the "Brady Bunch house" in the San Fernando Valley as a historic cultural monument. Their vote grants landmark protections to the Dilling Avenue house, used for exterior shots in the iconic 1969–1974 sitcom. Go deeper. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 10 Author Members Posted March 10 > George Russell wins 2026 Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes in Formula 1 season opener, followed by teammate Kimi Antonelli (More) | NFL free agency negotiating window begins today at 12 pm ET (More) | > Country Joe McDonald, lead singer and cofounder of the 1960s counterculture band Country Joe and the Fish, dies at age 84 (More) > "Hoppers" earns $88M globally in opening weekend, best showing for an original animated film and Pixar since "Coco" in 2017 (More) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 11 Author Members Posted March 11 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. Buckle up: NFL free agency doesn't officially begin until Wednesday, but teams can begin negotiating with players at noon ET today. In today's edition: Big Numbers, Ravens land Crosby, World Baseball Classic roundup, Calipari passes Knight, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 NFL headlines: The Raiders traded five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for two first-rounders; the Rams made Trent McDuffie the highest-paid CB in NFL history (4 years, $124M); the Eagles made Jordan Davis the highest-paid NT in NFL history (3 years, $78M); the Chargers re-signed nine-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Khalil Mack (1 year, $18M); the Dolphins are releasing QB Tua Tagovailoa. 🏀 Tickets punched (men): Tennessee State (OVC), LIU (NEC), North Dakota State (Summit), Northern Iowa (MVC), High Point (Big South) and Queens (ASUN) won their conference tournaments to secure automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. 🏀 Tickets punched (women): Duke (ACC), UCLA (Big Ten), Texas (SEC), West Virginia (Big 12), Western Illinois (OVC), Rhode Island (A10), Samford (SoCon), South Dakota State (Summit) and High Point (Big South) secured their spots. ⛳️ Golf roundup: Akshay Bhatia (-15) rallied to beat Daniel Berger in a playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his third PGA Tour victory; Jon Rahm (-23) surged to a commanding win at LIV Hong Kong for his first victory since 2024. ⚽️ USA reigns supreme: The USWNT beat Colombia, 1-0, on Saturday to reclaim the SheBelieves Cup crown and win the tournament for the eighth time in 11 tries. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (HG Biggs/AP Photo) 🏀 31-0 Miami (Ohio) became just the fifth Division I men's basketball team this century to go undefeated in the regular season after a thrilling 110-108 overtime victory over in-state rival Ohio on Friday night. Exclusive club: The only other teams to complete a perfect regular season in the last 48 years? Alcorn State (78-79), Indiana State (78-79), UNLV (90-91), Saint Joseph's (03-04), Wichita State (13-14), Kentucky (14-15) and Gonzaga (20-21). 🏒 0-50-0-0 Moving from the team that never loses to the team that never wins… The Sarnia Legionnaires lost their 50th straight game on Sunday to complete the first winless season in the history of the Greater Ontario Hockey League. How is this even possible? The Legionnaires lost all 50 games they played in regulation. Not even a single overtime or shootout loss that would have earned them a point. They scored 83 goals and gave up 341, good for a -258 goal differential. (Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT/Getty Images) 🥇 20th medal Team USA's Oksana Masters won the sprint sitting para biathlon on Saturday to earn her 10th Paralympic gold medal and 20th medal overall… across four sports… in both the Winter and Summer Games. The legend continues: Masters, a double leg amputee born in Ukraine, has now won 15 Winter Paralympic medals (nine in cross-country, six in biathlon) and five Summer medals (four in cycling, one in rowing) during her decorated career. ⏱️ 57:20 Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo reclaimed the men's half-marathon world record on Sunday, winning in Lisbon in 57 minutes, 20 seconds to take 10 seconds off the time set by Yomif Kejelcha two years ago. Consider this: Kiplimo ran a 4:22 mile… for 13 straight miles. Alright, man. ⚾️ POOL PLAY WBC: WHERE IT STANDS (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Samurai Japan opened their World Baseball Classic title defense with three straight wins at the Tokyo Dome, becoming the first team to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of a tournament that has, so far, gone more or less as expected. Where it stands: The four teams with the best pre-tournament title odds — USA, Dominican Republic, Japan and Venezuela — have ridden their MLB-filled rosters to a combined 9-0 record. And the next two teams on that list, Mexico and Puerto Rico, are also undefeated. Notes: USA's hot start: The American superteam hasn't disappointed, beating Brazil and Great Britain by a combined score of 24-6. And as good as the offense has been, their pitching staff has 33 strikeouts against just a single walk. Dominican muscle: The Dominican Republic steamrolled Nicaragua and the Netherlands behind seven home runs from the likes of Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Junior Caminero. Like father, like son: Brazil's Lucas Ramirez, son of Manny Ramirez, hit two home runs against Team USA; Druw Jones is batting .444 for the Netherlands, managed by his father, Hall of Famer Andruw Jones. ICYMI… Ozzie Albies (Netherlands) hit the first walk-off home run in WBC history on Saturday, and Darell Hernáiz (Puerto Rico) hit another one hours later in front of a home crowd that went ballistic. 🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Boston, Massachusetts — Jayson Tatum returned to the court over the weekend for the first time since rupturing his Achilles last May. He flirted with a triple-double (15-12-7) in Friday's win over the Mavericks and scored 20 points in Sunday's win over the Cavaliers. 10-month recovery: Tatum's return is ahead of the norm. Is that a good thing? Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh compares his recovery timeline to Kobe, KD and others. All 22 drivers pose for a portrait ahead of the 2026 season. (Lars Baron/Getty Images) 🇦🇺 Melbourne, Australia — Mercedes dominated F1's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with George Russell winning from the pole and 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli coming in second. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished a distant third and fourth. Cadillac's debut: The American automaker struggled in its first race since joining the F1 grid, with Sergio Pérez finishing 16th and Valtteri Bottas recording a DNF. (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) 🇮🇹 Siena, Italy — Cycling sensation Tadej Pogačar began his 2026 season with an emphatic victory at Strade Bianche, his fourth win in the last five editions of the race. The scene: "The signs of early spring are not just daffodils, cherry blossom, and the ever-lengthening evenings, but chalk-covered faces climbing Siena's Via Santa Caterina, legs and jerseys dirtied by over 200km of riding through the white roads of Tuscany." (Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic) (Matthew Lewis/ICC via Getty Images) 🇮🇳 Ahmedabad, India — Tournament favorite India crushed New Zealand on Sunday to defend their T20 Cricket World Cup title in front of an adoring home crowd. Short-format dominance: India has fallen to No. 4 in the world in the Test cricket rankings, but they've now won three straight white-ball competitions (i.e. limited overs), with the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups sandwiched around the 2025 Champions Trophy. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, MARCH 9 Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge, as photographed by Ken Griffey Jr. No, really. (Ken Griffey Jr./WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) ⚾️ World Baseball Classic Team USA will look to stay hot tonight in Houston against Mexico (8pm ET, Fox). Paul Skenes gets the start after Logan Webb and Tarik Skubal combined for 11 strikeouts and allowed just three hits across seven innings in their Game 1 and Game 2 starts. Full slate: South Korea vs. Australia (6am, FS1); Colombia vs. Panama (12pm, FS2); Dominican Republic vs. Israel (12pm, FS1); Brazil vs. Great Britain (1pm, TUBI); Puerto Rico vs. Cuba (7pm, FS1); Venezuela vs. Nicaragua (7pm, FS2). 🏀 NBA on Peacock MVP favorites Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić go head-to-head tonight in Oklahoma City (7:30pm). Then it's off to Hollywood, where the Clippers host the Knicks in the nightcap (10pm). Back on track: After their historic 24-1 start, OKC looked positively mortal during a 16-12 stretch from December to February. But the Thunder (50-15) have now won 10 of their last 12 games to maintain their narrow lead over the Spurs in the West. More to watch: 🏀 NCAAM: Georgia Southern vs. Troy (7pm, ESPN2); Furman vs. East Tennessee State (7pm, ESPN) … Sun Belt and SoCon championships. 🏀 NCAAW: James Madison vs. Troy (2pm, ESPNU); No. 25 Fairfield vs. Quinnipiac (6pm, ESPN+); No. 1 UConn vs. Villanova (7pm, Peacock) … Sun Belt, MAAC and Big East championships. 🎾 Tennis: Indian Wells (2pm, Tennis) … Round of 32 action for Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, and more. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🏀 RECORD BOOKS COLLEGE HOOPS TRIVIA (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) John Calipari earned his 900th win on Saturday, overtaking Bob Knight for fifth-most in Division I men's history. Question: Who are the only four coaches with more wins? Hint: They all coached in the ACC. Answer at the bottom. 🍿 BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND (Rich Storry/Getty Images) ⚾️ Machado magic (twice) 🏀 BU at the buzzer! 🏒 Incredible diving save 🏀 Longest alley-oop ever? 🏒 Switches hands for the goal ⚾️ Thompson at the wall! 🏀 Duquesne wins at the last 🥍 Fancy goal ⚽️ Lamine Yamal! ⚽️ Alyssa Thompson! 🏒 How'd he stop that? 🏀 Lob City in Austin 🥎 What a catch! Watch all 13. Trivia answer: Mike Krzyzewski (1,202 wins); Jim Boeheim (1,116); Rick Pitino (910); Roy Williams (903) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 13 Author Members Posted March 13 👋 Good morning! Has your best friend signed up for Yahoo Sports AM yet? Buzzer beater: Preston Edmead lifted Hofstra past Towson and into the CAA semifinals with a ridiculous last-second bank shot in overtime. March, I love you. In today's edition: SGA is unstoppable, NFL free agent frenzy, USA survives Mexico, college basketball's migration generation, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Tickets punched: Troy (Sun Belt) and Furman (SoCon) won their conference tournaments to secure automatic bids to the men's NCAA tournament; James Madison (Sun Belt), Fairfield (MAAC) and UConn (Big East) punched tickets on the women's side. ⚽️ Lifetime bans: Former Columbus Crew teammates Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah received lifetime bans from MLS after an investigation found that they "engaged in extensive gambling on soccer, including on their own teams." 🎾 Upsets at Indian Wells: Alex Michelsen (over No. 7 Taylor Fritz), Rinky Hijikata (over No. 10 Alexander Bublik), No. 27 Cameron Norrie (over No. 6 Alex de Minaur), Sonal Kartal (over No. 15 Madison Keys) and Kateřina Siniaková (over No. 8 Mirra Andreeva) all took down higher seeds on Monday to reach the Round of 16. 🏀 AP polls: Duke (29-2), Arizona (29-2), Michigan (29-2) and Florida (25-6) are the top four teams in the final men's AP poll of the regular season. The top four in the women's poll? UConn (33-0), UCLA (31-1), Texas (31-3) and South Carolina (31-3). ⚾️ Luzardo extension: The Phillies inked LHP Jesús Luzardo to a five-year, $135 million extension to ensure one of the best rotations in baseball stays together as long as possible. Luzardo, Zack Wheeler and Christopher Sánchez are now all signed through at least 2027. The race to the playoffs is on. Stream must-win games commercial-free with League Pass Premium. 🏀 "MVP! MVP!" SGA IS UNSTOPPABLE (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) On the night he tied Wilt Chamberlain's 63-year-old scoring record, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit the game-winning 3-pointer to beat Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in an instant classic. Oh, and he also had a career-high 15 assists. With no turnovers. And finished one rebound shy of a triple-double (35-9-15). Is that good? What are we witnessing? In the short term, probably this season's MVP, which would make SGA a rare back-to-back winner. But zoom out and you realize we aren't just watching an MVP-level basketball player… we're watching one of the most unstoppable scorers the sport has ever seen. The game-winner. (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) By the numbers: When your name starts appearing alongside Chamberlain, LeBron James and Michael Jordan, you're keeping some pretty serious company. SGA has now scored 20+ points in 126 consecutive games, tying Chamberlain for the longest streak in NBA history.* He joined James as the only players since 1977-78 to record 35 points, 15 assists and zero turnovers in a game. He's on pace to become the first player since Jordan to average 30+ points per game in four straight seasons. What they're saying: "I don't know that people know how hard it is to do that [score 20+ points in 126 straight games]," said Jokić, who had his usual triple-double (32-14-13**) in defeat. "He's a special player." *The next-longest streaks: Chamberlain again (92 consecutive games with 20+ points), Oscar Robertson (79 games), Jordan and Kevin Durant (72 games). **Dueling MVPs: SGA and Jokić are just the second pair of MVPs to each record 30 points and 10 assists in the same game. The other pair? Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook in 2021. 🏈 WHEELING AND DEALING NFL FREE AGENCY: TOP PLAYERS ON THE MOVE (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) NFL free agency hit the ground running on Monday, with 15 of our Top 25 free agents — including eight of the top 10 — landing new deals at the outset of the legal tampering period. How it works: During the two-day window that began on Monday afternoon, unrestricted free agents can negotiate with teams and reach verbal contract agreements. But nothing can be signed and made official until the league year begins on Wednesday at 4pm ET. Who's off the board? OL Tyler Linderbaum (No. 2 on our list): The Raiders are giving the three-time Pro Bowler a three-year, $81 million deal that makes the former Raven the league's highest-paid center. WR Alec Pierce (4): After a breakout season in Indianapolis, the Colts will keep their speedy receiver on a four-year, $116 million deal. LB Devin Lloyd (5): The 2022 first-rounder is heading to the Panthers on a three-year, $45 million deal following his breakout All-Pro season in Jacksonville. QB Malik Willis (6): Miami has its new signal-caller, giving Willis a three-year, $67.5 million contract after he impressed last season in Green Bay as Jordan Love's injury replacement. DE Jaelan Phillips (7): The Panthers agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract with the sixth-year edge rusher who split his time last season between the Dolphins and Eagles. OLB Odafe Oweh (8): The Commanders are giving the 2021 first-rounder a four-year, $100 million contract after he split last season between the Ravens and Chargers. WR Rashid Shaheed (9): The Seahawks receiver and return specialist is returning to the Super Bowl champions on a three-year, $51 million contract. RB Kenneth Walker III (10): The Super Bowl MVP is heading to the Chiefs on a three-year deal worth up to $45 million, the richest contract for a free agent RB in NFL history. RB Travis Etienne Jr. (11): The Saints are giving the long-time Jaguar a four-year, $52 million deal. WR Mike Evans (13): The future Hall of Famer is taking his talents to San Francisco on a three-year, $60.4 million deal. The end of an era in Tampa Bay. CB Jamel Dean (15): Speaking of longtime Buccaneers, Dean agreed to a three-year, $36.75 million deal with the Steelers. G Isaac Seumalo (18): The veteran offensive lineman and 2024 Pro Bowler is heading to the Cardinals on a three-year, $31.5 million deal. DE Boye Mafe (22): A key member of Seattle's fearsome "Dark Side" defense is heading to the Bengals on a three-year, $60 million deal. S Bryan Cook (23): Another solid defensive pickup for the Bengals, who are giving the former Chief a three-year, $42.5 million contract. TE Isaiah Likely (24): After being stuck behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore, Likely is heading to the Giants on a three-year, $40 million deal. Who's left? The top remaining free agents include DE Trey Hendrickson (1), QB Kirk Cousins (12), WR Tyreek Hill (14), OLB K'Lavon Chaisson (16), OT Rasheed Walker (17), WR Jauan Jennings (19), WR Romeo Doubs (20), QB Aaron Rodgers (21) and QB Kyler Murray (25). More NFL transactions… Travis Kelce is returning to the Chiefs for a 14th season … Tua Tagovailoa will sign a one-year deal with the Falcons … WR Michael Pittman Jr. was traded from the Colts to the Steelers and given a three-year, $59M extension … S Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded from the Dolphins to the Jets and given a three-year, $40M extension … DE Rashan Gary was traded from the Packers to the Cowboys. ⚾️ POOL PLAY WBC: WHERE IT STANDS (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports) Team USA held on for a 5-3 win over Mexico behind a stellar start from Paul Skenes and home runs from Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony, improving to 3-0 ahead of tonight's game vs. 2-0 Italy (9pm ET, FS1). Scoreboard: Pool A: Puerto Rico beat Cuba, 4-1, to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals. Now it's a race between Cuba and Canada for Pool A's other spot. Pool 😄 Korea beat Australia, 7-2, to advance via tiebreaker. One fewer run scored and the Aussies would've advanced instead. Pool 😧 The D.R. and Venezuela stayed perfect and will play for the top spot in Pool D tomorrow. The winner faces Korea, the loser gets Japan. Highlight of the night: Bobby Witt Jr. shows why he's the best shortstop on the planet. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Purdue senior Braden Smith has spent his entire college career in West Lafayette. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) 🎓 22 seniors How's this for a sign of the times in men's college hoops? There were only 22 Power 5 scholarship players who celebrated Senior Night last week at the same school where they began their career. The Big Ten had the most such players (10), followed by the Big 12 (5), ACC (3), Big East (3) and SEC (1). The migration generation: On the flip side, there are nearly as many Power 5 seniors who played at four different schools in four years (19) thanks to the freedom of movement afforded by the transfer portal. There are also two seniors who played at five schools in five years and another two who played at six schools in six years. 🏈 4th Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, who's heading from the Seahawks to the Chiefs after agreeing to a three-year, $45 million deal on Monday, is just the fourth player to leave his team immediately after winning Super Bowl MVP, per The Athletic ($). The other three: Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown (MVP of Super Bowl XXX) went to the Raiders in 1996. The very next year, Packers return specialist Desmond Howard (Super Bowl XXXI) also left for the Raiders. And in 2003, Buccaneers safety Dexter Jackson (Super Bowl XXXVII) left for the Cardinals. Fight! (Ben Ludeman/NHLI via Getty Images) 🏒 16 years The Sabres beat the Lightning, 8-7, on Sunday in one of the wildest NHL games in decades to notch their eighth straight win and climb into first place in the Atlantic. The last time Buffalo led their division at this stage of the season or later? April 11th, 2010. Nearly 16 years ago! Game of the year? In addition to scoring 15 goals, Buffalo and Tampa Bay also combined for seven fights, 28 penalties and 102 penalty minutes in the back-and-forth affair. 🎾 6-5 20-year-old American Learner Tien upset No. 8 Ben Shelton on Sunday at Indian Wells to reach the Round of 16 and improve to 6-5 against top-10 players in his young career. The only other active players with more wins than losses vs. top-10 opponents? Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Decent company there, Learner. No place like home: Indian Wells is extra special for Tien, who grew up in nearby Irvine, California, coming to the tournament as a fan. "It means a lot," said Tien, who actually still lives with his parents in Irvine. "The court I played on today, I remember exactly where I was sitting in that same stadium when I was a kid, so it's a really cool full-circle moment for me." 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, MARCH 10 (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) 🏀 NBA on NBC The Spurs host the Celtics in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader (8pm ET), followed by Timberwolves at Lakers in the nightcap (11pm). Title favorites: Boston (+600) and San Antonio (+650) have the second- and third-best odds to win the NBA Finals, behind only the defending champion Thunder (+145). Minnesota (+3000) and Los Angeles (+10000), meanwhile, are the first two teams off the graphic above. ⚾️ World Baseball Classic Team USA (3-0) plays its group stage finale tonight against Italy (9pm, FS1), which is 2-0 and still very much alive for the knockouts. Mets rookie Nolan McLean, the No. 6 prospect in all of baseball, gets the start for the Americans. Elsewhere: Puerto Rico vs. Canada in San Juan (7pm, Tubi) is the only other game today with knockout round implications. The hosts are already through to the next round, while Canada is battling with Cuba for the other spot in Pool A. ⚽️ Champions League The Round of 16 kicks off today with four first-leg matches in Turkey, England, Italy and Spain. Full slate: Galatasaray vs. Liverpool (1:45pm, Paramount+); Newcastle United vs. Barcelona (4pm, Paramount+); Atalanta vs. Bayern Munich (4pm, CBSSN); Atlético Madrid vs. Tottenham (4pm, Paramount+). More to watch: 🏀 NCAAM: Monmouth vs. Hofstra (7pm, CBSSN); Detroit Mercy vs. Wright State (7pm, ESPN); No. 12 Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara (9pm, ESPN); Siena vs. Merrimack (9pm, ESPN2) … CAA, Horizon, WCC and MAAC championships. 🏀 NCAAW: Youngstown State vs. Green Bay (12pm, ESPN2); Oregon State vs. Gonzaga (4pm, ESPN2); Air Force vs. Colorado State (9:30pm, CBSSN) … Horizon, WCC and MWC championships. 🏒 NHL: Islanders at Blues (7:30pm, TNT); Oilers at Avalanche (10pm, TNT) … Some late night Connor McDavid vs. Nathan MacKinnon action? Yes, please. 🎾 Tennis: Indian Wells (2pm, Tennis) … Round of 16 action for Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Amanda Anisimova, Aryna Sabalenka and more. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. ⛳️ THE PLAYERS GOLF TRIVIA (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) The famous "island green" awaits this week at TPC Sawgrass, which will host the 52nd edition of The Players Championship. Question: Which hole has the island green? A) 17th 16th C) 18th D) 9th Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) USA sled hockey is off to a dominant start at the Paralympics, winning their first two games by a combined score of 27-1. Trivia answer: 17th hole Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 13 Author Members Posted March 13 The Classic rolls on Photo: Toru Hanai/Getty Images 🇰🇷 South Korea advanced to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals last night for the first time with a 7-2 win over Australia. One fewer run and Australia would've advanced instead, on tie-breaker rules. 🇺🇸 The U.S. fended off Mexico 5-3 — powered in part by a two-run homer from Aaron Judge, born in Sacramento, California. Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images 🧤 Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. showed the world why he's a back-to-back Gold Glover with a dominant defensive performance. (Highlight reel) USA's next game: 9 p.m. ET tonight vs. Italy. Full schedule. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 13 Author Members Posted March 13 A March to Gladness Axios' Danielle Decker Jones writes: My husband, Jeff, and his friend, Ryan, are made of the same stuff: They grew up watching their dads do the same job that they would go on to do, in the same way — without flash or self-promotion, but by putting their heads down, quietly, and doing the work. For more than 40 years, Jeff and Ryan have talked to each other; to their dads, Bob and Dave; and to each other's dads about winning the right way. Why it matters: Ryan Odom has low-key become one of the biggest success stories in men's college basketball. He enters this week's ACC Tournament as the winningest first-year coach in UVA history, and the #2 seed behind Duke. 🏆 Meanwhile, Jeff Jones — whose record as UVA's winningest first-year men's basketball coach is the one Ryan broke — is about to get one of the biggest wins of his life. I had to cancel a surprise party last month because Jeff was in the hospital, so this is a surprise column. More on that soon. First, the backstory: 💙 Jeff has been at war with prostate cancer for more than a decade. The latest battle, these past few weeks — complications from treatment — included 3 ER visits and an unscheduled surgery. Some people don't like "war" phrasing — it's not a fair fight, people don't lose to cancer, etc. But I see what he endures, the daily ravages, and what he still manages to accomplish. And I know that he is a warrior. 🏀 Zoom out: It's peak hoops season. The man's been on a team his whole life, and these days, his teammates are his closest friends. Normally, he would've been dashing from Chartway Arena to the John Paul Jones Arena to the Lenovo Center. 🕊️ But there's no March Sadness in this house. Jeff just plows forward during health setbacks and does what he can, as quietly as ever. There he was in his hospital bed, watching games on his iPad, calling athletic directors and coaches from the ER — his voice hoarsening with congratulations and commiserations. Behind the scenes: Jeff is a big man, with the loping gait of a point guard. Seeing him supine on a cot in triage always reminds me of when Aslan's mane is shorn in Narnia. I kept from getting sad this time because of the surprise he has in store. It also helps me that he doesn't complain when his health fells him. Somehow, he just appreciates what he has and waits it out. As the late, great sportswriter John Feinstein (author of "A March to Madness") wrote: "That's the thing about JJ — he never lets you see him sweat." Flashback: Just over two years ago, a heart attack made Jeff retire from coaching. At first, I wondered how he'd fill his time. At 63, he could still shoot the ball. But he had few hobbies outside work, and the typing skills of a toddler. I needn't have worried; cancer's saving grace is forcing us to value time. Jeff's "Hamilton" tattoo is a daily reminder: "How lucky we are to be alive right now." ⏰ The guy is using his time wisely. He's chairing the NIT Selection Committee, mentoring his former colleagues at Old Dominion University, and co-hosting a basketball podcast. The other day, I heard him interviewing Lucia Odom. Jeff sounded like he was Mike Tirico with a Kentucky drawl. That's a lot. But what Jeff loves most of all, besides being a granddad, is supporting the American Cancer Society. Jeff is a longtime member of ACS's Coaches vs. Cancer board; our friends and family have contributed more than $100,000 in years past. In 2024, after retiring, he had a new concept: a panel featuring his retired coaching friends. He called it "Legends." He began planning, staying behind the scenes. In September, the gala in Norfolk, Va., became the most successful rookie Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising event in ACS history. The party we just had to cancel was supposed to kick off planning for the second "Legends" gala. 🎉 OK, here's the surprise: Jeff, it wasn't really just a kickoff party. Your friends from the American Cancer Society wanted to tell you something, in person, in front of your loved ones. They're going to honor you for the work you've done by naming you the winner of this year's national Volunteer Leadership Award. In nominating you, they wrote that you've advanced their mission with "conviction, humility, and heart," and that your "ability to inspire others has created lasting impact in the fight against cancer." How 'bout them apples? 🌱 The bottom line: When people tell Jeff's story, they'll talk about the games he won — and the lives he helped save. Those are the seeds he is planting; that's his legacy. How lucky we all are to have time, today, to do the things that we want to be remembered for. It just takes heart, humility, putting your head down, and doing the work. That's the stuff legends are made of. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 14 Author Members Posted March 14 🏀 1 for the road: Historic NBA night Bam Adebayo embraces his mom after scoring 83 points last night. Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo scored 83 points last night against the Washington Wizards — the second-highest total in NBA history. Why it matters: The 6-foot-9 center is among the league's best defenders and a solid but not flashy scorer — an unlikely figure to almost upend one of basketball's most sacred records. The 83-point night is second only to Wilt Chamberlain's iconic 100-point game in 1962 while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors (now in San Francisco). Adebayo passed his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, for the second-highest scoring game ever (81 points). He also set NBA records for free throws made (36) and attempted (43). Watch the highlights ... AP gamer ... Box score. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 15 Author Members Posted March 15 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: 83-point explosion, Italy stuns Team USA, Ravens back out of Crosby deal, more tickets punched, Play of the Day, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Crosby deal called off: The Ravens have backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade after the Raiders edge rusher reportedly failed his physical. Crosby played through most of last season with an injured meniscus and underwent knee surgery in January. This will have ripple effects, to say the least. 🏈 More NFL moves: The Raiders are trading Geno Smith to the Jets, where the QB began his career in 2013; the Patriots are signing former Packers WR Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $80 million deal; the Lions are signing former Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco to replace David Montgomery. ⚽️ Champions League roundup: The Round of 16 began with four first-leg matches. The two most notable results of the day? Turkish side Galatasaray blanking Liverpool, 1-0, and Barcelona and Newcastle playing to a 1-1 draw. 👊 Rousey torches UFC: Ronda Rousey, who once helped propel the UFC into the mainstream, excoriated the company during Tuesday's press conference for her upcoming Netflix bout against Gina Carano. "They need to be saved from themselves, and luckily I'm here to be their hero." ⚽️ Home base secured: The USMNT has selected Great Park Sports Complex, a municipal facility in Irvine, California, as its training base for this summer's World Cup. The nearly 200-acre space includes an array of athletic fields and a 5,000-seat soccer stadium, home to Orange County SC of the second-tier USL Championship. 🏀 RECORD BOOKS BAM EXPLODES FOR 83 POINTS (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Entering Tuesday night, Heat center Bam Adebayo had never scored more than 41 points in a game. By the end of the evening, he'd erupted for 83 points — the second-highest single-game total in NBA history. How he did it: Adebayo attempted 43 free throws (!!!) and made 36 of them, both NBA records. He also tossed up 22 three-pointers, the third-most in NBA history (and made a career-high seven of them). His teammates were intentionally fouling down the stretch of a blowout 150-129 win to get Bam the ball back, which turned the end of the game into a bit of a laughingstock and rubbed some viewers the wrong way. It also helped that the Heat were playing the Wizards, who are one of the NBA's worst teams (and have little interest in winning games at the moment). All necessary context, sure. But don't let it distract from the extraordinary nature of his feat. It's simply incredible. Adebayo: "To be [at] 83 and passing [Bryant], in my mind, it's like, what would he say to me? Because I've always wanted to have a conversation with him. He'd probably say, 'Go do it again.' Just a surreal moment being in the company with somebody that you idolized growing up." (Yahoo Sports) From Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine: Erik Spoelstra has walked the sidelines for more than 1,600 games as the head coach of the Heat. But he'd never seen one quite like the one he coached on Tuesday. "This was just an absolutely surreal night," Spoelstra told reporters after the game. "We have been blessed to have been a part of a lot of big moments in this arena. This one … it just happened. Moments happen. And I'm grateful that we're able to be a part of it, and witness it." With all due respect to one of the greatest coaches in NBA history … no. Accidents will happen. S*** happens. Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points in an NBA game, though? That doesn't just happen. Every other player with a 70-point game to his name — Chamberlain, Bryant, Dončić, Thompson, Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker — ranks in or just outside the top 50 scorers in NBA history in terms of points-per-game average; Adebayo ranks 221st. Bam entered Tuesday averaging 18.9 points on 15.2 field-goal attempts per game on the season. In fact, he's just the third-leading scorer on the Heat, behind guards Norman Powell (22.5 ppg) and Tyler Herro (22.1 ppg). But both Powell and Herro were out of the lineup; so were starting swingman Andrew Wiggins and second-year big man Kel'el Ware. That left a shot-creation and shot-making void in the heart of the Heat's lineup … and the heart of the Heat franchise set about filling it. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images) Dynamic duo: Adebayo and his girlfriend, A'ja Wilson, now own the highest scoring games among active players in their respective leagues (Wilson erupted for a WNBA-record-tying 53 points in 2023). "I see the countless hours, the early morning workouts, I see all that," said Wilson, who was sitting courtside and joined Adebayo for his press conference. "I know he says I'm his inspiration, but I don't think he has a clue how much he inspires me." ⚾️ WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC ITALY 8, USA 6 Aaron Judge walks off the field after striking out to end the game. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images) Italy stunned Team USA with an 8-6 victory on Tuesday at the World Baseball Classic, putting the Americans in jeopardy of not advancing to the knockout round. Game recap: Team Italy — comprising mostly American big leaguers with Italian heritage — raced out to an early 8-0 lead in Houston behind 4.2 shutout innings from veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen (Royals) and home runs from Jac Caglianone (Royals), Kyle Teel (White Sox) and Sam Antonacci (White Sox prospect). Team USA made it a game in the later innings, scoring six runs in the final four frames on three dingers — one from Gunnar Henderson and two from Pete Crow-Armstrong. Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert struck out Aaron Judge, the tying run in the ninth, to end the proceedings and conclude one of the biggest upsets in international baseball history. Where it stands: Team USA (3-1) is now left to sweat out tonight's game between Mexico (2-1) and Italy (3-0). If the Italians win, the Americans advance alongside them. But if Mexico wins while scoring four runs or fewer, the U.S. loses the tiebreaker (fewest runs allowed per out recorded) and is eliminated from a tournament it was favored to win. Scenarios: Italy wins: Italy advances, USA advances Mexico wins and scores 5+ runs: Mexico advances, USA advances Mexico wins and scores 4 runs or fewer: Mexico advances, Italy advances (Houston Astros/Getty Images) The DeRosa controversy: Team USA manager Mark DeRosa appeared on MLB Network Tuesday morning and proclaimed that his squad had already clinched a spot in the knockouts. 'We wanna win this game even though our ticket is punched to the quarterfinals," he said. Asked after the loss about that factually incorrect statement, DeRosa's answer wasn't clear. "Yeah, I misspoke. I was on 'Hot Stove' with a couple buddies today and completely misread the calculations." From Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz: "Misspoke" and "misread the calculations" are two very different things. So there are two explanations here, neither of which makes DeRosa look good. The more gracious interpretation is that the skipper actually misspoke and knew all along that Team USA needed a win against Italy to guarantee its spot in the quarterfinals. Even if that's what happened, it's still a bad look that DeRosa was bombastic enough to use the phrase "punched our ticket" and tell "Hot Stove" that he was purposefully resting a few players. That's the epitome of overlooking an opponent. The worse interpretation is completely damning: DeRosa didn't know Team USA wasn't through until some point during or after the game. He and his staff "misread the calculations," misunderstanding the ins and outs of the complicated WBC tiebreaker system, and assumed they were safe. With that in mind, they opted to rest Bryce Harper, Alex Bregman and Brice Turang and adopt a more passive pitching plan. If that's how it really went down ... oof. It only looks uglier in the context of DeRosa's pregame implication that some of the USA coaches and players were up late together downing suds and sharing stories. "There's some guys dragging today," he admitted. Well, if Mexico wins on Wednesday while scoring four runs or fewer, there will be 20-some American superstars dragging their asses back to spring training. 📆 ON THIS DAY FLASHBACK: MARCH 11, 2020 A Capitals employee skates alone in an empty Capital One Arena on March 12, 2020. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) Six years ago today, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. By day's end, the NBA had suspended play indefinitely following Rudy Gobert's positive test. By month's end, every major sporting event on Earth had been either postponed or canceled. The months that followed: The NFL held a virtual draft in April, and "The Last Dance" came out in May. By the summer, most leagues had resumed play in "bubbles" with no fans (but lots of cardboard cutouts!). When fall arrived, sports venues became polling centers and Dustin Johnson won a Masters unlike any other. Winter was still weird, but some things felt normal. Like Nick Saban winning another national title. And Tom Brady winning another Super Bowl. Sometimes 2020 feels like it was a decade ago… Other times, it feels like yesterday… A strange, depressing stretch of months when the sports calendar vanished (well, except for competitive marble racing) and the world felt suddenly unfamiliar. 🏀 TICKETS PUNCHED MARCH MADNESS: WHO'S DANCING? (Yahoo Sports) Men: Hofstra (CAA), Wright State (Horizon), Siena (MAAC) and Gonzaga (West Coast) won their conference tournaments on Tuesday to secure automatic bids to the men's NCAA tournament. They join: Queens (ASUN), High Point (Big South), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Long Island (Northeast), Tennessee State (Ohio Valley), Furman (SoCon), North Dakota State (Summit) and Troy (Sun Belt). Same as it ever was: Gonzaga, which will join the Pac-12 next season, concluded its tenure in the WCC by winning the program's 23rd conference tournament title (and 12th in the last 14 years). The end of an era! (Yahoo Sports) Women: Green Bay (Horizon), Colorado State (Mountain West) and Gonzaga (West Coast) punched tickets on the women's side. They join: Rhode Island (Atlantic 10), Duke (ACC), Jacksonville (ASUN), West Virginia (Big 12), UConn (Big East), High Point (Big South), UCLA (Big Ten), Fairfield (MAAC), Western Illinois (Ohio Valley), Texas (SEC), Samford (SoCon), South Dakota State (Summit) and James Madison (Sun Belt). Meanwhile, on the bubble: Is Tennessee (16-13) in danger of missing the dance? Not a single NCAA tournament has been played without the Lady Vols. Yet, after a brutally unsuccessful end to the season, there are rumblings about whether this might be the year the streak is broken. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrates his grand slam with a plantain-wrapped dumbbell. This tournament is awesome. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) ⚾️ World Baseball Classic Pool play comes to a close today with three critical matchups: Canada vs. Cuba (3pm ET, FS2), Italy vs. Mexico (7pm, Tubi) and Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela (8pm, FS1). What's at stake? A lot! As detailed above, the Italy-Mexico result has a direct impact on whether or not Team USA advances, while Canada-Cuba is a win-or-go-home clincher. The D.R. and Venezuela have both already advanced, but the winner gets South Korea while the loser will have to face defending champion Japan. ⚽️ Champions League The Round of 16 continues today with four first-leg matches in Germany, France, Spain and Norway. Full slate: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Arsenal (1:45pm, Paramount+); PSG vs. Chelsea (4pm, Paramount+); Real Madrid vs. Manchester City (4pm, Paramount+); Bodø/Glimt vs. Sporting CP (4pm, CBSSN). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Cavaliers at Magic (7:30pm, ESPN); Rockets at Nuggets (10pm, ESPN) … Nikola Jokić leads the league in both rebounds (12.5) and assists per game (10.3). 🎾 Tennis: Indian Wells (2pm, Tennis) … Round of 16 action for Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula and more. 🏀 NCAAM: McNeese vs. Stephen F. Austin (5pm, ESPN2); BU vs. Lehigh (7pm, CBSSN); Idaho vs. Montana (11:30pm, ESPN2) … Southland, Patriot League and Big Sky championships. 🏀 NCAAW: Montana State vs. Idaho (5pm, ESPNU) … Big Sky championship. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🏀 FRANCHISE LEADERS NBA TRIVIA (Megan Briggs/Getty Images) Bam Adebayo ranks second on the Heat's all-time scoring list (10,084 points), trailing only Dwyane Wade (21,556). Question: Who ranks third? Hint: Center. Answer at the bottom. 🏒 HIGHLIGHT REEL PLAY OF THE DAY (Giphy) I can't stop watching this filthy give-and-go goal between Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They call him "McJesus" for a reason, folks. Final: Oilers 4, Avalanche 3 Trivia answer: Alonzo Mourning (9,459 points) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 15 Author Members Posted March 15 🎥 Ben Affleck's monster AI sale Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Netflix will pay up to $600 million to acquire an AI moviemaking company founded by Ben Affleck, Bloomberg reports. Why it matters: It's one of the biggest ever purchases by the streaming giant — and "also one of the largest AI deals by a major Hollywood studio." The startup, InterPositive, has developed AI-powered tools that adjust existing footage. "Affleck has built InterPositive as a tool for filmmakers: A director needs to shoot a movie before the software can train using the footage. Only then can it help remove stray items or adjust the background in a scene." Keep reading (gift link). Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 16 Author Members Posted March 16 👋 Good morning! I've lost track of how many times I've watched this point. In today's edition: Team USA survives, Ravens land top free agent, the "fifth major," a tale of two Lakers teams, WBC trivia, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Ravens land Hendrickson: After backing out of their trade for Raiders star Maxx Crosby, Baltimore landed the biggest prize of this free agent class, giving four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson a four-year, $112 million contract. 🇮🇷 Iran's World Cup status: Nearly two weeks after the U.S. began airstrikes in Iran, the country's sports minister said Iran will not participate in this summer's World Cup. If that does indeed happen, FIFA's replacement would likely be either Iraq or the United Arab Emirates. 🏀 Tickets punched: McNeese (Southland), Lehigh (Patriot) and Idaho (Big Sky) secured automatic bids to the men's NCAA tournament, while Idaho (Big Sky) punched its ticket on the women's side. ⚽️ Champions League scoreboard: Bodø/Glimt's stunning run continued with a 3-0 win over Sporting CP in their Round of 16 first-leg match, and Federico Valverde's hat trick lifted Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Manchester City. Elsewhere: PSG beat Chelsea, 5-2, and Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen played to a 1-1 draw. 🎾 Draper upsets Djokovic: Defending champion Jack Draper upset Novak Djokovic, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells in a match that featured one of the best points you'll ever see in your life. Please watch this. ⚾️ QUARTERFINALS WBC: SURVIVE AND ADVANCE (Yahoo Sports) Team USA snuck into the quarterfinals as the World Baseball Classic's group stage came to an end on Wednesday, leaving eight teams still fighting for the crown. Scoreboard: Just one of Wednesday's games was particularly close, but all three had significant implications. Italy 9, Mexico 1: The Italians knocked Mexico out of the tournament — and ensured the USA's survival — behind a stellar start from Phillies righty Aaron Nola (5 IP, 5 K, 0 R) and the first 3-homer game in WBC history, courtesy of Royals 1B Vinnie Pasquantino. Canada 7, Cuba 2: Well, how about that. For the first time ever, Canada has reached the WBC knockouts, going 3-1 to win Pool A. And for the first time ever, Cuba didn't reach the knockouts. Dominican Republic 7, Venezuela 5: The D.R. won the Pool D finale — which was, more than anything, a celebration of Latin American baseball — on the strength of titanic home runs from Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ketel Marte. Power surge: There have already been 92 home runs hit during the WBC, the most ever in a single tournament (previously: 85 in 2023 and 2009). And there's still seven games left to play! Looking ahead: The quarterfinals begin tomorrow, headlined by USA vs. Canada. The other matchups: Dominican Republic vs. South Korea, Puerto Rico vs. Italy and Venezuela vs. Japan. ⛳️ EMBRACE DEBATE COULD THE PLAYERS BECOME A MAJOR? The pin flag on the 17th green. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) An old debate has found renewed vigor ahead of The Players Championship, which teed off this morning: Should the tournament long heralded as "the fifth major" earn official major status? The case for: The Players already has all the bona fides with its massive $25 million purse (bigger than any major), arguably the most competitive field in golf, and a course in TPC Sawgrass that is as demanding as it is iconic. Then there's the common sense argument: Isn't it strange that the world's leading tour doesn't host a major championship? As a reminder, the four current majors are all independently organized by Augusta National (Masters), the R&A (Open), the USGA (U.S. Open) and the PGA of America (PGA). "Personally, I think it's a major," seven-time PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel told Golf Digest. "If I was able to win a Players, I would count that as a major." The case against: For starters, tradition. As retired Los Angeles Times golf writer Thomas Bonk once said, "There are seven dwarfs, 12 days of Christmas and four majors." Maybe not the strongest argument, but one that holds a lot of water in golf. It would also create a bit of a record-keeping mess. Would former Players winners be retroactively granted major victories? That would give Jack Nicklaus an even more insurmountable total of 21, plus 17 for Tiger and seven for Rory, whose interminable wait for another major would have technically ended six years earlier at the 2019 Players. "It's not a major for me. [But] saying it's not a major doesn't, like, demean it in any way," said Tommy Fleetwood, whose sentiments are echoed by many. "I think four majors sits perfectly and the Players has its own identity and its own ... place on a pedestal in the game." Put another way: As Justin Leonard once said when asked to compare his 1997 Open Championship victory with the Players he won a year later: "Apples and oranges… But this is one hell of an orange." Brian Rolapp speaks to the media on Wednesday ahead of The Players. (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) So, why the renewed debate? The PGA Tour itself is leading the charge, releasing a hype video last month announcing that "March is going to be major," and explicitly stating their desire "to start a conversation." The Tour's reasoning isn't hard to parse; majors are more prestigious, and more prestige means more profits. Thus, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp — who, in addition to banging this drum also laid out plans on Wednesday for a half-dozen new initiatives to reshape the sport — has about a billion-and-a-half reasons to push for this change. From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: There's no problem at all, from a fan perspective, with things as they stand now. A landmark regular-season tournament can have just as much compelling day-to-day interest as a marquee one. Duke/Carolina, Ohio State/Michigan and the Iron Bowl are still fantastic regular-season games even if they have no material impact on the individual schools' seasons. Tens of millions of fans will tune in to the next Chiefs/Bills or Packers/Bears game no matter whether it comes in September or January. The key issue here is that a player's career is defined by the number of majors he won, not the number of PGA Tour events or FedEx Cup playoffs. As long as the key numbers hovering over Jack, Tiger, Rory and Scottie are 18, 15, 5 and counting, and 4 and counting, The Players holds a best-of-the-rest status. And that understandably doesn't sit so well with the PGA Tour and the Strategic Sports Group, which has poured $1.5 billion into the Tour with the expectation of a sizable return. Prestige guarantees money in golf, and there's nothing more prestigious than the majors. It's one of the quirks of professional golf that the PGA Tour, the dominant force in the game today, doesn't actually control any of the majors… a state of affairs the Tour would very much like to change. Bottom line: Aside from delivering stakeholder value (shudders), granting major status to The Players feels largely cosmetic. Barring an unforeseen shift in the discourse, it will always be the "fifth major" — with or without the quotation marks. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Ryan and Rob after Wrexham earned promotion last season. (Kya Banasko/Getty Images) ⚽️ 5 years later Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac will celebrate the fifth anniversary of their purchase of the Welsh soccer club by doing live commentary during tomorrow's home match vs. Swansea. Hollywood couldn't script this: The Red Dragons have won an unprecedented three consecutive promotions since 2023 and are currently in playoff position in the second-tier EFL Championship. Earn promotion again this season and they'll move up to the Premier League. 🏀 33-32 Kawhi Leonard (45 points) and the Clippers stormed past the Timberwolves, 153-128, on Wednesday night to improve to 33-32 on the season after starting 6-21. Flipping the script: The Clippers are the only team in NBA history to move above .500 after falling at least 15 games below .500 in the same season. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 🏈 3 of 29 With the Cardinals officially releasing Kyler Murray, just three of the 29 first-round QBs drafted last decade (2010-19) remain with the teams that took them. Those three QBs: Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes (10th pick in 2017), Buffalo's Josh Allen (7th pick in 2018) and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson (32nd pick in 2018). ⛳️ 48.1 million Golf's post-pandemic boom is not slowing down, with total participation hitting a record 48.1 million in 2025, according to new data from the National Golf Foundation. Zoom out: That's up 2% from 2024 and a whopping 41% from 2019, right before COVID arrived and made golf the ideal "social distance" sport. Over the past decade, the number has increased 55%, from 31 million in 2015. 🏀 CONTENDERS OR PRETENDERS? A TALE OF TWO LAKERS TEAMS LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) From Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine: There are only 20 NBA players averaging more than 20 points and five assists per game, and Team A is the only one in the league that employs three of them. This team has the best record and second-best net rating in games where the score was within five points in the final five minutes; it has been arguably the best crunch-time squad in the NBA. This team is on pace for 50 wins and is tied for third place in its conference, led by an MVP candidate, one of the greatest players of all time, and an ascendant offensive star poised to receive a massive new deal as soon as this summer. And then, there's Team B. This team has fielded a bottom-10 defense virtually all season, and actually defends worse, like a near-bottom-five unit, with its starting center on the floor. This team is 17-20 against .500-or-better teams, including an 8-13 mark against opponents currently positioned in the top six in either conference. It has the worst point differential of any top-six team — actually, up until about a week and a half ago, it had been outscored over the course of the full season — and has been a net-negative with its three best players on the floor together … which helps explain why it's just two games clear of dropping into the play-in tournament. Team A sounds like a contender. Team B sounds like an also-ran. The thing is — if you haven't already figured out my clever ruse — they're actually the same team. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, MARCH 12 The Players Championship trophy. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) ⛳️ The Players Championship The PGA Tour's signature event tees off today at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where a stacked field of 123 golfers — including 47 of the world's top 50 — will compete for a $25 million purse and $4.5 million grand prize. Players to watch: Scottie Scheffler is again the heavy favorite to win (+450 at BetMGM), though after his season-opening victory he's finished successively worse in each ensuing event, including T24 last week at Bay Hill. Defending champion Rory McIlroy will be a game-time decision due to the back injury that forced him to withdraw last weekend. 🏀 NBA on Prime Three of the league's four best teams take the floor in tonight's doubleheader, with the first-place Pistons hosting the 76ers (7pm) and the first-place Thunder hosting the second-place Celtics (9:30pm). Passing Wilt: If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 20 points tonight, he'll break a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive 20-point games in NBA history (127). Incredible consistency. 🎾 Indian Wells The men's and women's quarterfinals are today, airing on the Tennis Channel. Men: No. 4 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 30 Arthur Fils (2pm); No. 2 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 25 Learner Tien (4pm); No. 11 Daniil Medvedev vs. No. 14 Jack Draper (8pm); No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 27 Cameron Norrie (10pm). Women: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 10 Victoria Mboko (2pm); No. 14 Linda Nosková vs. Talia Gibson (4pm); No. 2 Iga Świątek vs. No. 9 Elina Svitolina (5:30pm); No. 3 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 5 Jessica Pegula (8pm). More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Capitals at Sabres (7pm, ESPN+) … First-place Buffalo (40-19-6) goes for its ninth straight win. 🏀 NCAAM: No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 16 Texas Tech (12:30pm, ESPN); No. 1 Duke vs. FSU (7pm, ESPN); No. 5 Houston vs. BYU (7pm, ESPN2); No. 6 UConn vs. Xavier (7pm, FS1) … Big 12, ACC and Big East quarterfinals. 🏀 NCAAW: McNeese vs. Stephen F. Austin (5pm, ESPNU) … Southland championship. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. Get tickets now! 🌎 GLOBAL GAME WBC TRIVIA Flags are displayed between a Pool B game in Houston. (Houston Astros/Getty Images) Question: Can you rank the eight WBC quarterfinalists by population (largest to smallest)? The quarterfinalists: Canada, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, South Korea, USA, Venezuela Answer at the bottom. 📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH A's prospect Henry Bolte signs autographs before a spring training game. (David Becker/Getty Images) A friendly reminder that while the World Baseball Classic has gotten most of the attention, MLB spring training is still in full swing, and remains a criminally underrated part of baseball's calendar. This kid's reaction says it all. Trivia answer: USA (349M), Japan (122.4M), Italy (58.9M), South Korea (51.6M), Canada (40.5M), Venezuela (28.6M), Dominican Republic (11.6M), Puerto Rico (3.2M) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 17 Author Members Posted March 17 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. RIP, LED: The Big 12 is abandoning its much-ballyhooed glass LED court, which debuted to mixed reviews. The remaining three games of its conference tournament will be played on a hardwood floor. In today's edition: The metric that might save Miami, Kyler to the Vikings, Why We Love Sports, NWSL kicks off, NHL Goal of the Year candidate, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Alone at the top: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points in OKC's 104-102 win over the Celtics, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record for the most consecutive 20-point games in NBA history. Here are some of the craziest stats behind SGA's mind-boggling streak. ⛳️ Players leaderboard: Five golfers are tied for the lead at 5-under after a weather-impacted first round at The Players Championship. Scottie Scheffler (E) and Rory McIlroy (+2), the two most recent champions, struggled with the sideways rain and 40-mph wind gusts. 🏈 Kyler to Minnesota: Kyler Murray is headed from the desert to the Midwest after signing a one-year contract with the Vikings, whom he grew up rooting for despite being a Texas native. "Genuine, genuine fandom," he said. "A lot of purple in my household." 🏒 Triumph after tragedy: A month after losing his mother, brother and grandfather following the Feb. 16 shooting during a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Colin Dorgan sent his team to the state championship with a goal in double overtime. 🏀 WNBA negotiations continue: The WNBA and its players' union still haven't agreed on a new CBA, but there has reportedly been genuine progress after three straight days of marathon negotiation sessions. "We're feeling movement," said WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike. NBA ID Member Days are here! This weekend, you can score premium perks, exclusive discounts, digital rewards, and stream League Pass games on us. Don't wait – NBA ID Member Days ends March 15th, so create your free NBA ID today. 🏀 BUBBLE WATCH THE THREE LETTERS THAT COULD SAVE MIAMI Miami's Luke Skaljac during Thursday's loss to UMass. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Could a team with the best record in the nation (31-1) really miss the NCAA tournament? It's at least a debate after Miami (Ohio) squandered its perfect season against unheralded UMass in the MAC quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon. Wins vs. metrics: The argument for Miami to make the 68-team field is simple: they won 31 straight games! And 31 of 32! The objective of basketball is to score more points than your opponent, and the RedHawks did that 96.8% of the time. The argument against Miami is also pretty straightforward: very few of their wins came against good teams, and one could argue that none of their wins came against great ones. Their lone top-100 victory was at home against Akron in January. Their next-most impressive result is an early-season road win at a Wright State team ranked 134th in the NET rankings. Between the lines: One factor that complicates the evaluation of Miami is that the RedHawks did not play the nation's 364th-ranked non-league schedule by choice. Few highly ranked opponents wanted to play a sneaky-good mid-major that won 25 games the previous season and retained six of its top nine players. "I was told no by probably 75 to 90 teams, from obviously all your power conferences, to your A-10s, to your Mountain Wests. I guess you could say we were in scheduling no man's land. We didn't fit the profile of what anyone was looking for." — Associate head coach Jonathan Holmes The RedHawks are in… right? (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) The key metric: WAB (Wins Above Bubble) measures a team's total number of victories compared to how many wins the average bubble team would be expected to rack up against the same schedule. It has quickly become the NCAA tournament selection committee's favorite tool to make bubble decisions, and those three letters might just save the RedHawks. From Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg: Most predictive metrics scream what Bruce Pearl famously screamed earlier this month — that Miami is not the quality of other contenders for at-large bids. The RedHawks fell to 87th in Bart Torvik's rankings and 93rd in KenPom on Thursday after their 87-83 loss to UMass. No team with KenPom ratings as low as those has ever earned an at-large bid. WAB evaluates Miami differently, as do other résumé-based metrics. The RedHawks fell only to 33rd in WAB after their loss, tucked right among NCAA tournament-bound UCLA (32), Utah State (34) and Ohio State (35). Other bubble teams with many more marquee wins but many, many more losses trail behind Miami in the WAB rankings. Auburn checks in 44th, followed by SMU and Texas. Indiana (51), Oklahoma (53) and Stanford (56) are even further behind. When asked by reporters last month which of the seven metrics on the team sheets used by the selection committee are most important, NCAA vice president of men's basketball Dan Gavitt went out of his way to highlight WAB, "especially when it comes to selecting teams." Gavitt said that the selection of last year's final at-large teams was more highly correlated to WAB than it was to any other metric. Further reading: Meet the professional gambler who created WAB (Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports) 📸 MILAN CORTINA THROUGH THE LENS: PARALYMPICS Oksana Masters celebrates after winning gold in para cross-country sprint sitting. (Alex Grimm/Getty Images) Before the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics come to an end on Sunday, lets take a quick look back at the 14th edition of the Games. Oksana Masters has been one of the biggest stars, winning three gold medals in para cross-country and biathlon to give her 22 career medals across the Winter and Summer Paralympics. And she still has two races left to add to that haul. What she's saying: "I feel like I'm on top of the world," said the Ukrainian-born American who's now the most-decorated U.S. Winter Paralympian ever. "My cheeks are hurting from smiling." Members of Team China pose after competing in para biathlon individual standing. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images) China has the most gold medals (10) and total medals (29) among the 55 competing nations. Team USA is second in both counts, with seven gold and 16 total medals. Rounding out the top five: Austria has the third-most gold medals (five), followed by Italy and Russia (four each), which is back in the Paralympics for the first time since 2014. American Josh Pauls scores in Tuesday's group stage game against China. (James Fearn/Getty Images for IPC) The biggest event left on the schedule is sled hockey, with the U.S. facing Czechia in today's first semifinal (9:30am ET, USA) and Canada facing China in the second (2pm, Peacock) ahead of Sunday's championship. Rematch coming? Team USA beat Canada in the final at each of the last two Paralympics. Could they meet for a third straight time, giving the world yet another USA vs. Canada gold-medal hockey showdown? A skier gets ready in the starting gate. (David Ramos/Getty Images) The Closing Ceremony will take place on Sunday at the Cortina Curling Stadium, which hosted both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the 1956 Olympics. Behind the lens: The image above was captured using a vintage Graflex camera, paying tribute to the type of camera that would have been used 70 years ago when Cortina previously hosted the Games. ❤️ THE LITTLE THINGS WHY WE LOVE SPORTS Jes with the foul ball. Bill C. (Shaker Heights, Ohio) writes: After my wife passed away in 2013 following a lengthy battle with cancer, a friend gave me tickets to a minor league baseball game, along with a note encouraging me to have a "normal" night out with my daughter. Jes was just eight years old at the time, and her first-ever trip to the ballpark would be to see the Akron Aeros, the Indians' Double-A affiliate. Like a lot of young kids, she had little interest in the game itself but immediately loved the atmosphere — mascots, snack foods, the silly between-innings antics that minor league teams are known for. Then she noticed that fans were keeping foul balls. I gently explained that she shouldn't get her hopes up, adding that I had been to about a hundred games and never even come close to one. You know where this is headed… Sure enough, halfway through the game, future Yankee Giovanny Urshela hit a ball that ricocheted into our section, and she made a beeline for it. There was a scrum of men, but being small and wiry apparently has its advantages, because she emerged with the ball, held up the prize and shouted, "I got it!" The whole section erupted in cheers. I'm tempted to say that in that moment, I knew everything would be all right. But we're not living in a Lifetime movie; a foul ball won't heal a child's shattered heart. What I did realize in that moment was that even as we were dealing with such profound loss, we were going to have some wins, too. And at the very least, we left that park smiling. But the story doesn't end there. As we were leaving, Jes mentioned that while it was nice to have the ball, it would be even better if it were autographed. It was such a sweetly ungrateful sentiment that I had to share it on Facebook. About a week later, a ball signed by Urshela showed up in the mail; one of my Facebook friends knew a guy who knew a guy who worked for the Aeros. In a summer filled with grief, sports brought joy. Twice. ✍️ 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! 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ World Baseball Classic The WBC quarterfinals begin tonight with the Dominican Republic taking on South Korea in Miami (6:30pm ET, FS2) and the USA facing Canada in Houston (8pm, Fox). Tomorrow, it's Puerto Rico vs. Italy in Houston (3pm, FS1) and Japan vs. Venezuela in Miami (9pm, Fox). Top performers: Venezuela's Luis Arráez is batting .500 with 9 RBIs and leads all players with six extra-base hits; Korea's Bo Gyeong Moon is batting .538 with a tournament-best 11 RBIs; Japan's Shohei Ohtani is batting .556 with a 2.025 OPS (!!!); Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1.583 OPS) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (1.534 OPS) have powered the D.R.'s tournament-best offense. 🏀 Selection Sunday The 68-team brackets will be revealed on Sunday night for the men's (6pm, CBS) and women's (8pm, ESPN) NCAA tournaments. But first, there are still 29 automatic bids up for grabs in this weekend's conference championships. Men: The ACC, Big 12, Big East, MAC, C-USA, Big West, SWAC, WAC, MEAC, MWC and America East title games are on Saturday, followed by the Big Ten, SEC, American, A10 and Ivy on Sunday. Women: The America East title game is tonight; the American, C-USA, Ivy, MAC, MEAC, SWAC, WAC and Big West are tomorrow; the NEC, Patriot, CAA and MVC are on Sunday. ⚽️ NWSL Opening Weekend The biggest NWSL season ever kicks off tonight, as two expansions teams (Boston Legacy, Denver Summit) bring the league to 16 clubs who will play a record 30-game regular season. Games to watch: The Washington Spirit host the Portland Thorns in tonight's season-opener (8pm, Prime), Boston debuts at home tomorrow against defending champion Gotham FC (12:30pm, ABC), and Denver debuts on the road tomorrow against Bay FC (6:30pm, ION). ⛳️ The Players Championship The "fifth major" continues at TPC Sawgrass (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/NBC) after Thursday's rain-soaked opening round. Highlights: Sahith Theegala (-5), one of the co-leaders, holed out a bank-shot eagle from the fairway on the 12th, Michael Kim (+1) drained a 46-foot birdie putt on the signature 17th hole, which Ludvig Åberg (-3) came inches from acing. 🎾 Indian Wells The season's first 1000-level event ends this weekend, with the women’s semifinals (today) and men’s semifinals (tomorrow) ahead of both finals on Sunday, all on the Tennis Channel. Women: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 14 Linda Nosková (7pm); No. 3 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 9 Elina Svitolina (9pm) Men: No. 2 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 4 Alexander Zverev; No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 11 Daniil Medvedev More to watch: 🥇 Paralympics: Closing Ceremony (Sun. 3:30pm, CNBC) … There are still 27 medal events left before the Milan Cortina Paralympics conclude on Sunday. 🏀 NBA: Hornets at Spurs (Sat. 3:30pm, Prime); Nuggets at Lakers (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Timberwolves at Thunder (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Warriors at Knicks (Sun. 8pm, NBC) … 🏒 NHL: Bruins at Capitals (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Maple Leafs at Sabres (Sat. 7pm, NHL) … ⚽️ MLS: Dallas vs. San Diego (Sat. 8:30pm, Apple); LAFC vs. St. Louis (Sat. 10:30pm, Apple); Vancouver vs. Minnesota (Sun. 2:30pm, Apple); San Jose vs. Seattle (Sun. 7pm, Apple) … San Diego, LAFC, Vancouver and San Jose are the league's only 3-0-0 teams. ⚽️ Premier League: Arsenal vs. Everton (Sat. 1:30pm, USA); West Ham vs. Man City (Sat. 4pm, USA); Man United vs. Aston Villa (Sun. 10am, USA) … Arsenal (67 points), City (60), United (51) and Villa (51) are the top four teams with nine matches left. 🏎️ F1: Chinese Grand Prix (Sun. 3am, Apple) … Shanghai International Circuit hosts the second race of the season. 🏁 NASCAR: Las Vegas (Sun. 4pm, FS1) … This 1.5-mile track north of the Strip is among the fastest in the Cup Series. 🏁 IndyCar: Arlington (Sun. 12:30pm, Fox) … The street course race will wind its way around AT&T Stadium (Cowboys) and Globe Life Field (Rangers). 🏉 Six Nations: Final Matchday (Sat. 10am, Peacock) … France, Scotland and Ireland all have a chance to claim the championship entering Saturday's finale. Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🏈 INDOOR FOOTBALL PLUS: THE IFL ON YAHOO SPORTS (Yahoo Sports) The Indoor Football League returns for its 18th season this weekend, and you'll be able to stream games on Yahoo Sports Network. Meet the teams: The IFL is the longest continuously operating indoor football league in the United States. The Vegas Knight Hawks are the defending champions entering the 2026 campaign, which will feature 14 teams playing a 16-game, 20-week schedule. Arizona Rattlers Fishers Freight Green Bay Blizzard Iowa Barnstormers Jacksonville Sharks New Mexico Chupacabras Northern Arizona Wranglers Orlando Pirates Quad City Steamwheelers San Antonio Gunslingers San Diego Strike Force Tucson Sugar Skulls Tulsa Oilers Vegas Knight Hawks Yahoo Sports Network is our new streaming TV channel available on Prime Video, Fubo, Amazon Fire TV and other services, as well as yahoosports.tv. ⚽️ TROPHY CASE NWSL TRIVIA (Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) Question: Which of the following clubs has NOT won an NWSL championship? A) Portland Thorns Washington Spirit C) Gotham FC D) Chicago Red Stars Answer at the bottom. 🏒 HIGHLIGHT REEL GOAL OF THE YEAR?! (Giphy) Trivia answer: D) Chicago Red Stars Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 20 Author Members Posted March 20 🇻🇪 Venezuela rallied late for a 4-2 win against Italy in last night's World Baseball Classic semifinal, setting up a showdown against the United States tonight rife with geopolitical intrigue. Go deeper ... How to watch. 🏀 The NBA's board of governors is planning to vote on moving ahead with expansion plans in Seattle and Las Vegas, AP reports. Seattle hasn't had an NBA team since the SuperSonics decamped to Oklahoma City in 2008. Vegas is a new hotspot for top leagues. Go deeper. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 22 Author Members Posted March 22 👋 Good morning! Have you entered Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem yet? Fill out your brackets for a chance to win $25K in both the men's and women's tournaments. 🚨 Breaking news: The WNBA and players' union have reportedly reached a tentative agreement on a new CBA after more than 100 hours of negotiations over the past eight days. In today's edition: Venezuela are crowned WBC champions, how to pick a March Madness winner, USMNT training camp roster, NFL mock draft, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 First Four: March Madness got off to a thrilling start in Dayton, where Texas beat NC State, 68-66, on a last-second shot and Howard beat UMBC, 86-83, for their first-ever NCAA tournament victory. Next up: the Longhorns face No. 6 BYU and the Bison face No. 1 Michigan. ⚽️ Bodø's run ends: Sporting CP crushed Bodø/Glimt, 5-0, to end the Norwegian side's dream Champions League run and punch their ticket to the quarterfinals. Arsenal (over Leverkusen), PSG (over Chelsea) and Real Madrid (over Manchester City) also advanced to the last eight. 🏀 All-Americans: Duke freshman Cameron Boozer was named a unanimous AP All-American, on the first team by BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr., Texas Tech junior JT Toppin and Michigan senior Yaxel Lendeborg. 🏈 NFL blockbuster: The Dolphins have continued their offseason rebuild with a whopper of a trade, sending star WR Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos for Denver's first-, third- and fourth-rounders in this year's draft. Miami will also send Denver its fourth-round pick. 🏀 OKC clinches playoffs: With just under a month left in the regular season, the Thunder (54-15) have clinched their spot in the playoffs, becoming the first team to punch their ticket to the NBA postseason. joined 🏆 CHAMPION CROWNED VENEZUELA CAPTURES FIRST WBC TITLE Closer Daniel Palencia celebrates after getting the final out. What a shot. (Al Bello/Getty Images) Three years ago, Team USA ripped Venezuela's hearts out in a thrilling quarterfinal victory at the World Baseball Classic. On Tuesday night in Miami, they got their long-awaited redemption. Venezuela 3, USA 2: The nation with more major leaguers than any country outside the U.S. and Dominican Republic did not waste its inaugural trip to the WBC championship, taking down the pre-tournament favorite in a nail-biter to win their first title. D-Backs veteran Eduardo Rodríguez and a parade of relievers confounded the mighty American lineup for nearly eight innings, allowing just two singles while the offense scraped together a 2-0 lead. Then, however briefly, the tables turned. Bryce Harper launched a two-run moonshot with two outs in the eighth to tie the game, sending the crowd into a frenzy and looking like the start of a potential rally. Instead, Harper's blast merely set the stage for some heroics on the other side of the diamond. After a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth, Eugenio Suárez connected on an RBI double that would stand up as the game-winning hit for a nation of 33 million whose fans, all night and all tournament, emanated joy, passion, pride and love of the game in equal measure — traits shared in spades by both last night's hero and the team he lifted to victory. From Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz: Suárez is one of the most universally beloved personalities around the game, a kind and effervescent soul who thrives off human connection. The type of person who has never woken up on the wrong side of the bed, Suárez would offer a warm grin and friendly hello to a raincloud. It's impossible to imagine him, say, declining to shake an MLB teammate's hand during an international competition. He is, in that way, a wonderful encapsulation of what made this Venezuela team special. Relaxed fearlessness. Easy confidence. Passion with a smile. That's how they played against Team USA on Tuesday, and that's how they played all tournament. Roman Anthony walks off after striking out to end the game. (Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) The other side: The American superteam assembled with expectations of nothing less than a championship came up short yet again, undone by a juggernaut offense that never quite materialized and leaving them with their second straight loss in the title game. From Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman: Before this tournament, [USA manager Mark] DeRosa was not shy about acknowledging the 2023 result as significant motivation leading up to his second stint as Team USA's skipper. "Walking away after the whole Trout-Ohtani thing, 3-2, it's something I have thought about for a long time and took into account when putting the roster together," he said when asked about his feelings entering pool play. "So, yeah, I think the expectation is to win the whole thing." Instead, Team USA ended up in the same place. The primary culprit: a pathetic showing at the plate that, even in a small sample, still seems unfathomable, considering the hitters involved. The U.S. depth chart was so stacked that some of the best players on the planet were relegated to bench roles, called upon only when the matchups nudged DeRosa in their direction. ... Yet only intermittently did the USA lineup even remotely resemble a juggernaut. 🏀 BRACKETOLOGY HOW TO PICK A MARCH MADNESS WINNER (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) 66 men's basketball teams still have a shot to cut down the nets next month in Indianapolis, but history tells us that some have a much better chance than others. The winning formula: All but one champion since 2001 has entered March Madness in both the top 21 in adjusted offensive efficiency and the top 44 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. The lone exception? UConn in 2014 (19th in defense, 57th in offense). 11 teams fit the bill this year: No. 1 Duke No. 1 Arizona No. 1 Michigan No. 1 Florida No. 2 Houston No. 2 Purdue No. 2 Iowa State No. 3 Illinois No. 5 Vanderbilt No. 5 Texas Tech No. 6 Louisville Notable omissions: Four of the top 12 overall seeds didn't make the cut, as No. 2 UConn, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 3 Virginia all met the defensive criteria, but fell just short offensively. But wait, there's more: While the trend above is the most data-driven and predictive, it's hardly the only one to consider while filling out your bracket. Beasts of the East: No team west of Texas has won the title since Arizona in 1997. Could those same Wildcats snap the streak this year? Or perhaps Gonzaga will finally break through after finishing as the runner-up twice in the past decade. The Week 6 rule: Every champion since 2004 was ranked in the top 12 of the Week 6 AP poll. This year's contenders: No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Michigan, No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 UConn, No. 2 Purdue, No. 2 Iowa State, No. 2 Houston, No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Alabama, No. 6 BYU, No. 6 Louisville. The Big Ten's drought: Incredibly, no Big Ten team has won it all since Michigan State in 2000 — a drought made all the more painful considering they've gone 0-8 in title games since then (2002 Indiana, 2005 Illinois, 2007 Ohio State, 2009 Michigan State, 2013 Michigan, 2015 Wisconsin, 2018 Michigan, 2024 Purdue). And finally… If you're thinking of picking a Cinderella to win it all, consider this: In the 40 tournaments since the field expanded to 64, just five teams lower than a 3-seed have cut down the nets: No. 8 Villanova (1985), No. 6 Kansas (1988), No. 4 Arizona (1997), No. 7 UConn (2014) and No. 4 UConn (2023). Further reading: Every team in the tournament, ranked (Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ WORLD CUP TUNE-UP USMNT TRAINING CAMP ROSTER ANNOUNCED Captain America will, of course, be at training camp. (Koji Watanabe/Getty Images) Mauricio Pochettino named his roster on Tuesday for the USMNT's training camp and friendlies next week in Atlanta — a critical stretch that marks the Americans' final gathering before the World Cup roster is announced. Meet the squad: The 27-man roster, set to face Belgium and Portugal at the end of the month, features players from nine leagues across eight countries. Goalkeepers (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (NYC FC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution) Defenders (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic) Midfielders (8): Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen). Forwards (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven*), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Marseille). Who's missing? Midfielders Tyler Adams and Diego Luna, striker Haji Wright and right back Sergiño Dest were locks to make this team until injuries ruled them out. Their absences open the door for less-experienced players like striker Patrick Agyemang (12 caps) and center back Auston Trusty (5) to make their case for this summer's squad. Looking ahead: The World Cup roster will be announced on May 26 ahead of a pair of friendlies against Senegal and Germany. Then the Americans will head to Los Angeles for their World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12, just 86 days from now. *On the move: Pepi will head from PSV Eindhoven to Fulham this summer after the clubs agreed to a $42 million deal for the forward on Tuesday. 🏈 CLASS OF 2026 NFL MOCK DRAFT 7.0: POST-FREE AGENCY EDITION (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) Multiple teams addressed their weaknesses in the opening week of free agency, impacting our best guesses regarding who'll go where in next month's NFL draft. With that in mind, here's our latest first-round mock, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice and Charles McDonald. Top 10: Raiders: Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana) Jets: Arvell Reese (Edge, Ohio State) Cardinals: Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State) Titans: David Bailey (Edge, Texas Tech) Giants: Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame) Browns: Monroe Freeling (OT, Georgia) Commanders: Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State) Saints: Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU) Chiefs: Rueben Bain Jr. (Edge, Miami) Bengals: Jermod McCoy (CB, Tennessee) 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) 🏀 First Four The men's First Four concludes tonight in Dayton, while the women's tips off in Durham and Austin. The headliner? Miami (Ohio) will try to keep their dream season alive as they attempt to advance to the Round of 64 for the first time since 2007. Men: The winner of No. 16 Prairie View vs. No. 16 Lehigh (6:40pm ET, truTV) gets No. 1 Florida; the winner of No. 11 Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 11 SMU (9:15pm, truTV) gets No. 6 Tennessee. Women: The winner of No. 11 Richmond vs. No. 11 Nebraska (7pm, ESPN2) gets No. 6 Baylor; the winner of No. 16 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 16 Missouri State (9pm, ESPN2) gets No. 1 Texas. ⚽️ Champions League The last four quarterfinal spots are on the line today when the Round of 16 ends with second-leg matches in Spain, Germany and England. Full slate: Barcelona (tied 1-1) vs. Newcastle United (1:45pm, Paramount+); Bayern Munich (up 6-1) vs. Atalanta (4pm, CBSSN); Liverpool (down 1-0) vs. Galatasaray (4pm, Paramount+); Tottenham (down 2-5) vs. Atlético Madrid (4pm, Paramount+) More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Warriors at Celtics (7pm, ESPN); Lakers at Rockets (9:30pm, ESPN) … L.A. and Houston play for the second time in three nights after the Lakers won on Monday. 🏒 NHL: Devils at Rangers (7pm, TNT); Stars at Avalanche (9:30pm, TNT) … Pacific Division rivals Colorado (97 points) and Dallas (94) are by far the top two teams in the West. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. 🇻🇪 VENEZUELAN SLUGGERS MLB TRIVIA (Al Bello/Getty Images) Eugenio Suárez, who played the hero in Tuesday's World Baseball Classic championship, has 325 career home runs — third-most all-time among Venezuelan major leaguers. Question: Who are the only two Venezuelans with more home runs? Hint: Neither is active, but both played this century. Initials: MC and AG. Answer at the bottom. 🏀 $50,000 FILL OUT YOUR BRACKET! Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is open. Make your picks and enter for a chance to win $25K in both the men's and women's tournaments before the Madness tips off tomorrow. Trivia answer: Miguel Cabrera (511 HR) and Andrés Galarraga (399) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 22 Author Members Posted March 22 👋 Good morning! We've made it. The best day of the year has finally arrived. Happy March Madness, everyone. In today's edition: The Round of 64 tips off, Messi joins the 900-goal club, the WNBA's "transformational" deal, Champions League quarterfinals, a tradition unlike any other, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚽️ 900 goals: Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal in Inter Miami's CONCACAF Champions Cup match on Wednesday, joining Cristiano Ronaldo (965) as the only players to reach that milestone for club and country. 🏀 First Four (men): Miami (Ohio) beat SMU, 89-79, to silence the doubters and advance to a first-round matchup against No. 6 Tennessee. Prairie View A&M beat Lehigh, 67-55, for the right to take on 1-seed and defending champion Florida. 🏀 First Four (women): Nebraska crushed Richmond, 75-56, to set up a meeting with No. 6 Baylor, while Missouri State will move on to face No. 1 Texas after beating Stephen F. Austin, 85-75. ⚾️ Spring debuts: Gerrit Cole looked good in his first start since missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, touching 98 mph twice in one inning of work; Shohei Ohtani, back from the WBC, allowed just one hit in 4.1 shutout innings in his first start of the spring. 🏀 All-Americans: UConn's Sarah Strong was named a unanimous AP All-American, joined on the first team by Huskies teammate Azzi Fudd, Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes, UCLA's Lauren Betts and Texas' Madison Booker. 🏀 ROUND OF 64 LET THE MADNESS BEGIN (Yahoo Sports) And we're off! The NCAA men's tournament tips off today with 16 games from noon to midnight in Buffalo, Portland, Oklahoma City and Greenville, S.C. Buckle up. Early afternoon: Nebraska is the only power conference team that has never won an NCAA tournament game, entering today's opener with an 0-8 record in March Madness. As a 4-seed, coming off their best regular-season ever (26-6), this has gotta be the year… right? No. 8 Ohio State (-2.5) vs. No. 9 TCU (12:15pm ET, CBS) No. 4 Nebraska (-13.5) vs. No. 13 Troy (12:40pm, truTV) No. 6 Louisville (-4.5) vs. No. 11 South Florida (1:30pm, TNT) No. 5 Wisconsin (-10.5) vs. No. 12 High Point (1:50pm, TBS) Late afternoon: Hall of Famers Tom Izzo and John Calipari patrolling the sidelines and All-Americans Cameron Boozer, Darius Acuff Jr. and Jeremy Fears Jr. on the court. What more could you ask for from this window? No. 1 Duke (-27.5) vs. No. 16 Siena (2:50pm, CBS) No. 5 Vanderbilt (-11.5) vs. No. 12 McNeese (3:15pm, truTV) No. 3 Michigan State (-15.5) vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (4:05pm, TNT) No. 4 Arkansas (-15.5) vs. No. 13 Hawaii (4:25pm, TBS) Primetime: Looking for a first-round upset? You could do a lot worse than VCU, which enters the tournament having won 16 of their last 17 and takes on a Tar Heels squad that is missing All-American freshman Caleb Wilson (broken thumb). No. 6 North Carolina (-2.5) vs. No. 11 VCU (6:50pm, TNT) No. 1 Michigan (-31.5) vs. No. 16 Howard (7:10pm, CBS) No. 6 BYU (-2.5) vs. No. 11 Texas (7:25pm, TBS) No. 7 Saint Mary's (-3.5) vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (7:35pm, truTV) Late night: Gonzaga, led by WCC player of the year Graham Ike, has won a game in 16 straight tournaments, the longest active streak in the nation. And they're 23-8 in the tournament since their 2017 runner-up finish, four more wins than any other team in that time (Duke, Houston). No. 3 Illinois (-25.5) vs. No. 14 Penn (9:25pm, TNT) No. 8 Georgia (-1.5) vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (9:45pm, CBS) No. 3 Gonzaga (-21.5) vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (10pm, TBS) No. 2 Houston (-23.5) vs. No. 15 Idaho (10:10pm, truTV) Go deeper: Every first-round game, ranked (Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports) Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem: Another friendly reminder to fill out a bracket for a chance to win $25K in both the men's and women's tournaments. 🏀 CBA WNBA, UNION FINALLY REACH "TRANSFORMATIONAL" DEAL Brittney Sykes holds up a sign at last year's All-Star Game. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) It took eight straight days of negotiations totaling more than 100 hours, but the WNBA and players' union have finally agreed on a new CBA — just in time for the league's 30th season to begin without delay. What they're saying: "This deal is going to be transformational," WNBPA vice president and two-time MVP Breanna Stewart told AP. "For the first time player salaries are tied to a truly meaningful share of league revenue," added union president and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike. By the numbers: The deal — currently a verbal agreement that still must be finalized and voted on by the players and WNBA Board of Governors — reportedly includes monumental salary increases. Salary cap: Starting at $7 million in the first year of what is reportedly a seven-year deal, up from $1.5 million in the old CBA. Supermax: $1.4 million, up from $250,000. Average: $600,000, up from $120,000. Minimum: $300,000, up from $66,000. Yes, the new minimum is more than the old maximum. Then, there's revenue sharing: This was reportedly the biggest sticking point during the marathon bargaining sessions, because it's where the most meaningful long-term impact can be made due to the recent growth of the league and subsequent influx of cash (see: the 11-year, $2.2 billion media deal that kicks in this season). Players initially asked for 40% of gross revenue (up from 9.3% in the old deal), while the league offered 70% of net revenue, which equates to a little less than 15% of the gross. Ultimately, they landed at an average of 20% over the life of the deal, more than twice as much as the previous figure. What's next: Once the CBA is finalized and ratified, there is a lot to accomplish before the season tips off on May 8, including an expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire (April 6), free agency* for more than 100 players (opens April 12), the college draft (April 13), training camp (opens April 19) and preseason games (begin April 25). *The dominoes have begun falling: Four-time MVP A'ja Wilson is expected to re-sign with the Aces for the aforementioned $1.4 million supermax. ⚽️ LAST EIGHT THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS ARE SET (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) The Champions League Round of 16 concluded on Wednesday, leaving a quarterfinals filled with nothing short of the most successful clubs in the competition's history. The last eight: 33 of the first 70 Champions League titles have been won by this year's quarterfinalists, including four of the five winningest teams ever (only seven-time champion AC Milan are missing). 🇪🇸 Real Madrid (15 titles) 🏴 Liverpool (6) 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich (6) 🇪🇸 Barcelona (5) 🇫🇷 PSG (1) 🏴 Arsenal (0) 🇵🇹 Sporting CP (0) 🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid (0) What's next: The two-legged quarterfinals — Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, PSG vs. Liverpool, Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid, Arsenal vs. Sporting CP — will be played in the first two weeks of April, followed two weeks later by the two-legged semifinals. The final is on May 30 in Hungary. ⛳️ MASTERS CHAMPIONS DINNER: A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER (Masters) It took Rory McIlroy a long time to win the Masters. He's prepared a Champions Dinner that's worth the wait. What's on the menu? McIlroy selected, among other things, some of his favorite dishes (bacon-wrapped dates, yellowfin tuna carpaccio), nods to local Georgia culture (peach and ricotta flatbread) and the wine he drank to celebrate last year's victory (a 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild from Bordeaux). The tradition dates back to 1952, when defending champion Ben Hogan organized a "Masters Club" for all the past winners. Another part of the tradition that remains to this day? The champ picks up the check. Something tells me that Rory — and his $110 million in career earnings — doesn't mind. Looking ahead: The 90th edition of the Masters tees off at Augusta on April 9, exactly three weeks from today (!!). I can already smell the azaleas. 🏀 FLOOR GENERALS NBA TRIVIA (Ryan Sun/Getty Images) Russell Westbrook passed Steve Nash and Mark Jackson on Tuesday to climb into fifth on the NBA's all-time assists leaderboard, with 10,343. Question: Who are the four players still ahead of him? Hint: One is still active. Answer at the bottom. 🏀 $50,000 FILL OUT YOUR BRACKET! Still a few hours left to beat the buzzer! Make your picks and enter Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem for a chance to win $25K in both the men's and women's tournaments. Trivia answer: John Stockton (15,806 assists), Chris Paul (12,552), Jason Kidd (12,091), LeBron James (11,911) Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted March 23 Author Members Posted March 23 Everyone watches women's sports Photo illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios. Photos: Getty Images Women's sports viewership in the U.S. has nearly tripled in the last six years, Alex Fitzpatrick writes from a new Bank of America report. The bank's research wing expects 250% revenue growth for women's sports by 2030, hitting $2.5 billion. 💰 Bank of America Institute said in its analysis: "The women's sports industry is going mainstream, with pay, sponsorships and media attention following." The report cites two factors: "Rising live-event attendance and increased willingness to pay for tickets and in-person experiences." 🏒 Case in point: The upstart Professional Women's Hockey League is selling out New York's Madison Square Garden, Boston's TD Garden and other massive arenas. Read the report. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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