Members phkrause Posted July 1 Author Members Posted July 1 ⚽️ U.S. heads for the knockouts Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The pressure ratchets up significantly for the U.S. men's soccer team tonight in its quest to make a historic World Cup run on American soil, Axios' Bob Gee writes. The U.S. faces Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif., in the round of 32 (8 p.m. ET, Fox). 🇧🇦 Bosnia is the lowest-ranked European team in the tournament. It's on par with Australia, a team the U.S. beat 2-0 during the group stage. 😱 Yes, but: The Americans have lost to the last 10 European opponents they've faced — a streak dating back to a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the first knockout round of the last World Cup. One big plus: USMNT's star attacker Christian Pulisic, hobbled earlier with a calf injury, says he's good to go tonight. 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 July 1 Author Members Posted July 1 👋 Good morning! How is it already July? Wheeling and dealing: There was a flurry of moves on Tuesday as NBA free agency officially got underway. Follow along with all the action on our live tracker. In today's edition: LeBron's leaving L.A., Kawhi's returning to Toronto, the USMNT's knockout round journey begins, Mbappé and Haaland strike again, Serena's comeback falls short, the Liberty win the Cup, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Kawhi returns to Canada: The Raptors are bringing Kawhi Leonard back for a second stint in Toronto, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, four draft picks and a pick-swap to the Clippers for the player who led them to their first and only title back in 2019. 🎾 Shelton stunned: No. 4 Ben Shelton, the top-ranked American man at Wimbledon, is out after his first match, losing Tuesday's five-set marathon to Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen. ⚾️ Caminero joins Derby: Rays 3B Junior Caminero is the first player to confirm his participation in the eight-player Home Run Derby, coming July 13 in Philadelphia. The young star is historically hot right now, hitting eight homers in his last seven games. ⚖️ Trans ban upheld: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws in West Virginia and Idaho that ban transgender individuals from competing in women's sports. SCOTUS also unanimously ruled that transgender bans in sports are not a violation of Title IX. ⚾️ Benches clear in Boston: The Red Sox and Nationals brawled on Tuesday at Fenway Park after some post-strikeout chirping in the fourth inning between Sox 1B Willson Contreras and Nats pitcher Cade Cavalli led to the benches clearing. Contreras was ejected, while Cavalli remained in the game and had the last laugh with a career-high 13 Ks in an 8-1 win. 🏀 KING JAMES THE END OF AN ERA (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) LeBron James will indeed return for a 24th NBA season. But for the first time since 2018 he won't be playing for the Lakers, informing the team on Tuesday that his next — and, let's be honest, final — chapter will not be with the Purple and Gold. Thanks, but no thanks: The Lakers, who already have Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves signed to max deals, reportedly told James they wanted him back. Instead, the 41-year-old has opted for unrestricted free agency, where he'll be making a "happiness-led decision," according to ESPN's Shams Charania. "Wherever he lands … it will not be driven by money." Closing the book on Hollywood: The King had already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game even before joining the Lakers in 2018. Then he put together an eight-year run in L.A. — from his age-34 to age-41 seasons — that would have been Hall of Fame worthy on its own merits. He averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists before closing out his time in Los Angeles with a 23-7-7 across 10 postseason games as the best player and first option on a team that won a playoff series. And again, he did that at 41. He won the 2020 NBA Championship and Finals MVP, broke the league's all-time scoring record, made seven All-NBA teams and had three top-10 MVP finishes. He had more triple-doubles as a Laker (52) than all but 11 other players in NBA history have had, period. Oh yea, and he stuck around long enough to play alongside his son Bronny, making them the first father-son duo ever to play in the NBA together. What a treat it's been watching him these last eight years; what a treat it will be to keep watching him at least one more. Where will he land? Not since 2010's "Decision" has LeBron's future been so uncertain. We had an inkling in 2014 that he'd return to Cleveland, and all signs pointed to the Lakers in 2018. How about now? The Warriors appear to be the favorites to land his services (-500 at DraftKings), and though their combined age might limit their success, I can think of worse things than watching a reunion of Steph and LeBron's romp through the 2024 Olympics. The Cavaliers, of course, would make a ton of sense, and trail only Golden State among his most likely landing spots (+300). A retirement tour back where it all began on a team that's already a serious title contender? Why not. A return to Miami (+1000) alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo? A trip to San Antonio (+2000) alongside Victor Wembanyama? A box-office-breaking journey to join the defending champions (+3000) in the Big Apple? All plausible enough. We'll just have to wait and see. Go deeper: The LeBron James era is over for the Lakers — and it'll be a tough act to follow (Ben Rohrbach, Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ ROUND OF 32 CHARTING THE USMNT'S WORLD CUP PATH (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The USMNT's knockout round journey begins tonight against Bosnia and Herzegovina (8pm ET, Fox). And though the Stars and Stripes have rarely succeeded in World Cup elimination games, American soccer has evolved beyond treating a group stage escape as a moral victory. So how far could they go? And what, exactly, might their path to the promised land look like? Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: The United States has won exactly one (1) knockout match in all of World Cup history. Think about that for a second. While Brazil and Argentina and Germany and France are stacking up titles, America spends every fourth year getting spanked the moment it ventures out of the warm confines of the group stage. Every World Cup, we tell ourselves it's going to be different, and every World Cup, we're sent off to bed hours before the big kids. This year, though, it's really going to be different. The USMNT is coming into the knockout stage riding two victories and a loss with a built-in excuse (we were resting our best, of course). With the apparently elusive combination of talented players and a manager who knows how to get the best out of them , the United States is as well-positioned as any in World Cup history to make a deep run. How deep? Well, now that's the real question, isn't it? Mbappé is unstoppable right now. (Al Bello/Getty Images) Tuesday scoreboard: France, Norway and Mexico advanced on Tuesday, joining Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, and Morocco in the Round of 16. France 3, Sweden 0: Kylian Mbappé lengthened his prolific goalscoring résumé, adding a brace in a decisive win over Sweden. He now owns the record for most knockout-round goals in World Cup history (nine), and though his six goals this tournament are level with Lionel Messi, Mbappé's two assists give him the Golden Boot advantage... for now. Norway 2, Ivory Coast 1: Erling Haaland (who else?) scored an 86th-minute winner — his fifth goal of the tournament — to send Norway through, while team captain Martin Ødegaard became the first player since 2010 to record an assist in three straight World Cup matches. Mexico 2, Ecuador 0: El Tri remained perfect, rattling off their fourth consecutive shutout win — and first knockout stage victory in 40 years — thanks to first-half goals from Julián Quiñones and Raul Jiménez. Next up is a date with the winner of today's England-DR Congo match at Estadio Azteca, which carries one of the best home-field advantages in the sport. 🎾 WIMBLEDON SERENA'S COMEBACK WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) It isn't terribly surprising that Serena Williams' first singles match in four years ended in defeat, falling in three sets on Tuesday to 20-year-old Maya Joint. But it was thrilling to watch as she tried to beat the impossible; and because she's Serena, she nearly pulled it off. Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: After 2 hours, 22 minutes of tennis that both breathed life into Williams' comeback and exposed how much more limited she is four years after we last saw her on a singles court, it was hard to tell whether this was the beginning of a new chapter or an attempt to author a different end. Maya Joint, who is so young at age 20 that she wasn't even born for Williams' first two Wimbledon titles, seemed slightly shocked and significantly relieved when Williams' final groundstroke landed long of the baseline to finally give her a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 victory. But the reality of what unfolded Tuesday wasn't surprising at all. Williams, as expected, can still hit aces and can still trade shots from the middle of the court. What she can't do, at least not with the effectiveness necessary to compete consistently against the best players in the world, is make multiple direction changes within a point. She can't go for winners to shorten points without making a multitude of errors. She can't hold up physically deep into a third set against an opponent with younger legs. Such is Williams' aura on a tennis court, however, that the mind wonders: Would she have been able to do those things if she had a series of matches under her belt rather than jumping back into singles competition at Wimbledon? Is she really that far away from being able to win matches at the highest level? With a little more fitness, a little more competition, would she round back into the kind of form that carried her to Grand Slam semifinals in 2020 and 2021? It might be best for Serena to let the mystery be. 💯 DOLLARS AND CENTS BIG NUMBERS (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images) Today's edition of Big Numbers features exclusively monetary values. What can I say, Yahoo Sports Biz has rubbed off on me. 🏀 $500,000 The Liberty won their second Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday, beating the Aces, 93-85, to claim the lion's share of the $500,000 prize pool awarded for the WNBA's sixth annual in-season tournament. New York is now the first two-time Cup winner, and they also get a small measure of revenge for Vegas' victory over them in the 2023 WNBA Finals. Payouts: Each member of the Liberty takes home $30,000 and each member of the Aces gets $10,000. New York's Breanna Stewart earned an additional $10,000 for winning MVP after dropping 25 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, and the remaining $10,000 will be donated to a charity of the Liberty's choosing. ⚾️ $1.19M Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! Today, as with every July 1 from 2011 through 2035, former 16-year MLB veteran Bobby Bonilla will receive a check from the Mets for $1,193,248.20. It's part of a deferred payment plan the two sides agreed upon in 1999, transforming the $5.9 million left on his contract into a ~$30 million payout broken into 25 annual installments. And get this: It's not his only such payment! He also receives $500,000 annually (2004-28) from the Orioles. All jokes aside: It's easy to consider Bonilla as little more than a meme, but he was once a legitimately good player, making six All-Star teams while smacking 287 career home runs with an .829 lifetime OPS. His peak came with the Pirates from 1988-91, when he averaged 4.5 WAR per season, won three Silver Sluggers and twice finished in the top three for NL MVP. 🥍 $100M The Premier Lacrosse League announced on Tuesday that it has closed a $100 million Series E funding round led by Ares Management and Joe Tsai, owner of the Nets and Liberty. It's the largest capital raise in the history of professional lacrosse, and will help the sport prepare for what should be a major inflection point at the 2028 Summer Games, when it returns as an official Olympic event for the first time since 1908. What they're saying: "This is a critical window of opportunity for our company, and lacrosse," PLL co-founder and president Paul Rabil told Yahoo Sports. "This capital will help accelerate that run." Specifically, these funds will be used to expand media distribution and original storytelling while also growing sponsorship and commercial partnerships, with the goal of eventually cracking $100 million in annual revenue. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Round of 32 The USMNT begins its knockout-round journey tonight in Santa Clara (8pm ET, Fox), where the Americans face Bosnia and Herzegovina with the daunting task of winning their first match against a European opponent in five years — a streak of 10 consecutive losses. Elsewhere: England take on DR Congo in Atlanta (12pm, Fox) hoping to avoid another devastating exit. Then it's Belgium vs. Senegal in Seattle (4pm, FS1), whose winner will advance to face the winner of USA-Bosnia. More to watch: 🎾 Wimbledon: Day 3 (6am, ESPN/ESPN+) … The second round gets underway with matches for No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (8am), No. 1 Jannik Sinner (8:30am), No. 7 Coco Gauff (9:10am), No. 7 Novak Djokovic (11:20am), and more. ⚾️ MLB: Reds at Brewers (8pm, ESPN) … The first-place Brewers (52-31) host the last-place Reds (39-45). Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏆 FILL IN THE BLANKS WORLD CUP TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Just eight nations have won the World Cup, including two who've one exactly once. Question: Can you name those two one-time winners missing from the graphic above? Hint: One this century, one last. Answer at the bottom. 🏟️ WORLD CUP VENUES HASTA LUEGO, MONTERREY (Hector Vivas/Getty Images) Monterrey Stadium hosted its fourth and final match of the World Cup on Monday, as fans bade farewell to the iconically picturesque venue in northeastern Mexico. The Steel Giant: Nicknamed El Gigante de Acero ("The Steel Giant"), the 11-year-old venue is famous for its stunning views of the Cerro de la Silla, a natural monument that is part of the foothills system of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Looking ahead: With Monterrey's slate now complete, and Guadalajara's ending last week, just three non-U.S. venues have any matches left in this World Cup. Toronto's BMO Field hosts one more (July 2), Vancouver's BC Place hosts two more (July 2, July 7), and Mexico City's Estadio Azteca hosts one more (July 5). Trivia answer: England (1966) and Spain (2010) 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 July 2 Author Members Posted July 2 👋 Good morning! It's a great day to have a great day. Programming note: We'll be off tomorrow and Monday for the holiday. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here on Tuesday morning. Happy Fourth! In today's edition: The USMNT's victory for the ages, Jaylen Brown blockbuster, Swanson and Caminero can't stop hitting homers, the Tour de France is here, MLB power rankings, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 NBA blockbuster: The Celtics are trading superstar Jaylen Brown to the 76ers in a blockbuster for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. The deal comes days after Brown, coming off the best season of his career, was mentioned as a major part of Boston's potential package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. More offseason updates. ⚾️ Dansby strikes again: Dansby Swanson's hot streak continued in a big way on Wednesday, as the Cubs SS smacked 3 home runs and had 8 RBI in Chicago's 23-3 blowout win over the Padres. How's this for turning your season around: In his first 70 games, the slumping Swanson had 7 HR and 28 RBI; in 13 games since, he has 9 HR (!) and 29 RBI (!!). ⚾️ So does Caminero: Rays 3B Junior Caminero, 22, homered in his sixth straight game on Wednesday, breaking Ken Griffey Jr.'s record as the youngest player to do so in MLB's modern era (since 1900). If he goes yard in his next two games, he'll tie the longest HR streak ever. 🎾 Gauff survives, Andreeva falls: No. 7 Coco Gauff rallied in the third set to avoid an upset and reach the third round at Wimbledon. No. 5 Mirra Andreeva wasn't so lucky, as last month's French Open champion was stunned by Barbora Krejčíková on Center Court. 🏈 Buckeyes land another Harrison: Five-star WR Jett Harrison, the Class of 2028's No. 1 overall recruit in the Rivals300, has committed to Ohio State. The rising junior at St. Joe's Prep (Pa.) is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison and brother of Cardinals WR Marvin Jr., who also went to Ohio State. 🇺🇸 SURVIVE AND ADVANCE THE USMNT IS BUILT DIFFERENT (Maja Hitij/FIFA via Getty Images) The USMNT's 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, their first World Cup knockout victory in 24 years (and only their second ever), wasn't unexpected given they entered the match as heavy favorites. But the blueprint of that victory proved the simple maxim that "in football, all is possible if you believe." ICYMI: The Americans took a 1-0 lead late in the first half on Folarin Balogun's third goal of the tournament, and continued dominating until the 64th minute when VAR intervention saddled Balogun with a controversial red card. Down a man for 26 minutes and stoppage time, they could have folded; instead, they fought. Malik Tillman's 82nd-minute free kick doubled the lead, sent the crowd in Santa Clara into a frenzy and confirmed their spot in the Round of 16. Balogun will miss the next game — the U.S. can't appeal his red card after all — but the Stars and Stripes' confidence will be buoyed by its 10-man performance in his absence. Home of the brave: This team's talent level is a cut above prior cycles, to be sure, but it's their bravery and belief that have emerged to propel them into the Round of 16. Steven Goff, Yahoo Sports: There are moments and remnants from the 2-0 U.S. victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Folarin Balogun's goal and red card — the first such combination at a World Cup since Zinedine Zidane 20 years ago. Malik Tillman's bloody sock — the result of an opponent stepping on and cutting through his shoe. U.S. bravery — on display during a shorthanded 26 minutes, plus another 10 of stoppage time. Tillman's immaculate free kick — a stunner by the team's shy, soft-spoken midfielder that triggered a roar still echoing across Northern California. Mauricio Pochettino's singing voice — prompted by the USA's celebratory song, "Country Roads," booming over the loudspeakers again after another victory. But before any of these things can be explained, perspective is necessary. The Americans have won a World Cup knockout match for the first time in 24 years and the second time in their unremarkable history. They will now head to Seattle and play in the Round of 16 on Monday against Belgium, which toyed with them in Atlanta in March, 5-2. They have won three matches in a single World Cup. While that is common for the powerhouses of soccer, sometimes in the group stage alone, the U.S. had never before accomplished that. Heck, before this summer, it had won nine World Cup matches in its history. In other words, this is not a normal World Cup for the U.S. Then again, this is not a normal U.S. team. The momentum that took hold in the first two matches and paused for an inconsequential Group D finale last week is accelerating again. "For us, it's about keep dreaming, keep working really hard and competing, and all is possible," Pochettino said. "In football, all is possible, if you believe.” England celebrate their victory with a wall of supporters. (Joosep Martinson/FIFA via Getty Images) Wednesday scoreboard: England and Belgium advanced alongside the U.S., as the Round of 16 continues to take shape. England 2, DR Congo 1: Just as a familiar dread began to envelop England's World Cup hopes, Harry Kane reminded the world why he's among its very best players. Two goals in 11 minutes reversed a 1-0 DR Congo lead that lingered into the late stages of the second half, elevating Kane to within one goal of the lead on the star-studded Golden Boot charts. Belgium 3, Senegal 2: Facing a 2-0 deficit with 85 minutes played, Belgium roared to life with two goals in three minutes to force extra time. Then Belgian captain Youri Tielemans converted a controversial penalty in the waning moments of the extra period, completing the tournament's most improbable comeback to date. Sweet revenge: The U.S. and Belgium will meet in a rematch of the 2014 Round-of-16 thriller that saw the Americans bow out in extra time despite Tim Howard's record-breaking 16-save performance. Still stings like yesterday… 🚴 TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLING'S GREATEST MODERN RIVALRY TAKES CENTER STAGE Vingegaard (L) and Pogačar sprint to the Stage 11 finish line during the 2024 Tour. (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) The Tour de France, which begins on Saturday, is shaping up to be a duel for the ages as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard — by far the world's best riders, who are both in peak form but have yet to square off this year — prepare to chase history in the crown jewel of cycling. The defending champion: Slovenia's Pogačar, 27, has won two straight Tours de France and four of the last six. With a fifth victory this summer, he'd match Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Induraín for the most ever. His 2026 season has been nearly flawless, winning six of the seven races he's entered including three of cycling's Monuments, the sport's most prestigious one-day races. His only loss was at the Paris-Roubaix, which featured a sprint to the finish so close he was actually credited with the same official time as the winner. "Tadej is just the best cyclist we've ever seen," former pro Tejay van Garderen said on a recent podcast. "Jonas is not capable of what Tadej Pogačar is capable of." The challenger: Denmark's Vingegaard, 29, has two yellow jerseys himself, sandwiching his two wins (2022-23) between Pogačar's four (2020-21, 2024-25). And he, like Pogačar, has been on a tear this year, though he's focused on a different style of race. The Dane has won all three events he's entered, prioritizing stage races over one-day races in hopes of winning the Giro d'Italia. When he accomplished that feat in May, he became just the eighth man to capture all three Grand Tours, something not even Pogačar has done. Now he has a chance to make even more history: After winning the Vuelta a España in September and the Giro earlier this year, he can join Merckx (1972-73), Hinault (1982-83) and Chris Froome (2017-18) as the only riders to hold all three Grand Tours simultaneously. Go deeper: A rivalry for the ages: Tadej Pogačar vs Jonas Vingegaard (Escape Collective) ⚾️ 1-30 MLB POWER RANKINGS: THE SOX AND FISH ARE SURGING (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) NL teams occupy four of the top five spots in our latest MLB power rankings, in which Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman explores the league through the lens of the upcoming trade deadline. Two particularly intriguing teams? The surprisingly contending White Sox and Marlins. Back from the dead: Chicago (No. 8 in our rankings) and Miami (No. 14) haven't exactly blown the doors off the competition in recent years, but both are giving fans real reason to cheer as the season's second half gets underway. The South Siders (45-40) are in first place — I repeat, the South Siders are in first place — thanks to an exciting young ballclub that has one of the league's best offenses. Yes, they get the benefit of playing in the dismal AL Central; but for a team that won just 60 games last year, and just 41 (!) the year before, it's a stunning turnaround any way you slice it. The Fish (46-41) play in the much tougher NL, but that didn't stop them from just putting up their best month in franchise history. They went an MLB-best 20-6 in June — powered by an MLB-best 3.01 ERA — to become the first team ever to enter a month at least eight games below .500 and leave it at least six games above .500. Buyers or sellers? Chicago and Miami's success thus far doesn't necessarily make them buyers at the Aug. 3 deadline, at least not in the traditional sense. But if they continue surging through July, their front offices could consider rewarding their burgeoning young cores with some additional support rather than merely subtracting veterans on expiring contracts. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Knockouts We've got 12 elimination games between now and Monday, spanning the end of the Round of 32 and the start of the Round of 16. Not a bad way to spend the holiday weekend. Thursday (R32): Spain vs. Austria in Los Angeles (3pm ET, Fox); Portugal vs. Croatia in Toronto (7pm, Fox); Switzerland vs. Algeria in Vancouver (11pm, FS1) Friday (R32): Australia vs. Egypt in Dallas (2pm, Fox); Argentina vs. Cape Verde in Miami (6pm, Fox); Colombia vs. Ghana in Kansas City (9:30pm, Fox) Saturday (R16): Canada vs. Morocco in Houston (1pm, Fox); Paraguay vs. France in Philadelphia (5pm, Fox) Sunday (R16): Brazil vs. Norway in East Rutherford (4pm, Fox); Mexico vs. England in Mexico City (8pm, Fox) And lastly: While Monday's early game hasn't been determined yet, the USMNT faces Belgium in primetime (8pm, Fox) for a spot in the quarterfinals. Cannot wait. 🚴 Tour de France The 113th Tour de France begins on Saturday (10am, Peacock/NBCSN), when 184 riders will embark on a 21-stage race throughout France (and Spain) that features more than 54,000 meters of vertical climbs, the third-most in the last 20 years. Historic start: Saturday's Grand Départ is in Barcelona, marking the first time the race has begun there. And the first stage is a team time trial, which hasn't featured at the Tour de France since 2019 and hasn't opened the race since 1971. 🎾 Wimbledon, Days 4-9 The second round concludes today at the All England Club, but by the time we're back in your inbox on Tuesday morning the quarterfinals will be set, with matches airing all weekend on ESPN and ESPN+. Who to watch: No. 6 Amanda Anisimova, last year's runner-up, faces fellow American Sofia Kenin shortly (8:15am) and defending champion No. 3 Iga Świątek plays her second-round match soon thereafter (8:30am). Third-round action begins tomorrow with No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 7 Novak Djokovic, No. 7 Coco Gauff and more. ⚾️ "Star-Spangled Sunday" All 30 MLB teams will play nationally-broadcast games on Sunday in a special presentation by NBC Sports, with all games streaming on Peacock and a select few airing on linear TV. Headliners: The Mets and Braves get things started in Atlanta (12:30pm, NBC) and the Dodgers host the Padres in the standard "Sunday Night Baseball" slot (7:20pm, NBC). The Mariners also host the Blue Jays (5pm, NBCSN) in a rematch of last year's ALCS. More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Wings at Sun (Thu. 8pm, Prime); Lynx at Liberty (Fri. 7:30pm, ION); Valkyries at Dream (Sat. 1pm, CBS); Fever at Aces (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) ⚽️ NWSL: Angel City vs. Orlando (Fri. 10pm, Prime); San Diego vs. Gotham (Sat. 8:45pm, ION); Boston vs. Bay FC (Sun. 12pm, ESPN) … The league returns from its month-long pause. 🏎️ F1: British Grand Prix (Sun. 10am, Apple) … Mercedes, which has won seven of the first eight races, will look to continue its dominant run as the season nears its halfway point. ⛳️ PGA: John Deere Classic (Thu-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … 21-year-old Jackson Koivun, fresh off one of the greatest collegiate careers of all time, makes his professional debut at TPC Deere Run in Illinois. ⛳️ PGA Champions: U.S. Senior Open (Thu-Sun, Golf/Peacock/NBC) … Stewart Cink enters the year's third major — at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio — having already won the first two. Plus: 🏀 NBA Summer League begins (Thu-Sun, Prime/ESPN); 🏁 NASCAR at Chicagoland Speedway (Sun. 6pm, TNT) and IndyCar at Mid-Ohio (Sun. 12:30pm, Fox); 🏀 BIG3 Week 3 in Miami (Sun. 1pm, CBS); 🏈 IFL Week 17 (Sun-Mon, Yahoo Sports) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏀 2007 DRAFT NBA TRIVIA Horford and Conley during a game in 2019. (Christopher Evans/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) Al Horford and Mike Conley, the 3rd and 4th picks of the 2007 NBA Draft, have both recently signed on for a 20th season. Question: Who were the top two picks in that draft? Hint: One is still active, the other was Conley's college teammate. Answer at the bottom. ⚽️ WHO YA GOT? WORLD CUP: MAKE YOUR PICKS! The Round of 16 in the world's biggest soccer tournament is almost here! Pick your winners for each game in 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em from Yahoo Sports and FOX One. How to play: Make picks each round, earn points for correct predictions and climb the leaderboard. You can play solo against the field, create a private group with friends to compete for bragging rights, or join a public group to play with other fans. 🏎️ START YOUR ENGINES YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV (Apple) This weekend's Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2026 continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. Tune in: Tomorrow's practice (7:30am ET) and sprint qualifying (11:30am), as well as Saturday's race qualifying (11am), will air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race (10am) will stream on Apple TV, the new U.S. home of Formula 1. Trivia answer: Greg Oden (No. 1 to Portland) and Kevin Durant (No. 2 to Seattle) 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 July 3 Author Members Posted July 3 > Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly getting married in Madison Square Garden tonight (More, w/live updates) | Poll finds 70% of Americans care "not at all" about the wedding while more than 20% care at least "a little" (More) > Ex-pop star Gary Glitter is charged with sexual offenses that allegedly occurred from 1978 to 1981; he is serving a 16-year sentence for 2015 convictions (More) | Prosecutors can access Tiger Woods' hospital records in Florida DUI case (More) > Mikel Oyarzabal scores twice as Spain beats Austria 3-0, advancing to the Round of 16 (More) | Australia takes on Egypt at 2 pm ET, Argentina clashes with Cape Verde at 6 pm ET, and Colombia plays Ghana at 9:30 pm ET (More, w/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 July 8 Author Members Posted July 8 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: The USMNT's unceremonious exit, Wimbledon quarterfinalists, MLB All-Stars, a historic and star-studded Golden Boot race, DPD (Dollars Per Dog), and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ⚽️ ELIMINATED END OF THE ROAD FOR THE USMNT (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Despite showering in the glory of topping the group and winning a knockout game in front of an adoring and electric home crowd, the U.S. journey ends in the same place as it did in its last three attempts: the Round of 16. Red, white, and bruised: A calamitous American defensive performance, married with a mostly toothless attack, granted Belgium a 4-1 win on Monday in Seattle, sending the Red Devils into the quarterfinals and relegating the red-card drama of the previous 36 hours to a historical footnote. There was exactly one highlight for the Stars and Stripes, as Malik Tillman's 31st-minute free kick tied the game at one goal apiece and made him the first player in over 40 years to score on two direct free kicks in a single World Cup. But the joy was (extremely) short lived. Belgium regained the lead two minutes later on a goal that, like their first one, exposed more about the Americans' deficiencies than Belgium's talent. The third goal, on a disastrous sequence by goalkeeper Matt Freese, effectively ended the game before the fourth put it on ice. What they're saying: "We were not the same team that during the tournament showed quality — a very bad day," said coach Mauricio Pochettino. "It was unlike any other performances we've had this summer, to be honest," added left back Antonee Robinson. "It's hard to say where it went wrong." Complicated legacy: At its best, this American contingent reached heights of quality rarely seen in U.S. Soccer history. And yet, the ultimate result was unchanged, underscoring the size of the gap that they've only partially closed to date. This USMNT rallied a nation behind their footballing cause with bravery; but, in their unceremonious exit, failed to show the same swashbuckling confidence that previously suggested times had changed. Unlike the gallant underdog effort of a 2014 USMNT woefully deficient in talent against a superior Belgium side, this was a game that, based on form, appeared tantalizingly winnable. That the U.S. never came close to doing so leaves a bitter aftertaste from an otherwise sweet experience. The result also exposed a simple truth, succinctly stated by Yahoo Sports' Steven Goff: "The U.S. is a good team, but it's not a really good team." Take me home: The next time the U.S. is eligible to host the World Cup is in 2038, 12 long years away. Perhaps a new generation will rise, inspired by this one, to lift the trophy on American soil. Like many before them, though, the legacy of this USMNT awaits definition by those who will follow in a trail they helped to blaze. (Yahoo Sports) More from Monday: Spain have yet to concede a goal in this year's tournament, as a stoppage time winner from Mikel Merino clinched a 1-0 victory over Portugal and a place in the quarterfinals for La Roja. They'll join France, Morocco, Belgium, Norway, and England, with the two remaining spots to be decided in today's Round-of-16 action. Siuuu you later: Portugal's defeat ended 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo's accomplished but ultimately unfulfilled World Cup career. Though Ronaldo never captured the elusive title that finally found his chief rival in 2022, he recorded his share of history, appearing in six World Cups and scoring in all of them. Happy trails, CR7… 🎾 WIMBLEDON AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) The quarterfinals are (nearly) set at the All England Club, where nine men and eight women remain in contention for the Wimbledon Championships. Men: No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. Jan-Lennard Struff; No. 3 Félix Auger-Aliassime vs. No. 7 Novak Djokovic; No. 9 Flavio Cobolli vs. Arthur Fery*; No. 6 Taylor Fritz vs. No. 2 Alexander Zverev or No. 13 Jiri Lehecka (Zverev was up two sets when play was suspended on Monday due to darkness). Women: No. 4 Jess Pegula vs. No. 7 Coco Gauff; No. 10 Karolína Muchová vs. No. 14 Naomi Osaka; No. 12 Marta Kostyuk vs. No. 13 Jasmine Paolini; No. 9 Linda Nosková vs. No. 25 Elise Mertens. Goliaths bare their teeth: As you can see above, just two unseeded players are still alive, both on the men's side (Struff and Fery). Indeed, this is the first time since 2007 that all eight women's quarterfinalists are seeded. Having said that, one of those women did pull off a pretty major upset… Naomi Osaka reacts after clinching her biggest victory in years. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Here comes Osaka: Osaka stunned top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets on Sunday to reach her first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinal, earning her first win over a world No. 1 since 2019. It was probably her biggest victory since coming back from maternity leave at the start of the 2024 season, and it came with an added measure of revenge, too. Sabalenka had eliminated Osaka in the Round of 16 three times this year, including last month at Roland Garros, before she finally flipped the script on Sunday with her own Round of 16 victory over the Belarusian. And today the four-time major champion will get a chance for a little more revenge, facing the 10th-seeded Muchová less than two weeks after the Czech defeated her via walkover in the final at Bad Homburg. The other side: Sabalenka's loss snapped not only her streak of reaching 14 straight major quarterfinals, but also her arguably even more impressive streak of winning at least one set in 121 consecutive Grand Slam matches. That is by far the best mark by any player this century, man or woman (Roger Federer is second, at 99). Speaking of Federer… The Swiss legend's record for the most matches won by a man at Wimbledon (105) was broken on Sunday by Djokovic (106). If the Serb can win three more, he'll equal Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles and, of course, break a tie with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slams ever won (25). *Hometown hero: Fery, a 23-year-old Wimbledon local, is the first British wildcard (man or woman) to reach the quarterfinal of any major in the Open Era. The world No. 114 has already guaranteed himself a payout ($480K) worth more than half of his career earnings to date ($868K). ⚾️ MIDSUMMER CLASSIC MLB ALL-STAR ROSTERS REVEALED (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The rosters for the 96th MLB All-Star Game were revealed on Saturday ahead of the Midsummer Classic, which will take place at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park a week from today. AL starters: C Shea Langeliers (ATH), 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.* (TOR), 2B Ernie Clement (TOR), 3B Junior Caminero (TB), SS Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), OF Mike Trout (LAA), OF Aaron Judge (NYY), OF Byron Buxton (MIN), DH Yordan Alvarez (HOU) NL starters: C Drake Baldwin (ATL), 1B Freddie Freeman (LAD), 2B Ozzie Albies (ATL), 3B Max Muncy (LAD), SS CJ Abrams (WSH), OF Brandon Marsh (PHI), OF Juan Soto (NYM), OF Andy Pages (LAD), DH Shohei Ohtani (LAD) Notes: The reserves and pitchers were also announced on Saturday, yielding a crop of 65 All-Stars who got the nod for next week's game. Team-by-team breakdown: The Dodgers, Braves and Phillies led the way with five All-Stars each, followed by the Yankees (4), Rays (4), Blue Jays (4), Guardians (3) and Tigers (3). Ten other teams had two All-Stars, and 12 had just one apiece. Most appearances: Trout leads all players with 12 All-Star nods, followed by Freeman (10), Chris Sale (10), Aroldis Chapman (9), Bryce Harper (9) and Judge (8). Fewest appearances: There are 26 first-timers, including five starters (Langeliers, Clement, Baldwin, Marsh, Pages) and four rookies (Detroit INF Kevin McGonigle, Cincinnati INF Sal Stewart and Cleveland's LHP Parker Messick and 2B Travis Bazzana). Bryce's "Legendary"status: Harper's selection came via commissioner Rob Manfred's "Legend Pick." The host team's most famous player didn't otherwise earn the spot, but was certainly deserving, as he's top 10 in the NL in HR (20), RBI (57), BB (57) and OPS (.895). *Vladdy sits out: Vlad Jr., voted as a starter despite being mired in a career-worst season (4 HR, .693 OPS), has opted to skip the game to recuperate from a lower back issue. A's 1B Nick Kurtz, crushing the ball to the tune of 20 HR and a .928 OPS, will replace him as a starter. (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) Further reading: Contreras, Turang and Wheeler headline All-Snub Team (Jordan Shusterman, Yahoo Sports) 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his first of two goals in Sunday’s victory over Brazil. (Al Bello/Getty Images) ⚽️ 7 goals Argentina's Lionel Messi, France's Kylian Mbappé and Norway's Erling Haaland are tied for the lead with seven goals apiece at the 2026 World Cup, marking the first time in the tournament's history that three different players have scored at least seven goals. And all three have at least one game left to add to their tallies! Embarrassment of riches: What a treat this World Cup has been, giving us a Golden Boot race led by arguably the three best players in the world, all of whom have led their teams deep into the tournament. And it's not just the trio above: English superstar Harry Kane is right behind them with six goals, and France's Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, has four. ⛳️ 5 wins Just three golfers have won at least five times on the PGA Tour since the start of 2024: Scottie Scheffler (14 wins), Rory McIlroy (6) and Chris Gotterup, whose fifth victory came on Sunday at the John Deere Classic, where he overcame a five-stroke deficit with a scorching 9-under 62 to finish one stroke ahead (-20) of Max Homa (-19). Rapid rise: The 26-year-old Maryland native turned pro in 2022 and earned his first win in 2024, but he was still ranked just 191st at the end of that year. In the past 12 months he's leveled up in a huge way with 10 top-five finishes and four wins — including three this year — to climb to No. 7 in the world. Next up, he'll look to defend his Scottish Open title this weekend. Chapman salutes the dugout after breaking the record. (William Liang/AP Photo) ⚾️ 1,364 strikeouts Aroldis Chapman fanned his 1,364th career batter on Friday, breaking a tie with Hoyt Wilhelm for the most strikeouts by a reliever in MLB history. Boston's 38-year-old closer has continued the career resurgence that saw him finish seventh for the Cy Young last season, as he's currently sporting a 2.36 ERA with 18 saves (in 20 chances) for the Sox. Speaking of dominant southpaws: Atlanta's Chris Sale made some history of his own over the weekend, becoming the 10th pitcher to strike out at least 500 batters with three different teams (White Sox, Red Sox). The other nine: Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Bert Blyleven, Gaylord Perry, Curt Schilling, Dennis Eckersley, Zack Greinke, A.J. Burnett and Gerrit Cole. 🏊♀️ 2:01.65 Summer McIntosh broke the longest-standing individual world record in women's swimming on Sunday at the Canadian trials, posting a time of 2:01.65 in the 200m butterfly to eclipse the previous record of 2:01.81 set by China's Liu Zige back in 2009. The 19-year-old superstar, a four-time medalist at the 2024 Olympics, now holds four long-course world records. End of an era: This was the last women's record standing from swimming's short-lived "super-suit" era in the late-2000s, when high-tech polyurethane swimsuits yielded a surge of record-breaking performances before being banned in 2009. Consider this: 98% of all swimming medals won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — and 23 of the 25 world records broken there — were by athletes wearing those super suits. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JULY 7 Messi has scored in a World Cup record eight consecutive games. Will he make it nine today against Egypt? (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images) ⚽️ World Cup, Round of 16 The quarterfinals will be set this evening after Argentina takes on Egypt in Atlanta (12pm ET, Fox) and Switzerland faces Colombia in Vancouver (4pm, Fox). Fresh blood: Argentina — the defending and three-time champion — is the only team playing today that has made regular trips to the World Cup quarterfinals. Egypt has never reached the last eight, Colombia has reached once (2014) and Switzerland hasn't been there since 1954. 🎾 Wimbledon, Quarterfinals The quarterfinals begin today at the All England Club, where No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Jan-Lennard Struff get things started on Court 1 (8am, ESPN2) and No. 4 Jess Pegula takes on No. 7 Coco Gauff in an all-American clash on Center Court (8:30am, ESPN). Up next: No. 10 Karolína Muchová and No. 14 Naomi Osaka play on Court 1 following the Sinner-Struff match, and No. 3 Félix Auger-Aliassime faces No. 7 Novak Djokovic on Center Court following the Pegula-Gauff match. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Rays (6:40pm, TBS) … Tampa (52-36) has taken a 3-game lead over New York (50-40) atop the AL East as the Yankees have lost nine of their last 11. 🏀 WNBA: Wings at Liberty (8pm, ESPN) … Fourth-place Dallas and fifth-place New York have the same 13-8 record. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 4 (7:10am, NBCSN/Peacock) … The first stage to both start and end in France will go 113 miles from Carcassone to Foix on the southern tip of the country. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. ⚾ ALL-STARS MLB TRIVIA Trout rounds the bases after hitting a home run last month. (Melina Pizano/Getty Images) Mike Trout is just the third player in American League history to be elected as an All-Star starter by the fans at least 11 times. Question: Can you name the other two? Hint: Orioles, Royals Answer at the bottom. 🌭 DOLLARS PER DOG CHESTNUT KEEPS THE CROWN (Anna Connors/AP Photo) Joey Chestnut won his record-extending 18th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 in Brooklyn's Coney Island, consuming 66 dogs to retain the Mustard Belt by a healthy margin — perhaps the only healthy thing about the event. Full belly, full wallet: Chestnut earned $10,000 for the victory, or $151 per dog. That only slightly outpaced his career DPD (dollars per dog) of $149, earned after pocketing $180,000 and consuming 1,206.5 hot dogs across his 18 victories. This story originally appeared in Monday's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz. Subscribe here to receive our new newsletter in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Trivia answer: Cal Ripken Jr. (17 fan-vote elections) and George Brett (11) 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 July 9 Author Members Posted July 9 👋 Good morning! After 27 consecutive days of World Cup action, the tournament has reached its first off day. Just eight teams, and eight games, remain. In today's edition: Argentina's historic comeback, why the USMNT isn't a contender yet, Djokovic and Ohtani do Djokovic and Ohtani things, jock stocks, the Yahoo Sports Lacrosse Hub, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Mitchell gets the max: The Cavaliers are signing Donovan Mitchell to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2030-31 season, keeping the seven-time All-Star in Cleveland through his mid-30's. ⚽️ Historic viewership: 30 million people tuned in on Fox for the USMNT's loss to Belgium on Monday, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in American history. ⚾️ Rice joins the Derby: Yankees 1B Ben Rice has joined Rays 3B Junior Caminero as the second player to commit to next week's Home Run Derby. Rice is in the midst of a breakout season, with his 26 HR and .941 OPS both ranking second in the AL. 🏈 Kneeland had CTE: Former Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland, who died by suicide last fall at the age of 24, has been diagnosed with CTE by researchers at the Boston University CTE Center. "Unfortunately, I was not surprised to find CTE in [his brain]," said the director of the CTE Center. "We have found this progressive brain disease in nearly half of the athletes we've studied who have died before the age of 30." 🇷🇺 Russia ban lifted: The IOC has provisionally lifted its three-year-old ban on the Russian Olympic Committee, paving the way for Russian athletes to compete at the 2028 Games under their own flag. ⚽️ SURVIVE AND ADVANCE THE INEVITABILITY OF LEO MESSI (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Facing a 2-0 deficit to Egypt in the waning minutes on Tuesday in Atlanta, Lionel Messi's World Cup career looked as though it might come to a stunning, sudden end. But Messi had other plans, engineering a historic comeback to remind the entire footballing world that he isn't going anywhere just yet. Argentina 3, Egypt 2: The defending champions rattled off three goals in the span of 14 frenzied minutes, becoming the first team in World Cup history to win in regular time despite trailing by at least two goals in the 75th minute or later. First came a Cristian Romero header in the 79th minute, served on a platter by a perfect cross from Messi, whose ninth career World Cup assist broke a tie with Diego Maradona for the most ever. Naturally. Four minutes later Messi scored the equalizer himself on a venomous volley, giving him a record-extending nine consecutive World Cup games with a goal and vaulting him back to the top of the Golden Boot race with eight in this tournament. Safe to say this one made up for his missed penalty in the first half. And finally the game-winner, a 92nd-minute Enzo Fernández header that broke the short-lived deadlock and completed a comeback that even Tom Brady conceded might've been better than the Patriots' 28-3 Super Bowl reversal. Hey, he said it, not us. United under Leo: National pride is typically enough to unite a World Cup squad, but at this stage, that pride is table stakes. Argentina is fueled by an additional source of motivation. "I told [Messi] on the pitch to enjoy it because he deserved it," Lautaro Martínez said in Spanish after the match. "I told him we would keep giving everything, for ourselves, but above all for him, because this is his last World Cup and he has given us so much." Bottom line: Argentina had never won a World Cup match when trailing at half or by two goals. But what was close to becoming a tearful goodbye instead became an emotional celebration for Messi, whose dreams of leading an Argentine repeat live on thanks to what would surely be dubbed "The Miracle at Mercedes"... if not for FIFA's clean venue policies. (Luke Hales/Getty Images) Meanwhile, in Vancouver: Switzerland and Colombia played to a 0-0 stalemate over 120 minutes before the Swiss emerged victorious in penalties, punching their ticket to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954. They'll join Argentina, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, France and Morocco in the last eight, which kicks off tomorrow. 🇺🇸 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT WHY THE U.S. STILL ISN'T A WORLD CUP CONTENDER (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) The USMNT's magical start to the World Cup came crashing down in Monday's ugly loss to Belgium, and while the old argument that "our best athletes play other sports" is fun on the surface, it belies the fundamental issue holding the U.S. back from being true contenders on the sport's biggest stage. What they're saying: "Our youth soccer in this country is a disaster," former U.S. star Landon Donovan told 'The Rich Eisen Show' last month. "All these youth clubs charge you crazy fees. It's all about winning. The kids get left behind because the clubs want to make money, the coaches want to make money. They want to win and the kids don't develop." Indeed, the annual cost to play elite youth soccer in the United States can reach upwards of $15,000, pricing out plenty of talented youngsters who might otherwise thrive in the beautiful game, if only they could afford to pursue it. Compare that to how it works in most other countries — namely the ones who routinely dominate the tournament the Americans just stumbled out of — where top clubs foot the bill themselves, and it's not hard to connect the dots on where the competitive gap is born. Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports: There's little doubt that the U.S. soccer talent pool would be deeper if LeBron James grew up dreaming to become a center back or if Tyreek Hill was using his speed and acceleration to run onto through balls or stretch the field in counter-attacks. The majority of elite NBA, NFL and MLB players never played high-level soccer as kids. Even those who did, like Odell Beckham Jr. or Nolan Arenado, eventually quit to specialize in other sports. And yet ask those in soccer circles if siphoning talent away from other sports would transform the USMNT into a global power, and the question will inspire plenty of eye rolls. They are quick to point out that skill is the most important quality in soccer, that many global superstars rely on ball control and technical ability rather than speed and strength. At 5-foot-7 and less than 150 pounds, Lionel Messi has been known since childhood as "La Pulga," which in Spanish means "the flea." Croatian playmaker Luka Modrić is only an inch taller than Messi. Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal is 5-10. So are French superstars Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé. For every 6-foot-5 Erling Haaland who dominates by overpowering opposing defenders and winning balls in the air, there are many others who use their decision making and mastery with the ball at their feet to help their teams win. "I just don’t think it's as simple as if we had 10 LeBrons playing soccer, we'd automatically be a better soccer country," former U.S. men's national team defender and current Portland Thorns general manager Jeff Agoos told Yahoo Sports prior to the World Cup. "Soccer is such a skilled sport. It's really hard to control a soccer ball, and it takes a lot of time to learn that skill. I don't think it's always about being bigger, faster, stronger." To Agoos and many others, U.S. Soccer's biggest issue isn't insufficient athleticism. It's how the athletes who do want to pursue soccer have been developed. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) 🎾 8 straight semifinals Novak Djokovic outlasted third-seeded Félix Auger-Aliassime in a five-set thriller on Tuesday to reach his eighth straight Wimbledon semifinal, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the longest such streak ever. It's also his record-extending 55th major semifinal (Federer is next, with 46). The 39-year-old will face top-ranked Jannik Sinner on Friday for a spot in the final. More from the All England Club: Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal, becoming the youngest woman (22) to reach the last four at every Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova in 2007. No. 10 Karolína Muchová (over No. 14 Naomi Osaka) also reached her first Wimbledon semifinal, while No. 2 Alexander Zverev (over No. 13 Jiri Lehecka) reached his first Wimbledon quarterfinal. ⚾️ 300 home runs Shohei Ohtani blasted his 300th career home run on Tuesday in his 1,101st game (with at least one plate appearance), becoming the fifth-fastest player in MLB history to reach the milestone. Only Aaron Judge (955 games), Ralph Kiner (1,087), Ryan Howard (1,093) and Juan González (1,096) got there faster. Becoming legendary: "There is a minor but critical distinction between being the greatest of all time and being the best to ever do it," writes Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz. "Ohtani is, undeniably, the latter. … [But] home run No. 300 is a reminder that he is crossing over into legend status before our eyes, [providing] an opportunity to appreciate not just what he's doing but also what he has already done." Tolbert is doused after the Royals' victory on Monday. (Amy Kontras/Getty Images) ⚾️ 21st team The Royals pulled off one of the rarest feats in baseball in Monday's 15-1 rout of the Phillies, becoming the 21st team in MLB history to score a run in every single inning. Among the sport's standard rarities, only 20-strikeout games (5) and unassisted triple plays (15) have happened less often, while four-homer games are equally rare (21) and perfect games (24) are slightly more common. And, for their encore… Kansas City followed that up with another slugfest on Tuesday, beating the Mets 16-12 behind, among other things, Tyler Tolbert's second straight 5-for-5 performance. The second baseman, who also went 2-for-2 in the Royals' previous game, has now gotten a hit in an MLB record-tying 12 consecutive plate appearances. 🏀 19 in a row UConn grads Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Paige Bueckers (Wings) and Gabby Williams (Valkyries) were all named starters for this year's WNBA All-Star Game, marking the 19th consecutive edition of the exhibition to feature a former Husky in the starting lineup. The other starters: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Natasha Howard and Olivia Miles (Lynx), A'ja Wilson (Aces) and Jessica Shepard (Wings). Reserves: The 12 reserves for the July 25 game in Chicago were announced on Tuesday: Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray (Dream), Nneka Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum (Sparks), Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen (Mystics), Marina Mabrey (Tempo), Courtney Williams (Lynx), Jackie Young (Aces), Jonquel Jones (Liberty) and Dominique Malonga (Storm). 📈 TICKER TALK JOCK STOCKS: WINNERS AND LOSERS These publicly-traded teams are all significantly outperforming the S&P 500. (Yahoo Finance Alphaspace) The sports and sports-adjacent universe of publicly traded equities is a diverse set of businesses experiencing the present economic moment in very different ways. In this edition of Jock Stocks, we unpack the performance from the first half of 2026, revealing the year's winners and losers at the midway point. 🏟️ Winner: Sports Franchises The institutional interest in sports team ownership has extended into the equity market, as three of the premier publicly traded teams are off to red-hot starts: Madison Square Garden Sports (MSGS: +55.4%), Manchester United (MANU: +44.0%), and the Atlanta Braves (BATRA: +32.5%) have all substantially outperformed the broader market. The Knicks and United both enjoyed successful and commercially lucrative seasons, further bolstering their equity performance. ⛳️ Winner: Golf Two of the first half's biggest gainers were Callaway Golf (CALY: +61.0%) and Acushnet Holdings (GOLF: +48.5%). Callaway has solidified its balance sheet and pure-play business following the TopGolf sale, while Titleist has launched successful new products and capably defended and reinforced its premium brand status. On a macro level, rounds played in the U.S. were up over 5% in Q1, and golf remains well suited to a K-shaped economy, in which affluent consumers continue to spend. Sports gambling stocks have not had a good year. (Yahoo Finance Alphaspace) 🎰 Loser: Sports Gambling From sportsbooks like DraftKings (DKNG: -26.7%) and Flutter (FLUT: -52.5%) to data companies like Genius (GENI: -45.0%) and Sportradar (SRAD: -37.0%), 2026 has been unkind to stocks with sports gambling exposure. The emergence and growth of the prediction markets industry, anchored by Kalshi and Polymarket, have weighed on shares, as have unfavorable outcomes and concerns about plateauing domestic growth. 📺 Loser: Media Many sports-involved media companies have endured a turbulent start to 2026, though their increasingly expensive sports-rights portfolios are not principally to blame. Some of the negative price action is event-driven, as in the case of Paramount Skydance (PSKY: -26.4%) and Fox (FOX: -27.9%), while persistent structural headwinds such as cord-cutting and streaming profitability have weighed on the category broadly. Disney (DIS: -15.4%) and Comcast (CMCSA: -12.3%) have also fared poorly, as has the recently spun-off Versant (VSNT: -20.0%). This story originally appeared in Monday's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz. Subscribe here to receive today's edition of our new newsletter when it hits inboxes a little later this morning. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 Fery celebrates his fourth-round victory. (James Fearn/Getty Images) 🎾 Wimbledon, Quarterfinals On Court 1, it's No. 9 Linda Nosková vs. No. 25 Elise Mertens (8am ET, ESPN2) followed by No. 2 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 6 Taylor Fritz. And on Centre Court, it's No. 12 Marta Kostyuk vs. No. 13 Jasmine Paolini (8:30am, ESPN) followed by No. 9 Flavio Cobolli vs. Arthur Fery. Last Brit standing: The Brits' home championship started very poorly when only four of 19 Britons made it out of the first round, with three of those four promptly losing their next match. Leave it to Fery — the 23-year-old wildcard who grew up in Wimbledon and had never before made it past the second round of a major — to be the last one standing. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Rays (6:40pm, Prime); Phillies at Reds (7pm, ESPN); Diamondbacks at Padres (10pm, ESPN) … Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns (10-1, 2.40 ERA) is part of a loaded NL Cy Young race. 🏀 WNBA: Lynx at Sun (7:30pm, USA); Fever at Sparks (10pm, USA) … Minnesota (15-6) is tied for the league's best record, while Connecticut (5-16) has the worst. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 5 (8am, NBCSN/Peacock) … The first flat stage, spanning 98 miles from Lannemezan to Pau, will give the sprinters an opportunity to shine. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏀 RAPTOR FOR LIFE NBA TRIVIA Lowry during the 2019 playoffs. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Kyle Lowry signed a one-day contract with the Raptors to officially end his 20-year career with the team where he became a star. Toronto also plans to retire his No. 7 jersey, making him the second player in franchise history to earn that honor. Question: Can you name the only other Raptor whose jersey was retired? Hint: No. 15 Answer at the bottom. 🥍 JUST LAUNCHED INTRODUCING THE YAHOO SPORTS LACROSSE HUB Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S, and through a new partnership with Inside Lacrosse, Yahoo Sports will be able to cover it more thoroughly than ever before. Just launched: The Yahoo Sports website features a new hub dedicated to lacrosse, with in-depth coverage spanning the sport. Readers can expect: Content from Inside Lacrosse, the Premier Lacrosse League, the Women's Lacrosse League, The Lacrosse Network, and USA Lacrosse Magazine. Comprehensive coverage of high school, collegiate, and professional lacrosse, including breaking news, in-depth written stories, video analysis, game highlights, and more. And news from USA Lacrosse — the sport's official national governing body — to help fans get ready for lacrosse's long-awaited return to the Olympic Games in 2028. Trivia answer: Vince Carter 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 July 10 Author Members Posted July 10 👋 Good morning! The World Cup quarterfinals are here. Stat du jour: Number of times an MLB pitcher was pulled after 6+ perfect innings in 115 seasons from 1901-2015: 0. Number of times in 10 seasons from 2016-25: 3. Number of times in the past four days: 2. The times, they are a-changin'. In today's edition: Fery's magical run continues, Verlander announces retirement plans, World Cup quarterfinal preview, checking in on the Tour de France, Reeve's historic victory, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ JV set to retire: Justin Verlander, 43, announced on Wednesday that he will retire at the end of the season, his 21st in the majors. The news came on the same day that the future Hall of Famer and Tigers pitcher was selected to his 10th All-Star Game as a "Legend Pick" by commissioner Rob Manfred. ⚾️ So close: Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease was three outs away from his second career no-hitter when a single by Giants OF Heliot Ramos ended his bid in the ninth. He still earned the win in a 10-0 victory with his third no-hit bid of 8+ innings, the most in MLB over the last five seasons. ⚽️ Record ratings: Upon closer inspection, Monday's USA-Belgium game (~42M viewers) was not in fact the most-watched soccer telecast in American history. That honor now belongs to Sunday's Mexico-England game, which drew nearly 45 million viewers across Fox and Telemundo. ⚾️ Derby field fills out: Royals RF Jac Caglianone and Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras have joined next week's Home Run Derby, whose eight-player field is now half full with Caglianone and Contreras joining Rays 3B Junior Caminero and Yankees 1B Ben Rice. ⚽️ MLS All-Stars: Lionel Messi, three wins from leading Argentina to a second straight World Cup title, headlined MLS' 29-player All-Star roster revealed Wednesday. They'll face a team of Liga MX All-Stars on July 29 in Charlotte. 🎾 WIMBLEDON THE FERY-TALE CONTINUES Fery falls to the court in celebration in front of an adoring home crowd. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images) The men's semifinals are set at Wimbledon, and while three of the players left standing are exactly who you'd expect them to be, the fourth is a young Brit named Arthur Fery, who is nothing short of the most unlikely semifinalist in the modern history of the sport. Odd man out: Fery — who upset No. 9 Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday to join No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 2 Alexander Zverev and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals — is just the fourth men's wildcard to reach a major semifinal in the Open Era (since 1968). But unlike the first three, Fery's run truly came out of nowhere. First was Jimmy Connors (1991 U.S. Open), an eight-time Grand Slam champion who received a sort-of "lifetime achievement" wildcard at age 39 at the end of an all-time great career. Next was Henri Laconte (1992 French Open), a former top-five player who'd reached eight Grand Slam quarterfinals but had fallen down the rankings due to injury. Most recently was Goran Ivanišević (2001 Wimbledon), a former world No. 2 and three-time finalist at the All England Club in the twilight of his career. He ultimately ran the table, becoming the first men's wildcard ever to win a Grand Slam. And now we have Fery, a 23-year-old Wimbledon local who'd never so much as advanced beyond the third round of an ATP event. By the numbers: Fery — who was born in France but grew up about a mile away from the All England Club, where he's played since he was a child — entered the tournament ranked a career-high 114th. Now, regardless of where he finishes he'll climb to at least No. 36. The Stanford graduate won nearly as many matches during his dream run at Wimbledon (5) as he had in his entire ATP career before last week (6). In fact, he'd only played in 14 main-draw matches before, underscoring just how little experience he has at this level. In the same vein, by reaching the semifinals he's already guaranteed himself a payday of roughly $1.2 million, more than he's earned in his entire career to date ($883,618). It is worth noting, however, that he perhaps doesn't need the money the way so many other struggling tennis players do: His father, Loïc, is a multimillionaire hedge fund manager and president of Ligue 1 club FC Lorient. What's next: Fery will face Zverev tomorrow after the reigning French Open champion knocked No. 6 Taylor Fritz out in straight sets on Wednesday. And if he can pull off another upset he'll get the winner of Sinner and Djokovic in the final. Good luck, kid. ⚽️ WORLD CUP THE QUARTERFINALS ARE HERE, AND SO ARE THE STARS (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports) After a solitary rest day that felt eternal, the quarterfinal stage of the World Cup has finally arrived. The global footballing behemoths have curtly dismissed the plucky underdogs, sent the host countries packing, and claimed their rightful seats at the big kid's table. All or nothing: It's no longer enough to fight for survival; this stage requires the game's best to wrest victory ruthlessly from the clutches of their opponent. The omnipresence of galactic stars — each performing at their very best — ensures there's no margin for error, and fans could scarcely ask for more big names to anchor the tournament down the stretch. Argentina's Lionel Messi, France's Kylian Mbappé, England's Harry Kane and Norway's Erling Haaland entered the World Cup as giants of the highest order, and have delivered to the tune of an astonishing 28 goals. That's 10% of all goals scored in the tournament. By four players. And still lurking is Lamine Yamal, the Spanish wunderkind who has yet to truly announce himself these last few weeks but is just one big game from joining that star-studded fray. Don't take it for granted: It's exceedingly rare that this many superstars make it so deep in the same tournament while simultaneously playing so flawlessly. Enjoy it. We're witnessing greatness. (Yahoo Sports) The road ahead: There are no easy draws left, just seismic clashes between teams that have already proven their mettle on the biggest stages in North America. France vs. Morocco (Thursday): The tournament's clear favorite faces its toughest test to date in 6th-ranked Morocco. France's star-studded attack will need to shake off the cobwebs from Paraguay's highly defensive approach in the prior round. Further raising the stakes in a game where the stakes need no raising, there are six French-born players in Morocco's squad. Belgium vs. Spain (Friday): Belgium were largely unconvincing in this tournament until they thoroughly humiliated the U.S. in an unfriendly environment. To win this one, they'll likely have to force Spain to do something it hasn't done all World Cup: concede a goal. Can Yamal and company find the back of the net sooner than they did against Portugal, when their 91st-minute strike clinched a 1-0 victory? England vs. Norway (Saturday): Norway enters as the lowest-ranked team in the quarterfinals, but the presence of Erling Haaland renders that standing an afterthought. If there's a goal to be had, the clinical Viking striker will find it. But the Norwegians face an England squad unrelenting in belief and urged along by their talismanic stars, Kane and Jude Bellingham. Argentina vs. Switzerland (Saturday): The Swiss may look like a final-eight underdog, but they face the reigning champions in formidable form, driven by the late-career apex of their captain, Granit Xhaka. Argentina have not beaten a team ranked higher than Switzerland in this tournament, and they would be tempting fate to wait too long for another moment of magic from Messi, however inevitable it might seem. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Tour de France) 🚴 5 stages down The Tour de France is nearly 25% of the way over, with five stages down and 16 to go entering the final Pyrenees stage today. Race favorites Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard aren't quite where you'd expect at this juncture, tied for fourth about eight minutes off the lead, but they'll likely begin making up that deficit during today's grueling climbs. And as for the leader? That would be Norway's Torstein Træen, who's completed an inspiring comeback after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2022. He was back on his bike and cancer-free later that year, earned his first stage victory at a World Tour event in 2024, held the red jersey for four stages at the Vuelta a España in 2025, and is now the third Norwegian ever to don the yellow jersey. 🏀 380 wins Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve picked up her 380th career regular-season victory on Wednesday, breaking a tie with Mike Thibault to become the winningest coach in WNBA history. The four-time Coach of the Year also holds the record for most postseason wins (52), thanks largely to Minnesota's dynasty that won four titles in the 2010s. More history coming? The Lynx improved to 16-6 with the victory, a half-game ahead of the Aces and Valkyries for the league's best record. There's a lot of season left, but a fifth championship — all under Reeve — would break a tie with the Storm and now-defunct Comets for the most ever. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) ⛳️ 7 golfers Just seven LPGA golfers have ever achieved the Career Grand Slam; with a win at this weekend's Evian Championship — the fourth major of the season — world No. 1 Nelly Korda would become the eighth. The 27-year-old has already won the Chevron Championship, U.S. Women's Open and Women's PGA Championship, and despite there being five majors, only four are required for the Slam. But wait, there's more: A win this weekend would also make her just the 36th woman to earn a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. The points-based membership requires 27 points for entry; Korda has 25, and major championships are worth two. Here's where I remind you that she's already won four times this year, including two of the first three majors. ⚾️ 10 RBI Pirates 1B Ryan O'Hearn mashed three home runs and had 10 RBIs in Tuesday's win over the Braves, making him just the 17th player in MLB's modern era (since 1900) with at least 10 RBIs in a game. The others: Shohei Ohtani (2024), Mark Reynolds (2018), Scooter Gennett (2017), Anthony Rendon (2017), Garret Anderson (2007), Alex Rodriguez (2005), Nomar Garciaparra (1999), Mark Whiten (1993), Fred Lynn (1975), Reggie Jackson (1969), Norm Zauchin (1955), Walker Cooper (1949), Rudy York (1946), Phil Weintraub (1944), Tony Lazzeri (1936), Jim Bottomley (1924). ⚾️ GO DEEPER GOOD READS: MLB EDITION (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) Jake Mintz: It's a weird year for the American League All-Stars MLB's balance of power has skewed heavily in the NL's favor this season — a discrepancy that will be on full display at next week's All-Star Game in Philadelphia, where the Senior Circuit's roster will be chock-full of stars while the AL scrambles to fill a void caused by injuries, underperformance and an interleague exodus. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) Russell Dorsey: The man, the myth, the Miz: How Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski became MLB's most electric pitcher Milwaukee's flame-throwing righty has enjoyed a meteoric rise, going from a tantalizingly talented prospect to arguably the best pitcher in baseball in the past year. But the Miz's ascent to superstardom was far from a guarantee, and his road to becoming MLB's most electric hurler was anything but linear. (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) Mintz: Which player will the White Sox take with the No. 1 overall pick? The White Sox are on the clock with the first pick in Saturday's MLB Draft, and there are effectively three options for whom they'll select: UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech C Vahn Lackey and a high school SS from Texas named Grady Emerson. Let's run through this talented trio, highlight what makes each special and handicap their chances to be the first name called this weekend. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JULY 9 (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Quarterfinals The first semifinal spot will be booked today in Foxborough (4pm ET, Fox), where France and Morocco meet in a rematch of the semifinals from four years ago in Qatar. 20-20 vision? Kylian Mbappé has scored a stunning 19 goals in 19 career World Cup appearances, including seven this year alone. Will he make it an even 20 in 20 today? 🎾 Wimbledon, Semifinals The women take center stage — and Centre Court — today as the semifinals get underway at the All England Club. First up is No. 7 Coco Gauff vs. No. 10 Karolína Muchová (8:30am, ESPN), followed by No. 9 Linda Nosková vs. No. 12 Marta Kostyuk. Debutants: This is the first Wimbledon in the Open Era (since 1968) to feature four first-time Wimbledon semifinalists in the women's draw. ⛳️ Evian Championship The fourth LPGA major of the season is underway (6am, Golf) in Évian-les-Bains, France, where 132 women are competing for a $9.1 million purse. Flashback: Last year's tournament had as thrilling a conclusion as you could imagine, as Grace Kim forced a playoff with an eagle at the last, extended the playoff with a chip-in birdie — a shot so epic it was commemorated with a plaque — and won her first major with another eagle on the second playoff hole. More to watch: 🏀 NBA Summer League: Wizards vs. Jazz (9pm, ESPN) … Las Vegas Summer League action tips off with Washington's AJ Dybantsa and Utah's Darryn Peterson meeting in a matchup of the top two picks in last month's draft. ⛳️ PGA: Scottish Open (3:15am, ESPN+; 11am, Golf) … Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and defending champion Chris Gotterup headline the field at The Renaissance Club. 🏀 WNBA: Storm at Dream (8pm, Prime); Fever at Mercury (10pm, Prime) … Atlanta (12-9) could use a win in this get-right game against Seattle (6-17) after dropping five straight. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 6 (6:25am, Peacock) … Riders will travel 116 miles through the Pyrenees from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. ⚾ NO-NO'S MLB TRIVIA (Nic Antaya/Getty Images) Justin Verlander — who announced Wednesday that he'll be retiring at the end of the season — has thrown three career no-hitters, a total surpassed by just two other pitchers in MLB history. Question: Can you name them? Hint: A lefty and a righty. Answer at the bottom. ⚽️ WHO YA GOT? WORLD CUP: MAKE YOUR PICKS! The quarterfinals in the world's biggest soccer tournament begin today! Pick your winners for each game in 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em from Yahoo Sports and FOX One. How to play: Make picks each round, earn points for correct predictions and climb the leaderboard. You can play solo against the field, create a private group with friends to compete for bragging rights, or join a public group to play with other fans. Trivia answer: Nolan Ryan (7 no-hitters) and Sandy Koufax (4) 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 July 12 Author Members Posted July 12 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Mbappé strikes again, Wimbledon's all-Czech final, Pogačar's historic climb, Yahoo College Fantasy Football is here, why there are so few Messi's in Argentina, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Kawhi trade not yet completed: The Raptors' trade for Kawhi Leonard has still not been finalized, as it cannot be completed until the NBA's lengthy investigation into the Clippers ends. For the last 10 months, the league has been looking into accusations that the Clippers funneled money to Leonard as a way to circumvent the salary cap. ⚾️ Derby's almost full: Phillies 1B Bryce Harper and Cardinals RF Jordan Walker have joined the field for Monday's Home Run Derby, which has just two spots left. Harper has a chance to win the Derby at his home park for the second time, first doing so with the Nationals in 2018. 🏒 Carlsson's historic payday: The Ducks matched Leo Carlsson's five-year, $90 million offer sheet from the Flyers, making the 21-year-old center the highest-paid player in NHL history by AAV ($18M). For reference, that figure would rank as the 190th-highest AAV in NBA history. 🏀 UCLA lands top prospect: Serbian phenom Nikola Kusturica has agreed to a multiyear NIL deal worth upwards of $12 million to play at UCLA beginning this fall. The 17-year-old, still two years away from being eligible for the NBA, is considered an early contender to go No. 1 in the 2028 draft. 🏈 No. 44 forever: It took far longer than anyone expected, but the Commanders are finally retiring John Riggins' No. 44 jersey. The franchise's all-time leading rusher likely would have received this honor long ago if he hadn't called out former owner Daniel Snyder for being a "bad guy" with a "dark heart," but Snyder's exit opened the door for them to change tack. ⚽️ WORLD CUP LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, MBAPPÉ (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images) At every turn in this World Cup, the game's best players have seized the moment and delivered performances worthy of the colossal stage. On Thursday, Kylian Mbappé took his turn yet again, bringing France within arm's reach of the summit once more. France 2, Morocco 0: The tournament's presumptive favorites lived up to the billing in Foxborough, outshooting Morocco 22 to 5 en route to a comfortable 2-0 quarterfinal victory. Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou's performance, which included a denial of Mbappé from the penalty spot, kept the game knotted for an hour, but that immovable object was no match for the unstoppable force that is Les Bleus. As with Lionel Messi before him, Mbappé's first-half missed penalty did little to shake his confidence, serving only as a warm-up for the more difficult act that followed; namely, his sublime strike through traffic that broke the deadlock in the 60th minute and gave him eight goals this tournament, vaulting him past Messi for the Golden Boot lead. Six minutes later, reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé iced the game with an incisive run and a deft finish for his fifth goal of the tournament, assisted by none other than Mbappé. In any other World Cup, his tally would be among the best. In this one, it's an afterthought on his own team. Seriously, how stacked are France?! They don't call it the beautiful game for nothing. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images) The heir apparent: Though perhaps overshadowed by Messi's miracle-laden farewell tour, Mbappé's form is as prolific as this competition has ever seen. And while he's just 27, giving us eons yet to watch his greatness, let this be a warning: If you've ever lamented not knowing you're in the good old days until you've left them, we're there right now, and they're as good as it gets. Consider that Mbappé's second-half goal brought his career World Cup tally to an astonishing 20 goals in 20 matches. That would be remarkable against any foe, but to score with such consistency in the notoriously cagey environment of the World Cup is unfathomable. He may sit a goal behind Messi on the all-time chart now, but it's clear that — however this tournament ends — the Frenchman will one day stand alone at the top. And it's more than just volume, too, as 17 of his 20 goals have come in the second half, which is as remarkable as it is statistically improbable. With nine World Cup match winners (a record), Mbappé hasn’t padded stats in garbage time; he's pulled his nation by the scruff of its neck toward World Cup glory. Looking ahead: Mbappé and France are one win away from their third consecutive World Cup Final. Only Germany and Brazil have ever accomplished that feat, but Mbappé has never hesitated to lay siege to the history books. 🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) 🏴 London, England — No. 10 Karolína Muchová outlasted No. 7 Coco Gauff in a thrilling three-setter on Thursday, winning a tense tiebreak to advance to her first Wimbledon final. For Gauff, the defeat was just her third three-set loss in a Grand Slam since the 2023 U.S. Open (17-3). All-Czech final: No. 9 Linda Nosková cruised past No. 12 Marta Kostyuk in the other semifinal, ensuring a Czech woman comes out on top at the All England Club for the third time in four years (Markéta Vondroušová in 2023, Barbora Krejčíková in 2024). (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Gavarnie-Gèdre, France — Well, that didn't take long. Four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar turned an eight-minute deficit into a nearly three-minute lead with Thursday's historic and dominant ascent in the Pyrenees, climbing the iconic Col du Tourmalet in a record-smashing 42 minutes, 12 seconds to win Stage 6 and reclaim the yellow jersey. Moving on up: This was Pogačar’s 23rd career stage win at the Tour de France, moving the Slovenian into fifth on the all-time list. Only Great Britain's Mark Cavendish (35), Belgium's Eddy Merckx (34), France's Bernard Hinault (28) and France's André Leducq (25) have more. (Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Las Vegas, Nevada — AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson's first matchup since going 1-2 in the NBA Draft did not disappoint, as Dybantsa (27-7-2) and the Wizards outdueled Peterson (24-3-3) and the Jazz on Thursday's opening night of Las Vegas Summer League. Highlight of the night: Dybantsa laid down the hammer on Utah's Justin Harmon for his first poster as a professional. Rory tees off on the 12th hole. (Luke Walker/Getty Images) 🏴 North Berwick, Scotland — The Scottish Open was crowded at the top after Thursday's opening round, with 71 golfers finishing under par including a five-way tie for the lead at 5-under. One of those co-leaders? Rory McIlroy, who's made a habit of dominating here. 13 straight: McIlroy has now carded 13 consecutive rounds in the 60s at this tournament, which he won in 2023, finished T4 in 2024 and finished T2 last year. Those scores, in order from most to least recent: 65, 68, 66, 65, 68, 68, 67, 66, 65, 68, 67, 66, 64. Not bad! 🏈 BACK TO SCHOOL COLLEGE FANTASY FOOTBALL IS HERE! College football is more than just a version of the pro game. It has its own distinct style and culture — and its own massive following on Saturdays. Now, it's getting its own distinct Yahoo Fantasy sports experience. That's right: College Fantasy Football is now on Yahoo. The traditional fantasy football you know and love, designed for the college game. How it works: Like traditional fantasy football, Yahoo College Fantasy Football is a season-long game with head-to-head weekly matchups. Drafts, trades and waiver pickups work the same way, and the scoring system is similar. Player pool: Draftable players include those from all 68 teams in the Power 4 (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC), plus Notre Dame. New position added: In addition to drafting individual players and a defense, there's also now a roster spot for "Team Offense," rewarding team-level aggregate scoring. Expanded rosters: Whereas traditional fantasy football rosters have just 15 spots, the college game has 18. This reflects a sport that has more stars than ever thanks to the transfer portal creating new opportunities for playing time, NIL keeping talented upperclassmen in school and freshmen becoming increasingly game-ready. Prepare for Draft Day: Drafts open on Aug. 3, and scoring starts a month later when Week 1 kicks off on Sept. 3. Here are our Top 300 player rankings to help you prepare for your draft. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Quarterfinals Who will join France in the semifinals? Spain and Belgium take the field today in Los Angeles (3pm ET, Fox), followed by tomorrow's doubleheader of Norway vs. England in Miami (5pm, Fox) and Argentina vs. Switzerland in Kansas City (9pm, Fox). Who should you root for? Morocco is off the table, but for Americans searching for a rooting interest there are seven worthy bandwagons to jump on. There's Norway, if you're catching Haaland fever; or England, if you're ready for "it" to finally come home. And of course there's the simple duality of whether you love Lionel Messi (Argentina), or have gotten tired of his non-stop success (Switzerland). 🎾 Wimbledon Championships The men's semifinals begin soon, with No. 2 Alexander Zverev and local wildcard Arthur Fery taking the court first (8:30am, ESPN), followed by top-ranked Jannik Sinner vs. Novak Djokovic. Tomorrow (11am, ESPN) is the women's final — an all-Czech affair between No. 9 Linda Nosková and No. 10 Karolína Muchová — followed by the men's final on Sunday (11am, ESPN). Chasing 25: Djokovic is yet again just two wins away from his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam, which has eluded him since winning No. 24 three years ago despite this being his eighth major semifinal in that time. One problem? Five of those eight have come against Sinner, who's 5-1 against him in their last six meetings. ⛳️ Evian Championship The season's fourth LPGA major continues this weekend (Fri-Sun, Golf) at France's Evian Resort Golf Club, where Japan's Aki Iwai shot a scorching 8-under 63 on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead over the field. Korda struggles mightily: World No. 1 Nelly Korda, seeking the Career Grand Slam and a spot in the Hall of Fame, got off to a disastrous start with a 3-over 74, 11 shots off the lead and in danger of missing the cut. ⚾️ MLB, First-Half Finale This weekend marks the last set of games before the All-Star break, and you could do much worse than closing out the first half on Sunday with one of the best pitching matchups imaginable, as Paul Skenes' Pirates host Jacob Misiorowski's Brewers in Pittsburgh (12:15pm, Peacock). Plus… The MLB Draft is this weekend in Philadelphia, with Rounds 1-4 on Saturday (1pm NBC/Peacock/MLB) and Rounds 5-20 on Sunday (11:30am, MLB.com). To prepare for the proceedings, dive into our in-depth analysis of the Top 50 prospects, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman. 👊 UFC 329 Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in five years on Saturday night in Las Vegas (9pm, Paramount+), where his welterweight bout against Max Holloway headlines a card that also includes fan favorite Paddy Pimblett and Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson. Pre-fight reading: Conor McGregor isn't just fighting Max Holloway at UFC 329. He's fighting history (Ben Fowlkes, Uncrowned) More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Wings at Tempo (Fri. 7:30pm, ION); Liberty at Lynx (Sat. 1pm, ABC); Mercury at Aces (Sat. 6pm, NBCSN/Peacock); Sky at Wings (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) ⛳️ PGA: Scottish Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Play continues at The Renaissance Club, where Rory McIlroy (-5) was among the five players tied for the first-round lead. ⚽️ NWSL: Orlando vs. Kansas City (Fri. 8pm, Prime); San Diego vs. Angel City (Sat. 8:45pm, ION); Seattle vs. Portland (Sun. 4pm, ESPN) … San Diego (9-4-1) and Portland (8-3-3) sit atop the standings. 🚴 Tour de France: Stages 7-9 (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … Riders will complete two more flat stages and a hilly stage before getting their first rest day on Monday. Plus: 🏀 NBA Summer League (Fri-Sun, ESPN/Prime); 🏁 NASCAR at EchoPark Speedway (Sun. 7pm, TNT); 🥍 PLL Week 8 in Chicago (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ESPN2); 🏈 IFL Week 18 (Sat-Sun, Yahoo Sports); 🏀 BIG3 Week 4 in Los Angeles (Sat. 4pm, CBS) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🎾 WIMBLEDON TENNIS TRIVIA Djoker takes on Jannik Sinner in the semifinals today. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) Novak Djokovic's seven Wimbledon singles titles are tied for second among men in the Open Era, trailing only Roger Federer's eight. Question: Who is he tied with? Hint: His last win came in 2000. Answer at the bottom. 🇦🇷 NAMESAKE WHY THERE ARE SO FEW MESSI'S IN ARGENTINA A mural of Messi adorns a wall in his hometown of Rosario. (Marcelo Manera/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) There are more than 100,000 people from Argentina whose first name is Lionel, for obvious reasons. But just 11 are named Messi thanks to an obscure 1969 statute prohibiting the use of surnames as first names. Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports: While Argentine supporters have painted towering murals of Messi, written songs in his honor and tattooed his face, jersey and autograph on their bodies, there's one form of tribute that remains largely forbidden across the country. Argentine law still prohibits expecting parents from turning Messi's well-known surname into a first name. As of June 2025, there were just 11 Argentine citizens or legal foreign residents whose first name was Messi, all 19 years old or younger, according to the country's national registry of persons. That's far less than the 205 American citizens with the first name Messi. Or the roughly 265 people in France. Or the 363 Brazilians. Or the staggering 3,402 residents of Peru. Trivia answer: Pete Sampras 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 July 14 Author Members Posted July 14 America's soccer spectacle Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Skeptics spent months bracing for the World Cup to clash with a polarized, priced-out American public. The tournament answered with the largest U.S. viewing audiences in soccer history and diverse scenes of humanity finding harmony, Axios' Herb Scribner and Zachary Basu write. Ratings, attendance and buzz remain through the roof, even with all three host nations (USA, Canada, Mexico) knocked out. USA–Belgium's round of 16 face-off drew a final combined audience of 50.1 million viewers on Fox and Telemundo — the largest soccer audience ever recorded in the U.S. 46.7 million U.S. viewers watched England's Three Lions escape Mexico 3–2. 🧮 Stunning stat: Together, Fox says these were the most-watched non-NFL sports events in the U.S. since the 1994 Winter Olympics. Telemundo says that with Peacock's streaming viewers included, Mexico vs. England's total audience of 23.2 million made it the most-watched soccer match in Spanish-language media history. USA vs. Belgium last Monday drew 12.9 million making it the most-watched Spanish-language U.S. match. ⚽ The gameplay has lived up to the hype, offering nail-biters and nonstop theater. Things got Messi (pun intended) for defending champ Argentina, who scored a stunning comeback in the final moments against Egypt that drove the highest Google search traffic ever recorded. 🥅 France's Kylian Mbappé and Argentina's Lionel Messi are tied atop the Golden Boot race, awarded to the top scorer, with England's Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham within striking distance. Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after a victory in Atlanta on Tuesday. Photo: Elsa/Getty Images 🤝 In host cities, the World Cup has turned into a festive cultural exchange and a moment of unity for a polarized U.S. public. Viral scenes of fans marveling at America's tailgates, ballparks, all-night diners and general abundance sparked an unlikely — and often humorous — moment of national pride. FIFA says 6,259,584 fans attended matches through the round of 16, filling 99.7% of seats with an average crowd of 65,204. 🥊 We may be successful hosts, but the U.S. national team's run ended in embarrassment. The loss was made even tougher by the Folarin Balogun red-card saga, after President Trump asked FIFA to review Balogun's suspension and FIFA cleared him to play. 👀 But the real test of America's soccer mania will come after the final whistle blows. Historically, U.S. interest in soccer has spiked hard during World Cups and faded quickly once the tournament ends. ⏳ In soccer historian Stephen Brandt's words, "It's fun while it lasts." But streaming's big names are betting this time is different, weighing bids up to $2 billion for combined English- and Spanish-language U.S. rights to the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. 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 July 15 Author Members Posted July 15 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: The World Cup semis are set, Wemby signs the max (but not the supermax), Sinner and Nosková crowned champs, Ryu wins another major, Seahawks sold, sluggers take the field, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Wemby signs historic deal: Victor Wembanyama signed the largest rookie extension in NBA history (5 years, $252 million), though it's smaller than it could have been as he opted for the max (25% of the cap) rather than the supermax (30%) to give the Spurs more financial flexibility. ⚾️ ASG headlines: Phillies lefty Cristopher Sánchez and Blue Jays righty Dylan Cease are your All-Star Game starting pitchers; Shohei Ohtani (left knee irritation) will not participate in the game; Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (10-1, 2.13 ERA) declined an invite as a replacement player, saying he felt "disrespected" by his initial snub. ⚾️ MLB Draft recap: The White Sox took UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky first overall in the 2026 MLB Draft, which featured 613 selections including some familiar names drafted to familiar places like Barry Bonds' nephew Peyton Bonds (Giants), Andy Pettitte's son Luke (Yankees), Jim Thome's son Landon (White Sox) and CC Sabathia's son Carsten III (Brewers). 🏀 Heated altercation: Heat star Bam Adebayo shoved and punched Bucks guard (and former Miami teammate) Tyler Herro on Friday at a practice court in Las Vegas. The altercation reportedly stemmed from critical comments Herro made on social media about Adebayo after the former was traded to Milwaukee last month. ⚽️ More expansion coming? As the first 48-team World Cup nears its end, FIFA president Gianni Infantino appears to already be considering another round of expansion, telling a Swiss broadcaster over the weekend that 64 teams "will be examined" for the 2030 World Cup. ⚽️ WORLD CUP AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR (Yahoo Sports) Spain, England and Argentina joined France in the semifinals over the weekend, setting up the chalkiest final four in World Cup history. 1, 2, 3, 4: For the first time ever, the World Cup semifinals feature the world's top four teams (No. 1 France, No. 2 Argentina, No. 3 Spain, No. 4 England), delivering a dream scenario for fans in a tournament that has so frequently made us pinch ourselves. From the star-studded Golden Boot race to the world's best teams routinely proving their mettle, this World Cup has thoroughly exceeded its high expectations. And it's not over yet. Here's how La Roja, the Three Lions and La Albiceleste punched their tickets to the semis… (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images) Los Angeles — Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 on Friday afternoon thanks to yet another late-game goal from Mikel Merino, as the Arsenal maestro again saved the day when he pounced on a rebound spilled by Belgium's substitute goalkeeper in the 88th minute. La Roja's historic streak: Charles De Ketelaere's first-half equalizer was the first World Cup goal allowed by Spain since the 2022 group stage, a run of 649 consecutive scoreless minutes that marked the longest in tournament history. More importantly, La Roja are now unbeaten in their last 36 (!) matches, and sit two wins shy of another title. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images) Miami — England vanquished Norway 2-1 on Saturday behind the strength of a Jude Bellingham brace — and perhaps a rogue overhead camera cable — forcing America to bid a tearful goodbye to its new Viking icon, Erling Haaland. Hey Jude: Real Madrid's talismanic midfielder has scored four of England's last five goals, willing his side to victory by marrying his otherworldly talent with a grit that imbues the Three Lions with a fighting edge. That same doggedness has enabled England's defense to protect narrow leads through the dying moments of knockdown brawls in stifling heat. Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring Argentina's first goal. (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images) Kansas City — Argentina has developed a troubling preference for doing things the hard way, outlasting Switzerland 3-1 in extra time of a cagey quarterfinal. And though Lionel Messi failed to find the back of the net for the first time in 10 World Cup games, he did provide a record 10th career World Cup assist on a perfectly-placed corner kick. Cake walk: Argentina is the first nation to reach the World Cup semifinals without facing a single team ranked in the top 10. Despite that historically easy draw, the defending champions have made the path look unusually difficult. But their confidence has scarcely wavered, buoyed by the cohesion and belief built over the course of multiple tournaments in the trenches… and by the presence of their inimitable No. 10. Looking ahead: The semifinals kick off tomorrow with France vs. Spain in Dallas; then it's England vs. Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, with the final coming this Sunday at MetLife Stadium. 🎾 WIMBLEDON SINNER, NOSKOVÁ CROWNED CHAMPS (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Jannik Sinner fought back from a set down against Alexander Zverev on Sunday to win his second straight Wimbledon title and fifth Career Grand Slam. It's the type of result you expect from the world No. 1 and budding all-time great, putting him back on pace for a historic season after his early exit at Roland Garros. It would just be nice if his biggest rival were healthy. Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: While Sinner was laying waste to this Wimbledon field, dropping just three sets en route to the title, videos emerged of Carlos Alcaraz back in Spain, just starting to lightly swing a tennis racket again after recovering from an inflamed tendon sheath in his right wrist. It is unclear if Alcaraz will be ready to come back by the US Open, which starts in seven weeks. For a tennis player, wrist injuries are nothing to mess around with. But as much as Sinner has enjoyed hoovering up trophies while Alcaraz is sidelined, he should root for his nemesis to return to form as quickly as possible. Because while Sinner's greatness stands on its own, the respect and admiration for his achievements this year does not. Though there are no asterisks in tennis — you can only beat who's in front of you, and every Grand Slam title counts the same — Sinner and Alcaraz are so linked that the absence of one inevitably diminishes any achievements of the other. With all due respect to Zverev, the newly minted French Open champion who played at an extremely high level for the first 90 minutes of Sunday's final, there are only two players in men's tennis who move the needle right now. Zverev is not one of them. At the end of last season, when Alcaraz and Sinner played a third straight major final against each other in New York, some fans wondered if it might get boring if they separated from the field without another worthy rival coming into the mix. But here's the reality of men's tennis: While Zverev is a clear No. 3 and can beat either one on a given day, the only truly compelling storyline in the sport is the race to history between Alcaraz and Sinner. And we can't really measure it when one of them is at a training center hitting Nerf balls. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Meanwhile, on the women's side: Linda Nosková defeated her friend and fellow Czech countrywoman Karolína Muchová to win her first Grand Slam title, rebounding from what could have been an all-time collapse to complete the three-set victory. ICYMI: Nosková led 6-2, 5-2 when Muchová came roaring back, saving three match points at 2-5, one match point at 3-5 and one more at 4-5 before winning the set to force a decider. But that was as close as she'd come, with Nosková regrouping to win the third set, 6-3, and claim the title. Zoom out: Nosková's victory continued Czechia's unlikely dominance in this tournament, as three of the last four champions — and five of the last 15 — have hailed from the small Central European nation. It also extended a streak of nine consecutive first-time Wimbledon women's champions dating back to 2017. ⛳️ GOLF ROUNDUP RYU WINS AGAIN AS NELLY, SCOTTIE STUMBLE (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) The summer of Haeran Ryu continued on Sunday at the Evian Championship, where the South Korean held off a surging Brooke Henderson in a playoff to win her second straight major. Thrilling finish: The final grouping of Ryu, Henderson and Aki Iwai all came to the 72nd hole with a chance to reach a three-way playoff, but Iwai's par (-18) kept her one stroke out of contention after Ryu's birdie (-19) and Henderson's eagle (-19), which put a stamp on one of the best final rounds you'll ever see, even in defeat. The 28-year-old Canadian shot a 7-under 64, carding three birdies and three eagles, including an ace on the par-3 eighth and the aforementioned must-make eagle at the last. Her six eagles during the week set an LPGA record for the most in a single major championship. But Ryu — who shot a 60 on Saturday for the lowest round ever in an LPGA major — would not relent, birdieing the first playoff hole to claim victory. Two in a row: Ryu is the first woman since Lydia Ko in 2016 to win her first two career majors in consecutive starts, having also won the Women's PGA Championship two weeks ago. This is also the first year in LPGA history in which two women won multiple majors; but Nelly Korda, who won the season's first two majors, was part of a much different kind of history last week… (Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images) No. 1 and done: Korda (at the Evian) and Scottie Scheffler (at the Scottish Open*) both failed to reach the weekend, marking the first time since women's golf rankings were introduced in 2006 that the top-ranked man and woman both missed the cut in the same week. But wait, there's more: It's not just that Nelly and Scottie both missed the cut; it's that they entered the week with a combined streak of 112 consecutive made cuts! Korda hadn't missed a cut in two years (34 straight), with her last miss coming in the 2024 Women's PGA Championship. But she often struggles at the Evian, where she'd finished outside the top 25 each of the last two years and has never finished higher than eighth. Scheffler hadn't missed one in four years (!), with his run of 78 straight marking the fifth-longest streak ever. His last miss came 1,428 days earlier at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, which was so long ago that neither Jannik Sinner nor Carlos Alcaraz had won a Grand Slam yet. After Sinner's victory on Sunday, they've since combined for 12. Looking ahead: The even-keeled Scheffler didn't put much stock in the missed cut, focusing instead on the silver lining of arriving at Royal Birkdale earlier than expected to prepare for this week's Open Championship, where he'll look to defend his title. Korda, meanwhile, will take on the Women's Open just a couple weeks later, where a win would give her the Career Grand Slam and a spot in the Hall of Fame — the same stakes she came into the Evian with. *Kim wins Scottish Open: Tom Kim (-17) won by two strokes over Min Woo Lee (-15) for his first PGA Tour victory in three years. Of note: Among the four players tied for third (-13) was Matt Fitzpatrick, whose 28 consecutive made cuts is now the longest active streak on the Tour. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Ric Tapia/Getty Images) 🏈 $9.6 billion The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks have been sold by the estate of the late Paul Allen for $9.6 billion, shattering the previous record for the most expensive NFL team sale (Commanders, $6.05B in 2023). The franchise was sold to an ownership group led by Vinod Khosla, a limited partner in the 49ers who will have to relinquish his minority stake in that team before taking over as the Seahawks' controlling owner. Trending (way) up: While this sale fell just short of the record for the most expensive across all sports (Lakers, $10B in 2025), it continued what's been an exponential increase in NFL sale prices. Consider that it took nine years for the most expensive sale to go from $1.1 billion (Dolphins, 2009) to $2.3 billion (Panthers, 2018), then doubled four years later to $4.65 billion (Broncos, 2022) and has now doubled again four years after that. ⚾️ 27 blown saves The Nationals suffered their 26th and 27th blown saves of the season this weekend — by far the most in baseball, and exactly half of their MLB-high 54 save opportunities — en route to getting swept by the Yankees. That ignominious tally is just 10 shy of matching the single-season MLB record, which they seem likely to blow past given they still have 65 games left. Jekyll and Hyde: The Nationals' late-inning implosions — particularly at home, where their ERA in the eighth inning or later is 8.10 — are even more stark when compared to their unexpectedly good offense, which leads the majors with 516 runs scored. That unlikely paradox of having the most runs scored and the third-most allowed (509) has yielded a team that continues hovering right around .500 (48-49), but will have trouble contending for a wild card (currently 4 GB) unless its bullpen improves from terrible to merely bad. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) 👊 69 seconds Conor McGregor went down without a fight, literally, in his long-awaited return to the Octagon, blowing out his knee in the opening moments of Saturday's bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329. The 37-year-old Irishman tried pushing through, but the referee was ultimately forced to wave off the contest after just 69 seconds. Déjà vu: McGregor infamously tore his ACL in his first fight against Holloway back in 2013, which he impressively still won via unanimous decision. More recently, his last fight prior to Saturday was 2021's trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier, which ended when the Irishman broke his leg in gruesome fashion. Now, this. "I am beyond dark here," McGregor said later on social media. "I can only describe it as hell." 🏀 20,996 fans The WNBA has a new regular-season attendance record, as 20,996 people packed into Montreal's Bell Centre on Friday to watch the Wings' victory over the Tempo. The game was part of the Tempo's "Cross-Canada Series," an effort by the Toronto expansion franchise to introduce the team to other parts of the country. They played another game in Montreal on Sunday (a win over the Liberty), and will play two more next month in Vancouver. More history in the W: The Aces beat the Mercury 106-58 on Saturday, a 48-point blowout that stands as the third-largest margin of victory in WNBA history. The Lynx hold the record with a 59-point win over the Fever in 2017, and these very Aces suffered the second-worst defeat last year, a 53-point loss that was followed by 16 straight wins and, ultimately, a championship. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, JULY 13 (Ethan Palowitz/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ Home Run Derby The Home Run Derby is tonight in Philadelphia (8pm ET, Netflix), where for the first time since 2014 the competition will use a swing-based (instead of a clock-based) format. Each player gets 20 swings in the first round, with the top four advancing to the head-to-head semifinals. The semis and finals feature just 15 swings per batter, with the caveat that in all three rounds, players who homer on their final swing get to keep going until they don't hit one out. Who's in? Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber (league-leading 32 HR this season) will try joining the rare club of players to win the Derby at their home ballpark, while teammate Bryce Harper (20) will try doing so again after winning in D.C. as a National in 2018. The other six: Yankees 1B Ben Rice (29), Rays 3B Junior Caminero (28), Cardinals RF Jordan Walker (22), White Sox 1B Munetaka Murakami (20), Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras (20), Royals RF Jac Caglianone (15). More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Sparks at Dream (7pm, USA); Mercury at Lynx (9pm, NBCSN/Peacock) … Lynx rookie Olivia Miles on Saturday became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 350 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists (21 games). 🏀 NBA Summer League: Bulls vs. Jazz (9pm, ESPN) … Chicago's Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 overall pick, scored 35 points in his debut on Friday. That included hitting seven 3-pointers, matching his total from his entire freshman season at UNC, where that "just wasn't my role." Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🎾 WIMBLEDON TENNIS TRIVIA (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images) Jannik Sinner's Wimbledon victory on Sunday extended a streak in which just six men have won at the All England Club since 2003: Roger Federer (8x), Novak Djokovic (7x), Rafael Nadal (2x), Andy Murray (2x), Carlos Alcaraz (2x) and Sinner (2x). Question: Can you name the 2002 men's singles champion? Hint: Australian. Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ RISING STAR TRISTAN PETERS, TAKE A BOW Peters gets a Gatorade bath after his incredible performance. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) White Sox rookie Tristan Peters hit for one of the rarest cycles in MLB history on Friday, becoming the fifth player to achieve the feat as the No. 9 hitter and the third in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to complete his cycle by getting two hits in the same inning. And before you ask, yes, those hits were his home run and triple. Hey now, you're an All-Star: Peters was a 2021 seventh-rounder who didn't make his MLB debut until last season with the Rays, and didn't get a real shot until this season with the White Sox. Safe to say the centerfielder has made the most of it, as he's put up an .832 OPS in 91 games and was named to the All-Star team the day after his cycle. You absolutely love to see it. Trivia answer: Lleyton Hewitt 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 July 16 Author Members Posted July 16 👋 Good morning! France vs. Spain. 3pm ET. Cannot wait. In today's edition: World Cup X-factors, Walker wins the Derby, where the semifinalists play their club ball, Bryce's journey from villain to legend, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ⚽️ X-FACTORS OUT OF THE SHADOWS, INTO THE SPOTLIGHT (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) Soccer's biggest stars have shined brightest at the World Cup, but enough ink has been spilled on Messi, Mbappé, Kane, and Bellingham (for now). While nobody would be surprised if any of those players decided this week's semifinals — kicking off today with France vs. Spain — it's just as likely that less accomplished players will steal the spotlight. Meet our X-factors: Here's one player on each of the four semifinalists who is capable of flipping an outcome and capturing eternal glory. 🇪🇸 Lamine Yamal Before the tournament began, many would have expected the Barcelona wunderkind to rank among its headliners given his electric introduction at Euro 2024. It hasn't happened yet, with just one goal and no assists through six matches, but one well-timed strike today against Les Bleus would entirely rewrite the prevailing narrative. Turning tide: Yamal entered the World Cup slowed by injury, but his Player of the Match performance in Spain's quarterfinal victory over Belgium indicates he may be ready to erupt. As he continues playing his way into form, alarm bells will be ringing for the French defense, and what better way to celebrate his birthday — he turned 19 yesterday — than with a goal that sends his country to the World Cup Final? 🇫🇷 Michael Olise Michael Olise is arguably the best player at this tournament without a goal, but the quiet Frenchman's impact has been undeniable. "He saves his words," Mbappé said of his teammate. "His feet do the talking for him." Star wingman: Though Olise's 17 shots have proven fruitless — the most by any player at this World Cup without scoring — the Bayern Munich winger has left his mark with a tournament-leading five assists. And given their scoring prowess, if Olise keeps putting Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in a position to find the net, France will be incredibly tough to beat. 🏴 Dan Burn The 6-foot-7 defender has registered just 24 minutes of playing time during the World Cup, but that admittedly tiny sample belies how critical Burn is to England's success. The Three Lions' not-so-secret weapon is deployed late in games to protect leads and patrol the air around the box, closing out victories like he's soccer's version of Mariano Rivera. Stat stuffer: In those 24 minutes, the high-flying Englishman has registered two blocks and nine clearances, seven of those headed. His six clearances against Mexico were the most on record by a player subbed on in the 75th minute or later of a World Cup match. And if those numbers don't convey the type of impact he can have, perhaps these highlights will. 🇦🇷 Emiliano Martínez In his Argentine career, goalkeeper Emi Martínez has allowed goals on just 12 of the 24 penalty shots he's faced, a record worthy of national immortality. It's also the stuff of nightmares for Argentina's next opponent, as England's history is riddled with high-profile penalty disasters, and the prospect of facing Martínez in a shootout is enough to evoke a cold sweat at teatime. Martínez, on the other hand, would relish nothing more, making him all the more terrifying. Psychological edge: While Martínez's physical abilities are important, his edge over the lonely attackers standing at the penalty spot is psychological. Among his tactics in mental warfare: tossing the ball away, talking to the official to delay kicks, standing on the spot, celebrating wildly, and vocalizing the opposition's nervous demeanor. FIFA implemented a code of conduct for goalkeepers after the 2022 World Cup, but we doubt it will deter "Dibu's" antics. Further reading: After 100 matches, the semifinals belong to soccer's heavyweights (Steven Goff, Yahoo Sports) 📸 SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Philadelphia — Jordan Walker pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Home Run Derby history on Monday night, beating hometown hero Kyle Schwarber in an electric final round to become the first Cardinal ever to win the Derby. The performance earned him $1 million, more than the 24-year-old breakout star's entire 2026 salary ($799,400). How it happened: Schwarber, playing in front of a Philly crowd that mercilessly booed everyone other than him and teammate Bryce Harper, went first and smacked 11 homers. Walker had just 6 HR with three swings left, but then he put on a clutch performance for the ages, homering on his final six swings — including four on the do-or-die final swing — to capture the crown. Spieth during Monday's practice round. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) 🏴 Southport, England — The 154th Open Championship is almost here, with golfers having arrived for the season's final major at Royal Birkdale Golf Club — the site of Jordan Spieth's greatest triumph. It's been a while: Spieth won his third major when he was just 23 all the way back in 2017, the last time The Open came to Royal Birkdale. But he's won just two more times since then, and not at all since 2022. Despite that fallow period, he remains optimistic: "Knowing me, when the lid pops off the hole, I feel like I can go on a run about as hot as anybody can run," he said on Monday. "So I'm just waiting for that opportunity." (Ryan Pierse/FIFA via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Dallas, Texas — You think you like the World Cup? Meet Sherjeel Ahmed, an English superfan who's been to 16 matches in 12 cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico and has accumulated jerseys from all 48 teams. (No, you're not miscounting — he lost four during his travels.) Not done yet: You don't really think he'd come all this way without seeing it through, right? He's got tickets to both semifinals and the final, where if he's lucky he'll be able to witness his Three Lions bring it home. ⚽️ CHART DU JOUR WORLD CUP SEMIFINALISTS BY CLUB 20 different clubs have at least two players still competing in the World Cup. (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) As the semifinals kick off today, just 104 players remain in the World Cup. But where do they ply their trade when not representing France, Spain, England and Argentina on the sport's biggest stage? League-by-league breakdown: La Liga boasts the two most well-represented clubs* while the Premier League has the most total players — perhaps not surprising given those are universally recognized as the two best leagues in the world. All in, they account for 70 of those 104 players (67%), with the other 34 spread across nine additional leagues. 🏴 Premier League (41 players): Arsenal (8), Manchester City (6), Aston Villa (5), Chelsea (5), Crystal Palace (4), Tottenham (3), Newcastle United (2), Manchester United (2), Liverpool (2), Bournemouth, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Brentford 🇪🇸 La Liga (29): Barcelona (10), Atlético Madrid (9), Real Madrid (3), Athletic Bilbao (3), Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Osasuna, Celta Vigo 🇫🇷 Ligue 1 (13): Paris Saint-Germain (6), Marseille (2), Lyon, Strasbourg, Rennes, Lens, Monaco 🇩🇪 Bundesliga (6): Bayern Munich (3), Bayer Leverkusen (3) 🇮🇹 Serie A (6): AC Milan (2), Inter Milan (2), Como, Roma 🇺🇸 MLS (2): Inter Miami (2) 🇦🇷 Primera División (2): River Plate, Boca Juniors 🇸🇦 Saudi Pro League (2): Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli 🇵🇹 Primeira Liga (1): Benfica 🇹🇷 Süper Lig (1): Fenerbahçe 🇧🇷 Brasileirão (1): Palmeiras Wild stat: Despite 21 of England's 26 players hailing from the Premier League, not a single one of them has scored yet in this tournament as all of the Three Lions' goals have come from Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (6), Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (6) and Marcus Rashford (1), who was on loan from Manchester United to Barcelona last season. *Of note: This data is based on players' clubs at the start of the World Cup. Some have switched teams in the past month, but (obviously) have yet to appear for that new club. ⚾️ BASEBALL LIFER BRYCE HARPER'S JOURNEY FROM VILLAIN TO LEGEND (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) Bryce Harper, the face of the franchise hosting this week's All-Star festivities, has (literally) achieved legend status, earning his way into tonight's exhibition via the commissioner's "Legend Pick." It's a decision that says something about Harper's place in the game: respected, venerated, secure. But that wasn't always the case. Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports: For years, Harper was a villain. He arrived in pro ball ludicrously famous — too famous, some thought, for a teenager who hadn't proven anything. Veterans bristled at his unbridled confidence, laid bare on that Sports Illustrated cover that dubbed him "Baseball's LeBron." Parts of the establishment sought to tear him down. An opposing minor-league team once offered fans 20% off coupons to the local IHOP if Harper struck out. In a 2010 Baseball Prospectus article, one front office official described the yet-to-be-drafted, 17-year-old Harper as "just a bad, bad guy." Few athletes have ever carried such weighty expectations, from such a young age, for such a long time. LeBron James, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods all entered the limelight before they could vote, but they did so well before the ubiquity of social media. Harper's early fame was altogether different, a direct product of an internet we didn't yet understand. Grainy videos of him clocking 500-foot moon shots in big-league yards made him an icon for a younger generation of baseball fans. He was, in many ways, the first American sports phenom of the digital age. Harper's talent made him famous, but his attitude — and the same digital forces that built his fame — also made him a target. "I think it just came with how forced down everyone's throat he was," former big leaguer Tom Koehler once said of Harper's negative reputation in MLB during his first few seasons. "It was not his fault, but he was hitting home runs off Nolan Ryan in commercials." And Harper didn't make it any easier for himself, blowing kisses, scraping his cleats across opposing teams' logos, wearing eye black like war paint, crashing into walls at full speed, carrying himself like he owned the sport. He refused to adhere to expectations of what he should be or how he should play. He was misunderstood, unfairly maligned and incredibly provocative, all at once. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JULY 14 (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ France vs. Spain The first World Cup semifinal is this afternoon in Dallas (3pm ET, Fox), where Les Bleus and La Roja square off for a spot in the final. Brick walls: Goals will be at a premium in today's matchup, as Spain have conceded just one all tournament and France have conceded two. Though if any team can break through Spain's nearly impenetrable defense it's France, whose duo of Kylian Mbappé (8 goals) and Ousmane Dembélé (5) have combined for more goals than all but two entire teams. ⚾️ MLB All-Star Game The 96th Midsummer Classic is tonight at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park (8pm, Fox), where the National League will look to win two in a row for the first time since 2012. Here are the starting lineups, with Mike Trout leading off for the AL and Kyle Schwarber leading off for the NL. Fun fact: Dylan Cease is the first Blue Jays pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roy Halladay in 2009, and Cristopher Sánchez is the first Phillies pitcher to start the All-Star Game since… Roy Halladay in 2011. Doc, man. More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Mystics at Tempo (7pm, NBA) … Toronto's Marina Mabrey has as many 30-point performances in her last seven games (4) as she did in her first seven seasons combined. Her 21.6 ppg ranks third in the league. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 10 (7am, Peacock) … Tadej Pogačar holds a 2 minute, 42 second lead over Jonas Vingegaard as the race nears its halfway point. 🏀 NBA Summer League: Grizzlies vs. Warriors (7pm, ESPN) … No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer (Memphis) vs. No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State). Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. ⚾ ALL-STARS MLB TRIVIA The 2025 NL All-Stars celebrate their victory. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Question: Can you name the four MLB players who've made at least 20 career appearances on an All-Star roster? Hint: They all benefited from the four seasons (1959-62) in which two All-Star Games were held. Answer at the bottom. ⚽️ WHO YA GOT? WORLD CUP: MAKE YOUR PICKS! The semifinals in the world's biggest soccer tournament begin today! Pick your winners for both games in 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em from Yahoo Sports and FOX One. How to play: Make your picks, earn points for correct predictions and climb the leaderboard. You can play solo against the field, create a private group with friends to compete for bragging rights, or join a public group to play with other fans. Trivia answer: Hank Aaron (25 appearances), Willie Mays (24), Stan Musial (24), Mickey Mantle (20) 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 July 17 Author Members Posted July 17 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Spain topples France, the AL wins the All-Star Game, golf's major season is almost over, the worst contracts of the NBA offseason, Argentina and England's rivalry is reignited, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🥇 Suni commits to LA28: Six-time Olympic medalist Suni Lee will return for the LA 2028 Games, marking the American gymnast's third Olympics. And, as is now standard practice, there will also be a documentary exploring her story, including her comeback from chronic kidney disease and her journey to these next Olympics on home soil. 🎾 Coming soon: Speaking of documentaries, the first trailer for Prime Video's "Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter" was released on Tuesday. The feature-length documentary from the director of "The Last Dance" will premiere on Aug. 20 ahead of the U.S. Open. ⚾️ Roch gets record bonus: The White Sox have given No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky a record $10.35 million signing bonus, breaking the previous mark of $9.25 million set by Reds RHP Chase Burns and Rockies minor leaguer Charlie Condon, the No. 2 and 3 picks in 2024. 🏒 Cover athlete: Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini, 20, will grace the cover of EA Sports' NHL 27, making him the youngest player ever to earn that honor. 🏀 Kawhi investigation expands: The NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard's no-work, multi-million dollar endorsement deal has expanded to include a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company, among additional potentially improper benefits. Leonard's trade to the Raptors cannot be completed until this investigation concludes. ⚽️ WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL LA ROJA SHUTS DOWN LES BLEUS (Pablo Garcia/Soccrates/Getty Images) In a battle of the collective versus the individuals — of fundamentals versus flair — Spain emerged victorious, claiming a place in the World Cup Final for the first time since their 2010 triumph. Spain 2, France 0: Spain controlled the game for its duration, seizing the advantage through a 22nd-minute penalty calmly dispatched by Mikel Oyarzabal. Despite the early lead, La Roja did not park the bus, instead remaining aggressive in a match that saw France's once-fearless attack rendered toothless. Pedro Porro's 58th-minute goal slammed the door on Les Bleus, who surely expected Bastille Day to go a little differently. More clean sheets than a laundromat: With the shutout win, Spain have extended their unbeaten run to 37 games and recorded their record sixth clean sheet at this World Cup, where they've surrendered just a single goal through seven matches. That they added mighty France to their ledger is perhaps the greatest feat of all. Consider that Golden Boot leader Kylian Mbappé didn't record a single shot on goal, his first such failure in a World Cup match since the 2022 quarterfinals. And France, which had scored 16 goals this tournament, suffered their first scoreless World Cup game since the 2022 group stage, a span of 10 matches. We knew this would be a battle of strength vs. strength, we just didn't know how completely one of those sides would dominate the other. As Yahoo Sports' Steven Goff eloquently put it, "[France] needed a jackhammer to open the Spanish defense. It came with a butter knife." One-sided rivalry: France entered the match as slight favorites, just 90 minutes away from becoming the third team ever to reach three straight World Cup Finals. But La Roja have now won eight of their last 11 matches against Les Bleus, including three straight major tournament semifinals in each of the last three years as their collective brilliance yet again toppled France's collection of stars. The last word: "This team is made up of huge individuals, but all individuals work towards the benefit of the whole group," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the victory. "We are a team, and when you're facing a team like us, then we're unbeatable, and that's how we're feeling now." 🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Al Bello/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — The AL beat the NL 4-0 in an All-Star Game that gave fans little to cheer about on the field; to wit, Yankees LF Cody Bellinger won MVP on the strength of his 2-run single in the first inning of a game that featured just one extra-base hit. But the environment at the ballpark turned an otherwise forgettable game into an unforgettable evening. The highlight: A massive fireworks display doubled as the dramatic finale of a five-minute midgame ceremony intended to echo the 1993 classic, "The Sandlot." The interlude began with a group of kids riding their bikes to the ballpark, where they eventually hung out with the big leaguers on the diamond as Ray Charles' rendition of "America the Beautiful" played, a la the iconic Fourth of July set piece from the movie. How can you not be romantic about baseball? Or, as Kyle Schwarber said of the Americana-drenched scene, "Man, this is heaven right now." (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Le Lioran, France — Tadej Pogačar won Stage 10 of the Tour de France on Tuesday, running away from his rivals at the end of a grueling mountain stage to extend his overall lead by nearly a minute (3'36") and strengthen his grip on what would be a record-tying fifth yellow jersey. Must-watch ascent: Pogi's win came courtesy of a chasedown that would make LeBron jealous, closing a 44-second gap in less than 900 meters to pass leader Richard Carapaz on the stage's penultimate climb. And by the way, Carapaz is no slouch, winning gold in the 2020 Olympics and the polka dot jersey (best climber) in the 2024 Tour. Pogačar is simply on another level. (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images) 🇪🇸 Pamplona, Spain — The annual Festival of San Fermín — the week-long celebration best known for its daily running of the bulls — ended Tuesday at midnight as the townspeople met in City Hall Plaza to sing the traditional notes of "Pobre de Mí" and officially close out the festivities. The running of the bulls: Each morning during the festival (July 7-14), millions of spectators watch as thousands of participants make a three-minute, 850-meter dash through the streets of Pamplona alongside six bulls and six steer en route to the city's bullring. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Scottie Scheffler signs autographs for fans during Tuesday's practice round. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) ⛳️ 101 days That's how long golf's major season lasts, just a little over three months from the opening round at Augusta to the moment someone hoists the Claret Jug this Sunday at Royal Birkdale. How quick is that? Consider that Indiana won the national championship, Seattle won the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics came and went before the Masters even began. It's a sprint that leaves us with an interminable nine-month wait before it all comes around again, so you'd be wise not to take for granted this week's Open Championship, which tees off 'tonight' at 1:35am ET. Record purse: The Open is offering a tournament-record $17.75 million purse this week, though that figure is still by far the lowest among the four majors ($22.5M for the U.S. Open and Masters; $20.5M for the PGA Championship). It also trails the PGA Tour's eight signature events and first two playoffs ($20M each), The Players ($25M) and the Tour Championship ($40M). 🎾 78 of 92 The Big Three's monopoly (triopoly?) on men's tennis has blended seamlessly into a new era of dominance by the two-headed monster of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who just won his fifth Grand Slam. All in, those five men have accounted for an astonishing 78 of the 92 major titles (85%) since Roger Federer claimed his first back in 2003. Full breakdown: Novak Djokovic leads the way (24), followed by Rafael Nadal (22), Federer (20), Alcaraz (7) and Sinner (5). Andy Murray (3) and Stan Wawrinka (3) briefly crashed the party, while the remaining eight Slams in that time were won by eight different players: Andy Roddick, Gastón Gaudio, Marat Safin, Juan Martín del Potro, Marin Čilić, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev. ⚾️ 89 runs Nationals All-Star outfielder James Wood has scored an absurd 89 runs this season, which is 21 more than anyone else in the majors. That's the largest such lead in MLB history at the break, and the gap between him and second-place is the same as the gap between second and… 71st! Offensive powerhouse: Wood's proficiency (obviously) extends beyond his run-scoring prowess. The 6-foot-6 lefty, who's just 23, also has the fourth-most HR in the majors (28), the second-best OPS (.984) and the most walks (79). In fact, he joins Bobby Bonds in 1973 as the only players in MLB history with 85+ runs, 20+ HR and 15+ SB at the break. 🏀 OVERPAID THE WORST CONTRACTS OF THE NBA OFFSEASON (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) There are no bad contracts in the NBA… at least not for players. But there are definitely bad contracts for teams, who can't afford to misallocate their financial resources with such a deep well of talent in the league and the second apron acting as a de facto salary cap. The worst of the worst: Here are the six worst moves of the summer so far, according to Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach. These massive overpays, wild sign-and-trades, accounting errors and missed opportunities all come at an even greater cost than the half a billion dollars these players will earn. Trae Young, Wizards (4 years, $212.8M): Washington just tied 30% of its salary cap over the next four years to a rather polarizing figure. On the one hand, he's just 27 and has an All-NBA ceiling; on the other, he's a weak link on defense, hasn't won a playoff series in five years and drew zero interest from the league's other 29 teams. Walker Kessler, Lakers (4 years, $129.5M): It's not just that the Lakers are giving Kessler an average of $32.5 million a year, roughly what Miami will pay three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo next season. It's that they also sent Utah two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps in a questionable sign-and-trade for the right to give the oft-injured center that deal. Gary Trent Jr., Bucks (4 years, $64M): Huh? Trent's signing was so surprising that a number of capologists posited it could be some kind of under-the-table agreement left over from last summer. How else do you explain $64 million for a guy who just averaged 8.1 inefficient points per game in his worst season since his rookie campaign eight years ago? DeAndre Jordan, Pelicans (2 years, $7.95M): The number is hardly eye-popping, especially for the ultimate glue guy who just won Teammate of the Year. But the way they structured his deal — perhaps due to a bookmaking mistake? — will cost them $3 million more than it has to, not an insignificant amount for a small-market team that makes its money on the margins. Tobias Harris, Spurs (2 years, $30.8M): This was a real head-scratcher. Not in absolute terms, but San Antonio needs a better upgrade at the 4 position than just a solid veteran and good locker room presence. Props to Harris, though, who's played 15 years without ever making an All-Star team and yet has earned over $300 million in his career. John Collins, Pistons (3 years, $51M): Detroit moved on from Harris and replaced him with Collins, who's averaged a pedestrian 15 and 7 across the last three years on middling teams. It was a puzzling move in a vacuum, and even more so as ascendant superstar Jalen Duren — who should be the Pistons' top priority — languishes in restricted free agency. Best available: Who's still on the board two weeks after free agency kicked off? LeBron James, of course, headlines our list of the best remaining free agents, which also includes Duren, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ England vs. Argentina The Three Lions and La Albiceleste meet this afternoon in Atlanta (3pm ET, Fox) for a spot in the World Cup Final alongside Spain, as Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and the rest will continue the bitter, decades-long rivalry that has laid dormant for more than two decades. Head-to-head: They've squared off five times in the World Cup (England leads, 3-2), including two of the most consequential and memorable matches in soccer history. England's quarterfinal victory at Wembley in 1966 was so heated and controversial that it's believed to have led to the introduction of red and yellow cards, first used four years later. And then there's the 1986 quarterfinal, when Diego Maradona scored the most infamous goal in tournament history (the "Hand of God") just four minutes before scoring one of the greatest ever ("Goal of the Century"). More to watch: ⚽️ NWSL: Gotham FC vs. Washington Spirit (8pm, ESPN) … A rematch of last year's championship game, which Gotham won. 🏀 WNBA: Valkyries at Fever (8pm, USA) … Golden State (17-7) has won seven straight to climb within a game of first place; Indiana (14-9) has won two straight and sits in fifth. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 11 (7am, Peacock) … Riders travel 100 miles from Vichy to Nevers in today's flat stage. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🌎 GEOSPORTS TAP THE MAP GeoSports is a five-question daily trivia game that combines sports with geography. Tap where it happened! The closer you are, the more points you get. 🏀 BEST OF THE BEST WNBA MIDSEASON AWARDS CHECK-IN (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) The WNBA season's halfway point has arrived, as all 15 teams have reached the 22-game threshold. With that in mind, Yahoo Sports' Cassandra Negley shares her midseason contenders for the league's major awards, led by Vegory (the "Hand of God") just four minutes before scoring one of the greatest ever ("Goal of the Century").as' A'ja Wilson (MVP), Minnesota's Olivia Miles (ROY), Golden State's Gabby Williams (DPOY) and Dallas' Jessica Shepard (MIP), among others. 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 July 19 Author Members Posted July 19 👋 Good morning! 48 teams entered, two remain. What a tournament. ESPYs winners: The 2026 ESPYs were held on Wednesday night in New York, where the Knicks were the biggest winner as they claimed best team, best male athlete (Jalen Brunson) and best play (OG Anunoby's tip-in). In today's edition: Argentina claims another victim, The Open Championship is here, the battle lines have been drawn in MLB's labor dispute, the fastest stage in Tour de France history, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ⚽️ ESCAPE ARTISTS ARGENTINA'S MAGIC CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Argentina, playing on a razor's edge all tournament long, looked destined to finally see their flame extinguished at the hands of an English side seeking 60 years of catharsis. Instead, La Albiceleste again saved their best for last on Wednesday in Atlanta, sending the defending champions and their legendary No. 10 back to another World Cup Final. Argentina 2, England 1: A first half that more closely resembled a wrestling match than a soccer game — with the sides combining for 10 fouls and zero shots at the first hydration break — gave way to a thrilling conclusion as the mounting pressure built to its inevitable combustion. England struck first on a 55th-minute finish from Anthony Gordon; in hindsight, that (relatively) early lead might have been the worst thing to happen to Thomas Tuchel's side, which chose to batten down the hatches for the rest of the game. Did they forget who they were facing? Indeed, after an endless barrage of Argentine attacks, Enzo Fernández finally broke through with an equalizing missile in the 85th minute. Just seven minutes later, a Lautaro Martínez header turned England's dream into an all-too-familiar nightmare. Their boogeyman? Lionel Messi, of course, who assisted both goals. Escape artists: Perhaps England's questionable approach to park the bus so early opened the door for Argentina's late-game heroics. But anyone who's watched La Albiceleste these last few weeks knows that the Three Lions may have simply been powerless against a result that felt more preordained than miraculous. Because this wasn't a miracle; this was just Argentina. Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports Nobody can be like Argentina. That's the whole point of La Albiceleste. They're singular, a force unlike any in the World Cup this year, maybe unlike any in World Cup history. They are the defending champions, yes, but they've found a new, bizarre roadmap to victory in this year's tournament. In all four of its knockout rounds this year — against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and now England — Argentina has won without holding the lead after 90 minutes of play. "They find a way to win" undersells what Argentina does, time and time again. Argentina win after the other squad has already begun dreaming of moving on, begun buying plane tickets, begun naming their children after their poor soon-to-be doomed heroes. Argentina is the monster lurking under your bed, in your closet, in the backseat of your car late at night. Argentina comes back to life after the credits have rolled. Argentina will speak up and halt weddings while all others hold their peace. Argentina simply will not die. It's not coming home: Soul-crushing losses in major tournaments have become as customary an English tradition as the Sunday roast or afternoon tea, and while plenty of stats tell that story, none is as stark as this: England are the only team this century to score first in a World Cup semifinal and fail to advance… and they've done it twice. Sorry, lads. Why yes, that is Lionel Messi bathing an infant Lamine Yamal during a charity photoshoot. (Joan Monfort/AP Photo) Looking ahead: The two men above, captured in a 2007 photo that I still can't believe is real, will be the focal points of Sunday's final in what feels like a prophecy brought to life. Whenever we tire of seeing that photo — which will surely be shared in group chats across the globe over the next couple days — we're still left with a matchup unprecedented in its strength. Spain vs. Argentina. Yamal vs. Messi. Reigning European champ vs. reigning World Cup champ. Game on. ⛳️ MAJOR SEASON THE 154TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP IS HERE Scottie looks to defend his championship at The Open. (Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images) 156 golfers are competing in this year's Open Championship at England's Royal Birkdale, which teed off while you were sleeping. Here's a quick look at three of the most intriguing names in the field — and two who are, yet again, nowhere to be found. The defending champ Scottie Scheffler conquered The Open last year at Royal Portrush, and while it may appear as if he's slowed down a bit since then, there's a reason he entered this week's tournament as the betting favorite — the 16th consecutive major for which that's been the case. This is his down year? Yes, Scheffler has won "just" once this year, back in his season-opener in January. And yes, he's coming off his first missed cut in four years (the horror!). But in his other 13 events he has eight top-five finishes, and he leads the PGA Tour in total strokes gained. "You can't win every single golf tournament," Scheffler said on Tuesday while musing about life's deeper meaning. That's true, but in the past few years, he's come as close as anyone. The hometown lad Tommy Fleetwood is among the most beloved golfers on tour no matter where he tees it up, so imagine the kind of support he'll have this week at Royal Birkdale, mere minutes from where he grew up. The Southport native snuck on the course "once or twice" as a kid, but there’ll be no sneaking necessary for the world's ninth-ranked golfer. The missing piece: For years, Tommy Lad held the unwanted title of best golfer without a PGA Tour victory. He shed that last year at the Tour Championship, but still seeks a major. Why not here, in his backyard, where he could become the first English-born golfer to hoist the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo in 1992? The YouTube star Bryson DeChambeau has had a fascinating career, and though your mileage may vary on his antics throughout the years (see: 3D-printed clubs, LIV Golf, a YouTube page with 2.8M subscribers, et al), he had a knack for showing up in the biggest moments. Just last year, when he completed a run of six top-10's across eight majors (including a win), he was widely considered the guy to beat outside of Scottie and Rory. Now? Not so much. Edge of (unwanted) history: Bryson has missed the cut at all three majors this year, putting him on the precipice of becoming the only multiple-major winner under the age of 40 to miss the cut at all four in a single season. "It's almost like he went from chasing [Scottie and Rory] to chasing [YouTube golfer] Grant Horvat," said Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee. It's a stinging critique that would be more brutal if it weren't so honest. The missing legends No need to spill too much ink on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, except to say this: Their absence at Royal Birkdale means this is the first year since 1989 that neither of them appeared in a single major. Truly the end of an era. ⚾️ LABOR DISPUTE THE BATTLE LINES HAVE BEEN DRAWN (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) On Tuesday morning in a hotel ballroom, not far from where MLB's biggest stars played the Midsummer Classic later that evening, the two men primed to shape the future of baseball provided a valuable glimpse into the sport's upcoming labor fight, writes Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz. The battle lines have been drawn: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer held separate question-and-answer sessions with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, where they unsurprisingly offered diametrically opposed perspectives on the state of the sport. The league's insistence on implementing a salary-cap system, something the union has fundamentally opposed for its entire existence, has the entire industry preparing for an extended work stoppage when the current CBA expires on Dec. 1. And while no shocking revelations were made on Tuesday, the dual media conferences functioned as a drawing of battle lines and illustrated how the league and union plan to handle their messaging moving forward. What they're saying: "Our game is in a great place overall," said Meyer. "We have record attendance, record ratings, worldwide interest, youth demographic coming back. We had a great season last year — great playoffs, great World Series, great WBC." And yet, Meyer added, "The league, these supposed stewards of the game, have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince those same fans that … the product that they're paying to consume in record numbers is somehow broken." In other words, he argues, if the status quo is working well, why fundamentally reshape things by adding a cap? Manfred argued that it's the fans themselves who want a cap to drive more competitive balance. "I think that we need a system where fans, particularly in smaller markets, can have some hope that the players that are signed and developed by the organizations can actually stay there through free agency," he said... while seemingly ignoring players like Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez and others who've done just that. The last word: CBA negotiations and a salary cap weren't the only topics covered on Tuesday, but the morning was understandably dominated by posturing for the upcoming labor battle, which could lead to MLB's longest work stoppage since the disastrous 1994 strike, writes Mintz. Neither Manfred nor Meyer gave an inch to the other side. Nothing about the proceedings seemed friendly. It was, unfortunately, a sobering reminder of just how far apart the two sides are at this moment in time. Thus far, there has been far more public posturing and bickering between the league and union than in previous bargaining seasons. Tuesday gave that contentiousness a much more tangible feel. And things are going to get a whole lot uglier before they get rosier. 📆 CARD CURRENCY THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: SEVEN-FIGURE SPORTS CARD The Honus Wagner card in question, about a week before its then-record breaking sale. (Chris Hondros/Newsmakers via Getty Images) On Tuesday, Fanatics Collect announced that it brokered a $3,365,000 private sale of Shohei Ohtani's 2018 Bowman Chrome Superfractor. The sale — the most expensive in history for an Ohtani card, and the second multi-million-dollar Ohtani sale in the last month — came just one day before a very fitting anniversary. This week in history: The first million-dollar sports card was sold on July 15, 2000, when a T206 Honus Wagner card reached a $1.265 million sale price in an eBay auction. That card, previously owned by Wayne Gretzky, had sold in 1996 for a then-record $640,500. It was also believed to be the first card ever graded by industry giant PSA, bearing the serial number "00000001." Fast forward: While seven-figure territory used to be familiar grounds for only T206 Wagners and 1952 Topps Mantles, million-dollar sports card sales are now commonplace. According to data from CardLadder, a card sales database, there have been 24 sports card sales exceeding $1 million to date in 2026. The Ohtani sale makes 25. That's a pace of one roughly every week and a half. The market is on pace to tally 41 sports card sales exceeding $1 million in 2026, as many as were recorded in 2025 (26), 2024 (6), and 2023 (9) combined. It would also put 2026 on par with the 2021 (42) and 2022 (41) boom years, reflecting a market that has recovered from the bust that followed the pandemic-driven euphoria. Cultural currency: The prevalence of high-priced sports cards reflects the growing status of sports collectibles as assets of cultural resonance. Their physical scarcity increases their appeal in an era of digital abundance, and captures the attention of deep-pocketed individuals and institutions alike who recognize the financial merits of owning these assets. We explored this topic further in Wednesday's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz, our new sports business newsletter. Subscribe here to start receiving it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JULY 16 Expect tons of support for Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up just minutes from Royal Birkdale. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images) ⛳️ The Open Championship The season's final major began earlier this morning at Royal Birkdale Golf Club outside Liverpool, where 156 golfers are competing for the Claret Jug. Who to watch: Some of the most notable names in the field — including Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, hometown lad Tommy Fleetwood and LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm — teed off hours ago. Featured groups still to come include Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Åberg (10:04am ET, USA/Peacock) and Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick (10:15am). ⚽️ MLS is Back The World Cup is nearly over, but soccer isn't going anywhere as MLS returns today from its seven-week summer break. As the league said in its return-to-play campaign, "Thanks World, We'll Take it From Here." Schedule: Today's four-game slate is headlined by first-place Vancouver visiting third-place Chicago (8:30pm, Apple). The other three matches are regional rivalries, also on Apple: Montréal vs. Toronto (7:30pm), St. Louis vs. Kansas City (8:30pm) and Seattle vs. Portland (10:30pm). ⚾️ Mets at Phillies Speaking of coming back from the break, MLB's second half begins tonight with one game in the same stadium that just hosted this week's All-Star festivities, as the Phillies host the Mets (7pm, ESPN) in an NL East clash. Trouble in Queens: The Mets opened the season with a 79.9% chance of making the playoffs, per FanGraphs. Instead, they have MLB's fourth-worst record (40-57), and those playoff odds have plummeted to 0.4%. Philly, on the other hand, opened the season terribly (8-18), but have gone 46-25 since then and have the NL's third-best playoff odds (88.6%). More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Liberty at Wings (9pm, Prime) … These two contenders are going in opposite directions, as Dallas (16-8) has won five straight and New York (13-11) has lost three straight. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 12 (7:30am, Peacock) … Riders will travel 111 miles on this flat stage from the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saône. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. ⚾️ PLAYOFF RACE MLB TRIVIA (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) MLB returns from the All-Star break tonight, beginning a 10-week race to the postseason. Question: Without looking, can you name all six division leaders? (Bonus: Can you name all six wild cards?) Answer at the bottom. 🚴 TOUR DE FRANCE NEED FOR SPEED (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) Norway's Søren Wærenskjold won Stage 11 of the Tour de France on Wednesday with an average speed of 50.91 km/h (31.6 mph), breaking a 27-year-old record as the fastest road stage in the history of the Tour. Rare feat: This was just the third Tour stage ever to eclipse an average speed of 50 km/h (excluding time trials). The others were Stage 4 in 1999 (50.4 km/h) and Stage 9 in last year's race (50.0 km/h). Trivia answer: Rays, White Sox, Rangers, Braves, Brewers, Dodgers. (Wild cards: Yankees, Guardians, Mariners, Cubs, Phillies, Marlins) 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 July 20 Author Members Posted July 20 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. History in progress: Australia's Lucas Herbert shot a 28 on the front nine this morning at Royal Birkdale, tying the lowest nine-hole score ever at The Open. Can he keep it up and break 60 at golf's oldest tournament? In today's edition: World Cup Final preview, Round 1 at The Open, MLB and MLS return from the break, fans flock to Fanatics Fest, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... ⚽️ WORLD CUP FINAL THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE VS. THE IMMOVABLE OBJECT (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) Five weeks and 102 games later — 103 if you count tomorrow's third-place consolation match — Spain and Argentina will battle on Sunday in the Meadowlands in a World Cup Final worthy of one of the most entertaining tournaments in recent memory. The unstoppable force vs. the immovable object: Argentina's penchant for late-game heroics, fueled by arguably the greatest player ever to lace up a pair of boots, will square off against Spain's unyielding spine on the biggest stage in sports. La Albiceleste simply never die, scoring 13 of their 19 goals after the 70th minute and winning all four knockouts despite never holding the lead in the 90th minute. They are more than one player, but their unrelenting faith in Messi has been handsomely rewarded as he leads the team, and the tournament, in every conceivable attacking statistic. La Roja, on the other hand, never let their opponents off the mat, allowing just one goal in the entire World Cup. And despite having an abundance of world-class talent, Spain are far less dependent on the output of any one individual. Six players have scored, seven have registered an assist, and Lamine Yamal has just one goal contribution. Preordained: These two sides, which have met just once before in a non-friendly competition (1966 World Cup group stage), were supposed to play this past March in the Finalissima, the quadrennial matchup between the reigning European and South American champions. That match, hosted by Qatar, was canceled due to the Iran War. But destiny arrived all the same, and now for the first time ever the world's top two teams will meet in the World Cup Final. All eyes on Messi. (Francois Nel/Getty Images) Notes: Curtain call: Messi made a home in Spain for 17 seasons with Barcelona. Now, he'll look to rip out the hearts of the fans who cheered him during his formative years as he seeks to lead Argentina to an unprecedented fourth consecutive major title (2021 and 2024 Copa América, 2022 World Cup). The edge of history: Spain are on the doorstep of their own unprecedented accomplishment, sitting on a 37-match unbeaten streak that ties Italy (2018-21) for the longest ever. One more victory, and they'll stand alone at the top. Tip your cap(e): The only game Spain failed to win in this World Cup was a scoreless draw against Cape Verde, who also pushed Argentina to the limit before falling late in extra time. A truly remarkable debut from the Blue Sharks, whose exploits won't soon be forgotten. Further reading: The 10 best matches of an unforgettable World Cup (Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports) 🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images) 🏴 Southport, England — Florida native Jackson Suber, 26, had never been to Europe or even played links golf before this week. He's ranked 115th, has competed in just two majors and prepared for Royal Birkdale by watching YouTube videos of the course. No matter. On Thursday, he posted a 5-under 65 to take the opening-round lead at The Open Championship. Leaderboard: Daniel Brown and Sungjae Im (-4) finished Round 1 just one stroke back, while Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Young (-3) were among the nine golfers tied for fourth. Scottie Scheffler (-2) looked solid; Rory McIlroy (+2) struggled. (Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Regular-season baseball returned on Thursday night, as the Mets took down the Phillies, 4-1, to kick off MLB's second half. Good start: The Mets (41-57) not only have the fourth-worst record in baseball, they also have the toughest remaining strength of schedule. If they're going to make an unlikely surge into playoff contention, a win against their red-hot division rival was a good place to start. (Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Chalon-sur-Saône, France — Belgium's Tim Merlier outsprinted the field on Thursday to win Stage 12 of the Tour de France, claiming his third victory of the Tour. The only other rider with more than one win in this year's race? Tadej Pogačar, who remains the leader by 3'36". Thrilling finish: Though marred by a crash, the final kilometer of Thursday's stage was an all-out sprint by about two dozen riders, with Merlier edging out the pack at the finish line. ⚾️ THE RACE IS ON BACK FROM THE BREAK (Yahoo Sports) MLB returns from the All-Star break in earnest today following yesterday's one-game appetizer, kicking off what should be a thrilling race to the postseason. (Almost) everyone's in the hunt: 23 of 30 teams are within four games of a wild card spot. Additionally, just one division leader is more than five games ahead of second place (sorry, NL West), meaning we should see plenty of jockeying for spots in these next couple months. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup Final It all comes down to this, as Spain and Argentina meet on Sunday at MetLife Stadium (3pm ET, Fox) in what should be an epic conclusion to the 2026 World Cup. And, if you're so inclined, you can also catch France vs. England in Saturday's third-place match in Miami (5pm, Fox). Halftime show: For the first time ever, the World Cup Final will feature a Super Bowl-style halftime show, co-headlined by Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and K-pop group BTS. There's also a closing ceremony (1:30pm, Fox) headlined by Post Malone, while EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson will perform the U.S. national anthem before the game. ⛳️ The Open Championship The season's final major continues at Royal Birkdale (Fri-Sun, Peacock/USA/NBC), where players began teeing off at 1:35am and the projected cut is starting to take shape. Notable tee times: Among those who have yet to tee off are Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Viktor Hovland (9:42am), Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau (10:04am) and Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm (10:15am). ⚾️ Dodgers at Yankees A 2024 World Series rematch headlines MLB's first weekend back after the All-Star break, with the Yankees hosting the Dodgers on Friday (7pm, MLB), Saturday (8pm, Fox) and Sunday (7:20pm, NBC). Wild stat: The Dodgers and Yankees have MLB's highest and third-highest payrolls, spending roughly $1 billion on their rosters this year including their estimated tax bills. That's nearly as much as the nine lowest payrolls in the league combined. More to watch: ⚽️ MLS: Nashville vs. Atlanta (Fri. 8:10pm, Apple/Fox); LA Galaxy vs. LAFC (Fri. 10:25pm, Apple/Fox) … First-place Nashville and El Tráfico fill today's World Cup void. ⚽️ NWSL: Kansas City vs. San Diego (Fri. 8pm, Prime); Gotham vs. Seattle (Sat. 12pm, ABC); Denver vs. Portland (Sat. 2pm, CBS); Bay vs. North Carolina (Sat. 4pm, CBS) 🏀 WNBA: Liberty at Fever (Sat. 8pm, CBS); Sparks at Wings (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Sky at Dream (Sun. 4pm, CBS); Sun at Mercury (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) 🏎️ F1: Belgian Grand Prix (Sun. 9am, Apple) … Through nine races, the only drivers with at least 100 points are Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli (179) and George Russell (154) and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton (147) and Charles Leclerc (108). Plus: 🚴 Tour de France Stages 13-15 (Fri-Sun, Peacock); 🏁 NASCAR in North Wilkesboro, NC (Sun. 7pm, TNT) and IndyCar in Nashville (Sun. 5:30pm, Fox); 🥍 PLL Week 9 in Connecticut (Fri-Sat, ABC/ESPN+); 🏈 IFL Week 19 (Sat-Sun, Yahoo Sports) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🗽 SPORTS SPECTACLE FANS FLOCK TO FANATICS FEST (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Fanatics) This weekend in New York City, approximately 200,000 people are expected to descend on the Javits Center for an event that has become the epicenter of modern sports-fan culture. Fanatics Fest has returned for its third iteration, leaving growing pains behind and replacing them with a spectacle of unprecedented scale. Year 3: The event's inaugural 2024 edition drew roughly 70,000 attendees. Last year, attendance grew to 125,000. Having outgrown that format, an additional day was added to this year's festival, which began Thursday and is almost entirely sold out. Rather than losing novelty with age, Fanatics Fest appears to be gaining momentum, filling the gaping "ComicCon for sports" market vacancy and evolving beyond that aspiration. A costly, but worthy investment: Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, speaking on "The Breakfast Club" podcast, shared that the company will spend $80-90 million to operate this year's event. And though they'll only earn back a fraction of that in ticket revenue, their hope is that the event's sheer spectacle — with hundreds of sports' biggest stars like LeBron James, Tom Brady and Serena Williams joining the festivities — will mint lifelong fans, collectors, and customers. We'll explore this topic further in today's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz, which hits inboxes in a few hours. Subscribe here to receive our new sports business newsletter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 🇨🇦 O CANADA MLS TRIVIA (Tim Austen/Getty Images) Two of Canada's three MLS teams played each other on Thursday in the league's first day back from its extended World Cup break. Question: Can you name all three Canadian teams? Hint: All three are just over the U.S. border. Answer at the bottom. 🏎️ START YOUR ENGINES YAHOO SPORTS X APPLE TV (Apple) This weekend's Formula 1 Moët & Chandon Belgian Grand Prix 2026 continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. Tune in: All three practice sessions (Fri. 7:30/11:30am ET; Sat. 6:30am) and tomorrow's qualifying (10am) will air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race will stream on Apple TV, the new U.S. home of Formula 1. Trivia answer: CF Montréal, Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps 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 July 21 Author Members Posted July 21 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: Spain wins the World Cup, Fox wins The Open, Ohtani presses pause on pitching, Kerr breaks the mile world record, Boston keeps winning, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Ohtani pauses pitching: Shohei Ohtani has been removed from the Dodgers' rotation indefinitely as he continues dealing with knee irritation. The MVP frontrunner will remain in the lineup, but "it's going to be some time" before he pitches again, says manager Dave Roberts. 🏒 Bedard gets paid: Blackhawks star Connor Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million extension that makes him the third-highest paid player in NHL history by AAV ($15M). The 21-year-old has been Chicago's leading scorer in each of his first three seasons in the league. 🏎️ Kimi wins again: Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli won Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix for his sixth victory of the season, extending his lead atop the Formula 1 standings to 45 points through 10 races. 🏀 Three-team trade: The Thunder are trading defensive stopper Lu Dort and guard Ryan Nembhard to the Hawks in a three-team trade with the Mavericks. Former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher is heading to Dallas, while OKC will receive three second-round picks. 🥍 Pannell passes Rabil: Maryland Whipsnakes attackman Rob Pannell is now the all-time professional lacrosse points leader, recording his 658th career point on Friday to break Paul Rabil's record. 🏆 WORLD CUP SPAIN'S REIGN BEGINS AGAIN (Lars Baron/Getty Images) In a World Cup celebrated for its rampant goalscoring, defense had the tournament's last and loudest laugh. Spain, football's immovable object, emerged victorious in extra time over an Argentina side whose magic was nowhere to be found, sending La Roja to their second World Cup title. Spain 1, Argentina 0: As they've done all summer long, Spain defanged Argentina's attack, holding La Albiceleste without a shot in 90 minutes of regular time — a first in World Cup Final history. Despite that futile offense, goalkeeper Emi Martínez kept Argentina's hopes alive with a record 11-save performance. But the dam finally broke 39 seconds into the second extra period, when Ferran Torres thrashed the winner past a scattered defense. "I just saw the ball coming to me and I just shot with the power of all the Spanish people," said the 26-year-old midfielder who became just the second substitute ever to score the winning goal in a World Cup Final. Big picture: La Roja haven't just become the latest World Cup champion; they've also extended their unbeaten run to 38 matches, the longest streak in men's international football history. Add in their wire-to-wire dominance these last five weeks, when they conceded just one goal in the entire tournament, and we're talking about an all-time great dynasty that may not end any time soon given the players who are powering it. Defensive midfielder Rodri, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, became only the 11th man ever to win the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d'Or. 29-year-old goalkeeper Unai Simón earned the Golden Glove, and 19-year-old Pau Cubarsí — not fellow 19-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal — was named Best Young Player. Spain's future is as bright as its present. Farewell to a legend: For Lionel Messi, even the power of a storybook ending couldn't compel the ball past the Spanish defense (or Mikel Merino's head), as there were no remaining tricks at the bottom of his magic hat. But bitter ending or not, few will forget the enormous privilege of watching the 39-year-old will his country to one great escape after another in what was surely his final World Cup. A drone show depicts the World Cup trophy over Manhattan. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Looking ahead: Spain's well-deserved triumph closes the book on the 2026 World Cup, which exceeded every possible expectation to deliver an all-time great tournament. And now, the first World Cup hosted by three different countries will pass the baton to the first one hosted by six. That's right: While the 2030 World Cup will primarily be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain — who will become the first defending champions ever to host the tournament — there will also be one match each in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as part of the centenary celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the inaugural tournament held in Uruguay. Four years is a long time, but if the next edition is anything like this one, it'll be well worth the wait. Go deeper: From Spain with love: A World Cup final 50 million dreams in the making (Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports) ⛳️ ACROSS THE POND FOX WINS THE OPEN (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) New Zealand's Ryan Fox played the most clutch golf of his life over the weekend at Royal Birkdale, mounting a historic comeback to win the 154th Open Championship for his first major title. Down, but not out: The 39-year-old Kiwi, now just the third man from New Zealand to win a major, barely made the cut at even par. But on Saturday he erupted for a major championship record-tying 62, elbowing his way into Sunday's final grouping alongside leader Sam Burns. A couple of bogeys nearly took him out of contention, but he stormed back with four birdies in his final six holes, including one at the last powered by a perfect approach and a clutch 11-foot putt to avoid a playoff and clinch the Claret Jug by one stroke. "You asked me to bring a trophy home and I am, aren't I?" he told his daughter via FaceTime after the victory. Promise, delivered. Wild stat: Fox's comeback wasn't just unlikely; it was unprecedented. He was tied for 85th after Round 1 and tied for 52nd after Round 2. Those are the lowest 18- and 36-hole positions in major championship history for a golfer that went on to win the tournament. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Stacked leaderboard: The top five comprised a laundry list of big names, including three others like Fox who were seeking their first major and, well, you know who. Cam Young (-9) finished solo second — his fifth top five of the year — coming from seven shots back on Sunday to take the clubhouse lead before Fox's final birdie shut the door. Burns (-8) finished third to cap off an unbelievable season of majors that saw him finish second at the U.S. Open, T7 at the Masters and T26 at the PGA Championship. Tommy Fleetwood (-7) finished T4 at the course he grew up sneaking onto. It was his eighth top-five major finish in the last 10 years, the most by any golfer without a win. Scottie Scheffler (-7) also finished T4, and probably would have defended his title if he hadn't ranked 105th in strokes gained putting. Zoom out: The major season's 100-day sprint has come and gone, and since Rory McIlroy won his second straight Masters we've seen three incredibly unlikely champions. Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open (pre-tournament odds: 50-1), Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship (150-1) and Fox's odds were historically long (225-1) before winning The Open. 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (S Bardens/British Athletics via Getty Images) 👟 3:42.66 Scotland's Josh Kerr shattered the world record for the fastest mile ever on Saturday, running a 3:42.66 in the Diamond League meet in London to eclipse Hicham El Guerrouj's mark of 3:43.13 set all the way back in 1999. Called his shot: The two-time Olympic medalist and former 1500m world champion has had his sights set on this record since announcing "Project 222" in March with his sponsor, Brooks, which designed him a specialized speed suit and spikes tailored to his unique gait. Why 222? That's exactly how many seconds it would (and did) take to break the record. ⚾️ 13 straight wins The Red Sox (50-48) won their 13th straight game on Sunday, tied for their second-longest winning streak in franchise history. That's just two wins shy of matching their longest streak ever, set back in 1946 when some guy named Ted Williams won his first of two MVPs. Back from the dead: Before the streak, which began on July 3, FanGraphs gave Boston just a 13.4% chance of making the playoffs. Now? They officially hold a wild card spot, they're just six games back in the division and those playoff odds have increased to 59.3%. (A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images) 🏀 45 points Caitlin Clark busted out of her slump in a big way on Friday, dropping a career-high 45 points in the Fever's narrow win over the Storm. She also dished out 10 assists, making her the first player in WNBA history with a 40-point, 10-assist performance. Her four career games with 30 and 10, meanwhile, are as many as the entire rest of the league combined. But wait, there's more: Clark also nailed six 3-pointers, making her the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 200 career triples (74 games). The previous record was held by former 15-year vet Katie Smith (81). 🚴 25 wins On Saturday, Tadej Pogačar won his 25th career Tour de France stage, tied for the fourth-most ever. On Sunday, the Slovenian superstar may have locked up the entire race when his chief rival, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, was forced to withdraw following a crash in Stage 15. Where it stands: Pogačar leads second-place Remco Evenepoel by five minutes as the race pauses today for its second and final rest day. Then it's six stages in a row before Sunday's conclusion, and with three mountain stages left, Pogačar's lead may grow even larger. 🇺🇸 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA Bukayo Saka celebrates his hat trick. (Jared C. Tilton/FIFA via Getty Images) Miami — England topped France, 6-4, in Saturday's third-place thriller, the highest-scoring World Cup game since 1982 and just the sixth with at least 10 goals. The victory gave the Three Lions their second-best finish ever, trailing only their lone championship in 1966. Golden Boot: Despite the defeat, Kylian Mbappé's brace gave him a tournament-high 10 goals to become the first man ever to win multiple World Cup Golden Boots. His 22 career World Cup goals are also the most ever, one better than Lionel Messi's 21. Lendeborg celebrates after being named Summer League championship MVP. (John Locher/AP Photo) Las Vegas — The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies, 94-90, in Sunday's NBA Summer League championship as Golden State's Yaxel Lendeborg (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists) outdueled Memphis' Cameron Boozer (19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) in Sin City. Further reading: 12 big takeaways from NBA Summer League, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Steve Jones, including Caleb Wilson's impressive first impression, AJ Dybantsa's buttery drives, Chaz Lanier's hot hand and Darryn Peterson's expanded repertoire. (David Jensen/Getty Images) North Wilkesboro, North Carolina — The picturesque North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series points race in 30 years on Sunday, as Joey Logano led a career-high 323 laps en route to his first win of the season. In-Season Challenge: In addition to Logano's victory, Ryan Blaney and Todd Gilliland advanced to next week's $1 million winner-take-all championship of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, JULY 20 (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) ⚾️ Monday Night Baseball The end of the World Cup has left a serious void in the sports calendar, but baseball is here to pick up the slack, beginning with tonight's doubleheader on ESPN: Dodgers at Phillies (7pm ET) and Cardinals at Angels (10pm). If you ain't first, you're last: Ricky Bobby's mantra could be reasonably applied to MLB's Los Angeles-based teams this season, as the Dodgers (63-37) have the best record in baseball and the Angels (39-61) have the worst. More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Aces at Tempo (8pm, NBCSN); Lynx at Storm (10pm, USA) … Minnesota (20-6) and Vegas (17-7) are two of the league's top three teams. 🏀 The Basketball Tournament: Round 1 (7pm, FS1) … The new-look TBT features 14 teams (down from 64) and a $2 million winner-take-all prize. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. ⚽️ MULTI-TIME WINNERS WORLD CUP TRIVIA (Alex Pantling/FIFA via Getty Images) Spain is the seventh country to win multiple men's World Cup titles. Question: Can you name the other six? Hint: Three Europe, three South America. Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME RIZZO'S REDEMPTION (Giphy) Anthony Rizzo nabbed a home run ball on Saturday at Wrigley Field, where he was watching the game from the bleachers after returning to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Cubs' 2016 World Series championship. Redemption: This was, incredibly, the second time in less than a year that a HR came Rizzo's way in the bleachers at Wrigley. But while he couldn't hang on to the first one, he successfully corralled the second one. Consider yourself redeemed, Rizz. Trivia answer: Brazil (5x), Germany (4x), Italy (4x), Argentina (3x), France (2x), Uruguay (2x) 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 July 22 Author Members Posted July 22 👋 Good morning! I miss the World Cup. Welcome to the club: Nolan Arenado got his 2,000th career hit on Monday, joining Freddie Freeman, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen, Paul Goldschmidt and Manny Machado as the only active players to reach that milestone. In today's edition: Grass vs. turf, Sox win again, Guardians tee off on Ryan, study on Gen Z sports fans, golf's global champions, time is a flat circle, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ 14 in a row: The Red Sox rallied for a 6-5 win over the Orioles on Monday for their 14th straight victory, the second-longest winning streak in franchise history. With another win tonight, they'll match their longest ever, set in 1946. 🎓 Manuel is stepping down: Michigan AD Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the year after being implicated in an internal investigation into the saga surrounding head football coach Sherrone Moore's firing. Don't expect Manuel's exit, or Michigan's nonsense statement explaining it, to fix the school's culture problem. 🏀 Miles' big night: The WNBA-best Lynx (21-6) won their sixth straight game on Monday behind the best game of Olivia Miles' young career. The ROY frontrunner put up 32 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, joining Candace Parker (2008) as the only rookies with those numbers in a game. 🌽 Is this heaven? Iowa and Kansas will face off in an exhibition this fall at Field of Dreams ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa, becoming the first Division I college baseball teams to play at the field originally constructed for the iconic 1989 film. ⚾️ Speaking of which: MLB's third Field of Dreams Game is fast approaching, with the Phillies and Twins playing there on Aug. 13 in throwback uniforms they unveiled on Monday. 🏈 PITCH PERFECT NATURAL GRASS IN THE NFL: #WORTHTHECOST? (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images) By the time you've read this, there's a chance that the immaculate pitch at MetLife Stadium has already met its end, displaced for its artificial-turf replacement. The players who will take to that field in the coming months are the ones most upset about it. #WorthTheCost: On Saturday, NFL players voiced their displeasure with the temporary nature of the natural grass at some World Cup host venues. Their #WorthTheCost movement reignites a long-raging debate about the artificial turf that carpets half of the league's stadiums. 92% of NFL players prefer natural grass, and the installation of natural grass for the World Cup presented a high-profile opportunity to highlight what they view as an inconsistency in ownership's position. The players' preference stems primarily from injury concerns, with the NFLPA insistent that artificial turf causes a higher incidence of non-contact lower-extremity injuries. What does the data say? Does artificial turf actually increase the incidence of injuries? It depends who you ask. Pre-2020, the data supported the notion that players were worse off on the fake stuff. Data collected between 2012 and 2018 showed a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries on artificial turf. By the turn of the decade, the numbers started to shift. The gap in incidence narrowed toward near-equality in 2021 — a result the NFLPA viewed as an anomaly — before reverting to prior norms in 2022. Worth noting: Studies differ in their conclusions. Some have found a higher incidence of injuries on turf and a higher likelihood of those injuries being season-ending. Others contend that the differences in injury rates are not statistically significant. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Follow the money: Why are owners reticent to install natural grass and placate their valued employees? Money, of course: Turf offers revenue upside and cost savings that grass can't replicate. Generally, venues can host a greater volume of special events (think: concerts) on artificial turf than on grass, which requires a longer post-event recovery period. Fewer events means less revenue. And owners of the artificially-turfed stadiums have busy calendars they'd rather not pare down. The grass isn't greener: Solutions at some of the world's most advanced soccer facilities raise as many questions as they do answers. Both Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Real Madrid's renovated Bernabéu feature retractable natural-grass pitches stitched with synthetic fibers. Beneath Tottenham's retractable pitch lies an artificial playing surface used for NFL games and special events. The club generated £32 million ($43M) in revenue from other events in 2024-25. Despite the cutting-edge nature of the construction, both Madrid and Tottenham are exploring whether the retractable pitches — and the shallower soil they use — are causing a concerning uptick in injuries. Bottom line: Though NFL players are adamant that their safety is worth the financial trade-off, NFL owners presiding over turf are unlikely to concede that it meaningfully heightens risk, particularly given the dollars at stake. Want a clue about the strength of their convictions? Look no further than the immediate removal of the World Cup's natural grass. ⚾️ HOMER HAPPY JOE RYAN'S HISTORICALLY BAD NIGHT (Jason Miller/Getty Images) Twins righty Joe Ryan, a two-time All-Star who is unquestionably one of the best pitchers in the American League, had himself a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad night on Monday in Cleveland. Launch pad: Ryan allowed six home runs in Minnesota's 13-4 loss, tied for the most by any pitcher in a single game in MLB history. That's historic any way you slice it; it was also incredibly unlikely. Ryan, an All-Star both this season and last, entered the game with a 2.85 ERA and just 10 HR allowed through his first 20 starts. He left it with a 3.38 ERA and — checks math — 16 HR allowed. The Guardians, meanwhile, entered the game with the third-fewest homers in the majors before teeing off on Ryan. And two of their six long balls were the first two of rookie outfielder Petey Halpin's career after he'd come up empty in his first 39 MLB games. Achilles' heel? Ryan, a six-year veteran with a sterling 3.65 lifetime ERA, does have an odd penchant for such blowups. Indeed, this was his third career game allowing 5+ HR, the most of any pitcher in MLB history. Ball don't lie: As if Ryan's outing weren't strange enough already, let's add one more wrinkle. On June 30, his ERA ballooned to 3.36 after a clunker in which he allowed 6 ER in a single inning following a botched grounder. It was originally ruled a hit, but a week later was changed to an error, bringing his ERA back down to 2.85. On Monday, he gave it all back. Ball. Don't. Lie. 📈 NEW STUDY HOW GEN Z ENGAGES WITH SPORTS (Chart: Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports; Data: Acceleration Community of Companies/USC Annenberg School) Sports fandom comes in many different shapes and sizes, and while the prevailing narrative regarding Gen Z has long been one of a cohort that seemingly lacks interest in sports, recent findings suggest they're merely engaging in their own unique way. New report: The latest study from Acceleration Community of Companies, in collaboration with USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, was published last week, exactly two years before the Opening Ceremony of the LA28 Olympics. Findings were drawn after surveying 2,154 Gen Z adults (currently aged 18-29) and conducting focus groups. The key takeaway: Sports themselves are not the main draw for this generation, with nearly half (49%) of Gen Z fans saying they've become interested in a new sport or athlete via some sort of ancillary content like fashion, relationships, scandals or TV shows (chart above). If the inherent love of the game is the front door, think of this more like the side door. Examples include one respondent who's now "obsessed" with F1 after seeing photos of Charles Leclerc and his wife, who were "so cute." Or another who became a Dodgers fan because the Twitch streamer they watch always has the game playing during his streams. The same is true of live sporting events, which nearly three-quarters (78%) of Gen Z fans say they have attended or would attend primarily for the surrounding experience, such as concerts, brand activations and fan festivals. Big picture: Old-school fandom does still exist, with 26% of Gen Z identifying as die-hards. But 48% fall in the middle ground (following athletes, trends or highlights more than specific teams) and 25% would rather follow an athlete's personal story than watch them compete. The real kicker? Just 8% stay off their phones while watching sports. ⛳️ MAJOR SEASON GOLF'S GLOBAL CHAMPIONS Ryan Fox and his new best friend, the Claret Jug. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) For just the second time in men's golf history, dating back to the inaugural Masters in 1934, the year's four major winners all hail from different countries. 2026: Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (Masters), England's Aaron Rai (PGA Championship), USA's Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open), New Zealand's Ryan Fox (The Open) 2010: USA's Phil Mickelson (Masters), Germany's Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship), Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open), South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen (The Open) Sorry, Uncle Sam: This was the first year since 2014 with fewer than two American major champions, which is particularly shocking considering how well the best Americans performed. 10 of the 14 golfers who made all four major cuts this year are American, including four of the five whose cumulative score to par in those events was better than -10. Of those five, only McIlroy (-11) won this year, while Americans Scottie Scheffler* (-20), Sam Burns (-20), Xander Schauffele (-13) and Cameron Young (-11) combined for 10 top-10 finishes, but no wins. For the sake of comparison, the lone American who did win this year — Clark — missed the cut at the PGA and Open Championships, and finished T21 at the Masters. Sometimes, you just get hot. *Scottie's ridiculous: Scheffler has finished inside the top-five in more than half (11) of the 20 majors he's competed in since 2022, and has nearly as many wins (4) as finishes outside the top-10 (5) in that time. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JULY 21 (Duane Burleson/Getty Images) ⚾️ Dodgers at Phillies The battle of NL contenders continues tonight in Philadelphia (6:40pm ET, TBS) after the Phillies won Monday's series-opening slugfest, 10-7. One-two punch: Zack Wheeler, who along with last night's starter Cristopher Sánchez forms the best one-two punch in the league, takes the mound tonight for Philly. Though Wheeler (somehow) wasn't an All-Star, he's in the midst of another Cy Young worthy campaign, going 10-1 with a 2.13 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 4.7 WAR — second only to Sánchez (5.5) among all pitchers. More to watch: 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 16 (7am, Peacock) … The second time trial of this year's Tour travels 16 miles from Évian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains along the Swiss border. 🏀 The Basketball Tournament: Round 1 (7pm, FS1) … The action continues in the $2 million tournament. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 👟 MILESTONE TRACK TRIVIA (Norman Potter/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Josh Kerr's record-breaking mile (3:42.66) over the weekend came 72 years after the once-unthinkable four-minute mile was first broken by the man pictured above. Question: What is that man's name? Hint: RB. Answer at the bottom. 🇪🇸 VAMOS! TIME IS A FLAT CIRCLE (Giphy) In 2010, Spain won the World Cup and Rafael Nadal became the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. In 2026, Spain won the World Cup and Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. Vamos! Trivia answer: Roger Bannister 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 July 22 Author Members Posted July 22 ⚽️ 1 sports thing: Longest "goooooooool" calls Data: Telemundo. Chart: The Athletic. Used with kind permission Spain's decisive extra-time goal against Argentina on Sunday spurred one of Telemundo's longest "gooooooooool" calls of the World Cup, The Athletic reports. It lasted 44 seconds, counting all three bursts. 🇨🇼 The longest overall: 52 seconds, after Curaçao — the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup — scored a tying goal against Germany early in the tournament. Telemundo announcer Andrés Cantor tells The Athletic: "It was Curaçao's first-ever World Cup goal, and I immediately understood what that meant." Hear the calls (Athletic 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 July 23 Author Members Posted July 23 👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: What we'll remember about the World Cup, Triple Crown watch, million-dollar hardwood, why we love baseball, Lewandowski's debut, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚽️ Record viewership: 39 million people watched the World Cup Final on Fox, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in American history. Nearly 24 million more watched on Peacock and Telemundo, bringing the total U.S. viewership to almost 63 million — more than every NFL game last season except the Super Bowl. 🏀 LeBron update: It's been more than three weeks since LeBron James told the Lakers that his 24th NBA season will take place elsewhere, but his decision may not be as imminent as some believed. "We're not going to be rushed," says agent Rich Paul. 📺 ESPN layoffs: Karl Ravech, one of ESPN's most recognizable anchors who's been with the network since 1993, was laid off on Tuesday as part of the company's latest cuts. NFL insider Tom Pelissero was also among the prominent names let go from NFL Network, acquired by ESPN earlier this year. 🏀 All-Summer League: Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg was named Summer League MVP and headlined the All-Summer League First Team. Joining him were Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies), Caleb Wilson (Bulls), Brayden Burries (Bucks) and Meleek Thomas (Cavaliers). ⚾️ 474 feet: Fernando Tatis Jr., blasted a 474-foot moonshot in the Padres' 8-3 win over the Braves, the longest home run hit by any player this season. Tatis is heating up, hitting three HR in his last four games after hitting just five in his first 96 games. ⚽️ UNTIL NEXT TIME THE LASTING LEGACY OF THE 2026 WORLD CUP (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) The 2026 World Cup is gone, but those five magical weeks across the U.S., Canada and Mexico won't soon be forgotten. Here are some of the moments, players and elements of the tournament we'll be discussing for years, even decades, to come, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee. 🇦🇷 Messi That's really all we need to say, one name. If this World Cup was Lionel Messi's final run on the worldwide stage, what a run it was. There are players who rise to meet the moment, and then there are players who define the moment. Messi stands above them all. 🌎 Expansion worked You can say that FIFA's naked desire for planeloads of extra revenue is the reason behind the World Cup's expansion, and you'd be right. But that doesn't mean it didn't work, as so many of those added slots went to beloved Cinderellas like Cape Verde and DR Congo, who provided some of the best stories of the tournament. 💵 Pricey tickets Here's the problem with sticker shock: If someone else is willing to pay it, that means they weren't quite so shocked. You have to concede: FIFA correctly read the state of the World Cup ticket market. And if you want to attend a future World Cup match, you should've started saving 10 years ago. High ticket prices are here to stay. (Maja Hitij /FIFA via Getty Images) 🟥 The red card that wasn't For the good of the World Cup as a whole, it's probably best that the USMNT lost to Belgium immediately after FIFA "suspended" Folarin Balogun's red card. Yes, the original penalty was unnecessarily harsh, but the idea of a bureaucratic autocracy arbitrarily fudging its own rules set an ugly precedent the USMNT might regret in World Cups to come. 🏴 England's collapse This one will linger for years in the minds of the Three Lions faithful, who watched their beloved side come five regulation minutes from a spot in the World Cup Final before Argentina's magic flipped the script. Add this one to the ever-growing list of England agonies that we'll roll out and recount every World Cup from here on out. 🇫🇷 France's surrender The other semifinal will stick with us, too, mainly due to the fact that the overwhelming tournament favorite suddenly forgot how to score. Les Bleus stormed all the way to the semis with a combination of brilliance and brutality, looking like a champion-in-waiting until, suddenly, they weren't. The sting of their dramatic reversal of fortune won't soon dissipate. (Steph Chambers/FIFA via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 American journeys If we learned nothing else from this World Cup, let's please learn this: we've got one hell of a great country here, even if we need to hear it from visiting international tourists. The visitors to America discovered so much more to love about this nation; and, if you were paying attention, America discovered so much to love about the rest of the world. 🇳🇴 Erling Haaland The Norwegian giant wasn't exactly an unknown when this World Cup began, but he quickly vaulted himself into the Messi-Mbappé conversation with his uncanny ability to score pretty much at will. He'll be around World Cups for a while, but this was the one where he began what could be a legendary journey. 🇪🇸 Spain's dominance A World Cup defined by high-scoring stars was won instead by its most complete team. In the end, La Roja's death by a thousand passes survived La Albiceleste's Messi-led disappearing act. What a way to end a fantastic World Cup… and start the countdown to 2030. ⚾️ AIR YORDAN TRIPLE CROWN WATCH (Maria Lysaker/Getty Images) Just one MLB hitter has won the Triple Crown since 1967. Can Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez become the second? Where it stands: Alvarez — who's had 15 hits and 4 HR during his current eight-game hitting streak — leads the American League in all three categories roughly two-thirds of the way through the season. He seeks to join Miguel Cabrera (2012) as the only other player to win the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. AVG: .326 (second place: Rays DH Yandy Díaz, .312) HR: 33 (Rays 3B Junior Caminero, 29) RBI: 75 (Yankees 1B Ben Rice, 68) Zoom out: Despite never having finished a season as the league leader in any of those stats, Alvarez is about as likely a candidate you'll find to join this exclusive club. The 2019 Rookie of the Year has never hit fewer than 30 HR in a full season, and he's one of just three active players with a career batting average of .300 or better. The lefty suffered a frustrating setback last season when a broken hand limited him to just 48 games, but the AL MVP frontrunner has played all but two games this year and has never looked better, barreling the ball more often than any other player in the league. Even more exclusive club? Just 13 players in the modern era (since 1901) have won the AL or NL Triple Crown, but only five of them* have led the entire majors in all three categories. Well, Alvarez is currently tied for the MLB lead in HR, one back in the RBI column and just six points off the lead in batting average. *MLB-wide Triple Crown winners: Ty Cobb (1909), Rogers Hornsby (1925), Lou Gehrig (1934), Ted Williams (1942), Mickey Mantle (1956) 💰 CENTER COURT PRICEY HARDWOOD MJ stands at center court during a game in 1998. (Andrew D. Bernstein/ NBAE/ Getty Images) Sotheby's sold four pieces of sports memorabilia on Monday for over $1 million each, bringing total sales for its Summer Sports Week to $26 million as collectors continue flocking to blue-chip assets representing pivotal moments from superstar careers. The most unique piece? A section of Bulls hardwood — signed by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen — that sat at center court during Chicago's three-peat from 1996 to 1998. The price tag? A cool $1,792,000. Finally, my basement is complete. Want to learn about the rest of Sotheby's seven-figure sales? We'll dive deeper in today's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz, which hits inboxes in a few hours. 📚 GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ Kari Anderson: Way-too-early 2027 Women's World Cup preview Sad that the 2026 World Cup is over? Disappointed that the USMNT didn't make it further? No sweat — we're less than one year out from the real American contenders taking the field. Here's a little taste of what's to come when the 2027 Women's World Cup kicks off in Brazil next June. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) ⚾️ Russell Dorsey: Top 25 MLB trade candidates MLB's trade deadline is less than two weeks away (Aug. 3), and with a majority of teams still sniffing at least a wild card spot, there could be plenty of action as clubs prepare for the stretch run. So let's rank the top 25 players who could be moved, starting with the two-time reigning AL Cy Young. (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports) 🏀 Cassandra Negley: WNBA All-Star weekend could be overshadowed by laundry list of contentious issues This weekend's All-Star festivities should be a joyous celebration of the WNBA's 30th season. Instead, mere months after those contentious but ultimately fruitful CBA negotiations, the league is buckling under the weight of so many issues it's difficult to keep track. ⚾️ READ AND REACT BASEBALL'S UNIQUE APPEAL How can you not be romantic about baseball? (Luke Hales/Getty Images) Yesterday's newsletter included a section about Twins All-Star Joe Ryan allowing an MLB record-tying six home runs, which inspired a response from a reader that was too good not to share. Jeff T. (Greenfield, MA) writes: What happened with Joe Ryan last night is a perfect illustration of why baseball appeals so much to someone like me. It is by far the least-predictable sport. SGA would never have a game where he plays 32 minutes and scores two points and turns it over 15 times. Impossible. Josh Allen will never, ever, go 4-37 passing with 9 picks. Again, impossible. But Joe Ryan on Monday happened. Cooperstown-bound sluggers can go 0-4 with 4 Ks and look, for one game anyway, like they don't even belong in the majors. Sometimes you can even pull a stunt like Bob Brenly, who once, when he was with the Giants, committed four errors IN ONE INNING, accounting for four runs against his team, but somehow balanced the ledger by going 3-5 with four runs batted in and two homers, including a walk-off shot in the 9th. "This man deserves Comeback Player of the Year for this game alone." — Giants Manager Roger Craig Read and react: If something we write inspires you, jogs a memory or otherwise elicits a reaction, don't hesitate to hit reply. We might just share your response in a future edition. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) ⚽️ MLS After a brief return last week before the World Cup Final, MLS is back for good tonight as all 30 teams take the field to kick off the second half of the season in earnest. Debut to watch: Polish legend Robert Lewandowski makes his highly anticipated MLS debut tonight (7:30pm ET, Apple) for the Chicago Fire, visiting an Inter Miami side that will be without Lionel Messi as he takes a well-deserved post-World Cup break. Lewandowski, 37, scored 567 goals across the last 16 seasons for Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Tigers at Cubs (8pm, ESPN) … Third-year hurler Keider Montero (3.22 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) has been one of Detroit's most valuable players, moving from starter to long reliever and now back to starter again. 🏀 WNBA: Sun at Fever (8pm, USA); Wings at Fire (10pm, USA) … Final day of games before the All-Star break. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 17 (7:20am, Peacock) … Belgium's Remco Evenepoel won his second straight stage on Tuesday, picking up 28 seconds on Tadej Pogačar, whose lead is now 4'32" with five stages left. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. ⚾ EXCLUSIVE CLUB MLB TRIVIA Arenado stands on second base after his 2,000th hit. (Norm Hall/Getty Images) Nolan Arenado, the newest member of the 2,000-hit club, is just the sixth player in MLB history with at least 2,000 hits, 350 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves. Question: Can you name the other five? Hint: Mariners CF, Giants CF, Phillies 3B, Reds C, Tigers RF Answer at the bottom. 🏈 DRAFT ORDER YAHOO FANTASY x CAMEO With the NFL season less than 50 days away, it's time to start thinking about fantasy drafts. The good news for you? Yahoo Sports and Cameo are teaming up to make it easy for fans to get a celebrity to announce their fantasy football league's draft order. How it works: Beginning this season, fans can book personalized videos from Cameo directly within the Yahoo Fantasy experience, where a Cameo button is featured on the home screen and draft tab of the Yahoo Fantasy app, and in the game home on the Yahoo Fantasy website. When you tap on the button, you'll be able to book a celebrity on Cameo to announce or pick your league's draft order. Once the personalized video is ready, it will be available for every league member to watch on the Yahoo Fantasy app and website. Trivia answer: Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench, Al Kaline 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 July 24 Author Members Posted July 24 👋 Good morning! Have you subscribed to Yahoo Sports Biz yet? In today's edition: "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images, Sox streak ends, Indiana's scoring surge continues, fantasy football rankings, Littler's nine-darter, bad golf etiquette, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Sox streak ends: The Red Sox tied their franchise record with their 15th consecutive win in the first leg of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Orioles, but saw their streak finally end with a loss in the nightcap. 15 in a row was MLB's longest streak since 2021. 🏀 Phee's back: Napheesa Collier made her season debut for the Lynx on Wednesday after missing the first 27 games recovering from offseason ankle surgeries. The five-time All-Star didn't miss a beat, dropping 24 and 10 as first-place Minnesota won its seventh straight game. 🎮 Cover athletes: Victor Wembanyama will grace the cover of the upcoming NBA 2K27 video game, coming out in early September. Caitlin Clark will appear on the cover of the deluxe edition, and Derrick Rose will be on the cover of the ultra edition. ⚽️ Tampering investigation: MLS is investigating tampering claims against Inter Miami after they signed Brazilian superstar Casemiro. Speaking of Inter, please watch this disastrous own goal they allowed on Wednesday before coming back to beat Chicago. 📸 PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS: WORLD CUP EDITION Getty Images captured more than 2.6 million photos during the 2026 World Cup, when their 115-person team traveled over 650,000 miles across five weeks, 104 games, three countries and 16 cities. Below, we go "Behind the Lens" to get the backstory on some of our favorite images. (David Ramos/Getty Images) East Rutherford, New Jersey — Where else to start but at the end, as Spain's Ferran Torres celebrates his game-winner in extra time of the World Cup Final, as shot by David Ramos. Behind the lens: Here's David… What stands out most to me is the importance of the moment. These are exactly the historic, unrepeatable scenes we work to capture: creating an honest visual document, without filters or artificial effects, that can preserve the memory for decades. Ferran Torres' expression conveys pure happiness, and his teammates running towards him in the background completes the story. I was lucky to capture this moment, but it is a team effort. I was especially pleased that it was Ferran, a player I admire for his sacrifice, resilience and team mentality, particularly after the criticism he has faced in recent years. (Hector Vivas/FIFA via Getty Images) Guadalupe, Mexico — Fans arrive to Monterrey Stadium ahead of the Round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco, captured by Hector Vivas. Behind the lens: Here's Hector… Monterrey Stadium is one of my favorites, not just of the World Cup, but of all the stadiums I've ever visited. It's a stadium that broke the mold of how the city of Monterrey was laid out so that from one of its ends, Cerro de la Silla — one of the city's most iconic landmarks — could be framed like a painting. Without a doubt, one of the best ways for fans to arrive at any stadium during the World Cup was at Estadio Monterrey, where an elevated pedestrian walkway offered the best view of the stadium and its stunning backdrop. That's what I tried to capture in this photo. Framing Cerro de la Silla, from inside or outside the stadium, became a favorite activity for photographers and fans alike during the World Cup group stage. (Dan Mullan/FIFA via Getty Images) Arlington, Texas — Players and match officials line up before the group stage match between Argentina and Australia. Shot by Dan Mullan with a remote camera hanging from the bottom of the jumbotron at Jerry World. Behind the lens: Here's Dan… This particular angle took quite a lot of planning and preparation. Ahead of the tournament, our team liaised with FIFA and the Dallas Stadium to allow us to attach a remote camera to the bottom of the giant screen. This involved being winched up to the screen from the middle of the pitch in a basket. Myself and my colleagues, Madison Higham and Chris Graythen, worked together to do this installation a few days before the first match in the stadium. The camera was hung on the bottom of the big screen pointing straight down to give a very unique angle of the pitch. We ran power and network to the camera position, which enabled us to leave the camera on for the duration of the tournament and be able to access all its controls. On match days, it was fired using a radio transmitter from the field level with our pitchside photographers. We also had the ability to fire the camera from our office in New York, where we could see exactly what was happening as if you were looking through the viewfinder. It was the perfect angle to capture the pre-match ceremony where the two teams lined up around the center circle for their national anthems, flanked by their national flags. Coming tomorrow: "Behind the Lens" Part 2. 🏀 KEEPIN' IT 100 INDIANA'S SCORING SURGE Caitlin Clark scored a game-high 27 points. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) The Fever torched the nets again on Wednesday night in a record-breaking performance representative of the highest-scoring campaign in WNBA history. Finishing strong: Indiana (17-10) closed out the first half with a bang, breaking their franchise scoring record in a 123-88 win over the Sun for their third straight victory heading into the All-Star break. It was their 11th 100-point game this year, tied with the 2023 Aces for the most in a single season — a record they still have 17 games left to break. It also raised their scoring average to 95.5 points per game, on pace to break the single-season record set by the Mercury in 2010 (93.9). Big picture: The Fever are merely the most extreme example of this season's scoring boom, with teams averaging a record-shattering 86.8 points per game. There have also been 67 100-point outings after there were just 34 last year, and five of the top eight single-game scoring marks in WNBA history — including Indiana's 123 — have happened this season. What's next: The league heads to Chicago this weekend for the All-Star Game before the regular season resumes on Tuesday. 🏈 TOP 10 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The NFL season kicks off in just seven short weeks, so as fútbol transitions into football, we're marking the occasion by diving into our draft boards and running down the best players in fantasy football. Top 10: The best of the best, according to Yahoo Sports' Justin Boone, are an even split of running backs and receivers. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (Lions): His 49 TDs since debuting in 2023 are the most in the NFL, and with David Montgomery no longer in Detroit, Gibbs' usage should only increase. One thing to watch? The Lions have a new OC in Drew Petzing, formerly with Arizona. Bijan Robinson, RB (Falcons): Similar to Gibbs, Robinson's TD-vulturing teammate (Tyler Allgeier) has switched teams, which should yield significantly more goal-line touches. Also like Gibbs, he'll have a different play-caller in new head coach Kevin Stefanski. Ja'Marr Chase, WR (Bengals): The only player with more receiving yards through his first five NFL seasons than Chase (6,837) is his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson (7,432). Puka Nacua, WR (Rams): Puka's 95.3 receiving yards per game are the most in NFL history, and Matthew Stafford's favorite target should again be the linchpin of an offense projected to lead the league in scoring. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (Seahawks): JSN exploded last year after DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett left Seattle, yielding the biggest target share in the league (35%). He led the NFL in receiving, was named OPOY and won the Super Bowl. Not bad. Jonathan Taylor, RB (Colts): We probably shouldn't expect another 18-touchdown, 1,585-yard tour de force, but JT can drop off quite a bit and still be a top-five RB. Christian McCaffrey, RB (49ers): He always feels like a bit of a dice roll given he's played more than 11 games just three times since 2019, but if he's healthy he's a league-winner. CeeDee Lamb, WR (Cowboys): George Pickens' breakout had few if any negative effects on Lamb's production last season, which looked a lot like it had in previous years when accounting for injuries and bad touchdown luck. This offense, and Lamb, should flourish. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (Lions): The Sun God has three straight seasons with 10+ TDs and 115+ receptions. Entering his age-27 season, he's as safe a bet as any to make it four in a row. James Cook III, RB (Bills): Some thought his 16-TD campaign in 2024 couldn't be replicated, but he followed it up with 12 scores and a league-leading 1,621 rushing yards last year. Next 10: Ashton Jeanty (RB, Raiders), Justin Jefferson (WR, Vikings), Chase Brown (RB, Bengals), Omarion Hampton (RB, Chargers), De'Von Achane (RB, Dolphins), Saquon Barkley (RB, Eagles), Kenneth Walker III (RB, Chiefs), Brock Bowers (TE, Raiders), Drake London (WR, Falcons), Jeremiyah Love (RB, Cardinals) 💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Batting leadoff for your Gwinnett Stripers, Ronald Acuña Jr! (Gwinnett Stripers) ⚾️ 1,038 HR Well, you don't see this every day. The Gwinnett Stripers (Braves Triple-A) trotted out a lineup on Tuesday that has combined to hit 1,038 major league home runs. And superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., one of two former MVPs in the lineup, wasn't even close to the leader. (On Wednesday, their slightly different lineup had fewer HR but 61 years of MLB service time.) Who's on the squad? Carlos Santana (335 career HR), 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen (333) and Rowdy Tellez (123) are all on minor league deals, while Acuña (193) and SS Ha-Seong Kim (52) are on rehab assignments. Utility player Luke Williams (2) was also in the mix. ⚽️ 2,852 minutes Four years ago, MLS players logged just 241 minutes in the knockout rounds of the 2022 World Cup. This year? That number increased ten-fold to 2,852, sixth-most among all leagues, representing by far MLS' best showing at a World Cup. The leaders: Only Europe's "Big Five" leagues logged more minutes than MLS at this year's World Cup. The English Premier League led the way (18,558 knockout minutes), followed by La Liga (10,452), the Bundesliga (6,326), Serie A (6,030) and Ligue 1 (5,682). Ladies and gentlemen, Luke Littler. (Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images) 🎯 9 darts There have been only 112 "nine-darters" in televised darts matches since 1984, and 19-year-old Luke Littler — already a two-time world champion — nearly had two on Tuesday alone in the World Matchplay of Darts. He landed one in his opening leg (game), and came within a wire of landing a second later in the match. How it works: The most common game in professional darts is 501, the goal of which is to get your score down from 501 to exactly zero by hitting a double (the outer ring) on your last dart. With three darts per turn and a maximum of 60 points per dart, a "perfect game" features just nine darts. Littler's nine-darter on Tuesday featured seven consecutive triple-20s (501-420=81), a triple-17 (81-51=30) and a double-15. 🎾 10th-most weeks Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have both now spent the 10th-most weeks as the world's No. 1 player on their respective tours. Sinner (81 weeks) passed Lleyton Hewitt on Monday, while Sabalenka (100) passed Lindsay Davenport last week before reaching the vaunted century mark this week. Streaking: While Sinner only reclaimed the top spot from Carlos Alcaraz back in April, Sabalenka has been the No. 1 woman for 92 weeks and counting, the seventh-longest streak ever. If she wants to catch the co-leaders on that list — Steffi Graf and Serena Williams at 186 consecutive weeks — she'll need to continue her reign for nearly two more years. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JULY 23 (David Berding/Getty Images) ⛳️ 3M Open The first tournament after the year's final major can often be a letdown, as most of the best golfers take the opportunity to rest and fans are already counting down the days to Augusta, or at least the playoffs. But today (7:45am ET, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf), some guy named Scottie Scheffler will make his tournament debut at TPC Twin Cities. Overwhelming favorite: Scheffler is by far the most accomplished player in the 144-man field, and is thus the +275 betting favorite to hoist the trophy on Sunday. Second on that list? Defending champion and world No. 37 Kurt Kitayama, all the way down at +2500. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Padres at Braves (12:15pm, MLB) … Atlanta's Chris Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA) is in the thick of the NL Cy Young race. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 18 (6:35am, Peacock) … Today kicks off a run of three straight mountain stages before Sunday's conclusion. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🏀 CLIMBING THE LADDER WNBA TRIVIA (Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) A'ja Wilson recorded her 45th career 30-point game on Wednesday, the second-most in WNBA history. Question: Who has the most, with 54? Hint: Mercury Answer at the bottom. ⛳️ BAD FORM REALLY, DUDE? (Giphy) Charlie Woods' run in the U.S. Junior Amateur came to a frustrating end on Wednesday when someone's camera went off during his backswing, causing him to chunk a critical shot in a playoff. "Really, dude?" was all the 17-year-old could muster, which is much tamer than what I would have said. Flashback: Charlie's dad, Tiger, won three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs from 1991-93, then won three straight U.S. Amateurs from 1994-96… then won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes at age 21. LOL. Trivia answer: Diana Taurasi 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 July 26 Author Members Posted July 26 🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Lynx lead at the break, "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images, the Tour de France's grueling finale, every team's longest winning streak, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Immaculate inning: Guardians' righty Gavin Williams threw the 122nd immaculate inning (9 pitches, 3 strikeouts) in MLB history on Thursday against the Twins. Cleveland lost in extras, but Williams became the first pitcher since 2023 with 11+ strikeouts in three straight starts. ⛳️ Near ace: Jake Knapp got impossibly close to his first career hole-in-one during the first round of the 3M Open, when his tee shot on the fourth hole hit the pin on its third bounce before coming to rest on the edge of the cup. Seriously, you can't imagine how close this was. 🏒 Windy City reunion: Patrick Kane is returning to the Blackhawks on a two-year, $16 million deal after being traded away in 2023. Kane, 37, returns to the team that selected him first overall in 2007, and with whom he won three Stanley Cups and a Hart Trophy (MVP). ⚾️ The A's new (minority) owner: The Mark Cuban-backed private equity firm Harbinger Sports Partners has purchased a minority stake of undisclosed size in the Athletics ahead of their move to Las Vegas. ⚾️ White House visit: The Dodgers returned to the White House on Thursday to celebrate their 2025 World Series title. The team gifted President Trump a personalized championship ring, as well as the customary jersey. 🏀 ALL-STAR BREAK MINNESOTA'S ALONE AT THE TOP Collier looks on before her season debut. (Scott Eklund/NBAE via Getty Images) As the WNBA All-Star break begins, one team is head and shoulders above the rest. And their lead may only grow in the second half given who they've just added back into the fold. Return of the Queen: The Lynx were already in first place and sitting on a six-game winning streak when Napheesa Collier made her season debut on Wednesday after recovering from offseason ankle surgeries. Now they've won seven in a row, and their unquestioned leader showed no signs of rust with 24 points and 10 rebounds in her return. Phee isn't just Minnesota's best player; she's easily a top-five player in the league, and arguably second only to A'ja Wilson. The eight-year veteran has finished as the MVP runner-up each of the last two seasons, and last year became the second player in league history to join the 50/40/90 club (FG%, 3PT%, FT%). Now, she rejoins a first-place team already loaded with talent. Embarrassment of riches: The Lynx not only have Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard and Courtney Williams, veterans who've combined for 11 All-Star nods; they also have Olivia Miles, putting up one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. The No. 2 pick out of TCU, averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6 assists, is the runaway favorite for ROY. She also just became the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 150 assists (26 games), breaking the record set two years ago by Caitlin Clark (29) and again last year by Paige Bueckers (28). The fascinating thing to watch now will be how the reintroduction of the team's best player impacts Minnesota's chemistry. But the good news for them on that front is they're led by Cheryl Reeve, the winningest coach in league history. Like I said, embarrassment of riches. History repeating itself? 15 years ago, Reeve and the Lynx won their first of four titles in a seven-year span behind ROY Maya Moore and a host of star veterans. While repeating such a dynasty is a borderline impossible task, Miles, Collier and Co. are well-positioned to, at the very least, end this season as champions. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Chasing Minnesota: There's plenty of season left, but the playoff picture entering the break is pretty stratified, with eight teams over .500 and seven under. Leading the chase are the Valkyries — who've won 13 of their last 16 — the defending champion Aces, the Bueckers-led Wings and the Clark-led Fever. And always lurking are the Liberty, the only team other than Vegas to win a championship in the last four years. ⚽️ PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS: WORLD CUP EDITION As promised, here is Part 2 of our World Cup "Behind the Lens" project with Getty Images, who captured more than 2.6 million photographs at this summer's tournament and shared the backstory on some of our favorites. (Alex Pantling/FIFA via Getty Images) Los Angeles, California — Lamine Yamal takes a corner kick during Spain's Round of 32 match against Austria, as shot by Alex Pantling. Behind the lens: Here's Alex… One of my goals going into this World Cup was to try and capture the atmosphere and architecture of these incredible stadiums that the games were being played in. They're very unique and something that the World Cup doesn't see very often. When a player takes a corner kick it's a great opportunity to fill the frame with an athlete and also shoot wide with the atmosphere of the stadium. The Los Angeles Stadium was one of my favorites to work in; the architecture was incredible and so good to photograph. That, combined with a superstar from the eventual World Cup champs taking a corner, made for a great picture. (Elsa/Getty Images) Atlanta, Georgia — Lionel Messi scores the late equalizer in Argentina's Round of 16 victory over Egypt. This one was captured by Elsa with the help of a well-placed remote camera. Behind the lens: Here's Elsa… At Getty Images, we are one of the international press pool agencies that were allowed to install a small camera in the upper corner of the net. In order to get those images in real time, they are cabled and delivered to an editor as they are shot. The set up happens about three hours before kickoff. To trigger this camera, I ran a cable from the corner of the net, secured it to the straps of the goal, tucked it inside the padding of the post and ran it through the back of the net to my position. Also attached to that cable is an additional behind-the-goal remote camera that I trigger with a foot pedal whenever there is action in front of the net. Remote cameras allow us to get unique perspectives that we would normally not be able to capture. When I'm covering an event, I often will shoot not only the goal, but the aftermath, because reactions are just as important as actions. And sometimes, like with this image, you can see it all in one frame thanks to the goal-scorer being close to the net and the ball nearly hitting the camera. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST The Col du Galibier climb, pictured here in 2022, will be part of Saturday's "Queen Stage." (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) 🚴 Tour de France The 113th Tour de France ends on Sunday in Paris (9:30am ET, NBCSN/Peacock), but first come two historic stages that will almost certainly decide the race, which four-time winner Tadej Pogačar currently leads by 4'32". Alpe d'Huez: The iconic climb up Alpe d'Huez hasn't featured at the Tour since 2022; this year, for the first time ever, two consecutive stages will finish at its summit. Today (6:30am ET) is a relatively short ride (79.5 miles) that ends with the famed 21-hairpin climb; tomorrow (5am) is the Queen Stage, as each year's most grueling stage is called. The 106-mile ride features roughly 3.5 miles of climbing, ending with a trek up the other side of Alpe d'Huez, which has only been ridden in the Tour as a descent. 🇺🇸 USATF Outdoor Championships New York City's Icahn Stadium is hosting this weekend's U.S. Track & Field Championships (Fri-Sun, NBC/Peacock), marking the first time the event has been held in the Big Apple since 1991. Marquee events: The biggest names headline the biggest event in tonight's 100m semis (6:18pm, Peacock) and finals (7:45pm). Reigning Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles will try to take back the crown from defending national champion Kenny Bednarek, while Sha'Carri Richardson will try to win her third women's title. And don't miss 17-year-old phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus in Sunday's 800m final (4:33pm, NBC). 🏀 WNBA All-Star Weekend The league's biggest stars travel to Chicago this weekend, where the United Center hosts tonight's Skills Challenge (8pm, ESPN) — headlined by the 3-Point Contest — and tomorrow's All-Star Game (8:30pm, ABC). Starting lineups: Two Hall of Famers acted as GMs to draft each team. Cynthia Cooper's starters are Paige Bueckers (DAL), Breanna Stewart (NY), Kelsey Mitchell (IND), Natasha Howard (MIN) and Gabby Williams (GS). Teresa Weatherspoon's starters are Caitlin Clark (IND), A'ja Wilson (LV), Olivia Miles (MIN), Aliyah Boston (IND) and Jessica Shepard (DAL). More to watch: ⚾️ Hall of Fame: Induction Ceremony (Sun. 1pm, MLB) … Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent will be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at Phillies (Fri. 6:40pm, Apple; Sun. 7:20pm, NBC); Blue Jays at Red Sox (Fri. 7:10pm, Apple); Guardians at Rays (Sun. 12:15pm, Peacock) ⛳️ Golf: 3M Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS); Women's Scottish Open (Fri-Sun, Golf/CNBC) … Emiliano Grillo (-7) leads in Minnesota while two women tied for the lead (-6) after the first round in Scotland. 🏎️ F1: Hungarian Grand Prix (Sun. 9am, Apple) … The final race before F1's monthlong summer break. 🏁 NASCAR: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sun. 2pm, TNT) … $1 million championship of the In-Season Challenge. 🥊 Boxing: Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga (Sat. 5:45pm, DAZN PPV) … Joshua returns to the ring seven months after destroying Jake Paul and tragically losing two close friends. Meanwhile, fellow British former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will fight Mariusz Wach today in Thailand in a bout that curiously will not be broadcast. Plus: ⚽️ MLS Matchday 18 (Sat. 6:30-10:30pm, Apple) and NWSL Matchday 16 (Fri-Sun, Prime/ESPN/CBSSN); 🥍 PLL Week 10 in Denver (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ESPN2); 🏀 The Basketball Tournament (Fri-Sun, FS1); 🏈 IFL regular-season finale (Fri-Sun, Yahoo Sports) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 📊 BIG FOUR CHART DU JOUR: LONGEST WINNING STREAKS (Lev Akabas/Sportico) The Red Sox matched their longest winning streak ever with 15 straight victories before finally losing on Wednesday. Where does that rank among the 124 active franchises across North America's "Big Four" major leagues? Longest streak by league: Boston's streak is tied for 32nd overall, and tied for 10th among MLB teams. This data, courtesy of Sportico's Lev Akabas, includes only regular-season games within a single season. 🏀 NBA: 1971-72 Lakers (33 straight wins) ⚾️ MLB: 1916 Giants (26) 🏒 NHL: 1992-93 Penguins (17) 🏈 NFL: 2007 Patriots (16) Did you know? The Giants' 26-game win streak was actually interrupted by a tie (12 wins, 1 tie, 14 wins). MLB's longest purely uninterrupted streak belongs to the 2017 Indians, who won 22 straight. 🏀 GO DEEPER GOOD READS: NBA EDITION (Dillon Marshall/Yahoo Sports) Kevin O'Connor: The Indecision: What's LeBron James waiting for? LeBron James has never signed up for a team without a plan, be it Miami in 2010, Cleveland in 2014 or Los Angeles in 2018. Now, for the first time, he might have to choose between rosters as they are and not rosters as he wishes they were. As his indecision enters its fourth week, what does the landscape look like? (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) Ben Rohrbach: NBA Power Rankings: How does the East stack up after major offseason moves? There has been a lot of player movement this offseason, and outside of LaMelo Ball going to Minnesota, most of the action has moved to the Eastern Conference. So, we figured we'd take a stab at power ranking our new East. These rankings are, of course, perfect and inarguable. They're certainly not just one man's opinion in the dog days of summer… before anyone has played a game. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Steve Jones: NBA Rookie Rankings: Who's at the head of the class after Summer League? With Summer League officially in the rearview mirror, it's a good time to build a list of what we just witnessed. And while the context of Summer League can lead to varied results, one thing is crystal clear right now: Rookie of the Year is going to be a tight, fun (and likely discourse-filled) race. ⚾ HALL OF FAME MLB TRIVIA (Joe Robbins/Getty Images) Carlos Beltrán, whose Hall of Fame induction is on Sunday, will be just the third player wearing a Mets cap on his plaque in Cooperstown. Question: Who are the other two? Hint: Pitcher and catcher. Answer at the bottom. 🏎️ START YOUR ENGINES YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV (Apple) This weekend's Formula 1 AWS Hungarian Grand Prix 2026 continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. Tune in: All three practice sessions (Fri. 7:30/11am ET; Sat. 6:30am) and tomorrow's qualifying (10am) will air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race (9am) will stream on Apple TV, the new U.S. home of Formula 1. Trivia answer: Tom Seaver (inducted in 1992) and Mike Piazza (2016) 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 July 27 Author Members Posted July 27 Paramount delays closing Warner buyout while judge considers states’ challenge NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to delay closing their $81 billion merger well into next year, a stunning move that arrives as a judge continues to consider a challenge from 12 states seeking to block the deal altogether. https://apnews.com/article/warner-bros-paramount-skydance-0f4ed7b4627b2d0ac8c1f1626689bf5d? 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 July 27 Author Members Posted July 27 🎮 Crisis for video-game industry Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios The video game industry faces an existential crisis, reports Axios' Herb Scribner, an avid gamer. Why it matters: The business has weathered bust-and-boom cycles before. But the current shifting demands — along with the advent of AI — are changing what video games look like, how they're made and if people can afford to play them anymore. Gaming is surviving but not thriving: Sony is cutting physical disc production to save money. Microsoft's Xbox unit recently laid off thousands of workers, dashing the dreams of developers. "Our business today is not healthy," CEO Asha Sharma told staff. Companies are canceling video game production left and right over development costs. 💰 Among the converging pressures: Wall Street expects steady growth, while tentpole games have become more expensive to build. "Grand Theft Auto VI," for example, reportedly cost up to $2 billion to develop. At the same time, the AI boom is driving up hardware costs, and the rise of mobile gaming has supercharged competition for consumers' attention. Read on. 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 July 28 Author Members Posted July 28 👋 Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: Koivun bests Scheffler, The Decision 4.0, Cooperstown's Class of 2026, Pogačar wins Le Tour (again), a bad day for batters, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Welcome to Cooperstown: Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltrán and Jeff Kent were officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. A record 60 Hall of Famers filled the stage, counting the three newcomers among them. 🏈 Shanahan injured in car crash: 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan suffered several injuries in a car accident last week, including a broken nose, three broken ribs and a severe concussion. His duties will be limited in training camp, but the team expects him to make a full recovery before their Week 1 opener on Sept. 10. ⚾️ Marlins slide continues: The Marlins were one of the hottest teams in baseball in June and early July. Now they're the coldest, having lost a franchise-worst 12 straight games to fall to 52-54 (fourth in the NL East). ⚽️ Klopp says yes, Pep says no: Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is the new head coach of Germany's national team; former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declined the opportunity to take over as Italy's head coach. 🚨 Romo arrested: Tony Romo was arrested by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office on Thursday for suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI). The Wisconsin native had played in a golf event, the Wisconsin Amateur Championship, earlier in the day prior to his arrest. ⛳️ NEXT BIG THING JACKSON KOIVUN: THE FUTURE IS NOW (David Berding/Getty Images) On June 3, Jackson Koivun was a junior on the Auburn golf team, leading the Tigers to a second national title in three years. Seven weeks later, the 21-year-old phenom is a PGA Tour champion — and the most exciting rookie golfer in a generation. The future is now: Koivun fended off top-ranked Scottie Scheffler at TPC Twin Cities to win the 3M Open title just 24 days into his professional career. The San Jose native shot a 61 on Saturday (look at this approach shot!) before firing a bogey-free 66 on Sunday to finish at 25-under on the week, setting a new tournament record. "All throughout the crowd I kept hearing, 'Scottie's coming, Scottie's coming.' I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could," said Koivun, whose maiden victory earned him a cool $1.6 million. "I just love this game. I love golf. It's everything I do." The résumé: Koivun enjoyed a historic career at Auburn, where he won two individual national championships, two team national championships and finished with the best career scoring average in NCAA history (68.89) before opting to turn pro and forego his senior season. He won all three major individual awards (Ben Hogan, Fred Haskins, Jack Nicklaus) as a freshman and a junior, making him the first golfer ever to hit the trifecta twice. He's the best amateur Data Golf has ever tracked. Better than Jon Rahm. Better than Jordan Spieth. Better than all of them. As for Scottie… He now has five runner-up finishes this season, tied with Ernie Els* for the most in a season this century. If Scheffler can't win another tournament before the end of the year, it'll mark his first season without multiple wins since 2021. As a reminder: He won a combined 13 tournaments during the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. *Scheffler has finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Viktor Hovland and Koivun this year. In 2000, Els finished runner up to Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. 🏀 ON THE MOVE THE DECISION 4.0 (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The content-creating world's long international nightmare is over: LeBron James has chosen his new team. And, in a move that will bring no small consternation to fans in Northeast Ohio and Biscayne Bay, he has indeed chosen a new team, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine. ICYMI: The leading scorer in NBA history is now a member of the 76ers, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $8 million contract to line up alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe in the City of Brotherly Love, where he will try to become the first NBA player to win a title with four different franchises. Dan Wolken: Are we sure Philadelphia is the ideal spot for LeBron? If you are visualizing what the best version of this 76ers roster should be, you want Maxey with the ball in his hands as much as possible. You want Edgecombe, who made 35% of his 3s as a rookie, to be a relentless play finisher. Embiid, when he's on the court, is going to eat up a lot of possessions by force of gravity. Now you've added Brown, whose entire game is based on isolations and heavy usage. So what does that really leave for James? He is still elite with the ball in his hands, but he's also older and less useful when he's off the ball and hasn't really expended much energy on the defensive side of the court for the last few years. James' most impactful skills at this point are almost repetitive with what Philadelphia already has on offense while he accentuates their problems on defense. Seeing arguably the greatest basketball player of all time reduced to a third or fourth option while living out an extended farewell tour will be a delicate dance on the court — and quite a chemistry experiment for the most interesting locker room in the NBA. Legacy: James currently ranks fourth on our Bill Russell Scale of greatest careers in NBA history, trailing only Russell, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, because all of them have at least six rings apiece. The only way he can catch any of them in those rankings is to add to his four championships. Will he do that in Philly? Further reading: How LeBron's decision shifted title odds The 10 best 'last acts' of an NBA career 📸 SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Paris, France — Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) won the Tour de France on Sunday for the third consecutive year and fifth time in his career, tying Jacques Anquetil (France), Bernard Hinault (France), Eddy Merckx (Belgium) and Miguel Induráin (Spain) for the most ever. What they're saying: "This kid is the greatest of all time," said Lance Armstrong, who won seven straight Tours de France (1999-2005) before having his titles stripped. "Oftentimes, people want to talk to me about my history with the Tour and where I stand there. It doesn't matter. This guy is the G.O.A.T. … he would mop the floor with Lance Armstrong. Mop it." (Sage Zipeto/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Chicago, Illinois — With the weight of CBA negotiations left in the past, the 2026 WNBA All-Star break gave off lighter vibes than a year ago. In the league's 30th season, the growth showed everywhere and culminated in Teresa Weatherspoon's roster defeating Cynthia Cooper's, 129-122, in front of an All-Star record 19,783 fans at the United Center. Historic hardware: Liberty star Jonquel Jones (22-13-8) was named MVP of the All-Star Game, making her the first player in WNBA history to win league MVP (2021), Commissioner's Cup MVP (2023), Finals MVP (2024) and All-Star MVP (2026). (Kym Illman/Getty Images) 🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary — Lando Norris (McLaren) won Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix to notch his (and his team's) first victory of the season. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) finished 15 seconds behind Norris in second, while Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) took third. What's next: The Formula 1 calendar now enters the summer break, with no racing for the next three weekends. Drivers will return to action at the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23. (AFP via Getty Images) 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — Anthony Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) survived two knockdowns on Saturday to brutally KO Kristian Penga and set up a mega-fight against Tyson Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs), who dominated Mariusz Wach on Friday in an unaired bout in Thailand. Looking ahead: Joshua and Fury have agreed to fight each other later this year in a long overdue all-British showdown that will stream on Netflix. 🏈 CHEESE SQUEEZED UNDER THE HOOD: PACKERS REPORT RARE LOSS One share in the Packers cost just $300 in the team's most recent stock sale. Those shares are effectively a novelty, but the team's publicly owned status does convey one major benefit: It provides the only annual look under the hood at the financials of an NFL franchise. By the numbers: The Packers' latest annual report revealed a record $753 million in total revenues for the fiscal year, up 4.7% from the prior year. National revenue, driven by media rights, sponsorships, and licensing, grew 4.8% to $453 million, implying $14.5 billion in total national revenue. Local revenue, comprising ticketing, sponsorships, retail sales, and events, totaled just under $300 million, a 4.7% increase despite one fewer home game. Yes, but: Despite the record revenue, the Packers posted a rare $1.1 million operating loss. The culprit? A $131.7 million increase in player costs to $447 million. Though the NFL has a salary cap ($279 million) which pales in comparison to revenue, that number is not always a reflection of the true costs to ownership, somewhat undermining the bulletproof perception of league finances. Player expenditures impact some years more severely than others from an accounting perspective. Last offseason saw the Packers acquire Micah Parsons, who inked a $44 million signing bonus. Additionally, the departure of several key players accelerated the accounting cost of their compensation, further weighing on expenses. Big picture: The Packers' results confirmed that the NFL's financial position is the strongest in sports, while offering a whispered warning that it isn't entirely infallible, particularly when teams spend aggressively to compete. This is an excerpt from Yahoo Sports Biz, our newest publication authored by Dylan Dittrich. For a deeper dive into the Packers' finances and the world of sports business, sign up here. Today's edition will hit inboxes later this morning. ⚾ RECORD BOOKS MLB TRIVIA (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Salvador Perez launched his 318th career home run on Saturday to become the Royals' new all-time home run leader, surpassing George Brett. Question: Perez is one of five active players that hold all-time franchise home run records. Can you name the other four? Hint: Angels, Marlins, Mets, Padres. Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ STAT DU JOUR A BAD DAY FOR BATTERS (Giphy) There have been over 20,000 days of baseball in MLB's modern era (since 1900). Saturday was the only one where hitters combined for more than 250 strikeouts (252) and fewer than 15 home runs (14), per OptaStats. Trivia answer: Mike Trout (Angels), Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins), Pete Alonso (Mets), Manny Machado (Padres) 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 July 28 Author Members Posted July 28 👋 Good morning! Happy (Taco) Tuesday. In today's edition: Mayo breaks the curse, Stanford football sparks union push, Peacock in the black, what losing out on LeBron means for the Warriors, squirrel on the field, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports... 🇮🇪 ACROSS THE POND MAYO BREAKS THE CURSE Mayo players celebrate with the Sam Maguire Cup. (Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images) The year of the sporting exorcism continues. First, it was Indiana football breaking through after decades of futility. Next it was Arsenal winning its first Premier League crown in 22 years. Then it was the Knicks ending a 53-year NBA title drought. And now it's Mayo breaking a 75-year curse to win the All-Ireland title in Gaelic football. Victory at last: Mayo won the All-Ireland final in 1951 but legend has it that they upset a priest when doing so. That resulted in a curse being placed on the team, which had lost 11 straight finals since 1989 before finally breaking through on Sunday with a win over Kerry. The scenes were absolutely incredible at Dublin's Croke Park, with tens of thousands of fans breaking down in tears and announcers losing their minds on the radio broadcast. Mayo supporters celebrate their side's first goal on Sunday. (Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images) Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times: Nothing else feels like this. Croke Park untethered, the whole place afloat for an hour on a lake of the sweetest tears that were ever cried. The people of Mayo, raddled and belittled all their lives, looking at each other in wonder and collapsing into each other's arms. The decades of hurt and hope and loss all melting away forever. They gave a Kerry team boasting the greatest player of the age a seven-point head start and still turned it around. They sent out a couple of teenagers to play in the forward line and watched them run all the old truths ragged and turn all the ancient voodoo inside out. Mayo 1-20, Kerry 1-17. Chisel it on the gravestones, scribble it in the sky. Congrats from across the pond: Joe Biden, who pledged his allegiance to the team when he visited his ancestral home in County Mayo in 2023, toasted the win on Instagram. He was joined by Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, who called himself "a proud son of County Mayo" in a congratulatory post on X. Wait, what is Gaelic football? The strictly amateur sport* combines elements of football, soccer and rugby. 15 players per side compete on a rectangular pitch with an H-shaped set of goalposts at either end. Teams advance the spherical leather ball up the field with a combination of carrying, bouncing, kicking and hand-passing. There are three types of scores: Goals (ball goes into the net under the crossbar), points (ball goes over the crossbar between the posts) and 2-pointers (same as points, but the ball must be kicked from outside the 40 meter arc). *Gaelic football is completely amateur in Ireland, meaning players compete for pride rather than pay. The funds generated from ticket sales (there were 82,300 fans at Sunday's match) are directly reinvested in local clubs across the country, many of them pillars of community life, particularly in rural areas, notes The Athletic. 🎓 FIRST CHAPTER STANFORD FOOTBALL SPARKS UNION PUSH (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) The momentum for collective bargaining within college athletics took another significant leap this week. Driving the news: A group of Stanford football players are establishing the first-ever chapter of the College Football Players Association in a move intended to create a foundation for eventual unionization and collective bargaining, the association and players announced on Monday. In the fifth year of the CFBPA's existence, Stanford became the first school to reach the membership threshold of players necessary to elect representatives. What lies ahead is a long, arduous process of rallying players at more ACC schools and beyond to create chapters, eventually sign union cards and then, as a group, present to conference leadership. CFBPA leaders are in active conversations with players from at least three other schools and executives are confident in the announcement of more chapters in the coming weeks. Ross Dellenger, Yahoo Sports: The creation of the Stanford chapter is noteworthy in a time of upheaval as multiple players association leaders, college executives and even congressional lawmakers attempt to bring stability and regulation to a college sports industry crippled by legal losses. Conference commissioners, NCAA leaders and university presidents for years have publicly condemned any employment or bargaining model, but many of their coaches, and even athletic directors, are gravitating toward the concept out of frustration with the current environment. In a way, some believe that bargaining may be to the benefit of the schools and conference, which for now find themselves in a rudderless environment of unlimited athlete movement, loose compensation restrictions and growing legal woes around athlete eligibility. What they're saying: "The time is now to do something," said Stanford senior center Fisher Anderson, who expects players at other schools to follow their lead. "This is college football and it's increasingly becoming more like the NFL. At some point, we're likely going to need a CFBPA." 🦚 FEATHER IN THE CAP CHARTED: PEACOCK TURNS A PROFIT It took only six years, but NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service finally turned a quarterly profit. Sports, man: It's a monumental occasion for a platform with a rich array of sports rights, and it was on the shoulders of the NBA Playoffs and World Cup additions that Peacock finally clawed into the black. This chart first appeared in Yahoo Sports Biz, our new newsletter authored by Dylan Dittrich. Sign up here to start receiving it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 📚 GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) 🏀 Dan Devine: What losing out on LeBron James means for Stephen Curry and the Warriors James' decision disappointed suitors in Cleveland, Miami and Minnesota, among other locales. But it might not have hurt anybody more than Golden State, arguably the biggest loser of the whole saga, both for losing out on adding James and for what coming up short in his decision-making calculus represented about the current state of play in the Bay. (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images) 🏈 Jay Busbee: What the NFL can (and will) learn from the World Cup's global takeover As popular as the NFL is — and make no mistake, the NFL is still America's most popular form of entertainment in any medium — it's a minnow in the ocean compared to the World Cup. Millions more viewers, billions more in revenue. Here are a few lessons that The Shield will likely incorporate from the inspiring, thrilling and so, so lucrative tournament that comes around every four years. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) 🏀 Candace Bucker, The Athletic: Cathy Engelbert may be unpopular with WNBA players, but she's not paid to be their bestie Engelbert might never be considered as chill, down for the cause, or the kind of boss the players would want to sit down with and sip a cocktail. But last we checked, the WNBA is booming. The average WNBA salary has risen 450% under her watch, from roughly $130,000 in 2020 to $600,000 now. If money is the marker for progress — and yes, in professional sports, money is always the main thing — then she's doing her job. 📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JULY 28 (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) The WNBA returns from the All-Star break tonight with a five-game slate. The national spotlight will be on Caitlin Clark and the East-leading Fever as they go for their fourth straight win in Seattle. Schedule: Sun at Mystics (7:30pm ET); Tempo at Lynx (8pm); Fever at Storm (9:30pm, ESPN); Liberty at Sparks (10pm); Fire at Aces (10pm). More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Cubs at Cardinals (7:45pm, TBS) … Chicago (60-46) leads the NL Wild Card race; St. Louis (53-53) is 1.5 games back of the third spot. 🎾 Tennis: Mubadala DC Open (11am, Tennis) … Alex de Minaur, Ben Shelton and Venus Williams headline today's action in Washington, DC. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. 🎨 NAME GAME BIG FOUR TRIVIA (iStock/Getty Images Plus) Question: Can you name the 10 "Big Four" sports teams with a color in their nickname? Hint: 5 NHL, 4 MLB, 1 NFL. Answer at the bottom. 🐿️ RALLY SQUIRREL PHOTO FINISH (Duane Burleson/Getty Images) A black squirrel managed to break onto the field at Comerica Park on Monday during the Tigers' loss to the Orioles, and it led the grounds crew on a chase in the outfield. On the call: "No, I won't be hemmed in! I have freedom on my mind!" yelled Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti from the booth. Trivia answer: Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Blues, Golden Knights, Red Wings (NHL); Blue Jays, Reds, Red Sox, White Sox (MLB); Browns (NFL) 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 July 30 Author Members Posted July 30 🍿 1 fun thing: Bigger than "Hamilton" Data: Box Office Mojo. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios "Hadestown: The Musical" — a filmed version of the stage show — opened to a whopping $10.2 million domestically over the weekend, surpassing "Hamilton" to become the highest-grossing debut for a filmed stage production, Axios' Sara Fischer, Danielle Alberti and Kerry Flynn write. Why it matters: Successful box-office and streaming runs are delivering new revenue streams that can drive investment in new shows. Keep reading ... 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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