Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

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?? TOUR DE FRANCE

POGAČAR DOMINANT IN THIRD TOUR VICTORY

Pogačar celebrates with his UAE Team Emirates teammates. (Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images)

Tadej Pogačar concluded an utterly dominant three weeks of cycling on Sunday to win the 111th Tour de France and become the ninth three-time winner in history, Jeff writes. ‌ Race recap: The 25-year-old Slovenian, who also won in 2020 and 2021, finished 6 minutes and 17 seconds ahead of two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, first claiming the yellow jersey after Stage 4 (of 21) and never relinquishing it. Tour debutant Remco Evenepoel rounded out the podium. ‌ Pogačar won each of the final three stages and six overall, the most by a Tour champion since Bernard Hinault won seven stages in 1979. He was particularly dominant in the mountains, joining Gino Bartali in 1948 as the only riders to win five mountain stages in a single Tour. A rare double: Pogačar is just the eighth cyclist — and first since 1998 — to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same year. ‌ Marco Pantani (1998) Miguel Induráin (1992-93) Stephen Roche (1987) Hinault (1982, 1985) Eddy Merckx (1970, 1972) Jacques Anquetil (1964) Fausto Coppi (1949, 1952) More from the Tour: ‌ Finishing outside Paris: The race ended on a time trial for the first time since 1989 and, to avoid the Olympics, it finished outside Paris for the first time ever. Other winners: Eritrea's Biniam Girmay won the green jersey (points), Ecuador's Richard Carapaz won the polka dot jersey (mountains) and Belgium's Evenepoel, 24, won the white jersey (young rider). Going out in style: Sprinting specialist Mark Cavendish, 39, won a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage in what was likely his final race. What to watch: Pogačar will represent Slovenia in the Olympics, but he's "99% sure" he won’t compete in next month's Vuelta a España. Should he change his mind, he'll have a chance to become the first man to win all three legs of the Grand Tour in a calendar year.

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?? Flag bearer: LeBron James was chosen by his fellow athletes to be Team USA's male flag bearer at Friday's Opening Ceremony. The women's flag bearer will be announced today. ‌ ? USA 92, Germany 88: It was quite a day for LeBron, who also led Team USA's comeback win over Germany, scoring their final 11 points to wrap up their exhibition schedule with a 5-0 record. ‌ ? Love holds out: Jordan Love won't take the field at Packers training camp until he signs a contract extension. He could become the NFL's highest-paid QB by the end of the week. ‌ ? Owens is excused: Bears safety Jonathan Owens has been excused from training camp so that he can attend the Olympics and support his wife, Simone Biles. ‌ ❤️ Honoring Khyree: The Vikings will honor Khyree Jackson, their fourth-round pick who died in a car accident two weeks ago, with “KJ" decals on their helmets this season. They'll also pay Jackson's full signing bonus to his family.

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? Record viewership: Saturday's WNBA All-Star Game drew 3.44 million viewers on ABC, making it the third-most watched broadcast in league history behind only two games from its first-ever opening weekend in 1997. ‌ ⚾️ Skenes' first loss: Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes (6-1) finally took his first loss, though even that he did in stellar fashion, striking out eight Cardinals in a career-best 8.1 innings while allowing just four hits and two runs.  ‌ ? USA 84, Germany 57: The Team USA women bounced back from their loss in the WNBA All-Star Game with a resounding victory over Germany in their final pre-Olympics exhibition. ‌ ⛳️ Vice captain: Team USA Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has named Webb Simpson — the 2012 U.S. Open champ and member of three Ryder Cup teams — as his vice captain.     ⚽️ PARIS 2024 WHY IS OLYMPIC MEN'S SOCCER A JV EVENT? (Gregory Hodge/Yahoo Sports) The Olympic men's soccer group stage kicks off today — but don't expect to see the world's top players taking the pitch. ‌ From Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell: ‌ Kylian Mbappé really wanted to play at the Paris Olympics. Lionel Messi reportedly did too. But neither will, because they, like most men's soccer stars, are victims of an age-old power struggle domineered by the sport's global governing body, FIFA. ‌ The struggle is the reason organizers impose two key restrictions on each men's Olympic roster: ‌ 1. All but three players must be 23 years old or younger. ‌ 2. No matter the player's age, his professional club isn't required to grant him permission to play at the tournament. ‌ The second rule spoiled Mbappé's dream. "I've always said that the Games in Paris are special, and I wanted to be there," the native Parisian said in March. But Real Madrid refused to release him. ‌ Dozens of other clubs have also declined to grant necessary permissions. And so, of the world's top 100 players, only two — Argentina's Julián Álvarez and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi — will be present. ‌ The rules make Olympic men's soccer something of a junior varsity competition. And they're in place because FIFA doesn't want the Games — or any other soccer tournament — to rival its World Cup. ‌ Good news for Team USA? The upside of the Olympic roster limitations is that they can be an equalizing force, one that could give the U.S. hope of medaling. ‌ The USMNT, of course, has never been past the quarterfinals of a modern World Cup; it can't measure up to France, Spain or Argentina. But its JV team could compete with other JV squads around the world. ‌ The Americans will be expected to advance from the group stage and could contend for a medal in their first Olympics appearance since 2008. ‌ Go deeper: Henry explores the complex rules and nuanced history surrounding Olympic men's soccer. Fascinating stuff… ‌ What to watch: Team USA plays host France in today's opener (3pm ET, USA/Peacock). Here's the roster.   ? SPYGATE WE ALREADY HAVE AN OLYMPICS SCANDAL The Canadian women's soccer team stands for the natoinal anthem before a match in the 2020 Olympics. (Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images) The Canadian Olympic Committee has apologized after a "non-accredited" member of the women's soccer staff allegedly used a drone to spy on New Zealand. ‌ Context: New Zealand staffers saw the drone during a training session and reported it to local police, which led to the operator being detained. The incident was then reported to the IOC's integrity unit. ‌ The two teams face off tomorrow. Canada is the reigning gold medalist. Speaking of scandals… British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin, a six-time Olympic medalist, will not compete because of a video that allegedly shows her mistreating a horse.   ? NFL TRAINING CAMP FIVE FACES IN NEW PLACES (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) All 32 NFL teams have officially begun training camp. Here are five veterans who switched teams this offseason that are worth keeping an eye on, Jeff writes. ‌ Kirk Cousins (QB, Falcons): Atlanta hasn't had a winning season since 2017 amid Matt Ryan's waning years and various unimpressive replacements. Cousins was playing the best ball of his career before tearing his Achilles last season, and should be healthy entering Week 1. Saquon Barkley (RB, Eagles): Philly's run game could be lethal with the pairing of Barkley and Jalen Hurts. And even with Jason Kelce's retirement, this should be the best offensive line the 2018 ROY has ever played behind. Hollywood Brown (WR, Chiefs): The speedster struggled to find consistency in Baltimore's run-heavy offense, and Kansas City struggled to find receivers last season who could reliably catch the ball. This should be a nice match. Danielle Hunter (DE, Texans): The four-time Pro Bowler with the Vikings joins reigning Defensive ROY Will Anderson Jr. to form one of the league's best pass-rushing duos. Christian Wilkins (DT, Raiders): Speaking of dominant defensive duos, Wilkins (6-foot-4, 310 pounds) and Maxx Crosby (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) will form a fearsome tandem of their own in Las Vegas. ? ON THIS DAY JULY 24, 1983: THE PINE TAR INCIDENT (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images) 41 years ago today, George Brett unleashed one of baseball's most memorable tirades after being ruled out for having too much pine tar on his bat, Jeff writes. ‌ Successful protest: Brett's ninth inning, go-ahead blast against the Yankees was overturned due to excessive pine tar, resulting in a Royals loss. But Kansas City successfully protested* the game, which resumed a month later and ended in a 5-4 Royals win. ‌ More on this day: ‌ ?‍♂️ 2005: Lance Armstrong won his record-extending seventh consecutive Tour de France and immediately retired from the sport. Seven years later, all of his wins were stripped for doping violations. ? 2008: Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman played in a game for the Detroit Shock at age 50, breaking her own record as the oldest player in WNBA history, which she'd previously set at age 39. *A rare reversal: This was one of just 15 successful protests in MLB history in which the game was resumed at the point of the protest, and it was the eighth and most recent instance in which the protesting team went on to win.     ? USA VS. FRANCE WATCHLIST: LET THE GAMES BEGIN (Maja Hitij/Getty Images) The Olympics kick off today with men's soccer and rugby sevens* group stages, and the U.S. is playing host France in both. ‌ Rugby: USA vs. France (10:30am ET, USA/Peacock); USA vs. Fiji (2:30pm, Peacock) Soccer: USA vs. France (3pm, USA/Peacock) More to watch: ‌ ⚽️ MLS: MLS All-Stars vs. Liga MX All-Stars (8pm, Apple) … Free to watch. ⚾️ MLB: Mets at Yankees (7pm, ESPN) ? TBT: Round of 16 (FS1/FS2) *Faster format: Rugby sevens is played with just seven players a side (instead of 15) and with seven-minute halves (instead of 40-minute halves), but on the same size field as the traditional version of the sport.

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DAY 1 HEADLINES

France’s Jean-Philppe Mateta takes a shot against the Americans. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

⚽️ France 3, USA 0: Les Bleus poured it on against Team USA, scoring three goals in the second half for a dominant victory in Marseille, roughly 400 miles south of Paris. ‌ ? Sinner drops out: Italy's Jannik Sinner, the world's No. 1 ranked male tennis player, withdrew from the Olympics on the eve of the Games after coming down with tonsillitis. ‌ ?? Morocco 2, Argentina 1: Moroccan fans threw bottles, cups and flares onto the field — and then stormed the pitch — after Argentina scored an equalizer in stoppage time. But the goal was ultimately overturned by VAR and players returned over an hour later to finish the match. ‌ ? Rugby group stage: Ireland, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and defending champion Fiji already qualified for the quarterfinals after going 2-0 on Wednesday. The U.S. is still alive after a tie and a loss.

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in non-olympics news...

Mercedes' Hamilton and Russell celebrate after the Belgian GP. (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Mercedes goes 1-2 (kind of): Mercedes' surge continued Sunday at the Belgian Grand Prix, where George Russell and Lewis Hamilton went 1-2 — until Russell was disqualified for his car being under the minimum weight in a post-race inspection. ‌ Plus: ‌ ⚾️ Rookie Xavier Edwards hits for second cycle in Marlins history ⚽️ McKenna Whitham, 14, makes historic NWSL debut ⛳️ Jon Rahm wins first LIV title in England ⚾️ White Sox become first since team 1935 with multiple 14-game losing streaks in a season

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in non-olympics news...

Deadline deals: The trade deadline passed on Tuesday with an astonishing number of deals — 32, to be exact — but no real blockbusters. Starting pitcher Jack Flaherty's move from the Tigers to the Dodgers was the biggest splash of the day. ‌ Plus: ‌ ⚾️ Mike Trout suffers rehab setback, leaving return this season in doubt ? Bears WR DJ Moore signs four-year, $110M extension, richest in franchise history ⚾️ White Sox lose franchise-record 16th straight game ? Christian McCaffrey joins Tyreek Hill in the 99 club on "Madden NFL 25" ? HBO drops first trailer for "Hard Knocks" featuring the Bears

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in non-olympics news...

You go ahead and admire that shot, kid. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

Welcome (back) to the Show! Orioles 2B Jackson Holliday, MLB's No. 1 overall prospect who struggled in his first call-up, returned to the big leagues and smacked a grand slam for his first career home run. ‌ Plus: ‌ ⚾️ Braves 1B Matt Olson and C Travis d'Arnaud hit back-to-back homers, twice! ? Cavs sign C Jarrett Allen to 3-year, $91 million max extension ⚾️ Ranking the top 50 deals from the trade deadline ⚽️ Man City fined ~$2.5 million for breaching Premier League kickoff rules

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First two kickoffs under NFL’s new rules are both returned to the 26

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The first two kickoffs under the NFL’s radical new rule were both returned a yard farther than the old touchback.

https://apnews.com/article/nfl-new-kickoff-rule-2a74936ab9ee72b02925f8fe59d62576?

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in non-olympics news...

(Emilee Chinn/Cincinnati Reds/Getty Images)

⚾️ No-hitter! Blake Snell threw the 18th no-hitter in Giants history on Friday, striking out 11 Reds in a 3-0 victory on 114 pitches. The reigning Cy Young's no-no was the third of the season and the second in the past week after Padres' righty Dylan Cease threw one last Thursday. ‌ Plus: ‌ ❤️ Second statue of Kobe and Gigi Bryant unveiled in private ceremony ⚾️ Rangers place Scherzer on 15-day IL in another blow to defending champs ? 10 college football coaches under the most pressure in 2024 ⚾️ Kansas man sentenced to 15 years for stealing Jackie Robinson statue ? The new Big Ten "Maps" commercial, with 18 schools from coast-to-coast

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? Welcome to Canton: The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined seven new members on Saturday: Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Patrick Willis and Randy Gradishar.

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Plus:

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• ⚾️ Ohtani becomes third fastest player in history to post 30-30 season
• ? Terence Crawford claims title in fourth division
• ⚾️ White Sox losing streak reaches 19, MLB's longest since 2021
• ? Dolphins agree to restructured contract with Tyreek Hill, guaranteeing $106.5M

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? Bulldogs on top: Georgia is the No. 1 team in the preseason coaches poll after earning 46 of a possible 55 first-place votes. Rounding out the top 10: Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State and FSU.

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Plus:

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• ⚾️ White Sox lose 21st straight game, tying longest streak in AL history
• ? Multiple fights break out at Giants, Lions joint training camp
• ? Sebastian Korda wins DC title 32 years after his dad
• ? Butker becomes NFL's highest-paid kicker at $6.4M per year

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⚾️ So close: Astros lefty Framber Valdez was one out away from his second career no-hitter. Corey Seager had other ideas, blasting a home run to spoil his bid.

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Plus:

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• ⚾️ White Sox beat A's to snap historic 21-game losing streak
• ? Jalen Brunson named 36th captain in Knicks history
• ?️ Charles Barkley changes mind on retirement, will remain with TNT
• ⚾️ Braves and Reds to play 2025 series at Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway
• ⚽️ Atlético Madrid sign Man City striker Julian Álvarez for City-record $104M fee

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⚾️ MLB power rankings: With the trade deadline in the rearview and the stretch run on the horizon, where does your team sit in our latest power rankings?

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Plus:

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• ? Rafael Nadal withdraws from U.S. Open
• ⚾️ Chapman throws 104.7 mph strikeout pitch at 36 years old
• ? Lauri Markkanen signs 5-year, $238M extension, richest deal in Jazz history
• ? NCAA issues suspension and show-cause penalty to Jim Harbaugh
• ? QB competition brewing in Pittsburgh between Wilson and Fields

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⚽️ Manchester Derby: Manchester City and Manchester United face off today (10am ET, ESPN) for the FA Community Shield, an annual match between the defending FA Cup (United) and Premier League winners (City).

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• ? CBS Sports will produce Netflix's exclusive Christmas Day NFL games
• ? Here's what's at stake as NASCAR returns from its break
• ? Jim Harbaugh to be honorary captain for Michigan's opener
• ⚾️ Can rookie phenom Paul Skenes, who pitches today, win the Cy Young?

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? Top picks shine in debuts: Bears QB Caleb Williams and Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, the top two picks in this spring's draft, dazzled in their preseason debuts on Saturday with a handful of highlight reel throws. Just 25 days until the season begins.

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Plus:

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• ⚽️ Man City beat Man United on penalties to win Community Shield
• ⚽️ NWSL and players' union agree to new CBA that runs through 2030
• ⛳️ With one year left on LIV contract, Phil Mickelson hints at retirement from full schedule
• ⚾️ Which MLB longshot will be this year's surprise postseason team?

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? Sports mega-decade

Sofi Stadium — home of the L.A. Rams and Chargers — is scheduled to be a venue for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics (swimming). Rendering: LA28 America is gearing up to host a mega decade of major global sporting events, Axios' Avery Lotz writes. Why it matters: The 2028 Summer Olympics, hosted by L.A., is just one event on the country's packed calendar over the next 10 years. In 2026, the U.S. will hold the FIFA World Cup with Mexico and Canada. 11 of 16 planned venues for matches, including the finals, are in the U.S. The men's Rugby World Cup in 2031 will be in the U.S. So will the women's World Cup two years later. In 2034, the Winter Olympics will take place in Salt Lake City. Keep reading.

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? 1 for the road: AP Top 25

Data: AP. Chart: Axios Visuals Georgia is the No. 1 college football team marching toward game day in the AP's Top 25 preseason poll, Axios' Michael Graff and Thomas Wheatley write. The SEC and Big Ten dominated the list, taking eight of the top 10 spots. Between the lines: Only 11 teams have started the season as the preseason No. 1 and won the national title since the poll launched in 1950. ? The most recent was Alabama in 2017. Keep reading ...

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⚾️ 40-40 watch: Only five players in MLB history have recorded a 40-40 season, and none of them reached that mark until late September. Shohei Ohtani (39 HR, 37 SB) might get there this week… while recovering from extensive elbow surgery. ‌ ? Who will replace Kerr? Steve Kerr, who spoke at the DNC on Monday night in Chicago, is not expected to continue as Team USA head coach. His two most likely successors: Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue. ‌ ⚽️ New women's league kicks off: The USL Super League, which has the same top-flight status as the NWSL, began its inaugural season on Sunday with three sellouts in Charlotte, Tampa and Spokane. ‌ ? McCoy heads to the booth: NFL veteran QB Colt McCoy has officially retired after 12 seasons, and the Longhorns legend is set to become a college football analyst for NBC. ‌ ⛳️ Surgery for Spieth: Jordan Spieth will undergo left wrist surgery in the coming days after bowing out of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. ‌ ⚾️ MLB SNAPSHOT BASEBALL'S PARITY PARTY (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) The 2024 MLB season is shaping up to be the most well-balanced (and least top-heavy) in recent memory. With six weeks left, no teams are on pace to reach 100 wins and the top 12 clubs are separated by just seven games. ‌ Where have all the juggernauts gone? Over the past decade, an average of 2.75 teams per season have reached 100 wins. Last year, there were three. In 2022, there were four. This year? It's looking like there will be zero, which hasn't happened since 2014. ‌ The Phillies have MLB's best record at 73-51 (.589). To finish with 100 wins, they'd need to go 27-11 (.711) the rest of the way. Certainly doable, but not likely. The Dodgers (74-52), Yankees (73-52), Guardians (72-52), Brewers (72-52), Orioles (73-53), Royals (70-55), Padres (71-55), Twins (70-55) and Diamondbacks (70-56) would need to be even better to reach the century mark. Consider this stat: The Yankees have MLB's best run differential this year at +116, which is quite low for a league leader and speaks to the current state of baseball. For context, the last five league leaders finished at +219, +331, +278, +279 and +270. ‌ Not new, just more extreme: MLB is no stranger to parity. Heck, there hasn't been a repeat World Series champion in 24 years (and counting*), and last year's Fall Classic featured two wild card teams that barely snuck into the postseason. ‌ That said, it's typically a narrative reserved for October, when the playoffs do often feel like a crapshoot — especially with an expanded 12-team field. But this year's parity is extreme enough that it's become one of the stories of the summer, and industry insiders are beginning to wonder whether 2024 is a sign of things to come.

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? Sinner tests positive, avoids ban: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner tested positive twice in March for a banned anabolic steroid, which was later determined to have entered his system unintentionally. ‌ ? Attention 90s kids: The beloved "Backyard Sports" video game franchise will relaunch in the coming months and expand into film, TV and more. ‌ ?️ Hoops in Hawaii: After a year away due to devastating wildfires, the Maui Invitational will return home this fall with a stacked lineup featuring UConn, UNC and Michigan State. ‌ ? Gabby back to Seattle: Breakout Olympics star Gabby Williams, a silver medalist with France, has signed a rest-of-season contract with the Storm, who she played for in 2022 and 2023.

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⚾️ Forever a Red: Joey Votto is calling it quits after 17 MLB seasons, all with the Reds. "I played this sport with every last ounce of my body, heart and mind," said the potential Hall of Famer. "Thank you for everything." ‌ ? Nix named starter: Bo Nix, the No. 12 pick out of Oregon (by way of Auburn), is officially the Broncos starting QB. The last Denver rookie to start under center in Week 1? Some guy named Elway back in 1983. ‌ ? Reese's Angel: WNBA rookie Angel Reese is now sponsored by Reese's and already has her own "Reese's Angel" logo and Reese's Pieces-inspired apparel. ‌ ? Professor Pete: Pete Carroll is headed back to USC — as a teacher. The 72-year-old hasn't ruled out a return to coaching but that can wait. "I've got other things that I want to do that I'm excited about."

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⚾️ Servais out in Seattle: The Mariners have fired longtime manager Scott Servais, replacing him with the team's former All-Star catcher Dan Wilson. ‌ ? Dotson to Philly: The Commanders traded WR Jahan Dotson to the Eagles on Thursday in exchange for a trio of draft picks. ‌ ? Curry endorses Harris: Two days after Steve Kerr delivered a speech at the DNC, Steph Curry checked in with a video expressing his support for Kamala Harris. ‌ ? Humphrey gets paid: The Chiefs are reportedly making Creed Humphrey the NFL's highest-paid center (four years, $72 million).

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Lake Mary wins Little League U.S. Championship game

The Southwest region champ was ahead by four runs over Lake Mary in the third inning Saturday in the U.S. bracket title game at the Little League World Series.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/24/lake-mary-wins-us-little-league-championship-game/?

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Lake Mary wins Little League World Series championship

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.  — Lathan Norton scored from second base on an overthrow at first as Lake Mary  rallied Sunday to beat Taiwan 2-1 in eight innings and claim the Little League World Series championship.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/25/lake-mary-wins-little-league-championship/?

ps:Congratulations Lake Mary on winning the LLWS championship!!!!!

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⚾ 1 fun thing: History on the mound

Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen will make MLB history today when he becomes the first person to play for both teams ... during the same game.

• Jansen was in the lineup for the Toronto Blue Jays when they played the Red Sox in June before the game was suspended because of rain and scheduled to be made up today.

A month later, he was traded to Boston. Red Sox manager Alex Cora says he'll put Jansen in the lineup when the game resumes as part of a day-night doubleheader this afternoon — Toronto's first trip back to Fenway Park.

• "You know what, yeah, he's catching. Let's make history," Cora told reporters.

Go deeper.

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AARON JUDGE IS CHASING HIMSELF

Aaron Judge set an American League record with 62 home runs in 2022. Two years later, the Yankees slugger is on pace to hit 63.

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Bombs away: The "Bronx Behemoth" smacked his 50th and 51st home runs of the season on Sunday as he barrels towards his second AL MVP award and adds to his Hall of Fame resumé.

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• He's the first player in MLB history to hit 50+ home runs in three of his first nine seasons, smacking 52 as a rookie in 2017, 62 in 2022, and 51 so far this year with 31 games left.
• Judge, who's reaching base almost 50% of the time this season (.465 OBP), is also the first player in history with 50+ HR, 120+ RBI and 100+ BB before September.

Triple Crown chase: Judge, 32, leads all players in HR (51) and RBI (122) and is second in batting average (.333) behind Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. (.347) as he seeks to become MLB's first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 — and just the second since 1967.

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What are we witnessing? Make no mistake: We are watching one of the best power hitters to ever live. In fact, Judge's long journey to the big leagues — three years at Fresno State, then three years in the minors — is the only reason we're not seriously talking about him breaking Barry Bonds' all-time mark of 762 long balls.

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• Earlier this month, Judge reached 300 career home runs in 132 fewer games (!!!) than any player in history. But since he didn't make his MLB debut until age 24, his 300th homer was just the 62nd-most ever hit before turning 33, per the New York Post.
• In other words, no slugger has ever started their big league career quite as hot as Judge, but plenty have arrived at their 33rd birthday with more home runs thanks to debuting at an earlier age.

Consider this: By the time he turns 33 next April, Judge should have ~320-330 career homers. Bonds, who made his MLB debut at age 21, had 374 before he was 33. Hank Aaron, who debuted at age 20, had 442. Alex Rodriguez, who debuted at age 18, had 553.

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Let's assume Judge hits 63 homers this year. That means he will have averaged about 50 per year since 2021. If he keeps that pace into his late 30s and early 40s — a big if! — he would pass Bonds in approximately 10 years. Possible? Yes, anything is possible. Realistic? No.

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Anyway, back to the here and now… The 2024 MLB home run race is officially on, even if it's Judge vs. himself. Each of his at-bats over the next month will be a headline waiting to happen, and with the Yankees locked in a tight AL East battle, all eyes are on the Bronx.