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🚨 Headlines
⛳️ 18 holes down, 54 to go: Jhonattan Vegas (-7) sits atop a PGA Championship leaderboard . For simply the second time in event historical past, a spherical ended with no single top-10 ranked participant within the high 10.
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🏈 $8.5 billion: The 49ers are promoting a 6% stake within the crew at , essentially the most any sports activities franchise has ever been valued at in a transaction.
🇪🇸 Barça clinches title: With a 2-0 win over Espanyol, Barcelona , second solely to Actual Madrid’s 36. No different crew has greater than 11 (Atlético).
🏈 NFL at LA28? NFL crew homeowners will talk about a decision subsequent week within the flag soccer competitors debuting on the 2028 Olympics.
⚽️ Human rights criticism: A gaggle of worldwide legal professionals in opposition to FIFA concerning 2034 World Cup host Saudi Arabia, the place “widespread human rights abuses proceed to be perpetrated.”
🐎 The Triple Crown wants a reset
Sovereignty will not get the prospect to compete for the Triple Crown this 12 months. (Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures)
There have been 13 Triple Crown winners within the historical past of horse racing. Until the game introduces a brand new calendar, we might by no means see one other one.
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The brand new regular: The Kentucky Derby winner competed within the Preakness Stakes yearly from 1997 to 2018, when Justify received the latest Triple Crown. However 4 of the final seven Derby winners have now opted in opposition to going to Baltimore, with Sovereignty .
The issue: Horses are now not bred to run three races in 5 weeks, which is the requirement to compete within the Derby (Might 3), Preakness (Might 17) and Belmont Stakes (June 7).
The preliminary two-week turnaround is especially tight, which explains why Sovereignty’s Corridor of Fame coach, Invoice Mott, forfeited a shot at historical past this weekend regardless of the 3-year-old thoroughbred being wholesome and an early 8-5 favourite to win the a hundred and fiftieth Preakness.
The truth is, solely two of the 19 horses that competed on this 12 months’s Run for the Roses are in tomorrow’s subject at Pimlico Race Course, which is correct consistent with latest years. Heck, the 2023 race solely attracted a single horse from Churchill Downs.
Think about this: The final 19 Triple Crown races have been received by 19 totally different horses, and solely two of them ran all three legs the 12 months they received: Battle of Will in 2019 (when he received the Preakness) and Mystik Dan in 2024 (when he received the Derby).
Seize the Gray after profitable the 149th working of the Preakness Stakes final 12 months. (Samuel Corum/Getty Pictures)
The answer is apparent: Area out the schedule. Preserve the Derby on the primary Saturday in Might, transfer the Preakness to the primary Saturday in June and transfer the Belmont to the primary Saturday in July (or higher but: have it on the Fourth of July, which lacks a significant sporting occasion).
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This could result in higher fields, extra Triple Crown contenders and better viewership throughout the board, whereas additionally bettering the long-term well being of horses by taking the stress off trainers and homeowners to run them again too quickly.
Outstanding thoroughbred proprietor Mike Repole final week — although he recommended making the Belmont the second leg (presumably shifting it up every week from its present date) and holding the Preakness 4 weeks later.
What is the argument in opposition to this? Purists will say that altering the horse racing calendar disrespects the historical past of a sport steeped in custom and cheapens the accomplishment of profitable the Triple Crown, which is meant to be extraordinarily troublesome.
To which I would reply: What is the the purpose of preserving custom if that custom turns into irrelevant? That is the danger horse racing runs by doing nothing and persevering with down a path the place horses do not even get the prospect to win the Crown. . There are three days a 12 months when it instructions America’s consideration. It merely should work out how to make sure that the horses folks know — and the narratives that draw them in — are current.
The final phrase,
We’ve got come a good distance for the reason that first Triple Crown was received in 1919. Sir Barton did not simply win all three legs in a span of 32 days — he received a fourth in between the Preakness and Belmont as nicely. Immediately we’re fortunate to get a horse that may run twice in 32 days, a lot much less 4 occasions — even when it wins the Kentucky Derby. The breed has modified. The Triple Crown wants to vary with it.
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Preakness preview:
📸 By way of the lens
(Josh Lavallee/NHLI by way of Getty Pictures)
Washington, D.C. — The Hurricanes eradicated the top-seeded Capitals, of an eventual 3-1 win. They’re going to face both the Maple Leafs or Panthers within the Japanese Convention Finals.
(Matthew Stockman/Getty Pictures)
Denver — Nikola Jokić (29-14-8), Jamal Murray (25-8-7) and Christian Braun (23-11-5) led the Nuggets to a , forcing a Sport 7 on Sunday in OKC. As if a sequence between the 2 MVP favorites might have ended another approach.
(Darcy Finley/NHLI by way of Getty Pictures)
Winnipeg — The Jets , 4-0, to maintain their season alive and ship the sequence again to Dallas for Sport 6.
🏀 By the numbers: The WNBA is again
(Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports activities)
Because the twenty ninth WNBA season , listed here are some info and figures to get you again on top of things after a protracted offseason.
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+225
The defending champion Liberty are the favorites to run it again (+225 by way of BetMGM), adopted by the Aces (+275), Fever (+300) and final 12 months’s runner-up Lynx (+400). The remaining: Mercury (+1400), Storm (+3500), Dream (+5000), Sparks (+5000), Sky (+6600), Wings (+6600), Solar (+12500), Mystics (+15000), Valkyries (+20000).
Yr 2
Reigning ROY Caitlin Clark led the Fever to their first postseason berth since 2016 final 12 months. Now she enters her sophomore season because the MVP favourite (+195), and plenty of count on to contend for a title.
13 groups
The Golden State Valkyries are the WNBA’s first growth franchise for the reason that Dream in 2008. They’re going to share the Chase Middle with the Warriors, and can be coached by former Aces and Clippers assistant Natalie Nakase.
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8 new coaches
Talking of Nakase, she’s one in every of eight new coaches this season, becoming a member of Karl Smesko (Dream), Tyler Marsh (Sky), Rachid Meziane (Solar), Stephanie White (Fever), Sydney Johnson (Mystics), Chris Koclanes (Wings) and Lynne Roberts (Sparks).
Finest-of-7
For the primary time ever, the WNBA Finals can be a best-of-seven sequence after enjoying as a best-of-five for the previous 20 years. The primary spherical can be altering, remaining a best-of-three however with a 1-1-1 format to make sure each groups host no less than one sport.
$2.2 billion
That is the worth of the WNBA’s 11-year media rights deal that kicks in subsequent season, price 5 occasions as a lot yearly as the present deal. Why is that vital proper now? As a result of if the league and union do not that displays this new financial panorama earlier than subsequent spring, there could possibly be a piece stoppage — a storyline that can be ever-present this summer time.
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⚾️ Decide vs. Bonds: The place are all of the free passes?
(Jake Mintz/Yahoo Sports activities)
Aaron Decide is hitting like Barry Bonds, so the place are all of the intentional walks?
From Yahoo Sports activities’ Jake Mintz:
In 2004, on the peak of his powers, Barry Bonds was deliberately walked a document 120 occasions. The three seasons prior, he averaged 55 intentional walks per 12 months.
Examine that to Decide, who over his 162-game run of brilliance has been deliberately walked simply 24 occasions.
(Jake Mintz/Yahoo Sports activities)
The disparity is much more obtrusive in high-leverage, late-game situations.
Over his previous 162 video games, Decide has had 47 plate appearances because the tying or go-ahead run within the seventh inning or later. He has been deliberately walked simply eight occasions, or 17% of these cases.
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Bonds, throughout his 2004 reign of terror, got here up in 64 such situations. He was purposefully handed a free go 25 occasions, good for an outrageous 43.8% clip.
Why the stark distinction? Conversations with gamers, coaches and insiders revealed myriad causes, the most important of which has nothing in any respect to do with both participant.
📺 Watchlist: The most effective two phrases in sports activities
(Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)
Sport. Seven. The Thunder will host the Nuggets on Sunday (3:30pm ET, ABC) in a battle of title contenders and MVP favorites.
“It is do or die. It is what you reside for. It is what you labored your entire life for.”
—
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Plus: Tonight’s sport is not precisely a dud, because the Knicks (3-2) host the Celtics (8pm, ESPN) with an opportunity to clinch their first Japanese Convention Finals in 25 years.
Extra to look at:
🏒 NHL: Maple Leafs (2-3) at Panthers (Fri. 8pm, TNT); Jets (2-3) at Stars (Sat. 8pm, ABC) … Panthers-Leafs Sport 7 on Sunday, if wanted.
🐎 Horse Racing: The a hundred and fiftieth Preakness Stakes (Sat. 7pm, NBC)
🎾 Tennis: Italian Open (Fri-Solar, Tennis) … Champions can be topped.
🏀 WNBA: Aces at Liberty (Sat. 1pm, ABC); Sky at Fever (Sat. 3pm, ABC) … Opening weekend.
⚾️ MLB: Astros at Rangers (Fri. 8pm, Apple; Solar. 1pm, Roku); Mariners at Padres (Fri. 9:40pm, Apple); Mets at Yankees (Solar. 7pm, ESPN) … The Subway Sequence headlines MLB’s “.”
🏁 Racing: F1 at Imola (Solar. 9am, ESPN2); NASCAR All-Star Race (Solar. 8pm, FS1)
⚽️ FA Cup: Manchester Metropolis vs. Crystal Palace (Sat. 11:30am, ESPN+) … Championship at Wembley Stadium.
🥍 Males’s Lacrosse: NCAA Quarterfinals (Sat-Solar, ESPNU) … No. 1 Cornell vs. Richmond, No. 2 Maryland vs. Georgetown, No. 3 Princeton vs. No. 6 Syracuse, No. 5 Penn State vs. Notre Dame.
Plus… 15 MLS video games (Sat-Solar, Apple); 7 NWSL video games (Fri-Sat, Prime/ION); UFL Week 8 (Fri-Solar, Fox/ABC); Hockey Worlds (Fri-Solar, NHL); PWHL Semifinals (Fri-Solar, YouTube); Giro d’Italia (Fri-Solar, Max).
🏆 WNBA trivia
(Hannah Foslien/Getty Pictures)
Query: Which three WNBA groups are tied for essentially the most championships, with 4?
Trace: One is defunct.
Reply on the backside.
⚾️ The dying of the .300 hitter
(Giphy)
It is no secret that the .300 batting common, as soon as the gold customary of offensive excellence, is quietly vanishing from Main League Baseball. However this nonetheless blew my thoughts…
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Solely three lively MLB hitters boast a .300+ profession common: Freddie Freeman (.301), Jose Altuve (.305) and Luis Arráez (.321), who just lately crossed the three,000 plate look threshold.
Trivia reply: Houston Comets (1997-2000), Minnesota Lynx (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017), Seattle Storm (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
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