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🚨 Headlines
⛳️ TGL expansion: Detroit was awarded TGL’s first-ever expansion team, with the Motor City Golf Club set to join Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s league in 2027.
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🏀 All-Rookie team: Spurs ROY Stephon Castle headlined the NBA’s All-Rookie first team, joined by Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies) and Zach Edey (Grizzlies).
🏀 Clark makes history: Caitlin Clark (27-11) had her 10th career game with 20 points and 10 assists, matching Courtney Vandersloot for the most in WNBA history. Vandersloot has played 430 games; Clark has played 42.
⚾️ Friend charged in PNC Park fall: A 21-year-old friend of the 20-year-old man who fell from the outfield stands in Pittsburgh last month has been charged with providing him alcohol at the game.
♟️ Carlsen vs. The World: Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-ranked chess player, faced 143,000 people in an online game that began in early April. 46 days later, it ended in a draw.
🏒 The NHL’s Sun Belt boom
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
The NHL’s Final Four includes three teams from the Sun Belt, which despite the name has thrived in the cold-weather sport for over a decade now.
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By the numbers: Four of the last five Stanley Cup champions hail from the Sun Belt, with the Lightning (2x) joined by the Panthers and Golden Knights. And this year, the Panthers, Hurricanes and Stars have a chance to make it five of the last six.
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This is the third straight year, and 10th in the last 11, that at least two Sun Belt teams made the conference finals. The high-water mark came in 2023, when all four semifinalists were southern teams.
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Add it all up, and you’ve got 57% of conference finalists since 2015 (25 of 44) coming from a group that comprises less than one-third of the league.
Growing the game: The NHL added its first Sun Belt teams in 1967 when the Original Six era ended. But the league didn’t really start venturing south until 1991, kickstarting a period of robust expansion that includes nine teams (*) currently playing in the Sun Belt.
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1967: Los Angeles Kings* and California Seals (folded in 1978)
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1972: Atlanta Flames (moved to Calgary in 1980)
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1991: San Jose Sharks*
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1992: Tampa Bay Lightning*
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1993: Florida Panthers,* Anaheim Ducks* and Dallas Stars* (moved from Minnesota)
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1996: Phoenix Coyotes (moved from Winnipeg, now in Utah)
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1997: Carolina Hurricanes* (moved from Hartford)
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1998: Nashville Predators*
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1999: Atlanta Thrashers (moved to Winnipeg in 2011)
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2017: Vegas Golden Knights*
The rise of the South: The success of Sun Belt hockey has coincided with a Stanley Cup drought in the birthplace of the sport. Aside from the Kings, Sharks and Lightning, none of the current Sun Belt teams existed in their current form the last time Canada won the Cup (June 1993).
🏆 Playoffs: Thunder, Panthers take Game 1
(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Oklahoma City — The Thunder cruised past the Timberwolves, 114-88, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals behind 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Historic start: OKC has a +176 point differential through seven home playoff games. That’s the highest over any seven-game home span in NBA postseason history.
(Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images)
Raleigh, N.C. — Traveling directly from Toronto after their Game 7 win on Sunday, the Panthers looked plenty fresh as they skated to an impressive 5-2 victory over the Hurricanes.
The drought continues: Carolina has now lost 13 straight games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Their last win came in 2006 when star Sebastian Aho was eight years old.
🏈 Tush push faces ban (again)
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Here we go again. For the second time in two months, the tush push is in danger.
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From Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein:
The Eagles’ signature QB sneak play survived debate over its future during April league meetings. But club and league officials did not feel comfortable enough with the play’s future to protect it for the long haul.
Rather than vote down the ban, officials tabled a vote until this week’s league meetings in Minneapolis. Expect that vote to take place today.
The Packers amended their proposed ban on Monday to include the elimination of pushing, pulling or lifting of a ball carrier to his feet, and any assistance of a runner “except by individually blocking opponents for him.”
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The proposal needs 24 of 32 votes to pass and would functionally eliminate the tush push in a broader scope.
By the numbers: The tush push accounted for just 0.28% of plays last season. It’s mostly used by the Eagles and Bills, who ran the play more times over the past three years than the other 30 teams combined.
⚽️ Five teams for three spots
Bernardo Silva celebrates after scoring City’s second goal on Tuesday. (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday brought them one step closer to qualifying for the Champions League — a crowded race that will be decided during Sunday’s Premier League finale.
Five teams, three spots: Liverpool* (83 points) and Arsenal (71) have already clinched, but five teams separated by just three points are still in contention for the final three spots.
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Manchester City (68): The 2023 Champions League winners are in the driver’s seat. They visit Fulham on Sunday, whom they’ve beaten in 17 straight games.
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Newcastle United (66): The Magpies host Everton with a chance to reach the Champions League for the second straight year, something they haven’t done in two decades.
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Chelsea (66): The Blues visit fellow contender Nottingham Forest in the biggest game of the weekend.
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Aston Villa (66): The Lions visit Old Trafford, where Manchester United will try to play spoiler in Villa’s attempt to reach the Champions League for the first time since 1983.
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Nottingham Forest (65): Forest’s drought is even longer than Aston Villa’s, seeking their first appearance since 1981.
What’s at stake: The Champions League is the pinnacle of European soccer, and qualifying is a prestigious honor clubs don’t take lightly. It’s also a highly lucrative endeavor, with this year’s tournament featuring a $3.4 billion prize pool that includes roughly $20 million just for showing up and millions more in broadcast rights and gate revenue.
*A chance for history: Liverpool’s Mo Salah has 46 goal contributions this season (28 goals, 18 assists), one shy of matching the Premier League record jointly held by Alan Shearer (1994-95) and Andrew Cole (1993-94). And while they had 42 games, Salah has just 38.
📺 Watchlist: Wednesday, May 21
(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)
🏀 Pacers at Knicks (8pm ET, TNT) | East Finals, Game 1
The Knicks’ previous three trips to the conference finals came against their bitter rival Pacers (1994, 1999, 2000). This is also a rematch of last year’s East semifinals (Pacers in 7), and literally the culmination of a WWE storyline. Get all the popcorn ready.
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🏒 Oilers at Stars (8pm, ESPN) | West Finals, Game 1
Speaking of rematches, Edmonton and Dallas also met in this round last year, with the Oilers eliminating the Stars in six games. Can red-hot Mikko Rantanen (NHL-leading 19 points this postseason) help them flip the script?
⚽️ Manchester United vs. Tottenham (3pm, CBSSN) | Europa League Final
Two teams who vastly underwhelmed in the Premier League (16th and 17th place with a game left) still have something big to play for, with today’s winner qualifying for the Champions League.
Plus:
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⚾️ MLB: Rangers at Yankees (7:05pm, Prime) … Jacob deGrom (4-1, 2.29 ERA) takes the bump for Texas.
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🏀 WNBA: Three games (8-10pm, League Pass) … Final day of free WNBA League Pass preview.
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⚽️ U.S. Open Cup: Philadelphia Union vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (7:30pm, Paramount+) … Pittsburgh is the only non-MLS team that made it to the Round of 16.
🏀 NBA trivia
(Yahoo Sports)
The 2025 Western Conference Finals are the first since 1996 not to feature a team from Texas or California.
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Question: Which two teams played in 1996?
Hint: One has since relocated.
Answer at the bottom.
🏀 NBA mock draft 2.0
(Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)
Which players are on the rise after the combine? The latest projections for every pick.
Trivia answer: SuperSonics over Jazz in seven games
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This news was originally published on this post .
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Pilhado indica jogador que faz falta para o Flamengo: “Realmente”
Flamengo de 2019 (Alexandre Vidal / Flamengo) Em uma entrevista essa semana ao canal Desimpedidos, o meia Arrascaeta, do Flamengo, foi perguntado sobre quem ele gostaria de ver novamente no clube carioca. Então, o uruguaio disse que gostaria de volta o meia Everton Ribeiro, atualmente no Bahia. No programa “Bate-Pronto”, da Jovem Pan, o jornalista Pilhado repercutiu essa fala de Arrascaeta, concordando que o meia faz falta e era uma peça importante para o time. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Realmente, o Everton Ribeiro marcou uma era no Flamengo. Até 2022, quando foi dele a assistência para o Gabigol fazer o gol do título da Libertadores. Sempre foi um protagonista desse time do Flamengo. No final do contrato, o Flamengo até tentou renovar, mas o Bahia fez uma proposta muito alta. Faz falta, foi uma baita dupla o Everton Ribeiro e Arrascaeta. São […]
Kansas basketball hires former NBA star, coach Jacque Vaughn as assistant under Bill Self
Imagn Images Former NBA star and coach Jacque Vaughn is taking his talents to college basketball. Kansas is set to hire the two-time NBA head coach as an assistant basketball coach, according to ESPN. Kansas head coach Bill Self had a role to fill with the retirement of assistant Norm Roberts.Vaughn attended Kansas from 1993-97, and was a two-time All-American during that time, as well as the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1996. From there, the Utah Jazz drafted him to the NBA as a first-round pick in 1997.The point guard played for the Jazz, the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, the then New Jersey Nets and San Antonio Spurs during his 12-year playing career, which spanned until 2009. He won a championship with his final team, the Spurs, in 2007. Vaughn ended his playing career with 3,463 points, 1,028 […]
NBC reportedly makes offer to take over ESPN’s MLB deal, ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ after split
“Sunday Night Baseball” may be headed to NBC next season.NBC Universal made an offer to Major League Baseball earlier this month that would have it take over ESPN’s package of regular season and postseason games, according to the Wall Street Journal.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSpecifics of that deal are not yet known. It’s unclear when that deal could be finalized either, though the two sides have apparently been in talks for several weeks. NBC is offering significantly less than the $550 million per year that ESPN is currently paying, per the report.ESPN announced earlier this year that it had “mutually agreed” to terminate its deal with MLB after the 2025 season. That ends a partnership that has been going on for more than three decades. ESPN and MLB were under contract through 2028, but they had an opt-out clause for earlier this year.MLB commissioner […]
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Nick Saban endorses further College Football Playoff expansion as SEC, Big Ten push for automatic bids
Getty Images A second wave of College Football Playoff expansion is potentially around the corner, and Nick Saban is on board with the idea of constructing a larger postseason bracket. The legendary former Alabama coach said further expansion "is probably a good thing" as the sport continues to map its path forward into uncharted waters. Despite the CFP having already expanded three-fold from four teams to 12 just last season, stakeholders are in the process of determining a possible new format for 2026 and beyond.Leaders from the SEC and Big Ten in particular are proponents of a 14- or 16-team playoff with multiple automatic bids divided among the conferences. Those two leagues could receive as many as four automatic bids apiece under the proposed models."Back in the years, I was never for expanding the playoff because I thought bowl games […]
2025 NFL odds: ‘Tush push’ remains — how many rushing TDs for Jalen Hurts?
<!--> The tush push has become a key offensive component for multiple NFL teams.Although 22 owners voted for it to be banned, that group fell two votes short of the 75% required for approval, as 10 owners voted against. While the Philadelphia Eagles' have made the makeshift QB sneak their signature play, they are not the only team to run it — but no one can do it like Jalen Hurts.Just how successful has Hurts been with the play? And will Philly continue to score on the ground as often this season?Let's check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 21, as well as the stats behind the play.Jalen Hurts regular-season rushing touchdownsOver 12.5 touchdowns: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Under 12.5 touchdowns: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Jalen Hurts to score 15+ rushing touchdowns in the […]
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Pilhado indica jogador que faz falta para o Flamengo: “Realmente”
Flamengo de 2019 (Alexandre Vidal / Flamengo) Em uma entrevista essa semana ao canal Desimpedidos, o meia Arrascaeta, do Flamengo, foi perguntado sobre quem ele gostaria de ver novamente no clube carioca. Então, o uruguaio disse que gostaria de volta o meia Everton Ribeiro, atualmente no Bahia. No programa “Bate-Pronto”, da Jovem Pan, o jornalista Pilhado repercutiu essa fala de Arrascaeta, concordando que o meia faz falta e era uma peça importante para o time. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Realmente, o Everton Ribeiro marcou uma era no Flamengo. Até 2022, quando foi dele a assistência para o Gabigol fazer o gol do título da Libertadores. Sempre foi um protagonista desse time do Flamengo. No final do contrato, o Flamengo até tentou renovar, mas o Bahia fez uma proposta muito alta. Faz falta, foi uma baita dupla o Everton Ribeiro e Arrascaeta. São […]
Kansas basketball hires former NBA star, coach Jacque Vaughn as assistant under Bill Self
Imagn Images Former NBA star and coach Jacque Vaughn is taking his talents to college basketball. Kansas is set to hire the two-time NBA head coach as an assistant basketball coach, according to ESPN. Kansas head coach Bill Self had a role to fill with the retirement of assistant Norm Roberts.Vaughn attended Kansas from 1993-97, and was a two-time All-American during that time, as well as the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1996. From there, the Utah Jazz drafted him to the NBA as a first-round pick in 1997.The point guard played for the Jazz, the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, the then New Jersey Nets and San Antonio Spurs during his 12-year playing career, which spanned until 2009. He won a championship with his final team, the Spurs, in 2007. Vaughn ended his playing career with 3,463 points, 1,028 […]
NBC reportedly makes offer to take over ESPN’s MLB deal, ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ after split
“Sunday Night Baseball” may be headed to NBC next season.NBC Universal made an offer to Major League Baseball earlier this month that would have it take over ESPN’s package of regular season and postseason games, according to the Wall Street Journal.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSpecifics of that deal are not yet known. It’s unclear when that deal could be finalized either, though the two sides have apparently been in talks for several weeks. NBC is offering significantly less than the $550 million per year that ESPN is currently paying, per the report.ESPN announced earlier this year that it had “mutually agreed” to terminate its deal with MLB after the 2025 season. That ends a partnership that has been going on for more than three decades. ESPN and MLB were under contract through 2028, but they had an opt-out clause for earlier this year.MLB commissioner […]
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first things first Video Details Nick Wright unveils his NBA Conference Finals tiers, featuring the New York Knicks, who are saving the NBA, one round at a time. 2 MINS AGO・first things first・6:18
Nick Saban endorses further College Football Playoff expansion as SEC, Big Ten push for automatic bids
Getty Images A second wave of College Football Playoff expansion is potentially around the corner, and Nick Saban is on board with the idea of constructing a larger postseason bracket. The legendary former Alabama coach said further expansion "is probably a good thing" as the sport continues to map its path forward into uncharted waters. Despite the CFP having already expanded three-fold from four teams to 12 just last season, stakeholders are in the process of determining a possible new format for 2026 and beyond.Leaders from the SEC and Big Ten in particular are proponents of a 14- or 16-team playoff with multiple automatic bids divided among the conferences. Those two leagues could receive as many as four automatic bids apiece under the proposed models."Back in the years, I was never for expanding the playoff because I thought bowl games […]
2025 NFL odds: ‘Tush push’ remains — how many rushing TDs for Jalen Hurts?
<!--> The tush push has become a key offensive component for multiple NFL teams.Although 22 owners voted for it to be banned, that group fell two votes short of the 75% required for approval, as 10 owners voted against. While the Philadelphia Eagles' have made the makeshift QB sneak their signature play, they are not the only team to run it — but no one can do it like Jalen Hurts.Just how successful has Hurts been with the play? And will Philly continue to score on the ground as often this season?Let's check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 21, as well as the stats behind the play.Jalen Hurts regular-season rushing touchdownsOver 12.5 touchdowns: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Under 12.5 touchdowns: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Jalen Hurts to score 15+ rushing touchdowns in the […]
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