Table of Contents
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Headlines
Flag bearer: LeBron James was chosen by his fellow athletes to be the male flag bearer for Team USA at Friday’s opening ceremony. The female flag bearer will be announced later today.
United States 92, Germany 88: It was a big day for LeBron, who also led Team USA’s comeback win over Germany, scoring his final 11 points to close out their exhibition schedule with a 5-0 record.
Love endures: Jordan Love won’t be taking the field for the Packers until he signs a contract extension. He could become the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL by the end of the week.
Owens apologizes: Bears safety Jonathan Owens has been excused from training camp so 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 will also pay Jackson’s entire signing bonus to his family.
MLB trade deadline: One week to go
The MLB trade deadline is a week away, And with more than two-thirds of the league in playoff contention, there could be plenty of deals and negotiations over the next seven days.
Where is it located: Twenty-two of the 30 teams are within five games of a playoff spot (or currently have one): 13 in the National League and nine in the American League. There are championship-contending teams that will buy and teams at the bottom of the pond that will sell, but the teams in the middle must decide whether to improve, stay put or restructure for the future.
The buyers: The six division leaders (Orioles, Guardians, Astros, Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers) will of course look to bolster their rosters to some degree, and these six teams (among others) will probably do the same:
Yankees (60-42): With Aaron Judge having another monster year and Juan Soto hitting free agency in the offseason, the Bombers are expected to make a go-ahead bid to win No. 28.
Royalty (56-45): Led by MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr., the defiant Salvador Perez and an excellent pitching staff, Kansas City can taste the end of its eight-year playoff drought.
Braves (54-45): Atlanta added Four players at the 2021 deadline that were instrumental in their World Series run. What magic can general manager Alex Anthopolous conjure this year?
Red Sox (53-46): After two consecutive seasons below .500, Boston’s veterans are looking to add pieces that can help them return to the postseason.
Mariners (53-49): Seattle has allowed the fewest runs in the American League, but has also scored the second-fewest. They need to add some bats to their elite pitching staff.
Parents (52-50): San Diego has remained in the wild-card race, but with injuries to Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish they could use a couple more pitchers down the stretch.
The most intriguing sellers: Four underperforming (or downright bad) teams have particularly tempting players who could leave.
White Sox (27-75): The worst team in baseball has two of the best starters this year, Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde, who both rank in the top five in pitching WAR.
Marlins (35-65): Center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on pace for a 20-20 season (13 HR, 19 SB) and left-handed reliever Tanner Scott (1.27 ERA, 16 saves) was the team’s lone All-Star.
Tiles (45-54): Toronto has taken an unexpected step back this season, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could command a very high price with a year and a half of team control remaining.
Athletics (40-62): Rookie closer Mason Miller is striking out 47 percent of the batters he faces and could provide the A’s with a veritable cornucopia of prospects to take with them to Las Vegas.
Bar-B-Baseball Cast: Yahoo Sports’ Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman preview the deadline
The world in pictures
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan— Charlie Woods in action during the first round of the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship on Monday. That follow-through is identical to his father’s.
Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland — Divers launched themselves from an 87-foot cliff at Kinbane Castle during the fourth stop of the Red Bull Skydiving World Series. What a photo!
Teahupo’o, French Polynesia — Here’s American surfer Carissa Moore taking part in a training session ahead of the Paris 2024 surfing competition, which starts on Saturday.
Le Dévoluy, France — Probably my favorite photograph from this year’s Tour de France.
The United States sports calendar
What is your favorite month?
Fantasy Corner: Who will be the WR1?
Who will finish the season as the number one wide receiver in fantasy football? These are the top four contenders, according to our experts.
CeeDee Lamb (Jeans): He finished last year as the WR1 after increasing his targets, receptions, yards and TDs for the fourth consecutive season since his debut in 2020. Dallas loves to throw the ball, and Lamb is as durable as they come, having missed just one game in his career.
Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals): His production has dipped since he broke out as a rookie in 2021, and last season was marked by inconsistency as Joe Burrow (wrist) missed a lot of time. But he’s expected to get more work in the slot this year, which is a challenge for fantasy, and his immense talent speaks for itself.
Tyreek Hill (Dolphins): At 30, he’s the oldest player on this list (by five years!), but his ceiling is still the highest. He’s coming off a year in which he led the league in yards and touchdowns despite missing a game, and his Sonic-like speed may be the NFL’s biggest weapon.
Justin Jefferson (Vikings): His demotion from Kirk Cousins QB to Sam Darnold is a hurdle, but he remains the most talented receiver in the NFL and He was a monster last season even without CousinsPlus, you can play indoors.
More Fantasy Football: Mock Draft 2.0 | Potential Year 2 Successes
July 23, 1996: The iconic Strug vault
Today is 28 years ago, Kerri Strug Stuck landing with an injured ankle to win the gold in gymnastics for the first U.S. women’s team
Before and after: The popularity and success of that year’s team, known as the “Magnificent Seven,” inspired a generation and gave birth to a powerhouse. Before 1996, American women had won medals only three times in the overall team competition. Since then, they have won medals in six consecutive Olympic Games.
More about this day:
2009: White Sox center fielder Dewayne Wise* stole a home run in the ninth inning to preserve Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, the 18th in MLB history.
2021: The Cleveland Indians announced they will change their name to the Guardians, the winning team among 1,200 options considered.
*Impeccable timing: Wise, a light-hitting outfielder, came on as a defensive substitute in the ninth, and his steal came against the first batter of the inning.
Watchlist: Preparing for Team USA Women’s Final
Team USA faces Germany This afternoon in London (3:00 p.m. ET, FS1) for their final preparation for the Olympic Games.
Deja vu? Team USA lost to the WNBA squad in Saturday’s All-Star Game, just as it did three years ago before traveling to Tokyo and winning its seventh straight gold medal. They are the heavy favorites to win an eighth straight gold medal in Paris.
More to see:
MLB: Mets at Yankees* (7:05 p.m., TBS)
The basketball tournament: Round of 16 (19:00 to 21:00, FS1)
*Mets Series: This is their second and final series of the season after the Mets swept the Yankees in a two-game series last month.
Curiosities about the Olympic Games
Only one nation has won a gold medal at every Summer Olympics. Which nation is that?
Clue: Only the United States and the Soviet Union have won more summer golds overall.
Presented by: Jordan W. (Canton, Ohio)
Answer at the end.
The sexiest man in baseball
Bobby Witt Jr. He’s been one of the best players in baseball this season and couldn’t be more in top form right now.
By the numbers: Since returning from the All-Star break, the Royals shortstop is hitting .800/.824/1.467 (2.290 OPS) with 2 homers, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 6 RBIs and zero strikeouts.
Yahoo Sports Article: The Story of Bobby Witt Jr.
Trivia Answer: Britain
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