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LIV Golf’s Patrick Reed highlights BMW International Open field liv,golf,s,patrick,reed,highlights,bmw,international,open,field,sbnation,com,golf,golf-dp-world-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

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Before some of the world’s best professional golfers converge upon the Home of Golf in Scotland, the PGA Tour heads to the Quad Cities for the John Deere Classic, and the DP World Tour will stage the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany.

LIV Golf’s Patrick Reed, currently the 101st-ranked player in the world, highlights this week’s field in Bavaria. Reed is eligible to play in DP World Tour events, unlike other LIV Golf players, because he has no outstanding fines or sanctions. The same applies to Thomas Pieters, who narrowly missed out on winning the Soudal Open in his native Belgium in May. Pieters finished one stroke behind 37-year-old Nacho Elvira of Spain.

Reed came up short last week, too. He hoped he could contend at the Italian Open, which awarded two spots into this year’s Open Championship field via the Open Qualifying Series, but he came up short. Tom McKibbin, who lost to Marcel Siem in a playoff, and American Sean Crocker earned those two invites to Royal Troon instead.

The 2018 Masters Champion is not currently listed among the entrants for next week’s Genesis Scottish Open, the final event of the Open Qualifying Series. That could change, however, should Reed win this week in Germany.

The R&A will invite the top three finishers—not otherwise exempt—to join The Open Championship at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick next week.

Other notable players in the BMW International Open field include Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, who left LIV Golf at the end of 2023, former U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer, and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. PGA Tour Champions stars Bernhard Langer, Thomas Bjørn, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Alex Cejka will also compete this week, fresh off the U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club, where LIV Golf’s Richard Bland won his second consecutive senior major.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

PGA Tour: Can Jordan Spieth win John Deere Classic again? pga,tour,can,jordan,spieth,win,john,deere,classic,again,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

PGA Tour Can Jordan Spieth win John Deere Classic again
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Jordan Spieth arrives at the John Deere Classic as one of the betting favorites, according to DraftKings. But the three-time major winner has hardly played like a tournament favorite throughout the 2024 season.

He has had a frustrating campaign, especially after missing the cut at Augusta National. Since then, Spieth has made eight starts. He missed the cut twice and did not post a finish better than T-29. That somewhat respectable result came at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he shot only one round in the 60s: an opening round 2-under 69.

But these last few months have served as a microcosm of Spieth’s career over the past seven years—a stretch filled with disappointment and agony, considering his stature and accomplishments. He has won only two tournaments since his Open Championship triumph at Royal Birkdale in 2017: the 2021 Valero Texas Open and the 2022 RBC Heritage.

Since then, he has had a few calls, finishing runner-up to K.H. Lee at the 2022 AT&T Byron Nelson and losing to Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff at the 2023 RBC Heritage. He has 13 top 10s dating back to April 2022 but has missed 11 cuts since that juncture, too.

And yet, despite those ups and downs, Spieth, now 30 years old, has a tremendous perspective on where he is at this point in his career.

“Once I know what I’m capable of, I want to obviously stay there. If you fall from that even a little bit, it frustrates you, and then if you fall quite a bit from that, you can be wondering what in the world is going on,” Spieth said ahead of this year’s Charles Schwab Challenge in mid-May.

Jordan Spieth during a practice round ahead of the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge.
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

“It can overtake you, and it did for me for a little while. I think I have a better perspective now, but at the same time, the drive to get to where I know my ceiling has never been higher. So, every day I’m not there, I still walk away feeling like I progressed towards it; I walk away really pleased with my day. But some days, I feel like I didn’t, and instead of being okay with that, I lose a little patience because I know what I am capable of, and not sustaining that every year is something that I’m not okay with personally.

“I think it’s something I wouldn’t change anything that’s ever happened to me. I’ve accomplished pretty much all the goals that I had in golf, albeit, you know, in a short period of time, but the nature of sustaining that is something that I would like to have another opportunity at, and I’ll continue to work towards.”

Spieth went on to tie for 37th that week at Colonial, the course not far from his hometown of Dallas, Texas. He then missed the cut at the Memorial, tied for 41st at the U.S. Open, and most recently struggled at the Travelers Championship, finishing T-63—almost dead last.

But now, after a week off, Spieth arrives in the Quad Cities hoping to establish some momentum before the season’s final major. He has won the John Deere Classic twice, in 2013 and 2015, but nothing says he cannot make it a third time this year—especially since the best player in the field, Patrick Cantlay, withdrew.

Jordan Spieth, PGA Tour, John Deere Classic

Jordan Spieth won the 2013 John Deere Classic in a five-hole playoff. He was only 19 years old then.
Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images

And yet, the question is, how?

For starters, Spieth has to gain some confidence in his short game again, an attribute that has been very un-Spieth-like this season. He ranks 78th on tour in strokes gained around the green and 80th in putting—a surprising figure given how good he was with his flat stick when he was at the height of his powers.

Spieth also has to improve his ball striking. He is 110th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approaching the green, 70th in greens in regulation percentage, and 86th in proximity to the hole. He has especially struggled with his wedges, ranking 130th in approaches from inside 100 yards, another jarring statistic that is very un-Spieth-like.

So this week, at TPC Deere Run, a course that yields plenty of birdies, Spieth should play to the middle of the greens and look to avoid the big numbers. He already makes tons of par breakers, making more than four per round, but the problem is that Spieth drops too many shots. He makes bogey nearly 17% of the time this season, ranking 139th on tour in bogey avoidance—a reality that will not win you many golf tournaments.

Thus, Spieth must play conservatively and not press too much on a golf course that gives the player a green light in more ways than one. And if he can do that, Spieth will have a good chance of doing a victory lap in one of those famous green John Deere tractors on Sunday night.

That would undoubtedly shake off his frustrations.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Tobias Harris is an NBA Hall of Famer at the bank tobias,harris,is,an,nba,hall,of,famer,at,the,bank,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-free-agency

Tobias Harris is an NBA Hall of Famer at the
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Tobias Harris might never be considered a great NBA player, but he’s legendary at one thing: getting to the bag. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harris is getting two years and $52 million from the Pistons in what Woj calls a fit for the young locker room in Detroit. It’s brings up his career earnings to an astronomical amount.

With this new deal, Harris is now projected to earn over $300 million over the course of his 13-year career, all while being a 16.3 point per game scorer in his career. Even in his last year with the Sixers, Harris was averaging 17 points but not really doing much else for someone making near $40 million annually. His ability be one of the highest paid players in the league last year while not contributing to the team very much is what dreams are made of.

Think about this: over the course of his career, Harris’ $302 million is more over the course of his career than Tim Duncan, one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

On a real note, this is why entering the draft at a young age could be seen as a very good thing. Harris entered the NBA at 19 years old and has gotten now three big money deals out of his entire career, an impressive feat considering the long odds of sticking around the NBA. Earning generational wealth three times over is really cool, and his legendary status at his banker is certified.

He joins other professional bag getters such as Bobby Bonilla (Happy Bobby Bonilla day by the way), Sam Bradford and Timofey Mozgov as professional bag getters who will be remembered at the bank. We salute you all.

NBA free agency live grades 2024, updated for every major player changing teams nba,free,agency,live,grades,updated,for,every,major,player,changing,teams,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-free-agency,draftkings

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NBA free agency didn’t start with a bang this year the way it normally does. Maybe teams were worried about tampering penalties. Maybe Paul George was holding up the entire market. Maybe the new CBA is just too complicated for anyone to fully grasp. Either way, things have officially heated up on Monday, and most of the top names on the market are now off the board.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder are loading up for a run at the championship. The Orlando Magic added a solid piece that addresses their biggest weakness and complements their young core. The Mavericks made arguably the best value signing of free agency, but also lost a major contributor from their 2024 NBA Finals team in the process.

The NBA free agent deals are coming in quickly now, and we’re making note of every signing and trade in our live tracker. Now it’s time to grade the biggest deals of free agency.

Mavericks grade for Klay Thompson signing

Klay Thompson, Mavs agree to three-year, $50 million deal

Grade: B+

It’s going to feel so weird to see Thompson away from the Golden State Warriors. The 34-year-old guard has lost a step defensively, but he’s still an elite three-point shooter when he’s set up for an open look. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving attract so much attention offensively that Thompson should be free to run into open shots around the arc. He hit 38.7 percent of his threes on nine attempts per game last year, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see his percentage rise in Dallas with less pressure on him. I’m more worried about the other end of the floor: Thompson isn’t the defender he used to be, and he’s joining two bad perimeter defenders in Doncic and Irving. Still, Dallas got the extra shooting it needed, and the front office deserves praise for their creativity this offseason. The Mavs dealt Tim Hardaway Jr. to grab a flier on Quentin Grimes and open up more cap space. Dallas then signed one of the best bargain free agents in Naji Marshall before striking again with Thompson. Dallas isn’t settling after a surprising run to the NBA Finals, and that’s awesome. Losing Josh Green in this deal hurts a bit, and it feels like a lock that Thompson will pick up his player option in the final year of the contract. This isn’t a slam dunk, but it’s another solid move in a solid offseason for Dallas.

Chris Haynes reports that the deal will be a sign-and-trade, and is not completed yet.

76ers grade for Paul George signing

Paul George, 76ers agree to four-year, $212 million deal

Grade: A

Getting Paul George for nothing but cap space is an incredible piece of business by the 76ers. He’s an ideal fit between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as a wing who can rip three-pointers with volume, play on- or off-the-ball, and take on the toughest defensive assignments. It’s scary giving out a max contract to a 34-year-old with a long injury history, but if George stays healthy, he fits Philly like a glove. This is an immense upgrade over Tobias Harris in the third star department. George will carry bench units when Embiid rests, and he’ll fit seamlessly in the closing unit alongside the other two All-Stars here. The Sixers’ won’t be the favorites in the East, but they are a real threat to win the conference if everything breaks their way.

Thunder grade for Isaiah Hartenstein signing

Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder agree to three-year, $87 million deal

Grade: A+

Hartenstein has been one of the most underrated players in the NBA the last few years. He’s an elite defensive center who is coming into his prime at 26 years old, and can have a huge impact on games without needing the ball. The Thunder badly needed more beef inside and help on the glass, and Hartenstein expertly fills both areas. He’s not a big-time scorer, but his halfcourt playmaking will be an essential fit alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. This seems like a lot of money until you realize the final year of this deal is non-guaranteed. While the Thunder still have Holmgren and Williams on rookie deals, Hartenstein will fill in all the cracks to help make Oklahoma City a legit championship contender.

Magic grade for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signing

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope agrees to three-year, $66 million deal with Orlando Magic, per Chris Haynes

Grade: B+

The Magic were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA last year, ranking No. 25 in three-point rate and No. 24 in three-point percentage. KCP will be an immediate solution to their shooting woes. He made 42 percent of his threes with Denver in 2022-23, and 40.6 percent of his triples last season. Caldwell-Pope is also a very good defender who will team with Jalen Suggs to form one of the league’s most ferocious defensive backcourts. This is a lot of money for a 32-year-old, and the Magic could still use some extra shot creation, but it’s a sensible fit all around.

Clippers grade for Nicolas Batum signing

Nic Batum, Clippers agree to two-year, $9.6 million deal, per Woj

Grade: B+

Batum was a revelation for the 76ers last year to the point where his departure legitimately hurts Philly. Batum hit 40 percent of his threes last year, and contributed versatile defense and connective passing around the Sixers’ stars. Batum has been around so long that he played with Greg Oden as a rookie, but he’s somehow only 35 years old. He gives the Clippers another high-level role player who can complement Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, but at this point he probably shouldn’t be asked to play too many minutes.

Warriors grade for De’Anthony Melton signing

Warriors, Melton agree to one-year, $12.8 million deal

Grade: A-

Melton was one of my favorite under-the-radar free agents. Still only 26 years old, Melton is a ferocious defender who can generate steals and deflections that turn into transition opportunities. He can’t really score inside the arc at all, but he’s a solid three-point shooter at 36 percent on nearly six attempts per game. If anything, the Warriors should have tried to get him on a deal longer than one-year. Melton is just a winning player, and if he’s able to stay in the lineup, I think it’s possible he’ll be an upgrade over Klay Thompson.

Mavericks grade for Naji Marshall signing

Naji Marshall, Mavericks agree to three-year, $27 million deal, per Woj

Grade: A

Marshall is a big forward (6’7 with a 7’1 wingspan) who can defend wing scorers, make connective passes, and hit the glass. He made a major leap as an outside shooter with the Pelicans last season by hitting 38 percent of his threes. He’s not as athletic as Derrick Jones Jr., and he won’t be as good at defending speedy guards, but Marshall is arguably a more well-rounded player who fits nicely around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Clippers grade for Derrick Jones Jr. signing

Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers agree to three-year, $30 million deal

Grade: B+

The Clippers are signing Jones at the top of his market value after he played a big role in helping the Mavs get to the NBA Finals this past season. He’s one of the best pure athletes in the NBA as a 6’6 wing who can soar to catch lobs and has enough quickness to defend guards. He’s a good defensive playmaker and offensive play-finisher who should be on the receiving end of plenty of set-ups from James Harden. I like the idea of the Clippers adding a player who can make an impact without the ball. This isn’t much of a Paul George replacement, but it’s still a solid move and a tradable contract long-term.

Pistons grade for Tobias Harris signing

Tobias Harris, Pistons agree to two-year, $52 million deal, per Woj

Grade: C-

Harris is one of the greatest bag-getters in NBA history. The dude has made $300 million in career earnings by age-31 without ever making the All-Star team or being on a team that reached the conference finals. Harris is a good positional fit for the Pistons as a jumbo forward who can take some pressure off Cade Cunningham and the rest of Detroit’s young core, but he’s still not a high enough volume shooter to truly space the floor, and he’s an impactful defender, either. I don’t think this does much for Detroit, but it will be a big expiring contract a year from now.

Chicago Bulls grade for Jalen Smith signing

Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls agree to three-year, $27 million deal, per Woj

Grade: B

The Bulls needed some shooting after cashing in their best trade chip (Alex Caruso) for a non-shooter in Josh Giddey. If Smith can do anything, it’s hit an open three. The 6’10 center had something like a breakout season in the Pacers’ incredibly juiced offensive system by knocking down 42 percent of his three-pointers, mostly on wide open looks created by Tyrese Haliburton. Smith is a poor defender who won’t provide much rim protection, and it’s why he couldn’t really stay on the floor in conference finals against the Celtics. None of that really matters for a rebuilding Bulls team. Smith will provide some badly needed spacing, and still has some upside left at 24 years old. He might not be great, but he fits what the Bulls needed.

Wizards grade for Jonas Valanciunas signing

Jonas Valanciunas agrees to three-year, $30 million deal with Wizards, per Woj.

Grade: B-

The Wizards are nowhere close to competing, which makes signing a veteran center like Valanciunas a head-scratching move. At the same time, Washington badly needed some beef inside, and Valanciunas should help protect No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr from taking a beating in the paint. The 32-year-old center could put up some big numbers for a very bad Washington team and look appealing on the trade market down the road. The fact that he signed for half as much as Nikola Vucevic last year makes this a great value, but it still feels like a strange signing.

Spurs grade for Chris Paul signing

Grade: B+

It’s disappointing that the Spurs seem so content to play the long game when Victor Wembanyama appears ready for a superstar leap entering his second season. Chris Paul isn’t going to help the Spurs win much next year, but he will be someone who can consistently deliver the ball to Wembanyama and get out of the way. San Antonio’s point guard play was so bad last season. Ideally, the Spurs would have added someone who isn’t turning 40 years old this season, but CP3 can still be effective in spurts. I like this move in a vacuum for the Spurs, but their offseason in general has been underwhelming unless a bigger move is still to come.

76ers grade for Andre Drummond signing

Andre Drummond, 76ers agree to two-year, $10 million deal, per Shams

Grade: A

Drummond has quietly become one of the best backup centers in the league the last few years. He’s still an elite offensive rebounder, and his quick hands defensively can help force some turnovers. Drummond was impressive as Joel Embiid’s backup in Philly before being dealt as part of the Ben Simmons-James Harden swap, and this deal returns him to a place where he’s already comfortable. Paying $5 million annually for a quality backup five is a nice piece of business for the Sixers.

Astros had another moment on road vs. Mets that I cannot stop thinking is destiny astros,had,another,moment,on,road,vs,mets,that,i,cannot,stop,thinking,is,destiny,sbnation,com,front-page,mlb

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The Houston Astros are going to win the World Series. This is a fact.

You can be mad if you want to, but I am merely the messenger for this Very Important information. Consider that destiny has smiled upon them in the exact same way that it did the last time they hoisted the coveted piece of metal.

Confused? I got you.

The Astros beat the Mets on the road on June 29th and that means a lot

Cards on the table here I am a Houston Astros fan. I cover the Dallas Cowboys here at SB Nation (shout out to Blogging The Boys the GOAT) and that upsets people. Yes, last year’s ALCS was very awkward for me. This is who I am and you will accept me for that or else (I don’t really have an else in mind).

To the point I loved the 2022 Houston Astros because they won the World Series. That season was such vindication and sweet sports honey in every single way and a big part of the journey was a summer trip that took them to New York for road series contests against both the Yankees and Mets.

At the time the New York teams were the most dominant in baseball and yours truly had a great time tweeting about the Astros rolling through Queens and the Bronx relatively untouched. Also let me remind you like my tweet does that Houston’s trip through New York then featured a combined no-hitter from the team led by Cristian Javier, a feat they would replicate in the World Series against the Phillies.

THIS BRINGS US TO JUNE 29TH. OF 2022.

Why does that day matter so much? I’m so glad you asked.

Wednesday, June 29th, 2022 was the final day of that particular Astros/Mets series and it was kind of a super boring game. I remember it very well.

But why do I remember it well? You see in the top of the ninth inning Jason Castro hit a two-run homer for the game’s first runs. Houston won 2-0 and Castro didn’t play at all the rest of that season. My guy walked it off in epic fashion.

You obviously know (because I told you) that the Astros would go on to win the World Series that year and did so against the Phillies as mentioned. Beating Philadelphia was significant as it put an end to Houston’s inability to take down NL East teams in the playoffs (aka the World Series). 2019 saw the Astros lose to the Washington Nationals and 2021 the Atlanta Braves… the NL East was terrifying and the break in the dam was first made by Castro with his home run against the Mets.

I recognize that this is silly but this is sports where things like this matter a lot and basically determine history. These are the rules, I didn’t make them. The June 29th win on the road against the Mets served as the catalyst for the Astros in a significant way that season.

THIS BRINGS US TO JUNE 29TH. OF 2024.

You will recall that last week featured the Yankees and Mets tangoing with one another in the latest edition of the Subway Series. Both New York teams are hot. Things aren’t quite as intense in that sense as they were two years ago, but they are the relative toast of MLB’s town.

The Astros visited Queens last weekend riding a 7-game winning streak themselves which saw them get to .500 for the first time this season (lol). Momentum was up and a loss on Friday night was no big deal given that we are still on the front side of the All-Star break.

Houston and New York squared off on Saturday, June 29th with the Astros looking for a win and unfortunately they fell down early and things were looking rather bleak. This is when a Crazy Sports Thing happened that is clearly and undeniably this year’s Jason Castro moment.

At the top of the eighth inning the Astros were trailing 4-6 and looked set to fall a couple of games below .500. It was a tough scene. Jake Meyers and Jeremy Peña both walked, but then Chas McCormick and Mauricio Dubón upped the pressure by failing to do anything. Jake and Jeremy both advanced to put runners on second and third.

This is when My New Guy entered in Trey Cabbage. Pinch-hitting in a big spot, Cabbage needed to do something special in order to keep this rally alive.

Do you ever wonder how certain things happen in sports? Not amazing things, dumb things.

With a full count Cabbage took a pitch for a ball… that the umpire improperly counted. Seriously. We are making counting errors in the year 2024. He mistakenly called it ball 3.

Cabbage was able to rightfully take first base and shortly after a wild pitch sent Jake Meyers home to narrow the deficit to a single run. Jose Altuve walked to load the bases again and then Alex Bregman broke it open. Houston added to their lead in the top of the ninth for more breathing room and got back to .500 on the season.

Baseball is notorious for producing wild and crazy things and these two happened on the same day between the same two teams in the exact same spot on earth. Destiny!

In case you aren’t already convinced… what if I told you that this year’s win in 2024 (the Trey Cabbage game) at Citi Field was the first time that the Astros won there since the 2022 game with Jason Castro?????

THE HOUSTON ASTROS ARE GOING TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES AGAIN.

PGA Tour: Patrick Cantlay pulls out of John Deere Classic pga,tour,patrick,cantlay,pulls,out,of,john,deere,classic,sbnation,com,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

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The John Deere Classic does not have the strongest field in golf year in and year out, but the event typically features a handful of stars.

Jordan Spieth will tee it up this year. As will defending champion and Ryder Cup star Sepp Straka. This year’s event also includes International stars Sungjae Im and Jason Day, 2023 American Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, and 2009 Champion Golfer of the Year Stewart Cink.

But Patrick Cantlay, who the tour had listed in the original John Deere Classic field, decided to withdraw on Monday. Scotsman Russell Knox will replace him in the field.

The tour did not specify why Cantlay withdrew.

Yet, if Cantlay had remained in the field, it would have marked his first appearance at the John Deere Classic. TPC Deere Run has hosted this event since 2000.

Another notable withdrawal is Cameron Davis, who won the Rocket Mortgage Classic this past week for the second time in his career. His win in Detroit also vaulted him up the FedEx Cup rankings and gave him exemptions into next year’s Masters, The Players, and all eight Signature Events. As such, Davis felt obligated to take the week off and soak in his victory, which certainly did not come easy both on and off the golf course. Had Akshay Bhatia not three-putted, Davis would have likely faced Bhatia in a sudden-death playoff, and who knows how that would have shaken out. But Davis was the lone man to finish at 18-under as he happily stood atop the leaderboard after 72 holes.

As for Cantlay, his last appearance came at the Travelers Championship, where he tied for fifth. The week before, the former UCLA Bruin turned in the best major performance of his career, tying for third at Pinehurst No. 2. It seems he has found something as of late, an impressive development given that Cantlay has had a sporadic season. Before the U.S. Open, his best two finishes came at Riviera and Hilton Head, tying for third and fourth, respectively. But he also struggled at the Players, the PGA Championship, and the Memorial. He did not have his best stuff at the Masters, either.

Cantlay is also not listed among the entrants for next week’s Genesis Scottish Open, the final tune-up for The Open Championship at Royal Troon. As such, all signs point to golf fans seeing Cantlay next at golf’s oldest major championship in two weeks’ time.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Welcome to the new era of the U.S. women’s national team  welcome,to,the,new,era,of,the,u,s,women,s,national,team,sbnation,com,front-page,soccer,united-states-womens-national-team,all-womens-sports,womens-soccer,uswnt-coverage

Welcome to the new era of the US womens national
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In the aftermath of the release of the U.S. women’s national team Olympic roster, it’s clear a new era has arrived. What it’s full of is a roster that features youth and versatility at the forefront.

Ahead of the planning and preparation for the Summer Games, let’s take a look at notable names on the list, the ones who missed out and the one player who’s addition might be an overcast on the rest.

Notable misses: Alex Morgan

For the first time in 13 years (and the irony of it being 13 is strong) the U.S. women’s national team roster for a major tournament does not have the name Alex Morgan listed on it. We all know Morgan’s name for one reason or another, so before we dive into the present, we have to look back.

Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images

Alex Morgan was a member of the 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 women’s World Cup rosters, and the 2012, 2016, and 2021 Olympic rosters. Morgan has 224 appearances with the senior national team under her belt with 123 goals and 53 assists. For those of you who like to do the math, Morgan has either scored or assisted a goal in 79% of her senior caps. She is the 13th player in USWNT history to reach 200 caps and is fifth on the all-time scoring list. Needless to say, her trophy case is full, but let’s run through her accolades anyways:

  • Three World Cup trophies
  • One World Cup silver medal
  • One Olympic gold medal
  • One Olympic bronze medal
  • World Cup silver boot
  • NWSL golden boot
  • US Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year award (2012 & 2018)
  • Four-time CONCACAF Player of the Year (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018)
  • Five-time FIFA Women’s World 11 selection (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022)

“Her record speaks for itself,” said new USWNT head coach Emma Hayes in the press conference to announce the 2024 Olympic roster. Alex Morgan is, arguably, one of the best to play her position.

Even greater than her accomplishments on paper are those that are intangible. Her leadership, her class, and her determination to fight for equal pay for the US Women’s National Team are qualities that, quite simply, cannot be replicated.

Alex Morgan has made a lasting impact on the USWNT, and her legacy will never be forgotten. Even in this painful moment, with her statement, Morgan displayed ultimate class and remained an exceptional teammate.

The Olympic schedule is grueling. Each team will play a game every three days — that’s only two days rest in between — and because of that all 18 players on the Olympic roster are expected to carry a heavy load. In comparison, World Cup rosters are 23-players deep and teams have more than two days of recovery between games.

While this could seem like the end of the road for Alex Morgan’s senior national team career, it’s impossible to ever fully rule out a competitor like Morgan. We do know one thing: she’ll be watching this summer’s Olympic games on TV with the rest of us.

Notable Makes: Crystal Dunn, Casey Krueger, Korbin Albert

Korea v USWNT

Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

Crystal Dunn being named to the US Women’s National Team roster for a major tournament is something that the forward has accomplished four times already, most recently for the 2023 World Cup. However, she hasn’t seen her name listed under the FORWARDS category for a major tournament since 2016.

Dunn is a goalscorer and plays forward for her NWSL club, Gotham FC, but has been playing outside-back for the USWNT since 2019. Upon taking over at the helm of the USWNT, Emma Hayes immediately brought Dunn into camp as a forward.

Dunn provides a veteran presence, leadership, and versatility as a player that can play forward, midfield, or defense.

South Korea v United States

Photo by David Berding/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

Casey Krueger is a consistent standout defender in the NWSL every year, and has seen herself called into many USWNT camps, but only made one major tournament roster. Krueger was listed as an alternate for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but when rosters expanded due to COVID-19, she joined the squad as a rostered player. Krueger is a fan-favorite, as a player that is nothing but consistent on the field and is constantly overlooked at the National Team level.

South Korea v United States

Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Korbin Albert is a notable make, but for all of the wrong reasons.

In March of this year, Albert found herself at the center of controversy, receiving criticism from not only USWNT fans, but former USWNT players including Megan Rapinoe. Fans found anti-LGBTQ videos that Albert posted to her personal TikTok, and also found her having liked a post hoping for pain to be inflicted on former USWNT star Megan Rapinoe

Korbin Albert plays her club soccer at PSG and was a breakout star in the midfield for the team during the inaugural Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup earlier this year. Immediately following the tournament, her hateful social media activity surfaced.

Fans turned on her, and it caused enough stir to even warrant a response from Rapinoe.

South Africa v USWNT

Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

“To the people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs’ I would just ask one question, are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone?… because if you aren’t, all you believe in is hate. And kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up!”

Shortly after, Albert posted an apology on her Instagram stories.

Canada v USWNT

Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

Captain Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan spoke to the media in a press-conference, and expressed their disappointment, but stated that the matter was being handled internally. Since then, fans have been calling for more transparency into how the matter was handled. Albert’s play has suffered, and she has been audibly boo-ed at every USWNT match she has appeared in since.

Many were speculating that Albert may not make the 2024 Olympic roster because of her actions, but without knowledge of how the matter was being handled internally, fans were in the dark.

South Korea v United States

Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

“There’s no denying that there’s been a lot of work that’s going on in the background,” Hayes said of Albert, adding that Albert is young, learning from her experiences, and has had a tough time in reference to the backlash and boos she has received from fans.

“She’s spending time working on herself,” continued Hayes, “and I want the fans to really embrace Korbin because I do think she’s a tremendous human being.”

The issue itself is much larger than just Korbin Albert, though, and her name being listed on this roster shows a changing of the guards in more ways than one.

The USWNT has consistently been a safe space for LGBTQ fans, and players on the team have always made it that way. A new era of young talent brings fears around perhaps a new identity of the USWNT, and questions about if it can remain the same safe space that it has always been.

Albert’s inclusion in the roster coupled with Hayes’ comments around it is drawing a cloud of negativity that is, in some ways, close to overshadowing the positivity that has come with the announcement of this young, dynamic new era. How, if any it impacts the team internally is a wait and see.

India’s Cricket World Cup win was not possible without this unreal catch india,s,cricket,world,cup,win,was,not,possible,without,this,unreal,catch,sbnation,com,front-page,cricket

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India took home the Cricket World Cup on Saturday with a nail-biting victory over South Africa in the final. The match came down to the wire, and there’s a very real chance that India could have lost without these heroics from SuryaKumar Yada.

In cricket the ball must always be in the field of play to be ruled as a catch. If Yada caught the ball and stepped out it would have been ruled as six runs. If he batted the ball down inside the field of play it would have given the batsmen ample time to record runs as well. So the only option was to catch the ball, throw it back inbounds, the run in and make a double catch — without stepping out.

It’s easier said than done, and requires incredible focus as well as processing speed. It’s not something you see very often, especially at a moment this important. At this stage in the final a full six runs would have put South Africa in the driver’s seat to win. Instead they lost a critical batsman that helped propel India to win the World Cup.

How did the NFL trade deadline end up on Election Day? how,did,the,nfl,trade,deadline,end,up,on,election,day,sbnation,com,front-page,nfl,dot-com-grid-coverage

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If you love days that are jam-packed with news, you should be EXTREMELY happy about November 5, 2024. Not only is that Election Day, but it’s also the NFL’s trade deadline.

In late June, the league sent out all the important dates for 2024 and 2025, and that’s when it became apparent that these two events would happen on the same day.

In March, the NFL owners agreed to move back the in-season trade deadline by one week, taking into account the 17-game season and the desire for another week for teams to decide whether or not to add to their rosters via trade for any postseason pushes. There was also a proposed amendment that would push the deadline past Week 10, but the proposal that was passed, proposed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, was this one, which has it after Week 9.

It remains to be seen what it will look like from a coverage perspective when teams are making those decisions at the same time the country itself is making far more impactful ones, but one should expect one’s Twitters and newsfeeds to be far past overload.

The NFL’s trade deadline ends at 4:00 p.m. EST that day, while polls will close later in the day and into the night. Which should give NFL fans just enough time to either rejoice in, or bemoan, the moves their teams did or didn’t make before hopefully voting as they see fit.

Perhaps voters in the Bay Area will be flummoxed by a Brandon Aiyuk deal. Or New York and Pittsburgh-area voters might still be shaking their heads from a Russell Wilson trade to the Jets. By that time, Aaron Rodgers will probably be somebody’s vice presidential candidate, which would bring the two stories together in a nice, chaotic fashion.

Maybe the more astute among us will consider voting by mail, so the focus can be completely on the craziest day in the NFL season. In any event, get ready for some chaos, and hydrate accordingly!

Also, if you’d like to know more about NFL Votes, a “league-wide, nonpartisan initiative that supports and encourages civic engagement among NFL players, and legends, club and league personnel, and fans,” you can do so here.

5 NHL Draft winners and losers in 2024, starring the Canadiens, Ducks, and more nhl,draft,winners,and,losers,in,starring,the,canadiens,ducks,and,more,sbnation,com,front-page,nhl,nhl-draft

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The 2024 NHL Draft is in the books and it’s consistently one of the most difficult drafts to try and parse. A mixture of extreme youth, paired with multi-national scouting, the majority of the players selected on Friday and Saturday won’t see the ice in the NHL for a few years — making it more of an exercise in strengthening a pipeline, rather than build a team directly.

While it can be difficult to evaluate classes immediately following a draft, the best we can do is look at a class based on how well each team did with its draft capital — and based on what scouting services through of these picks prior to the event itself. To this end we had some massive winners in 2024, and some absolute head-scratching picks.

Winner: San Jose Sharks

When you have the No. 1 pick and get the best player you’re going to be a winner by default, but there’s more to what the Sharks did than just Macklin Celebrini. This team got incredible value up and down their draft board, bolstering their defense with Sam Dickinson and nabbing Igor Chernyshov with the No. 33 pick (he was 17th on my big board).

This was a forward-heavy class for the Sharks who are in dire need of scoring. There’s a clear approach here to rebuild the team the right way, and we could very well be looking at this class as a turning point for the franchise that finally brings some teeth back to the shark tank.

Loser: Anaheim Ducks

Things weren’t so great for the Sharks’ northern neighbors, and yes a lot of this has to do with taking Beckett Sennecke with the No. 3 overall pick. It’s not that Sennecke is a bad player — in fact, he could be pretty good. The issue is a complete misunderstanding of draft capital and how to work the board.

Multiple teams wanted to move up into the Top 4 of this class where the elite NHL-ready players were. Not only did the Ducks manage to not take one of these top guys, but they also didn’t move back and get anything for it. When you shock everyone so much that even your top pick is stunned … well, it’s not a great sign.

Across their first three picks the Ducks were a -15 in their pick vs. consolidated rankings, meaning they consistently took players earlier than independent scouting projected. Now, this could mean they were right and everyone else is wrong — but that rarely plays out well.

Winner: Montreal Canadiens

The biggest benefactor of the Ducks going off script were the Canadiens, who got an absolute steal at No. 5 in Ivan Demidov. The No. 1 wing in this class, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him go at No. 2 if the Blackhawks elected to go offense over defense.

Montreal really needed to find star-power in this class, and they did just that with both Demidov and Michael Hage. The Canadiens might need to wait a little while for Demidov to take the jump, but he’s going to be worth the weight. He’s been dominating the MHL as a true 18-year-old, finishing with 60 points in 30 games. If this can continue in the KHL we’re going to see a monster player in the pipeline who can finally turn this team’s fortunes around.

Winner: Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes consistently find a way to be competitive while also keeping their shelves stocked, and the 2024 NHL Draft was no different. While this will definitely be an offseason with a lot of change in Raleigh with Jake Guentzel set to sign with the Lightning, and Martin Necas being a wild card. Despite this the draft itself was a massive boon for the first test for the organizations since GM Don Waddell left to join the Blue Jackets.

Despite moving back in the draft multiple times, the Hurricanes still managed to be a +24 in their first three picks — getting massive value in their selections vs. consolidated rankings. This was really set up by selecting Nikita Artamonov with the No. 50 pick, despite being the 25th best player in ranking and the No. 29 on my board.

There was very real potential for Artamonov to be a Top 15 pick, and the Canes have the luxury to allow him to develop in Russia until it’s time to bring him over. A do-everything forward with legitimate 2nd line potential, we could see him being a future star.

Loser: TRADE ALERT

Having the NHL Draft in the Las Vegas Sphere made for some of the most incredible images in the history of the event. Unfortunately this also made for abject terror whenever a trade happened during the draft and the Sphere had a massive warning horn and the words “TRADE ALERT.”

It was enough to terrify everyone watching.

it was like aliens were invading with every trade. Please stop TRADE ALERT before it’s too late.