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🚨 Headlines
⚾️Dodgers dominate sales:The two-time defending champs boast five of the top 12most popular MLB jerseyssince the end of last season, led by Shohei Ohtani at the top of the list. No other team has more than two players in the top 20.
🏳️⚧️Olympics trans ban:The International Olympic Committee announced a new policy on Thursday thatbans transgender athletesfrom competing in the women's category in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond.
🏀Back in Baton Rouge:LSU isbringing back head coach Will Wade, who had a successful five-year run at the school before he was fired in 2022 following an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. Wade went 70-23 across the last three seasons at McNeese and NC State.
⛸️ "Quad God" shines:Ilia Malinin, seeking redemption after stumbling at the Olympics,skated spectacularlyon Thursday at the world championships, where his personal-best free skate put him in position to win his third straight world title.
🏀Kon hits 250:ROY favorite Kon Knueppel hit six more threes in the Hornets' win over the Knicks to becomethe youngest player in NBA history(20) with at least 250 triples in a season. In fact, he leads the entire league and has Charlotte surging towards the playoffs.
⚾️ Who will define the MLB season?
Who are the figures most likely to define, influence and dictate the 2026 MLB season? When the dust settles in November, what and whom will we remember? Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintztook a crack at naming the Top 50.
Shohei Ohtani: Who else? There are a gazillion interesting things about the two-way sensation, like there are stars in the sky. Such is life as the game's most transcendent figure. This year, the Ohtani storyline is all about his full-time return to pitching.
Tarik Skubal: Barring an unforeseen contract extension, the two-time reigning Cy Young will reach free agency for the first time at season's end. Each start will feel like a referendum on his future and his team's future. It's a fascinating dynamic.
Aaron Judge: Judge is the greatest Yankee ever without a World Series ring. From now until the day he retires or raises a trophy, that reality will define his professional life. Such are the stakes in the Bronx, where the regular season is just a preamble, a home run derby exhibition for the best to ever do it.
4-5: Franciso Lindor and Juan Soto
The 2025 Mets were not a trainwreck because Lindor and Soto didn't become besties, but things definitely weren't all peaches and cream between these two superstars. Both are on the team for the long haul, so it would behoove everyone in Queens if Soto and Lindor could get on the same page. Again, they don't need to have scrapbooking sleepovers or anything, but there's room for them to establish a more productive working environment.
6-7: Rob Manfred and Bruce Mayer
With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire Dec. 1, the entire baseball world is preparing for a messy, acrimonious battle. A league-initiated lockout is almost definitely happening. Team owners want a salary cap. The union does not. Missing games is a real possibility. Because negotiations will begin during this upcoming season, the commissioner and the union's new interim executive director will find themselves making headlines quite often.
Rounding out the top 10:Paul Skenes (8) struggled on Opening Day, but he's a unicorn with the kind of talent that rarely comes along. Is Bryce Harper (9) still elite? That's the question being asked within his own organization. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (10) needs to reemerge as one of the absolute best bats in the sport if the Jays want to win another AL East crown.
Keep reading:The Top 50 people who will define the MLB season
🏀 Scoreboard: Men's Sweet 16
Purdue 79, Texas 77 —Trey Kaufman-Renntipped in a missed layup with 0.7 seconds leftto send the Boilermakers to their second Elite Eight in three years (and third in the past seven tournaments).
Iowa 77, Nebraska 71 —The Hawkeyes rallied late (they didn't hold a lead until the final two minutes!) to end the Cornhuskers' first tourney run andpunch their first Elite Eight ticket since 1987. Hats off to head coach Ben McCollum, who is now 38-8 in the NCAA tournament (D-I and D-II).
Arizona 109, Arkansas 88 —The Wildcatscompletely dominated the Razorbacksfrom start to finish in a game thatgot chippy late. After a 25-year drought, is this finally the year Arizonagets over the humpand makes the Final Four again?
Illinois 65, Houston 55 —The Fighting Illinibeat the Cougars at their own game, using a smothering defensive effort to win ugly. Houston shot just 34% from the floor and got to the free-throw line just twice.
⚾️ Snapshots: Opening Day
New York —Opening Day got off to a stunning start when the new-look Metschased Paul Skenesin the first inning of the day's first game, putting up five runs on the reigning Cy Young in two-thirds of an inning (with the help oftwo defensive miscues) en route to an11-7 victory.
A day for debuts: There have been over 25,000 days of games in MLB history. Thursday was the first in which four different players homered in their debuts. First was Mets RFCarson Benge, joined later by White Sox 1BMunetaka Murakami, Cardinals SSJJ Wetherholtand Guardians RFChase DeLauter, who hittwo.
Milwaukee —The Brewers blew out the White Sox,14-2, behind 12 hits from the offense and a lights-out performance from fireballer Jacob Misiorowski, who allowed just two hits in five innings and struck out 11 — a Brewers Opening Day-record.
More of the day's best performances: Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez (6 IP, 10 K, 3 H, 0 R) was nails in a5-3win over the Rangers; Tigers' rookie Kevin McGonigle (4-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI) became the sixth player since 1900 with 4+ hits in their MLB debut on Opening Day.
St. Louis —Cardinals LF Nathan Church made the play of the day in one of the best games of the day,robbing a homerin the fifth inning before St. Louis and Tampa combined for 14 runs in the sixth inning of the Cards'9-7 win.
Wild inning: The score was 1-1 entering the sixth. Then the Rays scored six in the top of the frame on seven singles, a walk and a sac fly, and the Cardinals answered with eight runs on five singles, two doubles, two sac flies and a homer.
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Chicago —The Cubs may not have won their season opener, falling10-4to the Nationals, but the Wrigley Field facade remains undefeated. Just gorgeous.
Fun fact: Wrigley Field is not named after the chewing gum company, but rather after William Wrigley Jr., the chewing gum magnate who also owned the team in the 1920s. That makes it one of eightMLB ballparksthat hasn't sold its naming rights, along with Angel Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Kauffman Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Nationals Park and Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
📺 Weekend Watchlist
🏀 March Madness
The NCAA men's and women's tournaments continue throughout the weekend with the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
Men:No. 1 Duke and No. 5 St. John's face off tonight(7:10pm ET, CBS), followed by No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama(7:35pm, TBS), No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State (9:45pm, CBS)and No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee(10:10pm, TBS). The Elite Eight begins tomorrow with No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 9 Iowa(6:09pm, TBS)and No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Purdue(8:49pm, TBS).
Women:Today it's No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 6 Notre Dame(2:30pm, ESPN), No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 UNC(5pm, ESPN), No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Minnesota(7:30pm, ESPN)and No. 2 LSU vs. No. 3 Duke(10pm, ESPN). Tomorrow it's No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Louisville(12:30pm, ABC), No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Kentucky(3pm, ABC), No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Oklahoma(5pm, ESPN)and No. 3 TCU vs. No. 10 Virginia(7:30pm, ESPN). The Elite Eight begins on Sunday.
⚾️ Opening Weekend
Baseball is back, and there are35 games this weekendto remind you that the winter doldrums are truly over.
Sunday's new home:After spending the last 36 years on ESPN, "Sunday Night Baseball" will now air on NBC and Peacock, with the Mariners hosting the Guardians in the inaugural game(7:20pm, Peacock).
🎾 Miami Open
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and second-ranked Jannik Sinner will both look to follow up their victories at Indian Wells with their second straight Masters 1000 titles.
Men's Semifinals:No. 21 Jiri Lehecka vs. No. 28 Arthur Fils (Fri. 3pm); No. 2 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 3 Alexander Zverev(Fri. 7pm); … Winners meet in Sunday's final.
Women's Final:No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 4 Coco Gauff(Sat, TBD)… They've split their first 12 meetings dating back to 2020. How will this one fare?
🏒 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament
Theroad to the championshipcontinues this weekend. By Sunday night, the Frozen Four will be set.
Friday:No. 1 Michigan vs. Bentley(Fri. 5:30pm, ESPNU); Minnesota Duluth vs. Penn State(Fri. 9pm, ESPN2); No. 4 Western Michigan vs. Minnesota State(Fri. 2:30pm, ESPNU); Denver vs. Cornell(Fri. 6pm, ESPN+)… Winners face off in Sunday's regional finals.
Saturday:No. 3 Michigan State vs. Wisconsin(4:30pm, ESPN2); No. 2 North Dakota vs. Quinnipiac(7pm, ESPN2)… Winners advance to the Frozen Four.
More to watch:
⚽️ Friendly: USMNT vs. Belgium (Sat. 3:30pm, TNT) … The 15th-ranked Americans host the ninth-ranked Belgians in Atlanta.
🏀 NBA: Spurs at Bucks (Sat. 3pm, Prime); Pistons at Timberwolves (Sat. 5:30pm, ABC); Knicks at Thunder (Sun. 7:30pm, NBC); Warriors at Nuggets (Sun. 10pm, NBC)
🏒 NHL: Red Wings at Sabres (Fri. 7pm, NHL); Wild at Bruins (Sat. 5pm, NHL); Flyers at Red Wings (Sat. 8pm, ABC)
⛳️ Golf: Houston Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/NBC); Ford Championship (Fri-Sun, Golf) … Paul Waring (-7) leads in Houston and Lydia Ko (-12) leads in Phoenix.
⚽️ NWSL: Angel City vs. Houston (Fri. 10pm, Prime) … The league's top two teams square off in Los Angeles.
⛸️ Figure Skating: Worlds (Fri-Sun, Peacock/USA/NBC) … Ilia Malinin leads the field in Prague.
🏎️ F1: Japanese Grand Prix (Sun. 1am, Apple) … With F1 canceling races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, this is the final grand prix before Miami on May 3.
🏁 NASCAR: Martinsville Speedway (Sun. 3:30pm, FS1) … Can Tyler Reddick win for a fifth time in seven races?
🏁 IndyCar: Alabama (Sun. 1pm, Fox) … Birmingham's road course hosts the fourth race of the season.
🏈 UFL: Week 1 (Fri-Sun, ESPN/Fox) … All eight teams take the field as the third season of the spring football league kicks off.
🏈 IFL: Week 3 (Sat-Sun, Yahoo Sports Network) … Here's your Indoor Football League viewer's guide.
Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.Get tickets now!
⚾️ MLB trivia
No team from the AL or NL Central has reached the World Series since 2016, when two Central teams met in the Fall Classic.
Question:Can you name those two teams?
Answer at the bottom.
🏀 Fun read: NBA expansion mock draft
For the first time in more than two decades, the NBA appears to be on the verge of expansion, with two franchises potentially coming soon in Seattle and Las Vegas.
Fun exercise:Here's a look at how an expansion draft might work.
(Spoiler alert: Zion Williamson headlines the Sin City squad, who we've dubbed the Las Vegas Neon. As for the Seattle team, we have creatively named them the SuperSonics.)
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Trivia answer:Cubs vs. Indians (Chicago won 4-3)
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