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⚾ Five things to know Friday
- The Cubs entered the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, but the Dodgers remain the favorites to land him. It remains unclear whether the Tigers will move the reigning two-time American League Cy Young Award winner at the trade deadline, but if they do, the Cubs will reportedly be among the teams to make an offer. The biggest problem for Chicago is that the Dodgers are also back in the mix. The back-to-back World Series champions are reportedly the ones to beat in the Skubal pursuit, and the betting market agrees with Los Angeles holding +115 odds to emerge as his destination. The deadline arrives Monday, and in addition to the Skubal watch, these teams are also worth monitoring closely as their front offices have a lot to prove.
- UEFA unveiled a boycott of all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. FIFA’s intention to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors has been met with near-universal pushback. The governing body of European soccer took the most drastic measure in response to the plan with a full boycott, while Concacaf also publicly rejected Gianni Infantino’s unpopular idea. That makes 96 national soccer associations unified against the equity proposal. Adding to an already explosive day for European soccer was Eddie Howe’s departure from Newcastle, which forces the club to usher in a new manager less than a month out from the start of the Premier League season. Also, LaLiga club Rayo Vallecano had its stadium license suspended over fears that fans could contract Legionnaires’ disease.
- Chris Olave secured a four-year contract extension with the Saints. On the heels of a career year, Olave agreed to a deal worth up to $132 million that keeps him in New Orleans through 2030. He will become the sixth-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL when the ink dries. Olave was not the only receiver to strike a deal on Thursday as free agent Deebo Samuel came to terms with the 49ers on a one-year, $7 million deal that sends him back to the Bay Area. Baker Mayfield, meanwhile, remains without an extension in Tampa Bay and made it extremely clear how upset he is with the Buccaneers. With Mayfield’s talks halted, one player who could be next in line for a new deal is Quinnen Williams, as the Cowboys reported they are open to keeping him on their defensive line for the long haul.
- Curt Cignetti and Indiana put a bow on Big Ten Media Days. There could not have been a more emphatic conclusion to talkin’ season than the mic drop Cignetti pulled off. The defending national champion coach bashed the SEC and reminded the college football world which conference won each of the last three CFP titles. Also, first-year Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham reported the Wolverines did not put much stock in Bryce Underwood’s poor spring game and backed his sophomore quarterback as the face of the offense. We tend to agree with him. With media days complete, the focus finally shifts to the football itself, and we identified the biggest potential trap game for every Big Ten team.
- NFL training camps include diet changes, injuries and … Deion Sanders? Colorado’s coach was in attendance at Browns camp on Thursday amid his son’s battle for the starting quarterback job. Cleveland head man Todd Monken reported that his conversations with Sanders had little to do with football, but the timing of his visit is quite convenient. In Las Vegas, second-year running back Ashton Jeanty reported he gave up sugar this offseason in order to get in better shape. As for the AFC North, the Ravens seem to have everything going for them with a healthy Lamar Jackson and another loaded roster, while the Bengals took a sigh of relief when edge rusher Shemar Stewart was deemed to have avoided a serious injury.
🏈 Do not miss this: 100 greatest players in NFL history
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The NFL is 105 years old. Over the past century-plus, countless superstars graced the gridiron and racked up individual honors and team championships. More than 25,000 players have been involved with the league, and our Bryan DeArdo sifted through the best to rank the 100 greatest to ever suit up.
Inside the top 10 are eight offensive players and four quarterbacks. These signal-callers earned distinction not only as the best at their position but also the greatest regardless of position:
- Tom Brady (2000-22)
- Joe Montana (1979-94)
- Peyton Manning (1998-2015)
- Dan Marino (1983-99)
Offensive stars get all the love, and quarterbacks get the most. But let’s not forget about the all-timers on the other side of the ball. Lawrence Taylor takes the cake as the biggest legend of them all as the No. 7 overall player in NFL history.
- DeArdo: “Taylor was so dominant as a rookie that he won both Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Five years later, Taylor won league MVP while leading the Giants to their first Super Bowl title. Taylor’s ferocious pass rush revolutionized the game while making left tackle one of the league’s most important positions.”
Four active players made the cut. None of them play defense. So in an effort to honor the defensive stars who are still playing, we also ranked the 10 best at every position.
🏀 Ultimate WNBA trade deadline guide
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In-season blockbusters are rare in the WNBA, but with Kelsey Plum making it clear she does not intend to return to the Sparks next season, there is the potential for fireworks at the trade deadline. That’s not the only factor at play. League expansion and the new CBA also contribute to the possibility of multiple major moves.
Teams have until 3 p.m. ET on Sunday to swap players and draft picks. In advance of the deadline, our Jack Maloney constructed an in-depth guide on who’s buying, who’s selling and which players would fit on which teams.
With Plum as the biggest prize on the market, these teams would all be ideal fits for the star point guard:
- Valkyries
- Mercury
- Mystics
And here’s what her impending departure means for the Sparks:
- Maloney: “The Sparks have no leverage, and it will be difficult for them to command a major return for a potential rental. If they trade Plum, would they look to move Nneka Ogwumike as well? She is also an unrestricted free agent this summer. If so, that could start a firesale.”
🤼 WWE SummerSlam picks, predictions
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The biggest wrestling event of the summer arrives this weekend when the biggest names in WWE converge for two nights at SummerSlam. CM Punk will defend his undisputed WWE title on Saturday against Cody Rhodes, then the attention turns the following day to Roman Reigns’ defense of the world heavyweight belt against Seth Rollins. We have picks and predictions for both title bouts and all the other key matchups, including the Interim WWE Women’s Championship.
While Punk and Rhodes have a longstanding friendship, they will become rivals when they meet with a championship on the line. Our Shakiel Mahjouri foresees the title-holder maintaining his spot atop the promotion.
- Mahjouri: “Rhodes’ run at the top had gotten stale. I think Rhodes would agree. WWE made a safe choice by shuttling the title to Punk through Sami Zayn; there’s no reason to suspect they’ll go back on their decision. Punk is set for a fresh run as SmackDown’s top dog with a workhorse title reign against a talented crop of challengers. A successful title defense at SummerSlam is exactly what he needs to usher in his era on the blue brand. Pick: Punk retains the title.“
A few other picks:
- Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan (c) def. Iyo Sky
- Intercontinental Championship: Chad Gable def. Penta (c)
- United States Championship: Trick Williams (c) def. Baron Corbin
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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- The Tigers reportedly plan to call up their top prospect, outfielder Max Clark.
- Peter Malnati flirted with a sub-60 to build a two-stroke lead at the Rocket Classic.
- Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton faces a league-imposed suspension for directing expletives at teenage fans who participated in the Sophie Cunningham rally.
- Ahman Green, the Packers’ all-time leading rusher, unveiled he has Parkinson’s disease.
- The WNBA deleted its post showing Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese joking about placing a wager on a game and reported it “missed the mark.”
- Former UFC fighter Anthony Smith faces three felony charges in a domestic violence case.
- Here’s a refresher on all the biggest NFL offseason moves, from blockbuster trades to key free agent signings.
- Don’t get your hopes up for a potential Anthony Davis-to-Philadelphia trade.
- Our John Talty called Michael Lombardi’s reign at North Carolina the most calamitous general manager tenure in the NIL era.
- Dante Moore explained why he turned down the NFL Draft to return to Oregon.
- We projected Texas’ starting lineup ahead of the college basketball season.
📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
⚾ Yankees at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on MLB Network
⛳ Rocket Classic: Second round, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚾ Phillies at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Cardinals at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Wings at Mystics or Storm at Dream, 7:30 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Toronto at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Pride at Courage, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Rangers at Astros, 8:10 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Brewers at Angels, 10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Giants at Padres, 9:40 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Fever at Fire, 10 p.m. on Ion
⚾ Twins at Mariners, 10:10 p.m. on Peacock
Saturday
🏀 Aces at Sky, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🤼 UFC Fight Night: Medic vs. Rodriguez, 1 p.m. on Paramount+
⛳ Rocket Classic: Third round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Liberty at Mercury, 3 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Stars at Louisville, 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
⚾ Twins at Mariners, 4:10 p.m. on FS1
🤼 WWE SummerSlam, 6 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚽ Angel City at Current, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
⚾ Diamondbacks at Guardians or Yankees at Cubs, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
⚽ LAFC at Whitecaps, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🥊 WBC Lightweight Championship: Roach Jr. vs. Zepeda, 8 p.m. on TNT
⚽ Charlotte at Fire, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Reign at Bay, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
⚾ Red Sox at Dodgers, 9:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚽ Austin at Rapids, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Tigers at Athletics, 9:40 p.m. on Peacock
⚽ Dallas at Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Sounders at Timbers, 10:45 p.m. on FS1
Sunday
🥎 LLWS: Washington vs. Florida, 10 a.m. on ESPN2
🐂 PBR Team Series: Gamblers vs. Cowboys and Wildcatters vs. Rattlers, noon on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Big3: Triplets vs. Trilogy, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Fever at Lynx, 1 p.m. on ABC
🥎 LLWS: New Jersey vs. Japan, 1 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ Cardinals at Blue Jays, 1:37 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Big3: Rig Hands vs. Riot, 2 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⛳ Rocket Classic: Final round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ Brewers at Angels, 3:15 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Sparks at Fire, 3:30 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Wave at Spirit, 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🥎 LLWS: California vs. Kentucky, 4 p.m. on ESPN2
🤼 WWE SummerSlam, 6 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
🏀 Sun at Wings, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🥎 LLWS: North Carolina vs. Canada, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ Red Sox at Dodgers, 7:20 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Legacy at Summit, 9 p.m. on ESPN
