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Thomas, Rahm Lead Northern Trust

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JERSEY CITY – Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm share the 18-hole lead after matching 8-under (63)s, three strokes better than any other player. Thomas and Rahm both entered the week in the Top 10 in the FedExCup standings and Top Five in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Harold Varner III (FedExCup No. 72 entering the week) finished T3 at the NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National in 2019, moving inside the top 70 to qualify for the BMW Championship.

Bryson DeChambeau (71) became the fourth player since the record was kept (1983) to make two or fewer pars and record a score of even-par.

Early Scoreboard Watching for Top 70 in FedEx Cup Points: Players currently projected to move inside the top 70 (6): Harold Varner III, Adam Scott, Andrew Putnam, Erik van Rooyen, Keith Mitchell, and Harry Higgs.

Players currently projected to fall out of the top 70 (6): Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, Talor Gooch, Martin Laird, Troy Merritt, and J.T. Poston.

Leaderboard After First Round:

Justin Thomas 63 (-8)

Jon Rahm 63 (-8)

Harold Varner III 66 (-5)

Six players 67 (-4)

Alabama Crimson Tide Ranked No. 1

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service and Staff Report) – Defending national champion Alabama will open the 2021 season in the same position it ended last year – at No. 1.

The Crimson Tide are the favorites to repeat, receiving 47 first-place votes in the Associated Press preseason college football poll. Oklahoma is No. 2 with six votes and Clemson is third, also with six first-places votes. No. 4 Ohio State (one vote) and Georgia (three) round out the top five.

Alabama opens the season Sept. 4 against No. 14 Miami in Atlanta as the Tide seek a seventh national championship under coach Nick Saban. Clemson and Georgia will meet that day, as well, in Charlotte, N.C.

Texas A&M, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and North Carolina round out the top 10. The Cyclones match their highest national ranking ever. The Aggies and Fighting Irish finished No. 4-5 in the final poll of 2020.

The poll features five teams each from the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Pac-12, three from the Atlantic Coast Conference and three from the Big 12.

The Sun Belt Conference has two teams in the AP Top 25: No. 22 Coastal Carolina and No. 23 Louisiana.

The rest of the list:
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Florida
14. Miami
15. Southern Cal
16. LSU
17. Indiana
18. Iowa
19. Penn State
20. Washington
21. Texas
22. Coastal Carolina
23. Louisiana
24. Utah
25. Arizona St.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes – August 15

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While We’re Young (Ideas)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs start next weekend at The Northern Trust at Liberty National in New Jersey. The 2021 playoff will be the first since 2009 without popular golfer Rickie Fowler. Fowler missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship – as he shot (71-72) – and failed to qualify for postseason for the first time in his 12-year PGA Tour career. … Fowler endeared himself to the Boston faithful when he bought a dozen bottles of “Dom” after his 2015 Deutsche Bank Championship. We later thanked and then advised him, “We’d be happy with a case of Sam Summer, and you could’ve saved yourself $2,500.”

The FedEx Cup Playoffs are only three rounds:

  1. August 19-22: Northern Trust (New Jersey)
  2. August 26-29: BMW Championship (Maryland)
  3. Sept. 2-5: Tour Championship (Georgia)

After a brief break from the Tour, the United States and Team Europe will play for The Ryder Cup from September 21-26 at Whistling Straits at Kohler, Wisconsin. That’s only 35 days away. Kohler is a 9-iron from Sheboygan and an hour drive north of Milwaukee.

JUSTIN ROSE RECEIVES PAYNE STEWART AWARD: In recognition of his character, sportsmanship and commitment to charitable giving, Justin Rosewas named the 2021 recipient of the PGA Tour’s Payne Stewart Awardpresented by Southern Company. Rose will be honored on Tuesday, August 31, at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony in conjunction with the TOUR Championship. The ceremony will be televised live on Golf Channel as part of a “Golf Central” special from 7-8 p.m. EDT at the Southern Exchange in downtown Atlanta. … The Payne Stewart Award is presented annually by the Tour to a professional golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship. Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour and World Golf Hall of Fame member, died tragically 22 years ago during the week of the TOUR Championship in 1999. … On October 25, 1999, NTSB investigations found that Stewart’s private plane lost pressurization and back-up oxygen on a flight from Orlando to Dallas. The Learjet 35 eventually crashed near Aberdeen, South Dakota after military jets followed and attempted to examine the aircraft. The captain, first officer and four passengers (including Stewart) passed away.

“FORE” MORE YEARS (of eligibility): ESPN is reporting that former NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2013) JR Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&T and intends to join the historically Black university’s men’s golf team if he gets clearance from the NCAA. … North Carolina A&T athletics spokesman Brian Holloway told ESPN that Smith is officially enrolled in the school and has petitioned the NCAA to be eligible to play. Smith’s clock to compete as a collegiate athlete has not yet started because he went to the NBA after high school. Athletes, in most cases, get five years to complete four years of eligibility. … Smith played 16 NBA seasons since getting drafted by New Orleans out of St. Benedict’s Prep (NJ) in 2004. In a journeyman style, he made stops with Denver, New York and Cleveland but won an NBA title with the Lakers and LeBron James in the NBA Bubble of 2020, the Cavaliers and LeBron James in 2016 and was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2013 with the Knicks.

STAY IN THE PRESENT: The list of Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement presenters was released this week and it always provides a little insight into how the new Hall of Famer made it to the corridors of immortality in Springfield, Massachusetts. A quick look at this year’s presenters shows that Rick Welts, an inductee in 2018, will have a busy night as he’s been asked to present both Val Ackerman (former NBA attorney, the WNBA’s first President and current Big East Conference Commissioner) and also NBA All-Time great and perhaps the Greatest NBA Player of All-Time in Bill Russell. Russell was inducted as a player in 1975 and this year will be enshrined as a head coach. Welts was a ballboy for the Sonics and met Russell at an early age.

Here’s the full list of inductees and presenters for the September 10-11th Induction ceremony to be held at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut with the formalities in Springfield.

  • Val Ackerman, presented by Russ Granik (’13), Rick Welts (’18)
  • Rick Adelman, presented by Vlade Divac (’19), Jack Sikma (’19)
  • Chris Bosh, presented by Ray Allen (’18), Pat Riley (’08)
  • Bob Dandridge, presented by Oscar Robertson (’80)
  • Cotton Fitzsimmons, presented by Charles Barkley (’06), Jerry Colangelo (’04), Phil Knight (’12)
  • Howard Garfinkel, presented by John Calipari (’15), Grant Hill (’18), Bobby Hurley (’10)
  • Yolanda Griffith, presented by Van Chancellor (’07)
  • Lauren Jackson, presented by Sheryl Swoopes (’16)
  • Clarence Jenkins, presented by Wayne Embry (’99)
  • Toni Kukoc, presented by Michael Jordan (’09), Jerry Reinsdorf (’16)
  • Pearl Moore, presented by Sylvia Hatchell (’13)
  • Paul Pierce, presented by Kevin Garnett (’20)
  • Bill Russell, presented by Charles Barkley (’06), Julius Erving (’93), Spencer Haywood (’15), Alonzo Mourning (’14), Bill Walton (’93), Rick Welts (’18)
  • Ben Wallace, presented by Larry Brown (’02)
  • Chris Webber, presented by Isiah Thomas (’00)
  • Jay Wright, presented by Charles Barkley (’06), Bill Cunningham (’86), Herb Magee (’11), George Raveling (’15)

BOSTON MARATHON: Instead of training in the dead of winter and in freezing cold conditions, the Boston marathoners are running up Heartbreak Hill in Newton in 90-degree heat as they prepare for the October 11th race day. Yes, instead of running on Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, they’ll be running on Indigenous Peoples’ Day (formerly Columbus Day) which is celebrated on the second Monday of October. In 56 days, 9,215 runners will truck out to Hopkinton, Mass to begin the race. … The 2022 Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 18, 2022, to be staged on the traditional Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth.

A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO SALE: The return of starting pitcher and staff ace Chris Sale means the world to the Boston Red Sox. His 5.0 innings of six-hit, two earned run pitching earned a “W” on Saturday, anchoring Boston’s 16-2 thrashing of the hapless Baltimore Orioles. Sale struck out eight batters walked none but let up two homers in his first big league outing in 732 days, dating back to 2019. His recovery from surgery seems complete. … That should be enough for the fans of the Red Sox, but what about the people who bought their furniture at Jordan’s during the “No Hitter” promotion? … Remember? If the Red Sox “no hit” an opponent from now through October 3, all the furniture purchased would be free of cost. Certainly, the return of Chris Sale changed the odds for the furniture buyers of New England.

HURT LOCKERS: Unfortunately, the 2021 MLB season will also be remembered for the rash of injuries to Tier 1 star players such as Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna, Jr. (ACL), the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts (hip) or New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom (among many others). … If you remember, the NFL suffered a string of injuries to star-level talent last season with NY Giants’ RB Saquon Barkley, Charlotte’s RB Christian McCaffrey, Dallas’ QB Dak Prescott, SF 49ers’ defensive-end Nick Bosa, among many others.

CELTICS RE-LOADED: In the early part of the off-season, the Boston Celtics, under former head coach and new head of basketball ops Brad Stevens, by-passed any serious endeavors in free agency, unloaded oft-injured guard Kemba Walker and re-acquired C/PF Al Horford to solidify the rotation. … This week, Stevens worked around the edges and obtained some depth at the guard position with Dennis Schroder (1-year at $5.9m), while adding much-needed rebounding with the acquisition of C Enes Kanter, a member of the 2019-20 Celtics and signed rookie forward Sam Hauser to a two-way contract.

For a complete version of the weekly Sunday Sports Notes, subscribe HERE

PGA Tour: First Look at the Wyndham

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Preview of The Wyndham Championship

COURSE: Sedgefield Country Club – (Greensboro, NC)

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

YARDS/PAR: 7,131 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $6,400,000/$1,157,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jim Herman (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @WyndhamChamp

OFFICIAL SITE: (Wyndham Championship)

TV COVERAGE: Thursday, August 12 and Friday, August 13: Coverage from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel.

On Saturday, August 14, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. Then, CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, August15: Golf Channel opens final round coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:30pm (EDT).

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING: Streaming coverage on Thursday and Friday, from 7:00am (EDT) to 6:00pm (EDT) on PGA Tour Live. Twitter coverage from 7:00am-8am on Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday and Sunday, PGA Tour Live will stream 8:00am (EDT) to 6:00pm (EDT). Twitter will stream 8:00am-9:15am (EDT) on Saturday and 8:30-9:45am (EDT) on Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage of the FedEx-St.Jude with Thursday and Friday broadcasts from 12:00pm Noon (EDT) to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on Sirius XM Radio begins at 1:00pm (EDT) until 6:00pm (EDT) on Saturday and 1:00pm to 6:30pm (EDT) or conclusion on Sunday. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92)

How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)

 

The Wyndham Championship: Pre-Tourney Notebook

It’s the final week for PGA Tour pros to play their way to the Top 125 and qualify for the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs. Nine players have qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in each season. Six of them in the field this week but four are on the bubble to qualify for the Playoffs: Adam Scott (121st), Matt Kuchar (124th), Justin Rose (138th) and Ryan Moore (142nd).

Charles Howell (137th) is not in the field and will miss the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time in the FedExCup era.

Notable players outside the Top 125 in the FedExCup standings include Rickie Fowler, who has not missed the Playoffs in his previous 11 seasons on Tour, World No. 35 Tommy Fleetwood and 2018 FedExCup championJustin Rose, noted above at No. 138.

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 6:50am (EDT) to 2:27pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast is for 82-degree temperatures, 66% humidity and a 40% chance of rain. Thundershowers likely in the afternoon.

PGATourBrunch will post at 7:00am (EDT) on Thursday.

Next Week: Northern Trust – the first round of FedEx Cup Playoffs (link)

Last Week: WGC-FedEx/St. Jude (link) and Barracuda (link)

Wyndham – Field and Tee Times:

The Field – (link)

Tee Times: (link)

Odds for the Wyndham Championship

(Odds by William Hill)

Webb Simpson 12-1
Hideki Matsuyama 14-1
Louis Oosthuizen 18-1
Patrick Reed 22-1
Brian Harman 28-1
Will Zalatoris 28-1
Jason Kokrak 28-1
Sungjae Im 30-1
Kevin Kisner 33-1
Tommy Fleetwood 33-1
Charl Schwartzel 33-1
Russell Henley 35-1
Matthew Wolff 40-1
Kevin Streelman 40-1
Seamus Power 40-1
Kevin Na 40-1
Si-Woo Kim 40-1
Gary Woodland 40-1
Bubba Watson 40-1
Adam Scott 40-1
Rickie Fowler 45-1
Justin Rose 45-1
Robert Macintyre 45-1
Brandt Snedeker 45-1
Sebastian Munoz 50-1
Branden Grace 50-1
Jhonattan Vegas 50-1
J.T. Poston 50-1
Erik Van Rooyen 50-1
Mito Pereira 50-1
Zach Johnson 55-1
Talor Gooch 55-1
Ryan Moore 60-1
Harold Varner 60-1
Patton Kizzire 66-1
Lucas Glover 66-1
Chez Reavie 66-1
Doug Ghim 66-1
Hank Lebioda 66-1
MacKenzie Hughes 70-1
Ryan Armour 80-1
Luke List 80-1
Doc Redman 80-1
Brendon Todd 80-1
Chris Kirk 80-1
Lanto Griffin 80-1
Rory Sabbatini 80-1
Adam Schenk 80-1
C.T. Pan 80-1
Joel Dahmen 80-1
Keith Mitchell 100-1
Patrick Rodgers 100-1
Kramer Hickok 100-1
Kyle Stanley 100-1
Adam Hadwin 100-1
Matt Jones 100-1
Jim Herman 100-1
Mark Hubbard 100-1
Dylan Frittelli 100-1
Andrew Putnam 100-1
Bo Hoag 100-1
Roger Sloan 100-1
Scott Piercy 100-1
Francesco Molinari 100-1
Tom Lewis 100-1
Brandon Hagy 100-1
Henrik Norlander 125-1
Adam Long 125-1
Scott Stallings 125-1
Matt Kuchar 125-1
Kyoung-Hoon Lee 125-1
Michael Thompson 125-1
Sepp Straka 125-1
Brian Stuard 125-1
Aaron Wise 125-1
Sam Ryder 150-1
Byeong Hun An 150-1
Brice Garnett 150-1
Richy Werenski 150-1
Martin Laird 150-1
Joseph Bramlett 150-1
Jason Dufner 200-1
Camilo Villegas 200-1
Matthew NeSmith 200-1
Nick Taylor 200-1
Wyndham Clark 200-1
Vincent Whaley 200-1
James Hahn 200-1
Russell Knox 200-1
Beau Hossler 200-1
Anirban Lahiri 200-1
Satoshi Kodaira 200-1
Harry Higgs 250-1
Denny McCarthy 250-1
Nate Lashley 250-1
Will Gordon 250-1
Tom Hoge 250-1
Sean O’Hair 250-1
Chesson Hadley 250-1
Bo Van Pelt 250-1
Akshay Bhatia 250-1
Kevin Tway 250-1
Scott Brown 250-1
Chase Seiffert 300-1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 300-1
Davis Thompson 300-1
Aaron Baddeley 300-1
Mark Anderson 300-1
Alex Smalley 300-1
Vaughn Taylor 300-1
Hudson Swafford 300-1
John Augenstein 300-1
Austin Cook 300-1
J.J. Spaun 300-1
Robby Shelton 300-1
Padraig Harrington 300-1
Tyler Duncan 300-1
Nick Watney 300-1
Cameron Percy 300-1

PGA Tour: WGC/FedEx/St. Jude Wrap

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WGC-FedEx St. Jude Wrap-Up

Abraham Ancer overcame a 4-stroke deficit in the final round to become the fourth player from Mexico to win on the PGA Tour. It was his first event “W” in his first playoff on Tour. Ancer became the seventh player to make a World Golf Championship his first career PGA Tour victory.

Sudden death playoff also-ran Sam Burns carded eight final-round birdies in bid to become the season’s seventh multiple winner, but settled for T-2 with Hideki Matsuyama.

After holding a two-stroke lead after each of the first three rounds, Harris English carded a 5-over (40) on the inward nine and missed the sudden death playoff with missed birdie putt on his final hole.

Playing in the final pairing with English, Bryson DeChambeau recorded three bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine to close in 6-over (41) on Back 9.

Twitter avatar for @PGATOURPGA TOUR @PGATOUR

Winning on TOUR with your people there to celebrate. 💯❤️ Image

August 8th 2021

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WGC FedEx St. Jude Final Leaderboard

*Abraham Ancer 67-62-67-68—264 (-16)

Sam Burns 66-64-70-64—264 (-16)

Hideki Matsuyama 68-69-64-63—264 (-16)

Harris English 62-65-65-73—265 (-15)

*won with a birdie on the second hole of sudden death

TL Sunday Sports Notebook – August 8

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The PGA Tour took a break in their schedule for the Tokyo Olympics and Xander Schauffele enjoyed the trip to Japan the most, returning to the USA with a Gold medal for men’s golf while Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) played as a “ringer” for Slovakia and took home the Silver and C.T. Pan won the Bronze for his native country.

This week, the PGA Tour is going double barrel with the tour’s longest all-time title tourney in the World Golf Championship-FedEx St. Jude’s Invitationalin Memphis and the Barracuda Championship in Tahoe.

It’s all back to normal for the PGA Tour, except for ONE THING!

The players on the J.V. tournament in Tahoe are using the dreaded Modified Stableford scoring format, the first PGA Tour event to use the format since The International was staged out in Denver in 2006. Players are allocated points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole with the goal of achieving the highest overall score.

Points Scoring Method:

Albatross +8

Eagle +5

Birdie +2

Par 0

Bogey -1

Double bogey or worse -3

Confused? Nah. Just think of it as the “Elam Ending” of Golf, except it’s used for the whole tournament, not just the ending.

Speaking of Elam ending and changing the games we play, maybe we should say ‘Screw it’ to Dr. Naismith and his rules for the game of basketball – a la one point for a free throw, two points for a field goal and three points for taking a shitty shot from 26+ feet (ABA gimmick, not Dr. Naismith’s fault).

With that in mind, we introduce the Modified Stableford Scoring for Basketball, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, of course, would be the …

Basketball Scoring Method:

Great pass that leads directly to a bucket – (+3) + the basket

Blocked shot – (+3)

Steal – (+2)

Taking a charge – (+2)

Slam Dunk – (+3)

Successful free throw – (+1) or field goal – (+2)

Successful shot from “Downtown” – aka beyond the arc – (+1) except in last 2:59 of game when it counts for (+3)

Turnover – (-1)

Bitching to a ref – (-1)

Getting “posterized” – (-1)

Technical Foul – (-2)

Personal Foul – (0) until after player’s fifth PF, then (-1); In last 2:59, a team can choose to simply inbound ball rather than shoot FTs.

Team Fouls – (0) until after seventh in each quarter; then start to shoot.

Flopping – (-2)

Tapping hands or high-5 or fist-bump to teammates and leaving position in lane after a made free throw – (-2)

Tapping hands or high-5 or fist-bumps with teammates after missed free throw – (-3)

First team to 100 wins.

ONE SIDE CRACK: When we all get to the Pearly Gates, you just “gotta hope” we weren’t all playing by the Modified Stableford system instead of the 10 Commandments.

HERE NOW, SPORTS BIZ NEWS: A shareholder of the Chicago Bulls is currently shopping a 5% stake in the NBA franchise at a valuation of $3 billion. That is $300 million less than current Forbes listing of $3.3 billion for the entire franchise, one of the league’s most iconic. The minimum purchase, according to financial industry sources is a 1.25% stake.

Speaking of franchise values …

FORBES FOOTBALL VALUES: Forbes released its annual listing of NFL franchise valuations and the Dallas Cowboys lead the pack again. In fact, the publicly held “Pack” trails the NFL’s Star franchise by a whopping $3.025 billion. Keep in mind, these are guesstimates and the true value is in the number that a buyer i9s willing to pay. Since NFL franchises don’t go on sale very often, the numbers get ridiculous.

Currently, only the Denver Broncos ($3.75b) are on the market and they might draw some $5b on the open market.

NFL Franchise Valuations (Year-over-Year % Change)

Dallas Cowboys: $6.5 billion (+14%)

New England Patriots: $ 5 billion (+14%)

New York Giants: $4.85 billion (+13%)

Los Angeles Rams: $4.8 billion (+20%)

Washington Football Team: $4.2 billion (+20%)

San Francisco 49ers: $4.175 billion (+10%)

Chicago Bears: $4.075 billion (+16%)

New York Jets: $4.05 billion (+14%)

Philadelphia Eagles: $3.8 billion (+12%)

Denver Broncos: $3.75 billion (+17%)

Houston Texans: $3.7 billion (+12%)

Seattle Seahawks: $3.5 billion (+14%)

Green Bay Packers: $3.475 billion (+14%)

Pittsburgh Steelers: $3.43 billion (+14%)

Miami Dolphins: $3.42 billion (+18%)

Las Vegas Raiders: $3.415 billion (+10%)

Baltimore Ravens: $3.4 billion (+14%)

Minnesota Vikings: $3.35 billion (+14%)

Indianapolis Colts: $3.25 billion (+14%)

Atlanta Falcons: $3.2 billion (+11%)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.94 billion (+29%)

Kansas City Chiefs: $2.93 billion (+17%)

Los Angeles Chargers: $2.92 billion (+12%)

Carolina Panthers: $2.91 billion (+14%)

New Orleans Saints: $2.825 billion (+14%)

Jacksonville Jaguars: $2.8 billion (+14%)

Arizona Cardinals: $2.65 billion (+14%)

Tennessee Titans: $2.625 billion (+14%)

Cleveland Browns: $2.6 billion (+11%)

Detroit Lions: $2.4 billion (+14%)

Cincinnati Bengals: $2.275 billion (+14%)

Buffalo Bills: $2.27 billion (+11%)

DRAFT KINGS and BBJ REPORT: The Boston Business Journal reported that Boston, Massachusetts-based Draft Kings Inc. “has received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which is investigating a report about DraftKings published by short-seller firm Hindenburg Research LLC.

Said the BBJ: “The online sports betting operator (Nasdaq: DKNG) disclosed the news in a public document filed Friday as part of its quarterly report. The SEC subpoena seeks documents concerning certain allegations over “black-market gaming” and money laundering raised by New York City-based Hindenburg in June.”

In an e-mailed statement to news outlets, Draft Kings said it is not uncommon for the SEC to investigate allegations in short-seller reports, according to the BBJ report online. “The SEC inquiry does not suggest any wrongdoing or agreement with the short-seller allegations, and we intend to cooperate with the SEC inquiry,” the company said. … In the quarterly report, Draft Kings said it received the SEC subpoena on July 9. “Despite the potential for significant damages, the Company does not believe, based on currently available information, that the outcome of this proceeding will have a material adverse effect on Draft Kings’ financial condition, although the outcome could be material to Draft Kings’ operating results for any particular period,” Draft Kings noted.

The Hindenburg report claimed, among many other negative points: “Draft Kings trades at a ~26x last twelve months (LTM) sales multiple and a ~20x estimated 2021 sales multiple despite (i) no expectation of earnings for years, (ii) intense competition, and (iii) regulatory risk. The company posted net losses of $844 million in 2020 and $346 million last quarter. … Insiders have dumped over $1.4 billion in stock since the company went public a little over a year ago, with SBTech’s founder leading the pack, having personally sold ~$568 million in shares.

Despite the SEC inquiry analysts were somewhat bullish on Draft Kings for the long haul, stating, “Recent legalization momentum is increasing the likelihood that more States will launch online sports betting around the start of the football season, including Arizona, Louisiana, and Maryland,” they said, also noting recent legislative progress in the company’s home state of Massachusetts.

This week, most of the mainstream sports business media focused on DK deal with Genius Sports. The two companies signed a new multi-year supplier agreement that will give Draft Kings a full range of data and live video content from Genius, including products it has built around its new pricey NFL rights. … Under the deal, DraftKings will gain access to official data and live feeds from more than 170,000 events per year. That covers major leagues like the NFL, NASCAR and English Premier League, but also Genius’ suite of smaller partners, like Argentine, Peruvian and Colombian futbol, which will expand DraftKings’ broad and international appeal, according to multiple media reports, including Sportico.

One thing is for sure with the history of Draft Kings and all Fantasy Sports companies going ‘all-in’ on sports gambling, the lawyers are the busiest guys in the industry and the only people making money.

ROW, ROW, HYDROW YOUR BOAT: The National Basketball Retired Players Association will collaborate with Boston-based Hydrow, and offer NBRPA members special access to the luxury, at-home rowing machine and private one-on-one virtual coaching sessions with Hydrow coaches. … Hydrow is a state-of-the-art interactive rowing machine that allows users to row on virtual waterways the world over from the comfort of their own homes through Live Outdoor Reality. Hydrow provides a low impact, full-body workout, engaging up to 86% of the body’s muscles. … “The ability to offer our Legends a one-of-a-kind, at-home workout option that exercises the whole body, is great for the heart and easy on the knees was a no-brainer,” said Scott Rochelle, NBRPA President & CEO. … “Working with Legends of Basketball is an incredibly special opportunity for us, as it allows us to support these elite athletes throughout the next chapter in their careers,” said Bruce Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Hydrow, Inc. “Hydrow offers a dynamic, low-impact cardiovascular workout, and the fact that you’re able to work out with others mimics the teamwork these athletes have known their entire lives. We’re proud to be able to work with these players who have given us so much joy throughout their illustrious careers.” … Earlier this year, WNBA Legend Ruth Riley and NBA Legend José Calderón of Spain were introduced as Hydrow influencers. Fans can follow along as Riley and Calderón document their Hydrow experiences on their Instagram pages. … Riley recently completed a Hydrow workout with the U.S. Rowing Team. “Nothing like a row with the U.S. Rowing Team to get you into the spirit for Tokyo 2021! I love how Hydrow makes you feel like you are in the boat training with them,” said Riley.

Note: For complete While We’re Young (Ideas) Sunday Sports Notes, visit and subscribe at While We’re Young (Ideas).

PGA Tour: WGC-FedEx St Jude Final

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MEMPHIS – Harris English tied Tiger Woods for the lowest 54-hole mark in tournament history with 18-under 192 and is seeking to become the third wire-to-wire winner in tournament history.

Bryson DeChambeau (T-2) birdied four of his last seven holes for a 7-under (63).

Cam Smith (T-2) birdied two of his final three holes to sit T2 in search of his fourth career PGA Tour victory.

Both English and DeChambeau are attempting to become the only three-time winner of the 2020-21 PGA Tour season

WGC-FedEx St. Jude Leaderboard After 54 Holes:

Harris English 62-65-65—192 (-18)

Bryson DeChambeau 65-66-63—194 (-16)

Cam Smith 67-62-65—194 (-16)

Abraham Ancer 67-62-67—196 (-14)

Scottie Scheffler 65-65-67—197 (-13)

Ian Poulter 64-66-67—197 (-13)

Whether You Count Five or Seven Straight, It’s Pure Perfection for USA Basketball Women at Olympics

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SAITAMA, (JAPAN) — (Source: Official Team release and Staff Reporting) – For the USA Basketball program, it was an Olympic Games where two goals were met.

For the men, it was a journey.

For the women, it was perfection.

Reaching a goal, a gold, or perfection is hard to achieve once, much less five or even seven times, marking decades at the highest level of international competition.

But for Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics marked a perfect ending to an unblemished career with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team (6-0).

The dynamic backcourt duo made Olympic history by winning their fifth gold medal as the top-ranked Americans won their team-sport record-tying seventh straight gold with a 90-75 triumph over Japan (4-2) at the Saitama Super Arena, near Tokyo, Japan.

“No, not in my wildest dreams,” Bird said of if she ever thought of winning five gold medals. “That’s what makes it even more special. I never thought it was a possibility.”

Added Taurasi: “We were just asked, ‘What did you think in 2004 when you won your first one?’ I thought that was our last one. Fast-forward 17 years and to be able to do this five times, I think it’s a testament to USA Basketball culture, the great players we played with, coaches and staff. There’s a lot of people to thank today.”

Brittney Griner is among those people. The 6-foot-8 post player scored 30 points — a record for an American in a gold-medal game — for the U.S., which exploited its size advantage time and again. The silver is the first medal Japan has won in five Olympic appearances.

“It means a lot to me,” Griner said of her second Olympic gold medal. “A lot of people have put in a lot of hard work and dedication to get here, to get us to seven. And just to be a part of that, I’m honored.”

In addition to winning gold for the ninth time in 11 Olympic trips, it was the 55th consecutive Olympic victory for the U.S., with 38 of those coming with Bird and Taurasi on the roster. Delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bird, 40, has said Tokyo was her last Olympics, while Taurasi, 39, has not made it official but has dealt with injuries in recent years, including her hip in the Olympics.

Bird and Taurasi broke a tie with four-time gold medalists Teresa Edwards (1984-2000, one bronze), Lisa Leslie (1996-2008) and Tamika Catchings (2004-16) and joined Edwards as the only five-time Olympic medalists in Olympic basketball history regardless of gender. Sylvia Fowles, 35, who became part of the Olympic team in the cycle after Bird and Taurasi, joined the exclusive four-gold club.

“Somewhat the same,” Fowles said of how she views her most recent piece of history, “but humbling at the same time, just to see yourself go through that switch of being the youngest and turn into a veteran and having the younger players under you come in and having to talk more and all those good things. I can say it definitely has been a whirlwind.”

The U.S. matched the record of seven straight golds in any Olympic team sport set by U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Teams, a streak that started with the debut of the sport in 1936 through 1968.

It also was the swan song for Carol Callan, director of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team program since its inception in 1995. She is stepping down to focus on her role as president of FIBA Americas.

Harris English Leads After 36 at FedEx/St. Jude

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World Golf Championship | FedEx/St. Jude Invitational

COURSE: TPC Southwind (Memphis, Tenn)

YARDS/PAR: 7,233 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $10,500,000/$1,890,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Justin Thomas (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 3,240/550

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @WGCFedEx

OFFICIAL SITE: (FedEx St. Jude Invitational)

TV COVERAGE: Today, August 7, Round 3 coverage 12:00pm to 2:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. Then, CBS takes over from 2:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, July 18: Golf Channel opens final round coverage 12:00pm to 2:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 2:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING: Streaming coverage today and Sunday as PGA Tour Live has their regular online coverage 11:00am (EDT) to 6:00pm (EDT).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live weekend coverage beginning at 1:00pm (EDT) until 6:00pm (EDT) or conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92)

How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)

 

FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Notebook After 36 Holes

First-round leader Harris English tied the second-lowest 36-hole mark in tournament history with 13-under (127). English finished inside the Top-3 in two of his last three PGA Tour starts (3rd/U.S. Open, P1/Travelers Championship) and, most recently, finished T-46 at The Open Championship.

Cam Smith tied the all-time PGA Tour record for fewest putts in a round with (18).

Scottie Scheffler is T-4 at (-10) and is seeking to become the second player in history to finish runner-up in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and win the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in the same season (Tiger Woods, 2000).

WGC-FedEx St. Jude Leaderboard After 36 Holes:

Harris English 62-65—127 (-13)

Cam Smith 67-62—129 (-11)

Abraham Ancer 67-62—129 (-11)

Ian Poulter 64-66—130 (-10)

Sam Burns 66-64—130 (-10)

Scottie Scheffler 65-65—130 (-10)

USA Men Get The Gold

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SAITAMA JAPAN – (SOURCE: Official Team News Release) – Three players in the NBA Finals. Two more who had to leave the team during training camp. Two exhibition defeats. One Olympic loss. Countless doubters. Four weeks after the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team partially came together for the first time as a team, all that adversity did was make what transpired Saturday at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 all the more special.

With Kevin Durant scoring 29 points, including two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to seal the win, the U.S. (5-1) won its fourth consecutive gold medal, fending off France (5-1) 87-82 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The Americans now have 16 golds from the 19 Olympics in which they have participated.

Durant has played a major role in each of the last three golds, and he’s now tied with Carmelo Anthony for the most gold medals in Olympic men’s basketball history. The Brooklyn Nets’ superstar scored 30 points in each of the prior two gold medal games.

“I hate to compare stuff because you know everything is its own moment,” Durant said, “but this is one of those special journeys that it’s just hard to describe, because each and every one of us put in that work every single day, from the coaches, to the trainers, to the players. We all came in with that goal of, ‘Let’s finish this thing off. Let’s build a family. Let’s build this team. Let’s grow this team every day.’ And when you are part of a team that’s evolving by the second, it’s just amazing to see.”

For U.S. coach Gregg Popovich, one of only five coaches with five NBA championships, the Olympic gold medal fills one of the few voids on his long resume. As a player for the U.S. Air Force Academy, he did not make the 1972 U.S. Olympic team that controversially lost to the Soviet Union in the gold-medal game.

“You know what sayonara means? That’s how I’m feeling right now,” Popovich joked before turning serious. “I agree with these guys. Every championship is special, and the group you’re with is special. But I can be honest and say this is the most responsibility I’ve ever felt, because you’re playing for so many people that are watching and for your country and other countries involved. The responsibility was awesome, and I felt it every day for several years now. I’m feeling pretty light now and looking forward to getting back to the hotel and having something.”

Popovich likely will celebrate back at the team hotel with Jerry Colangelo, whose run as managing director of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team program ended with Saturday’s victory. He took the position in 2005 after the Americans lost three times and earned bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Colangelo was the architect behind these four consecutive Olympic golds and two FIBA World Cup titles.

Milwaukee Bucks teammates Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, who joined the Olympic team in the early-morning hours before the U.S. played France in pool play on July 25, became the fourth and fifth players to win the NBA Finals and an Olympic gold in the same year (joining Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Kyrie Irving). Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns also played in the NBA Finals shortly before flying to Tokyo.

“Getting in at one in the morning, me, Book and Khris, and then playing that night against France, losing that game and then being able to go through the rest of the tournament and then winning the gold medal game,” Holiday said of his whirlwind summer, “I don’t know — I guess me thinking about it, and me telling that story, man, that’s a hell of a summer.”

Jayson Tatum had 19 points and seven rebounds, while Holiday added 11 points and five rebounds and Damian Lillard had 11 points for the U.S. Rudy Gobert had 16 points and eight rebounds and Evan Fournier also had 16 points for France, which won its third silver medal in 10 Olympic appearances. The French also won silver in 1948 and 2000.

The 32-year-old Durant became the career U.S. Olympic scoring leader and the first American to score at least 100 points in three separate Olympic Games.

“Kevin Durant is exactly who we thought he was — one of the greatest players who ever played this game,” U.S. forward Draymond Green said of his former Golden State Warriors teammate. “One of the most special guys you’ve ever seen lace their shoes up and take a basketball court.”

Added an emotional Colangelo: “He’s a very special guy. He loves the game, he loves USA Basketball, and he’s just got that kind of character.”

As if the gold medal wasn’t enough motivation, the Americans also wanted to show their loss in the pool-play opener to France was due more to coming together swiftly after a delayed NBA season than a true representation of their talent. In that 83-76 loss on July 25, the U.S. lost a late seven-point lead and watched France close the game on a 16-2 run to snap the Americans’ 25-game Olympic winning streak.

“I remember we had a team meeting after the first game against France, Pop wasn’t there,” Durant said of the game in which he scored only 10 points and was in foul trouble. “You know when you have a team meeting, you’re kind of at the bottom. So, we just worked our way up from there. Everybody just committed to doing what’s best for the group, no matter what. It was just amazing to see that clock run down to zero and us celebrate like that and then celebrate in the locker room. It was just incredible, man.”

Durant’s leadership is what sets him apart, Popovich said.

“KD is not special because he’s so talented,” he said. “The way he works on his game is more impressive, the relationships he builds with teammates, the respect he garners, the joy he has in playing. It’s like osmosis, it goes into all the other players and allows you to develop a camaraderie and an enjoyment to be together. That sort of love of the game and love of people is what makes him more special than as a player.”

There were the usual ups and downs in the gold medal game. The U.S. had another slow start, but quickly righted itself with a 16-6 run to close the first quarter up 22-18. Unlike the last two contests, the Americans did not fall into a double-digit hole, instead going up by as many as 13 points before settling for a 44-39 halftime advantage. The U.S. led 71-57 in the third quarter, before France’s Nicolas Batum hit a 3-pointer followed by another at the buzzer by teammate Thomas Heurtel that trimmed the margin to 71-63.

It set up a fourth quarter that was eerily reminiscent of the previous matchup. This time, however, the U.S. was a more cohesive unit and didn’t go cold down the stretch, even when France pulled within 85-82 on two Nando de Colo free throws with 10.2 seconds remaining.

Durant made his two free throws with 8.8 seconds left, and then Batum air balled a 3-pointer that set off a gold medal celebration.

JaVale McGee, named to the U.S. roster when Bradley Beal and Kevin Love had to withdraw, joins a unique group. His mother, Pamela McGee, won gold with the U.S. women’s basketball team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. They became the first American mother-son duo to win gold in any sport and the second in Olympic history. The other was Valentina Rastvorova (team foil fencing, 1960) and son Yevgeny Grishin (men’s water polo, 1980).

Delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic and facing adversity throughout this journey, the Americans relish this gold medal as much as any NBA championship.

“It’s great,” Green said. “It’s a challenge to do special things. I know it seems as if it’s come easy for so long. I played in 2016, it wasn’t easy then. It wasn’t easy this year, but nothing special, nothing is worth having that you don’t have to fight for. If it’s worth having, you got to fight for it. We fought. They fought. I think the better team came out the gold medalist.”