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Senator Ted Cruz speaks with a reporter following a series of votes at the U.S. Capitol on Friday. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Last week began with legitimate hope that the Protect College Sports Act would be on a glide path toward becoming law. It ended in an all too familiar place: mired in the nuts and bolts of American politics.
Driving the news: The U.S. Senate adjourned for its annual five-week August recess on Saturday without voting on legislation that intends to regulate college athletics, kicking any possible vote to September, as Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger first reported.
What happened? Politics happened. As the PCSA inched toward a vote, a wave of detractors emerged to block the path. Instead of being jammed through without much scrutiny, which seems to be what co-authors Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) intended, the bill is now riddled with amendments and various outside groups imploring senators not to pass it.
Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports:
Though NCAA officials and university presidents may believe they have allies in Congress who want to fix their problems, expecting Congress to actually do something ignored the underlying reality of our system.
When you ask for a political solution, you will get politics whether you like it or not. And what do you know? Just when it seemed like the PCSA was headed for a floor vote, politics happened in a big way.
And while the bill sits on the shelf for the next five weeks, there's no telling what might happen in America or the world that will demand more immediate attention when Congress returns.
Where it stands: Cruz is confident that the Senate will prioritize the PCSA when it returns on Sept. 14. "We look forward to [President Trump] signing the bill on College GameDay in the fall," he told Yahoo Sports. But some supporters fear that a five-week long break will invite more detractors, and ultimately hurt the bill's chances.
Keep reading:The NCAA begged Congress to fix its problems. Now it's paying the price as Washington politics take over.
(Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)
Max Scherzer yet again etched his name in the MLB history books on Saturday, passing Walter Johnson for 10th on the all-time strikeout leaderboard.
By the numbers: Mad Max reached 3,516 career punchouts in just 2,999 innings. That is by far the fewest of anyone in the top 10 thanks to his sterling mark of 10.55 strikeouts per 9 IP — the eighth-best mark ever and second only to Randy Johnson (10.61) among those in the top 10.
How high could he climb? Injuries have limited the 42-year-old Scherzer to just nine starts this season, but if he stays healthy the rest of the way he should get about seven more. At his current strikeout rate, that should move him past Gaylord Perry (3,534) into ninth. If Scherzer returns for one more year, he'd likely pass Verlander, who's retiring at the end of this season, and Don Sutton (3,574) to claim seventh place.
Scherzer pumps his fist after recording the final out of the fifth inning on Saturday. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
The last of a dying breed? Given the state of the modern game, with innings decreasing and injuries on the rise, it's fair to wonder whether we'll ever see another pitcher crack the top 10 on the all-time strikeout list.
Bottom line: Scherzer is one of 35 pitchers in MLB history with multiple no-hitters, and one of 11 with at least three Cy Young Awards — accomplishments that, while extraordinary, could realistically be matched by future legends. But when it comes to knocking down the door of the sport's most prolific strikeout merchants, he may just be the last of his kind.
(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Chicago, Illinois — The Sky's DiJonai Carrington was ejected from Saturday's game against the Fever after committing a flagrant 2 foul against Sophie Cunningham, who's been at the center of the WNBA's latest controversy following her comments about transgender women in sports. The Fever went on to win, 90-86, behind big games from Kelsey Mitchell (27 points) and Caitlin Clark (26 points, 11 assists).
Fanning the flames: Carrington took to social media right after her ejection, posting "WHITE PRIVILEGE" and tagging the Fever. "I think the league is taking care of that [post]," Cunningham said after the game. "This has nothing to do with race."
(Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Phoenix, Arizona — Hezly Rivera won her second straight U.S. gymnastics all-around title on Sunday. The 18-year-old, a gold medalist two years ago in Paris, is the first American woman not named Simone Biles to go back-to-back in this event since 2011.
On the men's side: Frederick Richard, aka Frederick Flips, won his first national title despite giving up a points deduction for wearing a non-conforming uniform — an intentional move the Michigan grad and social media star also made last year in hopes of bringing more visibility to the men's side of the sport.
(Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
Greensboro, North Carolina — Michael Brennan (-22) ran away with the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, winning the PGA Tour's regular-season finale by three strokes to climb into the top 70 and secure a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Meanwhile, in New York: LIV Golf also held its regular-season finale, where Joaquin Niemann won for the ninth time on the breakaway tour and Jon Rahm secured his third straight season-long title.
(Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Toronto, Canada — Alex Eala fell to Belinda Bencic on Sunday at the Canadian Open, snapping her seven-match winning streak but doing nothing to dim the shine of "Eala Mania" that has recently followed the rising Filipina star everywhere she goes.
What she's saying: "The atmosphere this whole week has been just incredible," said the 21-year-old who played in front of adoring crowds all week in Toronto, which boasts the largest Filipino population in Canada. "I'll carry these memories with me for a really long time."
(Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Nice, France — Dutch rider Demi Vollering won her second Tour de France Femmes on Sunday, becoming the first two-time winner of the nine-stage event that debuted in 2022.
Redemption: The 2023 champion lost the 2024 race by just four seconds to Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, who held the yellow jersey this year entering the final weekend. But Vollering went on to win each of the final two stages to erase the deficit and defeat her rival by a little over a minute.
(David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
Sydney, Australia — More than 90,000 people took part in the annual "City to Surf" fun run on Sunday, with participants running from downtown Sydney to Bondi Beach to raise money for charity.
American inspiration: The race, first run in 1971, was inspired by a similar fun run in San Francisco called Bay to Breakers, which debuted in 1912. In addition to both going from downtown to the waterfront, runners are also known to don novelty costumes.
Jódar celebrates his fourth-round victory. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Canadian Open, Quarterfinals
In Montreal, we've got No. 18 Arthur Fils vs. No. 20 Rafael Jódar (6pm ET, Tennis) followed by No. 19 Luciano Darderi vs. No. 28 Brandon Nakashima. And in Toronto, it's No. 7 Iga Świątek vs. No. 15 Diana Shnaider (7pm) followed by No. 9 Elina Svitolina vs. No. 16 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Exclusive club: Jódar, 19, is just the third teenager ever to reach three consecutive Masters 1000 quarterfinals since the format was introduced in 1990. The other two? Fellow Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Decent company.
More to watch:
The Class of 2026 was enshrined on Saturday. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio, home of the NFL's first repeat champion (in 1922 and 1923).
Question: What was the name of that team?
A) Canton Bulldogs
B) Canton Cardinals
C) Canton Tigers
D) Canton Maroons
Answer at the bottom.
(Savannah Bananas)
A huge shoutout to Ashton R. in New York City, who just turned 9 years old, loves Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, and enjoys watching Baker's Dozen with his dad. Great news, Ashton: The highlights are back! And this weekend delivered some real gems.
Watch all 13.
Trivia answer: A) Canton Bulldogs
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Continue reading...
SENATE PUNTS ON COLLEGE SPORTS BILL
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Senator Ted Cruz speaks with a reporter following a series of votes at the U.S. Capitol on Friday. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Last week began with legitimate hope that the Protect College Sports Act would be on a glide path toward becoming law. It ended in an all too familiar place: mired in the nuts and bolts of American politics.
Driving the news: The U.S. Senate adjourned for its annual five-week August recess on Saturday without voting on legislation that intends to regulate college athletics, kicking any possible vote to September, as Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger first reported.
What happened? Politics happened. As the PCSA inched toward a vote, a wave of detractors emerged to block the path. Instead of being jammed through without much scrutiny, which seems to be what co-authors Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) intended, the bill is now riddled with amendments and various outside groups imploring senators not to pass it.
- Mounting opposition: The Congressional Black Caucus released a statement slamming the bill; more than a dozen Republican senators filed objections or amendments; several labor unions sent a joint letter in opposition.
- Other priorities: A logjam of agenda items before the Senate last week took precedence over college sports. Bills to fund the government, implement sanctions against Russia and balance the budget, as well as administrative nominations, shoved the act aside.
Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports:
Though NCAA officials and university presidents may believe they have allies in Congress who want to fix their problems, expecting Congress to actually do something ignored the underlying reality of our system.
When you ask for a political solution, you will get politics whether you like it or not. And what do you know? Just when it seemed like the PCSA was headed for a floor vote, politics happened in a big way.
And while the bill sits on the shelf for the next five weeks, there's no telling what might happen in America or the world that will demand more immediate attention when Congress returns.
Where it stands: Cruz is confident that the Senate will prioritize the PCSA when it returns on Sept. 14. "We look forward to [President Trump] signing the bill on College GameDay in the fall," he told Yahoo Sports. But some supporters fear that a five-week long break will invite more detractors, and ultimately hurt the bill's chances.
Keep reading:The NCAA begged Congress to fix its problems. Now it's paying the price as Washington politics take over.
️ MAD MAX: THE LAST OF A DYING BREED?
You must be registered for see images attach
(Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports)
Max Scherzer yet again etched his name in the MLB history books on Saturday, passing Walter Johnson for 10th on the all-time strikeout leaderboard.
By the numbers: Mad Max reached 3,516 career punchouts in just 2,999 innings. That is by far the fewest of anyone in the top 10 thanks to his sterling mark of 10.55 strikeouts per 9 IP — the eighth-best mark ever and second only to Randy Johnson (10.61) among those in the top 10.
- The future Hall of Famer notched three-quarters of his strikeouts with the Nationals (1,610) and Tigers (1,081). The rest came with the Mets (294), Diamondbacks (240), Blue Jays (109 and counting), Rangers (93) and Dodgers (89).
- He joins Justin Verlander (3,554 strikeouts) as the only active players in the top 10, while Johnson (4,875) and Roger Clemens (4,672) are the only others who pitched this century.
How high could he climb? Injuries have limited the 42-year-old Scherzer to just nine starts this season, but if he stays healthy the rest of the way he should get about seven more. At his current strikeout rate, that should move him past Gaylord Perry (3,534) into ninth. If Scherzer returns for one more year, he'd likely pass Verlander, who's retiring at the end of this season, and Don Sutton (3,574) to claim seventh place.
You must be registered for see images attach
Scherzer pumps his fist after recording the final out of the fifth inning on Saturday. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
The last of a dying breed? Given the state of the modern game, with innings decreasing and injuries on the rise, it's fair to wonder whether we'll ever see another pitcher crack the top 10 on the all-time strikeout list.
- Chris Sale (2,730 strikeouts) and Gerrit Cole (2,338) are the closest active pitchers. Sale's late-career renaissance in Atlanta gives him some hope, but he's 37 and still four elite seasons away from the top 10. Cole's a year younger, but also 400 strikeouts behind and coming off Tommy John surgery. Six more ~185-strikeout seasons? Sorry, not happening.
- Maybe 29-year-old Tarik Skubal (1,011) remains dominant for another decade-plus. Maybe 24-year-old Paul Skenes (548) avoids the injury bug and becomes the GOAT. Maybe the game evolves. Maybe we invent a new way to surgically repair an elbow. Maybe anti-aging makes it possible to pitch well into your 50s. That's a lot of maybes.
Bottom line: Scherzer is one of 35 pitchers in MLB history with multiple no-hitters, and one of 11 with at least three Cy Young Awards — accomplishments that, while extraordinary, could realistically be matched by future legends. But when it comes to knocking down the door of the sport's most prolific strikeout merchants, he may just be the last of his kind.
PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA
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(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Chicago, Illinois — The Sky's DiJonai Carrington was ejected from Saturday's game against the Fever after committing a flagrant 2 foul against Sophie Cunningham, who's been at the center of the WNBA's latest controversy following her comments about transgender women in sports. The Fever went on to win, 90-86, behind big games from Kelsey Mitchell (27 points) and Caitlin Clark (26 points, 11 assists).
Fanning the flames: Carrington took to social media right after her ejection, posting "WHITE PRIVILEGE" and tagging the Fever. "I think the league is taking care of that [post]," Cunningham said after the game. "This has nothing to do with race."
You must be registered for see images attach
(Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Phoenix, Arizona — Hezly Rivera won her second straight U.S. gymnastics all-around title on Sunday. The 18-year-old, a gold medalist two years ago in Paris, is the first American woman not named Simone Biles to go back-to-back in this event since 2011.
On the men's side: Frederick Richard, aka Frederick Flips, won his first national title despite giving up a points deduction for wearing a non-conforming uniform — an intentional move the Michigan grad and social media star also made last year in hopes of bringing more visibility to the men's side of the sport.
You must be registered for see images attach
(Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
Greensboro, North Carolina — Michael Brennan (-22) ran away with the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, winning the PGA Tour's regular-season finale by three strokes to climb into the top 70 and secure a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Meanwhile, in New York: LIV Golf also held its regular-season finale, where Joaquin Niemann won for the ninth time on the breakaway tour and Jon Rahm secured his third straight season-long title.
PHOTOS AROUND THE WORLD
You must be registered for see images attach
(Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Toronto, Canada — Alex Eala fell to Belinda Bencic on Sunday at the Canadian Open, snapping her seven-match winning streak but doing nothing to dim the shine of "Eala Mania" that has recently followed the rising Filipina star everywhere she goes.
What she's saying: "The atmosphere this whole week has been just incredible," said the 21-year-old who played in front of adoring crowds all week in Toronto, which boasts the largest Filipino population in Canada. "I'll carry these memories with me for a really long time."
You must be registered for see images attach
(Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Nice, France — Dutch rider Demi Vollering won her second Tour de France Femmes on Sunday, becoming the first two-time winner of the nine-stage event that debuted in 2022.
Redemption: The 2023 champion lost the 2024 race by just four seconds to Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, who held the yellow jersey this year entering the final weekend. But Vollering went on to win each of the final two stages to erase the deficit and defeat her rival by a little over a minute.
You must be registered for see images attach
(David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
Sydney, Australia — More than 90,000 people took part in the annual "City to Surf" fun run on Sunday, with participants running from downtown Sydney to Bondi Beach to raise money for charity.
American inspiration: The race, first run in 1971, was inspired by a similar fun run in San Francisco called Bay to Breakers, which debuted in 1912. In addition to both going from downtown to the waterfront, runners are also known to don novelty costumes.
WATCHLIST: MONDAY, AUG. 10
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Jódar celebrates his fourth-round victory. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Canadian Open, Quarterfinals
In Montreal, we've got No. 18 Arthur Fils vs. No. 20 Rafael Jódar (6pm ET, Tennis) followed by No. 19 Luciano Darderi vs. No. 28 Brandon Nakashima. And in Toronto, it's No. 7 Iga Świątek vs. No. 15 Diana Shnaider (7pm) followed by No. 9 Elina Svitolina vs. No. 16 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Exclusive club: Jódar, 19, is just the third teenager ever to reach three consecutive Masters 1000 quarterfinals since the format was introduced in 1990. The other two? Fellow Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Decent company.
More to watch:
- ️ MLB: Phillies at Cardinals (7:45pm, FS1) … Philly (63-56) maintains a narrow hold on the third wild card. St. Louis (59-59) is 3.5 games back.
- WNBA: Tempo at Dream (8pm, NBCSN/Peacock); Sky at Storm (10pm, USA) … Toronto (10-21) and Seattle (6-28) have lost a combined 19 consecutive games.
TRIVIA TIME
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The Class of 2026 was enshrined on Saturday. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio, home of the NFL's first repeat champion (in 1922 and 1923).
Question: What was the name of that team?
A) Canton Bulldogs
B) Canton Cardinals
C) Canton Tigers
D) Canton Maroons
Answer at the bottom.
TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND
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(Savannah Bananas)
A huge shoutout to Ashton R. in New York City, who just turned 9 years old, loves Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, and enjoys watching Baker's Dozen with his dad. Great news, Ashton: The highlights are back! And this weekend delivered some real gems.
- Best trick catch ever
️ From way downtown- ️ Catch of the year?!
- ️ Throw-in assist
- ️ Corbin HR robbery
- Cam Coleman!!!
- ️ Luis Lara at the wall
- This dude took flight
- ️ Is that Derek Jeter?
- Behind-the-back goal
- ️ Carson in the corner
- Insane reflexes
- Great throw, great catch
Watch all 13.
Trivia answer: A) Canton Bulldogs
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Continue reading...
