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Good Morning,
It’s the calm before the storm this week as athletes around the world set their sights on Paris. The men’s flag bearer for Team USA was announced yesterday, and we’ll find out the women’s flag bearer today.
Plus, some fresh MLB Power Rankings go to print before next week’s trade deadline, and NFL Training Camps kick off this week. Holdouts, anyone? Letter Rip! |
🏅 Olympics Countdown: 3 Days
Know a sports fan who can’t wait for the Olympics? Share The Sportsletter so they can follow all the best moments, highlights and stories from Paris. We’re launching our Olympics Tracker this week. Opening ceremonies begin on Friday! |
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Photo: Christopher Pike / Getty Images |
LeBron James Elected Men’s Olympic Flag Bearer Before Propelling Team USA Past Germany (92-88) in Final Exhibition
We’re three days away from Paris, and history is already being made. LeBron James has been selected as the men’s flag bearer for Team USA at Friday’s opening ceremony. Teammate Steph Curry led the charge to nominate James (and deliver the news) yesterday morning. It’s James’ fourth and final Olympics run at 39 years old, surpassing Larry Bird as the oldest-ever player on the USA men’s basketball roster. He’ll also be the first men’s basketball player to carry the flag for Team USA in Olympic history. The women’s flag-bearer will be announced sometime today.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on the global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together.” — LeBron James Exhibition: 🇺🇸 USA def. 🇩🇪 Germany (92-88)
The flag-bearer announcement prefaced Team USA’s final exhibition game against Germany in London. It was another close test where LeBron (20 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast) overpowered an opponent down the stretch to stamp the win. Joel Embiid (15 pts) and Steph Curry (13 pts) helped carry the load. Team USA finished their exhibition slate 5-0, but the last two games were decided by five total points. They’ll hopefully have a healthy Kevin Durant when the Olympics begin this weekend.
Gold Medal Odds (Men’s Basketball)
🇺🇸 USA (-500) | 🇨🇦 Canada (+1100) | 🇫🇷 France (+1200) | 🇷🇸 Serbia (+1600) | 🇬🇷 Greece (+2000) | 🇩🇪 Germany (+3000) | 🇦🇺 Australia (+4000) | 🇪🇸 Spain (+5000) Read More SI: The Moment Steph Curry Told LeBron James He’d Be Team USA Flag Bearer Was Special
Yahoo! Sports: LeBron James Scores Final 11 Points in Team USA’s Win Over Germany as Pre-Olympic Tour Ends |
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Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images |
Phillies Still Clinging to No. 1, But 5 Other Teams Are a Short Win Streak Away From Surging to the Top Spot
It’s been two weeks since our last MLB Power Rankings download. That was before the All-Star break and a few days away from regular-season action. Not much has changed at the top, but the hierarchy through the middle of the pack — the playoff fringe teams — looks vastly different. The Astros have slid past the Mariners in the AL West. The NL Central remains the most intriguing from top to bottom, with every team separated by just 10 games. Even better? Teams 8-25 in our power rankings are also separated by just 10 games. We’re one week from the trade deadline, so prepare for moves.
MLB Trade Deadline: Tuesday, July 30 MLB Power Rankings 1. Phillies (63-37) — 2. Orioles (60-39) — 3. Dodgers (60-41) ↑1 4. Guardians (59-40) ↓1 5. Yankees (60-42) — 6. Brewers (57-43) — 7. Royals (56-45) ↑4 8. Twins (55-44) ↓1 9. Red Sox (53-46) — 10. Astros (52-48) ↑4
Teams 11-20: 11. Braves (54-45), 12. Mariners (53-49), 13. Cardinals (52-48), 14. Diamondbacks (51-50), 15. Padres (52-50), 16. Mets (51-48), 17. Pirates (51-49), 18. Tigers (50-51), 19. Rangers (48-52), 20. Rays (50-50)
Teams 21-30: 21. Cubs (49-53), 22. Reds (48-53), 23. Giants (48-53), 24. Nationals (47-53), 25. Blue Jays (45-54), 26. Angels (43-57), 27. Athletics (40-62), 28. Rockies (37-64), 29. Marlins (35-65), 30. White Sox (27-75)
Read More FOX Sports: MLB Playoff Watch: X-Factors for Every Contender CBS Sports: MLB Power Rankings: Astros Surge as Mariners Blow AL West Lead, Plus Who Fell Apart Out of All-Star Break? |
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Training Camp Holdout Tracker |
Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images |
Packers QB Jordan Love Joins 2024 Training Camp Holdout Candidates
It feels like yesterday we watched the Chiefs hoist another Lombardi Trophy, but we’re more than five months removed from Super Bowl LVIII. All 32 teams will report to training camp for the 2024 season by tomorrow. That means conjecture aplenty as training camp battles unfold, but we’re watching holdout candidates. Every July, some notable names dig in and refuse to join their teams until they have some guarantees. A few of the players below were willing to miss minicamps in June, so we expect they’re still, what you might call, “disgruntled.” Players who no-show are subject to massive fines of $40,000 per day. That’s a large penalty, but don’t expect these players to show up without a long-term deal:
NFL Training Camp Holdouts to Watch -
QB Jordan Love (Packers): Love is deserving of a long-term extension with Green Bay after last year’s numbers and a trip to the playoffs. Don’t expect the Packers to let this linger.
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WR Brandon Aiyuk (49ers): He already requested a trade, but the Niners haven’t closed the door on bringing back Aiyuk.
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WR Amari Cooper (Browns): The former Cowboys star is still playing on his 2020 contract, and Cooper has been adamant about a new deal since he came to Cleveland.
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WR CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys): Lamb led the league in catches last season and the Cowboys can’t function without him. He either needs the largest receiver contract (maybe ever?) or another team will give it to him.
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RB Alvin Kamara (Saints): Here’s one that could end badly. Kamara is the Saints’ most coveted playmaker, but he’s a running back approaching 30. We’ve seen this story before. He walked out of minicamp in June.
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EDGE Haason Reddick (Jets): Reddick was traded to New York against his will, and they expect him to keep the same deal he had in Philly. He thinks otherwise.
Watch for “Hold-In” Candidates
Due to changes to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) back in 2020, expect to see more hold-in candidates who want to avoid penalties. In other words, they might show up to practice but not risk injury by taking part in drills. Fun times ahead…
Read More CBS Sports: 2024 NFL Preseason All-Rookie Team
Yahoo! Sports: NFL Training Camp Rookie Tracker
B/R: NFL Power Rankings: How Does Every Team Stack Up at Training Camp? |
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🏅 Top 30 U.S. Olympians to Watch
On Friday, an unprecedented opening ceremony along the Seine will kick off the Paris Olympics. The Games will showcase around 10,500 athletes, including many stars you'll remember — and some you'll want to know. (ESPN)
🏈 Big Ten Media Days
The Big Ten returns to its home away from home this week, as the entire conference — which now spans the country — descends upon Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days. It’s now a three-day event with 18 schools. (CBS Sports)
⚾️ MLB Playoff Race X-Factors
There are many elements involved in teams reaching the postseason, but one player can make all the difference. With the All-Star break officially behind us, let's examine one second-half X-factor for every playoff contender. (FOX Sports) |
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⚾️ MLB Cardinals at Pirates (6:40 pm ET, MLBN) Mets at Yankees (7:05 pm ET, TBS)
Astros at Athletics (9:40 pm ET, ESPN+) |
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The Olympics Hype Meter 🏅 |
The 2024 Paris Olympics are gearing up for an epic global celebration beginning this Friday, so we’re gauging the team's excitement. On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about the Olympics? (click to vote)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Not Excited — Mildly Excited — Very Excited |
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