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The NWSL is scrapping its draft and moving to unrestricted free agency in its new collective bargaining agreement, a first for a major American professional sports league.

The move puts the NWSL in alignment with most other soccer leagues around the world and comes as the league faces increasing competition from England and Spain.

‘This was the right time to align with global standards and achieve long term labor peace,’ NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. ‘This CBA gives us agency over our business and gives the players agency over their careers.’

The current CBA, the first in league history, was not due to expire until after the 2026 season. The new agreement with the NWSL Players Association, announced Thursday morning, extends the current contract for four years, until 2030.

It includes a significant increase in the salary cap, from $3.3 million next season to at least $5.1 million in 2030, with additional increases expected as revenues from sponsors and broadcast deals rise. There is no cap on what a player can make, and the league-minimum salary will increase from $48,500 next year to $82,500 in 2030. All contracts will be guaranteed and players must approve of any trades, long a point of contention.

The bonus for Most Valuable Player will quadruple beginning in 2027, and most other end-of-season awards will double.

The NWSL and NWSLPA also agreed to increase the number of health professionals each club is required to have from six to 10. That includes team physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapist, licensed mental health provider and massage therapists. The CBA also calls for charter flights to be used on up to six legs during the season, as well as other scenarios to protect the health and safety of players.

Those two conditions could be factors as the NWSL competes with European clubs for players. Though European clubs can entice players with the chance to play in the Champions League and for some of the most storied names in the game, the NWSL can often offer better working conditions.

The Kansas City Current, for example, opened the first purpose-built stadium for a women’s team this season and also has its own practice facility. Expansion team Bay Area FC also has its own practice facility, and the Chicago Red Stars are looking for a site within the city limits where the team could both practice and play.

‘The NWSL prioritized terms to ensure that the league can attract, develop and retain the most talented players in the world,’ Tatjana Haenni, the NWSL’s chief sporting director, said in a statement. ‘Soccer is a uniquely global game with roots in every country, and the new CBA allows us to offer the world’s most elite training and playing environment.’

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Sean Payton has made the decision he wasn’t prepared to announce just a few days earlier.

The Denver Broncos coach on Wednesday revealed that rookie Bo Nix will be the team’s starting quarterback.

Nix, who was the No. 12 pick in April’s NFL draft, completed eight of nine passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s preseason contest against the Green Bay Packers. Still, after the game, Payton was not yet ready to make any proclamations about the quarterback competition that also featured Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.

By Wednesday, Payton no longer saw a need to wait.

‘We’re not in a hurry to arrive at those types of decisions. We want to see it,’ Payton said. ‘And I think it’s important, relative to the team, that we handle it that way. He’s been outstanding.’

All things Broncos: Latest Denver Broncos news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Nix wasn’t informed about the decision until just before Wednesday’s practice.

‘It was really cool,’ Nix said. ‘It’s not every day to get that news. But obviously as a room we’ve been working hard and putting a lot of good things on film, putting a lot of good things on the practice field.’

In taking over for Russell Wilson, who was released after two seasons and left a record $85 million dead-cap hit for Denver, Nix becomes the Broncos’ first rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since John Elway did so in 1983.

‘Obviously, that’s great to share with such a great player like John Elway,’ Nix told reporters. ‘Doesn’t matter when your first start is. Doesn’t matter if you have to wait or you go right now, you just want to go out there and get the win, and ultimately compete at a high level.

As part of record-tying draft class that featured six signal-callers selected in the first round, he will be the third first-year passer set to start in Week 1, joining the Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams and Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.

Nix set a Football Bowl Subdivision record with a 77.4% completion rate at Oregon in 2023 en route to being named a Heisman Trophy finalist. After transferring from Auburn and spending his final two years with the Ducks, he also notched the all-time mark for career starts with 61.

Denver opens its season at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.

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The New York Yankees fired back at a Little League coach who complained that his team didn’t get face time with Aaron Judge at the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Bob Laterza, coach of the Staten Island team, told SILive.com that Judge failed to acknowledge his players during the Yankees’ game against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

“How about turning around or wave to New York and the kids that think you’re a hero?’ Laterza bemoaned. “They are the ones who pay your salary.”

Laterza also was upset that Judge didn’t show up specifically to greet his New York-based team, despite other Yankees players, coaches and alumni getting with his players for one-on-one time.

“They were disappointed,” Laterza said. “Maybe he’ll want to make up for it and come and see them.”

All things Yankees: Latest New York Yankees news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Yankees weren’t too pleased with the coach’s public outburst, releasing a blistering statement that pushed back on Laterza’s claims:

“Win or lose, we intend to invite them to Yankee Stadium. However, it would have been much better if Staten Island’s coach called us to understand the facts before bitterly reacting in such a public fashion. Reaching out to us would have been the prudent way to act and would have set a fine example for his young players. Aaron Judge always acts with kindness and respect.” 

“The coach could learn a lot from him.”

Laterza’s team was eliminated from the Little League World Series with a loss on Tuesday.

Judge and Yankees manager Aaron Boone were asked about Laterza’s comments on Wednesday and chose not to engage.

“I’ve got no response for that,” Judge told reporters, per NJ.com. “I’m not gonna give him a response, because it’s about the kids.”

Said Boone: “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response. Aaron Judge is as good as it gets with everyone.”

Judge interacted with kids and took selfies on the field before the Yankees’ game and spent time in the crowd at one of the LLWS games. The 2022 AL MVP has been known throughout his career as a star who interacts plenty with fans and signs autographs.

“We commend all of our players for devoting their complete attention to the hundreds of kids who literally walked step-by-step alongside them from the moment the Yankees landed in Williamsport through the entirety of the evening,’ the Yankees said in the statement. 

‘Our players were unequivocally committed to making the experience what it was intended to be – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young baseball players and their families from around the world to have meaningful and genuine interaction with some of Major League Baseball’s greatest players.”

Who is Bob Laterza?

Laterza, who has been coaching Little League for over 30 years, has also used his week in the spotlight to dig up a LLWS controversy from 2001 – the age scandal involving pitcher Danny Almonte.

Laterza’s squad lost 13-0 against Almonte’s Bronx-based team in sectionals ahead of that year’s LLWS. The coach claims that he had tried to blow the whistle earlier on the player who turned out to be 14, rather than 12 years old, as uncovered by a later Sports Illustrated investigation.

“I went to everyone,” Laterza told PennLive. “No one would listen.”

According to a 2001 New York Post story, Laterza spent $10,000 on detectives to investigate the Almonte matter and the coach has been quoted as an aggrieved party through the years in retrospective stories.

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According to media reports, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will suspend his presidential campaign as early as Friday and may even endorse former President Donald Trump. But the question remains: will that have any impact on the race? Based on the people I’ve talked to, the answer may well be yes.

I will be honest, in my conversations with voters across this great land of ours, Robert F. Kennedy’s long-shot third party run for president has not come up all that often, but when it does, it is with a very certain kind of undecided voter.

The small group of voters still making up their minds whom I have spoken with are of two distinct varieties. The first and most common are those who like Trump’s policies, say they were better off when he was in the White House, but just don’t like him, on a personal or moral level.

‘I know I’m voting for a president, not a pope,’ one woman told me, a discernible mental anguish on her visage, ‘but it still feels wrong.’

‘They’re both so tied down by money and special interests,’ a couple in San Francisco told me, ‘We need a real outsider.’

Among these voters, nothing RFK, Jr. does is likely to have much impact. But there is another type of undecided voter I have discovered, a group that a scion of the Kennedy clan might have some sway over.

This group simply doesn’t trust that Trump and the Republicans, or Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats are truly capable of bringing about real change.

‘They’re both so tied down by money and special interests,’ a couple in San Francisco told me, ‘We need a real outsider.’

Another voter said to me, ‘what are we even voting for?’

These Americans, a small but significant group, were consistently, and by far the most likely, to bring up RFK Jr. as a voting possibility, even when I never brought him up. And it really has nothing to do with Kennedy’s policy prescriptions.

 

This phenomenon is similar to something almost everyone covering the 2016 primary experienced; a bit of shock when some person in New Hampshire or Iowa would say, ‘for me, it’s between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.’

It seemed bizarre. On the one hand, you had the King of Capitalism, on the other, the Count of Communism, but none of that mattered. These voters just wanted somebody, anybody who was not part of the D.C. cabal.

Eight years later, Trump has lost much of his outsider status. He is now the official and established head of the GOP, a party he no doubt transformed, but now is also firmly part of ‘the system.’

This is where RFK Jr’s potential endorsement of Trump could actually move the needle, especially if it comes with the promise of him serving some role in the administration. 

The pox on both houses that independents want is the transparency that comes from somebody from the outside being on the inside who will tell them the unvarnished truth — and agitate for change.

If Kennedy comes out this week and says he believes Trump is the one who can break up the monotonous monopoly of Washington power, then many of these voters may well pivot to the former president’s side.

There is one other aspect of RFK Jr’s story that has a chance to move the needle. I have not met one Democratic voter who was truly angry about Joe Biden being replaced by Harris without getting any votes.

And when Republicans point this out, they are accused of concern trolling. After all, if Democrats are happy with the outcome, who cares? The GOP, the argument goes, isn’t worried about democracy, but rather that they could now lose.

Kennedy has a legitimate argument to make that he, himself, is an aggrieved party in the DNC shenanigans. It was Kennedy, along with others like Rep. Dean Phillips who called for a fulsome and real primary process and were told by the party to kick rocks.

RFK, Jr’s warnings about Biden’s unpopularity and frailty proved prescient. Now he has the ability to call foul on this process in a way no Republican does.

The Democrats are already starting to come after Kennedy, wrongly claiming he has always been MAGA, but most voters know that isn’t the case. 

In a campaign chock-full of shocking curves and switchbacks, an RFK Jr endorsement of Trump may only be a gentle bend in the road, but it might get Trump just a little bit closer to the finish line.

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Former President Donald Trump’s campaign called out a veiled dig at running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, made by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the Democratic National Convention. 

Walz, who formally accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination Wednesday night, addressed the United Center in Chicago by speaking of his upbringing in the Midwest. 

‘Now, I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people. I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale,’ Walz said, prompting laughter from the audience. ‘But I’ll tell you what. Growing up in a small town like that, you’ll learn how to take care of each other. That that family down the road, they may not think like you do. They may not pray like you do. They may not love like you do. But they’re your neighbors. And you look out for them, and they look out for you.’

The Trump War Room X account posted a clip of Walz’s remark about Yale, where Vance attended law school.

‘Walz: ‘I had 24 kids in my high school class and none of them went to Yale,’’ Trump War Room noted, adding, ‘Weird flex!’ 

Vance is the author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ a memoir about his time as a Yale Law School student reflecting on growing up in Appalachia that was adapted into a Netflix film. In his debut as Trump’s running mate at the Republican National Convention, Vance was open about being raised by his grandmother, whom he described as tough and keeping him away from drugs, and who would barter with the Meals on Wheels volunteers to help feed him growing up. Vance, credited for appealing to working-class Midwesterners in the Rust Belt, also spoke of his mother’s long battle with addiction. She is now nearly 10 years sober. 

Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps right after graduating from high school in Middletown, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University and later Yale Law School. 

Fox News host Martha MacCallum asked Vance to respond to Walz’s reference to Yale, suggesting he was deeming Vance ‘Mr. Fancypants Ivy League.’ 

‘I grew up in a very poor family. I was raised by my grandmother who didn’t graduate from high school, much less from college,’ Vance responded. ‘And I am proud of the fact that she really worked her tail off – she went to her grave fighting to give me opportunities. I’m not ashamed of the fact that my grandmother sacrificed for me, and I was able to live the American Dream. I’m proud of what I accomplished, and, more importantly, I’m proud of all the people who sacrificed in order to give me a better life.’

‘I would think Tim Walz would want to praise people who sacrificed to give their children and grandchildren a better life, not put me down, but I guess this is the political order of the day,’ Vance added. ‘He’s going to attack me. That’s fine. But I’m proud of my family. I’m proud of what they sacrificed to make my life possible.’ 

Walz, by comparison, enlisted in the Army National Guard at age 17 and served for 24 years. 

He has faced recent ‘stolen valor’ attacks from fellow veterans for reportedly opting to retire to run for Congress, while his unit went to Afghanistan months later. 

According to his congressional biography, Walz earned a Bachelor of Science from Chadron State College in Nebraska. The former Minnesota high school teacher is not without Ivy League ties himself. He spent 1989-1990 teaching high school in China as part of a group of government-sanctioned American educators sent to the communist country through a program at Harvard University. 

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USA flag football quarterback Darrell ‘Housh’ Doucette is standing on business.

A few days after he went viral for saying NFL stars won’t be handed spots on the national flag football team when the sport debuts at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Doucette stated why he should still be the quarterback in four years by dissing three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

‘At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,’ Doucette told TMZ Sports. ‘I know he’s right now the best in the league, I know he’s more accurate, I know he has all these intangibles, but when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.’

The 35-year-old said he loves that NFL players want to play the sport in the Olympics, but they should have to try out just like how his current teammates do and they shouldn’t be given roster spots just because of their name. Doucette added there are differences between tackle and flag football and there is a transition. The U.S. flag football team has won each of the last four IFAF Flag Football World Championships and will defend that title this month. Doucette has been part of the national team since 2020.

Patrick Mahomes responds to Darrell ‘Housh’ Doucette comments

It appears Mahomes was surprised by the callout from Doucette. He responded to Doucette’s comments on social media with the viral NSFW 50 Cent reaction from the feud with Floyd Mayweather.

2024 Paris Olympics: Follow USA TODAY’s coverage of the biggest names and stories of the Games.

Mahomes is one of several NFL stars who have expressed interest in playing in the next Summer Games, and it’s been hyped when a commercial shown during the 2024 Paris Olympics showed Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts promoting flag football. That was when Doucette first took issue with the idea of NFL players taking over the roster.

“I think it’s disrespectful that they just automatically assume that they’re able to just join the Olympic team because of the person that they are – they didn’t help grow this game to get to the Olympics,” Doucette said to The Guardian. “Give the guys who helped this game get to where it’s at their respect.”

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There’s no room for price gouging in a ultra-competitive business like retail, Target CEO Brian Cornell said on Wednesday.

In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” the retail chief disputed campaign talking points accusing grocers of inflating prices. He said retailers have to be responsive to customers or risk losing business.

He was asked by CNBC’s Joe Kernen, who referred to comments by Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and asked if Target or its competitors ever benefit from price gouging. Harris last week proposed the first-ever federal ban on “corporate price-gouging in the food and grocery industries,” saying some companies are charging excessively and fueling household inflation.

“We’re in a penny business,” Cornell responded, noting the small profit margins in the retail industry. He described the many places that customers can turn to check for lower prices or to find merchandise elsewhere, from going to stores to browsing on their phones to compare the prices of a gallon of milk at different retailers.

Target’s retail chief made the comments after the discounter beat Wall Street’s expectations for earnings and revenue on Wednesday, but struck a cautious note with its full-year guidance. It said it expects comparable sales, which take out the impact of store openings and closures, to be on the lower side of its range of flat to up 2%. Yet it raised its profit guidance, saying it expects adjusted earnings per share to range from $9 to $9.70, up from the previous outlook of $8.60 and $9.60.Inflation and consumers’ outrage about high prices has continued to loom large for companies like Target. A wide range of retailers, including Home Depot, Walmart and Macy’s, have reported over the past two weeks that cautious consumers are being picky about where they’re spending.

Cornell said on “Squawk Box” that the retailer is trying to appeal to “a consumer who is managing their budget carefully” and said “value is in our DNA.”

Target is one of the consumer brands that has responded to shoppers’ concerns by lowering prices. It cut prices on about 5,000 everyday items, such as diapers and peanut butter, to try to drive higher traffic and sales. Others, such as McDonald’s, have debuted value meals.

So far, those discounts have shown signs of resonating at Target: In the quarter, customer traffic across Target’s stores and website rose 3% — even as shoppers put a little less in their shopping carts than they did a year ago.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said last week that prices have come down in many merchandise categories, but said that inflation “has been more stubborn” in the aisles that carry dry groceries and processed foods.

On an earnings call with investors, he said some brands “are still talking about cost increases, and we’re fighting back on that aggressively because we think prices need to come down.”

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Is the longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman a Hall of Famer?

The 2010 NL MVP finished his 17-year career with a .294 average, .409 OBP, .920 OPS and was one of the most respected players in the game.

Votto made his big-league debut in 2007 after the ‘Steroid Era,’ and was a different type of slugger than the power-hitting first baseman in the generation that preceded him. A Gold Glove winner, Votto topped 30 home runs only three times in his career (2010, 2017, 2021), but was one of the toughest hitters in baseball, leading the NL in on-base percentage seven times in an nine-year span from 2010-2018.

Votto attempted a comeback with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays this season, but struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness after signing a minor-league deal, before ultimately announcing the end of his career.

All things Reds: Latest Cincinnati Reds news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Here’s a look at Votto’s Hall of Fame case:

The case for Joey Votto

Among players with 7,000 career plate appearances, Votto’s .409 on-base percentage is the ninth-best of the integration era (since 1947), trailing six Hall of Famers, Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez. Of the top 15 (including Votto) on that list, 11 are in the Hall of Fame.

While Votto’s home run numbers didn’t stand out every single year, his slugging percentage usually ranked in the top 10, including an NL-best .600 in his 2010 MVP campaign.

Since 2008, Votto ranks first among all batters in walks (1,360), sixth in hits (2,108) and fifth in games played (2,032).

The case against Joey Votto

Votto’s not-particularly-eye-popping counting stats will be used against him when he debuts on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2029. His home run total (356) is going to give voters pause, particularly considering that Votto spent his entire career in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the majors.

Another knock on Votto was that he walked ‘too much’ and might have been better served swinging the bat more often. Votto’s former manager Dusty Baker once said that ‘on-base percentage is good. But RBIs are better.’

In his 17 seasons, Votto topped 80 RBI only eight times – surprising considering his overall prowess at the plate and ever-present spot in the heart of Cincinnati’s order at Great American Ball Park.

Verdict

It may not be on the first ballot, but there’s a better chance than not that Joey Votto gets into the Hall of Fame.

Beloved by all, Votto has an interesting case as a first baseman who didn’t necessarily put up huge power numbers. That said, the Hall of Fame’s bar to entry has seemingly dropped in recent years, with players like Todd Helton, Scott Rolen and Joe Mauer winning induction with less-impressive counting stats than may have been required in the past.

Voted in on his sixth try in 2024, Helton may be the closest modern comparison for Votto. Helton’s overall stats were better – not by much – but Votto had a higher WAR (64.5 to Helton’s 61.8) and the longtime Colorado first baseman had a similar drop-off in power as he got older. Put up against Votto’s numbers, Helton’s early-career exploits must also be considered in the context of the Steroid Era.

The next few years of voting should provide some more insight into Votto’s Hall of Fame prospects with hitters like Ryan Braun (2026) and Buster Posey (2027) set to debut on the ballot, as well as the likely inductions of Andruw Jones (61.6% in 2024) and Carlos Beltran (57.1%).

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With fantasy football draft day right around the corner, it’s time to put the finishing touches on your preseason prep. Oftentimes, chasing the hot rookies and this season’s trendy breakout picks won’t necessarily be the best way to go. So don’t overlook the boring old players and consistently productive veterans who will add more value to a fantasy roster than meets the eye.

TOP 200: Overall player rankings for 2024 fantasy drafts

CHEAT SHEET: How the players stack up at each position

Here are some of the best value picks for the upcoming season (ADPs from all August drafts, courtesy of NFFC):

QUARTERBACK

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (ADP: 133, QB 19): Despite his low placement in drafts to date, Stafford has a wealth of weapons at his disposal. Major losses on the defensive side will also put pressure on the offense to score more.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

RUNNING BACK

Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos (ADP: 90, RB 28): Versatility and talent is clearly there … when healthy. He should be fully recovered from 2022 knee surgery and he’s been impressive so far in camp.

WIDE RECEIVER

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (ADP: 84, WR 39): Now that doctors have finally figured out the issue with his nagging hamstring, Watson has top-15 upside at wide receiver with Jordan Love coming into his own as a passer.

TIGHT END

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (ADP: 260, TE 30): While past his prime, Ertz, 33, knows the system and has a rookie QB who will lean on him heavily. That’s enough to warrant TE2 value.

KICKER

PK Daniel Carlson, Raiders (K 18): Former two-time No. 1 fantasy kicker was uncharacteristically inaccurate last year. He deserves a pass, especially where he’s going in drafts.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

Indianapolis Colts (D/ST 15): Fine value considering the talent and recent success the Colts defense has enjoyed (No. 6 in 2023, top 10 three of the last four years).

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Fresh off breaking the WNBA rookie assists record, Caitlin Clark will lead the Indiana Fever into Minneapolis on Saturday to face the Minnesota Lynx.

Clark topped Ticha Penichero’s rookie record of 225 assists – a mark that had stood for 26 years – in the Fever’s 92-75 home victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday. And she still has 12 more games left in the regular season.

The last time these two teams met, the Fever scored a thrilling 81-74 win over the Lynx on July 14. Clark didn’t shoot the ball particularly well that game, going 5-for-17 from the field. However, she scored 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana came from behind to prevail.

When is Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx game?

Date: Saturday, August 24
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Target Center; Minneapolis, Minnesota

How to watch Caitlin Clark and Fever vs. Lynx

TV: NBA TV

In addition to local TV markets, the Fever-Lynx game will also be available on demand upon its conclusion on WNBA League Pass. Fans can get the WNBA League Pass by downloading the WNBA app.

Caitlin Clark stats last game

Against the Storm, Clark scored 23 points, to go with nine assists, five rebounds, two blocks, one steal and five turnovers. It’s her third consecutive game with at least 20 points. She was 9-for-19 from the field and 3-for-10 on 3-pointers, with all of her made shots outside the arc coming in the second half.

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