CMC involved in Panthers-Pats practice scuffleCMC involved in Panthers-Pats practice scuffle
Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey was involved in a scuffle Wednesday during a joint practice with the Patriots that left a fan injured.
Day: August 17, 2022
Ex-Phils manager Girardi joining Cubs’ TV boothEx-Phils manager Girardi joining Cubs’ TV booth
Joe Girardi has joined Marquee Sports Network as an game analyst for the Cubs, one of his former teams.
Cameron Young tipped to follow Zalatoris’ footsteps at BMW ChampionshipCameron Young tipped to follow Zalatoris’ footsteps at BMW Championship
PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year candidate Cameron Young is pulling the majority of action to win the BMW Championship as bettors believe he can follow in the footsteps of his college teammate Will Zalatoris and win for the first time on TOUR during the FedExCup Playoffs. Former teammates at Wake Forest, Zalatoris and Young have had similar early careers on the TOUR with tremendous success, especially in majors, but until Zalatoris’ win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship a week ago, both were winless. Young, who has golf odds of +2200 for this week’s BMW Championship, is a popular play at the BetMGM online sportsbook for it to be two straight wins for Demon Deacons. As of Wednesday morning, Young is pulling in the most tickets (9.2%) and handle (14.8%). The rookie has also seen his odds change dramatically after opening at +3300. He is the only player in double-digits in terms of handle percentage. Wilmington Country Club will play as a 7,534-yard par 71, which means it will be one of the longer courses of the season. In addition, it has narrow fairways and thick rough, which means this week should favor the longer hitters off the tee. Young enters the week ranked fourth in driving distance, averaging 318.6 yards. Zalatoris had three second place finishes this season before his win in Memphis but the 25-year-old Young boasts five runner up results this season, including at the Open Championship last month. For what it’s worth, Zalatoris has +1600 odds to win and is pulling in 4.3% of the tickets and 5.6% of the handle. Another popular play at BetMGM this week is Collin Morikawa. He is generating the third-most tickets (5.6%) and third-highest handle (7.5%). Although he does not have a win this season, he’s entering the week with some confidence. Morikawa made the second-most birdies (22) at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on the way to a T5. Current Handle & Tickets Handle 1. Cameron Young – 14.8% 2. Scottie Scheffler – 8.4% 3. Collin Morikawa – 7.5% 4. Justin Thomas – 7.3% 5. Jon Rahm – 6.3% Ticket 1. Cameron Young – 9.2% 2. Tony Finau – 5.7% 3. Collin Morikawa – 5.6% 4. Jon Rahm – 4.9% 5. Justin Thomas – 4.8% Former BMW Championship winner Jon Rahm (+1200) is another player trending in the right direction. He finished T-5 last week in Memphis, with all four rounds in the 60s. His length (third in driving distance), should serve him well. Despite Scottie Scheffler (+1600) missing the cut last week, he’s still generating some action with the second-highest handle (8.4%). Although at a different course, Patrick Cantlay is the defending champion. He has +1600 odds to win and is only drawing 2.3% of tickets and 2% of the handle. * Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. BetMGM is available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Paid in free bets. Free bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Minimum deposit required. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, DC, LA, NV, WY, VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (IN, NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), call or text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN) or call 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Sports betting is void where prohibited. Promotional offers not available in Nevada.
Evans Scholar Frank Yocum has local knowledge that supasses TOUR pros at BMW ChampionshipEvans Scholar Frank Yocum has local knowledge that supasses TOUR pros at BMW Championship
Most fans who go to a PGA TOUR event like this week’s BMW Championship have a favorite player to watch. Maybe even get an autograph, too. Frank Yocum is no different. He’s hoping to see major champions like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas, among others, play Wilmington Country Club in the second event of the FedExCup Playoffs. But he won’t just be watching the laser-like approach shots or the delicate chips the pros hit. “I want to almost take notes on how their caddies go about everything,” Yocum explains. “How they take reads on the greens, how they give advice, whether it be the club or how they factor in the wind. “And I want to also learn how quickly they get to know a course, because coming in most of them don’t know Wilmington.” Yocum does, though. For the past five years he has worked as a caddie at Wilmington CC, which is making its FedExCup and PGA TOUR debut this week. He estimates he’s got about 600 rounds looping there under his belt. That course knowledge should make him a valuable resource on Wednesday when he walks inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth and his caddie Michael Greller during the BMW Championship pro-am. Yocum is one of the 1,100 current Evans Scholars chosen by the Western Golf Association, which is the beneficiary of the tournament. The scholarships, which are valued at $125,000, are awarded to hard-working young caddies with financial need and cover full tuition and housing for four years. The program, which was founded in 1930, has 11,815 alumni. “It was a life-changing moment,” Yocum says of opening the letter with the good news. The WGA’s Caddie Academy also stands to benefit from the PGA TOUR’s Charity Challenge, a season-long fantasy competition to help distribute the $100 million the TOUR has earmarked for charities supporting diversity, equity and inclusion over the next 10 years. The tournament leading the competition, the Korn Ferry Tour’s NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank, supports the Academy, as does the BMW Championship, and a win would be worth $100,000. Yocum, who attends Penn State and is studying accounting, grew up in a bustling household. He is a quadruplet with two sisters, Claire and Judy, who are identical, and a brother, Jake, who is fraternal. The girls are attending Penn State, as well, majoring in speech pathology and supply chain management, respectively, while Jake is enrolled at Temple to study business management. “It’s crazy sometimes, but it’s also really great growing up with four people going through the same thing at the same time,” Yocum says. “You always have someone that you can relate with and make that connection. And you always have someone you can count on. “It’s been great having two sisters and a brother. It’s kind of the perfect mix.” The four were born 31 weeks prematurely and the medical bills were high. Their mother Claire had to go to Arizona to see a specialist, and the babies spent a month in the hospital after they were born. The family was able to return home to Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, just across the Delaware border, shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2011. “Imagine getting four kids through all of the security right after 9/11,” Yocum says. “… And then growing up, we had so many different people in and out of the house, just trying to help take care of us because it’s a real hassle.” Putting four kids through college at the same time was another financial challenge That’s why the Platt Evans Scholarship was such a bonus for Yocum, who applied for the grant at the urging of members at Wilmington CC, who also provided letters of recommendation. He had to write an essay and the finalists were then interviewed by WGA representatives. When the letter came, Yocum’s parents, Frank and Claire, held onto it for several days. The big reveal happened on day when Yocum got home after officiating a basketball game and found some friends, his siblings and his grandparents gathered there. “I walked in the house, had some normal conversations and then they put the package in front of me,” Yocum recalls. “And without knowing whether I got it or not, they just said, all right, let’s see. “Luckily, I had received the Evans Scholarship and everyone kind of gave me hugs and went crazy.” Yocum, who played baseball and basketball in high school and calls himself a “striving” golfer, is one of about 100 caddies at Wilmington registered on its app. He has several regular bags and is usually booked at least a week in advance. Caddying has allowed Yocum to bolster his communication skills. He’s learned to be comfortable and confident talking with older members, as well as people with diverse backgrounds and interests. He’s learned the importance of commitment to the job – caddying on hot days or rainy ones when he might rather do something else. “Another thing is adaptation because all golfers are not the same and you have to figure out what that golfer wants,” he says. “And I think that can go into life because not every person’s the same. So, you have to figure out how you’re going to please a specific person and more specifically into business, how you’re trying to please the client. “That’s the adaptation part of it that you have to learn. I think learning these skills early has helped me so much and will help me in the professional world as well.” Yocum caddied for John Carney, the governor of Delaware, at the BMW Championship media day. It was a miserable and rainy day in June but Carney, Yocum and company forged on. “We were one of the only groups that played the complete 18 holes non-stop,” Yocum says. “We played right through the heavy downpour and made our way in. So, I think that was probably the worst weather-wise I’ve been out there.” Yocum also remembers the way he felt when he saw Wilmington CC on Aug. 8, 2020 after a tornado roared through the property. More than 300 trees were uprooted, some falling on greens, and every bunker on the North and South courses was destroyed. “It was so detrimental, but everyone did a great job rallying back and getting the course in it,” Yocum says. “It was a complete mess. I didn’t think that it could ever rebound from it, but in a short time they got it back into great shape.” And Yocum’s best day on a golf course? Well, there are too many to single out. In addition to the governor, he has caddied for club champions at Wilmington, including Buddy Marucci, a two-time Walker Cup captain and the winner 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur. “I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of different, great things with caddying,” Yocum says. “So, I can’t say that there’s one best day because there’s been so many great days.” Something tells us Wednesday with Speith and Greller will make that list, too.
Source: Chargers star James gets historic dealSource: Chargers star James gets historic deal
Derwin James and the Chargers have agreed on a four-year, $76.4 million extension that makes him the highest-paid safety in NFL history, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pick ‘Em Preview: BMW ChampionshipPick ‘Em Preview: BMW Championship
So much for a favorite paying short odds at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The first-place entry was on champion Will Zalatoris at +20000! Hey, it pays to monitor the boards in real time and lock in your selection. At that point, patience and the willpower not to act are your footholds of leverage. Of course, Willy Z’s breakthrough title chased Tom Kim’s own coronation at the Wyndham Championship, and at +12500 no less. Remember, Kim opened his week with a snowman before running away to win by five. When Pick ‘Em Live launched at The Genesis Invitational, we thought that experiences like these would be uncommon, but this is golf. There is no such thing. It all plays. If you ever needed a swing thought or a caddie in your ear, it’s to continue to exploit the possibilities. As the fields shrink in the FedExCup Playoffs, it should be more challenging to hit on longer odds, but we’re going to find out if it even matters. Keep swinging your swing! Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers. For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here. TOURNAMENT TO WIN Rob … Collin Morikawa (+2000) Since I’m unsure how much attention I’m going to be able to give this game during the tournament, I’m opening with the No. 1 in my Power Rankings. This is pretty simple. He’s coming off a very strong performance in Memphis (T5), he’s still in pursuit of his first win of the season (and first in the FedExCup Playoffs) and he devours long, unfamiliar courses. Glass … Sungjae Im (+2500) The timer on the oven went off two weeks ago and whatever is left is burning inside. T2 in the Twin Cities was followed by T2 at Wyndham and he added T12 last week. Making nothing, he painted fairways (T6) and GIR (T8), so all I need is a putter adjustment on a course where nobody has any prior knowledge! TOP 10 Glass … Lucas Herbert (+1100) The formula is simple for the long shots this week. Find the deepest bomber who makes the most putts. Every season there is a player or two who sneaks his way into the top 10, and this course and that skill set makes sense to me. On Wednesday, if necessary, shift accordingly is you can get up that early! Rob … Max Homa (+400) While we don’t have to sweat a cut this week, it was a bit frustrating not visiting an open window on the weekend last week, so I swallowed Russell Henley’s MC. I scored decently overall, so it probably cost me a top-100 finish. And I didn’t think that I was gambling! Homa is in my Power Rankings, but he’s never recorded a top 35 in the Playoffs. No doubt that’s a 0-fer that won’t last forever, so because his fit for Wilmington CC is fantastic, I’ll grab the longer odds while they’re available. I also don’t plan on worrying about the bet unlocking. Win-win; well, win-Top 10! TOP 20 Glass … Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+410) The cut-making machine is fantastic on the greens, so the bigger the greens, the better! Not much value in this category with the reduced field this week, so I’ll take a shot on one of the best putters on TOUR. Rob … J.T. Poston (+220) Like a three-point shooter who can’t miss on the hardwood, he’s been unconscious in recent weeks. Omitting the surprise start at The Open, he’s gone T2-Win-T11-T21-T20. And there were foreshocks of a T3 (Harbour Town) and T9 (TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm). Whenever I happen to catch an open window on the weekends with this bet, I tend to shop in the vicinity of this kickback but given the construct of the tournament and its smaller field, this should be of stronger value, so the plan is to set and forget. ROUND 1 LEADER Glass … Adam Scott (+4500) For the third event in a row, the Aussie has gotten off to a start in the 60s, including 66 last week. We all know he’s making the Presidents Cup regardless, but chasing a carrot to improve on last week’s T5 is the interesting angle. Hit the top 10 last week with two doubles but neither round ended up over par, so something is brewing here. He’s in the sixth of the 34 twosomes on Thursday – everyone goes off No. 1 – so I can adjust throughout the afternoon as long as the window is open, but only – and say it with me now – if necessary! Rob … Corey Conners (+4500) The Canuck goes out four pairings after Glass’ dart, so we’ll have ourselves a real-time race; well, at least HE hopes so! My influence for the FRL always begins with the fact that I’m three hours behind on the clock for TOUR stops on the East Coast. So, the by time I’m coherent on Thursday, Conners should be nearing the turn. That gives me the proper moment to review things and pivot. IF NECESSARY! NOTE: While Glass and Rob typically stick with their selections as detailed in Pick ‘Em Preview, they are allowed the right to make changes at any time.
NBA ‘all-in’ tiers: Who is focused on the present, the future or is stuck in between?NBA ‘all-in’ tiers: Who is focused on the present, the future or is stuck in between?
The NBA is divided into teams going all-in on a title now, teams already playing for draft lottery positioning and teams stuck in the middle. And then there is what the Lakers are doing.
NBA to not schedule any games on Election DayNBA to not schedule any games on Election Day
The NBA on Tuesday announced that it will not hold any games on Nov. 8, as the league opted to instead take Election Day off to encourage fans to vote and to promote nonpartisan civic engagement.
Braves extend Harris, lock in another core partBraves extend Harris, lock in another core part
The 8-year, $72M deal for Braves OF Michael Harris II runs through the 2030 season and includes team options for 2031 ($15 million) and 2032 ($20M).
Braves extend Harris, lock in another young pieceBraves extend Harris, lock in another young piece
The 8-year, $72M deal for Braves OF Michael Harris II runs through the 2030 season and includes team options for 2031 ($15 million) and 2032 ($20M).