Daily Archives: June 29, 2022

The LIV Golf Invitational Series has made its way to the United States.

The second LIV Golf event will take place this week at Pumpkin Ridge outside of Portland, marking the first event inside the United States.

Though the controversy surrounding the new Saudi Arabian-backed venture hasnt died down, it has recruited several more of the sports biggest names in the weeks since the inaugural tournament in London.

Heres everything you need to know for the LIV Golf event in Oregon.

The tournament wont be broadcast on TV anywhere, but it will be streamed for free on LIV Golfs YouTube and Facebook pages, and on LIVGolf.com.

The shotgun start will begin at 4:15 p.m. ET.

Most of the 12 teams will have the same captains that ran teams in the London event. A few, however, have new captains.

4 Aces - Dustin Johnson

Niblicks - Graeme McDowell

Majestics - Lee Westwood

Iron Heads - Kevin Na

Stinger - Louis Oosthuizen

Cleeks - Martin Kaymer

Crushers - Bryson DeChambeau

Hy Flyers - Phil Mickelson

Fire Balls - Sergio Garcia

Smash - Brooks Koepka

Torque - Hideto Tanihara

Punch - Wade Ormsby

Each regular season LIV Golf event has a purse of $25 million.

Of that, $5 million will be split between the top three teams, with the top team receiving $3 million. The remaining $20 million will be split individually, with the first place winner earning $4 million and the last place finisher receiving $120,000.

By comparison, The Players Championship offers a purse of $20 million, which is the most in any single event on PGA Tour outside of the Tour Championship.

There are several big names joining the event this week in Oregon.

Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Abraham Ancer will all be competing. That group adds significant credibility to the new league considering where they all stand in the Official World Golf Rankings. The league now has eight players inside the top-40 in the OWGR, thanks to the four new additions.

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Matthew Wolff, Eugenio Chacarra and Carlos Ortiz joined the series on Monday too.

Dustin Johnson is still the highest-ranking player in the world at No. 17, though hes followed closely behind by Koepka at No. 19. DeChambeau enters at No. 31, and Reed is No. 39.

Those rankings are sure to get worse as the weeks go by, however, as the LIV events arent eligible for any points in the rankings.

LIV Golf has made its way to the United States. Here's everything you need to know before the tournament at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon. (Steve Dykes/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

The London event was held without much issue. While very few golfers were willing to address the sportswashing accusations head on, and the event averaged fewer than 100,000 viewers in each round, Charl Schwartzel took home the first title of the season.

The PGA Tour is holding the John Deere Classic this week at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. Most of the big names on Tour are sitting this week out ahead of the Scottish Open and the British Open in the coming weeks.

As far as the field in Oregon, the PGA Tour will suspend the new players indefinitely once they tee off on Thursday.

While the league is pushing forward, local officials arent happy about it.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden called out the league, and directly cited a former hit-and-run case in the state in 2016 while doing so. A Saudi Arabian student was facing a first-degree murder charge after the death of Fallon Smart, but he vanished after a tracking device was removed something the U.S. government thinks the Saudi Arabian government was behind.

Its wrong to be silent when Saudi Arabia tries to cleanse blood-stained hands, in the fight for Oregonians to get justice Fallon Smart was killed very close to our house in Southeast Portland, and the person charged with the crime, a hit-and-run death, was, based on all the evidence, whisked out of the country by the Saudis before he stood for trial, Wyden said.

North Plains, Oregon, mayor Teri Lenahan was one of 10 local mayors who wrote a letter officially opposing the tournament too. Pumpkin Ridge sits just west of Portland in North Plains, which has a population of less than 4,000 people.

We oppose this event because it is being sponsored by a repressive government whose human rights abuses are documented. We refuse to support these abuses by complicity allowing the Saudi-backed organization to play in our backyard, the letter read.

We believe that we have a moral obligation to take a stand and speak out against this event in order to protect the people we serve. While our local jurisdictions may not be able to prevent this event, we stand together to voice our concerns about the unwelcomed potential risks, visitors and harm this event could have on our communities.

See more here:

How to watch the second LIV Golf tournament in Oregon - Yahoo Sports

Urban Meyer was the worst head-coaching hire in NFL history.

Here's where some feel the need to point out other bad hires. Yes, Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz and Bobby Petrino were bad. And none of them, or any other failure you want to name, was worse than Meyer.

Meyer was a unique combination: atrocious on the field while also bringing immense shame to the franchise off the field. Meyer started making terrible decisions days after he was hired, and it never stopped. It would be fun to recount the dozens of incredibly bad moments from the Meyer era, but this preview is about the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hopefully Jacksonville has cleaned up the mess from last season.

It cant get worse than what weve been through here, Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen said, according to the Associated Press.

It's hard to properly project the Jaguars this season because last season was so toxic. The Jaguars were 3-14 and earned the first overall pick of the draft. None of those players could have thrived in such a stunningly dysfunctional environment.

The Jaguars need to quickly put that in the past because it would be a shame if they wasted another year with Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence has to feel like this is his rookie season. It must have seemed last year like he wasn't even in the NFL, with a head coach who was more interested in staying behind in Ohio and hanging out at bars after a loss than making his team better. At one point Lawrence had to question why Meyer made the inexplicable decision to bench top running back James Robinson. Not many rookie quarterbacks have to be the adult in the room.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is hoping for bigger things in his second season. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Lawrence didn't have a great team around him either. Lawrence was one of the most hyped prospects in NFL history, but stuck with a disaster of a head coach and a team that couldn't help him. He had a bad season, and it can't all be blamed on Meyer. Lawrence missed way too many easy throws and had too many costly mistakes. But of all the 2021 Jaguars who were held back due to an incompetent coach, Lawrence tops the list. Hopefully there is no long-term damage. A stellar performance by Lawrence in a Week 18 upset win over the Indianapolis Colts provides hope.

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"I dont want to say anything, you never know whats around the corner, but I really do feel like Ive been through more than a lot of people can say theyve been through in their first season," Lawrence said, according to the Florida Times-Union.

The Jaguars hired a former NFL quarterback to help develop Lawrence. Doug Pederson, who once outcoached Bill Belichick to win a Super Bowl, is the Jaguars' new head coach. Pederson's time with the Philadelphia Eagles went sour in a hurry. A lot of the shine has come off Pederson since that Super Bowl. But he's unquestionably an upgrade, and his experience as a QB and a coach will help Lawrence. That's crucial.

The Jaguars are probably going to post another losing season. The roster still has plenty of holes. One safe prediction remains about the 2022 Jaguars: It will be better than last season.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

The Jaguars overpaid for everyone. The contract given to Christian Kirk $72 million over four years for a receiver with no 1,000-yard seasons and four 100-yard games in four NFL seasons was so egregious it completely changed the receiver market in the NFL. Even if there's an argument that the contract didn't look so bad once the details were revealed, it's one of the biggest overpays in recent history. Maybe ever. It's questionable how much Kirk will even help Trevor Lawrence. Signing Brandon Scherff, an elite guard, will help an offensive line that needed it. But he wasn't cheap either: $49.5 million over three years. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (three years, $45 million), defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (three years, $30 million), cornerback Darious Williams (three years, $30 million) and receiver Zay Jones (three years, $24 million) were all severely overpaid. But the Jaguars must have felt they needed to pay a tax to land anyone, and those player are all upgrades. The draft brought top overall pick Travon Walker, whose selection will be questioned if it doesn't work out, and linebacker Devin Lloyd in the first round. More offensive line help might have been better than a combine superstar with little college production or an off-the-ball linebacker. Luke Fortner, a third-round pick, could end up replacing retired Brandon Linder at center. It's not that the Jaguars didn't upgrade the roster. They did. But the costs involved were shocking.

GRADE: B-minus

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

If you want to be optimistic that Trevor Lawrence will take a huge leap in year two prospects graded as high as Lawrence rarely bust then rewatch the season finale against the Colts. All of a sudden, Lawrence looked like a star. From the first drive of the game he was in control. He made multiple third-down throws on that drive that some NFL veterans couldn't make. He made the right decisions from the first drive throughout the game. Then he had the highlight of his rookie year, bringing in a bad snap and buying time to find Marvin Jones on a beautiful touchdown throw.

The Jaguars kept the Colts from the playoffs with an upset win, and Lawrence was the best player in that game. He threw for 223 yards, two touchdowns and had a 111.8 passer rating. That was the game in which Lawrence finally looked like he was worth all the hype. It was a great way to enter the offseason.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

The Jaguars' win total at BetMGM is 6.5, and there are reasons to believe they can hit the over. Even if you don't love Doug Pederson, the upgrade from Meyer to Pederson (or to any professional, really) is massive. Going from the worst coach in NFL history to a former Super Bowl winner should be worth a few wins. Trevor Lawrence will be better and the roster is upgraded, even if the Jaguars overpaid for all the upgrades. A 7-10 season is possible.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Travis Etienne had a washout rookie year, suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury in August. But at least the injury is far in the rearview mirror, and Etienne is on track to be ready to start 2022 on time. The new Jacksonville coaching staff was impressed with Etiennes work during June workouts, and lets not forget Etienne was a star at Clemson and a first-round draft choice.

"The Jaguars dont have much running back depth, especially if James Robinson has a sluggish return from his Achilles injury. And unlike Etienne, Robinson doesnt have time on his side his injury occurred in December. With Urban Meyer mercifully gone and Trevor Lawrence almost certain to improve in his second year, the Jaguars offense likely takes a modest step forward this year. Etienne is far from a sure thing, but hes an exciting pass-catcher and a capable runner, even if no one really considers him a true bell cow. Hash it all together and Etienne looks like an interesting option in early Yahoo drafts, with a reasonable ADP of 54.5."

[Create or join a Yahoo fantasy football league now!]

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

Simply put, Travon Walker wasn't as good as Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux in college. Maybe that will mean nothing in the NFL, but it also can't be ignored. Walker had 13 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in three college seasons at Georgia. He had a lot of competition for tackles on a stacked Bulldogs defense, but you'd still like to see more out of a top overall pick. Hutchinson was second in the Heisman Trophy voting last season. Thibodeaux had nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss as a freshman alone. The Jaguars took Walker, who was awesome at the combine, ahead of both pass rushers, two elite offensive tackles and a pair or top-end cornerbacks too. Walker's athletic profile is intriguing and it could work out great for the Jaguars, but there will be plenty of scrutiny over the next few years regarding that decision.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

One of the most telling quotes of the offseason came from Khan, the Jaguars owner. He said, in regards to Urban Meyer, "When you lose the respect, the trust and an issue of truthfulness, how can you work with someone like that?" That quote said more about Khan than Meyer. Khan was the one who hired Meyer, despite many unflattering stories about Meyer at Florida and Ohio State. The hire was questionable from the start, but Khan couldn't see that. He's the one responsible for the worst head-coaching hire in NFL history, and he resisted firing Meyer until he had no choice, long after everyone else realized Meyer needed to go. The Jaguars are 42-119 since Khan became owner. We put owners in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for "their record," so Khan should be judged by his record too. He has long been accused of being an absentee owner, and the results don't lie. His decision to keep GM Trent Baalke was widely criticized, and could turn out to be another mistake from the owner. Jaguars fans deserve better than a stretch of 10 double-digit losing seasons in 11 years. That failure starts at the top.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

It's hard to predict big things for a team as bad as the Jaguars were last season. Yet, their three wins were against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Colts. That's not bad. They have a quarterback who could take a massive leap. They had an enormous upgrade at head coach. There are some good young players like pass rusher Josh Allen, and perhaps running back Travis Etienne can take off in his second year after missing his rookie season due to a foot injury. The schedule is much easier this season. If you simply erase everything about the 2021 Jaguars because their head coach was aggressively making them worse at every turn, you can see a team that could be pretty good. If we're talking absolute best-case scenario, maybe Trevor Lawrence is an MVP candidate and the Jaguars are in the playoff hunt. There's a reason Lawrence had such a high grade coming out of Clemson. If he plays 17 times like he did against the Colts in last season's finale, the NFL will have a new star quarterback.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

Trevor Lawrence was bad for most of last season. He had valid excuses, especially since he was a rookie, but Urban Meyer wasn't the one airmailing easy passes. There were times last season Lawrence looked nothing like a generational prospect. When you land a Lawrence, you expect greatness for a decade or more. If Lawrence looks lost again, the Jaguars might start worrying. Jacksonville can lose a lot of games, Travon Walker can look like a bad pick and the Jaguars might feel they wasted a lot of money on all those free-agent additions, but all that really matters this season is Lawrence's development.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

I believe in Trevor Lawrence. He's too good to fail. With a better situation last season, we might view him like we did Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert coming into their second seasons. Lawrence is about to make a pretty big leap and that can carry the Jaguars up the standings. The AFC will be too tough for the Jaguars to make the playoffs, but they'll look like a different team, Lawrence will establish himself as a future star and things will be looking up in Jacksonville for the first time in a while.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

32. Houston Texans 31. Atlanta Falcons30. New York Giants

The rest is here:

2022 NFL Preview: Jaguars try to remove the stink of the disastrous Urban Meyer era - Yahoo Sports

For many high school female students, sports are a way to remain active, play alongside friends and possibly support their families at the professional level in the future. This month marked 50 years since the landmark federal law Title IX helped women across the country receive a fair chance in athletics, increasing access to perks usually reserved to men. These benefits certainly leveled the playing field, but did they enhance the chances of Black and Brown student-athletes?

Reilyn Turner is the exception to that statement. The sophomore forward on the UCLA womens soccer team is a force in the Pac-12 and became the first college student-athlete to sign a sponsorship deal with Nike.

"As an advocate for women in sports and equality, Nike having those same values is really important to me," Turner told Yahoo Sports. "I know they're going to push the boundaries the same way I want to in professional career on and off the pitch."

Half a century later, Title IX remains undeniably significant. However, Black girls routinely still endure some form of disparity; the 37-world legislation makes no mention of race in its language. Title IX followed other monumental measures rooted in equal opportunity. The Civil Rights Act became law eight years prior and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 forbid discriminatory voting practices. Why couldn't the same energy be kept for Black competitors?

According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls are withdrawing from sports at two times the rate of boys at the age of 14. Factors like cost and transportation are primary contributors, but the nonprofit also notes the lack of role models for young women. As someone who credits her parents and older sister for instilling a competitive spirit early on, Turner, who is half Black and half Mexican, wants to leverage her influence to encourage young women of color that a career in sports is attainable, regardless of whether you were raised with and athletic mindset or not.

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"With Title IX, I think it's so important to strive for equality between men and women in sports. As an African American and Mexican American woman, really trying to be that representation for younger kids that have the same background as me is a real privilege. It's easier for them to see their goals as achievable when they see someone that looks like them doing the same thing."

UCLA soccer player Reilyn Turner is one of many Black, Brown and Native female athletes who are paving the way for future generations in the net 50 years of Title IX. (Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Many of the athletics expanded after the Title IX agreement rowing, swimming and lacrosse, for example were not as readily accessible to Black women in 1972, perhaps even today. U.S. womens national team (USWNT) winger Crystal Dunn told Yahoo Sports in August 2020 about her own experience playing in a "middle-class sport."

"Youre basically the only one on the pitch until you play on a college team. Although its getting better, I think where we really dropped the ball was at the youth level. In our country, soccer is pretty much a middle-class sport, compared to overseas where you dont need to invest a lot of money for your child to play. Thank goodness I had parents who were financially able to finance my participation in a traveling club where I would be seen by top recruiters."

Madison Hammond, defender for the NWSL's Angel City FC, told Yahoo Sports that during her time with the OL Reign, she participated in an exercise that examined the individual players privilege. As prompts like "Did you grow up in a two-parent household" and "Could you afford to attend college without a scholarship?" were asked, Reign players were instructed to step forward. After all 10 questions, it was a moment of reflection for the 24-year-old Nike athlete.

"Every single person that participated were also Black and Brown, and that moment was extremely eye-opening for me," Hammond recalled. "We're all on the same team together, but I have a teammate who didn't take any steps forward and then there's another who took all 10. Yet, you're still somehow supposed to reach the same goals and accumulate similar awards. Your starting point is much different than the woman next to you. You're a pro, you're at the same level and you might have made it, but many don't realize the sacrifices we all have to make to get to this position."

Hammond understands the influence she has as a Native American and Black female player, and her message to younger women is ingrained in recognizing her impact doesnt have to be made on the pitch. Women can make a sizable difference across all sectors of sport.

Madison Hammond, now with Angel City FC, knows her impact on the game goes beyond just the playing field. (Jane Gershovich/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Hammond and Turner both credit Nike for encouraging them to openly discuss these topics. As the first Native American player in the NWSL, Hammond is an ambassador of Nike's N7 program. The focus of N7 is to shine a light on Native American and Indigenous athletes and figures across North America. Title IX encourages women to play as their authentic selves, and that's what Hammond intends to do for the entirety of her career.

By 2025, Nike also plans to reach a target goal of 50% girl participation worldwide in all sport-based community programs funded by the Made to Play commitment. That includes recruiting more female coaches and developing gender-inclusive programs that are tailored specifically toward individuals of all fitness levels. The mission promotes sport as creative, inclusive and unlimited in possibility. In the company's words, "If you have a body, you are an athlete."

Fifty years may have passed, but Title IX is still young at heart. As we enter the next half century, filled with Black, Brown and Indigenous players leveraging their platform for societal changes, theres a confidence among women in sports that barriers will be broken and an equal playing field will be achieved for all women, no matter their race.

Read this article:

Title IX: How the next generation of Black and Brown athletes are taking action to champion more diversity in sport - Yahoo Sports