📰🏟️ Seahawks’ Twitter scouting
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Good afternoon. Today’s edition brings you the top news from around the sports world. Let’s get right to it.
—Kyle
1) Rays clinch AL East in the Bronx
Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 6-1 in the 2nd game of a doubleheader to clinch the AL East and home-field advantage through the ALCS, with SP Drew Rasmussen carrying a no-hitter into the 7th inning.
- After consecutive 4th-place finishes, Tampa Bay was widely picked to finish last in the AL East this year.
- Instead, they earned the franchise’s 5th division crown and its earliest clinch ever, ensuring a 1st-round postseason bye.
- Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched at least the #2 seed in the NL, guaranteeing them a bye into the NLDS.
Rays shine bright in the Bronx
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Headlines across the sports world
- 🏈🏥 Giants QB Jaxson Dart’s knee injury is reportedly more severe than initially expected, and will require season-ending surgery. | Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks placed on IR and reportedly expected to miss at least 6 weeks following core muscle surgery. | Colts WR Alec Pierce placed on IR after aggravating his surgically repaired left heel.
- ⚾ Los Angeles Queens earn inaugural Women's Pro Baseball League championship with 2-0 win over San Francisco Firebells in a deciding Game 5, as MVP Ayami Sato threw the first complete game and shutout in WPBL history.
- 🙏 Chris Spatola, the ESPN college basketball analyst and former Duke assistant coach, died at 47.
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2) Broncos accused Seahawks of cheating over Twitter scouting
In a new interview, Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald says Broncos HC Sean Payton accused him of cheating after their 2024 opener, after learning the team had studied training-camp footage posted online by Broncos fans.
- Seattle compiled ~100 publicly available plays, which Macdonald says violated no NFL rules, helping the Seahawks win 26-20 in his first game as an NFL head coach.
- Payton reportedly threatened to make the accusation public, thinking Seattle had sent someone to Broncos training camp, while Seattle countered that it would sue over any false claims.
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3) Kawhi signs extension with Toronto Raptors
Superstar F Kawhi Leonard is sticking around for his second stint up north, signing a 2-year, $115M extension with the Raptors that includes a player option for 2028-29.
- Leonard, who took ~$11M less than his maximum extension, now has 3 yrs and $165M remaining with Toronto, which he joined just over a week ago in a trade from the Clippers.
- The 35-year-old averaged a career-high 27.9 PPG last season, and previously led Toronto to its only NBA title in 2019.