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Good morning! Speak out loud today.
While You Were Sleeping: Buckle up
Most of my day yesterday saw playoff baseball on my TV in the background. It was righteous. Glorious, even, as every game — even the most lopsided contest — had moments of intense drama in late innings. This is what we ask for as fans, and what MLB dreams of in these scenarios.
It’s far from over, too. Let’s recap quickly with an eye to the future:
We should start in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers were the only team to clinch a two-game wild-card sweep yesterday. The defending World Series champs won 8-4 but survived a bases-loaded situation with no outs in the top of the eighth inning. Things were tense. The Dodgers advance to play the Phillies in what should be our best Division Series. Sign me up.
Elsewhere, parity. The Yankees quite literally slid past the Red Sox, 4-3, forcing a third game in what’s been a nervy series. Cleveland’s offense finally came alive in the Guardians’ 6-1 win over the Tigers. Manny Machado powered the Padres past the Cubs to stave off elimination. All great games.
Those final three matchups will play elimination games today. Hooray for us. Moving on:
Speechless: Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and more Browns nonsense
I cannot believe we are still talking about the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation. On one hand, there is a legitimate reason to do so: The Browns benched veteran QB Joe Flacco yesterday in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. It’s a quick hook for the 40-year-old Flacco, but the Browns’ defense is good enough to warrant at least giving this season a shot with a fresh arm.
On the other hand, there is simply fatigue, which was destined to set in the moment this franchise drafted Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the same class. Any situation featuring Sanders, the polarizing prospect who happens to be a third-stringer at this point, would invite media chaos.
Yesterday’s news — and the subsequent hoopla — was a perfect example of the latter. Let’s go for full context:
Last week, Sanders said in an interview that he’s “ready to play right now,” which roiled some folks, including ESPN’s Rex Ryan. The former Jets coach said Monday that “something’s missing” with Sanders and the young QB “talks and runs his mouth.” I thought it was a little overblown, but whatever.
Sanders clearly caught Ryan’s screed. In an interaction that can only be described as bizarre, Sanders only mouthed words while talking to reporters yesterday in the Browns locker room while being asked about the QB change. Yes, he moved his mouth without actually speaking, which was apparently a response to Ryan’s comments. Lord.
Exhausting, right? I do believe Sanders, 23, gets a bit of a raw deal when it comes to the national narrative, but his response yesterday left me reconsidering the notion. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski can’t be thrilled that his third-string QB is becoming a distraction.
Read the full story on this charade, which includes video. It’s all just another chapter in the Browns’ unfortunate QB history, which Saad Yousuf fully detailed this morning.
Let’s keep talking:
News to Know
FIFA reveals World Cup prices
Before yesterday, ticket prices for next year’s World Cup matches were a closely guarded secret. A select group of fans has learned details now, though, as winners of the first ticket lottery. A few of those compatriots were kind enough to share details with The Athletic: Some tickets are as low as $60 for group-stage matches, while tickets to the World Cup final start at $2,030 and peak at $6,370. See the full lineup here.
More news
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Pulse Polls: Another one, please
We are crushing the reader bet segment. If we keep winning, I might have to include a separate reader-bet calculation at the end of the year. Let’s keep it going this weekend:
Giants and Saints UNDER 41.5, which leads our NFL best bets this week
Cowboys and Jets OVER 47, because Dallas is just special that way
Florida (+7) vs. Texas, if you want to lean in on Arch Manning skepticism
Vote here:
What to Watch
📺 NFL: 49ers at Rams
8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video
A divisional matchup between coaches intimately familiar with each other, with early-season stakes? I’m in. Logic says the Rams roll here, particularly with how depleted the Niners are, but I won’t count out San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan at all. This should be a great game.
📺 MLB: Tigers at Guardians
3:08 p.m. ET on ESPN
Thus starts our glorious day of elimination baseball. See the full slate here. I’m pumped.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
I’m really enjoying our F1 Origin Stories series. Today’s entry focuses on Giuseppe “Nino” Farina, F1’s first champion and “speed-loving Italian doctor” with a complicated history.
Brody Miller scored an exclusive interview with PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague, who vowed to “do better” in the wake of the Ryder Cup crowd scandal.
Dane Brugler picked his NFL All-Rookie team so far, which was harder than he expected.
The NFL unveiled soccer-style kits for all 32 teams, which I hate to say I really loved. Ajay Rose ranked every uniform.
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia is the aged king of college football right now, a 24-year-old Heisman contender armed with an NCAA eligibility waiver. Others in his situation weren’t so lucky.
John Hollinger picked his “hinge” players for the upcoming NBA season, fringe guys who can make big impacts. See his list here and feel smarter afterward.
Sean McIndoe predicted the entire 2025-26 NHL season in the way only he can. We’ll have more on hockey soon.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Tom Watson’s comments on the Ryder Cup crowds. This story clearly struck a nerve.
Most-read on the website yesterday: MLB wild-card live blog.
(Top photo: Ishika Samant / Getty Images)