Rockies' season has nowhere to go but up

1 big thing: So you're saying there's a chance

Colorado Rockies players C.J. Cron, Alan Trejo, Ezequiel Tovar and Ryan McMahon high-five.

2. A season of change

Illustration of a pitcher delivering a pitch with a stopwatch counting down in the background.

3. Take me out to the ball game

Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger opens arms wide in front of a baseball field in Scottsdale, Ariz. during spring training. 

4. National League preview

👋 Hello, Saturday! Take us out to the ball game.

Axios sports writers Jeff Tracy and Kendall Baker make a special Denver appearance to welcome us to baseball season.

Sign up for Axios Sports to get national sports drives in your inbox daily (think "SportsCenter" in an email).

⚾️ The good news is the Rockies can only exceed expectations this year.

Today's newsletter is 1,161 words— a 4.5-minute read.

Thanks to editor Holly Moore and copy editor Bill Kole, who's a Red Sox fan (sorry.)

Denver

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Denver.

Axios Denver

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1 big thing: 💵 Five years later

2. 🏀 Celts advance behind Tatum's record night

3. ⚽️ Snapshot: European soccer's homestretch

4. ⚡️ Lightning round

5. ⚾️ Stat du jour: Greinke K's 1,000th batter

6. 🇺🇸 Photos across America

7. 🌎 Photos around the world

8. 📺 Watchlist: Game 7 in Dallas

9. 🏀 WNBA trivia

10. 🍿 Top plays: Weekend edition

👋 Good morning! Thanks for letting me guide you through this past weekend in sports. Kendall will be back in the captain's seat tomorrow.

Today's word count: 1,922 words (7 minutes)

🙏 Thanks for reading! Follow us for more (@kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy). Friends can sign up here. Thanks to Matt Piper for copy edits.

Sports

Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world

Axios Sports

Walk-off drama in baseball's College World Series

1 big thing: ⚾️ Walk-off in Omaha

NBA draft roundup: Wembanyama era begins

2. 🏀 Draft night in Brooklyn

3. ⚾️ Acuña, Ohtani voted in as All-Star starters

Illustration of a hand dusting off home plate to reveal a star

5. ⛳️ Rory's first ace

6. ⚾️ Pic du jour: Ryan's gem

joe ryan getting water bucket dumped on him

7. 📺 Watchlist: CWS final

8. 🚜 The Ocho: Combine demolition derby

9. ⚾️ MLB trivia

10. 🎾 1 loud thing: Tennis' top grunters

🎉 Happy Friday! Last night we got the college baseball game of the year and this weekend we get the CWS final. What a time to be alive.

Note: Kendall's off today, but he'll be back on Monday.

Today's word count: 1,932 words (7 minutes).

Trivia answer: Braves (founded in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings), Pirates (1882, as the Alleghenys), Reds (1882, as the Cincinnati Red Stockings)

Twins TV broadcast safe … until it’s not

1 big thing: Baseball blackouts

2. 💰 A trip to Target Field is a deal

3. 🗞️ ICYMI: News from the Twin Cities

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Axios sports writers Jeff Tracy and Kendall Baker here, pitching you the latest  news for Major League Baseball's season-opening weekend.

Sign up for Axios Sports to get national sports drives in your inbox daily (think “SportsCenter” in an email).

This newsletter is 477 words — a 2-minute read.

This newsletter was edited by Emma Way and copy edited by James Gilzow.

Twin Cities

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting the Twin Cities.

Axios Twin Cities

This weekend, golf's a team sport

1 big thing: ⛳️ This weekend, golf's a team sport

2. 🏒 Leafs bounce back

3. ⚽️ MLS quarter-season snapshot

5. ⚾️ Bumgarner's out in Arizona

6. 🎙️ Calling games in the pitch clock era

7. 📸 Pic du jour: One win away

8. 📺 Watchlist: So many playoff games

10. 🏀 1 sneaker thing: Unwritten rules

🎉 Happy Friday! You made it. And have no fear — Kendall's off today, but he'll be back Monday.

Today's word count: 2,112 words (8 minutes)

National

The Women's World Cup begins in just two days, and for the first time in the tournament's 32-year history, every team has a base camp for their month-plus stay in Australia or New Zealand.

Details: Base camps, which have long been part of the men's World Cup, are a combination of a hotel and training facility, providing a home away from home during the tournament.

That's a major upgrade over past editions where teams changed cities and facilities every few days.

There are 16 base camps in Australia and another 16 in New Zealand, one for each of the record 32 teams playing in the ninth Women's World Cup.

Between the lines: The U.S. has a uniquely impressive base camp in Auckland, New Zealand, that features two training fields and a fully tented "village."

"It's great," Megan Rapinoe told The Equalizer ($). "Obviously, beautiful pitch. We have the whole setup and a really nice gym, hotel's bomb."

"We're spoiled here. We feel good and comfortable, so excited to get this thing going."

The big picture: The addition of base camps is another example of the women's game getting closer to parity with the men's.

Prize money is also way up, with every player guaranteed a minimum of $30,000.

The total bonus pool is $110 million, up from $30 million in 2019.

Women's World Cup teams now all have base camps

In the past, teams changed cities and facilities every few days.

USWNT keeper Aubrey Kingsbury trains at the team's base camp in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo: Brad Smith/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

The Women&#x27;s World Cup begins in just two days, and for the first time in the tournament&#x27;s 32-year history, every team has a base camp for their month-plus stay in Australia or New Zealand.Details: Base camps, which have long been part of the men&#x27;s World Cup, are a combination of a hotel and training facility, providing a home away from home during the tournament.

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

At long last, the Women's World Cup has arrived.

Details: The ninth edition is the first to feature 32 teams (up from 24). It's also the first held in the Southern Hemisphere and across two nations, with Australia and New Zealand co-hosting.

Venues: Games will be played at 10 venues. Groups A, C, E and G will play at four stadiums in New Zealand and Groups B, D, F and H will play at six in Australia.

How to watch: All 64 games will air on either Fox or FS1. Due to the time difference, the majority of matches will be on between midnight and 6am ET.

The favorites in each group, per FanDuel:

Norway (-280, Group A): They're only ranked 12th in the world, but with two of the top six players, per ESPN (Caroline Graham Hansen, Ada Hegerberg), they've got the talent to make a run.

Australia (-185, Group B): Speaking of talent, No. 1 on that list is Sam Kerr, who hopes to help the Matildas join the USWNT as the only teams to win the title on their home soil.

Spain (-440, Group C): Can two-time reigning Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who only recently returned from a torn ACL, galvanize a team that's embroiled in a civil war against its coach and federation?

England (-850, Group D): Despite a spate of unfortunate injuries, the Lionesses are among the favorites to dethrone the U.S. after winning their first European championship last year.

United States (-310, Group E): The Americans hope to become the first team (men or women) to win three consecutive World Cups. They'll also say farewell to Megan Rapinoe, 38, playing in her fourth and final tournament.

France (-170, Group F): Just in case you haven't seen this incredible ad for the women's team, please watch it.

Sweden (-370, Group G): Despite being ranked third in the world and winning silver at the Tokyo Olympics, they have just the seventh-best odds to win it all. Major dark horse potential.

Germany (-1000, Group H): They've never missed a World Cup, never failed to advance out of the group stage and are the only team aside from the USWNT with multiple titles.

1 fun thing: Soccer teams all have nicknames, but some are better than others. Here are our five favorites…

🇻🇳 Vietnam: Golden Star Women Warriors

🇭🇹 Haiti: Les Grenadières ("The Soldiers")

Women's World Cup preview: U.S. goes for three straight

All 64 games will air on either Fox or FS1.

At long last, the Women&#x27;s World Cup has arrived.Details: The ninth edition is the first to feature 32 teams (up from 24). It&#x27;s also the first held in the Southern Hemisphere and across two nations, with Australia and New Zealand co-hosting.

Goals have been hard come by five days into the inaugural 32-team Women's World Cup.

State of play: Both teams have scored in just one of the first 14 games: Sweden's 2-1 win over South Africa. Otherwise, there have been two scoreless draws and 11 shutouts, including six 1-0 wins.

Day 1: New Zealand 1, Norway 0; Australia 1, Ireland 0; Nigeria 0, Canada 0

Day 2: USA 3, Vietnam 0; Spain 3, Costa Rica 0; Switzerland 2, Philippines 0

Day 3: Japan 5, Zambia 0; England 1, Haiti 0; Denmark 1, China 0

Day 4: Netherlands 1, Portugal 0; France 0, Jamaica 0, Sweden 2, South Africa 1

Day 5: Germany 6, Morocco 0; Italy 1, Argentina 0

The intrigue: Much of those struggles have come from the World Cup newcomers.

Seven have played — Philippines, Ireland, Zambia, Haiti, Vietnam, Portugal and Morocco — and none have won, nor even scored a goal.

Panama is the only debutant that hasn't completed a match yet: They kicked off against Brazil at 7am ET on Monday morning. 

Huge ratings: The USWNT's opener averaged 5.3 million viewers on Fox, making it the second-most-watched group stage game ever on an English-language telecast.

Morocco's historic debut: Though they lost to heavily favored Germany, Morocco still made history as the first North African and Arab nation to play in the Women's World Cup. 

The gap is closing: Haiti's 1-0 loss to England, Jamaica's stunning draw with France and New Zealand's upset win over Norway are early examples of a promising new reality in women's soccer: The gap between top teams and the field is closing.

Women's World Cup: Where are all the goals?

Both teams have scored in just one of the first 14 games.

The USWNT authored one of the 13 shutouts or scoreless draws so far in the Women’s World Cup. Photo: Brad Smith/USSF/Getty Images

The plight of the NFL running back

No Super Bowl-winning team since 2013 has paid its leading rusher more than $2.5 million.

Illustration of football player with giant NFL tag attached to him

There&#x27;s no two ways about it: It&#x27;s not a good time to be an National Football League running back.Driving the news: The franchise tag deadline passed on Monday, and all three running backs who were tagged — Saquon Barkley (New York Giants), Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders) and Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys) — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="failed to agree" data-vars-click-url="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38025139/no-deals-tagged-rbs-saquon-barkley-josh-jacobs-tony-pollard" data-vars-content-id="c0b90e20-04f4-4fd7-bf74-39c1d3cb7603" data-vars-headline="The plight of the NFL running back" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38025139/no-deals-tagged-rbs-saquon-barkley-josh-jacobs-tony-pollard" target="_blank">failed to agree</a> to long-term contracts with their teams.

The Paris Olympics begin one year from Wednesday, and the clock is ticking to prepare the beautiful — and filthy — River Seine for its big moment.

State of play: The Seine will not only host swimming events for both the Olympics and Paralympics, but also the opening ceremony, which for the first time ever will not be held in a stadium. Instead, each nation's delegation will be ferried down the river.

Yes, but: The City of Love's central waterway is in desperate need of a major cleanup, overrun by pollution for so long that civilians haven't been allowed to swim in it since 1923.

Such a cleanup was discussed for decades to no avail, but Paris' successful Olympic bid provided the spark required to kickstart the plan that has now been underway for years.

This boat has traveled the Seine for 40 years to remove garbage from the river at the heart of a city whose greater metropolitan area is home to 11 million people. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Details: The $1.5 billion project is focused on decreasing the river's bacteria levels to an acceptable standard by limiting the amount of untreated water that's dumped into it.

For example, heavy rains overwhelm the city's outdated sewage system, so a series of tunnels and storage facilities were built to prevent filthy runoff from flowing directly into the river before it's treated.

Another major project involved workers knocking on more than 20,000 doors in hopes of accessing and retrofitting old pipes that no longer properly connect to the sewage system.

So far, it's working: In samples taken last summer, the water quality was overwhelmingly "good," per AP. There's even been a return of various fish species that had been unable to survive there before this process began.

An empty boat travels the river during a test event for next summer's opening ceremony. Photo: Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images

Looking ahead: Every Olympic host is charged with leaving a lasting legacy, and one of Paris 2024's major contributions will be giving the city back its river.

Nearly two dozen swimming areas for civilian use are expected to open by summer 2025, a century after swimming was banned due to pollution.

"I learned to swim as a child in the Marne [the Seine's upstream tributary]," a 70-year-old Parisian told NYT. "I would be very happy to swim again there."

Swimming could return to River Seine for Paris 2024 Olympics after century-long ban

One of next year's Games' major contributions will be giving the city back its river.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Paris Olympics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/21/paris-olympics-scandal-french-organizing-committee" data-vars-content-id="da6cac84-e6ab-474b-9741-6f5f3fa5b9e4" data-vars-headline="Swimming could return to River Seine for Paris 2024 Olympics after century-long ban" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/21/paris-olympics-scandal-french-organizing-committee" target="_self">Paris Olympics</a> begin one year from Wednesday, and the clock is ticking to prepare the beautiful — and filthy — River Seine for its big moment.State of play: The Seine will not only host swimming events for both the Olympics and Paralympics, but also the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="opening ceremony" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/sports-europe-paris-2020-tokyo-olympics-tony-estanguet-adfd0b3be5068d2211050a5a85bf52aa" data-vars-content-id="da6cac84-e6ab-474b-9741-6f5f3fa5b9e4" data-vars-headline="Swimming could return to River Seine for Paris 2024 Olympics after century-long ban" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-europe-paris-2020-tokyo-olympics-tony-estanguet-adfd0b3be5068d2211050a5a85bf52aa" target="_blank">opening ceremony</a>, which for the first time ever will not be held in a stadium. Instead, each nation&#x27;s delegation will be ferried down the river.

Jeff Tracy

Stories

Swimming could return to River Seine for Paris 2024 Olympics after century-long ban

Women's World Cup: Where are all the goals?

The plight of the NFL running back

Women's World Cup preview: U.S. goes for three straight

Women's World Cup teams now all have base camps

Newsletter editions

⚾️ Axios Sports: Walk-off in Omaha

💵 Axios Sports: Five years later

⛳️ Axios Sports: Golf's a team sport

⚾️ No deal

⚾️ Change of base