Axios Sports

July 27, 2023
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Today's word count: 1,503 words (6 minutes).
Let's sports...
1 big thing: ⚾️ Pre-deadline power rankings


The Braves and Orioles remain atop our power rankings, sporting their leagues' best records with just over one-third of the season remaining, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.
By the numbers: Below, a look at the top five teams across a selection of batting, pitching and fielding statistics...
Batting:
- Average: Rangers (.275), Braves (.266), Red Sox (.266), Marlins (.263), Blue Jays (.262)
- OPS*: Braves (.823), Rangers (.807), Dodgers (.790), Angels (.780), Rays/Red Sox (.771)
- HR: Braves (188), Dodgers (166), Angels (155), Rays (150), Rangers (144)
- Runs: Rangers (605), Dodgers (570), Braves (554), Rays (545), Red Sox (516)
- Steals: Reds (119), Rays (117), Diamondbacks (102), Athletics (101), Cubs (87)
Pitching:
- Starter ERA: Rays (3.67), Padres (3.75), Twins (3.80), Astros (3.81), Rangers (3.84)
- Bullpen ERA: Yankees (3.20), Guardians (3.54), Braves (3.54), Red Sox (3.68), Mariners (3.71)
- Strikeouts: Twins (1,006), White Sox (987), Blue Jays (979), Marlins (971), Astros/Rays (945)
- Saves: Giants (39), Reds (39), Blue Jays (35), Orioles (34), Brewers (34)
Fielding:
- Fielding percentage: Diamondbacks (.990), Padres (.989), Rays (.989), Orioles (.989), Cardinals (.989)
- Defensive runs saved**: Blue Jays (46), Rangers (41), Brewers (38), Twins (27), Rays (25)
*On-base plus slugging percentage
**A catchall statistic that accounts for things like range, errors and outfield arm strength.
2. ⚽️ USA 1, Netherlands 1
Lindsey Horan scores on a header to tie the game in the 62nd minute. Photo: Robin Alam/USSF/Getty Images
The USWNT and the Netherlands tied 1-1 in their Group E tilt on Thursday in New Zealand, ending the Americans' streak of 13 straight World Cup wins.
- The Netherlands struck first in the 19th minute, marking the first time the U.S. trailed in a World Cup match since 2011 against Brazil.
- USWNT captain Lindsey Horan tied it up with a header in the 62nd minute off a corner from Rose Lavelle.
Of note: This was the first time the two finalists from the previous Women's World Cup met in the group stage in the following tournament.
State of play: The two teams sit atop Group E with one match left, but the U.S. holds the advantage with more goals (four vs. two). They both play Tuesday, with the U.S. facing Portugal and the Netherlands facing Vietnam.
While you were sleeping … Portugal beat Vietnam, 2-0, eliminating the Southeast Asian side from contention. Australia and Nigeria kicked off at 6am ET, if you want to catch the end on FS1.
3. 💵 Harris and Blitzer: A growing empire
Josh Harris and David Blitzer after taking ownership of the Devils in 2013. Photo: Andy Marlin/Getty Images
Now that the Commanders deal has closed, here's a look at the growing empire of Josh Harris, David Blitzer and their joint holding company, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, via Sportico.
- Harris: Commanders (NFL), Steelers* (NFL), Crystal Palace (EPL)
- Blitzer: Commanders, Steelers*, Crystal Palace, Guardians (MLB), Real Salt Lake (MLS), Utah Royals (NWSL), AD Alcorcón (Spanish soccer), S.K. Beveren (Belgian soccer), ADO Den Haag (Dutch soccer), Brøndby IF (Danish soccer), FC Augsburg (German soccer), G.D. Estoril Praia (Portuguese soccer)
- HBSE: 76ers (NBA), Devils (NHL), Delaware Blue Coats (G League), Utica Comets (AHL), Joe Gibbs Racing (NASCAR)
State of play: Harris is calling the shots in D.C., making him the public face of a unique turnaround opportunity. Blitzer owns equity in all five major North American leagues.
The backdrop: Both men are private equity investors, with Blitzer hailing from Blackstone and Harris from Apollo, which he co-founded in 1990.
- Blitzer's net worth: $1.9 billion (via Forbes)
- Harris' net worth: $6.6 billion (via Forbes)
*They must sell their stakes in the Steelers following the purchase of the Commanders, in accordance with NFL ownership rules.
4. ⚡️ Lightning round
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Ronald Martinez, Sarah Stier/Getty Images
⚾️ Ohtani's staying put: The Angels put the Shohei Ohtani trade rumors to rest by trading for White Sox starter Lucas Giolito. The Halos, who haven't made the postseason since 2014, are four games out of a wild card spot.
🎓 Buffs on the move: Colorado is nearing a move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12, where it was a member from 1996-2010. An announcement could come as soon as today.
🏈 Rodgers takes pay cut: Aaron Rodgers has agreed to a new two-year, $75 million deal with the Jets, essentially taking a $35 million pay cut so New York can keep more talent around him.
🥁 Band of the Year: ESPN will present the inaugural Band of the Year National Championship this December in Atlanta, pitting the top two HBCU marching bands against each other. Makes me want to watch "Drumline."
🏒 What a birthday present: The Hurricanes signed center Sebastian Aho to an eight-year, $78 million extension on Wednesday, his 26th birthday. Fun reminder: He's not the only active NHL player named Sebastian Aho.
5. 📆 July 27, 1996: Atlanta bombing

27 years ago today, three pipe bombs were detonated at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Summer Games, killing two and injuring 111.
- Centennial Park was designed as the Olympics' "town square," and on the night of July 26, it hosted a concert with thousands in attendance.
- American terrorist Eric Rudolph planted his bombs in a bag under a bench near the sound stage, and they were detonated at 1:20am local time.
The falsely accused: Security guard Richard Jewell found the bag before it detonated and alerted the authorities, who began evacuating the area.
- Unfortunately, the explosion occurred before the evacuation was complete.
- Despite Jewell's heroism, he spent 88 days being scrutinized by the public as a "person of interest" before his name was cleared.
The aftermath: Rudolph carried out three more bombings, killing one and injuring six, before he was arrested in 2003. He's currently serving four consecutive life sentences in prison.
🎬 Trailer: "Richard Jewell" (2019)
6. 🌎 The world in photos

PERTH, Australia — Ireland's first-ever goal at the Women's World Cup was a beaut, with captain Katie McCabe scoring an Olimpico (curling in a corner kick) in the fourth minute. Canada answered with two goals to capture a 2-1 win.

FUKOUKA, Japan — Chase Williams of Team USA dives deep to escape the carnage during a water polo match against Hungary at the World Aquatics Championships.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Panthers made it official on Wednesday, naming No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young their starting QB. The season begins in 42 days.
7. 📺 Watchlist: The fourth major
Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
The Evian Championship, the fourth of five women's majors, got underway this morning at Evian Resort Golf Club in eastern France (Peacock/Golf).
- The course: Like the Masters, this is the only women's major played at the same venue every year. And many golfers aren't fond of the course that has been called quirky and unfair, per NYT.
- By the numbers: Don't expect an upset. Since the Evian became a major in 2013, eight of nine winners have been ranked in the top 20 at the time of their victory.
More to watch:
- ⚽️ Women's World Cup: Argentina vs. South Africa (8pm, FS1) … Both need a win after dropping their first game.
- ⛳️ PGA: 3M Open (7:45am, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf/Peacock) … The penultimate regular-season tournament is at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn.
- ⚾️ MLB: Nationals at Mets or Cubs at Cardinals (7:30pm, MLB)
- 🏀 WNBA: Fever at Sparks (3:30pm, NBA); Dream at Liberty (7pm, Prime)
- ⚽️ Friendly: Juventus vs. AC Milan (10:30pm, ESPN+) … American star Christian Pulisic will play his second game for Milan, in Los Angeles.
- ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Four games (8-10pm, Apple TV) … Two games in the MLS-Liga MX tournament are free to watch.
- 🏀 The Basketball Tournament: Four games (6-9pm, ESPN+) … One week left in the 64-team tournament for $1 million.
8. 🏓 The Ocho: Movable ping-pong

Who said ping-pong has to be played on a stationary table?
State of play: In the latest video from Pongfinity, the Finnish ping-pong YouTubers experimented with a table split in half and set on wheels.
- The result was a shockingly competent game given teammates were moving their half of the table to give their partner's shot a landing spot.
- Other videos include testing their ping-pong skills against a soccer goalie, playing on an outdoor table made of ice and attaching a paddle to a drone for a remote-controlled game.
9. 🎙️ Commish trivia
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman (L) and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in 2015. Photo: Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images
Rob Manfred, who began his tenure as MLB commissioner in 2015, has officially been extended through the 2028 season.
Question: Can you rank the active Big Five commissioners by tenure (longest to shortest)?
They are:
- ⚾️ MLB: Manfred
- 🏀 NBA: Adam Silver
- 🏈 NFL: Roger Goodell
- 🏒 NHL: Gary Bettman
- ⚽️ MLS: Don Garber
Hint: Two took office in the 1990s, one in the 2000s and two in the 2010s.
Answer at the bottom.
10. 🌎 1 fun thing: Sports Under 150
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Immaculate Grid has gotten most of the attention among recent online sports-centric games, but just as fun and far more addicting is Sports Under 150, Jeff writes.
How it works: Each round, you're given a static list of 10 sports and a randomly rotating list of 10 countries, and your job is to select the sport you think that country is ranked highest in (men's or women's).
- The sports: Basketball, baseball, badminton, cricket, hockey, gymnastics, rugby, soccer, tennis and volleyball.
- The goal: A cumulative ranking of under 150 for those 10 countries' teams.
For example: Serbia just came up first so I selected basketball (men are ranked No. 6), followed by Pakistan, for which I took cricket (men, No. 4). At 10 total (6+4), I would hope for no more than 140 cumulatively across my final eight pairings.
Talk tomorrow,
Kendall "Click here if you want to stay friends" Baker
Trivia answer: Gary Bettman, NHL (1993); Don Garber, MLS (1999); Roger Goodell, NFL (2006); Adam Silver, NBA (2014); Manfred (2015).
🙏 Thanks for reading! Follow us for more (@kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy). Friends can sign up here. Thanks to Matt Piper for copy edits.
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