June 7, 2022
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The Avalanche became the first team to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals thanks in large part to star defenseman Cale Makar. The 23-year-old recorded five points in Game 4 against the Oilers — the most ever by a blue-liner in a series clincher.
Could Dustin Johnson’s PGA Snub Shift Golf’s Power Balance? [[link removed]]
Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Dustin Johnson has cast his lot with the LIV Golf Invitational Series — and he’s helping set some pretty big precedents for participation.
On Tuesday [[link removed]], Johnson officially resigned from the PGA Tour ahead of the Saudi-backed tournament’s premiere event in London this weekend.
After signing with LIV Golf last week for a reported [[link removed]] $125 million, Johnson’s Tour resignation — and any impending exits for other golfers who follow suit — could have major ramifications for the sport’s balance of power.
The departing golfers are ineligible to play on the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams; Johnson said he hopes the rules change in the future.But the LIV golfers’ lack of PGA membership would not bar them from majors.There will be $225M in prize money available for the entire LIV season, including $25M for each of the seven regular-season events and $4M for winning.The PGA Tour’s largest purse is the Players Championships’ $20M and $3.6M for a win.
LIV will also take earning pressure off individuals, as captains will draft a new squad for each event — Johnson was named [[link removed]] captain of the 4 Aces team for this weekend.
Phil Mickelson — LIV’s biggest name alongside Johnson and another team captain — is reportedly [[link removed]] being paid around $200 million to join the league.
Several high-profile golfers, including Tiger Woods [[link removed]] and Rory McIlroy, have spurned LIV’s invitation — but if it’s successful, the series’ money and novel format will surely tempt others to abandon the Tour.
Rams Make Aaron Donald Highest-Paid Non-QB Ever [[link removed]]
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Rams want to run it back with their Super Bowl squad — and are clearly prepared to pay the price.
After making Sean McVay the highest-paid coach in the NFL ($15-18M) and re-signing QB Matt Stafford for $160 million, Los Angeles has made Aaron Donald the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.
The 31-year-old restructured his contract to guarantee $65 million over the next two seasons and $95 million through 2024 — a historic raise for a player making more history with each passing season.
Donald’s new deal represents a $40M raise over the last three years of his existing contract — he’s the first non-quarterback to eclipse $30M per season. His current contract is structured so that he can either retire or return in 2024 — for a guaranteed $30M.He’s an eight-time Pro-Bowler, seven-time All-Pro, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and his 98 sacks [[link removed]] and 665 QB pressures are each the most [[link removed]] of any player since his 2014 debut.
It’s been quite a week for Donald, who also signed up with Kanye West’s sports marketing agency, Donda Sports.
The reigning champs haven’t stopped spending this offseason — before this latest double-down, the Rams added star WR Allen Robinson on a three-year, $46.5 million contract.
So far, the recent moves haven’t moved the needle for oddsmakers. The Rams still share the third-best Super Bowl odds (+1000) with the Chiefs and Packers, who all trail the Bills (+600) and Buccaneers (+700).
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Angels Spent $191M And Got A Franchise-Worst Losing Streak [[link removed]]
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Angels have one of the highest payrolls in MLB — and a 12-game losing streak to show for it.
Los Angeles (27-29) continued its freefall in the AL West standings Monday with a loss to the Red Sox in Anaheim, tying their previous all-time losing streak. On May 25, the Angels were a season-best 10 games over .500 and stalking the Astros for first place — now, they’re 8.5 games behind Houston.
While little has gone right at the plate or on the mound, the struggles of Mike Trout have stood out. The second-highest-paid player in MLB ($37.1M) accounts for a staggering 19.5% of the Angels’ $191 million payroll (8th MLB).
The three-time MVP snapped a career-low 0-for-26 skid with a single on Monday and has hit .114 with 17 strikeouts during the team’s slide.Since the Angels’ last victory on May 24, Trout’s average has dropped from .328 to .276.The Angels have been outscored 78-35 during the 12-game skid and seen their run differential go from +48 to +10.
Injuries to Anthony Rendon and early-season MVP Taylor Ward, along with a slow start by reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, have hindered the run production — but the Angels’ pitching hasn’t been much better, allowing four-plus runs in 10 of the 12 defeats.
Bookmakers haven’t completely abandoned ship, but the Angels (+4500) still have only the 15th-best odds to win their first World Series since 2002.
Making Headlines
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Niners’ star WR Deebo Samuel is “expected” to attend the team’s mandatory minicamp today; Samuel told [[link removed]] ESPN that he formally requested a trade from the team back in April.
Golf: Tiger Woods announced [[link removed]] that he will not play in next week’s U.S. Open, “as my body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf”; the 46-year-old said he plans to play in the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland on July 4-5 and the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews from July 14-17.
NBA: Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said he “desperately” wanted head coach Quin Snyder to return; Snyder stepped down after eight seasons in Utah.
NHL: The Bruins fired head coach Bruce Cassidy; in six seasons, Cassidy went 245-108-46 and led Boston to the postseason each campaign. Also: The Canadiens hired four-time Olympic medalist Marie-Philip Poulin as player development consultant.
College Softball: With a 6-5 comeback win against Oklahoma State, Texas became the first unseeded team ever to advance to the WCWS championship series; they’ll face 1-seed Oklahoma.
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Written by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]], Anthony Puccio [[link removed]], Chris Kuc [[link removed]] Edited by Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]
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