Yahoo Sports AM: Nadal’s final stand

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🚨Heads

⚾️ Cooperstown Contenders: Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia are among 14 inductees on the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.

🏀 The show continues: “Inside the NBA” moves to ESPN, where the award-winning show starring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will continue to be produced by TNT Sports.

🏈 QB change: The Giants are moving on from Daniel Jones to Tommy DeVito. Jones will be the third string behind DeVito and Drew Lock.

🏀 The Sixers stink: The 76ers entered the season with championship aspirations. They are now tied with the Wizards for the worst record in the NBA after falling to 2-11.

⚾️ Rookies of the year: Pirates RHP Paul Skenes won NL ROY after a dominant season (11-3, 1.98 ERA); RHP Luis Gil became the 10th Yankee to win AL ROY.

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🎾Gracias, Rafa

Today the quarter finals of the Davis Cup between Spain and the Netherlands (11:00 a.m. ET, Tennis) It could be the last match of Rafael Nadal’s career.

What to watch: According to Spanish press reports, the 38-year-old Nadal will play one of two Spanish singles matches today. He will face world number 80, Botic van de Zandschulp, to start his final professional tournament.

What he says: “In the end I achieved the most important thing for me because this day came and I am at peace with the fact that I gave everything I had,” Nadal said on Monday. Once the humble superstar, he then shifted the focus from himself. “I’m not here to retire. I’m here to help the team win.”

A beautiful friendship: Roger Federer wrote a letter to his old rival and friend and shared it on social media this morning…

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I have a few things to share before I might get emotional.

Let’s start with the obvious: You beat me – a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever imagined just to hold my own. You made me rethink my game – even going so far as to change the size of my racket head, hoping for some advantage.

I’m not very superstitious, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear… And all that with the highest intensity. Secretly I liked it all. Because it was so unique – it was you.

And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.

Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last part of your epic career. We’ll talk when it’s done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who have all played a huge role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will cheer just as hard for whatever you do next.

Read the full letter.

The last eight: The “World Cup of Tennis” consists of eight teams (Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, USA, Australia, Italy, Argentina) who will compete for the 112th Davis Cup this week in Málaga, Spain.

Looking ahead: If Spain wins the best-of-three match (two singles and, if necessary, one doubles), they will advance to the semi-finals and Nadal’s career will be extended by at least a day. If not, this is the end of the road for one of the best to ever do it.

Good reading:Rafael Nadal’s last stand (New Yorker)

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🏈There’s a first time for everything

For the first time in history the Lions are Super Bowl favorites (+325 at BetMGM).

As a reminder: The Lions (debuted in 1930), Browns (1946), Jaguars (1995) and Texans (2002) are the only active NFL franchises to have never appeared in the Super Bowl.

NFL Power Rankings:

1. Lions (9-1)

2. Leaders (9-1)

3. Bills (9-2)

4. Eagles (8-2)

5. Steelers (8-2)

6. Ravens (7-4)

7. Packers (7-3)

8. Commanders (7-4)

9. Cardinals (6-4)

10. Vikings (8-2)

11. Chargers (7-3)

12. Texans (7-4)

13. 49ers (5-5)

14. Broncos (6-5)

15. Falcons (6-5)

16. Buccaneers (4-6)

Full ranking:Teams 17-32

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📸 Photo gallery

Saint Louis — Christian Pulisic (two goals) and the USMNT defeated Jamaica 4-2 to book a place in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Arlington, Texas — Joe Mixon went wild (153 yards, 3 TD) in Houston’s 34-10 win over Dallas. It was the Cowboys’ fifth straight loss and their sixth straight home game in which they trailed by at least 20 points, an NFL record.

Vancouver— The Toronto Argonauts won their record-extending 19th Gray Cup on Sunday, defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 41-24 in the CFL’s 111th championship game.

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⛳️Twins on tour

Identical twins have a moment in professional golf, and no one flies higher than the Danish brothers Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard.

PGA Tour related: Rasmus finished second at the DP World Tour Championship this weekend, earning him a spot on the PGA Tour alongside Nicolai, who is ranked No. 58 in the world and has earned $1.7 million on Tour this season.

The Højgaards are not alone: Rasmus and Nicolai, 23, are just one of at least five identical twins currently playing professional golf.

• Pierceson and Parker Coody, 24, whose grandfather Charles won the 1971 Masters, were both on the PGA Tour this year.

• Jeremy Paul, 30, earned his 2025 PGA Tour card this year on the Korn Ferry Tour, while his brother Yannik failed to earn his on the European Tour.

• Akie and Chisato Iwai, 22, have three wins each on the Japanese LPGA this year and are both ranked in the world top 50.

• Jenny Coleman, 32, made 10 LPGA starts this year, while her sister Kristin never advanced beyond the developmental Epson Tour, the women’s equivalent of the Korn Ferry Tour.

In short: “Identical twins are nothing new in golf – think back to Curtis and Allan Strange – but it’s no longer a new thing,” writes AP’s Doug Ferguson.

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📆 November 19, 2018: Rams 54, Chiefs 51

Six years ago today, the Rams defeated the Chiefs 54-51 on “Monday Night Football” in perhaps the biggest regular season game in NFL history.

Setting the stage: The hype for this matchup was through the roof. Both teams were 9-1, Patrick Mahomes was the MVP frontrunner (and eventual winner) in his first year as starter and it was the first game ever between teams averaging at least 33 points this late in the season. Safe to say it was delivered.

According to the numbers: Mahomes and Jared Goff combined for 925 yards and 11 TDs, while four different players racked up more than 100 scrimmage yards (Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Brandin Cooks, Kareem Hunt).

• Six different players recorded a sack, Aaron Donald forced two fumbles and there were three defensive TDs.

• There were 35 points and four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. It was pure football nirvana.

Explosion points: This is the only game in NFL history in which both teams reached 50 points, and it is one of only five to total 100 points.

The other four:Redskins 72, Giants 41 (1966); Bengals 58, Browns 48 (2004); Raiders 52, Oilers 49 (1963); Saints 52, Giants 49 (2015)

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📺 Watchlist: Cavs go 16-0

The undefeated Cavaliers will put their 15-game winning streak to the test tonight in Boston as they take on the Celtics* (7 p.m. ET, TNT) in one of the six NBA Cup group stage games.

Head to head: The Cavaliers lead the NBA in both points per game (123.7) and offensive rating (122.1), and the Celtics rank second in each category (121.6 and 121.4).

More to watch:

• 🏀 NCAAM: No. 6 Purdue and No. 15 Marquette (9 p.m., FS1)

• 🏒 NHL: Panthers at Jets (8 p.m., ESPN+) …First in the Atlantic vs. first in the Middle East.

• 🏈 NCAAF: Akron, Kent (7 p.m., CBSSN); WMU at CMU (7:30 p.m., ESPN2); Northern Illinois at Miami-Ohio (8 p.m., ESPN) …Tuesday evening MACtion.

• 🏒 Men’s hockey: No. 3 Boston College at No. 11 in Providence (7 p.m., ESPNU)

• 🎾 Daviscup: Spain vs Netherlands (11 a.m., Tennis) … Quarterfinals.

*Rare occurrence: This marks the fourth time ever – and the first time in 29 years – that the defending NBA champions have faced a team on a winning streak of 15 or more games.

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🏀 Lakers Facts

Legendary Lakers coach Pat Riley will have a statue at Star Plaza outside the team’s arena, where he will join longtime broadcaster Chick Hearn, and which six players?

Tip: Three have died in recent years. The other three are still alive.

Answer below.

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🦆 The Ducks fly high

Oregon is the only FBS school still undefeated in football (11-0) and men’s (4-0) and women’s basketball (5-0). Not a bad way for the Ducks to make their Big Ten debut.

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Trivia answer: Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Elgin Baylor

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