👟 Axios Sports: TrackTown USA

Plus: All-Star legacies in the MLB draft | Friday, July 15, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios Sports By Jeff Tracy · Jul 15, 2022 👋 Good morning! Kendall's got the day off, but he'll be back on Monday. Today's word count: 1,877 words (7-minutes) Let's sports...     1 big thing: 👟 TrackTown USA welcomes the world Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images   The 18th Track and Field World Championships begin today at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field, the largest track and field-specific stadium in North America and the birthplace of Nike. Why it matters: This is the first time the sport's most prestigious non-Olympic event has ever been held on U.S. soil. Not a bad place to make its debut. The backdrop: The iconic venue in Eugene — a city known as TrackTown USA — has never looked better nor provided a better viewing experience for fans. Its $270 million renovation, unveiled in 2020, pushed the lowest tier of seats closer to the track and packed a majority of seating around the finish line to build energy at the end of races. After a fanless 2020 and a tame 2021, this year has been the new field's coming out party, hosting the Prefontaine Classic, NCAA Championships, Nike Outdoor Nationals, U.S. Track Championships and now the worlds, all since late May. What to watch: Nearly 2,000 athletes from almost 200 countries will descend on Hayward for the next 10 days to compete in 49 events. A few storylines to follow: Farewell, Felix: Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete ever, is retiring after this season. She'll compete in just one event, the 4x400 mixed relay. 400m hurdle studs: American Sydney McLaughlin has broken the world record three times in the past 13 months ... Norway's Karsten Warholm could become the first person to win this event at three consecutive worlds. Budding rivalry: Americans Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton finished 3-4 in the 200m at the 2020 Olympics and 1-2 last month at nationals. Time for round three. Visa issues: Nearly 100 international athletes and officials are still trying to get to Oregon due to an overly complicated visa process. "This is ridiculous!" said American sprinting legend Michael Johnson. How to watch: NBC, USA, CNBC and Peacock will air 43 hours of coverage over the next 10 days. Go deeper: Ukraine's athletes "protect their country on the track" (LA Times)     2. ⛳️ Tiger's tough day at The Open Photo: Charlie Crowhurst/R&A/R&A via Getty Images   Tiger Woods' first round at The Open Championship didn't exactly go as planned, carding a six-over 78 with five bogeys, two doubles and just three birdies. Why it matters: That was tied for the eighth-worst round of the day and matched the worst score of his career at St. Andrews, his "favorite course" where he won the 2000 and 2005 Open Championships. He didn't have much time to recover after his late round, either: His second round began just 12 hours later at 5am ET on Friday. As of 7:23am ET, he's faring better in round two (+1 through eight holes, +7 overall), but he's got some work to do if he wants to reach the projected cut line of +2. Where it stands: 25-year-old rookie Cameron Young (-8) led after 18 holes, firing the lowest first-round score in a player's inaugural Open Championship since 1934. He tees off at 8:26am ET Friday. Roughly half the field has already begun round two, and as with Thursday, the morning groups are taking advantage of prime conditions. Leaderboard. Six golfers, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (-7 through 14) and LIV's Dustin Johnson (-7 through 15), have climbed to -6 or better Rory McIlroy — the pre-tournament favorite to win who tees off at 9:59am — is also at -6. Go deeper: 📚 Read: Everything you need to know about round two (ESPN) 🎥 Watch: Ian Poulter's 160-foot eagle putt (Twitter) 🎥 Watch: Si Woo Kim holes out from the "Road Hole bunker" (Twitter)     3. 🇷🇺 Griner hearings: Still no verdict At today's hearing, her second in two days, Brittney Griner holds up a photo of WNBA All-Stars wearing her jersey. Photo: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images   Brittney Griner's third hearing ended without a verdict on Thursday, when the basketball star finally saw some familiar faces in a courtroom outside Moscow. Driving the news: Evgeniya Belyakova and Maxim Ryabkov, the captain and GM of Griner's Russian basketball team, respectively, testified on her behalf during the hearing. "Our task today was to tell the court about her characteristics as an athlete, as a person," said Ryabkov. "About how she played a big role in the success of [our club] and Russian women's basketball as a whole." This was believed to be Griner's first in-person contact with anyone she knows (outside of her legal team) since her Feb. 17 arrest. Between the lines: Griner, who pled guilty to drug charges a week ago, faces up to 10 years in prison. She said she never intended to break the law — that she left the cannabis oil-filled vape cartridges in her luggage accidentally. Her defense team hopes that the plea, plus Thursday's character witnesses, will yield a more lenient sentence. The backdrop: This comes amid a growing din stateside to bring Griner home. But Russian officials warn that the case's increased spotlight — and criticism of Russia's legal system — can only hurt Griner's cause. What they're saying: "We advise [U.S. authorities] to abandon futile attempts to pressure us," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Zakharova added that "it is generally premature to discuss any options for her return home," until the trial ends, which Griner's lawyers don't expect to happen until at least early August. What's next: A fourth hearing was held early Friday morning, during which Griner's lawyers presented evidence that her cannabis was medically prescribed "for chronic pain and other conditions." The trial will resume on July 26. Go deeper: Griner's story has always transcended sport (The Guardian)     A message from Axios Say more with less.     Axios' founders wrote a book to share their methods for punching through the noise to get people to pay attention to what matters most. Learn the transformative communication style behind Axios to apply it to your own life. Pre-order today at SmartBrevity.com and get an exclusive video guide.     4. ⚡️ Lightning round Source: Giphy 💵 Record revenue (x2): The NFL's national revenue of $11 billion last season was 12% higher than its previous record in 2020, and the NBA surpassed $10 billion in revenue last season for the first time ever. ⚾️ Fastest throw: Pirates rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz unleashed a 97.8 mph throw to get the out at first. That's the fastest throw by an infielder in the Statcast era (2015). 🏒 Most lucrative day: NHL players signed $919 million worth of contracts on Wednesday, the most ever for a single day in league history. Free agency tracker. 💉 94%: 34 of the 36 (94%) unvaccinated MLB players who've been barred from entering Canada this season hail from the U.S. That includes all 10 Royals missing from this weekend's series in Toronto.     5. ⚾️ MLB Draft: All-Star legacies Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photo: Rob Leiter (Stringer), J. Meric. (Stringer), Stephen Dunn/Getty Images   The sons of three former All-Stars headline this year's MLB Draft in Los Angeles, where the red-hot Orioles are on the clock with the first pick on Sunday night (7pm ET, ESPN). State of play: Druw Jones (son of 5x All-Star Andruw Jones) is the potential No. 1 pick, Jackson Holliday (7x, Matt Holliday) could go No. 2 and Justin Crawford (4x, Carl Crawford) may sneak into the top 10. All three are high-schoolers. Jones (Norcross, Ga.): Like his father, Jones is an exceptional centerfielder with tons of pop and 30/30 (homers/steals) potential. No. 1 prospect, per CBS Sports. Holliday (Stillwater, Okla.): Unlike his father — a massive outfielder with 316 career HR — Holliday is a skinny shortstop who rarely strikes out and profiles as more of a doubles hitter. No. 3 prospect. Crawford (Las Vegas): Another apple that didn't fall far from the tree, Crawford is a speedy outfielder without much power and an even better glove than his dad. No. 17 prospect. Notes: Draft order: 1. Orioles, 2. Diamondbacks, 3. Rangers, 4. Pirates, 5. Nationals. Full draft order. Rocker's back: Kumar Rocker, the former Vanderbilt ace whom the Mets drafted last year 10th overall but did not sign, has looked strong playing independent ball and again projects as a first rounder. NIL's impact: Some players may land bigger signing bonuses from teams hoping to lure them away from college NIL money. Go deeper: Best tools among draft prospects (MLB)     6. ⚾️ The most productive MLB jersey numbers Photo: Robert Sabo/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images   Derek Jeter retired eight years ago, but his influence remains — among many other places — on the backs of jerseys across the league. Driving the news: Ahead of Monday's premiere of ESPN's Jeter docuseries, "The Captain," ESPN analyzed MLB players' production by jersey number. Turns out, players wearing Jeter's No. 2 were worth more wins above replacement than those wearing any other number from 2005-21. Why 2005? That was halfway through Jeter's 20-year career, by which point younger players had begun emulating the future Hall of Famer by wearing his number. By the numbers: Here are the five most productive jersey numbers worn by at least 100 players between 2005-21: No. 2: 543.4 WAR by 148 players (led by Troy Tulowitzki's 48.8 WAR) No. 28: 472.7 WAR, 183 players (Buster Posey, 44.8) No. 13: 452.1 WAR, 143 players (Alex Rodriguez, 46.5) No. 22: 446.2 WAR, 179 players (Clayton Kershaw, 72.2) No. 11: 379.7 WAR, 132 players (Brett Gardner, 44.4) Dive deeper.     7. 🌎 The world in photos Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images ALPE D'HUEZ, France — Two-time defending champ Tadej Pogačar couldn't catch Tour de France leader Jonas Vingegaard on the Alpe d'Huez's iconic climb. He remains 2 minutes and 22 seconds behind. What's next: The race returns to a flat stage (13 of 21) today for the first time in 12 days. Photo: Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images MONTERREY, Mexico — The USWNT blanked Costa Rica on Thursday, 3-0, to reach the CONCACAF Women's Championship final on Monday against Canada. Why it matters: Whoever wins the final qualifies for the 2024 Olympics. Photo: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images ARLINGTON, Texas — The Mariners erased a four-run deficit on Thursday to win their 11th straight game, the second-longest streak in franchise history. 🎥 Watch: Game-winning hit (Twitter)     8. 📺 Watchlist: 64 teams, $1 million Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   The 9th edition of The Basketball Tournament tips off on Saturday, including games at Harlem's Rucker Park — one of eight regionals and TBT's first-ever outdoor venue. How it works: 64 teams, comprising mostly college alums, play a single-elimination tournament for $1 million. Games feature nine-minute quarters until the fourth, when they employ the Elam Ending. Weekend schedule: Six games each at the Rucker Park and Omaha regionals (Sat.-Sun. ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN3). More to watch: ⛳️ PGA: The Open Championship (Fri.-Sun. USA/NBC) 🚴🏼‍♂️ Tour de France: Stages 13-15 (Fri.-Sun. USA/Peacock) 👟 Track & Field: World Championships (Fri.-Sun. USA/NBC/CNBC/Peacock) 🥍 PLL: All-Star Game (Sat. 3:30pm, ESPN) ⚾️ MLB: Diamondbacks at Padres (Fri. 9:40pm, Apple TV+); Red Sox at Yankees (Sat. 7pm, Fox); Royals at Blue Jays (Sun. 12pm, Peacock) ⚾️ MLB Draft: Round 1 (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) 🏀 WNBA: Seven games (Fri.-Sun. CBSSN/ABC/Prime/Facebook) 🏀 NBA Summer League: Seven games (Fri. ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN3) ⚽️ MLS: Atlanta vs. Orlando (Sun. 3pm, ABC); Red Bulls vs. NYC FC (Sun. 5pm, ESPN); Columbus vs. Cincinnati (Sun. 8pm, FS1) ⚽️ NWSL: Five games (Fri.-Sun. Paramount+/Twitch) ⚽️ Women's Euro: Six games (Fri.-Sun. ESPN2) 🏁 NASCAR: Ambetter 301 in New Hampshire (Sun. 3pm, USA) 🌎 The World Games: Days 8-10 (Fri.-Sun. Olympics.com) … Closing ceremony is on Sunday. 🏒 3ICE: Week 5 (Sat. 3pm, CBSSN) 🏀 BIG3: Week 5 (Sun. 3pm, CBS)     9. 🏈 NFL trivia Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images   The Bears are the only team ever to draft two future Hall of Famers in the first round. Question: Who were they? Hint: 1965 draft (which was held in November 1964) Submitted by: Kevin V. (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) Answer at the bottom.     10. ⚾️ 1 futile thing: Ohtani needs help Photo: John McCoy/Getty Images   The Angels lost to the Astros on Thursday, 3-2. Why it matters: That was their 11th consecutive loss in a game started by anyone not named Shohei Ohtani, who's gone 3-0 in that span: Ohtani starts: 3-0, +12 run differential Everyone else: 0-11, -36 run differential The big picture: The Angels are 39-51 and eight games out of the third Wild Card spot despite Ohtani's sterling record: 9-4, 2.38 ERA. Get this man some help.     A message from Axios Say more with less.     Axios' founders wrote a book to share their methods for punching through the noise to get people to pay attention to what matters most. Learn the transformative communication style behind Axios to apply it to your own life. Pre-order today at SmartBrevity.com and get an exclusive video guide.   Have a great weekend, Jeff "Who else wants to try a dirt beer?" Tracy Trivia answer: Dick Butkus (3rd overall) and Gale Sayers (4th) 🙏 Thanks for reading. Follow us on Twitter: @kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy. Tell your friends to sign up. Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 300 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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