| | | | | | | | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker · Oct 04, 2022 | | 👋 Happy Tuesday! For the first time since 2011, the Phillies are playoff-bound. Today's word count: 1,858 words (7 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: ⚽️ Report details NWSL abuse |  | | | Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Joe Robbins/ISI Photos/Getty Images | | | | Sexual misconduct and verbal and emotional abuse had "become systematic" in the National Women's Soccer League, according to a highly anticipated report released Monday, Axios' Erin Doherty writes. Why it matters: The report details numerous instances of abuse across the league, vicious coaching tactics and a repeated failure by team executives and the league to respond to reports of abuse. Our investigation has revealed a league in which ... verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct ... had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims. Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players. Between the lines: Included in the report is a previously undisclosed 2021 encounter between then NWSL player Erin Simon and Christy Holly, the male former head coach for Racing Louisville FC. - "When she arrived, she recalls Holly opened his laptop and began the game film," per the report. The coach then told Simon that he was going to touch her for every bad pass.
- "Simon reports that he pushed his hands down her pants and up her shirt ... The video ended, and she left. When her teammate picked her up to drive home, Simon broke down crying."
The big picture: The report comes a year after NWSL players began speaking out about cases of harassment and abuse, often at the hands of male coaches. - What followed was a reckoning across the league, with games canceled, the league's commissioner stepping down, multiple coaches fired and players refusing to take the field.
- U.S. Soccer commissioned Sally Q. Yates, a former deputy attorney general, and the law firm King & Spalding last year to investigate the league after the allegations of sexual and verbal abuse surfaced.
What they're saying: "The verbal and emotional abuse players describe in the NWSL is not merely 'tough' coaching. And the players affected are not shrinking violets. They are among the best athletes in the world," Yates wrote in the report. What to watch: U.S. Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone called the findings in the report "entirely inexcusable." As for discipline, she said it will likely come from the NWSL, not U.S. Soccer. |     | | | | | | 2. 💵 Sports betting: The battle for California |  Data: American Gaming Association; Cartogram: Axios Visuals Countless Americans legally wagered on Monday night's all-California NFL matchup (49ers 24, Rams 9), but Californians weren't among them, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. State of play: California, America's most-populated state and home to 16 Big Four sports franchises, remains one of 19 states without a legal sports betting market. Yes, but: That could soon change, thanks to two propositions on November's ballot. - Proposition 26: This would legalize in-person betting at all tribal casinos and four private horse racing tracks. Revenue would go towards problem gambling prevention and mental health (15%), gambling enforcement (15%) and the state's general fund (70%).
- Proposition 27: This would legalize online sports betting across the state, with revenue going towards fighting homelessness (85%) and to tribes that don't participate in gaming (15%).
The backdrop: Prop 27 in particular has been the focus of most parties' attention — and money — pitting operators like FanDuel and DraftKings against Native American tribes, who would no longer enjoy exclusive gaming rights in the state if it passes. - $310 million has been spent on ad campaigns for ($160 million) and against ($150 million) Prop 27, per Politico, shattering the state's record for a single proposition ($224 million on Prop 22).
- Both major parties in California have come out in opposition to Prop 27, with the Democrats and Republicans standing with the Native American tribes.
Where it stands: Just 34% of voters supported Prop 27 in a recent survey, and "it seems like both [26 and 27] are going to meet the same fate," one insider told Legal Sports Report. The big picture: California is one of only two states with three NFL teams. The other is Florida, which has also been embroiled in a years long sports betting battle involving Native American tribes. - Combined, the two states represent nearly 20% of the U.S. population, so betting operators have become intimately involved in state politics in hopes of gaining entry.
- In California, FanDuel and DraftKings are touting their industry as a way to fight homelessness. In Florida, they're framing it as a way to finance public education.
| | | | | | | | 3. 🏈 The rise of alternative football |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | 11-player tackle football is unlikely to cede its spot as the sport's most popular format anytime soon, but a bevy of other options are mounting a challenge at the youth level, Jeff writes. State of play: Participation in 11-player boys football during the 2021-22 school year declined by 3.2% compared to 2019, per the National Federation of State High School Associations. - At the same time, participation in 6-, 8- and 9-player football all increased among boys (12%) and girls (39%), as over 500 schools stopped offering 11-player and over 200 added the smaller versions.
- Flag football also exploded by 40% among girls, thanks to an aggressive push by the NFL to grow that version of the game.
Plus: There's also 7-on-7 football, which has been on the rise for years among elite high school players. - The all-passing, non-contact sport is quickly becoming football's version of AAU basketball (offseason all-star teams, college recruiters in attendance, etc).
- This summer, digital media company Overtime launched a 7-on-7 league in partnership with Cam Newton.
The bottom line: Football is America's sport, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Calling all Axios superfans | | |  | | | | Have you gotten smarter, faster from reading Axios? Share the Smart Brevity you know and love with friends and family while winning free Axios swag! It just may be their new favorite daily habit. Share Axios today. | | | | | | 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal ahead of their quarterfinal match at the 2022 Madrid Open. Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images | | | | 🇪🇸 Spain on top: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are the top two players in the ATP rankings, the first time ever that two non-Americans from the same country have held the top two spots. ⚾️ Tony steps down: White Sox manager Tony La Russa, 78, is stepping down due to health concerns that have kept him out since August. He's also disappointed in his performance: "Our record is proof. I didn't do my job." ⚽️ Ukraine bid: FIFA is expected to consider Ukraine as a host for the 2030 World Cup along with Spain and Portugal in a potential joint bid, The Times reports. 🏒 Hockey goes digital: The NHL will debut digital rink boards for all games this season, replacing standard ads with virtual ones. Broadcasts can also eventually use the boards for things like stats and special effects. 🏈 B-Rob activated: Commanders rookie RB Brian Robinson has been medically cleared less than six weeks after he was shot twice in the leg in an armed robbery attempt. | | | | | | | | 5. ⚾️ No. 62 could fetch seven figures |  | | | Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios | | | | If Aaron Judge's 62nd home run (assuming he hits it!) finds the seats instead of landing in the bullpen, it could make history beyond setting the AL single-season record, Jeff writes. By the numbers: No. 62 could sell for upwards of $1.25 million, per Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin. That would trail only Mark McGwire's 70th HR from 1998 ($3 million) as the most expensive HR ball ever sold. The top 10: - McGwire, No. 70: $3 million
- Babe Ruth, 1933 ASG*: $805,000
- Barry Bonds, No. 756: $752,000
- Hank Aaron, No. 755: $650,000
- Bonds, No. 73: $518,000
- Bonds, No. 762: $377,000
- Bonds, No. 500: $303,000
- Eddie Murray, No. 500: $280,000
- Bonds, No. 715: $220,000
- Sammy Sosa, No. 66: $150,000
What they're saying: "I'll probably be sniffing around the edges," said Todd McFarlane, who owns No. 1, No. 5 and No. 10 on the list above, when asked if he's interested in Judge's historic blast. - As for the McGwire ball he paid $3 million to acquire: "That was a complete outlier," McFarlane told The Athletic ($).
- "That was two guys that got caught up in an auction. I sort of let my inner 12-year-old get ahold of me."
What to watch: If the fan who caught Albert Pujols' 700th HR ever decides to sell, it will likely land near the top of this list. For now, he intends to keep it. *This was the first home run ever hit in the All-Star Game. | | | | | | | | 6. 🎙 Quotes du jour: Kareem, Irvin, Watt |  | | | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, pictured in 2020. Photo: Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE via Getty Images | | | | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar previously ripped Kyrie Irving for his "reckless" anti-vaccination status. Now, he has even stronger words after Irving posted a video last month from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren't for his influence over young people who look up to athletes. Irving does not seem to have the capacity to change, but we have the capacity to keep fighting against his brand of destructive behavior. One way to do that ... is to write to his sponsors and tell them to drop Irving — or you will drop them. — Abdul-Jabbar, via his blog, " Kareem Reacts to the News" More quotes: - Michael Irvin blasted the media and fans for going "too far" in their criticism of Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and his handling of Tua Tagovailoa: "For people to start questioning this man's character ... I thought that was too far. I thought that was wrong."
- J.J. Watt got emotional when discussing his recent health scare (his heart had to be "shocked" back into rhythm): "For months, we've been looking at ultrasounds of our baby boy ... And Thursday we were looking at an ultrasound of my heart. It was very tough."
| | | | | | | | 7. 🌎 The world in photos | | Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images PASADENA, Calif. — Air Dorian. Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images TALLADEGA, Ala. — NASCAR drivers speed around the iconic Talladega Superspeedway during Sunday's playoff race as a plane lands nearby. Photo: John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images BERN, Switzerland — The Predators beat SC Bern, 4-3, in front of a sellout crowd on Monday as part of the NHL Global Series Challenge. Photo: Rob Pinney/Getty Images LONDON — A boat passes beneath as runners cross Tower Bridge during the London Marathon this past weekend. | | | | | | | | 8. 📺 Watchlist: The next big things |  | | | Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson. Photos: Emilee Chinn/NBA via Getty Images; Romain Biard/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images | | | | The potential top two picks in next year's NBA draft will meet tonight outside Las Vegas (10pm ET, ESPN2) when G League Ignite hosts French club Metropolitans 92. - Victor Wembanyama, 18: The 7-foot-4-inch French phenom is widely considered the best prospect since LeBron James. "Rudy Gobert mixed with Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis, per Yahoo Sports.
- Scoot Henderson, 18: The point guard from Georgia averaged 14-5-4 in the G League last year — at just 17. "He's like a rocket going into the lane," per NBA Draft Room, which likens him to "prime Westbrook."
What a quote ... "He's really a great player," Wembanyama said of Henderson. "If I was never born, I think he would deserve the first spot." More to watch: | | | | | | | | 9. ⚾️ MLB trivia |  | | | Julio Rodríguez celebrates with the Seattle faithful. Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images | | | | Question: Which AL West team made the postseason the most during the Mariners' 21-year postseason drought (since 2001)? - Angels
- Astros
- Athletics
- Rangers
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🏈 1 stellar backup: Cooper Rush |  | | | Photo: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images | | | | Cowboys QB Cooper Rush has filled in admirably for the injured Dak Prescott, going 3-0 with 4 TD and no picks as a starter this season. Why it matters: Rush also won his first career start last season, making him the only QB in NFL history with at least four starts and no losses. What's next: Rush's ascent to national prominence may be winding down: Prescott is targeting a return this Sunday against the Rams. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Calling all Axios superfans | | | | | | | | Have you gotten smarter, faster from reading Axios? Share the Smart Brevity you know and love with friends and family while winning free Axios swag! It just may be their new favorite daily habit. Share Axios today. | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Not enough people named Scoot" Baker Trivia answer: Athletics (nine times) 🙏 Have a great day! Follow us for more (@kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy). Friends can sign up here. Thanks to Bryan McBournie for copy edits. |  | | 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.
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