Happy Thursday, everyone. It's Wajih AlBaroudi filling in for Zachary Pereles for the final time this week. First things first: we had some breaking NBA news late last night. The Lakers are reportedly finalizing a trade to send Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Jazz in exchange for Patrick Beverley. You can read more details about the deal here.
Now let's get into the rest of the news.
Good morning to everyone but especially to...
TIGER WOODS AND RORY MCILROY
Having won a combined 19 major championships, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have more than earned the "when they talk, you listen" status. Therefore it shouldn't be surprising that after the two led a players-only meeting about reshaping the PGA Tour, their vision became a reality the very next week.
The PGA Tour, in response to the aforementioned meeting at the BMW Championship along with the threat of LIV Golf, announced significant changes to its schedule and compensation. Here's what you need to know:
Top players will commit to a minimum of 20 PGA Tour events: 12 elevated events with purses ranging from $15 million to $20 million, the four major championships, THE PLAYERS Championship and any three additional FedEx Cup events the players choose. The Player Impact Program has been expanded to include 20 players -- who'll be defined as "top players" -- and a total bonus pool of $100 million in 2022 and 2023. That's exactly double the 10 players and total bonus pool of $50 million it used to include. Under the new "Earnings Assurance Program," fully-exempt members are guaranteed a minimum of $500,000 if they compete in at least 15 events. Non-exempt members will receive $5,000 for every missed cut, and they'll have their travel and tournament-related expenses subsidized.The changes are a massive win for PGA Tour players. They have Woods and McIlroy to thank, as PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said the players who attended the meeting "rallied together to strengthen the Tour platform, recognizing that if fans are going to invest in the PGA Tour, it means a hell of a lot more if they know the players are investing right back.
As if their league-changing actions weren't reason enough for a good morning shoutout, Woods and McIlroy also announced the formation of a tech startup called TMRW Sports.
And not such a good morning for...
Getty ImagesTHE NEW YORK GIANTS
The injury bug has bit the Giants once again. Receiver Collin Johnson was carted off the Giants' practice field with an apparent right leg injury, and a couple hours later the team announced he suffered a torn Achilles.
Johnson was enjoying a stellar camp until his season-ending injury, so much so he was earning first-team reps. Through two preseason games, Johnson had 10 catches and 123 yards. Johnson's injury adds to an already battered Giants pass-catching group: receiver Robert Foster (hamstring) and tight end Ricky-Seals Jones (toe) have already been placed on injured reserve, and shifty second-year pro Kadarius Toney has missed practice with a leg injury.The good news for the Giants is reinforcements are coming in the way of Sterling Shepard -- who was activated off the PUP list after suffering a torn Achilles of his own against the Cowboys last December -- and former Ravens receiver Jaylon Moore, who New York claimed off waivers after Johnson's injury.
The bad news for Giants is two potential starters have suffered significant injuries in a week's span. Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, sprained his MCL in last week's preseason game against the Bengals, and he could miss the Giants' season-opener as a result.
MLB's 2023 schedule features a new 'balanced' format ⚾
Getty ImagesThe MLB released its 2023 schedule, and it came with quite a wild twist. As part of the MLB and MLBPA's new collective bargaining agreement, all 30 teams will play each other for at least one series this season.
Teams will play 52 divisional games (previously 76), 64 other intraleague games (previously 66) and 46 interleague games (previously 20) under the new format.Along with one four-game home-and-home series between geographic interleague rivals such as Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox and Dodgers-Angels, teams will play one three-game series against the remaining 14 teams in the other league. MLB chief operations and strategy officer Chris Marinak said in a statement the new format is "fan-friendly" and "offers more national exposure to the star players throughout our game."While traditionalists may knock the new format, it's bringing a pair of homecomings bound to generate plenty of fan interest. As our MLB scribe Mike Axisa noted, Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts will play the Red Sox (from Aug. 25-27) for the first time since they traded him in February 2020. Also, Angels outfielder Mike Trout, a devout Philadelphia sports fan who grew up in the area, will play the Phillies in just his third trip to Citizens Bank Park from Aug. 28-30.
