| | | | | | | Presented By Google | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Sep 25, 2020 | | 🎉 Happy Friday! Let's sports. - Driving the news: The Pac-12 will play football starting Nov. 6, reversing its earlier postponement decision. Seven games. No fans. (The MWC also voted to play.)
- My take: It's going to be virtually impossible to evaluate teams across different conferences, so this is the year to experiment with an eight-team College Football Playoff. Every Power 5 champion, plus three at-large bids. Thoughts?
📆 Coming up: Our deep dive into the business of Barstool Sports has been pushed back to Monday. Will be worth the wait. Also on tap for next week: - Interview with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
- Scoops on two new exciting sports media businesses.
- Highlights from "Three Ring Circus," a new book about the Kobe/Shaq-era Lakers.
Today's word count: 1,797 words (6 minutes). | | | | | | 1 big thing: ⚾️ A wild weekend of (NL) baseball |  Data: Baseball Reference; Table: Axios Visuals Since 2015, MLB has scheduled every game on the regular season's final day at the same time to increase drama. This year — with six NL teams vying for four spots — that drama will be at an all-time high, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. - Mark your calendars: All 15 games on Sunday will begin around 3:05pm ET, and there's a good chance the NL race will come down to the final innings.
- Worth noting: The Cardinals have a tentative doubleheader against the Tigers set for Monday to reach 60 games played, which is triggered if they're in or out of the playoffs by a single game.
Remaining games: - Cardinals (28-26): Four against the Brewers plus the potential doubleheader. The Cards and Brewers are in direct competition for both second place in the division and a wild card spot, so this series is particularly intriguing.
- Reds (29-28): Three against the Twins, who've surged into a battle with the White Sox and Indians for the AL Central crown. Cincinnati has won eight of 10 to get here, but there's still work to be done.
- Marlins (29-28): Three against the Yankees, but their situation is unique in that their micro-fight is with the Phillies for second place in the division. In other words, either the Fish or the Phils are guaranteed a spot.
- Giants (28-28): Four against the Padres, who are locked into the No. 4 seed as the NL's best second-place team. But don't expect them to just lie down and let the Giants waltz into the playoffs.
- Phillies (28-29): Three against the Rays, who've locked up the AL East but not the No. 1 seed. Again, they only need to finish better than the Marlins to earn a spot.
- Brewers (27-29): Four against the Cardinals, with a second-place spot, a wild card spot and elimination all still possible.
AL playoff picture: The Rays, A's, Twins, White Sox, Indians, Yankees and Blue Jays have clinched, while the Astros (99.7% odds) are basically in. The Angels (0.3% odds) are technically still contenders. The bottom line: This could be the best scoreboard-watching weekend in MLB history. With so many NL teams still alive, every error, blown save and clutch hit will be significantly magnified for fans and players alike. |     | | | | | | 2. 🏈 SEC football is back |  | | | Photo: David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images | | | | SEC football kicks off this weekend, meaning five of the nation's top eight teams — and eight of the top 25 — will finally take the field, Jeff writes. - Ranked teams: No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Florida, No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Auburn, No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 23 Kentucky.
- Fans allowed: 13 of 14 schools will allow fans at ~25% capacity, with Vanderbilt the only holdout (at least through October).
- Of note: LSU will admit 25,000 fans (102,000 capacity) for its opener on Saturday, with the average ticket going for $243 — 247% higher than last year.
Weekend slate: Just one game last weekend featured two ranked teams (Miami def. Louisville). On Saturday, we get three such tilts, plus a slew of other marquee matchups across the country. - 12pm ET: No. 23 Kentucky at No. 8 Auburn (SECN)
- 12pm: No. 24 Louisville at No. 21 Pittsburgh (ACCN)
- 3:30pm: Mississippi State at No. 6 LSU (CBS)
- 3:30pm: No. 8 Texas at Texas Tech (Fox)
- 3:30pm: No. 22 Army at No. 14 Cincinnati (ESPN)
- 7pm: No. 2 Alabama at Missouri (ESPN)
- 7:30pm: FSU at No. 12 Miami (ABC)
Go deeper: SEC Week 1 predictions (Saturdays Down South) | | | | | | | | 3. 📸 Last night in photos | | Photo: Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images Lakers 114, Nuggets 108 — Anthony Davis (34 pts) and LeBron James (26-9-8) have the Lakers one victory away from the NBA Finals — and only a third comeback from 3-1 down by the Nuggets can stop them. Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images Dolphins 31, Jaguars 13 — Ryan Fitzpatrick is the first player since at least 1950 to beat a single opponent with six different teams. The 37-year-old has now beat the Jaguars as a member of the Dolphins, Bengals, Bills, Jets, Texans and Titans. Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images Sun 77, Aces 68 — Alyssa Thomas (23 pts, 12 reb) returned from a shoulder injury to lead Connecticut past top-seeded Las Vegas. The Sun (2-1 series lead) are now one win away from returning to the WNBA Finals for the second straight year. - Storm 89, Lynx 79: Jewell Loyd (20 pts) and Breanna Stewart (17 pts) led Seattle past Minnesota, giving the Storm a 2-0 series lead.
Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig/Getty Images Blue Jays 4, Yankees 1 — The Blue Jays clinched their first playoff spot since 2016, and did so in the Triple-A ballpark they've called home all season. 2020, man. | | | | | | | | A message from Google | | How to be ready for what comes next | | |  | | | | What makes a business resilient? New research from Google reveals that merging automation with human insight can help businesses meet the challenge to be ready for what comes next in 2021. Explore the latest research on Think With Google. | | | | | | 4. 😷 Where school could be riskiest |  Data: Coders Against COVID; Note: Rhode Island and Puerto Rico did not meet minimum testing thresholds for analysis. Values may not add to 100% due to rounding; Cartogram: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios Schools in Southern and Midwestern states are most at risk of coronavirus transmission, according to an analysis by Coders Against COVID that uses risk indicators developed by the CDC, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes. - Schools haven't become coronavirus hotspots, WashPost reported this week. But that doesn't mean they're in the clear as we head into winter.
- What we're watching: Data reporting is inconsistent, but Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee have all already reported more than a thousand cases in K-12 schools, NYT reported earlier this week.
Meanwhile, on the sports front: Illinois is the only Midwestern state not playing high school football. Nationally, the state of high school sports looks like this: Courtesy: National Federation of State High School Associations | | | | | | | | 5. 📊 By the numbers | | Photo: Harold Cunningham/UEFA via Getty Images - ⚽️ 23 straight wins: Bayern Munich beat Sevilla 2-1 to win the UEFA Super Cup title (Champions League winners vs. Europa League winners). It was Bayern's 23rd straight win, stretching the club's unbeaten streak to 28 games.
- 🏈 1 of 3 players: Purdue WR Rondale Moore has opted back in and will play this season. The junior is one of just three true freshmen to ever be named a First-Team All-American, joining Adrian Peterson and Herschel Walker.
- ⚾️ $3.75 billion: Turner Sports signed a new seven-year, $3.75 billion deal with MLB. The network will pay roughly $535 million per season, a 65% increase over its previous contract.
- 🎾 19 Grand Slams: The French Open kicks off on Sunday, with 1,000 fans allowed to attend per day. Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal is looking to tie Roger Federer's record of 20 Grand Slams (Federer isn't playing).
Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev during a practice match on Thursday. Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images | | | | | | | | 6. Sept. 25, 2000: 🏀 Vinsanity | | Photo: Darren McNamara/Allsport 20 years ago today, Vince Carter dunked over 7-foot-2-inch French center Frédéric Weis at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. "It was just a case when the moon and stars lined up just right for me at that moment. Never thought, talked about, dreamed of, imagined — whatever you name it — I could do something like that." — Carter 🎥 Watch: Vince takes flight | | | | | | | | 7. ❤️ Why we love sports | | Lucas (L) and his friends at the game. Photo: Lucas Q. Lucas Q. (Philadelphia) writes: I was born in central New York in 1989, and I've been a Bills fan my whole life. I was old enough to appreciate our run in the early '90s, but young enough that I didn't fully comprehend the pain of losing four straight Super Bowls. Since then, of course, the Bills have been one of the NFL's most troubled franchises. But through the incomprehensible benching of Doug Flutie and ensuing Music City Miracle (it was a forward lateral!), through the parade of horrible QBs, I rarely missed a game. I loved the Bills. But more than that, I loved the community around them. Laugh all you want, but Bills Mafia is actually quite the formidable force for charity, and I think it'd be difficult to find a fanbase that's equal parts passionate and friendly. I would read about the Bills tailgate traditions, Pinto Ron, Pizza Pete, and other legends, but never really participated as a kid. And when I moved to Philadelphia for college in 2008, my days of attending Bills games began to fade. Last season, though, the Eagles were playing the Bills in Buffalo, and I convinced two friends to make the trip with me. I was excited for the game, but honestly I was more excited to experience the tailgate. As we walked over to Hammer's Lot, I felt overwhelmed. We reached the hill that overlooks Pinto Ron's famous car, and as I looked over the sea of fans, tears welled up in my eyes. It was a feeling I can only describe as being home. The Bills lost the game, but that didn't matter. I don't think I'll ever forget that feeling. I can't wait to go back. Hammer's Lot and Pinto Ron's car. Photo: Lucas Q. ✍️ Submit your story: Do you have a fondest sports memory? Or a story about sports having a positive impact on your life? To share, simply reply to this email. | | | | | | | | 8. The Ocho: 🏍 Motoball | | A motoball match in France in 1954. Photo: Universal/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Motoball is similar to soccer, but players are riding motorcycles, and the ball is about twice the size. It's been around since the late 1920s. - Each team consists of four riders and a goalkeeper. The goalie is the only player on foot and operates in a D-shaped area that's off-limits to riders.
- The bikes are made specifically for Motoball, so all players have the same performance motorcycle. All gear changes are controlled via the handlebars, leaving the feet free to control and kick the ball.
A match at the 2018 European Motoball Championship in Russia. Photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS via Getty Images 🎥 Watch: Highlights | | | | | | | | 9. 🏀 NBA trivia | | Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Rajon Rondo moved to eighth on the all-time playoff assists list Thursday night, passing Scottie Pippen. - Question: Who sits atop that list?
- Hint: He spent his whole career with the same team.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🎵 The ultimate tailgate playlist | | Giphy The SEC is back, and there's plenty more football this weekend. To celebrate, I asked you to submit your favorite tailgating song. Hundreds replied. I picked 30 and put them in a playlist for you. Listen to all 30. | | | | | | | | A message from Google | | How to be ready for what comes next | | | | | | | | What makes a business resilient? New research from Google reveals that merging automation with human insight can help businesses meet the challenge to be ready for what comes next in 2021. Explore the latest research on Think With Google. | | | | Enjoy the weekend, Kendall "You guessed John Stockton, didn't you" Baker Trivia answer: Magic Johnson | | Invite friends to follow Axios Sports Use your personal link to track how many readers you bring into the community  You currently have 00 referrals. Share with a friend For questions email referralsupport@axios.com. Participation in the Axios Sports Referral Program constitutes your acceptance of the Axios Terms and Conditions of Use, which can be viewed here. | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters.
Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201 | | | You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios.
Change your preferences or unsubscribe here. | | | Was this email forwarded to you?
Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox. | | | | Follow Axios on social media:    | | | | | |
اللباس التقليدي الحضرمي للرجال مرحبا بكم في سلسلة اللباس التقليدي الحضرمي .. لنتعرف معا على تراثنا ...وربما أن بعض هذه الملابس لم تعد مس...
شغل الشاعر سعيد فرج باحريز رحمه الله الناس في المكلا وحضرموت عموماً باشعاره التي كانت لها مدلولات عميقة وثاقبة ومعانٍ بليغة وحكيم...
