The World Cup draw show was the world’s worst, most embarassing, sycophantic mess

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw aired on Friday, and I’m envious if you didn’t waste your time on the worst sports-adjacent broadcast of all time. It somehow managed to have everything, and nothing — with a two-hour run time which found a way to be devoid of entertainment, and overflowing with cringe embarrassment, culminating with a fake, made-up award so FIFA president Gianni Infantino could curry favor with President Donald Trump in front of a global audience.

It all kicked off with two hosts who had zero chemistry. Heidi Klum, who we assume was picked because she’s a German-American, and Kevin Hart who was chosen because he will accept any job that pays him money. Klum did her best to carry the broadcast, while Hart quipped about not reading the script, forcing sad jokes, and plugging his Netflix special in the middle of the damn draw.

We then got the anthem of the World Cup, which could have pulled from the incredible musical legacies of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Instead we had Robbie Williams perform “Desire” with Nicole Scherzinger. I was going to embed the video of the song here, as my way of sharing part of the pain — but FIFA has blocked embeds. Now you have to click here to find it and punish yourself with this ass song.

Was it time for the draw? Hell no, because the moment one man was waiting for had arrived: Giving Donald Trump a fake, made-up FIFA Peace Prize award to make him feel better about not getting a Nobel.

What ensued was a solid 20 minutes of Infantino bragging about what a wonderful man Trump was and how he’s changed the world. Trump credited himself with saving “10 million lives” by brokering peace between The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, which he said has led to “10 million deaths” before he intervened.

There have been 3,000 deaths since the conflict began in 2022, which is a number fewer than 10 million.

Then Trump got a medal, which he picked up the same way I carry a bag of dog poop after a walk.

The FIFA Peace Prize trophy, which was larger than the World Cup itself, appeared to be a shriveled, damaged globe being supported by the wisened hands of the dead thrusting their arms from the grave.

It was then speech time for Trump, who asserted that the NFL should be forced to change its name, because soccer is the true football. He also said he used to watch Pelé play for the New York Cosmos, who he “assumed was a great.”

Assumed.

Pelé.

With that block of garbage over we then had a totally meaningless photo op for Infantino, who brimmed with excitement like a toddler that he got to take a selfie with Donald Trump as the U.S. president, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ceremonially drew balls for their own teams in an utterly pointless waste of time. Even Trump mocked the proceedings and how worthless it all was.

Next up was Lauryn Hill, which was the only part of this worth a damn. It was great. And she was on time!

Then a “skit” featuring Rio Ferdinand, Matthew McConaughey, and Salma Hayek. I use quotation marks around “skit,” because it was so painful to watch. I would have rather had a root canal. Though Salma did tease a special guest to help Rio with the complicated draw process, which could be ANYONE — nah, it was some children in another prerecorded sketch that was painful.

FINALLY it was time for the actual draw. The highlight was Wayne Gretzky struggling to pronounce almost every nation’s name. The man was sweating bullets and not sure how he drew the short straw of announcing all the playoff teams.

To close the show was The Village People, who I assume were only booked so Trump could do his little child dance, but they only cut to him once and he didn’t dance. It’s entirely likely this was the first time he ever saw The Village People or realized they were LGBTQ icons.

So, there you have it. A sports show that had 15 minutes of sports and almost two hours of pointless crap. I’m going to leave now and get some fresh air. I need to remember there’s actual beauty in the world.

Skechers World Champions Cup is great golf happening this week

The Skechers World Champions Cup is going on this week and it is some seriously awesome golf.

If you love things like the Ryder Cup, President’s Cup, or Solheim Cup then this is right up your alley. The Skechers World Champions Cup is a bit different those in that it pits three teams against one another (United States, Europe, and an International group), but the level of intensity and competition is the same.

Recently the Tournament Chairman for the event, the great Peter Jacobsen, joined us to talk about the event as the opening round was underway on Friday. You can watch my entire conversation with him here.

This is an event that the world of golf has been looking forward to for some time now. Back in October we spoke with the United States captain in Jim Furyk and personally speaking I’ll be rooting him and our fellow Americans on. As Peter put it though, this is an event that features a lot of competitive drive from everyone involved, but it is great to see these players out there in general, especially at this part of the calendar/year.

Peter mentioned in our chat that part of the benefit of this event is the awareness that it raises for the Champions Tour at large. The Tour is one of great value and skill and that people have an opportunity to see that through this Cup is very cool indeed.

On the subject of seeing… you can watch the second round all day Friday and the final one on Sunday. Coverage is on ESPN+, ESPN, and ABC (final round afternoon session only) and you will surely enjoy it all.

Conor McGregor's sexual-assault lawsuit stemming from 2023 NBA Finals dismissed in Florida

JIM WATSON via Getty Images

Content warning: This story contains depictions of alleged sexual assault.

A sexual-assault lawsuit filed against MMA fighter Conor McGregor stemming from an alleged incident at the 2023 NBA Finals was dismissed in Florida on Wednesday, according to The Athletic. 

The plaintiff, who filed the lawsuit against McGregor, filed to have the lawsuit dismissed. That was granted Wednesday, as a judge in Florida dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, cannot re-file the case. 

The lawsuit stemmed from an alleged incident at the 2023 NBA Finals, where the plaintiff claimed she was sexually assaulted by McGregor during Game 4 of the Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets. 

The woman claimed she was “violently” assaulted by McGregor in a men’s bathroom after the game. The woman accused McGregor of forcibly kissing her and making her perform oral sex against her will. McGregor was also accused of trying to sodomize the woman.

Days after those allegations became public, video emerged appearing to show McGregor leading his accuser into the bathroom at the Heat’s stadium.

McGregor and his reps called the accusations “false” at the time. 

McGregor was in attendance at Game 4 of the NBA Finals, which were held at Kaseya Center in Miami. During the game, McGregor was involved in a promotional stunt in which he punched the Heat’s mascot. The stunt took a turn after the person in the mascot costume was taken to the emergency room after taking two punches to the head. 

The plaintiff filed a police report after the alleged incident. After an investigation, McGregor did not face criminal charges. 

McGregor, 37, has faced multiple sexual-assault allegations over his career. Last year, McGregor lost a sexual assault civil case in Ireland, and had to pay $259,149.36 to a woman after a jury determined McGregor sexually assaulted the woman in a Dublin hotel in 2018.

The High Score 100: The biggest rankings risers and fallers as we navigate Week 7 in fantasy basketball

The High Score 100 — the top-100 players in Yahoo’s newest fantasy basketball format — is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production. Each weekly update captures who’s actually delivering value and who’s fading.

Here’s a breakdown of the biggest risers and fallers through the sixth week of fantasy basketball — with the complete High Score 100 at the bottom of the article. I’ll be updating my rankings every Tuesday throughout the fantasy basketball season.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. It’s not too late to create or join a league]

Before jumping into the risers, it’s worth noting the ripple effect of stars returning this week. Tyler Herro (36) and Jalen Williams (53) made their season debuts in Week 6, pushing rotational players down the list as usage and minutes normalized. As more stars come back from injury, expect more volatility in the middle tiers of the rankings.

Zach Edey – FC, Memphis Grizzlies: 76th overall (⬆️ 16)

The Grizzlies’ big man is becoming such a dominant force in the paint. I had to move him up in the ranks because of his outstanding play to close out Week 6 in a win over Sacramento, racking up 32 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocks on 16-of-20 shooting. A 64-point fantasy outing was shocking. Still, at this pace, he’s tracking to be a 37-40+ fantasy point asset in High Score. Edey’s averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks per game since returning from injury — keep him locked into your lineups.

Josh Hart – G/FC, New York Knicks: 87th overall (⬆️ 16)

Hart’s rotation minutes have ticked up as New York shuffles through injuries, and he’s responded with the multi-category contributions we’ve come to love and expect. Over the past four games, Hart is averaging 17 points, 11.8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3.3 stocks per game, equating to 52.5 fantasy points in High Score. A promotion was necessary after that level of production in Week 6. We can expect that type of stability as long as OG Anunoby remains out and Mitchell Robinson doesn’t play in back-to-backs.

Cooper Flagg – G/FC, Dallas Mavericks: 58th overall (⬆️ 15)

Flagg’s been showing signs of growth offensively over the past month. The rookie phenom posted consecutive weeks of registering at least 50 fantasy points in High Score. Also, he became the youngest player in NBA history to drop 35 in a game in a win over the Clippers in Week 6. Flagg’s versatility is beginning to shine through on both ends, showing the kind of upside fantasy managers expected when drafting him as a top-50 player. The usage spike and month-over-month improvement as a scorer will only send him further up the ranks.

Ausar Thompson – FC, Detroit Pistons: 118th overall (⬇️ 28)

Thompson’s name appears on the fallers’ list in consecutive weeks because his production continues to trend downward. Even though he’s returned to the starting lineup, he hasn’t eclipsed 30 fantasy points since Nov. 9. In his last seven outings, his highest score is 27 and for the season, Thompson is averaging 30.2 fantasy points per game. That’s on the cusp of not being worth holding on your fantasy roster in a default High Score league. He’s playing less than 30 minutes per game this season, so a boost in minutes would certainly improve his production.

Jarrett Allen – FC, Cleveland Cavaliers 100th overall (⬇️ 20)

Like Thompson, Allen is back again and loosely holding down the final spot in the High Score 100. A finger injury has been affecting his performance lately, but we can’t ignore the stats. He hasn’t gone over 30 fantasy points in over two weeks, causing his average to dip to 31 fantasy points per game. He’s actually ranked 107, but I’m giving some grace for his finger ailment.

Jaden McDaniels – FC, Minnesota Timberwolves: 101st overall (⬇️ 10)

I expect McDaniels will have a brief stint on the fallers list after a disappointing Week 6, where he scored 26 fantasy points. With Jalen Williams and Tyler Herro returning, someone had to drop off, and McDaniels’ play of late hasn’t been enough to warrant keeping in the top 100. After a hot start to the season, scoring 18 PPG, which has normalized to 14 PPG over the past 14 games, with improved efficiency that unfortunately won’t factor into High Score.

Complete High Score 100 rankings

The High Score 100 is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production.

Stay tuned for the next look at the High Score 100!

Kon Knueppel, Cooper Flagg Named NBA’s Rookies Of The Month

Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for October and November. This marks the first time both winners played for the same college.

Knueppel averaged 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 41.3 percent on three-pointers.

Flagg averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists.