The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.
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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.
Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.
Timestamps:
(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions
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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook
(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?
(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG
(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses
She provided a hint Sunday during the Closing Ceremony of the Milan Cortina Games.
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During the ceremony’s parade of athletes, Liu took a moment to speak with NBC’s Andrea Joyce. Joyce asked Liu directly if she wants “to come back for another one,” with “another one” presuming to mean an Olympic gold medal.
Liu deftly dodged answering the question directly, but made clear that she’s not done with competitive figure skating.
“Yeah, I mean I have no plans to leave, yet,” Liu said. “I can’t imagine not skating next year.”
“Yet” is doing some heavy lifting here. But it sounds like Liu intends to compete next season, which is good news for fans hoping to see more of her on the ice.
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As for beyond and the 2030 Olympics in France? That’s a little far out for Liu to commit. And that sounds just about right for a 20-year-old who’s still a college student at UCLA.
Will Liu compete in France in 2030?
Nobody would blame Liu for going out on top. Burned out by the competitive nature of the sport after competing in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing at 16, Liu has already retired once.
She rekindled her passion for the sport and returned to the ice in time for the Milan Cortina Games to win two gold medals. The other gold draped around her neck Sunday was from her contribution to USA’s team figure skating title.
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Liu has said repeatedly during her dual-gold run that she felt unburdened by the pressure of Olympic competition in Milan Cortina and was performing simply for the love of doing so. It showed as she was beaming practically every time a camera turned her way. This truly was a run fueled by the love of the game.
And if she decides to run it back in 2030, she’ll still be in her window to compete at an Olympic level. Figure skating is generally a very young woman’s game. Tara Lipinski won gold at 15. Sarah Hughes won at 16.
The ages of medal contenders naturally skews older now with the minimum age to compete on the senior circuit having been raised to 17. The prime age for women to compete tends to be in their late teens into their early 20s. Gold medal winner Anna Shcherbakova won at 17 in 2022.
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But skaters compete at this level at 24 and older. Liu’s U.S. teammate, Amber Glenn, was a contender this year at 26. A disappointing short program knocked her out contention in the woman’s competition, but she’ll go home with gold for her contribution in the team program.
Liu would certainly project as a contender if she decides to compete for a spot on the 2030 U.S. team. But there’s plenty of time between now and then for her to figure that out.
LeBron James hasn’t forgotten that one clip of Jaylen Brown.
The Los Angeles Lakers star was asked about his relationship with Brown on Sunday night, shortly after L.A.’s 111-89 loss to the Boston Celtics. While he didn’t have anything bad to say, he did reference a moment from a Summer League game a few years ago when Brown was caught criticizing James’ eldest son, and current Lakers player, Bronny James.
“Our relationship has been pretty respectful,” James said. “Besides that s**t he said about Bronny at Summer League, but other than that, we’ve been alright.
“I think he went on social media and said something about it. It’s all good.”
Though James was joking a bit, he was referencing an old clip from an NBA Summer League game in 2024 in which Brown told Angel Reese and Kysre Gondrezick that “I don’t think Bronny is a pro.”
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Brown actually went on social media soon after and tried to clean up those comments.
That all took place before Bronny’s first real NBA game. The Lakers selected him with the No. 55 overall pick in the draft that summer, and he ended up playing in 27 games last season while spending time with the Lakers’ G League affiliate.
He’s been doing the same thing this season, too. Bronny has averaged 2.2 points and 1.2 assists in 29 appearances with the Lakers this season while playing 7.3 minutes per game. In six games with the South Bay Lakers, he’s averaged 15.5 points and 5.2 assists.
Bronny did not play in the Lakers’ loss Sunday night. Luka Dončić led the way with 25 points and five rebounds, and James added 20 points and five assists while shooting 1-of-5 from the 3-point line.
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Brown led the Celtics with 32 points and eight rebounds in the win, which pushed them to 37-19 on the season. Brown has averaged 29.2 points and seven rebounds per game this season and is shooting nearly 49% from the field.
“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season.”
Though James admitted that Bronny has a ways to go in his development in the league, and he wasn’t that serious about it Sunday night, he’s clearly not going to forget those who have criticized his son in the past — even if it was years ago.
Midfielder Tyler Adams was on the field for the first time in more than two months and striker Ricardo Pepi was in uniform for the first time in six weeks.
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Adams, who recovered earlier than anticipated from a sprained knee ligament, started in Bournemouth’s 0-0 draw at West Ham, while Pepi, in uniform after recovering from a fractured forearm, scored a sensational goal as a second-half sub in PSV Eindhoven’s 3-1 triumph over Heerenveen.
With both back in the mix for national team duty next month — Adams is certain and Pepi is probable — Pochettino has, at the moment, almost his entire player pool available for selection.
Only midfielder Gio Reyna (muscular issue) and winger Alex Zendejas (adductor) have remained out for multiple weeks.
Adams, the 2022 World Cup captain, missed 10 matches before suiting up at Everton on Feb. 10 — an absence of eight weeks instead of up to a feared three months. On Saturday, he logged 66 minutes, completed 41-of-45 passes and earned the second-best defensive statistics among players on both teams as eighth-place Bournemouth extended its Premier League unbeaten streak to seven.
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With his left forearm well-protected, Pepi entered in the 76th minute and, after video replay negated his apparent goal, he rocketed a 25-yard shot in the 87th minute to stretch his Eredivisie scoring streak to six games. He increased his league total to nine and overall count to 12 in just 22 appearances.
The timing was ideal for the 23-year-old Texan, who, while injured, fell behind Coventry City’s Haji Wright and Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang on the U.S. depth chart behind No. 1 striker Folarin Balogun (Monaco).
“Amazing feeling to be back!” Pepi posted on social media. “Thank you to all the PSV’ers for the warm support on my return.”
Pochettino plans to name his squad for next month’s camp March 17 ahead of friendlies in Atlanta against Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31 — the last gathering before his World Cup decisions. He must submit a provisional list of between 35 and 55 players to FIFA by May 11 before announcing the 26-man squad on or about May 26.
Monaco’s Folarin Balogun controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Louis II in the Principality of Monaco on February 17, 2026.
(VALERY HACHE via Getty Images)
France
It was quite a week for Balogun, who followed his two-goal performance against reigning European champion Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday with a second-half goal that sparked Monaco’s three-goal uprising to shock Ligue 1 leader Lens, 3-2.
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He increased his overall goal haul to 11: five in Ligue 1, five in the Champions League and one in the French Cup.
Midfielder Tanner Tessmann (58 minutes) and third-place Lyon saw their 13-game winning streak across all competitions end with a 3-1 defeat at Strasbourg.
Right back Tim Weah was Olympique Marseille’s best player from an analytical standpoint in a 2-0 loss at Brest, extending fourth-place OM’s overall slump to 1-3-2 heading into next Sunday’s critical home match against Lyon.
Toulouse center back Mark McKenzie served a yellow card suspension and missed the 1-1 draw with Paris FC.
England
Center back Chris Richards helped Crystal Palace register its second shutout in three Premier League matches, a 1-0 victory over last-place Wolverhampton, which played a man short for about a half-hour before conceding the goal.
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Left back Antonee Robinson was held out of Fulham’s 3-1 triumph at Sunderland without an official explanation, his third consecutive league absence. He had played 90 last weekend in the FA Cup.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson (73 minutes) and Leeds earned their third straight away draw in Premier League play, a 1-1 result at Aston Villa.
After productive matches in the English Championship last week, Wright and Agyemang were quiet. Wright played 71 minutes in a 2-0 victory at West Brom and Agyemang went 90 in a 2-0 loss at Watford.
Midfielder Aidan Morris went 75 in Middlesbrough’s 0-0 draw with second-to-last Oxford, leaving his club three points behind first-place Coventry but six points ahead in the race for the second promotion to the Premier League.
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Italy
Christian Pulisic, who has been battling bursitis, returned to AC Milan’s lineup after three substitution appearances with a 62-minute effort and two quality scoring chances during a 1-0 home loss to Parma — its first loss in Serie A since the August opener, a stretch of 23 games.
Midfielder Weston McKennie, who has been in tremendous form for Juventus this winter, played all of the 2-0 loss to Como, a result that stretched the Turin club’s winless rut to five games heading into the home leg of the Champions League affair with Galatasaray on Wednesday. (Juventus lost last week’s opener, 5-2.)
Midfielder Yunus Musah remained on the bench for the seventh time in nine matches as Atalanta edged Napoli, 2-1. He has appeared in 14-of-26 Serie A matches with just three starts, totalling 447 minutes.
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In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann has conceded 10 goals in three matches, the most recent setback coming in Cesena’s 3-2 loss to Spezia.
Germany
Midfielder Malik Tillman played 81 minutes in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 loss at Union Berlin, ending a seven-game unbeaten streak heading into the Champions League second leg Tuesday against Olympiacos. Leverkusen won the first leg, 2-0.
Teenage center back Noahkai Banks (17th start) continued to impress at Augsburg, which used a late comeback to earn a 3-2 victory at Wolfsburg.
Reyna’s call-up hopes continued to dim after missing his fifth consecutive match for Mönchengladbach. Over two months, he has played just 28 minutes. Teammate Joe Scally, a right wing back, played the entire match.
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Midfielder James Sands’ run of 17 consecutive starts for St. Pauli across all competitions ended, but he entered in the 80th minute and helped seal a 2-1 victory over Werder Bremen, which lifted the Hamburg side out of the automatic relegation zone.
In the second division, left wing back John Tolkin (70 minutes) and Holstein Kiel lost at Karlsruher, 3-1 — their fifth consecutive loss overall.
Spain
Midfielder Johnny Cardoso made his fifth consecutive La Liga start for Atlético Madrid, which defeated Espanyol, 4-2, to snap a three-game winless streak in league play.
Right back Alex Freeman did not play in Villarreal’s 2-1 win over Valencia.
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Netherlands
While Pepi’s goal headlined the U.S. contributions for PSV Eindhoven, right back Sergiño Dest made his 22nd start as the league leaders continued to run away with the title, thanks to a 20-2-2 record and a plus-41 goal differential.
Scotland
Center back Auston Trusty’s second red card in four weeks – for violent conduct in the 74th minute – imperiled Celtic, which conceded Hibernian’s late winner in the 2-1 outcome. He will miss next Sunday’s Old Firm clash against Rangers.
MLS
On opening weekend, three Vancouver players in the U.S. pool – center back Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White – played the whole match as the Whitecaps edged Real Salt Lake, 1-0. RSL midfielder Diego Luna sat out with a knee ailment.
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Five goalkeeping candidates started, led by Pochettino’s undisputed starter, New York City’s Matt Freese, who made five saves in a 1-1 draw against the L.A. Galaxy. The others were New England’s Matt Turner, Chicago’s Chris Brady, Columbus’ Patrick Schulte and Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano.
Center backs Tim Ream (Charlotte), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati) and Walker Zimmerman (Toronto) and left wing back Max Arfsten (Columbus) played every minute and midfielder Luca de la Torre (Charlotte) went 69.
Los Angeles FC midfielder Timothy Tillman assisted during his 82-minute stint in the 3-0 home rout of Inter Miami before 75,673 at the Coliseum. Midfielder Cristian Roldan captained Seattle’s 2-0 win over Colorado.
The former Prince Andrew, who is the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and brother of King Charles III, was arrested in the U.K. three days ago on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released after several hours in custody.
Police arrested him after emails came to light as part of the Epstein files being released by the U.S. Department of Justice. His ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have put him under scrutiny for years, leading to his being stripped of his royal titles, including that of Prince and also the Duke of York.
On his HBO show Sunday, Oliver showed video from a news report wherein the reporter noted that the arrest came after “growing revelations about the alleged connections” between the two men. The report showed a photo of Epstein and Andrew walking side by side, appearing to be in conversation.
Said Oliver: “It’s true, they arrested former Prince Andrew, and I don’t know why they’re still going with ‘alleged’ connections to Epstein there, while also running a photo that makes them look like the two closest friends I’ve ever seen. It looks like they’re brainstorming a new podcast. It looks like Andrew’s soft-launching, ‘Hey, would it be crazy if we moved in together?’ I’m just saying, maybe drop the ‘alleged’ part when you’re dealing with two guys that look so close they could finish each other’s prison sentences.”
Oliver continued: “And if you’re thinking, ‘Well, what was the new revelation that did it? Was it the grotesque new photo of Andrew on all fours over a young woman? Incredibly, no, it was apparently this.”
He then showed a clip from another news report noting that the arrest reportedly was linked to emails that Andrew forwarded to Epstein when the former was the U.K. trade envoy. Some of the emails were dated 2010, which was after Epstein’s conviction, and contained files from Andrew’s trips overseas.
“Yeah, they got him on forwarding documents, which is a little underwhelming,” Oliver said. “Though, to be honest, when it comes to bringing down monsters, I don’t really care if it’s for a boring computer crime, the same way I’m not that mad if what finally ends a toddler throwing a tantrum is a cardboard box [on his head]. The method doesn’t matter. What’s important is, you have been stopped.”
“Now, Andrew has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing and has been released, although that does not mean he’s been found not guilty,” Oliver added, showing the widely circulated photo of Andrew being released from custody, in which he can be seen slumped down in the backseat of a car. “All we really have to go on right now is this fantastic picture of him leaving custody, and you can draw your own conclusions there. Reasonable people can disagree on whether this makes him look guilty — or dead.”
Oliver then showed a report from the Australian version of 60 Minutes in which a former officer who was assigned to guard Andrew hesitantly revealed that the nickname given to him by some of his staffers was “the c***.”
“According to that guy, that was Andrew’s unofficial nickname, and it’s a little weird he was so wary of saying that word on TV given he was appearing on Australia’s 60 Minutes, and Australians say c*** all the time. I’m pretty sure Bluey’s said it at least three times,” Oliver joked.
An experienced cinematographer before he turned to directing, Warwick Thornton has a feel for the Central Australian desert and the craggy MacDonnell Ranges that’s both epic and intimate. His refined sense of composition is directly informed by the landscape around Alice Springs where he grew up and his subcutaneous connection to it imbues his films with soulful beauty. Wolfram is no exception. A four-chapter saga of escape, pursuit and survival, the film, for all its brutality, ultimately becomes less a lament for stolen lands and stolen children than a stirring account of endurance.
Family and community are the thematic foundation of this sequel of sorts to Thornton’s 2017 drama Sweet Country, again co-written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter. It picks up a few years after the events of the earlier film in and around the same fictional Northern Territory town of Henry, though all but two of the principal characters here are different. That gives the two movies the feel of a shared ancestral map, marked by overlaps and diverging tangents.
Wolfram
The Bottom Line
Not without flaws, but equal parts haunting and healing.
Venue: Berlin Film Festival (Competition) Cast: Deborah Mailman, Erroll Shand, Joe Bird, Thomas M. Wright, Matt Nable, Pedrea Jackson, Eli Hart, Hazel May Jackson, Ferdinand Hoang, Jason Chong, Aiden Du Chiem, John Howard, Anni Finsterer, Luka May Glynn-Cole, Gibson John, Natassia Gorey-Furber Director: Warwick Thornton Screenwriters: Steven McGregor, David Tranter
1 hour 42 minutes
The nominal center this time is Pansy, played with an expressive gaze and few words by the invaluable Deborah Mailman, first seen clutching her newborn and hacking off locks of her hair with a rusty knife. With minimal preamble or exposition, Pansy and new partner Zhang (Jason Chong) set off on a horse and cart for Queensland, their last shot at finding her lost children. She beads the braids of hair with seeds, hanging them on shrubs to mark the way, like a trail of breadcrumbs.
Meanwhile, Indigenous child laborers Max (Hazel May Jackson) and Kid (Eli Hart) chip away at the walls of a tight mine shaft, removing chunks of the ore used to make wolfram (now more commonly known as tungsten) for their ill-tempered boss Billy (Matt Nable).
A separate thread follows the arrival in Henry of criminals Casey (Erroll Shand) and Frank (Joe Bird), all mean attitude and swagger as they look to stake a claim in the area and prospect for gold. Ignoring the advice of the local storekeeper (John Howard) to avoid the back trails where they are likely to encounter “wild Blackfellas,” they head off in that direction. When they come upon young Max, left behind to keep an eye on Billy’s camp, Casey and Frank rob the camp and forcibly take the child with them.
Once Kid discovers his sibling is gone, he steals a donkey from the mining site and goes after him, his exit timing helped by a convenient snake bite.
Further off the dusty track on a run-down cattle station, belligerent drunk Kennedy (Thomas M. Wright) benefits from the virtual slave labor of his 18-year-old mixed-race son Philomac (Pedrea Jackson), the two main characters carried over from Sweet Country. (Philomac, then 14, was played by twins Tremayne and Trevon Doolan.)
When Casey and Frank roll up, they pretty much take over, claiming they found Max wandering alone. Kennedy is oddly deferential to the strangers as they start antagonizing Philomac, whose suspicions about them are confirmed when he talks to Max alone.
Just as he did in Sweet Country, Thornton evokes the Old West-style lawlessness of the time and place, particularly as sneering villain Casey and cocky dope Frank go from vaguely menacing to outright ruthless. Their heartless treatment of Black petty thief Archie (Gibson John), another Sweet Country holdover, shocks Philomac into action as the movie shifts gears into a chase thriller. Blood is shed in killings both horrific and gratifying. In the latter case, Thornton reclaims the dignity of First Nations Australians with a rousing image of strength.
Much of the story comes from oral history passed down by his great-grandfather to Tranter, whose family roots on both sides — Indigenous and Chinese — come into play. That said, the narrative feels a tad shapeless at times and the plot turns — one surprise revelation in Part Four aside — often familiar.
The number of significant characters and story strands makes it a challenge for the director and writers to settle on a focus and maintain it until the threads are stitched together. But even when it ambles along rather than races, the movie’s heart and integrity keep Wolfram engrossing, buoyed by sterling work from the entire cast.
Pedrea Jackson, sporting an excellent mustache, is a standout as Philomac, contemplative, observant, simmering with indignation and longing to be with his people; Shand makes Casey chillingly contemptible, treating the Aboriginal characters like animals; despite her role being largely symbolic, Mailman is enormously touching, her grace and quiet fortitude standing in for countless mothers whose children were taken from them; and the young actors playing Max and Kid are terrific.
Two Chinese gold prospectors introduced toward the end, Shi (Ferdinand Hoang) and Jimmi (Aiden Du Chiem), indicate the sense of solidarity among victims of discrimination. They become a key part of an affecting conclusion, which maybe ties up the story too neatly, but few will be unmoved by seeing people so dehumanized by colonial rule show their resilience.
Thornton once again serves as his own DP, drawing texture from the rich palette of reds, oranges, golds and browns in the sun-blasted landscape. The movie has no original score as such but makes distinctively atmospheric use of Charlie Barker’s saw playing. The director has still not surpassed the poetic simplicity of his lauded 2009 debut, Samson & Delilah. But Wolfram represents a very solid entry in his impressive body of work and a return to form after his more uneven last feature, The New Boy.
The United States was always going to have a good Winter Games. The country jumped from sixth in the medal count to second between the 1998 Nagano Games and the 2002 Salt Lake Games and has been holding in the top five ever since — thanks to impressive results in relatively newer disciplines like snowboarding and curling and newfound competitiveness in classic realms like bobsledding and speed skating.
In Milan Cortina, the United States managed 33 medals, good for second overall and the most ever for the country at a Games outside North America. When you’re out-medaling Germany and the Netherlands at winter sports, you’re doing something right.
But it’s not just how many you win — it’s how you win. And the U.S. had some truly wild and miraculous triumphs, from a figure skater who had been retired just two years go to a cross-country skier who raced with a badly damaged rib to a TikToker who waited at the last possible moment to grab his gold. Here in ascending order are Team USA’s seven most inspirational moments (from among many) as they played out on Peacock/NBC over the past two weeks. Read it and feel all over again.
7. The U.S. Women’s Hockey Team Wins Gold By Beating Canada in OT
In one sense, the U.S. women’s hockey gold was not a surprise: The team had come in a favorite and only got hotter from there, outscoring opponents 31-1 in the six games entering the final. But in another sense, the victory over Canada on Thursday night at Santagiulia Arena was a stone-cold shocker. The U.S. was down 1-0 to its archival with the clock coming up on two minutes and superstar goalie Aerin Frankel heading to the bench. Canada had beaten the U.S. in five of the previous seven gold-medal games they played, and it was about to be a sixth.
Then the improbable happened. Veteran captain Hilary Knight tipped in a Laila Edwards shot to tie the score with 2:04 left and send the game into OT. That led to the snapshot moment: Taylor Heise springing Megan Keller with a stretch pass that the streaking defender took before deking a Canadian defender and tucking the puck into the goal on her backhand. Narrative reversed — the U.S. now had its third gold medal and a possible sendoff of sendoffs to a possibly retiring Knight. It was just a prelude of what was to come between the two hockey powers, but it was plenty gratifying in its own right.
6. Jessie Diggins Skis 10 Kilometers — and Medals — While in Agonizing Rib Pain
Remember that time you had a cold and didn’t go to work? Jessie Diggins may have something to say to you. The decorated U.S. cross-country skier (she previously was a part of the best television Olympics moment of the 2010s with the stir-to-patriotism “Here comes Diggins” in PyeongChang) had badly bruised a rib in a nasty crash in skiathlon at the start of this Games. She seemed done, destined to head into retirement with her memories and three previous medals. “It’s easy to stress and think ‘this isn’t how it was supposed to happen,’” she posted meditatively on Instagram. “But there are always so many things that are totally out of our control.”
Yet just days later, Diggins skied the 10 km freestyle and somehow ended up finishing in bronze position; at the finish, she collapsed, writhing in more pain than James Caan when Kathy Bates picked up that ax in Misery. “I thought i was gonna maybe pass or die. it would have been nicer if I could have passed out,” she said later. Fortunately she didn’t, and got to experience the bronze as it happened. Us too.
5. Alex Ferreira Wins His First Gold Medal on His Last-Ever Olympic Run
Some Olympic athletes are phenoms. Then there’s Alex Ferreira. At 31, Ferreira had been a professional halfpipe skier for more than a decade, including at three Olympics. The ski TikToker landed on plenty of podiums, but he never has won an Olympic gold medal. After two runs at the freestyle halfpipe ski run, that didn’t seem likely to change — he was in fifth place and ready for the double cork 1260 in the sky (or, like, the exhibition circuit). But the halfpipe just takes your best run, and Ferreira came out for his third and and laid out exactly that — a beauty — in the final run of his final Olympics to take a gold.
How did he do it? Risk taking and technical skill, of course. But also, a mantra. “I am greatness, and this is my moment,’” he would tell himself at the top of the halfpipe before the runs. “I can feel it in my bone marrow.”
4. Elana Meyers Taylor Wins Gold Medal for Her Deaf Toddler Sons
Speaking of waiting a while for gold, consider Elana Meyers Taylor. The 41-year-old bobsled mainstay was entering her fifth Games and, despite five previous medals, had never won a gold. Yet somehow in the new sport of monobob — one pilot doing everything — she finished four one-hundredths of a second faster than the 27-year-old German competitor Laura Nolte to win her first gold and become the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Games history.
If Meyers Taylor’s win along wasn’t enough to tug at the heartstrings, the athlete is mom to two deaf toddlers, Noah and Nico (he also has Down syndrome), who come with her and her husband-coach Nic to many of their competitions and were present at the sliding track in Cortina. Meyers Taylor spoke with NBC’s Mike Tirico about how all the training and triumphs were for her sons, prompting an “I’m not crying, you’re crying” outpouring on social media. “Parenting my two sons with disabilities has done everything for me,” she said, “If I win medals or lose medals, it doesn’t matter because I’m still mom to them.” Then she added, “Hopefully when they’re older they’ll look back and realize what actually happened. I was just so happy to be able to hug them and hold them for a brief moment while everything played out.” (We can’t embed this one but check out the interview here.)
3. Corinne Stoddard Posts That She’s “Embarrassed” By How She Keeps Falling — Then Goes Out and Grabs a Bronze
Corinne Stoddard is currently ranked third in short track for 500 and 1,000 meters. She became known for something else for much of the Milan Cortina Games — she fell a shocking four times during races and wrote a self-lacerating Instagram post that “Part of me thinks I haven’t been able to handle the pressure and expectations I put on myself” and said that she feels “embarrassed by how much I’ve choked on the Olympic stage over and over again.” (She also fell in Beijing in 2022.)
But on Friday in the 1,500-meter race, her last, she pulled off a third-place finish for bronze after holding off a pair of hometown heroes, including Italian legend Arianna Fontana. Stoddard has has been public about her battles with anxiety and insomnia, and the sight of her battling through to reach the podium gave hope to anyone familiar with mental-health struggles. Stoddard’s tearful parents were mirrored by broadcaster Katherine Reutter-Adamek, who choked up with emotion. “Forgive us if we all join the parents in shedding a tear,” play-by-play man Ted Robinson said.
It would be the first individual medal for a U.S. woman short-track athlete in 16 years. “Every person on that ice understands what Stoddard lived through,” Robinson said.
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Reutter-Adamek said.
2. Alysa Liu Skates Like No One Is Watching and Reminds Us Why We Do This
We could use words to describe what Alysa Liu — barely two years ago retired because she didn’t find figure-skating pleasurable anymore — pulled off with her gold-medal skate on Thursday. But nothing compares to the contact high from just watching her pull off the most joyous figure-skating performance in modern memory.
On an Olympics stage where competitors can be uptight, dour and neurotically serious because of the pressure placed on them, Liu reminded us what events should really be all about: fun. Watch the skate here and your day will instantly become 37 percent better.
1. The U.S. Men’s Hockey Team Wins Gold By Beating Canada in OT
Where to start with one of the best hockey games ever played, talent-wise, and also the one with the most TV storylines?
The United States’ first-ever gold medal win in hockey over Canada? The fact that it happened on the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, aka the event widely regarded as the best TV moment of the 1980s? The vengeance against Canada from last year’s Four Nations tournament? The sheer wizardry of Matt Boldy and Connor Hellebuyck? The touching tribute to the late Gaudreau brothers? The dominance of the ascendant Hughes brothers? The fact that one of said brothers, Jack, poked the puck away from Cale Makar and then sniped the winning shot in OT after having a few teeth knocked out on a high stick near the end of regulation?
Hughes’ goal was the burst of unity and the palliative we need at this moment — not, with the Miracle on Ice, to heal a country fractured by the Cold War but to heal a country fractured by itself. (“I’m so proud to be an American today,” he said.) Plus who doesn’t love a good sports-dentistry story? “Would you trade a couple of broken teeth for a gold medal?” broadcaster Kenny Alert asked. Fortunately for America, Hughes would.
There’s still plenty of time for things to change, but the NFL competition committee isn’t expecting any attempts to ban the tush push this offseason.
“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” committee co-chairman Rich McKay said Sunday, via ESPN. “So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
The controversial play has drawn plenty of criticism, and multiple attempts to ban it, in recent years after teams — notably the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills — have found incredible success with it.
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Last season was incredibly contentious, and the Green Bay Packers pushed the proposed ban during offseason meetings in 2025. But 10 teams ended up voting against that ban, and it was two votes short of passing. In order for a rule change, the NFL requires approval from at least 24 of its 32 franchise owners. Eagles owner Jeffrie Lurie was among those fighting to keep the play in the league during discussions last time around.
According to ESPN, there were 112 attempted tush pushes last season — which is 11 more than the 2024 campaign. The Eagles attempted the most (27) and the Bills were second (17). In total, teams successfully converted a first down on a tush push about 77% of the time.
There was plenty of outrage over the play this past season, too. The Eagles, for example, scored a touchdown on a tush push despite officials clearly missing a false start on the play during their game in September. The Jacksonville Jaguars were completely unable to stop Bills quarterback Josh Allen on an attempt in the playoffs, too. Allen ended up going 10 yards before he was brought down, and former official-turned-rules analyst for NBC and Amazon Terry McAuley lit up the league for it.
“I very much hope the NFL competition committee addresses this in the offseason,” McAuley wrote last month. “This just cannot be a legal play any more. Now, only pulling a runner is illegal. All pushing, pulling or lifting a runner by a teammate should be illegal.”
But, at least for now, it seems like any tush push ban will have to wait until next offseason. The play should be available again this fall, whether certain teams are able to stop it or not.
An already difficult season for Tyrese Haliburton has gotten worse.
The Indiana Pacers All-Star, who’s been sidelined all season with a ruptured Achilles tendon that he suffered in Game 7 of last season’s NBA Finals, now has shingles.
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That’s according to head coach Rick Carlisle, who announced Haliburton’s condition to reporters Sunday. Per Carlisle, Haliburton will be away from the team for 2-3 weeks with the illness.
Per the Mayo Clinic, shingles can be passed to anyone who isn’t immune to chickenpox. The condition doesn’t impact Haliburton’s availability. His Achilles tendon injury is expected to sideline him until the start of next season at the earliest.
“Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. For some people, the pain can be intense. Depending on the location of the pain, it can sometimes be mistaken for problems with the heart, lungs or kidneys.”
Carlisle told reporters that Haliburton is experiencing pain and that he’s expected to make a full recovery.
“It’s a very painful thing,” Carlisle said,” per the Indianapolis Star. … “He will make a full recovery, but this happened over the last few days.
“He was meeting us in D.C. and had some odd symptoms and he came back here. That’s what’s happening with him. We certainly wish him a speedy recovery. It’s a unique case and a unique situation, but I talked to him a few times and he’s always in a good mood, so he’ll get through it.”
Tyrese Haliburton is dealing with a painful case of singles, according to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.
(Patrick McDermott via Getty Images)
Haliburton had emerged into one of the NBA’s best guard’s last season prior to his Achilles tendon injury. He made his second career All-NBA team and led the Pacers to a surprise trip to the NBA Finals as a 4 seed.
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There, the Pacers pushed the Thunder to seven games before losing the series. But Haliburton, who started Game 7 a lingering calf injury, ruptured his Achilles early in the first half. The Pacers couldn’t recover from the injury, and Haliburton’s promising career got derailed at 24 years old by one of the worst injuries in sports.
Haliburton is hoping in the long term to recover in time to return to his All-NBA form. In the short-term, he’s dealing with a difficult illness.
The Pacers, meanwhile, are last in the Eastern Conference at 15-43 on the heels on winning last season’s conference title.
The NBA Cup Knockout Round opened with two competitive matchups that brought clarity on which teams are trending toward Las Vegas — and what decisions fantasy basketball managers need to make at the midpoint of Week 8.
Here’s a full breakdown of Orlando, Miami, New York and Toronto, followed by updated streaming recommendations for the Wednesday Cup slate.
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Orlando Magic: 5 starters in double figures help punch their ticket to Las Vegas
Orlando shook off a 15–0 start by Miami and responded with one of its most complete team efforts of the season. Led by Desmond Bane’s 37 points and Jalen Suggs’ tenacity and grit, all of the Magic starters scored at least 10 points. As a team, they connected on 46% of their 3s to edge out a 117-108 win over the Heat.
Desmond Bane: 37 points with 6 rebounds, 5 assists and six 3s
Jalen Suggs: 20 points with 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
Paolo Banchero: 18 points, 7 boards, 4 assists and 1 block. Shot 6-for-7 from the line, too.
Wendell Carter Jr.: 14 points with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block
Anthony Black: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 stocks
Black earned another start with Franz Wagner out, playing 34 minutes. Even on an inefficient night where he shot 5-for-15 from the field, he’s a hold in all formats while Wagner remains sidelined.
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Fantasy pickups for Saturday: Tristan da Silva posted 11 points and 7 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, making him a strong streaming option for Saturday’s two-game slate. Goga Bitadze also did his thing in limited minutes, scoring 7 points with 6 boards and 2 blocks.
Miami Heat: A hot start cooled off by 3-point variance and a slow third quarter
The Heat owned the first quarter, but the Magic chipped away slowly, closing the gap in the second and third quarters to eventually take control of the game. Miami dominated the paint (60 points) and limited turnovers (8), but shooting 8-for-33 from 3 was the difference.
Norman Powell: 21 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals
Davion Mitchell: 11 points with 2 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 steal
Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 10 points with 3 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench, but the most concerning aspect of the Heat’s performance was the nothing burger from Kel’el Ware. He had 4 points with 6 rebounds and was a -15 in 12 minutes of action. He might be trending towards drop territory.
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New York Knicks: Brunson’s a problem, but NYK supporting cast shows out too
Brunson scored a season-high 26 points in the first half, eventually finishing with 35 points (13-19 FG) with 3 boards, 4 dimes and 6 3s. But the supporting cast showed out too. New York posted 25 second-chance points and suffocated Toronto into 43% shooting in a 117–101 victory.
Josh Hart: 21 points with 6 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals
Karl-Anthony Towns: 14 points, 16 rebounds with 3 stocks
Mikal Bridges: 15 points with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 stocks
OG Anunoby: 13 points, 6 boards and 4 stocks
Fantasy pickups for Saturday:
Mitchell Robinson — If you need boards and defensive stats, he’s an option, but beware: he’s currently on pace for one of the worst free-throw shooting seasons in NBA history.
Jordan Clarkson — As long as Miles McBride remains out, Clarkson is an option for teams needing points.
Toronto Raptors: Ingram balled, Shead impressed but the depth tanked
The Raptors were outrebounded, outhustled and outplayed beyond a couple of strong efforts from Brandon Ingram and Jamal Shead.
Brandon Ingram: 31 points with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals
Scottie Barnes: 13 points with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
Jakob Poeltl: 10 points with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals
Jamal Shead stepped up as the second-best Raptor on the night, finishing with 18 points, 8 assists, 4 3s, while filling in for Immanuel Quickley.
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Shead is not a streaming option for the remainder of Week 8 (TOR has no games left), but monitor Quickley’s availability heading into Monday. If Quickley sits again, Shead becomes a strong spot-start candidate in Week 9.
NBA Cup schedule update
Because Orlando and New York advance to Saturday’s semifinal, Miami and Toronto will not play again until Monday of Week 9.
Fantasy Advice 👉 Drop fringe Raptors and Heat players immediately.
Wednesday NBA Cup streaming options
There are only two games on Wednesday, so it’s fairly slim pickings for streaming options. Here’s how I’d play it by each team:
