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It just wouldn’t be the Olympics without Pita Taufatofua, also known as the shirtless Tongan.

Taufatofua was announced as a flag bearer ahead of Friday’s Opening Ceremony for the Milan Cortina Olympics, and he appeared near the end of the night carrying the Olympic flag as a “messenger of peace,” alongside Tadatoshi Akiba, Rebeca Andrade, Maryam Bukar Hassan, Nicolo Govoni, Filippo Grandi, Eliud Kipchoge and Cindy Ngamba.

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One of a small group of athletes who have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, Taufatofua first arrived on the scene during the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, wearing nothing but a taʻovala, a traditional Tongan dress made of a mat wrapped around the waist. Taufatofua was ultimately eliminated in the first round of the taekwondo competition.

At the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, Taufatofua was back, this time as a freestyle skier, and the freezing temperatures couldn’t keep him from wearing the taʻovala again. In the 15km freestyle ski race, he placed 114th out of 119.

Taufatofua made a third appearance in the 2020 Olympics, this time alongside Malia Paseka, a fellow taekwondo athlete.

While Taufatofua didn’t carry a flag for the 2022 or 2024 Olympics, he did take part in the torch relay for the Paris Games. Per his Instagram account, Taufatofua is a motivational speaker and author.

Another team is dealing with a potential norovirus outbreak at the 2026 Winter Olympics, following the outbreak on Finland team’s that has seen 14 players quarantined.

The Swiss women’s hockey team has placed itself in isolation after a player tested positive for norovirus following a group play game against the Czech Republic on Friday, the Swiss hockey federation announced.

The unidentified athlete has reportedly been housed in a single room since Monday and has been symptom-free since Friday morning. Per The Athletic, she did not play in the game against the Czechs, which the Swiss won 4-3.

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No other players have shown symptoms so far, per the federation. They still did not attend the Opening Ceremony on Friday.

The team’s decision to isolate was described as a precautionary measure, made in consultation with experts and its on-site medical team. Switzerland is scheduled to play its second match against Canada on Saturday at 9:10 a.m. local time, with a clash against Team USA following on Monday.

If Switzerland is forced to miss the Canada game, it will be a second straight game affected by norovirus for one of the two overwhelming tournament favorites. The Canadians were supposed to open the Olympics with a game against Finland, but that was postponed following the outbreak.

The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kicked off today with the Milan-Cortina Opening Ceremony. The theme for the start of the Winter Games was “Armonia,” or harmony in English. Nearly 3,000 athletes participated in parades, the passing of the Olympic flame, and lighting of not one but two Olympic cauldrons. Plus, performances from Italian artists, including Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, and Ghali.

The Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony began at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Missed the live ceremony? Don’t worry, an enhanced primetime encore broadcast will re-air on NBC tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Here’s what else you need to know about watching the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. Looking for how to watch the Winter Games? Yahoo Sports has you covered.

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How to watch the 2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony rebroadcast:

Date: Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

Time: 8 p.m. ET/PT

TV channel: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

When is the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?

The Winter Olympics officially began with the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6 (though some events started as early as Feb. 4). The Milan Cortina 2026 Games will run through Feb. 22.

Olympics Opening Ceremony start time:

The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Games will re-air in primetime on NBC tonight at 8 p.m.

2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony channel:

All of the 2026 Winter Olympics, including the Opening Ceremony, will air on NBC and stream live on Peacock.

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Tennis player and sportscaster Mary Carillo filled in for TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie to help host NBC coverage, alongside NBC Sports legend Terry Gannon.

How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony without cable:

How long was the Olympic Opening Ceremony?

The 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony ran about three hours.

Where are the Winter Olympics this year?

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Northern Italy, primarily in Milan and also the Alpine mountain resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Opening Ceremony will primarily take place inside San Siro Stadium.

Winter Olympics time difference:

This year’s Olympic Games are in Italy, which is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. Meaning that some events will start bright and early for U.S. viewers, and live coverage will likely wrap up around 4 p.m. ET each day. NBC will have primetime replays of the biggest moments each night.

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2026 Winter Olympics TV/streaming schedule:

All times Eastern.

Friday, Feb. 6 – Opening ceremony

Curling (round robin) – 2:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (team event short programs) – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Snowboard slopestyle qualifications – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Speedskating (early distances) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Opening ceremony – 2:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Opening ceremony – 8:00 p.m. (NBC – Primetime)

Saturday, Feb. 7

Alpine skiing (men’s downhill) – 3:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Snowboard slopestyle finals – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Speedskating medals – 7:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

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Figure skating (team free programs) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Hockey (group play begins) – 10:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Sunday, Feb. 8

Alpine skiing (women’s downhill) – 3:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Freestyle skiing moguls finals – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (pairs short program) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Luge (singles runs) – 9:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Hockey (group play) – 12:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Monday, Feb. 9

Biathlon sprint – 5:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Speedskating medals – 7:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (pairs free skate – medals) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Curling (round robin) – 9:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

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Skeleton (heat 1–2) – 11:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Tuesday, Feb. 10

Alpine skiing (giant slalom) – 4:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Snowboard halfpipe qualifications – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (men’s short program) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Curling (round robin) – 10:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Nordic combined – 4:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Freestyle skiing aerials finals – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (men’s free skate – medals) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Speedskating medals – 11:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Thursday, Feb. 12

Alpine skiing (slalom) – 4:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

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Snowboard halfpipe finals – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (ice dance rhythm dance) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Curling (medal round qualifiers) – 10:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Friday, Feb. 13

Biathlon pursuit – 5:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (ice dance free dance – medals) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Skeleton finals – 10:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Hockey (quarterfinals) – 12:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Saturday, Feb. 14

Alpine skiing (tea.m. combined) – 4:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Cross-country skiing distance race – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (women’s short program) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

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Speedskating medals – 11:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Sunday, Feb. 15

Snowboard cross finals – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating (women’s free skate – medals) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Luge relay – 11:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Hockey (semifinals) – 1:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Monday, Feb. 16

Freestyle skiing dual moguls – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Cross-country skiing team sprint – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Curling (medal games) – 10:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Tuesday, Feb. 17

Biathlon relay – 5:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Speedskating team pursuit – 7:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Hockey (placement games) – 12:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

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Wednesday, Feb. 18

Alpine skiing (final technical events) – 4:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Freestyle skiing big air – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Curling (gold medal match) – 9:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Thursday, Feb. 19

Cross-country skiing marathon – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Snowboard parallel events – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Hockey (bronze medal games) – 1:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Friday, Feb. 20

Biathlon mass start – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Speedskating final medals – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Figure skating gala – 1:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Saturday, Feb. 21

Men’s hockey gold medal game – 12:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

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Women’s hockey gold medal game – 3:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Men’s hockey gold medal game – 8:00 p.m. (NBC – Primetime)

Sunday, Feb. 22 – Closing Ceremony

Cross-country skiing final event – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)

Closing Ceremony – 2:00 p.m. (Peacock – Live)

Closing Ceremony – 8:00 p.m. (NBC – Primetime)

More ways to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics on NBC:

The women’s normal hill ski jumping final at the 2026 Winter Games is approaching. Normal hill jumps are smaller than their large hill counterparts but every bit as dramatic and thrilling as athletes soar off jumps and receive points for length and style. You can catch the women’s normal hill final this Saturday at 11:45 a.m ET on Peacock, or watch an encore broadcast on USA at 8 p.m.

You can find the complete schedule of ski jumping competitions, along with a list of who is competing, below. While every race will stream on Peacock, some will also be broadcast on NBC and USA Network. (To see specific air times, check out the official NBC Olympics broadcast schedule, and toggle your search to “TV Only.”) Here’s a rundown of how to watch the women’s normal hill final and every other ski jumping event at the 2026 Winter Games.

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How to watch the women’s normal hill ski jumping final at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Date: Saturday, Feb. 7

Time: 11:45 a.m. ET

TV channel: re-air on USA at 8 p.m. ET

Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV and more

Where can I stream ski jumping at the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The women’s normal hill ski jumping competition streams live on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 11:45 a.m. ET on Peacock.

Where to watch the women’s normal hill ski jumping competition on TV

Encore coverage of the women’s normal hill ski jumping competition will be broadcast on USA at 8 p.m. ET. You can stream USA on DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV and more. (To watch other ski jumping competitions broadcast on NBC and USA, make sure to check out the official NBC Olympics broadcast schedule and toggle your search to “TV Only.”)

The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina had to follow the spectacular setting of 2024 Paris Olympics holding its festivities along the Seine River. However, the ceremony inside Milan’s San Siro Olympic Stadium (home of AC Milan and Inter Milan) provided plenty of spectacle to open the 2026 Games.

One advantage that the Milan Cortina Opening Ceremony had over its predecessor is that the comparatively intimate setting inside a stadium allowed for more focus on the athletes who paraded in to represent their respective countries.

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Before and after the procession of countries participating in the Milan Cortina Olympics, spectators were treated to performances from pop stars and opera legends, and an array of colors and costumes certain to be remembered for years to come.

Here are some of the most memorable moments from the 2026 Opening Ceremony:

Ladies and gentlemen, Mariah Carey: The six-time Grammy Award winner was one of the the headliners of the Opening Ceremony and she opened the program by performing her song “Nothing is Impossible.” Carey followed up with a rendition of “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu,” also known as “Volare,” which was Italy’s entry at the 1958 Eurovision competition.

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What was more impressive, her voice or her enormous dress?

Giant bobbleheads: Legendary Italian opera composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini were honored by three figures wearing large “bobbleheads.”

Yet as nice a tribute as the sculptures may have been to Italy’s artistic history, it reminded others — including Yahoo Sports’ Jay Busbee — of the Presidents’ Race at Washington Nationals games.

Paint by Olympics: An excellent example of spectacle was the dance performance featuring three giant tubes of paint that poured brightly colored fabric onto the floor. The “paint” and the dancers’ costumes provided vibrant colors making for a memorable visual.

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The display also evoked a playful spirit, like children playing with paints and canvas or a music video such as OK Go’s “The One Moment” or (going way back) the J. Geils Band’s “Freeze Frame.” Much less clean-up with these splashes of color, however.

Coffee, anyone? Among the many things Italy is known for is espresso. The Opening Ceremony acknowledged Italy’s place in world coffee culture with dancers dressed as Italy’s signature stove-top espresso maker, the Moka Pot.

Some snickered at the coffee maker popularized by Alfonso Bialetti being celebrated in such a setting, while others enjoyed seeing a favorite beverage maker get a colorful spotlight. Perhaps it was a reminder that caffeine might be needed to get through a three-hour proceeding.

Espírito Brasileiro: Other countries may have had more extravagant costumes, such as Mongolia. But no delegation brought more spirit and enthusiasm than Brazil, featuring one athlete doing a cartwheel and backflip as their group entered the stadium. Again, child-like wonder and joy!

By the way, Brazil’s costumes were definitely flashy, as demonstrated by skier and flag bearer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.

Parade through the city: The Milan Cortina Opening Ceremony may not have spanned as far as Paris’ festivities along the Seine River. But the parade of athletes expanded beyond the confines of San Siro Stadium, conveying the epic scope of the Olympic Games.

Several processions representing their respective countries strode through the surrounding areas hosting the Games, including Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo.

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Perhaps the most picturesque setting featured athletes walking through an Olympic ring against the backdrop of the ski and snowboarding slopes in Livigno.

Oh, Canada! One of the fascinating aspects of any Olympic Games is the vast differences among the delegations from larger countries and smaller nations.

For instance, Canada paraded more than 200 athletes through an Olympic ring. (The United States’ delegation included 230 people.) By comparison, Iceland — which one might guess would thrive in a winter sports setting — sent four competitors to Milan Cortina.

Ciao Italia: As could be expected, the largest cheer from the spectators in San Siro Stadium was for the host country, Italy.

The team closed the Parade of Athletes with not one, but two delegations of athletes through both Milan and Cortina introducing themselves to the 2026 Winter Games with “The Marriage of Figaro.”

Impacciatore Impact: Fans of actress Sabrina Impacciatore from HBO’s “The White Lotus” or Peacock’s “The Paper” were already familiar with her flamboyant style of performance. For some, that may be a bit much on the small screen.

But for a stadium full of thousands, Impacciatore filled the space as the focal point of a big production depicting dance through 100 years of the Olympics.

Hand it to them: Between the pomp and circumstance of the Parade of Athletes and the majesty of Andrea Bocelli and Cecilia Bartoli, the Opening Ceremony provided some levity and poked fun at Italians’ reputation for talking with hand gestures and gesticulations.

To help visitors fit in during their stay in Milan Cortina, actress and comedian Brenda Lodigiani demonstrated several gestures vital for communication and understanding. For instance, biting down on the hand to say “I am upset!”

Or perhaps the best known gesture, pinching the thumb and first two fingers while holding them upward. This could mean different things to different people, perhaps a celebration. But Lodigiani’s tutorial said the sign means “Whaaat?” likely emphasized with some indignance.

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Will we see any of these hand gestures on the medal stand during these Olympics, as we saw from quarterback Tommy DeVito during the 2023 season with the New York Giants?

Magnifico, Bocelli and Bartoli: It’s not necessarily a rule, certainly not one recorded anywhere. But any ceremony that has an opportunity to close the show with Italian opera singers Andrea Bocelli and Cecilia Bartoli has to take it. Especially in Italy before thousands in a stadium and millions watching throughout the world.

(Being the Olympics, the true show-stopper is the traditional lighting of the cauldron. And the Milan Cortina Games feature two.)

To no surprise, Bocelli made everyone stop and listen to his magnificent rendition of “Nessun Dorma” and appreciate a moment that could be among the greatest in the lives of those in attendance. Bartoli followed, performing the Olympic anthem with pianist Lang Lang.

The two big injury questions for the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots before the Super Bowl have been answered.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been dealing with a right shoulder injury. But he was a full participant in Friday’s practice, as he was on Wednesday and Thursday, and had no designation on New England’s injury report.

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Safety Nick Emmanwori was not listed on Seattle’s injury report Friday and is expected to play on Sunday. Just to emphasize the point — and perhaps swipe at the uproar that Emmanwori’s injury caused — Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald had a memorable quip when sharing the safety’s status with reporters.

“No designation for Nick,” Macdonald told ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler. “Turns out he’s alive.”

Emmanwori, 21, became an impact player for Seattle’s secondary as a rookie, compiling 81 tackles, 11 passes defended, 9 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks and 1 interception in 11 games during the regular season.

During the postseason, he’s made 8 tackles with 4 passes defended and 1 fumble recovery in two games.

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Maye, 23, nearly won the NFL MVP award in his second professional season, finishing with 23 first-place votes (and 361 points) in balloting while Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford earned 24 first-place votes (with 366 points).

The Patriots QB completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also rushed for 450 yards and 4 scores on 103 carries. His completion percentage and average yards per pass (8.9) led the NFL.

In three postseason games, Maye has thrown for 533 yards while completing 56% of his passes with 4 TDs and 2 INTs.

Paul Goldschmidt is headed back to the Bronx.

The veteran first baseman is finalizing a one-year contract to return to the New York Yankees, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman. Goldschmidt reportedly had offers for more money from other teams, but decided to return to New York. He will be paid $4 million, Jon Heyman reports.

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Goldschmidt first joined the Yankees last year on a one-year, $12.5 million deal after six years with the St. Louis Cardinals. In his age-37 season, his production was below his career norms, with a .274/.328/.403 slash line, 45 RBI and 10 homers in 146 games.

This year, the former MVP figures to provide the right-handed side of a platoon at first base alongside left-handed Ben Rice, the part-time catcher who broke out at the plate last year. Goldschmidt, a four-time Gold Glove winner at first, could also make appearances as a defensive replacement in the later innings.

[Get more Yankees news: New York team feed]

This deal checks one of the final boxes on the Yankees’ offseason to-do list. The team’s big moves of the offseason have so far been retaining outfielders Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham, the former on a five-year, $162.5 million deal and the latter on the $22 million qualifying offer. It also acquired pitching depth with a trade for Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers.

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The Yankees still had use for a right-handed bench bat, though, and Goldschmidt, a likely Hall of Famer, fit the bill well. It’s unclear how much longer he’s going to play, but he remains an above-average hitter and a solid clubhouse presence.

New York currently holds the second-best World Series odds in MLB at BetMGM at +1000, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (+225).

All eyes were on Friday’s Opening Ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy. Speed skater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca were the U.S. flag bearers, while Italian legends Sofia Goggia, Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit the Olympic cauldrons. Lindsey Vonn continues to prove doubters wrong with a miraculous comeback, while the U.S. skating and curling teams got off to hot starts. The U.S. women’s hockey team has also taken precautions against the norovirus outbreak.

Here are the top five stories of the day:

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1. Opening Ceremony

While the 2026 Winter Olympics started Wednesday, the Opening Ceremony took place Friday in Italy. The U.S. flag bearers were speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca.

Jackson, 33, is a three-time Olympian and the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 500 meters. Jackson also became the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Games. Del Duca, 34, is also a two-time Olympian and a sergeant in the U.S. Army. The U.S. team walked out in Ralph Lauren, the sponsor for the Opening and Closing Ceremony. The ceremony ended with Sofia Goggia, Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lighting the Olympic cauldrons in dramatic fashion.

A week after rupturing her surgically repaired right ACL in last week’s upper section of the World Cup downhill race in Switzerland, Lindsey Vonn completed a successful training run early Friday morning. The run was required if Vonn wanted to compete in Sunday’s Olympic women’s downhill competition. Vonn scored 1:40.33, a time that placed her 11th out of the 43 finishers.

Vonn also gave updates on her injury diagnosis on social media. On Thursday, she posted a high-intensity workout that included weighted squats and box jumps. She revealed Friday that her ACL is “100% ruptured” and that she is not taking medications to reduce the pain.

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Despite entering last week’s race leading the downhill standings and sixth in the overall competition, Vonn opted to try to get more World Cup points.

The 41-year-old is a four-time overall World Cup champion and won gold in the downhill event in 2010. Vonn made a return after retiring from skiing in 2019. This is the most recent of the injuries she has had in the last few years.

3. U.S. off to a hot start in figure skating

The ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates started the day with 91.06 to finish atop the standings and gain the United States 10 points. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea posted a score of 66.59, fifth overall in the segment, despite Kam falling during an attempted triple loop. Alysa Liu finished the day with a score of 74.90 to keep the United States in first place after the first day of the team event.

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4. U.S. mixed doubles curling team stay undefeated

The United States mixed doubles curling team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin is 4-0 after wins over Canada and Czechia on Friday. Their 4-0 start was the best among any U.S. men’s, women’s or mixed doubles curling team since the sport was added in 1998.

Thiesse and Dropkin will continue round-robin play Saturday against 5-0 Great Britain and 0-4 South Korea.

5. U.S. women’s hockey team taking precautions against the norovirus outbreak

After Thursday’s 5-1 win over Czechia, U.S. women’s hockey goalie Aerin Frankel avoided giving the other teams hugs because of the norovirus outbreak.

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Norovirus, according to the Center for Disease Control, is a “very contagious” illness that is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States. Most people with norovirus illness recover in 72 hours or less, the CDC says, but they can still spread the virus for several more days afterward.

The entire Swiss team was isolated “as a precaution” after a player was diagnosed with norovirus. The Swiss team is scheduled to play Canada on Saturday. The Canadian team has yet to play a game after their opening game against Finland was postponed when the Finnish team had a norovirus outbreak.

The Swiss team’s outbreak reportedly took place after Friday’s 4-3 comeback win over the Czechia and shortly before the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Highlight of the day

One more thing

Pita Taufatofua made his return to the 2026 Olympics, this time wearing a shirt!

The Los Angeles Lakers had to play the second half without Luka Dončić on Thursday. His absence will extend into at least their next game.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, there is “initial optimism” that Luka Dončić may have avoided major injury as he deals with a hamstring strain, but he was still ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

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Dončić exited Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers with an apparent leg injury and was later announced to be out for the rest of the game, with the Lakers describing the injury as left leg soreness. The injury occurred in the second quarter, on a stepback from the paint that led to Dončić grabbing his hamstring.

Dončić was not pleased with the development.

Dončić finished the game with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 turnovers.

After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Dončić “felt some soreness in his hamstring” and the Lakers medical staff opted to hold him out. Dončić was also seen walking gingerly out of the building.

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It had mostly been a healthy season for Dončić, with appearances in 42 of the Lakers’ games this season. His longest absence was early in the season, when he missed three games with a finger sprain and leg contusion.

This injury comes at a sensitive time for the Lakers, who entered the game in sixth place in the Western Conference and only one game ahead of the seventh-place Phoenix Suns. After a strong start, they’ve been a significantly up-and-down team since the start of December but were hoping to get a shot in the arm with the return of Austin Reaves, who had been out for more than a month with a calf strain.

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Instead, they can only hope this isn’t the start of an absence for another of their top players.

Across the sports landscape, the NFL always seems to be the one league immune to the ratings erosion brought on by the era of cord-cutting. With one exception.

The 2026 Pro Bowl Games continued a worrying trend for the league, drawing an average of only 2.0 million viewers on ESPN in its new Tuesday timeslot, according to Sports Media Watch. That’s a 59.6% drop from last year’s record low viewership of 4.7 million.

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Just how bad are we talking here? The 2021 Pro Bowl, a tape-delayed virtual event in which some of the players faced off in “Madden NFL” due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, drew 1.9 million viewers.

Here’s how the ratings have gone since then:

• 2023: 6.3 million viewers

• 2024: 5.8 million viewers

• 2025: 4.7 million viewers

• 2026: 2.0 million viewers

To be fair, much of the drop-off from last year can be explained by the fact the game wasn’t on ABC. This year also saw a big change in both time and venue, as it was held on Tuesday in the Super Bowl host city of San Francisco rather than Orlando or Las Vegas. The NFL said the change was intended to help promote flag football for its debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

This year’s flag football game saw the NFC beat the AFC 66-52.

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Is it time to finally kill the Pro Bowl?

At some point, it might be time for the NFL to take a step back and ask, “Is this all worth it?”

The Pro Bowl was originally a simple idea. The best players in the league — or at least the best players who didn’t make the Super Bowl — get a Hawaiian vacation while taking it easy for a single game. However, there’s no guarantee of safety in a tackle football game, and the more the players tried to avoid injury, the less fun it became to watch. Player safety is understandably going to take precedent 10 times out of 10 when the stakes are so low, which is why the NFL switched to flag football in 2023.

At this point, the Pro Bowl Games are essentially a football variety show in which the public is invited to watch some of their favorite players goof off for a few hours. The NFL wants to promote flag football so it feels more natural when its athlete report to Los Angeles in 2028, but how much is this actually going to help?

Making the Pro Bowl has also become a hollow honor, at least at the quarterback position. It wasn’t a good sign for the event that its biggest story was Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders making the game after a seven-touchdown, 10-interception season, but making it even worse is that Sanders was simply following the norm of the past few years.

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Tyler Huntley infamously made the game in 2023 after starting only four games for the Baltimore Ravens due to seemingly every other AFC quarterback being either hurt or unwilling to play, and a similar thing happened with Gardner Minshew in 2024. Joe Flacco spent his entire career getting squeezed out by a group of generational QBs, then made it for the first time this year with 10 mediocre starts for the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

A Pro Bowl selection is supposed to mean a player was among the best at his position that season, but it really means “best among the players at his position willing and able to show up to a meaningless event.”

So what are we doing here? What’s stopping the NFL from announcing its Pro Bowlers at the end of the season and then … recognizing them at the NFL honors? How important is it that all of these guys come together on a Tuesday night, if it’s not even going to draw half the audience of your average MLB wild-card game?

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The NFL isn’t hurting anyone by doing the Pro Bowl this way and if it decides getting a couple million eyeballs on a Tuesday evening is a fine outcome, that’s their decision. Still, you’d imagine there is a number of viewers in which the endeavor is no longer financially worth it, especially if the league’s stars would approve of getting their week before the Super Bowl back.