The International Olympic Committee apparently won’t be coming to the rescue of an American skeleton racer who believes that she was unjustly denied the chance to qualify for her sixth Winter Games.
The global governing body declined to act on a request from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to grant Katie Uhlaender a wild-card berth into the women’s skeleton competition at the Milan-Cortina Olympics scheduled for Feb. 13-14.
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When asked Monday for an update on Uhlaender’s status, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services Rocky Harris told reporters that he’d heard back from the IOC earlier that morning. Harris said the IOC is supporting the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s previous ruling against Uhlaender.
“I’m going to talk to Katie later today and see how she wants to move forward,” Harris said, perhaps hinting at the possibility Uhlaender could take the matter to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Uhlaender, 41, hoped to earn enough points to qualify for the Olympics at the North American Cup in Lake Placid earlier this month, but a controversial decision by the head coach of the Canadian skeleton team undercut her chances. Joe Cecchini withdrew at the last minute four Canadian entrants from the final race of the week, decreasing the field size from 23 to 19 and reducing the number of Olympic qualifying points available to each finisher.
Canada entered the day in position to send two skeleton athletes to the Olympics but at risk of losing one of its spots. The reduction in points available made it more difficult for racers from other countries to overtake the Canadians.
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After winning all three North American Cup races in Lake Placid but not securing enough points to qualify for the Olympics, Uhlaender publicly accused Canada of deliberately pulling athletes to manipulate the points standings. The national federations of Belgium, Korea, Denmark, Israel, Malta and the Virgin Islands expressed support for her cause.
In response to Uhlaender’s media tour, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton released a statement defending Cecchini. The national federation’s statement noted that the athletes had already raced twice that week and described Cecchini’s decision to pull them from competition as “appropriate, transparent and aligned with both athlete welfare and the integrity of the sport.”
When siding with Canada in its decision, the IBSF noted that its rules did not prohibit pulling athletes from a competition without notice.
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“The late withdrawal of athletes intuitively gives rise to concern that the action may have constituted impermissible manipulation,” the IBSF acknowledged. “At the same time, the express language of Section 7 of the IBSF Code of Ethics precludes any finding that conduct ‘expressly permitted’ by the competition rules is ‘improper’ or creates an ‘undue benefit.’”
On Friday, Harris sent a letter to the IOC in support of Uhlaender, urging the global governing body to “consider adding a women’s skeleton quota spot and awarding it to Ms. Uhlaender.”
Three days later, the IOC declined to intervene, leaving Uhlaender running short on time and options.
Aryna Sabalenka will face American Iva Jovic tonight in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open. The No. 1 seed and the No. 29 seed will face off in Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, with an estimated start time of 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Tournament coverage will air across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament will stream on ESPN+ for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2026 Australian Open.
How to watch Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic tonight:
Date: Monday, Jan. 26
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Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN+
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic match start time:
In the U.S., the quarterfinals match between Sabalenka and Jovic is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic match channel:
The Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iva Jovic match may have coverage on ESPN2, when the tournament coverage airs at 9 p.m., but to catch the whole match live, you’ll need ESPN Unlimited on ESPN+.
Australian Open channel:
The Australian Open is airing across ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2 before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
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How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary.
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia, a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? You can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: the Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
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Saturday, Jan. 17
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 18
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 19
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 21
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 22
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 23
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 24
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 25
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 26
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 27
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3 a.m.
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 28
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3 a.m.
(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 29
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 31
(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, Feb. 1
(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds
1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and semi-finalists receiving $1,250,000.
The way Dabo Swinney views his career at Clemson and his place in the world have long been defined by the traumatic upbringing he overcame. In Dabo’s version of his own life story, it was very much the difficulty of it all — sleeping in his family’s car, coming to terms with an alcoholic father, walking on at Alabama — that forged a national championship coach who now makes $11 million a year.
There have been times over the last five years or so where that defining ethos has worked against him. He’s been too loyal to underperformers in his organization, too stubborn to adapt to changing times. After guiding Clemson to four national championship games over a five-year span, it now looks like a run-of-the-mill ACC program on a downward trajectory. After going 7-6 last season, there’s even speculation about how long of a leash Swinney has before the school is forced to make a drastic decision about the best coach in school history.
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But on Friday, it drove Swinney to arguably the most interesting place of his career. He became a whistleblower.
Was this simply one lone voice railing against a system that no longer works for his program, or is it the beginning of a quiet revolt against absurdities that nearly all coaches feel but are reluctant to push back against with the specificity that Swinney brought to the table.
“If you tamper with my players, I’m going to turn you in,” Swinney told reporters, continuing, “if there are no consequences for tampering, then we have no rules and we have no governance.”
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The rant included specific claims against Ole Miss regarding linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who transferred from Cal and enrolled at Clemson before re-entering the portal and landing in Mississippi. Among the accusations made by Swinney: Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding allegedly texted Ferrelli, “I know you’re signed. What’s the buyout?” while he was in class at Clemson and that Ferrelli’s agent said he would turn over to Clemson incriminating text messages from Ole Miss if Clemson agreed to add one year and $1 million to Ferrelli’s contract.
Clemson declined. Ferrelli will play at Ole Miss in 2026.
Luke Ferrelli is at the center of a tampering claim made by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. (AP Photo/Mark Ylen,File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“You either step up and you be an example to young coaches in this profession and be people of integrity or just shut your mouth and don’t complain again,” Swinney said. “That’s what I would say to all the coaches out there because I know this has happened, and we’re never going to get this under control until we start having some consequences.”
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In one sense, you’d like to take Swinney by the scruff of his neck, shake him a few times and say: “Earth to Dabo! Integrity? You’re a college football coach! This is not a business where integrity works well or is even expected in the first place. Also, you make $11 million. Deal with it.”
But even in a business as absurd as college sports, there is a threshold where the behavior gets so out of control and the circumstances so dire that people realize complaining about the NCAA is a waste of time and instead start pointing fingers at each other.
In other words, in the absence of any regulatory body to police tampering and other recruiting sins, is it possible that Swinney going nuclear on Golding might be the most effective deterrent the NCAA could possibly have?
It’s not like anything else has worked.
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Even though everything has changed in college sports, the fundamental problem is the same now as it was five, 10, 20 years ago.
Everyone from coaches to athletic directors to university presidents talks about wanting rules and enforcement in the way they do business but in the very next breath will explore gray areas and legal challenges to gain a competitive advantage.
“I’ve asked at every level,” Sankey said. “Our university presidents and chancellors, our athletic directors, our head coaches: If you want an unregulated, open system, just raise your hand and let me know. And universally, the answer is, ‘No. We want oversight. We want guardrails. We want structures.”
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But words are cheap. Linebackers are expensive. And it’s not just Ole Miss allegedly doing this stuff. Heck, the Rebels had to endure their own portal shenanigans in the wake of Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU. Tennessee, backed by an attorney general eager to get a piece of the NCAA, has been a habitual line-stepper in the NIL era. Someone is going to have to explain how Kentucky’s supposed $22 million basketball roster fits within the bounds of the $20.5 million revenue share cap for all sports.
The regulations that are supposed to be governing this business simply are not working.
On one hand, fans only care to a point. Just look at the boffo ratings for the College Football Playoff and the national title game. This is still a compelling product and maybe even better than it was before. Indiana just won the national title for goodness sakes.
On the other hand, if it’s true that the Ole Miss head coach was continuing to recruit a transfer who enrolled at Clemson and that an agent tried to shake down Swinney for $1 million to ward off the threat, nobody could credibly argue that’s how a professional sports league should operate.
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Oh, and these NIL agents? Many of them are laughably unprofessional and out of their depth, which is what you get when there are no real standards or certification processes. No matter what you think of Swinney — and many of us have had our critiques the last few years — this is not a “failure to adapt” issue. It’s a refusal to enable corruption issue.
Fixing all this is not solely up to Swinney. He is a cog in a very large and out-of-control machine. But if a future Hall of Famer with two national titles doesn’t have the courage to stand up and call out peers for their role in the full-scale system breakdown, who will?
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In a career and lifetime of defying the odds, Swinney will now try to do it one more time. If NCAA rules and potential punishments don’t get other coaches to act right, wouldn’t it be something if pure, old-fashioned shame did the trick?
Alexander Zverev will face American Learner Tien tonight in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open. The No. 3 seed and the No. 25 seed will face off in Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, with an estimated start time of 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Tournament coverage will air across ESPN and ESPN2. The entire tournament will stream on ESPN+ for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2026 Australian Open.
How to watch Alexander Zverev vs. Learner Tien tonight:
Date: Monday, Jan. 26
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Estimated time: Not before 9:30 p.m. ET
Location: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN+
Alexander Zverev vs. Learner Tien match start time:
In the U.S., the quarterfinals match between Zverev and Tien is scheduled to start after 9:30 p.m. ET.
Alexander Zverev vs. Learner Tien match channel:
The Zverev vs. Tien match will air on ESPN2 and stream on ESPN+ (with ESPN Unlimited).
Australian Open channel:
The Australian Open is airing across ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2 before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
Advertisement
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary.
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia, a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? You can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: the Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
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Saturday, Jan. 17
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 18
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 19
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 21
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 22
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 23
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 24
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 25
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 26
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3 a.m.
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 27
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3 a.m.
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 28
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3 a.m.
(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 29
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 31
(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, Feb. 1
(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds
1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and semi-finalists receiving $1,250,000.
For the U.S. national team players vying for a place on the World Cup squad, the weekend of European club matches brought an array of outcomes — many of which were unwelcomed.
Two players scored and two assisted, including one on a throw-in. But there was also an own goal, a red card, a yellow card suspension for a Bundesliga showdown, an unexpected injury absence for a player in urgent need of minutes and some usual starters coming off the bench.
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Because things otherwise have been looking up for the national team’s foreign legion, we’ll start in England, where Derby County forward Patrick Agyemang continued to produce in his first season abroad and defender Chris Richards scored a consolation goal on another dark day for Crystal Palace.
Agyemang — the 25-year-old Connecticut native who began his career with Charlotte FC — scored in the 44th minute by taking advantage of the goalkeeper spilling the ball. It was his second goal in three matches and eighth overall, to go with three assists, in 24 appearances in the second-division Championship.
Derby conceded a late equalizer and settled for a 1-1 draw with West Brom. Nonetheless, it was a productive week for Agyemang and Derby with seven points from three matches to stay in the thick of the race for a place in the promotion playoffs.
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With Dutch-based Ricardo Pepi out several more weeks with a broken forearm, Agyemang will aim to climb the depth chart and position himself for selection by U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino for the March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta — the final camp before the World Cup squad is selected in late May.
A mainstay on Crystal Palace’s backline, Richards scored on a close-range header following a corner kick scramble in the 88th minute for his first Premier League goal of the season and second in all competitions. By then, though, his 10-man side trailed Chelsea by three goals and absorbed a 3-1 defeat, extending its losing streak to three and its winless rut across all competitions to 0-7-4 since mid-December.
Elsewhere in England, midfielder Tyler Adams continues to recuperate from a knee injury, but that didn’t stop him from celebrating on the field after Bournemouth’s 3-2 home shocker over Liverpool.
Left back Antonee Robinson logged 59 minutes in a 2-1 win over Brighton, lifting Fulham into seventh place and in the mix to qualify for European competition next season. Since returning to the Premier League in 2022, the Cottagers have finished 10th, 13th and 11th.
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Defensive midfielder Aidan Morris went 61 minutes as Middlesbrough routed Preston North End 4-0 for its fourth straight league victory. The club pulled within three points of Coventry City for first place in the Championship. The top two will earn automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Striker Haji Wright’s two-game scoring streak ended during a 71-minute effort in Coventry’s 2-1 setback at lowly Norwich City. American forward Josh Sargent was again left out of Norwich’s matchday squad amid a transfer demand to Toronto FC.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson played 85 minutes in Leeds’ 1-1 draw at Everton, a result that extended the visitors’ resurgence to 4-1-6 in the past 11 outings across all competitions.
France
Both U.S. assists overseas came in Ligue 1, from winger Tim Weah and center back Mark McKenzie.
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Weah crossed to Amine Gouiri for a three-goal lead in Olympique Marseille’s 3-1 victory over second-place Lens, ending Lens’ 10-game winning streak in all competitions. In the past nine league matches, Weah has contributed two goals and two assists from his flank position.
With three wins in four games, Marseille is in third place, seven points behind front-running Paris Saint-Germain. The Mediterranean club will complete the Champions League’s first stage Wednesday in Belgium against Club Brugge.
McKenzie recorded his second assist of the league campaign on a throw-in to Pape Demba Diop, who scored from 25 yards to launch Toulouse’s 2-0 victory at Brest.
Midfielder Tanner Tessmann started for the fifth time in six league matches in Olympique Lyonnais’ 5-2 win at Metz — a fourth straight league victory keeping the club on Marseille’s heels for a Champions League berth next season. In continental competition this season, Lyon leads the Europa League pack and is assured of a round-of-16 slot, regardless of Thursday’s outcome against Greece’s PAOK.
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Folarin Balogun, who sits atop the U.S. depth chart at striker, went scoreless for the sixth time in seven matches as Monaco settled for a 0-0 draw at Le Havre. With two goals in five winless Ligue 1 outings, Monaco urgently needs a Champions League result Wednesday against Juventus.
Italy
AC Milan continued managing Christian Pulisic’s minutes, holding him out until the 68th minute of a 1-1 draw at Roma. This month, he has logged 90 minutes twice and gone five straight appearances without a goal.
Since losing the Serie A opener against Cremonese on Aug. 23, Milan has gone unbeaten in 21 straight. At 13-1-8, the club has the fewest losses in the league, but because of all the draws, AC Milan is five points behind front-running Inter Milan.
Turin, Italy – January 25: Weston Mckennie of Juventus Fc controls the ball during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on January 25, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by sportinfoto/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
(DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Midfielder Weston McKennie remained in good form, going all the way in Juventus’ 3-0 romp over Napoli — a result that pulled fifth-place Juve within a point of Roma and Napoli. McKennie has started 21 consecutive matches across all competitions heading into the Champions League affair at Monaco.
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Midfielder Yunus Musah’s U.S. outlook remained gloomy after not playing in Atalanta’s 4-0 win over Parma — his second straight match stuck on the bench. He’ll look for minutes Wednesday at Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League.
In the second division, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena lost for the third time in four matches, 2-1 to Bari, leaving them 10 points out of automatic promotion to Serie A.
Germany
Things could not have gone much worse for Mönchengladbach’s two Americans as midfielder Gio Reyna didn’t play because of “muscular problems” and right wing back Joe Scally had an own goal and an overall poor outing during a 3-0 loss to Stuttgart.
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Reyna, who improved his U.S. standing in November, has played a total of 26 minutes in the past four Bundesliga matches.
German tabloid Bild called Scally’s performance “abysmal! He first set up the [opening goal] with his chest. Then he deflected the [second] into his own goal. A total failure.”
Midfielder Malik Tillman came off the bench in a Bundesliga match for the first time since Nov. 8, entering in the 57th minute of a 1-0 win over Werder Bremen. He will aim to rejoin the lineup Wednesday against Villarreal in the Champions League.
Center back Noahkai Banks’ streak of 13 consecutive Bundesliga starts ended by serving a yellow card suspension for Augsburg’s 2-1 shocker at Bayern Munich, the leaders’ first Bundesliga setback of the season.
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Defensive midfielder James Sands played 90 minutes for the fifth consecutive match in lowly St. Pauli’s 0-0 draw with city rival Hamburg. In his third start since joining Hamburg on loan from Southampton, forward Damion Downs made no impression.
In the second tier, left wing John Tolkin received good reviews for his 90-minute effort in a 2-2 draw at Arminia Bielfeld, extending 10th-place Holstein Kiel’s unbeaten streak to six.
Scotland
Center back Auston Trusty experienced an extreme swing of emotions over four days, getting controversially red-carded in the 77th minute of Celtic’s 2-2 draw at first-place Hearts. Earlier in the week, he had scored against Bologna in the Europa League.
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Initially shown a yellow card, Trusty was sent off after the video assistant referee judged the American had denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The referee concurred.
“No more a red card than a blue card,” Celtic coach Martin O’Neill said.
Netherlands
After sitting out two matches with a minor ailment, right back Sergiño Dest played the first half of PSV Eindhoven’s 2-2 draw with NAC Breda. The result ended first-place PSV’s winning streak in the Dutch Eredivisie at 13. Next up is Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the Champions League.
Spain
Seeking to stand out in a crowded corps of U.S. central midfielders, Johnny Cardoso made his second straight La Liga start and logged 73 minutes in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 triumph over Mallorca. Unbeaten in four straight overall and third behind Barcelona and Real Madrid on the Spanish circuit, Atletico will close the Champions League’s first stage against Norway’s Bodø/Glimt on Wednesday.
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Mexico
Club America was off this weekend, so U.S. winger Alex Zendejas can’t return from injury until Feb. 1, at the earliest. He missed the first two Liga MX Clausura matches this month and hasn’t played competitively since Nov. 30.
Denver kicker Wil Lutz missed a 45-yard field goal attempt that could have tied the score at 10 with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. New England Patriots defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III tipped the ball with his fingertips, causing the kick to ricochet to the left and fall short.
Following the game, Lutz told reporters that the Broncos may have been lined up a yard further back than they should have because they couldn’t see the yard lines on the field.
“My guess is, unfortunately, you couldn’t see the lines on the field and honestly we might have been a yard short on the snap,” Lutz said, via 9NEWS’ reporter Scotty Gange. “We had to kind of estimate.”
Was it that the Broncos were lined up at the 29-yard line instead the 28? Thus, Lutz’s 45-yard field goal attempt was actually a 46-yard kick?
Would that have mattered? Yes, one yard matters. Especially in a 3-point game. However, Taylor still blocked the kick. Would Lutz have gotten a bit more height on his kick if he had been one yard closer? Would the ball have sailed less to the left had the Broncos been on the presumably correct yard line?
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However, what Lutz apparently meant was that the hold was “a yard short,” rather than where the Broncos were lined up.
Those examining the play, including NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry, noticed that holder Jeremy Crawshaw was actually lined up a yard closer to the line of scrimmage than usual. So the kick was from seven yards behind the line, rather than eight.
If Crawshaw was one yard closer to the line than he should have been, that would have affected the launch point for Lutz’s kick. And it became easier for Taylor to block the attempt.
Despite his postgame remarks, Lutz later took full responsibility for the missed kick in a social media post and said that the hold was lined up correctly.
“We were lined up correctly after looking at the tape,” Lutz posted. “The conditions made it tough to see the lines, but that can never be an excuse. This is on me and no one else. The result of any kick always ends with me.”
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Lutz actually missed two field goal attempts in Sunday’s game. But his 54-yard attempt with 24 seconds remaining before halftime sailed wide right. There was no snow on the field for that kick, though the cold and windy conditions surely made a long kick even more difficult. He appeared to have the distance, however.
The nine-year veteran also admitted to reporters that he had never kicked in the snow before. His first six NFL seasons were with the New Orleans Saints.
During the regular season, Lutz made 28-of-32 field-goal attempts. Two of his misses were between 40 and 49 yards, while his other two were from 50 yards or farther. He and the Broncos agreed to a three-year contract extension in November.
In anticipation of the upcoming Feb. 5 deadline, a number of you sent in questions from all over the country concerning pressing trade items around the league. As always, we appreciate the responses. Let’s dig in.
There doesn’t seem to be a Ja Morant suitor that’s willing to meet Memphis’ “young talent and draft asset” asking price. If no one improves their current offer, will the Grizz still move Ja before the deadline? — @CarlosLop32
We’ve seen both sides of the trade coin in recent years: a disgruntled player subtly or not-so-subtly making his desires to play elsewhere known, and an organization quietly or not-so-quietly making a player available.
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What we haven’t seen lately is what the Memphis Grizzlies did two weeks ago: a tight-lipped organization changing course seemingly in the middle of the night, leaving their young star out to dry. The subsequent timing of Morant-related events — the awkward press conference in Berlin, stellar showing in London and unfortunate left elbow injury back home in Memphis — only add to the strangeness of the whole ordeal.
There’s an old saying that goes: Once the genie is out of the bottle, you can’t put it back in. Trade talks are always fluid and perception can change instantly, but I don’t think Memphis can reverse the damage it did to Morant and his psyche by putting him on the block in the manner in which it did. Regardless of whether or not the Grizzlies anticipated a slew of teams to drum up interest, or for Morant to accept a different role within the team structure, there’s no doubt the organization knew exactly what it was doing.
The reality, circling back to your question, is that neither the Grizzlies nor Morant hold any amount of leverage right now. Most teams with the assets Memphis desires — young players and draft picks — are in a holding pattern surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and his uncertain future in Milwaukee.
With that being the case, it’s highly unlikely general manager Zach Kleiman will fetch a haul for Morant similar to what he got for Desmond Bane. It’s hard to reach Morant’s $39.4 million salary without cobbling a slew of rookie-scale contracts or older players on negative money. Now, if Memphis is amenable to a salary dump, I could see a path to him being moved in the next 10 days. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Grizzlies open Door No. 2: reevaluate Morant after the deadline, assess his health after the All-Star break and then ultimately decide to shut him down for the remainder of the season, clearing the runway for a clean offseason break.
Do you believe the Clippers will make any type of “big” move at the deadline (i.e. Michael Porter Jr.) or target smaller pieces that keep their 2026/2027 cap space plans intact (i.e. Collin Sexton)? — @APH00PS
It’s almost unfathomable to believe that, at one point, the Clippers had lost 19 out of 22 games spanning from early November to mid-December. During that same time span, future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul was sent home, putting the Clippers at the center of league-wide discussions over organizational instability and the potential fallout — rival teams hovering over their assortment of ill-fitting talent. John Collins and Ivica Zubac were the two most common names floated on the market at the time.
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Since that low point, Los Angeles has gone 15-3 with the league’s fourth-best point differential, second-best offense and seventh-based defense, according to Cleaning the Glass. At 21-24, the Clippers sit comfortably in 10th in the West, good for the play-in tournament and, more importantly, in a prime spot to potentially be aggressive before the deadline.
In conversations around the league, even at the outset of the Clippers’ turnaround, they were thought to be buyers. Whether you want to chalk that up to stubbornness or having both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the roster, it’s clear that Los Angeles isn’t quite ready to pivot toward a rebuild just yet. Porter Jr., as you suggested, makes sense from a financial timeline standpoint. Both Leonard and Harden’s contracts are up in the summer of 2027, similarly to Porter, who is making $78 million over the next two seasons. A combination of Collins ($26.5 million), Brook Lopez ($8.8 million) and Nic Batum ($5.6 million) works under the current CBA, provided Brooklyn adds filler to satisfy roster guidelines.
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A win-now move like acquiring Porter, a high-end, three-level scorer who has parlayed high usage into a productive, efficient Nets stint is more appealing than, say, adding Sexton. The Clippers have both Leonard and Harden playing at high levels right now. Go for it.
With Steven Adams probably out for a while, do you think Houston trades for a center? — @sengoonnn
The Rockets have won four out of their last five games following a three-game skid, enough of a turn in fortunes to suggest the Rockets are good as is. But since Jan. 1, the team is just 7-6 with the 21st-ranked offense in the league, according to Cleaning the Glass, and has seen drops in its offensive rebounding rate in the week since Adams suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain. The Rockets are an average half-court team in terms of points per possession, but now corral 31.5% of their own misses, 11th-best in the NBA.
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Typically, a drop from first to just outside the top 10 in any offensive category wouldn’t be a death knell, and it’s not the end of the world for Houston. But when combined with some of the Rockets’ other offensive traits — sluggish pace, low 3-point volume, high turnover rate and their propensity to take shots late in the shot clock — the removal of their biggest strength becomes a bigger issue.
Reserve big Clint Capela’s number has been called recently and the veteran center has responded positively with 16 rebounds (including six offensive rebounds) in his last two stints. But with Adams expected to miss a decent chunk of the season, Rockets officials are still weighing whether or not to add another big to the roster — whether via a trade prior to the Feb. 5 deadline or the ensuing buyout market afterward.
It’s important to note Houston’s brass is merely pondering the idea right now. I’m sure Rockets fans are currently doing internal calculus concerning the more pressing need: center or guard depth. Because the Rockets are somewhat restricted financially, the most likely routes will come from inexpensive avenues. Last week, Amazon Prime’s Chris Haynes reported interest in Pelicans scrappy guard Jose Alvarado — which Yahoo Sports can confirm. But the Rockets aren’t huddling up with Alvarado’s name at the top of their wishlist. The 27-year-old guard represents what Houston would do, all things being considered: a low-risk, low-cost addition. You could theoretically throw in names like De’Anthony Melton, Cole Anthony and Seth Curry. Ditto with bigs like Day’Ron Sharpe, Kevon Looney (Houston had interest in him last summer prior to signing Capela) and Isaiah Jackson. Again, these are mental exercises. Looking at you, aggregators.
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What are the Heat doing at the deadline? Is it just Giannis or bust? — @KursheedAl31828
I wouldn’t say Miami is strictly operating from a Giannis-or-bust standpoint. Outside of the Morant/Miami connection reported here two weeks ago, the Heat are thought to be seeking smaller-scale deals that would further fortify their asset war chest, positioning them for Antetokounmpo or a similar-scale superstar if and when they become available.
The Heat currently have seven future first-round picks and two future second-round picks under their control. Miami is in an interesting spot, sitting at 25-22, half a game out of sixth and two games from fifth in the East. Perhaps, given the absence of Tyler Herro (out since mid-January with a chest injury), the Heat would be more open to a Morant deal assuming it wouldn’t cut into their aforementioned Giannis dreams — and assuming Morant could return in a few weeks to give them a post-All-Star push.
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In any case, I’m most interested to see what ends up happening with Terry Rozier’s contract. As a $26 million expiring deal, there should be avenues to move on from the veteran guard, but his alleged involvement in a gambling scandal likely has complicated matters.
Let’s run through some of the biggest loose ends that still need to be tied up as this eventful MLB offseason winds down.
How will the Astros unclog their corner infield logjam?
Carlos Correa getting dealt to Houston at last year’s trade deadline was one of the most shocking in-season transactions in recent memory. The Astros swooped in to reunite with the franchise icon only because their regular third baseman, Isaac Paredes, was set to miss most of the second half due to injury. It was a bold plan that worked out in the short term; Correa performed well for Houston down the stretch, even as the Astros missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
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But with Paredes healthy entering 2026, the Astros find themselves with something of a positional jumble. Jeremy Peña is entrenched at shortstop, which pushed Correa to third in the first place. Christian Walker, in Year 1 of a three-year, free-agent deal, started at first base in all but 10 of Houston’s games last season. José Altuve will get the majority of starts at second, with Yordan Alvarez primed to be the every-day DH. That leaves no room for Paredes, who produced at an All-Star level when healthy in 2025.
Walker, given his age (almost 35) and the money left on his deal ($40 million over two years), is the harder piece to trade. Multiple clubs could be interested in Paredes, but the Mexican slugger was Houston’s most consistent hitter for large stretches last season. Perhaps the Astros hold on to both and try to find enough playing time for everyone, but they feel like a good trade partner for our next topic.
How will the Red Sox unclog their outfield logjam?
Ceddanne Rafaela needs to play center field every day because he might be the best defensive outfielder in the American League. Roman Anthony needs to play right field every day because he’s one of the most talented youngsters in baseball, and Boston just gave him an eight-year, $130 million extension. That effectively leaves the Red Sox with three players (Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida) for two spots (left field, designated hitter).
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Yoshida, with a career .762 OPS, no defensive skills and $37.2 million and two years left on his deal, is clearly the least valuable of that trio. It’s hard to imagine another club taking on that contract. Abreu is a stellar defender with a well-above-average bat, but he struggles mightily against left-handed pitching. That’s also true for Duran, who followed an eighth-place MVP finish in 2024 with a relatively underwhelming showing in 2025. He and Abreu are superfluous on Boston’s roster, but chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has yet to find a trade partner for either. A swap with the Astros involving Paredes would make a ton of sense.
(Clockwise from top) Nick Castellanos, Masataka Yoshida, Isaac Paredes and Brendan Donovan could all find themselves on new teams before Opening Day 2026.
(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)
Will the Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan?
St. Louis’ winter teardown is nearly complete. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has already shipped away a bevy of high-priced vets in Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. The 2026 team might take a step back, but it’s a worthwhile price to pay, considering how overdue a rebuild was in St. Louis.
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But Donovan presents a slightly different dynamic than the three since-departed cornerstones. The versatile utilityman is still 29 years old, doesn’t hit free agency until after the 2027 season and is on a $5.8 million contract for 2026 that should fit within any contender’s budget. That makes Donovan a much more valuable trade commodity than Arenado, Gray or Contreras, none of whom returned any can’t-miss prospects to St. Louis.
Which teams would part with that type of prospect capital? Seattle, with a farm system full of interesting, high-level position-player prospects, could upgrade at second or third. The Giants, who have reportedly shown interest in both Donovan and Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner this winter, have a hole at second. The same is true for Boston, who has Romy Gonzalez penciled in at the keystone right now.
When and how will the Phillies part ways with Nick Castellanos?
The soon-to-be 34-year-old was one of the worst every-day players in MLB last season, posting a subpar .250/.294/.400 batting line to go alongside dreadful defense in right field. Castellanos also butted heads with Phillies leadership, alienating himself within many pockets of the organization. It’s an ugly situation — ugly enough that Philadelphia is widely expected to cut bait on Castellanos at some point this winter.
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But given the $20 million he’s due this season, Castellanos isn’t at the top of any other team’s must-have list. Maybe president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will find a club desperate enough to take a chance on the veteran bat, but the Phillies will almost certainly need to cover most, if not all, of Castellanos’ contract in order to move him. If nobody comes calling by the time spring training starts, expect the Phillies to outright release Castellanos and eat the money.
Somebody has to sign Framber Valdez, right?
The 32-year-old left-handed starter is the only player in the top 10 of our free-agent rankings who has yet to sign. Valdez, who started 166 games for Houston over the past eight years, drew a torrent of criticism last season when he was alleged to have intentionally thrown a pitch at his catcher’s face during a game in retaliation for a pitch-calling miscommunication. That incident became a huge story, and the consensus around the sport right now is that it’s having an adverse effect on Valdez’s free-agent market.
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He’s still going to cost a pretty penny — not many pitchers with a 3.36 career ERA and ample postseason experience hit the open market — but at this point, it seems like Valdez’s contract might come in below what was expected when the winter began. A shorter-term, “prove-it” type of deal with opt-outs could come into play. Keep an eye on the Orioles, Mets, Giants and Tigers, all of whom could certainly use another frontline arm.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been scorching hot of late, and one fan will be eating their own words in the literal sense because of it.
Clippers blog editor Robert Flom, who works for independent site 213Hoops, is now realizing that he’d bitten off more than he can chew when responding to head coach, Ty Lue, with a taunting tweet on Dec. 20. At the time, the Clippers were 6-21 and looking like one of the worst teams in the NBA based on roster and payroll.
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Lue told his team at that point that the goal was to finish the go 35-20 down the stretch to finish at 41-41. To this, Flom replied on X, saying, “If they go 15-3 in any stretch this season will print and eat this tweet.” Well, it just so happened that on Sunday, when the Clippers demolished the Brooklyn Nets 126-89, Flom’s challenge had been completed.
Leonard has been the catalyst in the Clippers’ surge, scoring at least 20 points now in 24 consecutive games. In the win over Brooklyn on Sunday, Leonard led all scorers with 28 points in 28 minutes. During the 18-game stretch, Leonard played in 15 of those games and has averaged 31.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, while shooting over 43% from 3-point range.
During January, the Clippers are 10-3 and have won eight of their last nine games. Leonard also commented on the matter of Flom, expressing his concern, saying, “I don’t know how healthy that is for you.”
L.A. is now 21-24 and sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference.
The road to the Super Bowl is complete, and while the fantasy football season is over, we can still gather intel based on postseason performances for 2026. Yahoo analyst Matt Harmon shares what each team eliminated in the Championship round has to do this offseason to improve.
Denver Broncos: Continue to develop young talent
What a frustrating end to an otherwise excellent season from the Denver Broncos.
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The No. 1 seed in the AFC got a signature performance from its defense and was clearly the best unit on the field in the Conference Championship game. They held key mismatches over the Patriots offense on the line of scrimmage and in the secondary, and those showed up all afternoon. However, even before the weather turned snowy in the second half, the air came out of the offense to the point that they just couldn’t amass more than seven points against a team that needed a turnover deep in its own territory to score their lone touchdown of the day.
Jarrett Stidham performed as you might expect from a solid backup quarterback; he was even downright good to start the game. In the first quarter, he had a 118.2 passer rating and all four of his completions went for first downs. Sean Payton had a good set of scripted plays dialed up to start the game and Stidham was executing. Once they got off that script, the offense just didn’t have much in either the run or pass phase to get the better of a Patriots team that has played well on defense in the postseason.
All I’d be thinking about if I were a Broncos fan or player, right or wrong, is that if we had our starting quarterback, Bo Nix, in this game, we’re playing in the Super Bowl two weeks from now.
But they didn’t, they lost and that’s all there is to it. Reality and the bottom line in the NFL are cold and Denver has a few weeks to stew on what could have been.
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Once the cloud fades and they turn the page to the next season, perhaps Broncos leadership can look back clearly on what was an excellent season of progress. Yet, just like the season before, most of the heavy lifting was done on the defensive side of the ball.
Denver finished the regular season ranked 15th in EPA per play and 19th in success rate. That was right in line with its 16th and 18th finishes in 2024. This time last year, my recommendation for the Broncos after losing in the wild-card round was to “hone the offense around Bo Nix.” This season was a start but not the end of that pursuit. The team took RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant in the 2025 NFL Draft on Day 2, saw second-year receiver Troy Franklin take a step forward and added J.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram in free agency.
Dobbins was a big win as a free agent add and was missed once he went down. Engram was a nothingburger for this team and, after running just 14 routes on Sunday, is not going to be on the roster next season. The young players look like contributors and could be even better in 2026 but I’m not sure Denver should rest on its laurels with Bryant, Franklin or even Harvey.
If there are playmakers available at wide receiver for this team, they would be welcome additions. Even No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton was inconsistent this season and will turn 31 in 2026. Franklin and Bryant don’t look like future WR1s at this stage, so don’t rule out a big swing at receiver.
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That player could come from the tight end spot. Engram will be released and Adam Trautman is a free agent. Sean Payton has often discussed the virtues of having a dynamic, movable chess piece (aka, the vaunted joker) and the right addition at tight end could do the trick.
The most critical position to watch, especially for fantasy in 2026, will be the running back room. Harvey was a hit for the team in Round 2, specifically as a weapon in the receiving game, and ultimately finished the season as a top-20 back in fantasy. However, he never cleared 80 yards rushing as a rookie and was under 4.0 yards per carry in all but two games since Week 11 after Dobbins went on IR. It’s clear that a more sustaining dimension is needed in the rushing department. That could come from Harvey taking a step forward in Year 2, or Dobbins returning, but don’t rule out a big back being added somewhere along the way.
Los Angeles Rams: Run it back — with some twists
It’s the least satisfying answer in an exercise like this but the best path forward for the Rams in 2026 is to run as much of that offense back as possible while making a few minor tweaks along the way.
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Part of the reason it’s so unsatisfying is due to the harsh truth in the NFL — that sustainability is never as faithful a mistress as it seems. For the Rams, specifically, that’s going to haunt them this offseason. Not just because they came so close and yet fell short after an excellent season, but because two of their key players are well into their careers, past their typical prime years.
Few, if any, quarterbacks were better than Matthew Stafford in 2025. Will that be the case next season as he turns 38 years old next month? There is nothing in Stafford’s game film this past year that even hinted at the cliff being right around the corner. His 17th year in the NFL was his best and very well may net him MVP honors. I’d be stunned if he retired in the coming weeks before the NFL Scouting Combine, even if he had to fight like hell through a back malady to play this season, but I’d be equally surprised if he was as mind-numbingly efficient in 2026 as he was in 2025.
Davante Adams led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns in 2025 despite playing just 14 games. He was the perfect addition for a team that needed to improve in the red zone, and his lining up as an X-receiver allowed Puka Nacua more pre-snap flexibility. Two massive check marks for Adams in Year 1 with the Rams.
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Yet, Adams turned 33 years old in December, finished the regular season injured and didn’t look himself in the Rams’ first two playoff games. Wide receiver is a young man’s game — now more than ever. A wide receiver age 33 or older has cleared 1,000 yards just four times since 2015; Larry Fitzgerald twice (2016 and 2017), Julian Edelman (2019) and Adam Thielen (2023). All of those players took at least 59% of their snaps in the slot, while Adams had the sixth-lowest slot rate in the league (11.8%) among starting wide receivers last year. His being a highly productive player at his age as a near pure X-receiver would be a trend-breaker.
Some natural regression always comes for these teams at the top but the best way to stave off regression is to continue to fortify the unit in the offseason. The Rams defense, particularly in the secondary, let them down big-time at the end of the season. However, they can’t afford to lock into one side of the ball with their offseason checklist. The backfield is set with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum under contract and, while additions could be made along the offensive line, they should return all five starters from the Conference Championship.
I wonder if they at least consider adding another dynamic pass-catcher to the mix, especially since you can’t realistically count on Adams beyond 2026 when his contract runs out and he’ll turn 34. The Rams have two first-round picks this season and there will be wideout options at that 13th overall selection to consider. A tight end might make some sense, too, considering McVay’s heavy flirtation with 13 personnel. Much of that depends on how the team feels about rookie Terrance Ferguson. Long-time Ram Tyler Higbee is a free agent and, while Ferguson made some mistakes at the catch point, he has the athleticism to break out next season.
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Part of what makes the Rams such a uniquely good fantasy offense is how concentrated their passing-game volume is. That would be threatened by some of the additions I’m tossing out. However, the Rams are much more concerned with ensuring their offense is ready to push for another top-five finish in 2026 while holding off any regression. That could mean some new faces are introduced to this unit in the offseason because standing pat on everything from 2025 rolling right over would be a misstep.
