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🚨 Headlines
🏈 Tucker faces new allegations: Seven more massage therapists have accused Justin Tucker of sexual misconduct, bringing the total number of accusers to 16. The Ravens kicker has denied the allegations.
🏀 AP polls: Auburn stayed at No. 1 in the men’s poll after their historic win in Tuscaloosa; Notre Dame is No. 1 in the women’s poll and UConn jumped to No. 5 after snapping South Carolina’s 71-game home winning streak.
🎾 Sinner suspended: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month suspension following two positive doping tests last year. He will return on May 4, just in time for the Italian Open (his home event) and the French Open (the next major). How convenient!
🏀 Rockers revival? The WNBA is reportedly preparing to award its 16th franchise to Cleveland. The team is expected to debut in 2028 as the Cleveland Rockers, the name of the franchise that existed from 1997-2003.
⚾️ Trout’s new position: Angels star Mike Trout is moving from center field to right field in an effort to preserve his body. Injuries have limited him to just 266 of a possible 648 games over the last four seasons.
🏒 Hockey won the weekend
The 4 Nations Face-Off was a massive hit over the weekend, and going head-to-head with the NBA’s soulless All-Star festivities made the NHL’s new midseason tournament look even better.
Best-on-best: All four teams (USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland) played with intensity and passion, and it peaked during Saturday’s USA vs. Canada tilt, which featured three fights in the first nine seconds followed by one of the best hockey games in recent memory.
The Americans prevailed 3-1 in front of a sellout crowd in Montreal, where Canadian fans continued a recent trend by booing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Team USA’s victory was its first best-on-best win over Canada in 15 years, dating back to the round robin at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
What they’re saying:
“That was one of the best experiences of my life — just an unbelievable hockey game,” said USA forward Dylan Larkin.
“The pace was there the whole night. It’s as fast and as intense as I’ve played,” said Canada legend Sidney Crosby.
“I think it could inspire another generation of young players to want to play the game,” said USA head coach Mike Sullivan said.
“Hockey is in a better place because that game happened,” said Canada head coach Jon Cooper.
The NHL’s big night: The game averaged 4.4 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final telecast since 2019. Based on Google Trends, it was the buzziest NHL game of the decade. And based on my social media feeds, it was a landmark moment for the sport.
People who rarely watch the NHL, let alone post about it, were downright giddy as they watched players throw hands, block shots and smash into the boards.
The juxtaposition of meaningful hockey on ABC and meaningless basketball on TNT was the theme of the night and created a lasting image.
From Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel:
In an era where leagues are trying to find a way to pump excitement and meaning into the old all-star game concept, the NHL has found it.
This was sport at its absolute pinnacle. No gimmicks. No forced corporate sponsors. No need for celebrity cameos. This was all stars, all in. And it’s just getting started.
What’s next: USA and Canada will face off again in Thursday’s championship in Boston. The players can’t wait (“It’s for everything”), and neither can I.
🏀 Through the years: NBA in the Bay
The San Francisco Bay Area hosted its first NBA All-Star Game in 1967, which took place five days before Super Bowl I. It hosted its second in 2000 and its third this weekend, which featured a revamped main event.
2025: Hometown hero Stephen Curry was named All-Star Game MVP after leading Team Shaq (All-Star veterans) past Team Chuck (International All-Stars) in the final game of Sunday’s new-look, four-team tournament.
Venue: Chase Center (San Francisco)
Other Winners: Mac McClung (Slam Dunk), Tyler Herro (3-Point), Team Cavs (Skills), Team C (Rising Stars)
End of an era: This was TNT’s final All-Star Game as its four-decade NBA partnership nears its end. NBC takes over next year.
Honest review: “It was not that the new format did not work. The basketball was more competitive than it has been in years,” writes Yahoo Sports’ Ben Rohrbach. “It was that the NBA made everything but the games a centerpiece of the night.”
2000: It’s been 25 years since Vince Carter delivered what is widely considered the best Slam Dunk Contest performance ever, electrifying the crowd with jaw-dropping slams and immortalizing “Half Man, Half Amazing” as a dunking deity.
On Carter’s historic night: “There weren’t any words that you could really control coming out of your mouth,” recalled first-time All-Star Allen Iverson. “The crowd was just going nuts,” added Rising Stars participant Dirk Nowitzki. “I think I punched somebody in the ribs.”
1967: The Cow Palace was originally designed for livestock exhibitions. But 58 years ago, it was the center of the NBA universe, hosting an All-Star Game that featured 17 future Hall of Famers*, as well as the NBA Finals two months later (Sixers 4, Warriors 2).
Venue: The Cow Palace (Daly City)
All-Star Game: West 135, East 120 (MVP: Rick Barry)
A different time: The All-Star break was two days long. Monday banquet, Tuesday game, then back to the regular season.
Red’s final farewell: Only one head coach has been ejected from an NBA All-Star Game, and that was Red Auerbach in 1967. The Celtics legend had retired from coaching months earlier but returned to the sideline for one final game, only to get tossed in the third quarter for arguing calls. A truly hilarious way to go out.
*Future Hall of Famers: Jerry West, Nate Thurmond, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor and Guy Rodgers started for the West, while Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Sloan and Lenny Wilkens came off the bench. Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Hal Greer, Willis Reed and Bailey Howell started for the East, while Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Chet Walker and Jerry Lucas came off the bench.
🏁 Another year, another crash-filled Daytona 500
For the fourth straight year, NASCAR’s most prestigious race was defined by crashes and decided by those who avoided them.
From Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg:
William Byron became a two-time Daytona 500 winner Sunday night because he was in the right place at the right time. And that right place wasn’t even the top five.
Byron was outside the top five halfway through the final lap before race leader Denny Hamlin got turned to set off a crash that allowed Byron to drive through unscathed for his second straight Daytona 500 win.
The crash was the third in less than a dozen laps as chaos once again became the norm at the end of NASCAR’s season-opener, which has been decided on a green-white-checker restart (two-lap race to the finish) in each of the past four races.
The last race that wasn’t — in 2021 — ended under caution when Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski crashed while racing for the lead on the final lap. The year before, Ryan Newman was hospitalized for days after his car flipped over on the last lap and was hit while upside down.
After 80 of the 114 vehicles in the top three series were involved in wrecks at Daytona a year ago, we asked if NASCAR was going to do anything about the wreck-infected racing.
If anything, you can argue that NASCAR is embracing it. Next week’s race is at Atlanta — a track that was recently redesigned to produce closer racing and bigger crashes.
🏆 Alone at the top: Byron’s weather-delayed victory was the 10th Daytona 500 win for Hendrick Motorsports, breaking a tie with Petty Enterprises for the most by a single team.
🇺🇸 Photos across America
Glendale, Arizona — Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound on Saturday for his first spring bullpen session in two years. Thousands of spectators were on hand to catch a glimpse of the two-way sensation, who could face live batters soon but likely won’t pitch in a game until May.
Philadelphia — The City of Brotherly Love was awash in green on Valentine’s Day for the Eagles Super Bowl parade, which concluded on the iconic “Rocky” steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Medley, Florida — Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier took home $200,000 in prize money for winning the league’s inaugural 1-on-1 Tournament. For context: That’s only $8,000 less than her WNBA salary last season.
La Jolla, California — Ludvig Åberg (-12) won the Genesis Open on Sunday as his star continues to rise. “We are entering the Era of Åberg,” writes Yahoo Sports’ Jay Busbee, “and we could be here awhile.”
✍️ Extra points
🏀 A league of her own: Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes set the D1 women’s freshman scoring record on Sunday (55 points) — just weeks after she set the true freshman record (53). These games were no fluke: the No. 8 overall recruit is averaging 23.0 points per game, which ranks sixth nationally.
⚾️ Rhode Island 36, William & Mary 22: That’s a real score of a baseball game that took place on Sunday and was stopped after seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. The two teams combined for 58 runs (fourth-most in D1 history*), 40 hits, 29 walks and 443 pitches.
⚽️ Defense to offense: Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson set up his team’s opening goal against Newcastle on Saturday to earn his third assist of the Premier League season (most ever by a goalie) and the sixth of his Premier League career (most ever by a goalie).
🥍 Boston sweeps lax titles: The Boston Cannons (men) won the PLL Championship Series and the Boston Guard (women) won the inaugural WLL Championship Series.
⚾️ Good luck, hitters: Reigning NL ROY Paul Skenes is adding a cutter and two-seam fastball to an arsenal that already includes a 100+ mph four-seamer, a nasty slider, a quality changeup and his signature “splinker.”
*What’s the record? The most runs ever scored in a D1 baseball game is 62. Denver beat Air Force, 33-29, on May 13, 1968.
📺 Watchlist: Tuesday night hoops
No. 13 Purdue at No. 14 Michigan State (7pm ET, Peacock) headlines tonight’s men’s college basketball slate, which also features Oklahoma at No. 2 Florida (7pm, ESPN2) and No. 23 Kansas at BYU (9pm, ESPN).
Congrats, coach: Tom Izzo’s first Big Ten win came on Jan. 4, 1996, when Michigan State beat Bob Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers. His 354th win came on Saturday, which moved him past Knight for the most in league history.
More to watch:
⚽️ Champions League: Playoffs (12:45-3pm, Paramount+) … Christian Pulisic and AC Milan host Feyenoord (Netherlands) in one of today’s four matches.
⚽️ Champions Cup: Colorado vs. LAFC (10pm, FS2) … Two of the 10 MLS clubs* in this year’s 27-team field.
🏀 Unrivaled: Rose vs. Vinyl (7pm, TNT); Phantom vs. Laces (8:15pm, TNT) … 3-on-3 play resumes after taking a break for some 1-on-1.
🏒 PWHL: Minnesota at Montreal (7pm, YouTube) … The first-place Victoire host the fourth-place Frost.
*Ranking the contenders: Inter Miami is the top MLS contender in CONCACAF’s annual tournament, followed by LAFC, Seattle, Cincinnati, LA Galaxy, Columbus, Real Salt Lake, Colorado, Sporting KC and Vancouver. (via MLS.com)
🏀 Hoops trivia
Mac McClung scored four perfect 50s on Saturday to become the NBA Slam Dunk Contest’s first three-peat champion.
Question: Where did McClung play in college? Two schools.
Hint: Big East and Big 12.
Answer at the bottom.
❤️ Why we love sports
Auburn outfielder Cade Belyeu lost his mother, Staci, to cancer on Friday. Hours later, he hit his first home run of the season, bringing the record-setting home crowd to their feet.
What they’re saying: “That was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen in baseball,” said one of his teammates. “I know Cade played for his mom today,” added his head coach. “Some things are bigger than ball.”
Why we love sports…
Part of the magic of sports is that they allow athletes to turn emotion and circumstance into action and results. Angry? Play harder. Joyful? Play free. Grieving a loved one? Honor them with effort and celebrate them with skill.
Cade’s home run is a perfect example of this. In what other context could he have taken his pain and responded so immediately and triumphantly? In what other setting could he have paid tribute to his mother and made her presence felt in a sea of cheering people?
Cade will honor his mom in how he lives his life, and that will play out over decades. But on Friday, it played out in seconds with a single swing of the bat. That’s the power of sports.
Trivia answer: Georgetown (2018-20) and Texas Tech (2020-21)
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