ReportWire

Tag: sports news

  • Goepper Walks Away With Knee Sprain, Hurt Shin After Crash in All-Or-Nothing Olympic Halfpipe Gamble

    LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — U.S. freeskier Nick Goepper checked out of the hospital with only a knee sprain and a bad shin bruise after a scary fall in the halfpipe finals at the Winter Olympics, team officials said Saturday.

    The 31-year-old Goepper, who learned to ski on baby hills near his hometown in Indiana, went flying above the halfpipe and came down on his back in Friday night’s final before bouncing to the bottom. He stood up and was walked gingerly to the bottom, holding his back.

    The all-or-nothing trick Goepper threw down said a lot about his goals and the sport itself. He came out of retirement after the last Olympics to move from slopestyle to the halfpipe. He already has two Olympic silver medals and a bronze, and clearly wasn’t in the contest for second or third again.

    He was in third place when he dropped in for his final run. His final trick — an attempt to add a full extra rotation to the same jumps he had landed earlier to close his runs — was his final gambit to win the gold.

    Shortly after his wreck, Canada’s Brendan Mackay landed a strong run to push Goepper off the podium and into fourth place.

    “He is just absolutely unbelievable,” said Goepper’s teammate, gold medalist Alex Ferreira. “He is a great competitor and great teammate and friend, and for him to go for it in that moment took serious guts. He is a real man.”

    Goepper was not the only freeskier to go down hard in the halfpipe.

    Top-ranked Finley Melville Ives of New Zealand suffered a scary crash in qualifying earlier in the day. Team officials said he briefly fell unconcious but was stable after he was taken off in a stretcher.

    “We’re really disappointed that it happened like that last night but so, so glad that she’s going to be OK,” he said.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Showtime Speedway keeps grassroots racing alive in Pinellas County

    PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Grassroots racing has a charm to it. Robert Yoho can recall working at Showtime Speedway in Pinellas County as a kid.

    What You Need To Know

    • Showtime Speedway is a grassroots race track in Pinellas County

    • Robert Yoho worked at the track as a kid, and now owns Showtime

    • The track hosted the Outlaw Figure 8 World Finals earlier this month

    • Showtime has overcome a number of challenges to stay open, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to natural disasters


    “I was a vendor here saying ‘Coke’ ‘Pepsi’ sold them for a quarter apiece and then I went in the military I did my time,” Yoho said.

    Yoho joined the Army, served four tours overseas and when he finished his service, he came back to what he knew best: Showtime.

    “Came back 20 years later and it was closed down… I made a bid… and I’ve been here since 2011,” Yoho said.

    Now Yoho owns the track in a joint agreement with the state of Florida, which owns the land.

    But the lights went out at Showtime a couple of times in recent years. COVID shut down the track during the pandemic.

    Then in 2024, after hurricanes Helene and Milton, Duke Energy took over the track for their trucks. Later, FEMA used the grounds as a landfill for 90 days. Yoho said the track still hasn’t recovered.

    “I understand it, but when COVID came in and killed your crowd and you’re trying to get back to where you were and then they stop and do that again, I still have people stop over here and dump garbage, out in the parking lot, anywhere, they think it’s a landfill,” Yoho said.

    Well, it’s not a landfill anymore. The track is open and hosted the Outlaw Figure 8 World Finals earlier this month.

    Mark Tunny has won this Outlaw Figure 8 title six times, the most of any driver. He wasn’t going to miss the chance to get No. 7.

    “$10,000 and the bragging rights, obviously,” Tunny said when asked what the stakes are for this race. “We come down from Indiana every year, every February, and we look forward to this. Grassroots racing — I don’t think you find anything better than that… I don’t care what NASCAR fans have to say. F1. IndyCar. No, the short track racing with the guys that got money on their line, whether it’s their bank account or their sponsors’ money — I think that’s where you get the best racing.”

    That is why Yoho worked so hard to re-open this track; there is culture here. These drivers take time off their day jobs to race.

    Yoho, the owner of the track, throws on a fire suit and races from time to time as well.

    “I didn’t get to race when I was little. Now all my friends that raced when they were little are watching me race as I’m older,” Yoho said.

    Auto racing is at a pivotal moment for the sport. It has been a struggle to attract new fans. But the fans they do have still absolutely love it. There were kids running figure eights around trash cans during the intermission.

    “We’re having a ton of fun out here at Showtime Speedway. It’s so much fun running around and watching the cars go round,” young racing fan Cooper Meyer said.

    “We love it here, you got the beach down the road and like I said we can’t do any racing at home in February so we come down here we all get sunburnt we all have a real good time and go racing,” Tunny said.

    This track, which opened in 1960, has entertained generations of race fans. Through multiple closures and name changes, Showtime Speedway keeps finding a way to put on a show.

    Michael Epps

    Source link

  • Thames Leads Second-Half Rally, No. 18 Saint Louis Beats VCU 88-75 as Benches Empty

    ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kellen Thames scored 16 points and No. 18 Saint Louis rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half for an 88-75 win over VCU on Friday night in a game in which both benches emptied in the final seconds.

    A St. Louis player was dribbling out the final seconds near center court when, with just over three seconds remaining, VCU’s Nyk Lewis stole the ball from behind and threw up a 3-point shot from halfcourt before being bumped into the broadcast table by the Billikens’ Robbie Avila. That prompted members of both teams to charge off their benches and set off a scrum on the court with 1.1 seconds left.

    Staff from both teams rushed to break up the scuffle, and officials disqualified VCU’s Barry Evans and Saint Louis’ Quentin Jones, along with nearly all bench players from both teams.

    The teams returned to the court and Lewis converted three free throws before time expired.

    Amari McCottry, Avila and Ishan Sharma added 13 points apiece for Saint Louis (25-2, 13-1 Atlantic 10), which bounced back after suffering its first conference loss on Tuesday at Rhode Island. The Billikens have won 20 straight at Chaifetz Arena and have a two-game lead in the conference and the head-to-head tiebreaker over VCU (21-7, 12-3) with two weeks left in the regular season.

    Lazar Djokovic scored 19 points and Brandon Jennings contributed 18 for the Rams, who had a 10-game winning streak halted.

    The Billikens’ reserves turned the game around in the second half, with Thames scoring seven points in a 24-4 surge that erased a nine-point deficit. His second steal and runout layup in that sequence put SLU ahead 66-59 and forced VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr. to spend a timeout to try to stop the momentum.

    The Rams still came up empty on their next three possessions as the deficit grew to 70-59 after a Thames free throw, and the lead was never less than seven after that.

    VCU: Hosts Fordham on Feb. 28

    Saint Louis: At Dayton on Tuesday night.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Alysa Liu Walked Away From Skating. Her Fresh Outlook When She Returned Helped Her Win Olympic Gold

    MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu probably cared the least of all the women in figure skating at the Milan Cortina Olympics about winning the gold medal.

    Maybe that is why she won it.

    The 20-year-old with the striped hair, prominent frenulum piercing and carefree attitude never showed any worry or strain when she took the ice for her free skate on Thursday night. Instead, Liu waved up at her friends and family in the stands, grinned throughout her program, and acted as if she was going through just another training session at the Oakland Ice Center back in California.

    “My family is out there. My friends are out there. I had to put on a show for them,” Liu said afterward. “When I see other people out there smiling, because I see them in the audience, then I have to smile, too. I have no poker face.”

    It was all smiles for her crew after Donna Summer’s version of “MacArthur Park” came to a conclusion. Liu earned a score of 226.79 points, sending her surging past silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto and Japanese teammate Ami Nakai, who took bronze.

    Liu’s coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali, embraced in a hug, content in knowing that a comeback two years in the making had achieved something incredible: The first women’s figure skating gold medal for the U.S. since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

    Liu’s family members stood and cheered, as did the rest of the crowd inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

    No doubt every official at U.S. Figure Skating, and every member of its Olympic team, also felt a surge of joy. Or relief. It had been a frustrating Winter Games on a number of levels, beginning with some controversial ice dance scoring that denied Madison Chock and Evan Bates the gold medal, and continuing right through Ilia Malinin’s struggles in his free skate earlier in the week.

    The only golden moment until Thursday night had been the team event, when Liu helped the U.S. defend its Olympic title.

    “If I had a nickel for every gold medal I have here,” Liu joked, “I would have two!”

    That’s the kind of “dad joke” only Liu would crack after triumphing on figure skating’s grandest stage.

    Four years ago, the daughter of a Chinese immigrant was in a much different mental state. Liu had just finished sixth at the Beijing Games as a 16-year-old prodigy, but she might as well have finished last. She was so burned out by figure skating that her prevailing thought after that Olympic free skate was relief that it was over, rather than pride in what she had accomplished.

    She was the kid who’d get dropped off at the rink in the morning and picked up at night. Her childhood revolved around practice, and not of her own choosing. When she became the youngest U.S. champion at 13, and defended her title the following year, it only upped the ante among those who saw her following in the footsteps of Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski.

    Liu was trying to fit the mold that everyone wanted for her.

    So, she quit. Walked away. Abruptly decided to retire after the Beijing Games, leaving all of that mental strain behind her.

    For two years, Liu did what she wanted, which had little to do with skating. She went on backpacking trips with friends and began studying psychology at UCLA. She got the frenulum piercing that shows across her front teeth when she smiles. In short, she became her own person, one whose individualism has made her a hero to the alt, emo and punk crowd.

    She broke just about every mold for a figure skater.

    “I love that Alysa is showing the entire world, and especially our skating world, that there is more than one way to win,” said Johnny Weir, the two-time Olympian, who along with Lipinski called her free skate for NBC on Thursday night.

    Indeed, when Liu launched a comeback two years ago, she did it her way. She would only spend as much time at the practice rink as she wanted. She would be involved in every decision when it came to designing her programs. She even had a say in her dresses, with her favorite being the glittering gold ensemble that fit the moment so perfectly Thursday night.

    “Honestly, it was more than just work, it was experience,” Liu said. “The last time I was skating, it was so rough. I genuinely can’t begin to start on it. It took a lot to get to this point, and studying psychology has really helped. I love psychology.

    “All I want in my life is human connection and, damn, now I am connected with a hell of a ton of people.”

    That includes women like Tenley Albright, who won Olympic gold at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Games, and was watching from the crowd on Thursday night. And other U.S. champions, such as Carol Heiss, Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill.

    It’s a connection to everyone who has walked away from something and found their way back. Who cut ties with something they once loved so that they could learn to love it again. And who had to go searching far and wide to discover who they really are.

    “I have no idea how I am going to deal with it. I’ll probably wear some wigs when I go outside,” Liu said, when asked how she plans to handle her sudden fame. “I hope with all this attention I can raise awareness about mental health in sports, and mental health more generally. I think my story is very cool. Hopefully, I can inspire some people.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Texas Tech Star JT Toppin Injures Lower Right Leg in Loss to Arizona State

    TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Texas Tech star JT Toppin was doing his usual work in the paint Tuesday night, pouring in buckets and grabbing rebounds against Arizona State in a tough road environment.

    The 13th-ranked Red Raiders can recover from their 72-67 loss to the Sun Devils. But it’s going to be much harder if the 6-foot-9 Toppin — a preseason All-America selection averaging nearly 22 points per game — is out for an extended period.

    Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said Toppin injured his lower leg with 6:03 remaining, but wasn’t sure about the severity. Toppin stayed down for a few minutes before needing assistance to gingerly limp off the court.

    “It’s hard to say until we get it looked at closely,” McCasland said. “But I just know he’s really disappointed. He’s such a competitor. We’ll get back and get him looked at.”

    Toppin finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, and the Red Raiders were obviously shaken when he left the floor. He sat on the bench for a brief period before going back to the locker room.

    “I hope he’s OK, and I hate to see a guy go out of a game like that. He’s one of the best players in the country,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said. “My heart goes out to him and hope that he’s back soon for them.”

    Texas Tech was trailing 61-56 at the time of the injury and fell behind 67-56 over the next few minutes. The Red Raiders regrouped and pulled to 70-67 in the final seconds, but Christian Anderson turned the ball over, costing them a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer.

    “It knocked us on our heels a little bit,” McCasland said of Toppin’s injury. “But, man, we’ve got a competitve group and found a way to get it to a one-possession game. Gave ourselves a chance late, which is what you want. I told our team that I loved the group that was on the floor at the end and the fight.

    “If we had done that for the previous 38, 37 minutes, then we would have put ourselves in better position.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Nate Diaz Hoping For UFC Return, Wants White House Card

    Nate Diaz
    Ready to Throw Hands for America
    … I Want In On White House Card!!!

    Published

    TMZSports.com

    Nate Diaz has his sights set on kickin’ ass on one of the most unexpected stages possible: the White House.

    The MMA star tells TMZ Sports he’s all-in if talk of a potential fight card tied to the nation’s capital ever becomes reality … making it clear the idea of scrapping under a red, white and blue spotlight has his full attention.

    “Yeah, that’d be dope, too,” Diaz said. “America gang, baby. You already know what’s popping.”


    nate diaz getty 1

    While Diaz is hyped about the possibility of fighting on a patriotic mega-card, he says he’s not picky about who he faces — as long as it’s a legit, high-level fight.

    And if he gets his way, the White House event could feature some familiar names from his past.

    Diaz says he wants to run back his legendary rivalry with Conor McGregor for a trilogy bout — a fight that would instantly become one of the biggest attractions possible for a blockbuster event.

    1202 nate diaz conor mcgregor getty 2

    He also called out Dustin Poirier as another potential opponent, though Diaz didn’t exactly extend the olive branch … saying he’d be down to fight him “if he stops being such a p****.”

    Diaz even floated Mike Perry as another name he’d gladly throw down with … making it clear he’s ready for whatever matchup gets him back into what he calls “real action.”

    The 40-year-old last fought in the UFC in 2022, but his message now is loud and clear: he’s ready to return.

    TMZ Staff

    Source link

  • Kansas State Fires Basketball Coach Jerome Tang, Days After Fans Wore Bags Over Heads

    MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State fired basketball coach Jerome Tang on Sunday night, four days after many Wildcats fans showed up with bags over their heads for a home blowout.

    “This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,” Taylor said. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”

    The school said an interim head coach will be announced soon, and that a national search for a replacement has started.

    “I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,” Tang told ESPN in a statement. “I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.”

    “This was embarrassing,” Tang said after that game. “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is just ridiculous. We’ve got practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, and we will get this thing right. I have no answer and no words.”

    Kansas State (10-15, 1-11 Big 12) fell 78-64 on Saturday at No. 3 Houston, the Wildcats’ sixth straight loss. In four seasons at the school, the 59-year-old Tang was 71-57 overall and 29-39 in the conference. He led the Wildcats to a 26-10 mark in his first season.

    The Wildcats’ next game is Tuesday night at home against Baylor, where Tang was an assistant coach for 19 seasons with Scott Drew, including the Bears’ national title in 2021.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Collin Morikawa Birdies the 18th to Win Pebble Beach and End 16-Month Drought

    PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Collin Morikawa went 45 starts over more than two years to finally win again on the PGA Tour, and he faced a wait that felt just as long on the final hole Sunday in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He kept his poise, hit a 4-iron to the collar of the green and made birdie for a one-shot victory.

    In a wild final round of wind and lead changes, Morikawa had the right response for Scottie Scheffler’s bold charge by making two straight birdies down the stretch, and then making the one that mattered the most — after a 20-minute wait — for a 5-under 67.

    Scheffler began the final day eight shots behind and was 7 under through seven holes before the wind began whipping. He had three eagles in his round of 63, the last one a 6-iron to 30 inches on the final hole that allowed him to tie Morikawa for the lead.

    He didn’t think it would be enough, and it wasn’t.

    Moments later, Morikawa holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 15th to take the lead. He followed with a 6-iron into 8 feet for another birdie. But a bogey on the par-3 17th — his tee shot was dangerously close to the ocean left of the green — and Lee finishing birdie-birdie for a 65, created another tie.

    For all the drama, it was particularly tense on the par-5 18th.

    In the group ahead, Jacob Bridgeman needed eagle to have any chance of a playoff and he sent his second shot over the bunker and down to the beach. He finally decided to play off the pebbles and that bounced off the rocks and into the ocean. Then, he moved back to where his ball last crossed the hazard. All the while, Morikawa waited.

    It was 20 minutes from hitting his tee shot to hitting his 4-iron, a wait made longer considering what was at stake and the biting cold of the Pacific wind roaring off the ocean.

    “I paced all the way to the ocean 10 times. I just had to keep moving,” Morikawa said. “These long breaks, they’re not good for anyone to stand still. I was able to pull off a great 4-iron, and man, I need a drink.”

    His 4-iron started over a portion of the water and the wind sent it to the right collar. Morikawa putted that down to a foot. Straka made a 10-foot eagle putt for a 68 before Morikawa tapped in.

    Akshay Bhatia, the 54-hole leader by two shots, made only two birdies over his last 29 holes. He fell out of the lead after four holes and never caught up, closing with a 72 to finish three back.

    Scheffler was 10 shots behind after the first day when he shot 72. He was 13 shots back at one point on Friday. He still managed to be a major threat. He wound up in a tie for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood (66), extending his streak to 18 straight PGA Tour starts in the top 10.

    “I had to do something special to give myself a chance,” Scheffler said. “The back nine, I felt like I had to get to 21 or 22 (under). I played a bit more aggressive than I normally am. It was a fun day overall. These are the weeks I’m proud of. I felt like I was battling to give myself a chance.”

    Among his regrets was a wedge to a back pin on the 15th that was a foot away from spinning back to close range. It hopped hard over the green. He chipped to 6 feet and missed the par putt.

    Morikawa charged his way into the mix with a 62 on Saturday to get within two shots of Bhatia, and he did enough right to stay close — six players had a share of the lead at some point during the final round — until delivering the goods at the end.

    The Cal alum won for the seventh time on the PGA Tour since turning pro a week before the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Winning at Pebble moves him back into the top 10 in the world.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Harper Beckham Shows Love to Brothers Amid Family Feud

    Harper Beckham
    Shows Love to Brothers Amid Family Feud

    Published

    The youngest Beckham just dropped the sweetest message and it might double as a family olive branch.

    Harper Beckham shared a throwback snap with her brothers — Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz — writing, “I love you all so much words can’t describe it,” in a Valentine’s Day Instagram post.

    romeo-beckham-Harper-Beckham-sub-ig-1

    The timing? Not exactly random. As you know, tensions have been brewing between Brooklyn and the rest of the Beckham clan, with ongoing drama involving his wife, Nicola Peltz, and distance from his parents, David and Victoria.


    Harper’s post felt like a subtle but powerful show of unity, especially since she tagged all three brothers … Brooklyn included.

    Romeo quickly reposted the tribute with an infinity emoji, signaling loyalty and love. Victoria also reshared the moment with heart emojis, keeping the public front warm despite the behind-the-scenes frost. Noticeably missing was a public response from Brooklyn.

    brooklyn-beckham-nicola-peltz-sub-getty-1

    Brooklyn publicly aired grievances about his parents and siblings in a series of Instagram Stories recently. In the posts, Brooklyn accused his parents of controlling him for much of his life and claimed his anxiety disappeared after stepping away from his family. He also defended Nicola, pushing back against claims she influences or controls him.

    Brooklyn further alleged tensions boiled over at his wedding, claiming Victoria interrupted a planned moment when Marc Anthony was serenading the newlyweds. According to Brooklyn, his mom instead danced with him in a way he described as inappropriate and humiliating.

    victoria beckham and kids sub

    If there’s still tension in Beckham-land, Harper just made it clear where she stands … family first.

    TMZ Staff

    Source link

  • Lindsey Vonn Details Recovery After Fourth Surgery for Olympic Leg Fracture

    Lindsey Vonn
    Completes Fourth Surgery After Olympic Crash

    Published

    Lindsey Vonn is fresh off her fourth surgery following her devastating Winter Olympics crash, and she has a message for fans … keep the sympathy to a minimum.

    The ski legend revealed Saturday her latest procedure went well and she’ll be heading back to the United States soon to continue recovering. Posting from her hospital bed, Vonn reflected on the flood of support she’s received but made it clear she doesn’t want anyone feeling sorry for her.

    Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

    “I have been reading a lot of messages and comments saying that what has happened to me makes them sad,” she wrote. “Please, don’t be sad. Empathy, love and support I welcome with an open heart, but please not sadness or sympathy.”


    Instead, Vonn says she hopes her journey motivates people to keep pushing through their own battles. “I hope instead it gives you strength to keep fighting, because that is what I am doing and that is what I will continue to do. Always.”

    Lindsey-Vonn-sub-ig-1

    The brutal crash came just 13 seconds into her women’s downhill run last Sunday, when she lost control and was airlifted to a hospital in Italy. Doctors later stabilized a fracture in her left leg.

    The scary fall happened only nine days after Vonn had completely torn her ACL during a World Cup race in Switzerland, but she still chose to compete at the Olympics, fully aware of the risks.

    TMZ Staff

    Source link

  • NCAA Women’s Committee’s 1st Top 16 Reveal: UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, Vanderbilt Are No. 1s

    UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Vanderbilt would be the No. 1 seeds in the women’s NCAA Tournament if it began now.

    The NCAA basketball selection committee did its first reveal of the teams in line for the top 16 seeds Saturday.

    Undefeated UConn was the overall No. 1 seed, edging UCLA.

    The committee uses 12 criteria to determine who belongs in the field and where teams should be seeded.

    “Some are subjective there and some data driven,” NCAA women’s basketball selection committee chair Amanda Braun told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “The overall record for UConn and the observable component are impressive. UCLA observable is also very strong as well.”

    Showing how fluid things are in seeding, the Commodores moved up to the 1-line after beating Texas on Thursday.

    “It was that close between the two of them that head-to-head made a difference. ”We were impressed by both teams.”

    The top 16 seeds in the 68-team field will host first- and second-round games, with the regional rounds being played at two neutral sites for the fourth straight year. Fort Worth, Texas, will host half of the Sweet 16, and Sacramento, California, will host the other eight teams.

    UConn and South Carolina were projected as the top seeds in the Fort Worth Regional, with UCLA and Vanderbilt in Sacramento. The Huskies were the overall No. 1 seed, meaning they would potentially have the Friday-Sunday games on the second weekend, allowing them an extra day of rest before the Final Four.

    Joining UConn in its bracket was No. 2 seed LSU, third-seed Ohio State and fourth-seed Oklahoma.

    The Bruins would have No. 2 seed Texas, No. 3 seed Duke and fourth-seeded Ole Miss in their region. The Longhorns were slotted there to ensure that the bracketing principle of keeping the top four teams in a conference in different regions was protected.

    The SEC and Big Ten each have six of the top 16 seeds.

    Joining the Gamecocks in Fort Worth would be No. 2 Louisville, No. 3 Iowa and No. 4 Michigan State. The Commodores would have No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 TCU and fourth-seed Maryland in California.

    “As we move down to the three’s and four’s there was a lot of discussion amongst the group,” Braun said. “You’re splitting hairs to move them up one or down one.”

    TCU is hoping to be in one of the Fort Worth brackets so that Horned Frogs wouldn’t have to leave home. The arena where the regional is being played is roughly 10 minutes from campus.

    Teams just outside the top 16 included Baylor and West Virginia.

    The Final Four will be played in Phoenix on April 3 and the NCAA championship game is two days later.

    The NCAA has been doing in-season reveals since 2015 to give teams an early idea of where they could be come selection night. Saturday’s reveal did not factor in the games scheduled for later that day, which included South Carolina visiting LSU.

    The NCAA will have one more reveal on March 1 before the real seedings are announced on March 15. For the first time, the selection committee will release the teams that will host the first two rounds in alphabetical order the day before the bracket is revealed. That gives those schools an extra day to sell tickets.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Fans Who Raised Greenland’s Flag at US-Denmark Olympic Hockey Game Say It Was a Pro-European Gesture

    MILAN (AP) — Two fans who raised a flag of Greenland as the United States played Denmark in men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics say they did so as a gesture of European support for the island and for Denmark.

    Vita Kalniņa and her husband Alexander Kalniņš, fans of the Latvian hockey team who live in Germany, held up a large Greenland flag during warmups and again when the Danish team scored the opening goal of the preliminary round game against the U.S.

    “We are Europeans and I think as Europeans we must hold together,” Kalniņš told The Associated Press.

    “The Greenlandic people decide what will happen with Greenland, but as it is now, Greenland is a part of the Danish kingdom and, as Greenland is a part of Denmark as in this case, we support both countries against the U.S.”

    Other American and Danish fans who watched their teams face off Saturday at an Olympic hockey game in Milan said they believe sports transcends politics amid recent tensions between their governments over Greenland.

    Trump’s rhetoric in recent weeks about taking control of Greenland has stirred up national pride in Denmark, which oversees the semiautonomous island. That the teams just happen to face off at the Milan Cortina Olympics is no extra motivation to the players, but it is a chance for them to ride a wave of patriotism as significant underdogs.

    Kostya Manenkov, James Ellingworth and Stephen Whyno in Milan contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Lindsey Vonn Says Her Latest Surgery After Olympic Crash ‘Went Well’ and She Can Return to US

    CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn’s latest surgery on her left leg that she broke in the Olympic downhill “went well” and now she “will be able to finally go back to the U.S.,” the American skiing standout said Saturday.

    The 41-year-old Vonn is being treated at a hospital in Treviso.

    She said on Wednesday that she had a “successful” third surgery.

    Nine days before Sunday’s crash, Vonn ruptured the ACL in her left knee in another crash. Even before then, all eyes had been on her as the feel-good story heading into the Olympics for her comeback after nearly six years of retirement.

    “I have been reading a lot of messages and comments saying that what has happened to me makes them sad,” Vonn said on Instagram. “Please, don’t be sad. Empathy, love and support I welcome with an open heart, but please not sadness or sympathy. I hope instead it gives you strength to keep fighting, because that is what I am doing and that is what I will continue to do. Always.

    “When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences. I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk.”

    But Vonn concluded her latest message by saying she is “still looking forward to the moment when I can stand on the top of the mountain once more. And I will.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Brazil’s Pinheiro Braathen Leads GS After 1st Run, Seeking South America’s 1st Medal at Winter Games

    BORMIO, Italy (AP) — Brazilian ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen leads the Olympic giant slalom Saturday after the first of two runs and is in position to win South America’s first medal at a Winter Games.

    The final run will be held later Saturday. The top 30 will go in reverse order based on time, meaning Pinheiro Braathen races at No. 30.

    The first skier on the Stelvio course, Pinheiro Braathen took advantage of the smooth surface to finish in a time of 1 minute, 13.92 seconds. His fast run resulted in a 0.95-second lead over Swiss racer Marco Odermatt, who’s the defending Olympic champion in the event. The next-closest is Odermatt’s teammate, Loic Meillard, who’s 1.57 seconds behind.

    Pinheiro Braathen is the fun-loving, samba-dancing skier who’s ready to get this party started. On the back of his helmet, he has in big letters “Vamos Dancar” — “Let’s Dance.”

    Fittingly enough, it’s Carnival season, too, a festival of parades, masquerades and partying made famous in places such as Brazil.

    He’s already accomplished plenty of “firsts” with his new country: First Brazilian Alpine racer to finish on a World Cup podium last year and first ever World Cup win for the country this season.

    In the lead-up to the Olympics, Pinheiro Braathen chatted about the pressure of this particular “first.”

    “I’d be a liar if I said it was easy, that’s for sure,” he said. “It is everything but easy. And that’s the very beauty of it. The pressure that I bring in coming into these Games is something that I try to embrace with gratitude. Because if I wasn’t at the start gate dealing with pressure, I wouldn’t really be bringing change.”

    In Milan, Braathen’s fans, decked out in green and yellow, crowded into “Casa Brasil” as they waited to watch his second run on a large screen. The first run was early, but final run could be the perfect time for revelers to toast to his success with a “caipirinha,” which is Brazil’s national cocktail made with cachaça, lime, sugar and ice.

    Associated Press Writer Stefanie Dazio in Milan contributed to this report

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Philly Special: V.J. Edgecombe Leads Team Vince to Victory at NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars

    INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Philadelphia rookie V.J. Edgecombe led Team Vince to victory in the Rising Stars event at NBA All-Star weekend Friday night, scoring 17 points in the semifinal before hitting two free throws to end the final.

    San Antonio guard Dylan Harper ended the first semifinal in memorable fashion by scoring the game-winning bucket over Ron Harper Jr., his older brother.

    Dylan Harper then scored eight points in the final for Team Melo while teaming up with his Spurs teammate, Stephon Castle, last season’s Rookie of the Year.

    Castle made a putback dunk off Jeremiah Fears’ miss to pull Team Melo within one point of victory in the final, but Edgecombe drew a foul from Donovan Clingan and coolly hit both free throws to end it at 25-24. Edgecombe was named the Rising Stars MVP.

    The NBA’s rookies, sophomores and G League prospects opened the All-Star weekend at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome with this four-team tournament of three games played to a set point total.

    Dylan Harper called game in the first semifinal with a succession of moves that could have been learned on the driveway at home, bullying Ron Jr. into the paint before hitting a step-back jumper. Dylan stuck out his tongue in gleeful celebration of only his second basket in the semifinal, and their famous father laughed heartily at courtside.

    Edgecombe scored nearly half of his team’s 41 points — including the last 10 in a row — while winning the second semifinal to set up a showdown between the teams led by NBA greats Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony.

    The Rising Stars game wasn’t a full showcase of the NBA’s top young talent because No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg dropped out of the game due to injury, as did Washington’s Alex Sarr and Memphis’ Cedric Coward.

    Edgecombe hit three 3-pointers during his scoring barrage in the first semifinal to win his duel with Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel, who scored just four points. The two rookies are the only serious contenders with Flagg for the Rookie of the Year award.

    The event got off to a rousing start when Clippers prospect Yanic Konan Niederhäuser dunked a lob from Ron Harper Jr. for the first basket of the night. The Swiss big man who was drafted last summer by the All-Star weekend hosts, got raucous cheers from the fans in The Wall, an extra-steep supporters’ section installed at Intuit Dome by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

    Niederhäuser led his losing team with 11 points in the first semifinal.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • A Healthy Shohei Ohtani Eyes the One Major Award He Hasn’t Won — a Cy Young Award

    GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is a five-time All-Star, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a two-time World Series winner and a World Baseball Classic champion, giving him a sparkling baseball resume that no current player can touch.

    The only major honor he hasn’t won? A Cy Young Award.

    Given his track record, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two-way Japanese star add that trophy to his collection in 2026.

    “I think it’s fair to say he expects to be in the Cy Young conversation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “We just want him to be healthy, make starts, and all the numbers and statistics will take care of themselves.

    “But, man, this guy is such a disciplined worker and expects the most from himself.”

    Just 105 days after the Dodgers became MLB’s first back-to-back champs in a quarter century — beating the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling Game 7 — Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the rest of the team’s pitchers and catchers went through their first spring training workout at Camelback Ranch on Friday.

    Ohtani is expecting to be a full-time, two-way player for the first time since 2023. An elbow injury kept him off the mound for the 2024 season and he returned to pitching midway though last year, going 3-0 with a 4.43 ERA in the postseason to help the Dodgers capture their second straight World Series title.

    Roberts said an injury-free offseason — where he could focus on rest, recovery and strength — should make him even more formidable on the mound this season.

    “He just looks strong, but not too much mass,” Roberts said. “Watching him throw, watching him run, his body is moving well. I think he’s in a sweet spot.”

    The 31-year-old Ohtani munched on breakfast and laughed with teammates in the clubhouse before his bullpen session, fully comfortable in what are now familiar surroundings. He’s entering his third season with the franchise that has helped him blossom into the biggest baseball phenomenon in decades.

    “I was finally able to have a normal offseason,” Ohtani said. “Although the offseason was pretty short, I thought it was a good thing.”

    Ohtani said he arrived at Camelback Ranch at the beginning of the month and Friday’s bullpen — which he said went well — was his third of the spring. The goal is to throw live batting practice next week before he leaves to join Team Japan in Tokyo, where it will be playing in the World Baseball Classic.

    He won’t be pitching for Japan in the WBC — focusing solely on his work at the plate.

    Roberts said keeping Ohtani off the mound in the WBC was a collaborative decision that focused on his long-term health.

    “As much as people think that he’s not human, he’s still a human being who has had two major surgeries,” Roberts said. “He’s got a long career ahead of him.”

    The timeline and schedule of the WBC — Team Japan could be playing from March 6-17 on two different continents — makes Ohtani’s preparation for the Dodgers’ opening day game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 26 a challenge. Neither Roberts or Ohtani were sure what his throwing schedule would look like in Japan.

    Roberts said he’s sure Ohtani will want to be ready to pitch at the beginning of the season, but the team would be flexible.

    “It’s delicate,” Roberts said. “We’ll know more in the next couple weeks and see where the progression is at. But for us, there’s not going to be any timeline or endline or finish line where he has to be ready.”

    The Dodgers enter the season as World Series favorites. They were big spenders on the free agent market once again, landing four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker on a $240 million, four-year deal that further exacerbated the divide between baseball’s haves and have nots. Los Angeles also nabbed star reliever Edwin Díaz on a $69 million, three-year deal.

    Díaz also threw a bullpen on Friday. He had a 1.63 ERA and 28 saves for the New York Mets last season.

    “Guys are anxious,” Roberts said. “We’ve got a long camp, longer than we’ve had in recent years. We’re trying to get guys to start slow and be intentional and methodical. That’s kind of the message.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Florida Polytechnic celebrates opening of new Esports arena

    LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Polytechnic University is taking competitive video gaming a step further.

    On Friday, the university celebrated the opening of its new Esports Arena.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida Polytechnic University opened the new $300,000 Esports Arena, which features 20 fully loaded gaming stations

    • Participation in eSports is growing on campus, and university leaders say scholarships are planned in the future

    • Team captain Jannice Rivera says she hopes the expanded program encourages more women to join eSports as they gain recognition alongside traditional athletics

    In the world of eSports, student Jannice Rivera stands out.

    “I wish more women and more girls felt at home and in a community with eSports, but as eSports has been evolving, we’ve been welcomed a little more and more as time goes on,” Rivera said.

    The 21-year-old became the captain of Florida Polytechnic’s eSports varsity teams a little over a year ago. She is one of just three women who are part of the sports program. It’s a space she has been familiar with since learning how to play video games at a young age.

    “I was able to, thankfully, get my longtime best friends, that are still friends with me, I was able to get them into it, and we all just started playing together,” she said. “And even though the community wasn’t as welcoming to women back then, that was like 2008/2009. With having friends in it doing it with me, I already felt more comfortable.”

    Rivera said that pushed her to apply to Florida Poly to play on a larger scale.

    Over time, university leaders said they’ve seen more students become drawn to the digital sport. So far, Florida Poly President Devin Stephenson said the school has about 130 players across 14 teams.

    “And now that we have the arena in place, I can tell you, as many young people say today, ‘it’s going to blow up.’ And it will become extremely popular,” Stephenson said.

    The new eSports arena is equipped with 20 fully loaded gaming stations. The roughly $300,000 facility was partially paid for with presidential discretionary funds, which Stephenson said was worth every penny.

    “This is a very rigorous curriculum that we have here, so we need more and more student development opportunities for them outside of the labs, outside of the classrooms, and eSports gives them that sort of vetting to stretch themselves beyond the pressure of the classroom,” he said.

    Florida Poly leaders said the goal is to help players compete on the same level as traditional athletics. The school eventually plans to offer several scholarships to students, and Rivera said she’s looking forward to that.

    “The little girl in me feels really excited,” she said. “Now, as time goes on, we’re getting recognized as an actual athletic department. We’re an actual sport, and it can be very lucrative. We have the same sponsors that normal athletics do. We compete in the same way; it’s just in a different setting, and I feel like we can reach a lot of people.”

    She said she hopes that includes a lot more women, too.

    The Esports Arena is open for competition and recreational use. Students can visit and play for fun during select hours throughout the day.

    Alexis Jones

    Source link

  • Lou Young Urges Men Not to Blow Their Rent on Pricey Valentine’s Day Gifts

    Lou Young
    Fellas, Don’t Blow the Rent on Valentine’s Day!!!

    Published

    TMZ.com

    Valentine’s Day is creeping up … and while couples are busy emptying their wallets, Lou Young is waving a financial red flag.

    We caught up with Lou at Druski’s “Coulda Been Love” Season 2 event Wednesday, and he told TMZ straight up — fellas need to chill before they blow the rent money trying to impress. Why? Because March 1 is looming … and rent waits for no one.



    Stars Celebrating Valentine's Day 2025

    Catch the full clip … ’cause Lou elaborates on his message — spend what you can afford.

    We also hit him with the ultimate IG question — is it a red flag if a guy won’t post his girl? His answer might raise some eyebrows!

    Hit the clip … Lou breaks down relationships, money moves, and what’s next on his professional plate.

    TMZ Staff

    Source link

  • TMZ Sports Streaming Live From Newsroom, Join The Conversation!

    TMZ Sports Live Stream
    Join The Conversation!!!

    Published

    TMZ Sports is going live from the newsroom to discuss the day’s biggest stories … but we don’t just want folks to watch and enjoy the conversation, we want y’all to get involved!!

    Hit the comment section as Babcock, Lucas, Luca, and the whole crew break down the most important topics of the day … and we’ll be interacting with viewers throughout the program between 1 and 2:30 PM PT.

    YouTube, X, TikTok … we’re everywhere.

    So tune in, make fun of us, share your two cents, sound off about your favorite team … nothing is out of bounds.

    Thursday’s show will feature our interview with Travis Kelce … ‘s mom, Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to questions about Kim Kardashian, Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania take and so much more!!

    TMZ Staff

    Source link

  • Iowa Lakes Community College Baseball Team Bus Crashes, Killing 1 Person and Injuring 32

    TWIN LAKES, Iowa (AP) — A community college bus carrying the school’s baseball team crashed and overturned in a ditch in rural Iowa on Wednesday, authorities and media reports said, killing one person and injuring all the other 32 occupants.

    The 11 a.m. crash involved the Iowa Lakes Community College bus and no other vehicles, the Iowa State Patrol said in a statement. It occurred on a highway near Twin Lakes, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines.

    Three people were airlifted to trauma hospitals in Des Moines, said Bruce Musgrave, director of Calhoun County emergency services, and others were taken by ambulance to four hospitals in the area.

    KTIV reported that the college’s baseball team was on board.

    The Iowa State Patrol is investigating.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link