But before we get into Mendoza going first overall, before the Jets make the pick everyone’s been debating for two months, there’s a story you need to know about. One that started in Green Bay last year and is coming to Pittsburgh this week.

His name is Ike Winter. Remember it.

Ike is a Milwaukee-based artist who spent 700 hours building all 32 NFL team logos entirely out of reclaimed wood. And I mean that literally. No paint. No stain. Every piece of wood came from furniture he pulled out of alleys and off the side of the road. Fifty-plus pieces of discarded furniture. Every logo is 3x3 feet. Natural tones only.

Oh, and he did it all with a couple of saws in his garage. Out of pure curiosity. For fun.

The NFL commissioned him. His work lines the path that every draft pick walks after hearing their name called. The moment you see your future, you’re walking past Ike’s art.

And then Travis Hunter happened.

Last year in Green Bay, Hunter, the second overall pick, walked past the artwork and just slapped it. Not a tap. A real slap. Five minutes later, the CMO of the NFL pulled Ike aside and told him every player in the green room was talking about slapping their team’s logo. Something like this had never happened before. A spontaneous, unscripted moment that turned into an instant tradition.

Nobody planned that. Nobody could have. It just happened because the art was that good and the energy in that room was that real.

Now it comes to Pittsburgh, where the theme is “Built by Community.” In all honesty, you cannot write a more perfect tagline for Ike’s story if you tried.

When the NFL first knocked on Ike’s door, they had no idea he had skin in the game beyond the craft. Ike Winter is the grandson of Ray Cuffell, who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1944. Football is literally in his bloodline, and the league had no idea.

His grandfather never got a moment like this. Ike’s getting it for both of them.

Wisconsin’s trash. Pittsburgh’s treasure.

Now, the picks.

Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders at No. 1 is locked. Reports have him already working to acclimate to Vegas’ offense, and Klint Kubiak built his whole pitch around this kid. Indiana’s QB1 is the face of this class, and that pick is not moving.

No. 2 is where it gets spicy. The Jets have been going back and forth on this for months. Everything out of the Jets’ building this week points to Arvell Reese, the Ohio State edge rusher. But Peter Schrager went on the record saying David Bailey. Bailey wins with elite burst and bend and is the most “ready right now” pass rusher in this class. Reese has the higher ceiling but is more of a project. With Aaron Glenn as head coach wanting an impact defender immediately, I lean toward Bailey. We’ll see. This is genuinely the most fun market on Kalshi right now if you want to put something behind that take. New users get a free $10.

No. 3 is a potential trade domino. If the Jets take Reese, a team like the Chiefs at No. 9 could trade up to Arizona for Bailey. If both edge rushers are gone, the Cardinals likely pivot to Jeremiyah Love out of Notre Dame, the most electric running back prospect in years. The Cardinals are the wildcards of round one. Watch them.

The Steelers have 12 picks in this draft, the most of any team. They need a quarterback. This city needs a quarterback. Whether that’s Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, or Carson Beck sliding to them in round two, that’s the subplot nobody’s talking about enough heading into day one.

Tomorrow night, Ike’s wood goes up on those walls in Pittsburgh. Some kid who’s dreamed about this moment his whole life is going to hear his name called, walk down that path, and slap a logo made from furniture someone threw in an alley.

That’s the NFL Draft. That’s why we watch.

Let’s go.

That’s what the sportsbooks gave Pittsburgh to make the playoffs before this season started. Their over/under point total was 75.5. The consensus was loud and unanimous: this was a lost season, a transition year, a team that should be shipping out veterans and stockpiling picks. Multiple outlets called the trade deadline the most important day of their season before a puck was even dropped.

Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched a playoff spot.

And every front office that spent the last three years pointing at Pittsburgh as the cautionary tale for why you don’t run it back with aging stars just got embarrassed in real time.

Let’s be specific about how wrong everyone was.

FanDuel had Pittsburgh’s playoff odds at +550, tied for worst in the Eastern Conference. Analysts predicted they’d be sellers at the deadline. Their own fanbase debated whether finishing last for a top pick was more valuable than competing. The narrative was settled: Crosby is 38, Malkin is 39, the window is closed, let it go.

Instead, Crosby just finished his 21st consecutive point-per-game season. He has 72 points in 66 games. He passed Steve Yzerman for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time points list. Malkin, who everyone assumed was done, posted 59 points in 54 games, his highest per-60 rate at five-on-five since 2019-20. Erik Karlsson at 35 was voted team MVP and carried the Penguins through stretches when both superstars were out injured. An 18-year-old rookie named Ben Kindel went straight from the draft to the NHL and became a legitimate contributor.

Crosby, Malkin, and Letang have now played together for 20 seasons, the longest-tenured trio in North American professional sports. They were supposed to be done. They are going to the playoffs.

The real story isn’t just that Pittsburgh is good.

It’s what they did to get here.

A season that began with expectations of a high pick in the 2026 draft and reports that it would certainly be Malkin’s last with the Penguins has turned into another shot at a fourth Cup. GM Kyle Dubas didn’t blow it up. He didn’t trade Rust or Rakell as everyone predicted. He added depth: Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, a mid-season deal for Egor Chinakhov, and let the veterans be veterans. He hired Dan Muse, a first-time NHL head coach with zero head coaching experience at this level, and Muse outcoached half the league.

Pittsburgh was winning five of six games down the stretch when it mattered most. That’s a team that believed in itself when basically nobody outside the locker room did.

Here’s why this matters beyond Pittsburgh.

Every year, the tank conversation gets louder in hockey. Blow it up. Collect picks. Trust the process. The analytics crowd has largely won this debate in front offices across the league. The moment a star hits 35, the calculators come out, and the verdict is almost always the same: move on.

Pittsburgh refused. And right now they’re proving the model wrong.

That doesn’t mean tanking is always stupid. It isn’t. But it means the league’s smartest people consistently underestimate two things: what elite players can still do in their late 30s, and what a great locker room is actually worth. You cannot spreadsheet culture. You cannot model what Crosby does to an 18-year-old rookie’s development just by being in the same building.

Ben Kindel is a better hockey player today because Sidney Crosby exists. That doesn’t show up in any projection system.

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The playoffs start soon.

Pittsburgh will face one of Philadelphia, Columbus, or the Islanders in the first round. None of those matchups scares them. After everything this season has thrown at this team, the age concerns, the injury absences, the front-office skeptics, the sportsbook odds, they’re not losing sleep over a wild-card opponent.

Whether they go deep or get bounced early, the damage to the conventional wisdom is already done.

Pittsburgh ran it back. It worked. Every GM watching has to sit with that.

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But I don’t think either of those reactions is actually looking at what’s going on here. Because this isn’t just a baseball story. Actually, let me phrase that correctly. This might not even be a baseball story.

Here’s what we know. Bauer is 35. He hasn’t thrown an MLB pitch since June 2021. He spent 2023 in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2.76 ERA), then went to Mexico in 2024 with the Diablos Rojos (2.48 ERA), then went back to Japan in 2025, where he went 4-10 with a 4.41 ERA. Now he’s in the Atlantic League, which is an independent league, not even affiliated with MLB, starting opening night on April 21 for a team in Central Islip, New York.

And here’s the part that everyone kind of glossed over in the reporting: Bauer is going to be mic’d up for every single game and every single practice.

Every. Single. One.

That is not a guy trying to quietly prove he belongs. You and I might have different opinions on this, but I believe that’s a guy who knows exactly what he’s doing.

Let’s be honest about the baseball side of this first, because it’s not looking great.

The Atlantic League is a partner league with MLB, and it’s a real league. Guys work hard there; some make it back to affiliated ball. But if you’re a 35-year-old former Cy Young winner who’s been out of the majors for five years, and no MLB team has touched you even at the league minimum, the Atlantic League is your final answer.

Bauer has said he doesn’t believe he was given a lifetime ban. He’s right that he wasn’t. He served his 194-game suspension. The civil claims against him were settled, both sides withdrew, and no money changed hands. He was never criminally charged. From a pure legal standpoint, the case is closed.

But MLB front offices don’t work like courts. They work on risk management. And signing Trevor Bauer, at 35, with all of that backstory, is a risk almost no team is willing to take, even if the stuff on the mound still works. Well, that’s if it works, because that wasn’t the case last year in Japan. A 4.41 ERA is a 4.41 ERA. Ball don’t lie.

So the path back to MLB is not happening, and I think that Bauer knows that. So, then, why does he keep on trying?

This is a content play. Full stop.

Think about it. He’s mic’d up constantly. He’s pitching in front of American fans again for the first time in five years. The Long Island Ducks are getting national media attention they haven’t gotten in probably ever. And Bauer, who has built a massive YouTube channel and online following over the years, is going to have enough content from this season to run for years.

There’s nothing wrong with that, by the way. It’s extremely smart. If MLB isn’t going to give you a shot regardless of what you do or whether you were wronged or right, why not use the platform you do have to build something? He’s a known name, people are going to tune in, and the mic’d-up angle is compelling content.

But let’s stop framing this as a comeback attempt and call it what it is. If this were truly about getting back to the majors, you’d be keeping a lower profile. You wouldn’t be turning every bullpen session into a YouTube video. You’d be grinding quietly and letting the results speak.

Bauer has never been that kind of pitcher, though. He’s always been more personality than any other pitcher in baseball, and honestly, that was part of what made him interesting to follow before everything went sideways.

Here’s the question I actually want to ask: Does it matter?

Like, is there anything wrong with a former major league pitcher using an independent league team as a content stage? Is there anything wrong with the Long Island Ducks getting a big name who’s going to put them on the map for a few months? The Ducks’ president literally said they’re “happy to offer him this opportunity to showcase his talents to MLB clubs.”

I go back and forth on this.

On one hand, there are guys in that Atlantic League who genuinely need those roster spots. Guys who are 26, 27, fighting for one more shot at affiliated ball, who are now competing for playing time with a 35-year-old who’s mostly there to be famous. That part bugs me a little.

On the other hand, the Ducks are a business. More attention means more fans, more revenue, more everything. And if Bauer is genuinely still competing, and a 2.48 ERA in Mexico two years ago says he can still pitch to some extent, then he’s not just taking up space.

Look, I’m a Dodgers fan. Bauer is in my memory as a complicated chapter that I’d rather not revisit. The $102 million deal. The 17 starts. The way it all fell apart. It was a mess, and the Dodgers have done a pretty good job of moving on from it.

But the reason I find this story interesting isn’t the comeback narrative. It’s the fact that we’re watching a former elite athlete basically build a second career in real time, using the shell of the first one. And he’s doing it in front of a mic, on purpose.

Whether that’s admirable or kind of uncomfortable probably depends on how you feel about Bauer as a person. And I understand both reactions. I really do.

What I don’t buy is the framing that this is a legitimate MLB comeback bid. It’s not. And that’s okay to say.

He’s 35. He’s in the Atlantic League. No MLB team has called. And he’s mic’d up for practices.

This is a content strategy with a baseball uniform on.

And honestly? It might work out great for him.

What’s your take — do you think Bauer deserves another shot in MLB, or is this chapter closed? Drop it in the comments or email me at sportssquareauthor@gmail.com. Always want to hear from you.

— Smayan

The Automatic Ball and Strike system is now officially in place. This means hitters can challenge a call if they believe it’s a ball, and catchers can challenge if they think it’s a strike. It’s about time.

I don’t want to focus too much on this specific Opening Day, but I’m going to predict the records for each team now.

Also, it’s my birthday!

Thank you all for being part of this journey with me. You’re the reason I keep going!

I share my birthday with Tom Glavine, Dutch Leonard, Travis Fryman, Hyun Jin Ryu, Lee Mazzilli, Dan Wilson, Mike Zunino, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Emmanuel Moseley, Mike White, Elton Johnson, and T.J. McConnell, just to name a few.

2026 MLB Team Record Predictions:

Arizona Diamondbacks: 81-81
Atlanta Braves: 90-72
Baltimore Orioles: 86-76
Boston Red Sox: 87-75
Chicago Cubs: 89-73
Chicago White Sox: 61-101
Cincinnati Reds: 78-84
Cleveland Guardians: 78-84
Colorado Rockies: 54-108
Detroit Tigers: 89-73
Houston Astros: 84-78
Kansas City Royals: 83-79
Los Angeles Angels: 68-94
Los Angeles Dodgers: 101-61
Miami Marlins: 72-90
Milwaukee Brewers: 83-79
Minnesota Twins: 78-84
New York Mets: 92-70
New York Yankees: 89-73
Oakland Athletics: 79-83
Philadelphia Phillies: 90-72
Pittsburgh Pirates: 81-81
San Diego Padres: 83-79
San Francisco Giants: 83-79
Seattle Mariners: 90-72
St. Louis Cardinals: 70-92
Tampa Bay Rays: 79-83
Texas Rangers: 83-79
Toronto Blue Jays: 88-74
Washington Nationals: 58-104

Now contrast that with Team USA. Three hits. Zero at-bats with a runner in scoring position through the first seven innings against a pitcher with a 5.02 ERA. Aaron Judge, the captain, is going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the biggest game of the tournament. And through all of it, silence. Not the silence of devastation. The silence of guys who were already thinking about spring training.

The United States had the most talented roster in World Baseball Classic history. They also had the least heart.

I hate to be the one to say it, but this United States team had no passion for their country.

The Scoreboard Said More Than the Stars Did

Before we talk culture and attitude, let's look at the numbers, because the lack of passion showed up in cold, hard statistics.

This is a lineup that features Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Bobby Witt Jr., and Kyle Schwarber, generational talents who the sport markets as its biggest stars. They were held to three hits total by a pitcher who struggled badly last season and a Venezuelan bullpen working on back-to-back nights. Eduardo Rodríguez shut them out over 4⅓ innings and exited with one hit allowed. The Venezuelan bullpen, exhausted after needing 23 outs from relievers against Italy the night before, covered the rest without breaking.

The only life Team USA showed was a Bryce Harper two-run blast in the eighth that briefly tied the game. But even that was too late and too little. A single player carrying the emotional weight of an entire nation on his back while the rest of the lineup watched.

No Identity. No Celebrations. No Joy.

Watch how other teams played at this tournament. Italy had its espresso celebration. The Dominican Republic had Vladdy Guerrero Jr. lifting a plantain barbell. Mexico brought electric energy to every game that made neutrals feel something. Great Britain played loosely and joyfully. Venezuela played with the fire of a nation going through something, and they let you feel every second of it.

Team USA? They clocked in. They clocked out.

Aaron Judge's pregame pump-up speech, meant to fire up the team before the final, was widely ridiculed online as looking passionless and flat. The team had no visible celebration identity, no unique ritual, nothing that said this means something to us. And the Venezuelan fans, representing the 250,000-plus Venezuelan immigrants in the Miami metropolitan area, were the loudest presence in that stadium for a final played on American soil. Team USA's home crowd was drowned out entirely.

If that's the most fun they've ever had, why couldn't anyone watching tell?

Judge pushed back on the passionate criticism on Friday, arguing that American players simply show their love differently — through private preparation rather than public celebration. It's a fair point. But passion is not just about bat flips and dugout dances. It's about what you do when you're down 2-0 in the World Baseball Classic final. And what Team USA did was go 0-for-their-last-chance with the game on the line.

This Is a Pattern, Not a One-Off

Team USA scored 44 runs across seven WBC games — but look at who they scored them against. When they faced real pitching, the lineup went flat every time.

Team USA pool play reality check

Beat Brazil, Great Britain, and Mexico in pool play, all before a shockingly passive loss to Italy 8-6.

Advanced to the quarterfinals only because Italy beat Mexico the following day. Team USA had no control over their own fate.

This is the third straight WBC in which the United States has reached the final. It is the second straight final they have lost.

And Then There's DeRosa

The players set the tone. But their manager did them no favors either.

Before the Italy pool play game, DeRosa appeared on MLB Network's Hot Stove, his own show, and announced that Team USA's ticket to the quarterfinals was already punched. It was not. A loss to Italy could have triggered a three-way tie that sent the United States home. He then revealed the team had been "celebrating until the wee hours of the night" and that some players were "dragging" the morning of the game.

"We want to win this game even though our ticket's punched to the quarterfinals." — Mark DeRosa, MLB Network Hot Stove, before the Italy game. Team USA had not clinched. They went on to lose 8-6.

When asked to defend himself afterward, DeRosa denied the misunderstanding, then proved it by misremembering his own team's record. He said both teams entered the Italy game 2-0. Team USA was 3-0.

But DeRosa is a symptom, not the disease. The disease is a United States baseball culture that treats this tournament as a March obligation rather than a matter of national pride. Other countries bring backup players who leave it all on the field. The United States brings All-Stars who seem vaguely inconvenienced by being there.

Venezuela Understood Something Team USA Didn't

This Venezuela team played every game knowing what it meant. Not just as a baseball tournament, but as a statement for a country enduring one of the most turbulent periods in its modern history. "I'm sure each Venezuelan was watching this game," Suárez said after the final. "I'm sure they enjoyed it more than us." That's what it looks like when a team actually cares. They played for something bigger than themselves.

Team USA played for a gold medal. So did Venezuela. The difference is that Venezuela played like the journey mattered, too. For Team USA, the journey was a formality. And in baseball, the team that wants it more usually wins.

Venezuela earned it. And until the United States sends a team that plays like that, jersey means something, not just in the clubhouse away from cameras, but on the field where it counts, they will keep watching other countries celebrate on their soil.

I know I was a little late on this, so I’m sorry about that. Also, please make no mistake. I am and will always be a fan of my country, the United States of America.

Several games came down to the final swing. Others flipped in a single inning. A few were never close.

Across the board, the theme was the same: power changed everything.

Here’s how the action unfolded so far. I’ve only highlighted a couple of games

Puerto Rico 4, Panama 3 (10 innings)

Puerto Rico needed one swing to end it.

San Juan native Darell Hernaiz, a 24-year-old Athletics prospect, delivered it.

With the game tied in the 10th inning, Hernaiz jumped on a first-pitch fastball and launched it 374 feet to left field for a walk-off homer at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

Hernaiz also singled earlier in the fifth inning.

Puerto Rico’s pitching kept them within striking distance all night. Starter Eduardo Rivera threw five scoreless innings, handing the game to the bullpen.

Reliever José Espada earned the win after tossing two shutout innings late.

Panama nearly stole it with strong pitching of its own. Ariel Jurado opened with five scoreless innings, and the Panamanian staff used five pitchers overall. But one mistake in the 10th was all it took.

Hernaiz made sure of that.

Netherlands 4, Nicaragua 3

This one turned historic.

The Netherlands trailed 3–1 entering the ninth inning and had two outs. Then the rally started.

Ceddanne Rafaela singled.
Xander Bogaerts doubled.

Suddenly, the bases were loaded.

Ozzie Albies stepped in and crushed the first pitch he saw from reliever Angel Obando, sending it 411 feet over the wall for a three-run walk-off homer.

It was the first walk-off home run in World Baseball Classic history.

The blast instantly flipped the scoreboard from 3–1 Nicaragua to a 4–3 Dutch victory.

Nicaragua had controlled the game most of the night. Starter Erasmo Ramírez left with a 1–0 lead, and reliever Lars Huijer worked two innings before the final collapse.

One pitch changed everything.

Japan 8, South Korea 6

Japan fell behind immediately.

South Korea jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the first inning, putting early pressure on the tournament favorites.

Japan answered the only way it knows how: with power.

In one explosive inning, the lineup launched three home runs.

• Shohei Ohtani crushed a hanging curveball 408 feet for a solo shot

• Seiya Suzuki followed with back-to-back home runs (386 and 385 feet)

• Masataka Yoshida added another blast 387 feet

Just like that, the deficit disappeared, and Japan moved ahead 5–3.

South Korean starter Ko Young-pyo paid for two mistakes that Ohtani and Suzuki did not miss.

From there, Japan’s bullpen stabilized the game. Atsuki Taneichi and Taisei Ota helped secure the 8–6 victory.

The sequence showed exactly why Japan’s lineup is so dangerous. Pitch around Ohtani, and you face Suzuki and Yoshida right behind him.

Canada 6, Colombia 1

Canada built its win early and never gave Colombia momentum.

In the second inning, Owen Caissie launched a 403-foot two-run homer off emergency starter Austin Bergner, giving Canada a quick 2–0 lead.

Defense added another key moment in the first inning.

When Michael Arroyo tried to score on a single, Josh Naylor fired a throw home, and Bo Naylor applied the tag for the out, erasing a potential Colombian run.

On the mound, Michael Soroka dominated. The Canadian starter retired the first 14 batters he faced, keeping Colombia quiet through the middle innings.

Canada finally broke the game open with a four-run eighth inning, helped by an error and timely hitting.

Colombia cycled through five pitchers, but Canada’s balanced offense kept the pressure on all night.

Early power plus clean defense gave Canada control from the start.

Venezuela 11, Israel 3

Venezuela’s offense didn’t wait around.

The lineup exploded for four runs in the first inning, immediately knocking Israel’s starter out of the game.

The biggest performance belonged to Luis Arraez.

The former batting champion finished with:

• Two home runs (372 and 355 feet)

• Two doubles

• Five RBIs

Eugenio Suárez added a two-run homer in the first inning, while the lineup mixed power with patience, including a bases-loaded walk.

Israel cycled through five pitchers, including Ben Simon, but the damage kept piling up.

Meanwhile, Venezuela starter Enmanuel De Jesus kept things steady on the mound, allowing one run across five innings.

Arraez’s combination of contact and power drove an offensive outburst that produced 11 runs.

Chinese Taipei 14, Czechia 0

Chinese Taipei ran away with the most lopsided game of the day.

The turning point came in the second inning when Stuart Fairchild blasted a 389-foot grand slam, immediately putting the game out of reach.

But the real story was speed.

Chinese Taipei stole seven bases, setting a World Baseball Classic single-game record. The aggressive baserunning forced errors and constantly put Czechia’s defense under pressure.

Early in the game, a throwing error by the Czech catcher helped spark the offense.

On the mound, Taiwan used four pitchers, including starter Zhuang Chen-hao, who threw 2⅔ no-hit innings.

The combination of baserunning, timely hits, and Fairchild’s grand slam led to the 14–0 mercy-rule win.

Here we go again.

For the seventh time in Olympic history, the United States and Canada meet for women’s hockey gold.

All time at the Olympics, Canada leads 7 to 4. In gold medal games, Canada holds a 5 to 2 edge. Across all competitions, Canada owns a 106-87-1 record against the United States.

The United States has controlled this tournament from the opening puck drop. The Americans went undefeated in group play for the first time since 2010 and outscored opponents 20 to 1. That stretch included a 5 to 0 win over Canada to secure the top seed in Group A. They followed that with a quarterfinal win over Italy and another 5 to 0 shutout against Sweden in the semifinals. Through six games, they have dictated pace, won special teams, and limited defensive breakdowns.

The numbers back up the eye test. The Americans have recorded three shutouts. Aerin Frankel has not allowed a goal in 331 minutes and 23 seconds, the longest shutout streak in Olympic women’s hockey history. They roll four lines. They attack in waves. They do not spend much time defending.

Canada’s path has required more adjustments. Their opener was delayed, and captain Marie Philip Poulin missed most of the preliminary round with a lower body injury. Canada lost 5 to 0 to the United States in group play, a result that exposed gaps in transition and defensive coverage. After that loss, they responded with wins over Finland and Germany to reach the semifinals, then defeated Switzerland to book another meeting with their rivals.

Poulin returned and broke Hayley Wickenheiser’s Olympic women’s scoring record. Her presence changes the structure of Canada’s top line and power play. Daryl Watts has made the most of her first Olympic appearance, leading the team with eight points. Sarah Fillier and Julia Gosling have provided steady production, and the power play ranks first in the tournament. Canada has relied more on its younger core for offense while veterans such as Jocelyne Larocque, Erin Ambrose, and Natalie Spooner look to raise their level in the final.

This final will hinge on pace and discipline. The United States thrives when games open up, and shifts turn into track meets. Their defense joins the rush, and their forwards pressure turnovers high in the zone. Canada needs cleaner exits, stronger net front presence, and fewer penalties. They must limit odd-man rushes and force the Americans to play below the goal line.

The United States enters with more speed and deeper scoring. Canada enters with experience and a proven ability to deliver in gold medal moments. Last week’s result suggests a gap, though finals rarely mirror preliminary games.

Top Scorers

United States

• Caroline Harvey, 9 points
• Hannah Bilka, 7 points
• Megan Keller, 7 points
• Laila Edwards, 7 points
• Abbey Murphy, 7 points

Canada

• Daryl Watts, 8 points
• Sarah Fillier, 6 points
• Julia Gosling, 5 points
• Three players with 4 points

Expect a tighter contest. Expect more push from Canada. Still, the United States has controlled this matchup for months and brings the sharper form into Milan. The Americans hold the edge and are positioned to claim their first Olympic gold since 2018.

Puck drop is set for Thursday, Feb. 19, at 1:10 p.m. ET.

No other coverage today, and I apologize for that. You’ll be able to find the latest medal count here.

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 15? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

This one centers on a fingertip and a hot mic.

Canada beat Sweden 8 to 6 in round robin play in Cortina. Late in the ninth end, Canadian curler Marc Kennedy told Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson to “f off.” The comment aired live.

The exchange followed repeated accusations from Sweden.

Swedish skip Niklas Edin said Kennedy touched the granite after releasing the handle. In curling, players must release the stone before the hog line. The handle has a sensor. Once the stone moves forward, you cannot touch the granite. If you do, officials remove the stone from play.

Edin said Kennedy double-touched more than once. He argued that even light pressure affects a 20-kilogram stone. Speed changes. Angle shifts.

On ice, officials said they did not see a violation. They made no call.

Kennedy denied cheating. He said he never tried to gain an advantage. He admitted he reacted poorly. He did not apologize.

World Curling stepped in the next day. The governing body restated the rule. During forward motion, touching the granite leads to removal of the stone. Officials issued a verbal warning to Canadian officials for the language on ice. They refused to use video replay to revisit earlier throws.

Online clips spread fast. Debate followed.

World Curling then assigned umpires to observe deliveries more closely. The policy lasted one day.

In a women’s match, Canada’s Rachel Homan had a stone removed for the same violation. Great Britain’s Bobby Lammie lost a stone in his match as well. Homan said she did not understand the call and felt her team had nothing to do with the earlier dispute.

By Sunday night, World Curling adjusted again. Officials would observe deliveries only if teams requested it.

You need to understand what this means for the sport.

Curling runs on the Spirit of Curling. Players call their own fouls. Teams respect opponents. You win through skill, not technical traps.

This episode exposed pressure points.

Olympic medals raise the stakes. Teams track small edges. Accusations shift from quiet talks between skips to public disputes.

If you follow curling, expect these next steps.

• More formal guidance on delivery monitoring
• Clearer penalties for double-touch violations
• Renewed debate on video replay in Olympic play
• Stronger emphasis on skip-to-skip communication before public claims

Canada kept the win. The standings did not change.

Trust took a hit.

The next time a stone crosses the hog line, you will see more eyes on the release.

No other coverage today, and I apologize for that. You’ll be able to find the latest medal count here.

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 7? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

Milano has been no different. In fact, some of the biggest moments so far have belonged to athletes who, not that long ago, were juniors dreaming about this stage.

At just 17, Choi Gaon delivered one of the defining performances of these Games.

Up against two-time defending champion Chloe Kim in the women’s halfpipe final, the expectation was that experience would win out. Instead, it was resilience. After taking a heavy fall earlier in the contest, Choi climbed back up the pipe and threw down a third run that scored 90.25.

The Republic of Korea had never medaled in this event before. Now they have gold, and a 17-year-old who looks completely comfortable under Olympic pressure.

Hmmm. What about figure skating? It tends to follow a script. Favorites lead, contenders chase, and the podium usually reflects the season rankings.

Not this time.

Twenty-one-year-old Mikhail Shaidorov was not widely viewed as the man to beat in the men’s individual event. Then he skated the free program of his life.

By the end of the night, he was standing above the medal favorites with gold around his neck.

For Kazakhstan, it was their first Olympic gold in this discipline and their first Winter Games gold since 1994. For Shaidorov, it was a career-defining moment that arrived earlier than most expected.

We are not done.

When Abby Winterberger drops into the freeski halfpipe later in the Games, she will do so at just 15 years old. One of the youngest athletes in the entire field, competing on the biggest winter stage there is.

That is the theme of Milano so far. Athletes who are not waiting for their turn.

They are taking it.

And if this is what the present looks like, the future of the Winter Games is in very good hands.

Outlook (EST)

• 7:00 AM Snowboard: Women’s snowboard slopestyle final

• 7:45 AM Nordic combined: Men’s individual Gundersen large hill/10km (cross-country segment)

• 8:30 AM Biathlon: Men’s 4x7.5km relay

• 10:22 AM Speed skating: Men’s team pursuit medal finals

• 10:41 AM Speed skating: Women’s team pursuit medal finals

• 1:30 PM Freestyle skiing: Men’s freeski big air final

• 3:05 PM Bobsleigh: Two-man (heat 4)

Around the Games:

• Short-track speed skating: Xandra Velzeboer completed the 500m–1000m double with a dramatic 1000m gold (1:28.437), edging Courtney Sarault at the line and keeping the Netherlands perfect atop the short-track podium.

• Alpine skiing: Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard stayed composed through the chaos to win slalom gold in 1:53.61 after favorites Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Atle Lie McGrath failed to finish.

• Ski jumping: Austria’s Jan Hoerl and Stephan Embacher claimed the inaugural men’s super team gold after heavy snow canceled the final round, locking in victory on round-two scores.

• Bobsleigh: Elana Meyers Taylor stormed from third to first on the final run to win women’s monobob gold at her fifth Olympics, finally securing the elusive top step.

• Freestyle skiing: Canada’s Megan Oldham captured women’s big air gold with 180.75, holding off Eileen Gu, who became the most decorated female Olympic freeski athlete with five medals.

• Figure skating: Japan’s Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi rallied from fifth after the short program to win their nation’s first Olympic pairs title.

• Ice hockey: The United States and Canada set up another women’s Olympic final, with Marie-Philip Poulin scoring twice to break the all-time Olympic women’s goals record.

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 7? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

You could feel it before he even crossed the line.

When Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo grabbed the final leg of the 4 × 7.5 km relay, Norway already had control. But he didn’t ski like someone protecting a lead. He skied like someone trying to make a point.

No panic. No checking over his shoulder. Just smooth, clean power the entire way through.

By the final stretch, the gap was obvious. France wasn’t closing. Italy wasn’t closing. Nobody was. Norway won by 22.2 seconds, which in a relay at this level basically feels disrespectful.

And with that, Klaebo hit nine career Olympic gold medals.

Nine.

That moves him past Bjørn Dæhlie, Marit Bjørgen, and Ole Einar Bjørndalen. The names that used to define dominance at the Winter Games.

Today, it felt official. There’s no more debate about who owns this era.

That moment set the tone for the day.

What You Might’ve Missed

• Italy is quietly having its best Winter Olympics ever. When Lisa Vittozzi won the women’s 10 km pursuit, it pushed the host nation to a historic gold total. That kind of crowd energy matters late in a Games.

• The women’s large hill ski jumping event finally made its Olympic debut, and Anna Odine Stroem became the first champion ever. First champions hit differently because there’s no one before them.

• The first-ever skeleton mixed team gold went to Britain’s Matt Weston and Tabitha Stoecker. New events always shake up the medal map. Some countries adapt fast. Others don’t.

• In both biathlon pursuits, the final standing shoot decided everything. Not speed. Not endurance. Composure.

Medals, With Context

Federica Brignone

At 35, Federica Brignone just won her second gold of these Games, this time in giant slalom. On home snow. This isn’t a farewell tour. She’s controlling races.

Mikaël Kingsbury

For Mikaël Kingsbury, winning the first-ever Olympic dual moguls gold felt like checking off the last unfinished box. Not shocking. Just inevitable.

Femke Kok

An Olympic record in the women’s 500m. Femke Kok didn’t squeak by. She won by 0.66 seconds, which in speed skating is massive.

Martin Ponsiluoma

In the men’s biathlon pursuit, Martin Ponsiluoma stayed clean when Émilien Jacquelin didn’t. Two penalties. Gold gone. That’s the sport.

Today wasn’t chaos. It was stars delivering.

The Pressure Point

Here’s what matters now:

Is Klaebo done stacking history, or is double digits actually realistic before these Games end?

Because if nine is the new standard, the ceiling just moved again.

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

That’s a name that will live forever in South American Winter Olympics history.

With a stunning performance in the men’s giant slalom, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen delivered Brazil its first-ever medal at the Winter Olympics. Not only that, he became the first athlete from South America to stand on a Winter Games podium.

Let that sink in for a second.

Born and raised in Norway, Braathen previously competed under the Norwegian flag before switching allegiance to Brazil, his mother’s home country. The decision raised eyebrows at the time. Now, it looks visionary.

He posted a two-run combined time of 2:25.00, holding off Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt, who entered the event as the clear favorite. Odermatt finished in 2:25.58 and had to settle for silver. Fellow Swiss skier Loïc Meillard claimed bronze in 2:26.17.

“It’s a moment that’s hard to grasp, even though it’s crystal clear that you are officially the Olympic champion,” Braathen said afterward. “Even though I had such faith and I knew that this was written for me, it is still so incredible to live that dream turned reality. I couldn’t quite grasp it.”

And honestly, neither could anyone watching.

Brazil has competed in every Winter Olympics since 1992, but medals always felt like a distant dream. Before Braathen’s breakthrough, the country’s best result was a ninth-place finish by Isabel Clark in women’s snowboard cross at the 2006 Games.

This was different.

Braathen dominated the field. Only seven skiers finished within two seconds of his pace across both runs. He carried a slim advantage into his second run, and while there were a few nervous, slightly ragged turns down the stretch, he never lost control of the moment. He crossed the line 0.58 seconds ahead of Odermatt and made history.

For Brazil. For South America. For the sport.

This was a breakthrough.

Around the Games: What’s Up Next (EST)

• Biathlon – 5:15 AM

• Freestyle Skiing – 5:46 AM

• Cross-Country Skiing – 6:00 AM

• Alpine Skiing – 7:30 AM

• Snowboard – 8:35 AM

• Speed Skating – 11:03 AM

• Skeleton – 12:00 PM

• Ski Jumping – 1:57 PM

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 7? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.

I know I’m missing a section and missed the last couple of days. Super sorry about that. Hopefully, we can get a little consistency the rest of the way!

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

Freestyle Skiing – Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Final

Birk Ruud gave Norway another gold with a clean, confident slopestyle performance. Alex Hall put together a strong set of runs for silver, while Luca Harrington earned bronze for New Zealand.

Short Track Speed Skating – Mixed Team Relay

Italy grabbed gold in the mixed relay, holding off Canada, who took silver. Belgium rounded out the podium with bronze.

Cross-Country Skiing – Women’s Event

This one belonged entirely to Sweden. Linn Svahn led a full podium sweep, with Jonna Sundling in second and Maja Dahlqvist in third. When one country takes all three medals, that says something about depth.

Biathlon – Men’s 20km Individual

Johan-Olav Botn delivered gold for Norway, Eric Perrot took silver for France, and Sturla Holm Laegreid added another Norwegian bronze to the tally.

Cross-Country Skiing – Men’s Sprint Classic Final

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo continues to be automatic in sprint events, taking gold. Ben Ogden earned a big silver for the United States, and Oskar Opstad Vike made it two Norwegians on the podium with bronze.

Alpine Skiing – Women’s Team Combined Slalom

Austria topped the field with gold. Germany followed with silver, and the United States secured bronze.

Curling

Sweden took gold, the United States earned silver, and Italy grabbed bronze. After a rocky stretch earlier in the tournament, Sweden found its rhythm when it mattered most.

Luge

Julia Taubitz powered her way to gold for Germany. Elina Bota took silver for Latvia, and Ashley Farquharson picked up bronze.

Ski Jumping – Mixed Team

Slovenia claimed gold in the mixed team event. Norway added silver, and Japan finished with bronze.

Day 8 Outlook (All Times EST)

• Alpine Skiing – 5:30 AM

• Nordic Combined – 7:45 AM

• Biathlon – 8:15 AM

• Freestyle Skiing – 8:15 AM

• Speed Skating – 12:30 PM

• Luge – 12:53 PM

• Figure Skating – 1:30 PM

• Luge – 1:44 PM

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 7? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

It certainly wasn’t a breeze for this Swedish team. They lost against Estonia and Norway. In fact, they barely even made the playoffs. Somehow, though, they won when they needed to, and now they’re moving on to play the United States in the final.

Team USA also didn’t have an easy path. After losses to Great Britain and South Korea, they somehow beat the reigning champs in Italy to reach their first-ever mixed doubles gold medal game.

If you’ve been a subscriber of this newsletter throughout this Winter Olympic coverage, you probably know about curling just based on the amount of time I’ve talked about the sport. But if this is your first time, you’re probably wondering how someone from the U.S. even gets into curling.

While their excellence in curling has brought these two to the Olympics, they are humans just like us. Cory Thiesse is a chemical dependency laboratory technician at North Shore Analytical, a mercury-testing lab. Korey Dropkin is a successful licensed realtor with RE/MAX Results. He’s also a Patriots fan.

I wanted to highlight this just to show the human aspect of the game, which a lot of the time isn’t seen.

Side note: the U.S. has already beaten Sweden in this tournament.

On one hand, everyone’s enjoying the Olympics and all the games. On the other, there’s a horrific injury.

I haven’t talked much about her because I felt like it was already being covered pretty much everywhere, but this is an absolute necessity to talk about now.

Lindsey Vonn, who is in her second season back from retirement, suffered an ACL tear last Tuesday but said she was going to compete in the Olympics anyway. We’re talking about what would be, for most people, a career-ending injury, and she decided to push through it anyway.

If that wasn’t enough, on February 8th, or Day 5 of the tournament, she veered toward the edge of the course, hooked her arm around a gate, got turned sideways in midair, and had no chance to land safely. She landed in a cloud of snow, and Vonn had to be airlifted off the mountain.

“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped,” she wrote.

Let’s keep Vonn in our prayers, everybody.

Around the Games:

UNDEFEATED: The United States and Sweden are both undefeated in women’s ice hockey, sitting at 2–0.

Alpine Skiing (Men’s Team Combined Slalom):
Franjo von Allmen and Thomas Tumler took gold representing Switzerland.
Vincent Kriechmayr and Manuel Feller represented Austria and took silver.
Marco Odermatt and Loïc Meillard also represented Switzerland and took bronze.

Speed Skating (Women’s 1000m):
Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands took gold.
Femke Kok of the Netherlands took silver.
Miho Takagi of Japan took bronze.

Ski Jumping (Men’s NH Individual – Final Round):
Philipp Raimund of Germany took gold.
Kacper Tomasiak of Poland took silver.
Ren Nikaido of Japan took bronze.
Gregor Deschwanden of Switzerland took the second bronze medal.

Outlook:

Day 7 Outlook:

Day 7 Outlook:

Freestyle Skiing: Medal event at 6:30 AM EST / 12:30 PM CET
Short Track Speed Skating: Medal event at 7:03 AM EST / 1:03 PM CET
Cross-Country Skiing: Medal event at 7:24 AM EST / 1:24 PM CET
Biathlon: Medal event at 7:30 AM EST / 1:30 PM CET
Cross-Country Skiing: Medal event at 7:38 AM EST / 1:38 PM CET
Alpine Skiing: Medal event at 8:00 AM EST / 2:00 PM CET

Curling:
Bronze Medal Game: 8:05 AM EST / 2:05 PM CET
Gold Medal Game: 12:05 PM EST / 6:05 PM CET

Luge: Medal event at 12:34 PM EST / 6:34 PM CET
Ski Jumping: Medal event at 2:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM CET

Ice Hockey:
USA vs Canada | Rivalry Game at 2:10 PM EST / 8:10 PM CET

18. Bulgaria 0. 0. 1. 1

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 7? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.

Sorry for not posting the Day 6 recap yesterday. I’ve been a little inconsistent the last couple of days, but I’ll get back into the swing of things.

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

It’s been a long week, but the day has finally arrived. I’d like to be the first to welcome everyone to Super Bowl Sunday. The excitement is palpable, and whether you’re a hardcore fan, someone who loves the commercials, or just here for the halftime show, this is one of those days that feels bigger than football itself.

Here’s the thing. I’ve always said I want to do stuff differently around here. Everyone else is posting about the matchup, stats, halftime show, commercials, and predictions. You can find all of that anywhere. I want to focus on something fun. Stuff like which city has the best food, the best landmarks, maybe even the best athlete the city has produced. This is going to be our version of a Super Bowl. Of course, I will cover the game at the end of this article, but I want to spend some time exploring the cities themselves.

Let’s start with the obvious: food. Seattle’s iconic dish has to be its style of teriyaki. Sweet, savory, sticky, and satisfying, it’s the kind of comfort food that hits every spot. You can walk into a tiny shop on a side street, and a plate of it will blow your mind. It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel like you are somewhere special. New England, on the other hand, is all about clam chowder. Creamy, hearty, and full of flavor, it is perfect any day of the week, but especially on a chilly winter afternoon. I asked a couple of people which they preferred, and while it was close, most gave the edge to Seattle’s teriyaki. It’s bold, unique, and unmistakably Seattle.

When it comes to landmarks, Seattle has the Space Needle. Calling it iconic does not do it justice. You see it in photos, movies, and postcards, and yet it manages to impress in person every single time. It’s simple, memorable, and instantly recognizable. New England has its own charm with Portland Head Light. It is beautiful, perched against the ocean and the rocky coastline, and it photographs like a dream. But for pure wow factor that hits the second you look up at it, Seattle takes the win.

Now for the best athlete. For New England, the answer is easy. Tom Brady. The GOAT. There is no debate here. For Seattle, I’m going with Ken Griffey Jr. Legendary swing, highlight reels that never get old, and a presence on the field that changed the game. But comparing the two, Brady still takes the crown. The greatest quarterback of all time deserves that honor. Griffey is a legend, but greatness on this level is hard to beat.

Most underrated spot: In Seattle, I would say Gas Works Park. It does not get a ton of tourist traffic, and it has an incredible view of the skyline and Lake Union. You can sit there for hours and just take it all in. In New England, Portland, Maine, with its cobblestone streets, small local shops, and coffee spots, is a tiny piece of history you can walk through. It is charming and perfectly preserved. This one goes to New England. There is something about those streets that feels like stepping into another time.

That makes the score two to two. Final category: city personality.

If Seattle were a person, it would be the cool, slightly mysterious friend obsessed with coffee and rain jackets, always knowing where the hidden gems are. New England would be the friend who tells incredible stories, wears a sweater in the summer, and makes everyone feel at home instantly. I love Seattle, but the personality of New England wins me over. That warmth and charm just cannot be beat.

New England wins the city Super Bowl.

If you had a weekend to explore, which city would you pick?

Now let’s get to the matchup itself. This game is an absolute toss-up. Both teams have strong offenses and defenses that are pretty even. I think the difference will come down to special teams and a little firepower from Sam Darnold.

Rasheed Shaheed is going to be the X-factor in this game. If he continues his dominance from the last few playoff games, Seattle is in a very strong position to win. The chance of him replicating that insane first play against the Niners is small, but even without it, his presence will be critical.

Sam Darnold needs to be flawless in this game if Seattle wants to win. Every throw, every decision matters. Any slip-up will be magnified, especially against a team as disciplined as New England.

On the Patriots’ side, Drake Maye has not been at his best in the playoffs. This is a serious test for New England, a team that has struggled against winning teams this season. If Maye falters or misses opportunities, it will be a long day for the Patriots. One mistake could easily swing the game to Seattle’s favor.

Ultimately, I see the Seahawks pulling this one out. Their power, depth, and momentum are just too much. I predict a hard-fought game that ends 38-31 in favor of Seattle. Expect big plays, late-game drama, and a few moments that will be talked about long after the confetti has fallen.

I’m definitely rooting for the Patriots, though. I thank the Seahawks for beating the Niners, but that’s it.

If the Patriots win, they will have the most Super Bowl titles in NFL history. If they lose, they will have the most Super Bowl losses in NFL history.

Whether you are rooting for the food, the city, or the teams, today is going to be a memorable Super Bowl. Enjoy the game, the experience, and maybe try a little teriyaki or clam chowder while you are at it.

But Day 4 was marked by upsets.

Let’s start from the beginning of the day, when Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt was the heavily favored skier in the Alpine Skiing event. When the event started, Marco was favored at 94%. That quickly changed as the event went on. Switzerland still got the gold medal, but it was Marco’s compatriot Franjo von Allmen who won it all for Switzerland.

Next, many, including me, consider Germany’s win against Japan in Women’s Ice Hockey an upset. Japan came in with a higher ranking (8th) and was blown out. Germany scored their first goal just 44 seconds into the game. That’s crazy. By the end of the first period, it was 3–0 Germany.

Then, let’s head to cross-country skiing, where the favorites, Norway, finished with bronze, while their rivals, Sweden, took gold and silver. What about Sweden vs. Italy? Italy, who were one of the favorites in the tournament, lost badly to Sweden. This was a huge upset.

Alright, so what about speed skating? This has always been an event dominated by the Dutch. That didn’t work out for them this time, as Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida set an Olympic record and took the gold medal in the event. Her time of 3 minutes, 54 seconds is now the Olympic record and was just two seconds off the world record.

We now head to curling, where we saw the South Korean team finally get their first win, and it came against the United States, who entered Day 4 undefeated but left with two losses by the end of the day. Estonia, which is having a legacy run right now, beat Canada 8–6. A team that didn’t even have a win in curling until this year’s Winter Olympics has now beaten both Sweden and Canada.

Finally, in ski jumping, the favorite Nika Prevc came up just shy of Anna Odine Strøm of Norway, who shocked everyone and took the gold medal in the event.

Upsets are crazy and fun to watch, no?

Around the Games:

UNDEFEATED: Great Britain remains undefeated in curling with a 7–0 record. The United States and Sweden are undefeated in women’s ice hockey, both sitting at 2–0.

Luge:
Max Langenhan of Germany set a track record and led Run 1 with a time of 52.924, then followed it up by leading Run 2 with a combined time of 1:45.

Figure Skating:
The United States’ Madison Chock and Evan Bates took first place in the ice dance free dance event with a score of 133.23.

Host Nation Watch: Italy:
Host nation Italy had a very good day and took home multiple medals. They earned silver and bronze in Alpine Skiing (Men’s Downhill) and gold in Speed Skating (Women’s 3000m). They also won against Norway and lost to Sweden.

Outlook:

Day 5 Outlook:

Curling:
Estonia vs. South Korea (4:05 AM EST, 10:05 AM CET)
Italy vs. Great Britain (1:05 PM EST, 7:05 PM CET)

Alpine Skiing: Medal Event (5:30 AM EST, 11:30 AM CET)

Cross-Country Skiing: Medal Event (6:30 AM EST, 12:30 PM CET)

Biathlon: Medal Event (8:05 AM EST, 2:05 PM CET)

Snowboarding: Medal Events (8:26 AM EST, 2:26 PM CET and 8:36 AM EST, 2:36 PM CET)

Women’s Ice Hockey:
France vs. Sweden (10:40 AM EST, 4:40 PM CET)

Figure Skating: Medal Event (3:55 PM EST, 9:55 PM CET)

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 5? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.

I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.

IT’S OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL.

(No coverage today. Day 3 coverage will combine with Day 4. Super sorry.)

This was one of those moments that make the Olympics what they are. Estonia picked up its first-ever Olympic curling win, and it was a full-on shocker against Sweden, an established curling nation in the world.

To put this in perspective, Estonia essentially operates with one true curling rink back home. Sweden has generations of infrastructure, coaching, and a deep competitive pipeline. This was a win against the entire imbalance of the sport.

What made it even better was the context. Just a day earlier, Estonia had already turned heads by rallying against Switzerland, forcing an extra end before eventually falling short. Even that performance felt like a fairytale for a program this new to the Olympic stage. This win? That’s something else entirely.

Curling is a game of inches and nerves, and somehow, Estonia had both.

Nobody circled this matchup expecting history. But that’s the beauty of curling, and honestly, the beauty of the Olympics. Sometimes all it takes is one rink, one team, and one night where everything lines up.

Around the Games

UNDEFEATED: Great Britain and the United States are both undefeated in curling so far.

Men’s Snowboard Big Air Qualifying:
Japan’s Ogiwara Hiroto topped qualifying with a score of 178.50. Italy’s Ian Matteoli finished second, followed by Japan’s Kimura Kira. Defending champion Su Yiming placed just outside the top three. Team USA saw 17-year-old Oliver Martin advance, while Australia’s Valentino Guseli grabbed the final qualifying spot in 12th.

Women’s Ice Hockey:
Team USA’s Hilary Knight is now just two goals away from becoming the all-time leading Olympic goal scorer for the U.S. women’s team.

Ski Jumping (Men’s Normal Hill Training):
Norway’s Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal finished first overall, scoring 74.6 points with a jump of 102 meters. Finland’s Vilho Palosaari recorded the longest jump at 103.5 meters but scored fewer points.

UPSET:
Canada stunned host nation Italy in curling, handing the tournament favorites a surprise loss.

Host Nation Watch: Italy:
Italy defeated South Korea in curling, lost to Canada in curling, and picked up a win against France in ice hockey.

Outlook:

Day 2 Review:

Curling:
Norway vs. Canada was a strong matchup, but Estonia vs. Sweden was the game of the day.

Ice Hockey:
No game truly stood out, but Sweden’s comeback win over Germany gets the nod, rallying from a one-goal deficit.

Day 3 Outlook:

It’s Opening Ceremony day at last!

Curling: United States vs Canada (4:05 AM EST, 10:05 AM CET)

Figure Skating: (5:35 AM EST and 7:35 AM EST, 11:35 AM CET and 1:35 PM CET)

Women’s Ice Hockey: France vs Japan. Two top-tier teams when it comes to Women’s Ice Hockey. (6:10 AM EST, 12:10 PM EST)

And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 3? Put them down in the comments below.

As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, or thoughts on the coverage or anything else, feel free to put them in the comments or DM me! I’m always here to answer questions.

I’ll be back with Day 3, with what actually mattered.

You’re leading the entire match, then the other team finds a way to claw back and tie it up. That’s a story we see across all sports, and that’s what we saw in Day 1 with Curling.

Today wasn’t a huge day at the Winter Olympics. There were three sports in action, but only one official competition. The day began with men’s downhill official training in alpine skiing at 5:30 a.m. EST. Team USA’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle posted the fastest time, finishing in 1 minute and 56.08 seconds.

A couple of hours later, mixed doubles curling got underway, with eight teams in action: Sweden vs. South Korea, Great Britain vs. Norway, Canada vs. Czechia, and Estonia vs. Switzerland. This was the only official event of the day, with men’s and women’s curling set to begin after we find out the winner for this event.

By the third end, South Korea held a 3–2 lead over Sweden. The next three ends completely flipped the game, as Sweden scored eight points in that stretch. South Korea then offered the handshake, ending the match early.

Great Britain vs. Norway was much tighter. The game was tied after five ends, but Great Britain broke through with three points in the sixth. Norway responded with two, but Great Britain sealed the win with a single point in the eighth end.

Canada vs. Czechia was a blowout from the start. Canada scored five points through the first two ends and added five more over the next four, never letting Czechia back into the game.

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Now, your comeback game is here. Switzerland controlled the match from start to finish, leading the entire way, but Estonia needed four points in the final end to force a tie. They got exactly that and pushed the game into an extra end, but that’s where the comeback stopped. Switzerland closed it out, 9–7.

The final event of the day was luge training. Sweden’s Kohala S recorded the fastest time at 54.159 seconds, while Latvia’s Kristers Aparjods and Gints Bērziņš finished second and third.

Medal predictions

Curling (Mixed Doubles)
Italy is the team to watch. Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner are the reigning Olympic champions from 2022 and also won the 2025 World Championships.

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Alpine Skiing
Mikaela Shiffrin is my pick. She’s won 71 slalom races and 108 World Cup races overall, and her consistency still sets the standard.

Luge
Germany should dominate once again. Felix Loch and Julia Taubitz are my gold medal picks.

Curling Standings:

Outlook For Day 2:

The games really do begin on day 2, with Mixed Doubles Curling, Women’s Ice Hockey, and Men’s Snowboarding in action, while Men’s Alpine Skiing, Men’s and Women’s Luge, and Men’s and Women’s Ski Jumping are in the training stages.

In my opinion, the best game in the curling event on day 2 is going to be Norway vs Canada. Norway may have lost on day 1, but they are a very good team. They’re going up against the Canadian team, who some people consider the favorites for the event. This is going to be a true battle. Game: 8:35 AM EST

When it comes to Ice Hockey, mark the United States vs Czechia game. The US Women’s Hockey team is currently ranked #1, and Czechia is ranked #4. This is going to be a heavyweight battle very early into the tournament. Game: 10:40 AM EST

Now, for snowboarding. There’s limited data about the players in it right now, so I have no predictions/outlook for it. However, Yiming Su of China took gold last year, Mons Roisland of Norway took silver, and Max Parrot of Canada took bronze. Games: 1:30 PM EST, 2:15 PM EST, 3:00 PM EST

Once again, this is a little bit of a diversion from the coverage that we are actually going to do over the Olympics. We did it this way because we had 4 official games total today.

What are your predictions for Day 2? Put them down in the comments below. As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, or thoughts on the coverage or anything else, feel free to put them in the comments or DM me!

Thank you for reading Day 1. I’ll see you guys tomorrow!