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🚨 Headlines
⚾️ MLB, ESPN cutting ties: After more than three decades together, MLB and ESPN have “mutually agreed” to end their TV deal after the 2025 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred cited displeasure over the league’s “minimal coverage” on ESPN’s platforms.
⚽️ Rubiales found guilty: Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales was convicted of sexual assault after kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent following Spain’s victory at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
🏀 CP3 passes Kidd: With two steals on Thursday, Chris Paul (2,686) passed Jason Kidd (2,684) for the second-most in NBA history. Only John Stockton (3,265) has more.
⚽️ Round of 16 matchups set: The Champions League Round of 16 draw took place Friday morning, and the knockouts are headlined by a Madrid derby (Real vs. Atlético), an all-German affair (Bayern vs. Leverkusen) and a clash of giants (PSG vs. Liverpool).
⚾️ Boone extended: The Yankees signed Aaron Boone to a two-year contract extension, keeping their manager in pinstripes through at least the 2027 season.
🏒 Canada beats the USA, again
15 years ago at the Olympics, the world’s best hockey player delivered a game-winning goal in overtime to lead Canada past the U.S. in a thrilling championship match. On Thursday night in Boston, history repeated itself.
Canada 3, USA 2: Canada won the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off after Connor McDavid scored an overtime goal reminiscent of Sidney Crosby’s at the 2010 Winter Olympics, ending an intense game between bitter rivals and putting a stamp on a wildly successful midseason tournament.
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McDavid (3 goals, 2 assists) was named tournament MVP, but he wouldn’t have even had a chance to light the lamp on Thursday if not for Jordan Binnington’s spectacular play in goal.
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The Blues’ netminder had 20 straight saves to end the night, including one at point-blank range in OT, continuing a trend of clutch play in winner-take-all games.
The big picture: For as good as both games between Canada and the U.S. were this week, the rivalry is getting increasingly lopsided: This was their fifth best-on-best championship meeting, and for the fourth time the Canadians came out on top.
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🇨🇦 1991 Canada Cup: Canada sweeps best-of-three series
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🇺🇸 1996 World Cup: USA wins best-of-three series
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🇨🇦 2002 Olympics: Canada wins gold medal game, 5-2
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🇨🇦 2010 Olympics: Canada wins gold medal game, 3-2 (OT)
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🇨🇦 2025 4 Nations: Canada wins championship, 3-2 (OT)
What they’re saying: After the game, in the midst of geopolitical tensions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a message loud and clear to his southern neighbors: “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
Looking ahead: If you enjoyed watching the NHL’s best put on their nations’ flags and play with immense pride, I’ve got some good news for you: They’ll play in the Olympics (beginning next year) and the World Cup of Hockey (2028) every two years for the foreseeable future.
🏀 Wemby’s season is over
The Spurs dropped a bombshell on Thursday, announcing that Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season due to deep vein thrombosis — a blood clot — in his right shoulder.
The bad news: Blood clots, which have affected plenty of other athletes, can be scary. Just ask Chris Bosh, whose career was cut short 10 years ago by the same condition (albeit in his lungs).
The good news: San Antonio considers this an isolated issue and expects Wemby to make a full recovery by the beginning of next season.
From Yahoo Sports’ Dan Devine:
With barely 100 NBA games under his belt, Wembanyama has already firmly stamped himself as one of the most breathtaking and productive game-changers to enter the league in ages.
He ends his sophomore season averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, a league-leading 3.8 blocks, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Only five other players in NBA history had ever averaged 20-10-3-3-1 for a full season. Wembanyama has now done it in each of his first two seasons, and did it while shooting just under league-average from 3-point range on nearly nine attempts per game.
This is a top-10 player, still years away from entering his prime. San Antonio hopes to be in the Wembanyama business for decades, and you can’t be too careful when you’re just barely at the outset of something like that; when you’re caring for a forever talent, there’s no reason to rush things.
Keep reading.
🇺🇸 Photos across America
Houston — The USWNT cruised to a 2-0 victory over Colombia in their SheBelieves Cup opener behind goals from Cat Macario and Ally Sentnor, the latter scoring in her first start with the senior national team. What a strike!
Glendale, Arizona — Thursday’s spring training opener between the Cubs and Dodgers saw the first use of robo umps in an MLB game, with a successful challenge in the first inning (ball changed to strike) and an unsuccessful one in the eighth.
Portland — Head coach J.J. Redick after LeBron James scored 40 points to lead the shorthanded Lakers to a 110-102 win over the Trail Blazers:
“He’s a billionaire and he’s playing on the second night of a back-to-back at 40 after 22 years with every freaking record and accolade. And the kids will say I’m glazing him. He’s one of the greatest competitors.”
🏀 The Boston three party
The Celtics took 54 threes in Thursday’s 124-104 win over the 76ers — well over half their total field goals — which is par for the course this season.
Record-breaking pace: Boston is averaging 48.4 attempts per game from beyond the arc, which is five more than any other team and on pace to shatter the previous single-season record (45.4 by the 2018-19 Rockets).
Big picture: The Celtics are the poster team for the 3-point explosion that has reached new heights this season. Teams are taking a record 37.5 threes per game, which is 7% more than the previous record (35.2 in 2022) and 67% more than teams took just 10 years ago (22.4).
📺 Watchlist: MLS kickoff
The 30th MLS season begins this weekend (Sat-Sun, Apple) with all 30 teams — including San Diego FC, the newest expansion club — taking the field.
Season preview: 7 teams (and players) to care about, who and what’s new, predictions and more (Henry Bushnell, Yahoo Sports)
More to watch:
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🏀 NBA: Knicks at Cavaliers (Fri. 7pm, ESPN); Lakers at Nuggets (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Knicks at Celtics (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Mavericks at Warriors (Sun. 3:30pm, ABC); Thunder at Timberwolves (Sun. 9:30pm, ESPN)
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🏒 NHL: Wild at Red Wings (Sat. 12:30pm, ABC); Capitals at Penguins (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Oilers at Capitals (Sun. 1pm, TNT); Rangers at Penguins (Sun. 3:30pm, TNT) … First games back from the break.
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🏀 NCAAM: No. 14 Michigan State at No. 12 Michigan (Fri. 8pm, Fox); No. 6 Tennessee at No. 7 Texas A&M (Sat. 12pm, ESPN); No. 8 Iowa State at No. 5 Houston (Sat. 2pm, ESPN); No. 17 Kentucky at No. 4 Alabama (Sat. 6pm, ESPN)
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🏀 NCAAW: No. 1 Notre Dame at No. 13 NC State (Sun. 12pm, ESPN); No. 25 Illinois at No. 4 USC (Sun. 4pm, FS1); No. 7 LSU at No. 14 Kentucky (Sun. 4pm, ESPN)
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⚽️ Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (Sat. 12:30pm, NBC); Man City vs. Liverpool (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock) … Matchday 26 of 38.
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🥊 Boxing: Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol (Sat. 6pm, DAZN PPV) … The undisputed light heavyweight title fight headlines boxing’s “Card of the Century.”
Plus… Spring training (Fri-Sun, MLB); Six Nations (Sat-Sun, Peacock); Unrivaled (Fri-Sat, TNT/truTV); PWHL (Sat-Sun, YouTube)
⚽️ MLS trivia
Three MLS clubs have won at least three championships. Can you name them?
Hint: Two East, one West.
Answer at the bottom.
✍️ Good reads
🥊 Elliot Worsell: How does it feel to knock someone out?
Every boxer wants to land that perfect punch, but not everyone can. So what is it about history’s greatest hitters that make them so dangerous?
🏈 Jay Busbee: The great NFL redraft of 2025
Imagine the NFL decided to go full fantasy football and empty its rosters after the season. Who goes first? Who goes undrafted?
🏀 Dan Devine: The NBA’s top second-half storylines
With All-Star Weekend behind us, the NBA-watching world’s attention now turns to the league’s annual sprint to the finish line.
Trivia answer: LA Galaxy (6 championships), D.C. United (4), Columbus Crew (3)
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