With history already made, Jessie Diggins opens her final Olympic chapter with momentum
Jessie Diggins is preparing to celebrate her final Olympic Games at Milan Cortina, closing a career that reshaped American cross-country skiing. The Minnesota native is a three-time overall World Cup champion and the most decorated U.S. Olympic cross-country skier, with gold, silver and bronze medals across three Winter Games. Now leading the World Cup standings ahead of her 35th birthday, Diggins enters her last Olympics backed by family, teammates and a new generation she has inspired. Known for relentless endurance, fearless racing and glittered flair, she leaves a legacy that extends beyond medals to advocacy, resilience and joy in sport.
Bill Belichick snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility, report says
ESPN has reported that six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick didn’t get voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Citing four unidentified sources, ESPN said Belichick didn’t receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers. ESPN said Belichick received a call from the Hall of Fame last Friday with the news. The Hall of Fame class of 2026 will be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5.
No. 5 Nebraska’s run of 24 wins in a row is over after narrow loss to No. 3 Michigan
Major college basketball’s longest winning streak ended at 24 games with No. 5 Nebraska’s 75-72 loss at No. 3 Michigan on Tuesday night. Nebraska did not score over the last 3:20, missing its last five shots after leading most of the game despite two key players being out of the lineup. Rienk Mast missed the game with an illness as did double-digit scorer Braden Frager, who was out for a second straight game with an ankle injury.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Darian Mensah has enrolled at Miami, boosting the Hurricanes with another standout transfer quarterback. Mensah transferred from Duke after resolving a legal battle over his eligibility to sign elsewhere. On Tuesday, Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate toured Miami’s campus. Mensah is joining his third team in three years, having led Duke to a conference title last season. Miami hopes he continues its success with transfer quarterbacks. The Hurricanes return key offensive players, including star wide receiver Malachi Toney. Miami opens the 2026 season at Stanford on September 4.
Bills promote offensive coordinator Joe Brady to take over as head coach
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills stayed in-house by promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their new head coach. The move provides continuity to a Josh Allen-led perennial winner that has accomplished everything short of reaching a Super Bowl. The team announced the five-year deal. The 36-year-old Brady just completed his fourth season in Buffalo and his second full season as coordinator. Brady’s promotion comes a little more than a week after Sean McDermott was fired following a nine-year tenure.
‘I was lucky’ says Djokovic after setting up Australian Open semifinal against Sinner
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic is back in the Australian Open semifinals after Lorenzo Musetti retired with an injury in the third set of their quarterfinal. The 10-time Australian Open winner next faces two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner. The No. 2-ranked Sinner fended off No. 8 Ben Shelton in straight sets. The fifth-seeded Musetti won the first two sets of the earlier quarterfinal but took a medical timeout for treatment on his upper right leg after being broken in the third game of the third. He played on for another game but couldn’t continue. Djokovic will now continue his bid for an 11th Australian title and a record 25th major but says he was “lucky this time.”
DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings has tied Dallas’ Mike Modano as the highest-scoring U.S.-born players in NHL history. Kane matched Mike Modano by recording his 1,374th point on an assist on a goal by Alex DeBrincat late in Detroit’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. He got there a couple of months after turning 37, while Modano was 40 when he scored a goal to register point No. 1,374.
Are tennis players being treated like zoo animals? Iga Swiatek thinks so
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Iga Swiatek is echoing Coco Gauff’s concerns about the constant camera gaze at tennis tournaments. Gauff highlighted the lack of privacy after her racket-smashing frustration at the Australian Open went viral. She believes a conversation is needed about the lack of private spaces for players off the court. After her quarterfinal loss to Elena Rybakina, Swiatek has expressed similar feelings. She questioned whether players are being treated like “animals in the zoo.” Swiatek says she understands the need to keep the public entertained but feels some moments should remain private.
Caitlin Clark is joining NBC’s pregame coverage for “Sunday Night Basketball.” NBC announced Tuesday that the Indiana Fever star will be part of its team when the Los Angeles Lakers play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. She’ll return on March 29 for another pregame role. NBC calls Clark “a special contributor” alongside host Maria Taylor and analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. A two-time WNBA All-Star, Clark has a marketing relationship with Xfinity. She says she’s excited to join the crew and share her insights on the game she loves.
Tampa Bay Rays’ new stadium proposal: What we know so far
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays are exploring options for a new stadium as they face challenges with their current location at Tropicana Field. The team has signed a nonbinding agreement with Tampa’s Hillsborough College to build a multiuse facility. The proposed site is near Raymond James Stadium and George M. Steinbrenner Field. Talks with Tampa officials continue, but details about the new stadium remain sparse. The Rays’ current stadium suffered damage from Hurricane Milton in 2024, forcing them to play at Steinbrenner Field. The team’s new ownership is led by Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove and Ken Babby.…Read more by AP