Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn says she is ‘getting pretty tired’ of hearing the criticism about her comeback to competitive skiing.

After retiring in 2019 due to several injuries, Vonn announced in November that she would be returning to competing because she had been feeling good following her knee replacement surgery. She made her return at the FIS Fall Festival at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado earlier this month and is preparing to step back into the World Cup circuit.

While Vonn has said she feels great coming back to the sport, there are some people questioning why she is doing it.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Michaela Dorfmeister suggested on Austrian TV that ‘Vonn should see a psychologist’ and asked, ‘Does she want to kill herself?’

Four-time overall World Cup champion Pirmin Zurbriggen also said there is a risk Vonn could ‘tear her artificial knee to pieces’ and he has a feeling she ‘hasn’t recognized the meaning and purpose of her other life in recent years.’

Vonn fired back at the critics on social media.

‘You know, I’m getting pretty tired of people predicting negative things about my future,’ she wrote on Wednesday. ‘Is there a reason all former Swiss skiers think this way? Did they all become doctors and I missed it, because they talk like they know more than the best doctors in the world.’

Ahead of this weekend’s event, Vonn also discussed what led to her feeling like she could get back to competing.

‘I’ve been thinking about getting a replacement for several years. I did a lot of research. I know people think that I’m insane. But I am actually kind of smart. I have done a few operations, so I know a few doctors. I talked to a lot of them,” Vonn said according to the Associated Press. “I talked to (extreme skier) Chris Davenport, who also had a partial knee replacement and he skis like 150 days a year. … So that gave me a lot of confidence.”

Vonn, 40, is seeking to become the oldest female skier to win a World Cup race. She has won 82 World Cup races throughout her illustrious career, which stood as the most for a female skier until her record was broken in January 2023 by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin.

With three weeks remaining in the regular season, half of the league’s fan bases are looking ahead to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the other half are elbow deep in mock drafts and Tankathon to see the draft order following each game’s conclusion.

Seven teams have secured playoff spots: The Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) and Buffalo Bills (10-3) have clinched the AFC West and AFC East divisions, respectively. The Houston Texans (9-5) have won the AFC South and the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) have guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.

In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings (12-2) joined the Detroit Lions (12-1) and Philadelphia Eagles (11-2) after Week 15. With seven spots claimed, seven playoff spots remain to be filled over the season’s final three weeks.

The Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) will host the Denver Broncos (9-5) to kick off ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 16. The outcome will provide more clarity for the playoff picture as we near the postseason on the gridiron.

Either your team is fighting to make it or battling to stay healthy enough for when they get there. The NFL season often comes down to a battle of attrition, and some teams, such as the San Francisco 49ers, are losing that fight in 2024. Like the standings, the playoff odds are taking shape. Here’s how the sportsbooks see each team’s chances of playing in the 2024 playoffs.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

NFL playoff picture by odds

All odds courtesy of BetMGM and DraftKings, Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Arizona Cardinals to make playoffs: Yes +550 (implied chance 15.4%), No -800 (implied chance 88.9%)
Atlanta Falcons: Yes +240 (29.4%), No -300 (75%)
Baltimore Ravens: Yes -10000 (99%)
Cincinnati Bengals: Yes +700 (12.5%), No -1100 (91.7%)
Dallas Cowboys: Yes +15000 (0.7%), No -10000 (99%)
Denver Broncos: Yes -1200 (92.3%), No +750 (11.8%)
Green Bay Packers: Yes -10000 (99%)
Indianapolis Colts: Yes +700 (12.5%), No -1100 (91.7%)
Los Angeles Chargers: Yes -1100 (61.5%), No +700 (12.5%)
Los Angeles Rams: Yes -160 (61.5%), No +135 (42.6%)
Miami Dolphins: Yes +1100 (8.3%), No -2500 (96.2%)
New Orleans Saints: Yes +25000 (0.4%)
San Francisco 49ers: Yes +15000 (0.7%)
Seattle Seahawks: Yes -120 (54.5%), No +100 (50%)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Yes -1200 (92.3%), No +750 (11.8%)
Washington Commanders: Yes -650 (86.7%), No +450 (18.2%)

AFC teams clinched playoff berth in 2024

Buffalo Bills: Clinched AFC East title
Houston Texans: Clinched AFC South title
Kansas City Chiefs: Clinched AFC West title
Pittsburgh Steelers: Clinched playoff berth

NFC teams clinched playoff berth in 2024

Detroit Lions: Clinched playoff berth
Minnesota Vikings: Clinched playoff berth
Philadelphia Eagles: Clinched playoff berth

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2024

New York Giants
Las Vegas Raiders
New England Patriots
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns
New York Jets
Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers

Noteworthy NFL playoff odds

While seven teams have clinched playoff spots, nine teams have been eliminated.

Of the seven playoff spots in each conference, four in the NFC and three AFC are waiting to be claimed. The NFC has 10 teams still in contention for those five spots and the AFC has six.

If you’re looking at the list of teams and wondering which ones are in the best spots to secure a playoff spot, look no further than the Falcons (7-7) in the NFC. Atlanta spent the first half of the season as the favorite to win the NFC South, but it has plenty of work to get back into the playoff picture.

The Falcons have an opportunity to capitalize on an easier schedule down the stretch that could vault them into the final NFC wild-card spot. Atlanta is given (+240) odds or an implied 40% chance to make the playoffs. It just knocked off the Raiders and its final three games are against the Giants, Commanders and Panthers. Washington (9-5) holds the seventh spot in the NFC playoff picture, potentially setting up the Week 17 clash as a clinching scenario. Kirk Cousins has been benched, so the Falcons will turn to rookie Michael Penix Jr. There’s a chance he can ignite the struggling offense down the stretch.

The AFC is more compact, with six teams alive for the final three spots. The Bengals (6-8) are a team to watch, and they check in at +700 to make the playoffs or an implied 12.5% chance. The Bengals need to win out as they are the last team alive in the AFC playoff hunt. The Bengals are one of the NFL’s most interesting teams in 2024. Their top-flight offense is firing on all cylinders behind an MVP-caliber season from Joe Burrow, but their defense has been an atrocity. The Bengals have scored the fifth-most points per game (28.5) but have allowed the second-most (27.6). They’ve won two in a row against the Cowboys and Titans. Their final three opponents are the Browns, Broncos and Steelers. The final AFC playoff spot will likely come down to Week 18 and the Steelers could rest their starters.

The Broncos hold the No. 6 seed in the AFC spot but face potential problems in the season’s final three weeks with the Chargers, Bengals and Chiefs looming.

Back to the NFC, Tampa Bay is getting healthy with Mike Evans back and is pushing for a fourth consecutive NFC South title. The Buccaneers are in a good position to win the division with their final three games against the Cowboys, Panthers and Saints.

Meanwhile, the NFC West is the most tightly packed division in the league. All four teams are alive and within two games of each other. The surging Rams hold the current tiebreaker over the Seahawks, and Seattle has matchups with the Packers and Vikings on deck before a Week 18 clash with Los Angeles that could decide the division crown.

It pays to be an NBA owner these days.

The average NBA team is now worth nearly double what it was just four years ago, according to a new study released Thursday determining the value of each franchise, as the league’s new collective bargaining agreement and media rights contracts begin to take effect.

The Golden State Warriors remain the most valuable NBA team this year at $9.14 billion, the sports business website Sportico announced in its annual valuation. The New York Knicks ($8.3 billion) and Los Angeles Lakers ($8.07 billion) rounded out the top three, with the Lakers valued at $2.3 billion more than the fourth-place Brooklyn Nets ($5.7 billion). Sportico states that only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys are worth more than the Warriors among American professional teams.

The Memphis Grizzlies were the least valuable NBA franchise at $3.06 billion, but Sportico notes that is 127% more than what the cheapest NBA team was worth four years ago. Every team in the league saw its value rise by at least 9% in 2024, with the Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks enjoying the biggest increases. The average value of an NBA team rose by 15% since last year.

Here’s a breakdown of every NBA team’s current valuation, according to Sportico:

How much is every NBA team worth in 2024?

Golden State Warriors ($9.14 billion)
New York Knicks ($8.3 billion)
Los Angeles Lakers ($8.07 billion)
Brooklyn Nets ($5.7 billion)
Los Angeles Clippers ($5.68 billion)
Boston Celtics ($5.66 billion)
Chicago Bulls ($5.56 billion)
Miami Heat ($5 billion)
Houston Rockets ($4.77 billion)
Toronto Raptors ($4.66 billion)
Philadelphia 76ers ($4.57 billion)
Dallas Mavericks ($4.46 billion)
Phoenix Suns ($4.32 billion)
Sacramento Kings ($4.11 billion)
Atlanta Hawks ($4.07 billion)
Denver Nuggets ($4.06 billion)
Washington Wizards ($3.98 billion)
Cleveland Cavaliers ($3.95 billion)
Milwaukee Bucks ($3.91 billion)
San Antonio Spurs ($3.79 billion)
Indiana Pacers ($3.74 billion)
Utah Jazz ($3.67 billion)
Portland Trail Blazers ($3.6 billion)
Oklahoma City Thunder ($3.55 billion)
Orlando Magic ($3.46 billion)
Detroit Pistons ($3.45 billion)
Charlotte Hornets ($3.39 billion)
Minnesota Timberwolves ($3.29 billion)
New Orleans Pelicans ($3.09 billion)
Memphis Grizzlies ($3.06 billion)

With WWE’s debut on Netflix rapidly approaching, the first show of Monday Night Raw on the streaming service is starting to take shape into a massive night for the wrestling company.

The first Monday Night Raw on Netflix will be on Jan. 6 at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and WWE has let it be known it’s going to be a tone setter. WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque said earlier this month the show is being ‘looked at like a WrestleMania.’

So far, it’s looking like it.

In recent weeks, WWE has given snippets on what will kick off the ‘Netflix era,’ as well as what stars will be on the show. On Wednesday, WWE held a ‘Raw on Netflix kickoff’ show at its headquarters in Connecticut, where more matches were announced for the inaugural show. With the telecast less than three weeks away, here’s what to know for the Monday Night Raw on Netflix.

Monday Night Raw on Netflix match card

Matches not in order; not all matches announced

Women’s World Championship match: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Tribal combat for the ula fala and title of Tribal Chief: Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa
CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins

Who else will be at Monday Night Raw on Netflix?

So far, WWE has also promoted Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Bianca Belair as part of the show. John Cena, who will start his farewell tour in 2025, has also been advertised. Rapper Travis Scott will perform the new Monday Night Raw theme song at the show. The commentary team for the show will be Michael Cole and Pat McAfee.

The latest reveal for the show was Logan Paul making his return to WWE as part of the Raw roster. The former United States Champion hasn’t appeared since losing the title at SummerSlam in August, but Paul said on social media he will be at the Jan. 6 show.

When is Monday Night Raw on Netflix debut?

The debut show will be on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

How to watch Monday Night Raw on Netflix debut

All you need is a Netflix account. There is no additional cost to watch the show.

What to expect for Monday Night Raw on Netflix

Expect much of what you see today to continue with the move to Netflix.

‘We’re not changing the rating of our programming,’ WWE president Nick Khan said earlier this month. ‘That’s definitely not happening. It’s family friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It’s going to stay that way.’

Khan did say there will be a more ‘global flair’ to programming since it will be available anywhere in the world that has Netflix. There will be commercial breaks in the show, and Khan last said WWE and Netflix are still trying to determine how much − and how long − they will be.

When and where will Lionel Messi play soccer matches in 2025? Nearly 50 games are on Messi’s schedule, and it could reach more than 60 games if Inter Miami advances in multiple tournaments during a busy year.

MLS released its 2025 schedule Thursday, with Messi and the defending Supporters’ Shield champions Inter Miami playing in the season opener against New York City FC at home Feb. 22.

Inter Miami will meet Atlanta United – the club that bounced them in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs last season – March 16 in Atlanta. They’ll face each other again when Inter Miami hosts June 28.

Inter Miami will play the 2023 MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew April 19 at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.

Inter Miami will then face a tough stretch in May, playing seven games in 28 days with trips to Minnesota on May 10 and San Jose on May 14. After that, Inter Miami won’t travel west of Nashville for the rest of the MLS season.

The 2024 MLS Cup champion L.A. Galaxy will visit Inter Miami Aug. 16.

Inter Miami will be in action well before the 30th MLS season begins. The first game of the new year will be in Las Vegas against Mexican champions Club America January 18. Inter Miami will also meet in-state rival Orlando City in Tampa Feb. 14, four days before visiting Sporting Kansas City Feb. 18 for the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament. The second game of the Miami-SKC series will be at Inter Miami Feb. 25, three days after the MLS season opener.

Messi and Inter Miami are also set to play in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. They will play Egyptian club Al Alhy on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami; Portugal’s FC Porto June 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; and return to Miami to face Brazil’s SE Palmeiras June 23.

It is also likely Messi will join the Argentine national team for at least six 2026 World Cup qualifying matches this year: two in March, two in June and two in September during the FIFA international window breaks.

Inter Miami will also participate in the Leagues Cup tournament, which will be July 29 to August 31. The draw for the tournament has yet to be announced. Messi and Inter Miami won Leagues Cup in 2023.

Messi, Inter Miami preseason schedule

Jan. 18: Inter Miami vs. Club América, 10:30 p.m. (Las Vegas)
Feb. 14: Inter Miami vs. Orlando City, 7:30 p.m. (Tampa)
Another preseason game could be announced before the season.

Messi, Inter Miami 2025 MLS schedule

Feb. 22: Inter Miami vs. New York City FC, 2:30 p.m.
March 2: Houston vs. Inter Miami, 7 p.m.
March 9: Inter Miami vs. Charlotte, 5 p.m.
March 16: Atlanta vs. Inter Miami, 7 p.m.
March 29: Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
April 6: Inter Miami vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.
April 13: Chicago vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m.
April 19: Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m. (in Cleveland)
April 26: Inter Miami vs. FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
May 3: Inter Miami vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
May 10: Minnesota vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m.
May 14: San Jose vs. Inter Miami, 10:30 p.m.
May 18: Inter Miami vs. Orlando City, 7 p.m.
May 24: Philadelphia vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
May 28: Inter Miami vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
May 31: Inter Miami vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m. (seven games in 28 days)
June 28: Inter Miami vs. Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
July 5: Montreal vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
July 9: New England vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
July 12: Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
July 16: Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
July 19: New York Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
July 26: Inter Miami vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m.
Aug. 10: Orlando City vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m.
Aug. 16: Inter Miami vs. L.A. Galaxy, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 23: D.C. United vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30: Inter Miami vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13: Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 16: Inter Miami vs. Seattle Sounders, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20: Inter Miami vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 24: New York City FC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. (Citi Field)
Sept. 27: Toronto vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m.
Oct. 4: Inter Miami vs. New England, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18: Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami, 6 p.m.

Messi, Inter Miami in Concacaf Champions Cup schedule

Feb. 18: Sporting Kansas City vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. (first leg)
Feb. 25: Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8 p.m. (second leg)
March 4-6: Round of 16 (first leg)
March 11-13: Round of 16 (second leg)
April 1-3: Quarterfinals (first leg)
April 8-10: Quarterfinals (second leg)
April 22-24: Semifinals (first leg)
April 29-May 1: Semifinals (second leg)
June 1: Final

Messi, Inter Miami Club World Cup schedule

June 14: Inter Miami vs. Al Alhy (Egypt), Miami
June 19: Inter Miami vs. FC Porto (Portugal), Atlanta
June 23: Inter Miami vs. SE Palmeiras (Brazil), Miami
June 28-July 1: Round of 16
July 4-5: Quarterfinals
July 8-9: Semifinals
July 13: Final

Messi, Argentina World Cup qualifying 2025 schedule

March 20: Uruguay vs. Argentina
March 25: Argentina vs. Brazil
June 4: Chile vs. Argentina
June 9: Argentina vs. Colombia
Sept. 9: Argentina vs. Venezuela
Sept. 14: Ecuador vs. Argentina

Christmas NFL games are back for a fifth consecutive year in 2024. It’s also the fourth consecutive season with multiple games on the holiday and the second in a row to feature both the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

The Ravens and Chiefs are on the road on Dec. 25 to take on AFC opponents. Kansas City will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening game, while Baltimore heads to Texas later in the afternoon to face the Houston Texans in a rematch of the 2023 divisional round matchup.

Here’s what to know about the two Christmas NFL games kicking off on Wednesday:

Christmas NFL games 2024

Both of this year’s Christmas NFL games are potential previews for AFC playoff matchups.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Venue: Acrisure Stadium
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Streaming: Netflix
Channel: Local CBS affiliate (Pittsburgh, Kansas City markets ONLY)

Since Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, all four of the competing teams will play on Saturday in Week 16 in order to get an extra day of rest.

The Chiefs will be coming off a game against the Texans that could push them one step closer to clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed if they win. For the Steelers, a Saturday win over the Ravens would give them the head-to-head sweep they need to clinch the AFC North title.

When Kansas City and Pittsburgh face off on Christmas, it’s possible the only thing at stake will be the Steelers’ seeding. However, it’s also possible that – with a Week 16 loss – Pittsburgh will need a victory Wednesday to avoid losing ground in the division race if the Ravens win later in the day.

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens

Location: Houston, Texas
Venue: NRG Stadium
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Streaming: Netflix
Channel: Local CBS affiliate (Houston, Baltimore markets ONLY)

This game has more potential seeding implications.

The Texans have already clinched the AFC South title but could be pushing for a better playoff position on Christmas, pending some other results around the league in Week 16 and the outcome of the Chiefs-Steelers game.

If the Ravens lose in Week 16, their Dec. 25 matchup might be the final thing they need to secure a postseason spot. But if they beat the Steelers on Saturday, both Christmas clashes will have big implications for the AFC North title race with just one week left to play.