HURRICANE MILLS, T.N . – Two medics rolled Ashlee Sokalski onto a backboard and fitted the 19-year-old with a neck brace in the middle of the dirt motocross track.

Other teen racers whizzed past on their off-road motorcycles, no halt to the race, no safety flaggers in sight.

Sokalski had sharpened her race skills for years and finally broke through a Mideast regional qualifier to be here at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch among the dust and roar of the sport that ran in her family’s blood.

But just minutes into the race, Sokalski flew off her Yamaha YZ250 motorcycle and another rider ran her over.

Her neck, skull, shoulder, leg and wrist were broken. Her right lung was crushed. She was barely breathing and had a faint pulse.

The record of the 2010 national motocross championship listed Sokalski’s official result as DNF: Did not finish.

The injuries would kill her.

A USA TODAY investigation found that at least 158 children and teens have died on dirt bikes and at motocross tracks since 2000, more than six per year. That makes it the deadliest sport for young people – roughly seven times greater than tackle football.

Nineteen of the fatalities involved riders 10 years old or younger.

The sport is inherently dangerous, but fatal incidents follow a pattern where safeguards are ignored. The investigation showed riders of significantly different ages and sizes compete on the same courses, many of which include obstacles such as fences, trees, and vehicles too close to the tracks.

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Sokalski arrived at Nashville’s Vanderbilt Trauma Center three hours after her crash. She never regained consciousness and died five days later with her family at her side.

A devoted cohort of America’s young dirt bike racers nationwide are pulled to the sport that culminates each July at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. The week-long competition is filled with deafening engines, colorful race uniforms and the odor of race fuel exhaust in the air.

Those annual championship races are sanctioned and produced by the biggest names in amateur motocross racing, the American Motorcyclist Association and MX Sports. Track owners and race promoters nationwide often don’t enforce their own safety rules, the newspaper found.

Only a handful of states mandate safety requirements for motocross tracks, and most do not set age minimums. Some parents sign off on children as young as 4 driving motorbikes competitively.

A spokesperson for the AMA said it has longstanding safety protocols for its sanctioned events and can’t control unaffiliated tracks. Skirting standards results in expulsion from the AMA and participation in their preferred insurance program, the statement said.

Of the 158 deaths, nearly two-thirds occurred at a track. The others occurred at other off-road venues like dunes, trails and backyards. The review excluded on-road incidents.

Of the on-track wrecks, USA TODAY identified 65 deaths at tracks that host AMA-sanctioned events. It’s unclear in some cases if those deaths occurred during practice sessions or races.

Sanctioning and AMA-insurance requires track owners to attest they will adhere to safety requirements and watch two risk management YouTube videos.

The organization declined to release its own data on injuries and deaths but said “multiple tracks” had been stripped of their sanctioning in recent years.

“The overwhelming majority of youth fatalities do not occur at AMA-sanctioned events or AMA-insured tracks,” the AMA wrote in a statement. “The environment, supervision, and safety standards at non-sanctioned facilities vary widely and often do not reflect AMA requirements.”

USA TODAY was unable to confirm a tally of deaths at AMA-sanctioned events and insured facilities.

Similarly, race promoter MX Sports said it has no influence over the races it doesn’t produce.

MX Sports said its records showed two young riders had died at its own events since 2000. However, to qualify for those events, racers must compete at non-MX Sports competitions. USA TODAY’s analysis found 23 deaths at races that serve as qualifiers toward MX Sports’ flagship event.

National standards could prevent youth deaths. Tracks could have onsite medical staff, trained flaggers, split track times for different ages, insurance requirements and safety barricades.

On the floor of the Massachusetts Legislature last summer, MX Sports Event Director Tim Cotter testified in favor of more regulation and safety measures.

“They all sound difficult, but they are not and could be easily done,” Cotter said. “Every track in America should have those minimum standards.”

But they don’t, and the death rate that’s sevenfold football’s rate is making it the most dangerous youth sport, according to the review. In 2025, approximately 17,000 kids from ages 4 to 19 competed in an AMA-sanctioned motocross event, according to the organization.

The higher death rate associated with motocross aligns with research on race competition injuries that show it causes 20 injuries per 1,000 young riders. That’s compared to 4 per 1,000 in all high school sports and 12 per 1,000 in football.

Motocross deaths often go unexamined and uncounted when they occur on private property and without foul play. Highway motorcycle wrecks flow into a federal database, but deaths on off-road dirt bikes don’t.

Reporters scoured news accounts and online discussion boards and obtained ambulance, police and coroners’ reports to verify the number of deaths.

David Pingree, a former professional racer who covers the sport as a journalist, has become a critic of safety lapses that go unexamined.

“It’s not acceptable to go, ah, so sad. All right, on to the next race,” Pingree, now a firefighter paramedic, told USA TODAY. “This isn’t about finger pointing … when you have somebody die in an event you have to stop. Let’s analyze this. What happened here?”

Young and mixed riders

Dirt bike riding appeals to families since it has bikes for all rider sizes. You might see a 5-year-old on a miniature 50 cc bike that weighs 100 pounds riding on the same track as adults 50 years older on bikes that are 150 pounds heavier.

At races, competitors are strictly grouped by age and skill level. But on some tracks, everyone practices at the same time no matter what they’re riding. That means a child can operate a three-foot tall dirt bike that tops out at 25 mph alongside an adult on a race-machine tuned to hit 80 mph.

Because that disparity, known as “mixed riding,” can result in death or serious injury when crashes occur, the rules at most tracks ban it. The AMA, MX Sports and other major promoters agree that mixed track times should be avoided. But it’s largely an honor system at local tracks that assume parents are monitoring their children.

USA TODAY’s analysis found 12 children who died under such circumstances between 2000 and 2025. The youngest was 5-year-old Cody Fidler, who died at a North Carolina track in 2007 after colliding with 12-year-old boy on a bigger motorcycle. His family sued the track for not enforcing its rule against mixed riders. The case settled out of court.

The operators of a track in Wareham, Massachusetts didn’t enforce its rule banning mixed riders, according to a lawsuit filed in 2023. If they had, 13-year-old Ava Pioppi may have lived to realize her dream of becoming a pro rider.

Ava’s coach encouraged her to ride on the track on Labor Day 2021 even though older riders with bigger bikes were already there, according to the lawsuit.

Ava crashed after a jump and was crushed by a man on a larger motorcycle.

Her family’s wrongful death lawsuit against the track operators alleges they were negligent in mixing rider sizes and in failing to have liability insurance.

‘We know this lawsuit won’t bring Ava back, but we are continuing to try to cope with this loss,’ Ava’s mother, Wendy, said when the suit was filed in 2023. ‘We want to start by holding (her coach) and the track accountable for their actions in Ava’s death. We hope that speaking out will begin a discussion about how to make motocross safer for kids.’

The suit remained pending in the state’s Superior Court as of December 2025 and may be scheduled for trial in 2026. An owner of the Wareham track has denied they should be liable for the death.

Even when children ride beginner tracks with other kids on small bikes, the speed and awkward landings can make crashes deadly.

Those crashes lead to concussions, musculoskeletal injuries and fatal internal bleeding, said Charles Jennissen, an Iowa pediatric emergency doctor who specializes in off-road vehicle injury research.

“You’ll hear around the track you don’t dress for the ride, you dress for the crash. It’s an expectation you will get injured doing this,” Jennissen said. “Should we be doing that to our kids?”

Alexis Jones was the youngest child to die identified during the USA TODAY review.

The 4-year-old was wearing all the recommended safety gear, including a helmet and chest protector, when she clipped a tractor tire barrier at a track outside Medina, Ohio in 2011.

Alexis’ mother, Toni, said they bore the brunt of community criticism after the crash. But she pointed to nearly 400 children who die in swimming pools each year by comparison.

“It was a fluke accident. This was a place we spent family time together,” Jones said. “As a bereaved parent you play the blame game, but you won’t ever get those answers.”

Her daughter’s dirt bike had training wheels.

Medical care is lacking

Ashlee Sokalski’s mother, Tanya Burgess, traveled from Michigan to Tennessee for what turned out to be her daughter’s final race.

She assumed the major national event would have top-tier medical care and was shocked that, in her view, it did not. She later found out the assigned medical director for the race, James McGee, did not help Ashlee because he was lining up for his own race, set to begin minutes after the women’s event.

Instead, Burgess, a trauma nurse, and her husband, a paramedic, set Ashlee’s IV and assisted in her ventilation in the back of an ambulance themselves.

Ashlee and her sister, Amanda, began riding on the same bike as their dad in the backyard while in elementary school. By 10 they started bugging him for their own bikes and by 15 they had become regulars in the local racing scene in Michigan.

Racing became a way of life, traveling the Midwest and scrimping together money for fuel and parts.

“Amanda and Ashlee would feed off one another,” their father, Mike Sokalski, recalled. “They pushed one another, and it just was constant. It didn’t matter if we were in the woods or at the track.”

Amanda rushed from Michigan to the intensive care unit in Nashville in 2010 and arrived just seconds before her older sister took her final breaths.

In the years following Sokalski’s death, the safety of the sport became a crusade for her family.

Burgess launched a nonprofit to provide money for rider safety gear and to advocate for more medical care at the national races. The family bought a Freightliner box truck with a sleeper cab so Burgess could travel the country, pouring her grief into the effort.

“I was in deep. It became an obsession,” she said. “The sport doesn’t want to talk about injuries or death, it’s taboo. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore the danger and call it a day. We have to make it safer.”

Other tracks haven’t followed suit. In many cases, there are still no medics on hand during practice sessions nationwide.

The lack of onsite first responders and dangers on tracks came as a surprise to Massachusetts parents Eric and Tammy Lippincott. They encouraged their son, Colby, to transition from riding the trails near their home to a local track to be safer. The eighth grader was not allowed to race despite dreaming of one day turning pro.

In the summer of 2024, the 14-year-old went to Diamond MX in Wareham, Mass. to ride and crashed into a tree. His father, a former police officer, saw the aftermath of the wreck and called 911, but there was no immediate service available in the township. It took 30 minutes for help to arrive.

Colby died at a nearby hospital.

“They didn’t just take his life — we’ll never get to see him graduate, we’ll never see him as the man he would have become,” Tammy Lippincott said. “Our joy is stolen, our laughter, our peace. This wasn’t a freak accident. It was a failure of oversight.”

In February, 12-year-old Dalton Hill of Milledgeville, Georgia died during an AMA-sanctioned race at Echeconnee MX motocross track in Lizella, Georgia.

His father, Phillip, believes flaggers contributed to his son’s death and the family filed a lawsuit in November. He said he thinks the flaggers were in the wrong location and inexperienced. The track owners have yet to file a response to the suit.

“They didn’t stop the race to give my son a chance to even get proper medical attention,’’ Phillip Hill said. His son crashed on the backside of a jump and was hit by two other racers.

“Where’s the flags at?’’ Phillip Hill said. “Now they’re trying to get to him. They can’t get to him because they can’t stop the race. So 15 minutes later, by then he’s done lost all his air, there’s no medical equipment out there (on the track), no red flag. It was really just a disaster.’’

Practice sessions around the country have even fewer emergency resources on site.

Levi Willis, 14, crashed and died waiting for an ambulance as another rider performed CPR on him in 2022 in Kentucky. Connor Webb, 18, crashed while practicing for an event in Las Vegas in 2019 — he died after safety officials didn’t realize the severity of his internal injuries.

A 13-year-old in Alaska died in 2008 after a crash racing his 85 cc bike – a model with a small engine designed for riders ages 11 to 14.

He overshot a jump and landed his bike’s front tire before flipping forward, Alaska State Troopers records show. The hospital was 17 miles away, and it took the ambulance 40 minutes to get him there.

In Massachusetts, the Lippincotts are lobbying for “Colby’s Law,” which would require tracks to maintain insurance, be inspected by the state and have minimum safety standards, including barriers and netting, emergency response plans and defibrillators. Tracks that did not comply would face fines of up to $5,000.

The law passed out of a committee in October and remained pending as of December 2025.

Some riders have pushed back, vocally opposing new safety measures in Massachusetts. One online petition said the changes, “not only threaten the sport but also the livelihoods and economic stability of those who operate these tracks.” The AMA also opposes the measure.

“We’re motocross enthusiasts. We’re not trying to get rid of the little guys,” Tammy Lippincott said. “The AMA, MX Sports, they have standard procedures in place, but some of these tracks fly under the radar and have none of it. Don’t wait for another family to lose everything.”

At the time of Colby’s accident, his parents didn’t know Diamond MX had been the site of Pioppi’s death two years earlier under previous ownership.

Kids die, little legislation is filed to help

New Jersey is among the few states that specifically require track safety standards, and California’s negligence laws say track owners have a duty to minimize risk to racers crashing into others with a warning system, such as flaggers.

Some states, including Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Wisconsin have youth age restrictions and require safety classes. Those rules apply to riding on public land, not tracks.

Nearly all states are like Massachusetts. They don’t regulate motocross tracks or set any safety standards. That means tracks can keep operating even if multiple children die.

That’s what happened at the Village Creek track in Fort Worth, Texas.

In April 2007, Justin Sutterer, 17, was competing at Village Creek in a qualifier to reach Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National event. The Missouri teen wrecked his motorcycle on the back side of a jump, was hit by two other riders and suffered a fatal neck injury. He was studying to become an engineer.

A month later, 18-year-old Justin Taylor was leading a race at Village Creek, on his way to qualifying for Ponca City nationals in Oklahoma. He lost control of his bike and crashed at nearly the same place as Sutterer and died. The teen was studying at an Austin community college and was engaged to be married.

At the time, Tarrant County Sheriff officials questioned why the track never notified police about the incident.

“Obviously there’s nothing that would indicate any kind of criminal activity, but nonetheless, it’s an unattended, unexpected death, so it had to be reported to the proper authorities, and an investigation has to be done,” Deputy Chief Jay Six told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The track was the scene of a third high-profile incident in 2019 when an 11-year-old rode his dirt bike into an unmarked 15-foot deep ditch, breaking his arm and both femurs.

His family sued. A jury ruled that the boy was riding without parental consent and the track failed to provide safety barriers around the ditch. It issued a $900,000 civil penalty against track owner Terry Cordray and his mother, who owns the land. Cordray didn’t have insurance and declared bankruptcy because he couldn’t afford to pay the judgment.

He reopened the track in March with a new name: Metroplex Motocross Park. Today, signs, in all caps, are posted at the entrance:

“Warning: Texas law limits the liability of a motorized off-road vehicle entity for injuries or death of a motorized off-road vehicle activity participant.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed that law in June 2025. Arkansas passed a similar law this year. Iowa and Missouri are considering comparable legislation — at the backing of the sport’s governing body, the AMA.

And while the AMA’s statement to USA TODAY said tracks that don’t follow its rules can’t get insurance via its preferred providers, Cordray had no problem doing so after reopening and enrolling in the AMA’s program.

He now is covered through Jones Birdsong, the insurance broker affiliated with the AMA.

The firm is a retail agent that finds policies by underwriters, said Matt Mowan, vice president of motorsports insurance.

The coverage has several requirements that must be attested to during an application: riders must be AMA members, races must have flaggers and onsite ambulances, and practices must have two licensed medical professionals in attendance. Both races and practices must divide riders by skill, bike size and class.

“The insurance companies don’t make the rules. They expect the promoters to follow an industry standard,” Mowan said. “The AMA will go down to 4 years old. This is an assumed risk. It’s a high-risk sport… When you’re doing a high-risk sport, accidents happen. People get injured, and when injuries are significant, they want to blame somebody.”

Family sport draws grieving families back together

Three weeks after Ashlee Sokalski’s funeral, her family organized a memorial ride at a track near their home in Michigan.

California rider Kristin Cosby, who had landed on the teen during the fatal race, didn’t attend and never returned to competitive racing.

“I sold my bikes right after that,” said Cosby, now 35, who said she struggled with alcohol abuse after the traumatic incident.

But Ashlee’s little sister, who used to share boots with her to save money, got back on her own Yamaha for the memorial.

Amanda Henderson finished college, started her career in financial planning, but would dedicate the next eight years of her spare time to racing. She says she did it for Ashlee.

Henderson, now 32, stopped competing in 2018. But on most summer days she can be found on the homemade tracks near her home, with her 4, 6 and 14-year-old children riding beside her.

Deciding whether to let them participate in the sport that turned fatal for her sister has been a struggle for Henderson, which she revisits often. So far, that has meant letting them get on dirt bikes for fun, but not in competition.

“People might think I’m a bit hypocritical because I won’t let them race, but it’s just not worth it to me,” Henderson said. “I still hurt every day from my sister being gone.”

And the sisters’ mother, Tanya, sold all of their traveling advocacy trucks and suspended the nonprofit they created. The all-consuming effort had become too much, and they felt they had achieved some progress at Loretta’s.

But she hit a brick wall with other safety efforts, and cringes every time she sees her daughter and grandchildren climb back on a bike.

Do you have a tip or other feedback? Did we miss an incident? Email us at npenz@usatoday.com

It’s hard to definitively say what happens in December of the college basketball season defines a season, but that’s what happened with the ACC and SEC in 2024-25.

In the second edition of the ACC/SEC challenge, the SEC dominated 14-2. It set the stage for a historic run for the SEC, while the ACC had another down year.

After the lopsided contest last season, it heightened what was at stake in this year’s cross-conference battle Dec. 2-3. The SEC could assert itself as the premier league in the sport, and ACC needed to reclaim some confidence.

The end result? Another SEC win. 

It’s not what the ACC hoped for, still without an outright challenge victory in three seasons. Yet it’s not the worst thing in the world.

In fact, the Atlantic Coast may be the true winner. 

The overall figure favors the SEC 9-7, but it didn’t leave this challenge looking anywhere near like the dominant conference it was a season ago. To be fair, it was going to be nearly impossible to replicate it.

This was a chance for the SEC to showcase it still has multiple Final Four contenders. After 16 games in two days, it’s hard to figure out exactly what the conference is, as the teams expected to be in the conversation didn’t look great. 

On the other hand, the ACC contenders flexed their muscles, and some wanting to take that next step showed they can lift a little more than last season. 

It starts with the two blue-bloods of the ACC — Duke and North Carolina. The Blue Devils hosted defending champion Florida in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and mostly handled the Gators until a late surge gave them a brief lead. Then Isaiah Evans hit the go-ahead 3-pointer to power Duke. 

With another outstanding performance from Cameron Boozer, Duke looks like it can return to the Final Four. Florida still can’t get a quality win, and defending that title looks like it will be a challenge.

Speaking of not beating good teams, Kentucky is in the same boat. It had the home-court advantage against North Carolina, but the Wildcats couldn’t buy a bucket in the second half and the Tar Heels took advantage, stealing a win inside Rupp Arena.

Then there was Tennessee. The Volunteers just beat Houston a week ago, and visited a Syracuse team that went 0-3 in the Players Era Festival and was still without its premier scorer in Donnie Freeman.

Tennessee looked lethargic. It’s star backcourt of Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie really struggled and the Orange pulled off the stunner, ending its three-game skid by handing the Volunteers their second straight loss.

Three contenders all with bad nights, not to forget Notre Dame’s win over previously undefeated Missouri. It was a dreadful first day for the SEC, and it largely didn’t matter what happened on day two.

It wasn’t all bad with the SEC, notably with Trevon Brazile powering Arkansas convincingly past Louisville to hand the Cardinals their first loss of the season for the conference’s signature win. Vanderbilt beat Southern Methodist in a battle of unbeatens. Alabama also avoided a Clemson comeback and Auburn’s hot second half stretch pulled it away from NC State.

But the Crimson Tide and Tigers had to win their games, and the Commodores haven’t been tested just yet. A loss would’ve been catastrophic.

The SEC wanted to get some answers, and only left with more questions. Yes, it’s still just a month into the season, but there isn’t anyone in the SEC that screams it can confidently make a deep NCAA tournament run.

Sure it’s the common Duke and North Carolina that have those characteristics in the ACC, and Louisville can be thrown in there even though its outlook took a dip with the loss. You feel a whole lot better of what these contenders are capable of. It says plenty when Duke isn’t the only team carrying the conference, speaking to how the ACC feels much stronger than it did a year ago.

In the three games with both teams ranked, the ACC won two, and with Syracuse’s victory, that’s three wins against ranked squads.

The only other argument the SEC can claim is it beat ACC teams that have a good shot of making the NCAA Tournament. But we all know winning in the main event is better than victory in the mid-card.

In the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the SEC sent a record 14 teams to the big dance. It’s unrealistic to expect the league to be able to do it again, but there’s a great chance it still gets at least 10 schools in. It probably will end up with the most appearances out of every conference.

But to think it can again get two — or even one — spot in the Final Four seems shaky.

Not all wins carry the same weight. The SEC may have won the battle, but the ACC can win the war.

Many were surprised when the Los Angeles Clippers announced that Chris Paul was no longer with the team, including his teammates James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, who expressed surprise at learning Paul had been sent home.

The Clippers decided to part ways with Paul after a reported three-hour discussion between Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations, and Paul at the team hotel in Atlanta before their game against the Hawks on Wednesday.

Frank emphasized that the decision to let Paul go was not due to a single incident; however, ESPN reported that the ongoing tension between Paul and head coach Ty Lue has been cited as a potential significant contributing factor, given how disruptive the relationship has been to the team.

‘I’m just as confused and shocked as everyone else in the world,’ Harden said after the Clippers defeated the Hawks on Wednesday, Nov. 3. ‘It definitely took me by surprise. It’s not just about Chris; there were many things we were dealing with. However, that’s out of my hands. I need to focus on what I can control. I suppose the front office believed that was the best decision for the organization.’

‘It was shocking to me,’ Leonard said. ‘I guess they had a conversation, and front office made a decision.’

Paul announced on social media earlier this month that he would retire from the NBA after 21 seasons.

Terence Crawford won more than a fight when he stunned Canelo Alvarez.

He won over the boxing community and sports fans who hardly knew him. Not just for the skill he showed in the boxing ring during the Sept. 13 mega-fight, but for the engaging personality he showed while making the rounds after becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion.

What a shame he decided to sully his reputation Wednesday, Dec. 3.

From inside a car, Crawford spewed profanity and delivered low blows in a rant against Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the WBC, one of boxing’s four sanctioning bodies.

Crawford fumed after the WBC stripped him of the championship belt he won from Alvarez. But it seemed like a very reasonable thing to do considering Crawford acknowledged he had not paid the WBC its $300,000 sanctioning fee.

The four sanctioning bodies charge a fee of about 3% of the purse. In turn, the bodies sanction fights with their respective championship belts at stake. In cases such as the fight between Crawford and Alvarez, several or all four of the sanctioning bodies can sanction the same fight, which allows boxers to fight for the undisputed championship.

Crawford and other boxers have questioned where the money goes. In a 2022 interview with Boxing Scene, Sulaimán cited overhead expenses, humanitarian work and developments in women’s boxing as reasons the WBC charges 3% for sanctioning fees. “What we do, everything goes back to boxing,” he said then.

This is not a blanket defense of the sanctioning bodies. But Crawford’s behavior can’t be defended, either.

It’s his right to object to a fee or even negotiate something lower. But for a boxer regarded as honorable, he handled it in disappointing fashion.

The clearly better option: to acknowledge before the fight he had no intention of paying the fees – and suffer the consequences.

It’s highly unlikely the WBC would have sanctioned the fight and made its belt available to Crawford without his agreeing to pay the fee.

That might seem inconsequential, especially the way Crawford degraded Sulaimán and the WBC belt during his rant. But Crawford wanted the undisputed super middleweight championship, and he captured it by winning all four belts – from the IBF, WBA, WBO and, yes, WBC.

But there he was Wednesday, behind the wheel of his truck, spewing venom in a shockingly different way than we’d come to know the easy-to-root-for-boxer, who proved charming outside of the ring.

At 38, Crawford is in the twilight of his career and no longer needs the WBC.

But there was no need to taint his own reputation.

The United States and Canada are fierce rivals on the Olympic ice hockey stage.

Since the NHL first allowed its players to participate in the Olympics in 1998, the two nations have faced off in the knockout stages three times and the gold medal game twice: 2002 and 2010.

When you think of epic Olympic hockey moments by Team Canada players, I’d be shocked if your mind doesn’t immediately turn to Sidney Crosby and his 2010 accomplishment in Vancouver.

Crosby was on Canada’s Olympic squad for the first time in 2010 after being snubbed for the Torino Olympics in 2006, when the Canadians finished seventh, just ahead of the Americans in eighth.

Both teams had a much better tournament in Vancouver, with Canada and the United States facing off in the gold medal game.

Team USA forward Zach Parise tied the game with 24 seconds left in regulation, setting the stage for Crosby’s heroics in overtime. More on that later.

While Crosby is a shoo-in for having the best tournament on the international stage, other unforgettable Olympic performances by Team Canada NHL players involved key games against Team USA.

Top 5 Olympic performances by Team Canada players

5. Mario Lemieux, 2002

Mario Lemieux had six points in five games en route to Canada’s 2002 Olympic gold. While he didn’t put the team on his back as so often happened throughout his illustrious career, Lemieux came to life in the medal rounds.

The ‘Magnificent One’ posted three assists in the quarterfinal and semifinal victories over Belarus and Finland before setting up Paul Kariya in the gold medal game against Team USA. He finished one point behind Joe Sakic, Canada’s leading scorer at the tournament, despite playing one less game. 

4. Jarome Iginla, 2002

Jarome Iginla accomplished a lot during his storied career, but nothing, not even the Calgary Flames’ fairytale run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, compared to his exploits at the 2002 Olympics. 

Iginla scored four points in six games, three of which came in the 5-2 victory over Team USA in the final.

If you look up the definition of clutch, don’t be surprised if you see Iginla’s performance against the Americans as a supporting case study. As a caveat, his performance at the 2010 Olympics was equally impressive.

3. Joe Sakic, 2002

Sakic saved the best for last in 2002, scoring four of his seven points in the final against Team USA. The Hall of Famer put on a show on the world’s most prominent and high-pressure stage, setting up both of Iginla’s goals and scoring a pair, including the game-winner. 

He finished the tournament as Canada’s leading scorer, one point ahead of Lemieux and Steve Yzerman. His point haul was two points behind the tournament’s leading scorer, Mats Sundin of Sweden.

2. Carey Price, 2014

Canada has Carey Price to thank for its 2014 gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. In five games, Price was all but impenetrable, sporting a sensational 0.59 goals-against average and 0.972 save percentage. 

But it was his performances in the knockout stage that received heaping praise. Price secured back-to-back shutouts in the semifinal against Team USA and in the final versus Sweden to propel Canada to glory. He allowed just one goal in the 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Latvia.  

It will come as no surprise that Price followed up his otherworldly Olympics by winning the NHL’s Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Hart Trophy in 2014-15.

1. Sidney Crosby, 2010

Crosby’s overtime goal against the Americans to secure gold will forever be etched in the annals of Canadian hockey history. 

While he didn’t score a point in the quarterfinal or semifinal, Crosby showed up when it mattered most, ensuring Canada won its first Olympic gold medal since 2002.  

Crosby finished the 2010 Olympics with seven points (four goals and three assists), one behind Jonathan Toews for the team lead and three adrift of the tournament’s leading scorer, Pavol Demitra of Slovakia.

The Detroit Lions’ season of injuries continues to mount up.

The Lions are set to be without multiple key contributors when they host the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) on ‘Thursday Night Football’ on Thursday, Dec. 4. The question remaining is whether star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will be among them.

St. Brown exited Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day game against the Green Bay Packers after suffering an ankle injury when a lineman rolled on his leg from behind. His availability has been in doubt since.

Detroit enters Week 14 with a 7-5 record – eighth-best in the NFC – leaving them on the outside looking in to the playoff picture. They are battling to stay in the race and Lions fans are hopeful their All-Pro wide receiver will be available today.

Here’s the latest on St. Brown before ‘Thursday Night Football’ kickoff against the Cowboys.

Amon-Ra St. Brown injury update

The Lions have not yet made a decision about St. Brown’s status for ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Detroit listed him as ‘questionable’ on its final injury report and is expected to make a game-time decision about his status.

St. Brown has only before missed two games during his five-year NFL career to date. The last one he missed was in 2023 when he suffered an abdominal injury in Week 3. He played through it before missing Week 5 due to the injury. Prior to that, he suffered an identical injury to this ankle sprain in Week 3 of 2022, which saw him miss Week 4.

St. Brown failed to participate in practice this week, but the Lions have no plans to place him on IR, which would require that he be out for at least four weeks. He was initially classified as ‘week-to-week’ after suffering the low ankle sprain, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero also noted the Lions will have a mini-bye because of the ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup, which allows St. Brown extra time to recover if he can’t play against the Cowboys.

Detroit has been no stranger to playing without its stars on offense, with TE Sam LaPorta lost for the season.

Lions WR depth chart

The Lions have six receivers on their 53-man roster:

Amon-Ra St. Brown (injured)
Jameson Williams
Kalif Raymond
Isaac TeSlaa
Tom Kennedy
Dominic Lovett

Kalif Raymond and TE Brock Wright missed last week’s game, but they may be active for Thursday’s matchup against Dallas. Isaac TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy operated as the No. 2 and 3 WRs behind Jameson Williams after St. Brown exited on Thanksgiving.

Williams will be Jared Goff’s top target if St. Brown is sidelined. The 2022 first-round pick went off for 144 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions and a team-high 10 targets on Thanksgiving.

TeSlaa, a rookie third-round pick this season, could be more involved. His size at 6-4, 214 pounds makes him a legitimate red-zone threat.

Team owner Jimmy Haslam has previously admitted the 2022 trade for Watson was a ‘big swing and miss.’
The Browns are not expected to play Watson, instead focusing on rookie QBs Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Opening the practice window is considered the next step in Watson’s rehabilitation, not a move to showcase him for a trade.

The Cleveland Browns have opened a 21-day practice window for injured quarterback Deshaun Watson, who’s missed the entire 2025 season while rehabilitating from multiple ruptures to his right Achilles tendon. He originally tore it during Week 7 of the 2024 campaign and reinjured it three months later during the early stages of his recovery.

It’s natural to wonder what’s behind the move for a last-place team that’s been evaluating rookie passers Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for most of this season and has already acknowledged how disastrous the trade for Watson was – the controversial former Pro Bowler with his sordid off-field baggage coming to Cleveland in 2022 for a boatload of compensation, including three first-round draft picks, before signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.

‘We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,’ Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said at the league’s spring meeting in March.

The Browns finished last in the AFC North in two of Watson’s first three seasons and only made the playoffs in 2023, when he was injured, thanks to an inspired run by Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco.

‘We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get (Watson),’ said Haslam. ‘So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole. (It) was an entire organization decision and it ends with (Haslam’s wife) Dee and I, so hold us accountable.’

Haslam’s mea culpa, the club’s decision to select Gabriel and Sanders in this year’s draft, the accumulation of multiple first-round picks for the 2026 draft and the restructuring of Watson’s deal all seem to be fairly clear indicators that the high-priced passer probably won’t play for Cleveland again.

So why open the practice window for Watson, who’s been on the reserve/physically unable to perform list all year? Let’s try to answer a few questions on that front.

Why are the Browns letting Deshaun Watson practice?

In the most basic sense, it’s the next waypoint on his rehabilitation road.

“Excited for him. His focus, my focus is obviously getting him back to playing football, practicing football, which he hasn’t done in over a year. Good next step for him,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said during his press conference Wednesday.

The immediate goal is to get Watson, who did not speak to reporters Wednesday, into individual drills. Depending on how things go, Stefanski said he could eventually get repetitions with the scout team. However the need to get work for inexperienced players like Sanders and Gabriel remains a priority.

“I feel like it’s great he’s going out to practice,” Sanders said of Watson. “He’s been working hard to recover.”

Do the Browns want Deshaun Watson to play in 2025?

The circumstances pretty clearly signal no, though Stefanski deflected when asked about the three-time Pro Bowler’s outlook for this season.

“Really not my focus, not his focus right this minute,” he said. “His focus is putting a helmet on again for the first time, shoulder pads, throwing a football – that’s where the focus is.”

Has Deshaun Watson been a good mentor for Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel?

According to Stefanski, the relationships among the Browns’ quarterbacks is outstanding – and Watson has been part of team meetings and attending games well before his practice window opened.

“He’s been so supportive in the meeting room, on the game field with the players,” said Stefanski. “I know he’s excited to get back out there practicing with his teammates.”

The coach later added: “I think having a guy like Deshaun in there, who’s seen so much and has been through different situations and can provide great counsel to young quarterbacks, I just think that’s invaluable.”

Watson has been the most experienced quarterback on the Browns’ extended roster since Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in October, and Stefanski thinks having him on the practice field is an added opportunity for Watson to convey his NFL experience.

“Deshaun’s been outstanding with all those guys,” Stefanski said while referencing the team’s other QBs. “It’s really an impressive group that helps each other.

“Having all those guys on the field I think is beneficial.”

Are the Browns hoping to showcase Deshaun Watson for a subsequent trade?

It’s a plus for Watson to get onto the practice field in hopes of resuming and resurrecting his career. Whether it will actually happen is anyone’s guess.

Even if he’d played well for the Browns – he hasn’t, losing 10 of his 19 starts during his injury-riddled stint in Cleveland and compiling an 80.7 passer rating with the club – his contract and off-field issues likely make him essentially radioactive moving forward.

Watson’s rampantly lurid behavior at Houston-area massage parlors when he was a member of the Texans led to more than two dozen lawsuits and an 11-game suspension from the NFL, which also mandated that he undergo evaluation and counseling. His acquisition by the Browns caused many supporters to turn in their fan cards and also necessitated the trade of then-incumbent quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has since blossomed into a Pro Bowler for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Asked if the Browns are hoping to salvage the trade, Stefanski replied: “Not my focus … really just excited for him to be able to get back out there on the field. I think for any player when you’re rehabbing, the next step getting out there on the practice field is a big step, so I’m excited for him.’

Were the Browns compelled to open Deshaun Watson’s practice window?

Any notion that Watson forced the team’s hand or that the NFL Players Association helped on his behalf is apparently a misguided theory.

“Absolutely not,” a person familiar with Watson’s situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person received anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

“It’s simply the next phase of his rehab.”

Will Deshaun Watson play in 2025?

Never say never. Quarterbacks get injured, and Gabriel and Sanders both have been. Gabriel was concussed last month, paving the way for Sanders’ first regular-season action, and both players dealt with assorted issues during training camp and preseason. Bailey Zappe is also on the practice squad. It seems unlikely they’d all get hurt over the final five games and effectively force Watson on to the 53-man roster, but stranger scenarios have developed before in this league.

What happens at the end of Deshaun Watson’s practice window?

Watson’s three-week clock now initiated, the Browns must ultimately make a decision on his status. If Watson isn’t restored to Cleveland’s 53-man roster by the end of the window, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.

Will Deshaun Watson be released in 2026?

Obviously, TBD. But the tea leaves suggest this is his last year in Cleveland – especially given the rookie passers on the roster and strong likelihood another one will join them in five months.

Watson’s restructured deal expires following the 2026 season. He’s still owed a fully guaranteed $131.2 million from the Browns, but his contract’s new architecture would allow Cleveland to spread the cap hit into 2027 if he’s designated as a post-June 1 release next year.

When it comes to Giannis Antetokounmpo, there’s plenty of smoke for there to be concern about a fire.

The 30-year-old nine-time All-Star had been sidelined with a groin strain but has since returned. The Milwaukee Bucks, however, are still struggling, limping out to a 9-13 record.

Antetokounmpo scrubbed his social media accounts of almost every reference or photo from his time with the Bucks, sparking speculation about trade rumors. That was Tuesday. But on Wednesday, Dec. 3, ESPN reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent have begun conversations with the Bucks about Antetokounmpo’s future and his fit with Milwaukee.

ESPN also reported that a resolution was expected in the coming weeks.

Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, is a singular talent, unstoppable in transition and freakishly athletic for someone his size. Any potential trade may involve multiple teams and will certainly be an exchange of significant assets.

One thing to note: the NBA trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 5, though some Antetokounmpo deals may be easier to execute over the offseason, when draft picks become available to trade.

In the meantime, here’s a look at possible trade destinations for Giannis Antetokounmpo:

New York Knicks

According to a different ESPN report, Antetokounmpo already asked for a trade and specifically asked to be sent to the Knicks. While that may be his preferred destination, the Bucks would be under no obligation to facilitate a deal to New York. Still, Antetokounmpo is wildly talented, so the Knicks could theoretically intensify any potential offer, should the interest be mutual.

Any deal for Antetokounmpo would likely involve forward-center Karl-Anthony Towns and would make the Knicks a legitimate threat to win the Eastern Conference — more than they already are. The bigger issue is New York’s salary cap situation, as it has little breathing room under the punitive second apron.

Brooklyn Nets

Perhaps a more likely scenario is across the East River. No team has been amassing draft capital more than the Nets, who have at least 12 first-round selections over the next seven drafts. Given the state of the Bucks’ roster, draft picks might be the most appealing asset, anyway, and the Nets have the salary cap flexibility to accommodate Antetokounmpo.

In April, Brooklyn also became the first team in NBA history to use five picks in the first round of a draft, so the Nets could offer any current rookies that Milwaukee may find intriguing.

San Antonio Spurs

This would almost be unfair. Pairing Antetokounmpo alongside phenom Victor Wembanyama would present a nightmare for opposing defenses and would give San Antonio a roster that would compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.

To make it happen, the Spurs have plenty of talented guards that could entice Milwaukee. Stephon Castle won Rookie of the Year last season and No. 2 overall selection Dylan Harper has flashed through his first six weeks of the season. San Antonio also has De’Aaron Fox. Still, that won’t be nearly enough, as the Spurs would also need to include valuable draft capital.

Houston Rockets

This is an interesting case. Typically, when a player like Antetokounmpo becomes available, just about every team shows some interest. The Rockets have plenty of intriguing young pieces like Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. to entice the Bucks. The question is whether Houston would already want to revamp its win-now build with Kevin Durant as the centerpiece.

Atlanta Hawks

This might be more of an under-the-radar candidate, but the Hawks do have some young assets like last season’s No. 1 overall selection Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson, though Atlanta also may be looking to move on from veteran point guard Trae Young.

Los Angeles Lakers

Antetokounmpo has said he wants to compete for NBA titles, and pairing him alongside Luka Dončić creates a dynamic threat. But the Lakers don’t have very many assets to ship — at least not now. Aside from Austin Reaves, they lack young assets to send. They are also unable to offer multiple first-round draft picks until the offseason.

The field

As mentioned above, pretty much every team would want a player like Antetokounmpo. Teams that are currently competitive but maybe a star away — teams like the Pistons, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Mavericks, and Heat — may consider packaging their assets in an offer. Still, the ESPN report makes clear that anything related to Antetokounmpo’s future will involve an ongoing conversation with Milwaukee. Because the Bucks, undoubtedly, do not want to move him and likely won’t, unless he asks out and makes things a little messy.