Editor’s Note: USA men’s hockey defeated Sweden in a quarterfinal matchup. Click here to view highlights of the game.

MILAN — Wednesday’s competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics proved to be action-packed.

In men’s slopestyle snowboarding, American Jake Canter came from far back in the pack to win a bronze medal. In the women’s slopestyle competition, Team USA’s Lily Dhawornvej and Jessica Perlmutter did not make the podium.

USA men’s hockey picked up an emotional 2-1 win over Sweden, a squad loaded with NHL players, in the quarterfinals thanks to a game-winning goal in overtime from Quinn Hughes. The goal from the Minnesota Wild defenseman sends the United States to the semifinals, where it will face Slovakia.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get our Chasing Gold newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

Quinn Hughes lifts USA men’s hockey to OT win

Quinn Hughes sends USA men’s hockey into the semifinals with a game-winning goal in overtime against Sweden in the quarterfinals. The United States will now play Slovakia in the semifinals.

Sweden ties game against USA men’s hockey

Sweden ties it up at 1-1 with 1:30 remaining in the third period. It’s a fitting moment for the final quarterfinal game of the day, as all of the other quarterfinal matchups have seen tying goals late in the third period to force overtime.

USA men’s hockey nearing in on win

USA men’s hockey is six minutes away from advancing further in the Winter Olympics, as the United States leads Sweden 1-0 in the third quarter. Dylan Larkin has the United State’s lone goal of the game, which came in the second period.

USA men’s hockey takes 1-0 lead against Sweden

USA men’s hockey takes a 1-0 lead against Sweden in the second period, thanks to Dylan Larkin tipping in a Jack Hughes shot shortly after a faceoff win. The United States is outshooting Sweden 21-18 in the quarterfinal match.

Click here to view live updates of the USA men’s hockey vs. Sweden quarterfinal matchup.

USA men’s hockey, Sweden scoreless after first period

The USA had a strong start, running up a 6-0 edge in shots as U-S-A cheers reverberated from the stands. But about seven minutes in, the Swedes – who had played the night before – found their legs and gave as good as they got. Shots after 20 minutes were 10-10. – Helene St. James and Mike Brehm

Click here to view live updates of the USA men’s hockey vs. Sweden quarterfinal matchup.

How Sidney Crosby helped Canada rally at Olympics despite injury

MILAN — Even when he couldn’t be in the lineup because his right leg had buckled in ways legs shouldn’t, Sidney Crosby made a difference for Canada.

With the quarterfinal against Czechia tied after two periods, Crosby addressed his teammates. The gist of the message? Go get ’em.

Canada did. Mitch Marner scored 1:22 into overtime to seal a 4-3 victory, sending Canada to the semifinals on Feb. 20 at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Whether the lineup will include Crosby is unknown; Canada coach Jon Cooper did not have an update immediately after the game.

‘He couldn’t come out for the third,’ Cooper said. ‘But he did address the players, and I think that was a big thing coming in is, that we lose this game − we didn’t want this to be Sid’s last game at this Olympics’ – Helene St. James

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic gold was magnificent. Appreciate her greatness

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t need this Olympic gold medal.

Her legacy was secured long ago, between her other two Olympic golds, her World Cup wins record and all the other superlatives she’s achieved. But that’s never been good enough for the peanut gallery, which tunes in every four years and doesn’t understand why Shiffrin can’t just conjure gold medals out of snow.

Maybe now they’ll finally get off her back.

“The irony is I’ve cared so much about wanting everybody to know the reality and to not want to answer those questions and to be so sick and tired of it. And I’ve felt that way since (being) fourth in South Korea in the slalom,” Shiffrin said.

“In order to do this today, I kind of needed to accept the possibility that those questions would keep coming,” she said. “It was like, just don’t resist it. Just live in my own moment.”

And that moment? My God, was it magnificent.

Shiffrin obliterated the field in winning the Olympic slalom on Wednesday, Feb. 18, finishing a whopping 1.50 seconds ahead. Silver medalist Camille Rast was closer to 12th-place finisher Laurence St-Germain than she was to Shiffrin. – Nancy Armour

Canada survives scare to advance in Olympic men’s hockey

Canada can breathe a little easier. Its loaded men’s hockey team avoided a monumental upset in the Olympic quarterfinals for the second-straight time with a 4-3 overtime win against Czechia on Tuesday.

Mitch Marner of the Las Vegas Golden Knights was the hero, scoring the deciding goal 1 minute, 22 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime period, knifing through the Czechia defense before flipping a backhanded shot into the back of the net. Nick Suzuki had tied the score at 3 late in the third period after Czechia took the lead for a second time in Tuesday’s quarterfinal.

The top-seeded Canadians will next face the lowest seed to advance to the Olympic semifinals. Slovakia also advanced to the semifinals in early quarterfinal action.

Canada, Czechia headed to OT in men’s hockey quarterfinals

Canada is still alive in its men’s hockey quarterfinal game against Czechia and a 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime awaits to determine who makes the semifinals.

Canada tied the score at 3 with a goal from Montreal Canadians captain Nick Suzuki with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. Suzuki tipped a shot by teammate Devon Toews into the back of the net.

In case you’re wondering about Olympic hockey overtime rules, USA TODAY Sports has you covered by clicking here. Live updates from Canada vs. Czechia can be found here.

Sidney Crosby out, Canada on the ropes in men’s hockey quarterfinals

Team Canada men’s hockey captain Sidney Crosby has been ruled out for the rest of Tuesday’s quarterfinal game against Czechia due to a lower-body injury, according to Hockey Canada. But the top-seeded Canadians have bigger issues than that as Czechia has just taken the lead with less than eight minutes to go in the third period.

Ondrej Palat of the New York Islanders gave Czechia a 3-2 lead off a feed from Martin Necas that came as a result of a blocked shot by Tomas Hertl. This would be a huge upset after Canada beat Czechia, 5-0, in the preliminary round-robin games.

Sidney Crosby injured, Canada tied with Czechia in men’s hockey quarterfinals

It has become a tenuous Tuesday for the Canadian men’s hockey team. They’re locked in a tight quarterfinal game against Czechia, knotted at 2-2 after Nathan McKinnon scored on the power play more than halfway through the second period. But Canada might have to pull this one out with its captain, Sidney Crosby.

Crosby left the game shortly before Canada tied it up due to an injury he suffered after taking a hit near the boards. Crosby sat on the bench in pain for a few moments before heading to the locker room.

Canada trails Czechia in men’s hockey quarterfinals

Canada entered the Olympic men’s hockey quarterfinals as the top seed after a dominating run through preliminary round-robin action. But the Canadians are being tested by Czechia on Tuesday in their first elimination game of the 2026 Olympic tournament and they trail Czechia, 2-1, to start the second period.

David Pastrnak’s power-play goal nearly 15 minutes into the first period gave Czechia the lead. Canada quickly jumped out to a 1-0 advantage with a Macklin Celebrini even-strength goal, but a turnover in the neutral zone midway through the period allowed Radko Gudas and Roman Cervenka to set up Lukas Sedlak for an equalizer.

Canada beat Czechia, 5-0, to start off these Winter Olympics, so this is a surprising score despite the presence of plenty of NHL players on both rosters. Canada suffered a stunning in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Is this best USA women’s hockey team ever?

‘Absolutely,’ Olympic champion Monique Lamoureux told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday.

Many talented squads have worn USA across their chests. There’s the 1998 team that clinched Olympic gold in the inaugural women’s competition in Nagano. The 2018 team topped the podium following a dramatic shootout in Pyeongchang, made possible by Lamoureux’s game-tying goal and her twin Jocelyne’s shootout winner.

But the 2026 U.S. women’s team could be the most complete squad we’ve seen on the Winter Olympics stage. The U.S. women have been unstoppable in their run to Thursday’s gold medal game against Canada. Depth is their superpower and they are firing on all cylinders, with nearly every player on the roster on the score sheet. Read more here. ‒ Cydney Henderson

USA hockey star Hilary Knight proposes to speed skater Brittany Bowe at Olympics

U.S. women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight is going for gold as the Americans prepare to face off against Canada on Thursday, but that’s not the only bling being dished out in Milan.

Knight proposed to U.S. speed-skater Brittany Bowe on Wednesday, Feb. 18, as both athletes compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. It marks a full circle moment for the couple, who first met at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

‘Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever,’ Knight captioned an Instagram video of the proposal. Read more here. ‒ Cydney Henderson

No USA medal in women’s snowboard slopestyle

Jess Perlmutter had a nice second run that resulted in a 68.18 and momentarily put her in fourth place heading into the final run of the women’s snowboard slopestyle event, but the competition was too stiff for the young Americans. Perlmutter finished in sixth place, while Lily Dhawornvej came in 11th.

Both are 16 years old, so the future is bright for the upstart Americans.

Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand nearly defended her gold medal with an electric final run, but came up just short behind Japan’s Mari Fukada. Kokomo Murase, also of Japan, took bronze. – Chris Bumbaca

Lindsey Vonn shares heartbreaking update ahead of latest surgery

Skier Lindsey Vonn has had a heartbreaking Winter Olympics already after crashing out and suffering severe leg injuries in the women’s downhill. But that athletic disappointment seems trivial in comparison to what she’s experienced off the slopes.

‘This has been an incredibly hard few days,’ Vonn wrote in a social media post. ‘Probably the hardest of my life.’

On her Instagram account, Vonn revealed that her dog Leo died the day after her crash at the Milano Cortina Games: ‘Heading in for more surgery today. Will be thinking of him when I close my eyes. I will love you forever my big boy.’

Slovakia defeats Germany in men’s hockey quarterfinals

The Germans, confident they were hitting their stride, stumbled instead, losing 6-2 to plucky Slovakia, who went from group winner to Olympic semifinalist. The Slovakians, well-rested from having two days between games, made it 1-0 in the first period on a goal from Pavol Regenda. Slovakia really took over in the second period, with goals from Milos Kelemen and Oliver Okuliar 33 seconds apart early in the second period, prompting Germany to take a timeout. 

Dalibor Dvorsky furthered the damage to 4-0 before Lukas Reichel put Germany on the board.

Regenda scored again in the third period, and Frederik Tiffels edged Germany within three goals with 11 minutes to play. Tomas Tatar put his Slovaks back up by four with an empty-net goal with 3:27 to play.

The Germans looked tired from having played the previous day, needing to advance to the quarterfinals by beating France in a qualification game. — Helene St. James

US teens in striking distance after slopestyle opening run

The first run of women’s snowboard slopestyle finals ended with the two American teenagers representing the Stars and Stripes, Jess Perlmutter and Lily Dhawronvej, in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

The defending gold medalist in the event, New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, was in third. Kokomo Murase of Japan was in first. − Chris Bumbaca

Mikaela Shiffrin is golden again in slalom

As the last skier down the mountain in the women’s slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin delivered when it mattered most.

After winning gold in the event in 2014, but suffering through disappointment the past two Olympics, Shiffrin came through with the run of her life and returned to the top of the podium.

She took a massive lead of 0.82 seconds into the second run. And she put her stamp on the final event of the Alpine skiing competition by posting a combined time of 1:39.10, a full 1.5 seconds ahead of silver medalist Camille Rast of Switzerland.

It’s Shiffrin’s fourth medal in the Winter Olympics − tying her with with Julia Mancuso for most by a U.S. woman in Alpine skiing.

USA stuns with silver in men’s cross-country skiing 

Entering the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA had only won four cross-country skiing medals in Olympic history. The Americans have nearly matched that in Milano Cortina alone after picking up another medal.

Team USA claimed silver in the men’s team sprint free. Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher posted a time of 18:30.35 for the U.S. cross-country skiing team’s third podium finish after Jessie Diggins claimed bronze in the women’s 10km and Ogden won bronze in the individual sprint.

Ogden and Schumacher finished 1.37 seconds off the top pace of Norway as Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won his record 10th Olympic Winter Games gold medal. − Cydney Henderson

Freestyle skiing: US duo advance in women’s aerials

Team USA’s Kaila Kuhn produced a clutch triple jump on her second attempt to score a 109.9 and advance to the top-six finals of the women’s aerials.American Winter Vinecki (107.75) advanced as well, giving the U.S. team two medal hopefuls in the final six of finals. — Gentry Estes

Freestyle skiing: Women’s aerials through one round

The Americans have some ground to make up after the first round of two jumps in the women’s aerials final.Winter Vinecki (99.89) is in sixth place, while USA teammates Kaila Kuhn (87.00) is in ninth and Tasia Tanner (85.36) in 11th.The top six finalists will advance to the medal round after two different jumps, with the best one counting.Australia’s Danielle Scott leads with a 117.19. — Gentry Estes

USA’s Jake Canter earns shocking bronze in slopestyle

With a spectacular final run, American snowboarder Jake Canter won bronze in the men’s slopestyle competition.

Canter was in 10th after the first two runs, but went all out for his third and final run of the day. He flipped an extra rotation off the last rail element, stomped his last two jumps and raised both arms in excitement as he went to the finish area.

Awaiting his score, he made the sign for ‘prayer hands.” The shred gods delivered a nice number on his behalf — 79.36.

China’s Su Yiming took gold and was by far the most consistent rider of the day. His best score was 82.41 on his first run. Taiga Hasegawa from Japan took silver with 82.13, also secured in his first run.

Team USA veteran Red Gerard placed sixth with a best score of 76.60. And 17-year-old Ollie Martin came in ninth with a 75.36. − Chris Bumbaca

Winter Vinecki, Tasia Tanner join Kalia Kuhn in freestyle skiing aerials finals

Winter Vinecki and Tasia Tanner of the USA advanced in the second stage of morning qualifying in the women’s freestyle skiing aerials and will join Kalia Kuhn in the afternoon’s finals.Kuhn advanced among the top six jumps in the first stage, and the top six after the second stage advanced, too, making 12 finalists out of the 25 skiers in the field.Vinecki was fourth after the second qualifying (10th overall), and Tanner just made it on the bubble, finishing sixth (12th overall among finalists).The other American in the field, Kyra Dossa, finished 14th overall and did not advance.The finals will start in about 90 minutes. — Gentry Estes

Mikaela Shiffrin takes massive lead into second slalom run

The gold is Mikaela Shiffrin’s to lose.

Shiffrin takes a massive lead into the second run of the slalom, the last Alpine event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. She is 0.82 seconds ahead of Germany’s Lena Duerr.

Just how commanding is that? There is as much difference between Shiffrin and Duerr as there is between Duerr and Katharina Truppe. Who is 10th.

Shiffrin had said she had a ‘really wonderful’ training session after the team combined and it showed. Aside from a slight bobble in a tricky combination about midway through the course, Shiffrin had a perfect run. She was aggressive and confident, her technique so solid she appeared to flow from one gate into the next.

The start order for the second run is a reverse of the results from the first, meaning Shiffrin will go last.  — Nancy Armour

Kalia Kuhn advances to finals for freestyle skiing aerials

American Kalia Kuhn has advanced directly into this afternoon’s finals of the Olympic women’s aerials competition by finishing sixth in the first jumps of morning qualifying.

Other members of the U.S. team – Winter Vinecki (9th), Tasia Tanner (12th) and Kyra Dossa (23rd) – will have opportunity with another jump in the second stage of qualifying. The top 6 in each qualifying round advance to the finals, making 12 total out of a field of 25 competitors.

A long day is underway. Heavy snow in Livigno this week prompted organizers to change the schedule and put the qualifying and finals for women’s aerials on the same day. — Gentry Estes

Where to watch Olympics today

Watch all 2026 Winter Olympics events on NBC and Peacock.

Watch Olympics on Peacock

Olympics schedule today

All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at 5:34 p.m.

3 a.m. – Nordic Combined: Large Hill Official Training 4, Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
3:05 a.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – CHN vs. DEN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
3:05 a.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – USA vs. GBR, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
3:05 a.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – SWE vs. KOR, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
3:45 a.m. – Cross-Country Skiing: Women’s Team Sprint Free Qualification, Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
4 a.m. – Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom Run 1, Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
4 a.m. – Bobsleigh: 4-man Official Training Heat 1 & 2, Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
4:15 a.m. – Cross-Country Skiing: Men’s Team Sprint Free Qualification , Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
5:30 a.m. – Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Aerials Finals – medal event, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
5:45 a.m – Cross-Country Skiing: Women’s Team Sprint Free Final , Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
6:10 a.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – Slovakia vs. Germany , Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
6:15 a.m. – Cross-Country Skiing: Men’s Team Sprint Free Final , Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
6:30 a.m. – Snowboard: Men’s Slopestyle Final – medal event, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
7:30 a.m. – Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom Run 2 – medal event, Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8 a.m. – Bobsleigh: 2-Woman Official Training, Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – ITA vs. CAN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – CHN vs. CZA, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – NOR vs. SUI, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – USA vs. GBR, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
6:30 a.m. – Snowboard: Women’s Slopestyle Final – medal event, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
8:45 a.m. – Biathlon: Women’s 4 x 6km Relay – medal event, Anterselva Biathlon Arena (Antholz)
10:40 a.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – Canada vs. Czechia , Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
12:10 p.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – Finland vs. Switzerland , Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – GBR vs. JPN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – SUI vs. DEN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – CAN vs. ITA, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – CHN vs. SWE, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
2:15 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Quarterfinals, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
2:45 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Semifinals, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
2:51 p.m. – Short Track: Women’s 3000m Relay Final B, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
3 p.m. – Short Track: Women’s 3000m Relay Final A – medal event, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
3:10 p.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – USA vs. Sweden , Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
3:27 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Final B, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
3:32 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Semifinals, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)

Olympics medal count

Following competition on Tuesday, Feb. 17, Norway continues to dominate the medal standings with 31 (14 gold, eight silver and nine bronze). Host nation Italy as the second-most medals with 24, followed by the United States (21), Germany (20) and Japan (19).

More 2026 Winter Olympics

Less than a month after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are for sale. The team confirmed as much in an announcement today.

‘The Estate of Paul G. Allen today announced it has commenced a formal sale process for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise, consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all Estate proceeds to philanthropy,’ the statement read.

‘The Estate has selected investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins to lead the sale process, which is estimated to continue through the 2026 off-season. NFL owners must then ratify a purchase agreement,’ it continued.

Allen, co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation, purchased the Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million. Allen died in 2018 at age 65 and team ownership was transferred to the Allen estate, managed by his sister Jody.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked about a potential sale of the franchise leading up to Super Bowl 60.

‘To go with the sale and the ownership… nothing’s changed from two weeks ago or nothing’s changed since I interviewed for the job with Jody two years ago,’ Macdonald said.

It obviously wasn’t a distraction as the Seahawks earned a dominant 29-13 win.

Macdonald went on to praise Jody’s presence in the franchise.

‘Jody is a fantastic owner,’ he said. ‘Supportive, steadfast in what she believes and what she wants the Seahawks team to be and what it should mean to our community.

And she can kind of see through the fog that sometimes maybe in the first year I had a hard time doing. So to have that type of guidance and that type of support has meant a lot. So I can say this: I love having Jody as our owner.’

The Allen Estate also owns the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and is a minority owner of MLS’s Seattle Sounders FC.

This could be the third NFL team sale in the last five years. In 2024, the Washington Commanders were sold for $6.05 billion, the richest sale in NFL history. In 2022, the Denver Broncos were sold for $4.65 billion.

As of August 2025, Forbes valued the Seahawks franchise at $6.7 billion. That valuation put them at 14th league-wide. That would reset the record for the richest sale in NFL history if it holds.

NFL team valuations

Valuations from Forbes as of August 2025.

Dallas Cowboys: $13 billion
Los Angeles Rams: $10.5 billion
New York Giants: $10.1 billion
New England Patriots: $9 billion
San Francisco 49ers: $8.6 billion
Philadelphia Eagles: $8.3 billion
Chicago Bears: $8.2 billion
New York Jets: $8.1 billion
Las Vegas Raiders: $7.7 billion
Washington Commanders: $7.6 billion
Miami Dolphins: $7.5 billion
Houston Texans: $7.4 billion
Denver Broncos: $6.8 billion
Seattle Seahawks: $6.7 billion
Green Bay Packers: $6.65 billion
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $6.6 billion
Pittsburgh Steelers: $6.5 billion
Cleveland Browns: $6.4 billion
Atlanta Falcons: $6.35 billion
Tennessee Titans: $6.3 billion
Minnesota Vikings: $6.25 billion
Kansas City Chiefs: $6.2 billion
Baltimore Ravens: $6.1 billion
Los Angeles Chargers: $6 billion
Buffalo Bills: $5.95 billion
Indianapolis Colts: $5.9 billion
Carolina Panthers: $5.7 billion
Jacksonville Jaguars: $5.6 billion
Arizona Cardinals: $5.5 billion
Detroit Lions: $5.4 billion
New Orleans Saints: $5.3 billion
Cincinnati Bengals: $5.25 billion

UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin did it again Tuesday night — he keeps doing this — and someone needs to get him under control. I’d suggest Cronin needs to control himself, stop bullying his players and others, but these aren’t isolated incidents. This keeps happening. It’s who he is:

A bully. A vicious one.

Yeah, I hear some of you: Wah, wah, you’re so soft…

Maybe so. But maybe being soft, being vulnerable, is more of what this world needs. Everywhere you look, on the streets and on social media and even in our seats of government, we’re being hard, being invulnerable, being downright mean. Look around. You like what you see? Not me.

And what we’re seeing from Bruins coach Mick Cronin is appalling. Here’s what we saw Tuesday night, and please, see the whole picture. Don’t focus on one thing — the foul by one of his players — and decide: Welp, that’s what the kid deserved.

Nah. UCLA senior forward Steve Jamerson II didn’t deserve this.

Neither did the reporter who asked Cronin, afterward, about the atmosphere in East Lansing, Michigan.

Here’s how it started:

Michigan State’s Carson Cooper is running down the court, ahead of the pack, going up for a dunk. The No. 15 Spartans lead UCLA by 27 with 4½ minutes left, well on their way to victory, when Cooper rises for a dunk. Behind him, Jamerson arrives a split-second late. He goes for the block, nothing dirty — watch the play yourself — but Cooper’s momentum, combined with the contact Jamerson makes on his arm, sends Cooper to the floor.

Cooper rises, angry. Hey, that’s his right. Jamerson stands his ground. His right, too.

And then Mick Cronin did one of the single cruelest things I’ve ever seen.

First, UCLA’s Mike Cronin ejects his own player

You’re picturing the scene, right? The Breslin Center is furious, turning all its rage on Jamerson. That was the crowd’s right. So far, nobody has done anything wrong. Jamerson was hustling, competing. Didn’t look frustrated, just a split-second late as he contested the shot. Cooper was angry. The crowd was furious.

It happens.

But then Cronin does something that can’t happen. Cronin grabs Jamerson by the shirt, by the arm, and tells him to get out. Points angrily to a staffer, then to Jamerson, and gives the “get him out of here” signal.

Watch the video. See that look on Jamerson’s face? He’s bewildered, dejected. The entire building has just turned on him, and now his coach is sending him off the court, into the locker room, to face all that fury by himself? The video shows students giving Jamerson the middle finger, and shouting at him. You can see the finger(s). Can’t hear the shouting, thank goodness.

You hope Jamerson didn’t hear it, either, but that’s naïve.

“The most important thing for a teacher is for his students to have aptitude or they can’t learn,” he said in 2024 after a loss to Stanford. “If a team makes adjustments, we struggle to adjust to instruction on the fly.”

‘It’s really hard to coach people that are delusional,’ Cronin said in 2025 after a loss to Michigan. ‘We got guys who think they’re way better than they are. They’re nice kids. They’re completely delusional about who they are.”

“You can’t call your mommy; she can’t help you,” he said in 2024. “You’ve got an opportunity of a lifetime and it may not last forever depending on your performance.”

Cronin thinks he’s old-school tough, and that players are soft. He’s not the problem — they are.

“If you’re hard on Little Johnny in this era,” he said earlier this month, after a win at Rutgers, “you might get investigated.”

At first, forgive me, I found it almost refreshing. Maybe that’s because I was inclined to like Cronin — because I’d always liked Cronin — since meeting him 20 years ago when he was coaching Cincinnati and I was living there, covering college basketball for CBSSports.com. In 2011, when players from Xavier and Cincinnati brawled, Cronin’s postgame disgust was so real, so deserved, I texted him that night to thank him for standing up for decency.

Now this is me, standing up for decency, and telling Mick — or telling UCLA — this has to stop. What happened to Steven Jamerson was the breaking point, for me.

What happened afterward, to a reporter? Another brutal, bully move.

Then Mick Cronin bullies a reporter

This story hinges on Xavier Booker, who spent the past two seasons at Michigan State before transferring to UCLA this season. The Breslin Center student section, the 5,000-strong Izzone, taunted Booker by chanting his name.

Afterward, a reporter asked Cronin what he thought about that.

“I could give a rat’s ass about the other team’s student section,” Cronin said. “I would like to give you kudos for the worst question I’ve ever been asked.”

A second reporter starts to ask a question on another topic, but Cronin ignores him to turn on the first reporter. His team has just been embarrassed. Cronin’s about to take it out on someone else.

“You really think I care about the other team’s student section?” he asks.

The second reporter tries to defend himself, and if his voice went up ever so slightly — and that’s all it was — could you blame him? He was being humiliated by the coach of UCLA, with cameras running. He was standing up for himself, and you know bullies:

They don’t like that.

“Are you raising your voice at me?” Cronin demanded.

The reporter, trying to calm the situation, backed down and said he wasn’t.

“Yeah, you are, yeah, you are,” Cronin said. “Come on, dude … everybody’s standing here listening to you. Everybody. This is on camera. They can hear you. I answered the question. I could give a rat’s ass about the other team’s student section. I coach UCLA. I don’t care about Michigan State students. Who cares?”

This was the biggest kid in the schoolyard, pushing down a smaller one and then mocking him. It’s what Cronin had done to Jamerson, using the assembled crowd to reinforce his own cruelty.

This is who Cronin is with cameras rolling, and NBA scouts tell me he’s even worse behind closed doors, at practice. A Western Conference scout, a longtime friend of mine, was discussing Cronin’s recent odd behavior with me before tipoff at a recent Big Ten game. This was before the incident Tuesday night at Michigan State — that’s how bizarre Cronin has been behaving — when the scout told me:

“He mother(bleeps) them in practice like you wouldn’t believe,” the scout said. “Oh, he (bleeps) them. Mick is the only coach I know who doesn’t film his practice. You know why? He doesn’t want evidence.”

An Eastern Conference scout, another longtime friend who has attended UCLA practices, said he’s heard the same — that Cronin doesn’t film practice — and added: “John Wooden would be beside himself” at the way Cronin treats his players on a daily basis.

“Not sure why he’s so combative,” the scout continued. “He’s an excellent coach, and actually a great guy off the court.”

As I said, I’ve found Cronin to be charming away from the court as well, and was such a fan of his — past tense, was — that I suggested the Indiana basketball program hire Cronin last season after firing Mike Woodson. It’s OK to admit when we’re wrong.

What is Cronin waiting on? How about you, UCLA? Contrast UCLA’s silence, its unspoken approval of Cronin, with what Kansas State did Sunday, firing basketball coach Jerome Tang for a postgame rant that included: “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year.”

You ask me, Kansas State wasn’t standing up for its players but being cheap and opportunistic, using Tang’s rant to try to fire its losing coach for cause — and get out of his $18 million buyout. That might stick in court, but probably not.

Contrast Cronin’s postgame behavior Tuesday with Purdue coach Matt Painter the same night, when Michigan trounced his team at Mackey Arena and Painter stuck up for his players, said he “liked” them and even “loved” them, and then joked with reporters afterward.

“That was way too much talking,” he said as he rose to head back to the locker room.

“That’s on you,” a reporter teased.

“You have to own your part,” said Painter, teasing back, maybe the nicest great coach ever.

Mick Cronin? If he’s not the meanest coach in the country, God help the players of any coach who deserves the title more.

Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel onThreads, or onBlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar, or at www.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar. Subscribe to the free weekly Doyel on Demand newsletter.

Caldwell sped through a postgame handshake line with Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin after the final buzzer sounded. The Tennessee coach didn’t slow down when she walked up to McPhee-McCuin, who paused for a handshake. Caldwell appeared to walk past the Ole Miss coach, barely acknowledging McPhee-McCuin’s presence as she exited the court.

McPhee-McCuin, who appeared to laugh after the move, hugged a Tennessee assistant coach and continued through the line. Postgame, McPhee-McCuin said she wasn’t bothered by Caldwell’s actions.

‘I think she was probably just really ready to go,’ McPhee-McCuin said.

‘Because I like Kim. Sometimes, I don’t ever take stuff like that personally because the emotions — we’re competitive. She’s at Tennessee, and that’s a lot of history behind that place.’

The Vols had few answers for Ole Miss, which held a double-digit lead by halftime. Forward Cotie McMahon had 39 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as the Rebels poured on the scoring. During the third quarter, the lead ballooned to as much as 26 points.Tennessee allowed 42 points in the paint and found itself in foul trouble as it suffered its eighth loss this season and fifth loss in the last seven games.

Still, McPhee-McCuin seemed to understand Caldwell’s frustration and poor response after the loss.

‘So, maybe she was in a rush or maybe she was upset, and I respect both of them,’ she said. ‘For me, I was just glad we got the win.’