The United States swept both Olympic hockey gold medals only to see the celebrations turn into a political flashpoint. The men took a locker room call from President Donald Trump, who joked he would need to also invite the women's team to the White House. Later, a doctored White House TikTok upset American player Brady Tkachuk. Both teams stressed that they back each other's runs to gold.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have dismissed assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis, just hours before he was named as a suspect in a sexual assault case. The dismissal came shortly after the Falcons said Friday they were looking into allegations that recently surfaced on social media. A direct message seeking comment was sent to Lewis on social media. The allegations date to Lewis’ time at the University of Michigan, where he served as a graduate assistant for the 2022 season before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach for the next two seasons.
The Dallas Cowboys have placed the franchise tag on George Pickens, a move that would guarantee the receiver $27.3 million in 2026 while the sides work on a long-term contract. The Cowboys had been expected to use the tag on Pickens since last fall when he began to flourish in his breakout 2025 season. He was coming off a trade from Pittsburgh, where his career got off to a rocky start. The money is guaranteed if Pickens signs the one-year tender. The deadline for a long-term contract is July 15. It would replace the one-year deal.
Athletes and college sports administrators continue to end up in court less than a year after the House vs. NCAA class-action lawsuit was settled. Legal experts see no end in sight without federal legislation codifying rules on NIL and eligibility or a a totally new structure for the enterprise. Duke and Cincinnati sued quarterbacks who entered the transfer portal alleging breach of contract. More athletes are suing the NCAA to gain extra eligibility years. Attorney Mit Winter says federal law, a Supreme Court ruling or collective bargaining will stop the chaos.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Brooks Koepka and alternate Ben Silverman rebound at the Cognizant Classic and reach the weekend at PGA National. On Friday, Koepka fired a 5-under 66 and jumped inside the cut at 2 under. He says he does not come to tournaments just to make cuts. He hit few fairways but sank more putts and made six birdies. Silverman shot 67 after getting in when Will Zalatoris withdrew hurt. Silverman says he feels the home energy near Jupiter. A.J. Ewart and Mackenzie Hughes also made big moves.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Fernando Mendoza possesses all the traits NFL teams covet in a franchise quarterback. He’s smart, mobile, makes fast reads and quick releases. He has a strong arm and prototypical size. He has three years of starting experience and a national championship, too. But the once lightly recruited Mendoza learned long ago not to take anything for granted. So if the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in April ’s draft fulfills those expectations, he’ll eagerly embrace the pressure to succeed. And if the quarterback-needy Las Vegas Raiders do the unthinkable and bypass Mendoza, the former Indiana star won’t fret. Instead, the Boston-born Mendoza hopes to steal a page from Tom Brady's playbook.
BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams since returning from the All-Star break. They can add one of the best offensive performances in league history to their list of accomplishments as they await a possible return of star Jayson Tatum to action. Boston shot a season-high 66.7% from the field in their 148-111 win over the Brooklyn Nets. It was the second-best field goal percentage in team history, falling just short of the 67.9% they shot against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 21, 1984. The Celtics also shot 64.7% from the 3-point line Friday, which equated to an 80.8% effective field goal percentage – the highest in NBA history.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tempers flared in the fourth quarter between Oklahoma City and the Denver Nuggets and resulted in the ejection of the Thunder’s Lu Dort. Dort fouled Denver’s Nikola Jokic in the midst of a tight game and Jokic got in Dort’s face. A scrum ensued, and Jokic and Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams were called for offsetting technical fouls. Dort was issued a Flagrant 2 and ejected. Oklahoma City won 127-121 in overtime.
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA players’ union sent a counterproposal to the league Friday night for a new collective bargaining agreement that included some concessions on revenue sharing and housing — two key areas on which the sides differ — according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday night on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. The union’s proposal came a week after it received one from the league. The WNBA told the union Monday that it needs to get a deal in place by March 10 to start the season on time, another person familiar with the discussions told the AP. That person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has reassured FIFA that it can safely host the World Cup after deadly cartel violence this week. President Claudia Sheinbaum says on Friday that FIFA representatives plan to visit Mexico soon. She says they will review security and transport mobility in the host cities. Sheinbaum says transport projects remain urgent in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. Recent violence follows an army operation against a major cartel leader. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has told Sheinbaum he has full confidence in Mexico as a World Cup host.
MLB SPRING TRAINING
INTERLEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 6 Baltimore 1
Final Atlanta 15 Boston 8
Final Detroit 16 Philadelphia 8
Final L.A. Angels 4 Cincinnati 3
Final Milwaukee 5 Chicago White Sox 2
Final Chicago Cubs 8 Cleveland 6
Final Arizona 3 Seattle 1
Final Houston 4 Washington 4
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 6 Toronto 5
Final N.Y. Yankees 17 Minnesota 5
Final Chicago White Sox 3 Texas 1
Final Kansas City 7 Athletics 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 10 Miami 2
Final N.Y. Mets 14 St. Louis 3
Final Colorado 3 San Diego 2
Final San Francisco 12 L.A. Dodgers 4
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Washington 3 Vegas 2
Final Buffalo 3 Florida 2
Final Utah 5 Minnesota 2
Final OT Anaheim 5 Winnipeg 4
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (3)Michigan 84 (10)Illinois 70