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Good morning! Win in overtime today. Inside:
Golds: This is why we watch
It is hard to pin down the best facet of something like the Olympics, a sprawling showcase of national talent and pride buoyed by the sheer volume of triumph and heartbreak throughout the competition.
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No. 1 on my power rankings? Moments that become indelible, instantly. That goes for all sports, too, but particularly on the Olympic stage, where years of preparation and pressure coalesce into one moment of truth.
The United States got two of those yesterday:
- We must start on the hockey ice, where the heavily favored American womenâs hockey team skated past Canada 2-1 in overtime, on this incredible sequence from Megan Keller:
TEAM USA TAKES GOLD đ„
Megan Keller wins it in overtime, helping the U.S. to a 2-1 victory over Canada.
đ„ @NBCOlympics | #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/1xXQvOnNII
â The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 19, 2026
- Itâs hard to stop watching that. The story of the win couldnât be better, too, as the Americans were on the verge of an absolute embarrassment for more than 58 minutes of play. Hilary Knight then ended her legendary Olympic career with a game-tying goal with 2:04 left. Then Keller closed it out to beat a heated rival in an epic conclusion. Indelible moment: â
- We now move to the figure skating ice, where Alysa Liu completed one of the most impressive career comebacks youâll see. Liu, 20, left the sport in 2022 after spending years as a phenom. She returned two years later and, after her skate in Milan yesterday, is the first American to win a womenâs figure skating gold in 24 years. I loved Marcus Thompson IIâs piece from Italy and Torrey Hartâs dispatch from Liuâs home rink in Oakland, Calif. Indelible moments: â â
Of course, those werenât the only moments from yesterdayâs Olympic action. See our full recap here.
News to Know
Kara Durrette / Getty Images
The Bears could really move to Indiana
The Indiana Senate unanimously passed a bill to help finance a new stadium, which would help lure the Bears away from Chicago to Hammond, Ind. Normally, this is bluster from a franchise to leverage a better deal out of negotiations with its current city or state; this, however, appears to be a very real possibility, as Illinois governor JB Pritzker expressed shock at the news while saying the state and the team had been in deep talks for the team to stay. Full context here.
More news:
- Eagles All-Pro offensive lineman Lane Johnson, 35, will return for a 14th season. Probably the best news of Phillyâs offseason.
- The lawsuit between Jaden Rashada and former Florida coaches quietly settled yesterday. If anything, it shows the current NIL system is better than the old one.
- Two more Georgia football players were arrested on driving-related charges. See more here.
- An Australian TV host apologized after she âtotally misjudgedâ drinking alcohol before going on air for an Olympics segment. Read her comments.
- The NBA is making anti-tanking changes. Read our full story.
- Maybe we should believe in the Pistons. They finished a season sweep of the Knicks with a blowout win in New York last night.
- Hornets star LaMelo Ball was involved in a two-car crash Wednesday in Charlotte. More details inside.
đ°Â Find more news here 24/7.
âSuperstarsâ: A great part of spring training is upon us
In 2013, I was a naive 23-year-old Phillies writer covering my first spring training. I watched as Domonic Brown set the Grapefruit League on fire that spring, hitting seven home runs with a 1.047 OPS. I also watched him hit 27 home runs that season in a breakout year that earned him a spot at the All-Star Game.
I thought he was destined for long-term superstardom. Instead, he was out of the majors by 2016. But his spring training superstardom was something to behold, and an extremely fun memory â and a reminder of how fleeting baseball success can be.
The time has come to crown more spring training superheroes, with games beginning today. Yesterday, Jim Bowden made a list of 20 MLB rookies to watch this spring, and in the spirit of the above, I picked a few that interested me most:
1. Nolan McLean, Mets SP
McLean was electric in eight starts at the MLB level, and one can assume that experience will only juice the 24-year-oldâs runway to major-league stardom this year. Heâs not the teamâs ace yet â Freddy Peralta says hi â but as Jim noted, donât be surprised if McLean is a Game 1 starter in the playoffs. Zoinks.
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2. Trey Yesavage, Blue Jays SP
It almost feels like Yesavage doesnât belong here after becoming a World Series hero last year, but the 22-year-old made just three regular-season starts in September. Still a rookie this year! You should buy all of his stock.
3. Munetaka Murakami, White Sox 1B
Murakami is making the jump from Japan to MLB this year, and at 26 years old could enter the league as a bona fide power hitter. If he adjusts as projected, heâll probably mash spring training pitching, which can be iffy.
Go read Jimâs full list here. There are future stars in there, whether thatâs just for a spring or for a decade.
As for Brown? Back in 2020, Matt Gelb wrote a great feature on how the former outfielder found peace at the end of his career and in his new one: teaching the game.
Almost done:
Watch Guide
đș Olympics: All day
4 a.m. ET on NBC/USA/Peacock
Big, big day. Medals awarded in freestyle skiing, biathlon, speedskating and curling, along with banger menâs hockey semifinal matchups at 10:40 a.m. ET and 3:10 p.m. ET. See the full slate.
đș NCAAM: Indiana at No. 7 Purdue
8 p.m. ET on Fox
A top-10 team hosts an in-state rival, and tickets are going for over $200 a pop on the secondary market. That means weâre getting a fun atmosphere. Find a couch.
đș NBA: Clippers at Lakers
10 p.m. ET on ESPN
Two of the more interesting teams in basketball also occupy the same big-market city, which makes for good Friday night watching if youâre around. Sam Amickâs deeply reported notebook today has tidbits about both franchises, too.
Get tickets to games like this here.
Pulse Picks
Bones Hyland has been through plenty: personal tragedy and professional exile. Finally, at 25, he has his chance to start in the NBA. Heâs shining.
Mirin Fader returns with another excellent story, this one on an NBA prospect who chased his dream from Qatar to All-Star Weekend. Make time for this today.
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I would read any story about day-to-day life at the Olympic Village. Michael Russoâs insight into the experience of NHL players there was great.
Our NFL beat writers conducted their own mock draft, which I always find interesting. See their picks here.
Fantasy baseball looms. We have a handy guide on how to avoid screwing up your first pick.
World Cup powers had an entire continent to choose from to set up base camp for this summerâs main event. Many of them chose âŠÂ Kansas City.
Hereâs an interesting file of MLS season predictions for the upcoming season, which begins tomorrow. Weâll have a full feature on the MLS year ahead over the weekend, too.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The Red Sox/Fanatics jersey saga.
Most-read on the website yesterday: USA-Canada live blog. Fun to relive that moment.
đ« Thatâs all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.