When the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) named Harold Kreis as the men’s national team head coach three years ago, many observers saw his appointment as something of a no-brainer. By then, he’d simply seen and done it all in German hockey.
But the Winnipeg native’s arrival in the Ice Hockey Bundesliga, the predecessor to Germany’s topflight DEL, was not without controversy. Kreis came at the age of 19 as part of an influx of several Canadian players in 1978, recruited by Mannheim’s general manager to help make his side, newly promoted from division 2, competitive in the top league. The fact that he and four of the others who came over were eligible for West German passports meant little to their detractors.
Heckled during warmup
“In Mannheim we were welcomed with open arms, but when we played in other rinks, not so much — even though other teams had their own Canadians,” Kreis told DW.
“One night in Rosenheim a fan was really giving it to me in the warmup. I went over and asked him if he also swore at Karl Friesen [Rosenheim’s Canadian-born goalie] like that. He didn’t say another word.”
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“I think it was something that people simply weren’t used to, this big influx of ‘Ausländer’ [foreigners] — even though we were all of German heritage.”
Harold Kreis spent almost two decades as a player for MannheimImage: Roth/picture alliance
Olympic debut delayed by four years
Like Friesen, Kreis, a defenseman, quickly became a mainstay of the West German national team, and he was on the initial roster to make his Olympic debut at the 1980 Games in Lake Placid — but was dropped at the last minute due to a technicality regarding his West German passport. It’s something that he laughs off these days, but he still finds the whole thing a bit “strange.”
Kreis would not be deterred, playing his entire 18 seasons with Mannheim while making 180 appearances for the national team — including at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics.
Transition to coaching
After he hung up his skates in 1997, having won a second title with Mannheim, Kreis turned his hand to coaching, where he has also found success, including winning two Swiss championships and leading Germany to a silver medal at the 2023 world championship — his first major tournament after taking the job.
Harold Kreis (right) got into coaching as an assistant to Lance Nethery at Mannheim the season after he hung up his skatesImage: Oliver Behrendt/IMAGO
Almost 50 years since he arrived in West Germany, the question of how many foreigners are “too many” still comes up from time to time. Germany captain Moritz Müller caused a stir a few years ago, when he accused DEL rivals Iserlohn on live television of icing a “Canada 1c [third rate] national team” — the DEL now allows nine imports, as opposed to just two in 1978.
Foreign players a positive in Germany
So, has the influx of foreigners helped the game’s development in Germany? Or has it hurt it by denying ice time to German-born youngsters?
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“I’d say that overall it has helped. I believe the influx of players from North America or Czechoslovakia back then helped raise the level of play, although it probably hindered the development of individual German-born players,” Kreis said.
“For a high-caliber league, which the DEL is, you simply need foreign players to improve or maintain its current level of play.”
At the same time, though, he pointed to a rule introduced a few years ago, requiring DEL teams to carry two spots on their squads for U23 German players to give prospects more opportunity to play at a high level.
Strongest Germany team aren’t favorites
Having recently turned 67, Kreis is set to head back to the Olympics — for the first time as head coach. He does so with what is generally seen as the strongest German team ever, as the world’s top league, the NHL, is allowing its players to participate for the first time since Sochi in 2014.
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Germany has six NHLers in the squad for Milano Cortina, including Edmonton’s superstar Leon Draisaitl and fellow star forwards Tim Stützle of Ottawa and Utah’s JJ Peterka, as well as Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Moritz Seider of Detroit. In goal, Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer has returned to form at just the right time, after a couple of sub-par seasons.
But their strength doesn’t make them favorites — not by a long shot — as the traditional powerhouses of the game, like Canada, the USA, or Sweden are packed with NHL stars. And like Draitsaitl, who has had to wait until the age of 30 to get his first shot at an Olympic medal, their stars have also been chomping at the bit for years to play in a truly best-on-best tournament.
“Sturm brought a completely different mindset to the dressing room — to the entire German Ice Hockey Association,” he explained.
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Germany’s Olympic silver medal in Pyeongchang represented a ‘change in mindset’Image: Reuters/B. Snyder
“No longer was Germany happy with a 3-1 loss to Canada, for example. His attitude was that this is not acceptable. We can do better, we intend to do better. And the team brought this mindset to the ice in 2018, and ever since, the players have brought a high competetive level when they play for Germany.”
Coach Kreis declined to name a specific goal for this tournament, but he did accept that getting out of a group with the United States, Denmark and Latvia was doable.
“Denmark and Latvia are two teams that we have always performed well against. They have similar numbers of NHL players as we do, so these will be two very interesting and very important games for us,” he said.
“Our goal is to achieve the best possible result for us. To play our very best ice hockey in each game. And then we’ll see where we stand at the end.”
Germany’s men’s ice hockey team start their campaign against Denmark on February 12.
The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the NFL’s more crowded quarterback rooms.
Sheduer Sanders took over the starting quarterback duties in Week 12 last season, and after two more starts, he was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Dillon Gabriel moved to a backup role as Deshaun Watson stayed on the physically unable to perform list, even after the team opened his 21-day practice window in December. Watson is still recovering from his latest Achilles injury.
Speaking at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis Tuesday, Brown general manager Andrew Berry left the door open for Watson to compete with Sanders for the starting job next season.
Cleveland Browns Executive vice president, football operations & general manager Andrew Berry looks on during OTA offseason workouts at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 04, 2025 in Berea, Ohio.(Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Berry cautioned that there’s no rush to decide on who will QB1 when next season kicks off.
“We don’t have to make that decision anytime soon,” he said. “I think any player that we have in that room we would expect to compete to earn a role. Those two would be no different.”
While Gabriel could be among the group competing for the starting spot, Berry has previously indicated that the team could look to add an experienced quarterback to the roster at some point this offseason.
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Sanders took snaps with the designated second-team for the majority of the Browns’ minicamp and training camp last year. He went 3-4 as a starter in 2025. Berry is optimistic Sanders can continue to improve.
“I think the biggest thing that we want to see from Shedeur is just continued growth,” Berry said. “I think he grew a lot from Start 1 to Start 7. I think certainly playing more efficiently, not putting the ball in harm’s way as much would be important while maintaining the ability to produce out of structure and generate explosive plays.”
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb. 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The Browns dismissed Kevin Stefanski in January and brought in Todd Monken, and Berry said he wants Sanders to acclimate to the new system.
“You’re not going to see all of that in the upcoming months because we’re not on the field. So the biggest thing that he can do is learn the new offense, get in with the coaching staff once our offseason program starts, continue to work on his body physically and then make strides when we actually get on the grass.”
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Watson has appeared in just 19 games in the three years since he inked an unprecedented fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Browns. Watson is reportedly owed $46 million next season and carries the largest salary cap hit in the league in 2026.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in action during the NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)
Berry confirmed Watson continues to work through the rehab process. “Deshaun’s been working really hard, he’s been working his tail off,” he said. “And like I said, we’re excited to go in mid-April with all of our players across the roster.”
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah watches from the sideline during the NFL International Series matchup on Sep. 28, 2025, at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, monitoring player performance and roster depth as Minnesota competes abroad while balancing executive evaluation duties in a rare overseas regular-season setting. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Last month, the Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, 44, after four seasons in charge of the football operation. Although his tenure with the Vikings ended, his NFL career will continue. Rather than taking some time off, he’ll hop immediately into a new front office role with the San Francisco 49ers.
Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribunereported on Tuesday, ” Former Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will return to the San Francisco 49ers, general manager John Lynch told reporters at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Adofo-Mensah will be rehired by the 49ers in a personnel executive role that will be formalized after the NFL draft, Lynch said.”
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on from the sideline during a matchup with the New York Giants, Dec 21, 2025, as Minnesota continued navigating the latter portion of the season. Adofo-Mensah, hired in 2022, has overseen the franchise’s roster construction and long-term vision following the departure of former general manager Rick Spielman. Mandatory Credit: VikingzFanPage–Twitter
Adofo-Mensah had previously worked for the 49ers in several front office positions. He was the manager of football research & development from 2013-2016 and the director of football research & development between 2017 and 2019.
After his time with the 49ers, he served as the Cleveland Browns’ vice president of football operations, then joined the Vikings in 2022.
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More from Krammer, “Vikings ownership fired Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30 after four seasons — and just eight months after he signed a multiyear contract extension. He will return to the 49ers, where he began his NFL career as a quantitative analyst in 2013. The move will save the Vikings some money as Adofo-Mensah had offset language in his former Vikings contract, according to a league source.”
Why Adofo-Mensah was fired remains speculative, as the reports went in different directions. One thing is clear: Though the rosters he handed to the coaches were mostly solid, the results in the Draft were, at the very least, underwhelming. In the long run, teams that don’t draft well won’t be in Super Bowl conversations in January.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surveys the field and pregame activity at U.S. Bank Stadium during warmups ahead of a December 8, 2024 matchup in Minneapolis against the Atlanta Falcons, as the organization prepared for another late-season test under the stadium lights with roster stakes looming. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Questions about long-term roster direction, including key quarterback decisions, likely contributed to the organization’s evaluation of his tenure.
Krammer added, “Co-owner Mark Wilf, after Adofo-Mensah’s tenure in Minnesota came to an end, said the Vikings ‘felt a change was necessary’ after judging his ‘body of work’ over four seasons. The team watched quarterback Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this month after leaving the Vikings as a free agent a year ago. Adofo-Mensah’s draft record was also poor. The Vikings might not sign any of his 2022 draft picks to a second contract if wide receiver Jalen Nailor goes elsewhere next month.”
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Most fired head coaches land on their feet, either returning to coordinator ranks or getting hired in the same position elsewhere. With executives, the story is often more complicated. Some are never seen again, others take advisory roles. Many only get one chance to be GMs.
On Adofo-Mensah’s watch, the Vikings went 43-25 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs.
Without him, the Vikings have turned to Rob Brzezinski. Minnesota’s longtime front-office member will lead the organization through free agency and the Draft before the Vikings begin the process of hiring a successor. Brzezinski could also be in the mix for that role.
From a leaguewide perspective, the move to San Francisco is not surprising. Adofo-Mensah built a strong reputation early in his career as an analytically driven executive with a research background, and the 49ers have long valued that type of profile in their front office structure. Returning to a familiar organization also allows him to step into a lower-pressure environment compared to a general manager role while still contributing to roster construction and long-term planning.
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For the 49ers, the hiring represents a low-risk addition of an experienced decision-maker who has led a franchise and understands the demands of modern roster building, contract strategy, and draft evaluation.
Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt
There are nights when a season bends, if only slightly, toward belief regardless if the other team has had its own struggles.
Tuesday night in Colorado Springs against Air Force was one of those bends.
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San Jose State (8-20, 3-14 MW) walked into Clune Arena and walked out with its first road victory of the year; an 86-80 decision built on shot-making, resilience and the exploits of red shirt sophomore Adrian Myers .
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Myers was doing it all from the opening tip.
Eighteen first-half points set the tone, and his career-high 34, the most by a Spartan this season, came on a blistering 11-of-18 shooting, including 8-of-9 from three-point range.
At altitude, against a Falcon team that has struggled to shoot much of the year but found a first-half rhythm, Myers’ poise never wavered.
Air Force’s Lucas Hobin was unconscious early, 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in the first-half alone, some from near half-court range, helping the Falcons surge ahead 11-2 in the opening minutes.
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Yet, the Spartans never fractured.
Jermaine Washington, back after missing five games, steadied the perimeter, while Sadraque Nganga, increasingly playing more than a stretch four, carved space inside and finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
The first-half unfolded as a relatively even, back-and-forth affair, five ties and six lead changes over 40 minutes.
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San Jose State closed the half on a Myers three to seize a 42-37 lead; a subtle but significant shift in a game that would demand nerve.
Air Force would not yield.
The Falcons outscored SJSU 10-4 to begin the second half, briefly reclaiming momentum.
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But Colby Garland then “woke up,” finishing with 23 points and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line . His calm at the stripe, especially in the final seconds, proved decisive.
With eight minutes left, the Spartans authored the stretch that defined the night; hitting six of seven shots to push the lead to double digits.
Myers’ sixth, seventh and then eighth three-pointers punctuated the surge, stretching the margin to as many as 12 .
And yet, even statistically, the Spartans were outmatched in key areas.
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Air Force outscored SJSU 42-26 in the paint and shot a slightly better overall percentage (50.9% to 49.1%) . The Falcons also won the rebounding battle 32-31.
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But the difference was precision: San Jose State shot 54.2% from three and 89.5% from the line; efficiency over volume, execution over margin.
There was late-game anxiety.
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A sudden scoring drought left the Spartans clinging to a four-point lead inside the final minute. But a Falcon turnover and two Garland free throws finally sealed it.
For 27 minutes and 37 seconds, the Spartans led.
On this night, at 7,000 feet, they also endured and for a team that has worn its struggles visibly all season, that may matter most.
Eddie Howe says Newcastle can “raise their game” and “compete with anybody” after they swept aside Qarabag in the Champions League knockout play-offs to set up a last-16 tie against Barcelona or Chelsea.
Allegiant Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 1 NRL game between Newcastle Knights and
North Queensland Cowboys. The game kicks off at 1:15 pm with North Queensland Cowboys heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Newcastle Knights vs.
North Queensland Cowboys
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Odds
Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Preview
Newcastle opens its 2026 campaign on the Vegas stage under new coach Justin Holbrook, charged with reviving an attack that averaged just 14 points per game last season. The arrival of Dylan Brown alongside Kalyn Ponga adds class, but pre-season losses suggest cohesion remains a work in progress.
North Queensland, coached by Todd Payten, arrive with momentum after two trial wins, though last year’s defensive frailties linger in the background. The Cowboys have won their past five meetings with Newcastle, including a 38-4 rout in 2025.
Round 1 trends favour the Knights, but their scoring struggles loom large. Expect a tight, grinding contest — backing Newcastle under 18.5 points shapes as the value play.
Newcastle Knights vs North Queensland Cowboys Teams
Knights team: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Dylan Brown 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Trey Mooney 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Jermaine McEwen 13. Tyson Frizell 14. Sandon Smith 15. Mathew Croker 16. Thomas Cant 17. Pasami Saulo 18. Fletcher Hunt 19. Francis Manuleleua 20. Tyson Gamble 21. Cody Hopwood 22. James Schiller
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Cowboys team: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Tomas Chester 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Jake Clifford 7. Tom Dearden 8. Coen Hess 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Sam McIntyre 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Soni Luke 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Harrison Edwards 17. Kai O’Donnell 18. Griffin Neame 19. John Bateman 20. Liam Sutton 21. Matthew Lodge 22. Robert Derby
Paris St. Germain’s Achraf Hakimi in a match against Atalanta in Paris on Sept. 17, 2025.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi said that he will stand trial following a rape accusation made against him.
The accusation stems from a February 2023 incident in which a then 24-year-old woman accused the Moroccan player of sexually assaulting her at his home outside of Paris. The public prosecutor’s office in the city’s suburb of Nanterre began a preliminary investigation the following month.
Hakimi has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial,” he posted on X. “This is as unjust to the innocent as it is to the genuine victims. I calmly await this trial, which will allow the truth to come out publicly.”
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Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, confirmed the order for a trial on Tuesday, with the trial date not yet set.
“A trial has been ordered on the basis of an accusation that rests solely on the word of a woman who obstructed all investigations, refused all medical examinations and DNA tests, refused to allow her mobile phone to be examined, and refused to give the name of a key witness,” Colin said in a statement.
Hakimi, 27, has made 194 appearances for PSG and the vice captain was named to the club’s initial squad for Wednesday’s match against Monaco in the second leg of the club’s Champions League knockout round playoff tie.
PSG coach Luis Enrique said during a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the Monaco match that, “this matter is in the hands of the authorities.”
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Born in Spain, Hakimi represents Morocco on the international stage and helped the team become the first African side to reach the World Cup semifinals when they did so in Qatar in 2022.
Swansea co-owner Snoop Dogg was greeted with twirling towels and a guard of honour on his first visit to the Welsh club.
The American rapper, who is a minority owner of the Championship club alongside American television host Martha Stewart and Croatia international Luka Modric, made his first appearance at the Swansea.com Stadium for Tuesday’s clash with Preston.
Snoop Dogg joined the Swansea ownership group last July and made his way to south-West Wales after being at the Winter Olympics, where he served as Team USA’s honorary coach as well as a special correspondent for broadcaster NBC.
The celebrity visit had created so much excitement that a 21,000 record crowd was expected at the Swansea.com Stadium, which opened in 2005.
Snoop Dogg, who had arrived at the stadium nearly three hours before the 7.45pm kick-off, had requested the crowd to be in their seats ahead of the action to twirl the complimentary towels – a staple action for supporters in American sports.
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The plea post on Swansea’s official X account was accompanied by a short video of the 54-year-old showing how he would like fans to do it.
The fans had obviously watched the video as Snoop took to the field through a guard of honour for Snoop made up of 20 youngsters representing Wales at the 2026 Street Child World Cup in North America.
Dressed in the club’s all-white colours, with a Swansea crest on his jacket, dark glasses and a beanie hat, Snoop made a pre-match lap of honour as fans twirled their towels with rock music booming in the background.
Snoop Dogg saluted the fans, shook hands with some, and had photographs taken with others. Club mascot Cyril the Swan even got a hug.
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He eventually disappeared down the tunnel seven minutes later just before a light show started prior to kick-off.
Snoop Dogg, known for hits like Gin and Juice and Drop It Like It’s Hot, has had a successful three-decade music career, having topped the UK charts and received 16 Grammy nominations.
Nigeria’s women’s national football team has arrived in Yaoundé ahead of their double-header friendly matches against Cameroon as preparations intensify for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Head coach Justine Madugu, his technical crew, home-based players, and the foreign-based contingent all touched down in the Cameroonian capital as the team begins final preparations.
The Super Falcons will face the Indomitable Lionesses on 28 February, with the second friendly scheduled for 3 March.
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Both matches are tests ahead of WAFCON 2026 in Morocco, where Nigeria has been drawn in Group C alongside Malawi, Zambia, and Egypt.
The friendlies provide the technical team an opportunity to assess the players, sharpen match fitness, and fine tune any tactical details before continental competition begins.
With WAFCON on the horizon, the build-up has officially started
Jeeno Thitiful feels grateful, sarcastically so. She’d just been reminded that in four previous appearances at this week’s HSBC Women’s World Championship, she didn’t finish outside the top 10, which was meant to be complimentary.
But Thitiful opted to see it another way.
“Thanks for the pressure,” she deadpanned, then added:
“No worries.”
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That drew smiles, and the symbolism was thicker than any course’s rough.
Pressure, it feels like, is everywhere for Thitikul. It was there at last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand event, Thitikul’s home event, a tournament she considers on par with any major when thinking of value. Then there are the majors themselves. She’s won everything — except one of those. There’s the pressure, too, of being ranked atop the world, because the world then tends to look your way.
And yet?
No worries. To cope, Thitikul said Tuesday she’s swearing by a four-word mantra. It’s a pressure deflator, much like using a touch of sarcasm, and the saying is this:
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Dance in the rain.
That’s deeper. That’s thoughtful. That’s played out over her pressure points.
How Jeeno Thitikul approached pressure during the Honda LPGA Thailand event
Tuesday, Thitiful said she was still a little short on sleep. Adrenaline will do that, and Sunday at the Honda LPGA Thailand, it was flowing. Still, she said she decided that no matter what happened, her home country fans were going to get a show.
“The nerves is always going to be there, but you have to beat the nerves,” she said. “Sometime you get more worried about the future, about what next shot I’m going to do.
“But I told myself, this is the time that you need joy with it, need joy with excitement, need joy with the nervous moments.
“That’s why I kind of try to dance in the rain.”
Then it’s off to the next week, and the chance to do it all over again.
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“I feel like you want just only that day, and then yesterday was like another new day that the trophy wasn’t there anymore,” Thitikul said. “It’s a new week, it’s a new journey, it’s new themes.”
How Jeeno Thitikul will approach pressure during her pursuit of a major win
The theme of Thitikul not yet winning a major has followed her — her best showing was a runner-up finish at last year’s Evian Championship. Still, her thought is: There are five chances this year. And five next year. And so on.
More dances.
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“Obviously when the pressure moment, when the nervous moment coming, you’re not going to get it every time,” Thitikul said. “… You have 10 times, you’re not going to get it 10 times. You’re obviously going to fall for sure.
“But I think the times that you fall, then you learn what the next time you’re going to do. But if you fall, that’s fine. Because you have the 11th time coming again.”
Thitikul also said she learned last week that she doesn’t need a “perfect 100 percent” game to win. In Thailand, she thought her iron play was well below that.
“So I think for the goals for the majors, for whatever, I think that’s kind of always going to be with me,” she said. “That obviously if I’m not a 100 percent of my game, but I have to show out there and be able to bounce back.”
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How Jeeno Thitikul will approach the pressure of being the world No. 1
Interestingly, Thitikul had been ranked No. 1 previously — for a week, after the 2022 Toto Japan Classic, when she was 19. Then, she said she put pressure on herself. But things have changed.
Thoughts have changed.
“It’s definitely different to my perspective of seeing things,” Thitikul said. “Seeing perspective of every way of seeing that because at that time, I think I was so young, and then I just put a lot of pressure on myself. I know a lot of people already had eyes on me and they are already expecting me. … At that time, I see things so serious. Even if I miss one shot, I felt that was bad.
“Right now, when I have a bad shot, it’s OK, you have another one. I think it’s more relaxing. It’s small thing to handle. But I just told myself, I really enjoyed it to be where I am right now and then I’m not going to be in this position forever. There’s going to be more top players coming up, but I want to perform and enjoy this position the best that I can.”
;)
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