By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
Sports
Joey Porter says Steelers protected Ben Roethlisberger, but QB wasn’t a ‘good person’
While he never played for the coach, former Steelers outside linebacker Joey Porter is going to bat for Mike Tomlin while taking aim at two former teammates who have been outspoken about Tomlin since he decided to step down as Pittsburgh’s leader.
Fellow former Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison has been extremely vocal in his criticism of Tomlin, going as far as to say he isn’t a Hall of Fame-caliber coach. Former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t been as extreme, but he did make headlines when he suggested late in the 2025 season that Tomlin should become Penn State’s new coach. Roethlisberger has since said on his podcast that it was probably time for a change regarding the Steelers’ coaching post.
Porter, who also served on Pittsburgh’s coaching staff from 2015-18, was largely diplomatic in terms of his comments regarding Harrison, but things got personal when he discussed Roethlisberger, his teammate from 2004-06.
“Seven definitely broke the brotherhood,” Porter said on Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward’s podcast. “The shit that Seven did that we don’t talk about is crazy. Out of anybody, he should never grab a microphone and really talk Steelers business, because if we’re talking Steelers business, his ass is foul of all foul, like the shit that he did is foul of all foul.
“He’s not a good teammate. Won a Super Bowl with him, but the person, he’s just not a good teammate. Like he knows that, anybody in the Steeler building knows that, but we protected him, because I’ve only won one Super Bowl, and that was my quarterback. So do I love my quarterback? Yeah, but is he a good person? No.”
When asked why he felt Roethlisberger was a bad teammate, Porter mentioned that Roethlisberger did not sign autographs for teammates’ family members during his rookie season. Porter, a team captain at the time, decided to have a meeting with Roethlisberger after he specifically declined to sign something for defensive end Aaron Smith.
“Who the hell is too cool to sign for your teammate?” said Porter, alluding to former teammate and Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis and his constant willingness to do things for teammates and fans. “I always looked at it like this. Look at the team when Joey was a captain, when Jerome was captain, when Hines Ward was a captain. You heard nothing in the locker room.
“Captains have to do captain shit, right? We voted to be captains; you had to be voted in. He came in an era where they just gave you a seat, because if he wasn’t a captain, he’d probably have a hissy fit, but nobody’s going to vote for him as captain because he don’t have no captain qualities.”
Beyond his alleged locker room issues, Roethlisberger was suspended for four games in 2010 amid a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, as multiple women accused him of misconduct in 2008 and 2010.
“I got caught up being Big Ben the whole time,” Roethlisberger said at the time. “I lost track of who Ben Roethlisberger was. It’s not something I’m proud of.
“Big Ben just kept building up. It ended up coming off the field. It kept taking over. Superman kept taking over Clark Kent and you just never saw who Ben Roethlisberger was anymore. At the time, I didn’t see it. I was gaining everything, but I was losing a lot of who I was raised to be.”
Roethlisberger himself previously acknowledged that he wasn’t always the best teammate. He did, however, maintain some close relationships during his early years in Pittsburgh with several teammates, specifically Bettis and former tight end Heath Miller, among others. In later years, he developed a close bond with center Maurkice Pouncey, who was inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor this past year alongside Roethlisberger and Porter.
In 2019, departing teammates Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown both questioned Roethlisberger’s leadership or lack thereof. One of their criticisms of Roethlisberger was that he didn’t spend enough time with them outside of the facility.
Roethlisberger appeared to respond by hosting Pittsburgh’s skill players at his lake house that offseason. He also pulled the plug on his local radio show, which often led to public criticisms of teammates, like Martavis Bryant in 2015 and fellow receiver James Washington in 2018.
In later years, Roethlisberger publicly vouched for several teammates to get contract extensions, like running back James Conner prior to Conner becoming a free agent after the 2020 season. In 2021, his final season in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger agreed to a contract restructure that cleared $15 million, which helped Pittsburgh re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster, one of Roethlisberger’s favorite receivers.
While he at least appeared to be a better teammate during his later seasons, Roethlisberger wasn’t perfect. In 2018, for example, he loudly questioned the Steelers’ decision to draft fellow quarterback Mason Rudolph, who supported Porter’s comments on social media. He recently alluded to the Steelers giving him a “center that had never played center before” for his final season (he has since apologized to said center, Kendrick Green).
Roethlisberger also hasn’t been shy as it relates to how his career in Pittsburgh ended. While he ultimately chose to retire instead of playing elsewhere, he acknowledged that at least one of the Steelers’ head decision-makers didn’t want him back after the 2021 season. It appears that led to the harboring of some negative feelings, at least on Roethlisberger’s side.
As far as the criticism of Tomlin is concerned, Roethlisberger and Harrison have their own podcasts and have never been afraid to express their opinions. And while both are entitled to their stances, Porter doesn’t feel that either is in a position to speak negatively of someone who did so much for their careers, his included.
“What makes it crazy for me to watch them two talk like that and really act like we don’t have the real receipts of how this really works,” Porter said. “Like, you know what he just did for y’all? … When they tell their stories, you’ll think Mike didn’t do shit for them. I don’t know how to shit on somebody that looked out for me.”
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League A
Group A1: France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey
Group A2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece
Group A3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czech Republic
Group A4: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales
League B
Group B1: Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia, North Macedonia
Group B2: Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Ireland
Group B3: Israel, Austria, Republic of Ireland, Kosovo
Group B4: Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Romania, Sweden
League C
Group C1: Albania, Finland, Belarus, San Marino
Group C2: Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus, Gibraltar/Latvia*
Group C3: Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group C4: Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg/Malta*
League D
Group D1: Gibraltar/Latvia, Luxembourg/Malta, Andorra
Group D2: Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein
*Gibraltar and Latvia, and Luxembourg and Malta, will contest play-offs in March to determine who will play in Leagues C and D.
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Cleveland Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett dominated the NFL this season, winning Defensive Player of the Year unanimously, and now hopes his girlfriend, Chloe Kim, dominates the Olympics.
The 25-year-old completed her qualification run in the women’s halfpipe on Wednesday, and Garrett made sure to capture it all. The 30-year-old was pictured with a camera bag and was snapping photos throughout Kim’s run.
Kim tore her labrum in her left shoulder just a month before the Olympic Games in January after falling in a training session, but is competing. She had the best qualifying run of the day on Wednesday with a score of 90.25.
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Chloe Kim of Team United States competes in run two of the women’s snowboard halfpipe qualification on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11, 2026. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Kim is seeking a third consecutive gold medal in the women’s halfpipe, and would be the first snowboarder to ever do it. Shaun White, the legendary American snowboarder, won three gold medals in the event, but not in consecutive Olympics.
“I’m just going to do what I came here to do, and if they decide to give it to me, then awesome,” Kim said this week, via NBC News.
“But I’m really just grateful to be in the position where I’ve won all these events multiple times. The fact that I’m able to be here and riding and being confident is all I can ask for.”
AMERICAN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST BREEZY JOHNSON GETS ENGAGED DURING WINTER GAMES
Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, left, and United States’ Chloe Kim smile after the women’s snowboard halfpipe qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
Garrett, who set the NFL’s single-season sack record this season with 23, said that Kim had been a rock for him during the football season and that he wants to be the same for her.
“We’re both just so supportive of one another,” Garrett told People.
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United States’ Chloe Kim reacts during the women’s snowboard halfpipe qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
“She’s always texting, she’s always calling to see how I’m doing during the year and I’m doing the same right now, checking on her, seeing how she’s feeling, emotionally and physically.”
The couple have been linked since May 2025 and seemed to make their romance official in November 2025 when they shared a pregame kiss.
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In his first 15 seasons as head coach of the Oregon men’s basketball program, Dana Altman strung together 15-straight 20+ win seasons, never missing a postseason appearance.
Those streaks have come tumbling down in Season 16, a campaign in which many expected the Ducks (8-16, 1-12) to compete for a Big Ten title and make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
The expectations were largely predicated on the health and play of Altman’s top two players, Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle, both of whom have struggled through injuries.
Here’s a look at the season no one saw coming.
Oregon’s 2025-26 season took a hit before the first preseason game, when Jackson Shelstad broke his right hand in October.
He returned after missing only a few contests, and hopes remained high—but not for long.
The star guard not only showed signs of rust but also sustained ligament damage to the same hand on December 28 against Omaha, sidelining him for the season.
Nate Bittle has faced significant setbacks as well, including an ankle injury in late November 2025 and a more serious foot injury on January 13, 2026, against Nebraska.
As if the Ducks haven’t been banged up enough, Bittle’s backup, Ege Demir, has missed the last five games, while Devon Pryor has dealt with a groin injury for the last two weeks.
In short, the Oregon roster has been beaten up all season.
Bittle returned to the floor last weekend against Purdue after missing the better part of the last month, leading the team with 23 points in 34 minutes as UO nearly upset the 13th-ranked Boilermakers.
Despite the promising outing at Purdue, the Ducks followed the close loss with a blowout defeat at Indiana two days later, stretching their losing streak to 10 games.
Currently the fifth-longest skid in the nation—and the longest among all Power Five programs—it marks the first time in Dana Altman’s 37-year career that his troops have dropped 10 straight.
It is also Oregon’s longest losing streak since the 2008-09 season, before Altman’s arrival, when the Ducks lost 14 in a row en route to dropping 17 of their last 19 games.
The bugaboo for Oregon all season long has been their struggles from the floor. The Ducks rank 309th in the nation in shooting percentage at 42.5%.
That was an issue again on the most recent road trip.
Against Purdue, they lit it up in the first half, only to connect on just 37% of their shots after halftime, allowing the game to slip away in the end.
Their shooting woes continued for much of Monday night as they shot just 40% against Indiana in the first half.
In the second half, they managed to knock down 50% from the floor, but it’s little help when you allow the opposition to connect on 81.8% of their shots.
And that brings us to another recurring problem this season: The Ducks have struggled to protect the hoop.
Oregon has allowed opponents to shoot 49.2% from the floor during their 10-game slide. On the season, they are 239th nationally in FG defense.
Again, a big reason for that has been injuries and the loss of their All-Big Ten-caliber defender for a significant time. Bittle has not been playing at the all-conference level on that side of the ball.
But who can blame him?
He is playing on not one, but two bad ankles at the moment, and he just doesn’t have the lift he needs to contest shots. He has been plagued by a foot injury of some kind all season.
Credit the fifth-year senior for continuing to battle. It would have been easy for him to pack it in for the season.
Missing a pair of All-Big Ten-caliber performers is never easy to overcome; add in the numerous other injuries and missed time in the lineup, and the result has been predictably disastrous.
It has certainly shown on the offensive end of the floor. The Ducks just don’t have the firepower to keep up when the defense gets away from them.
This figures to be the first time in Altman’s tenure in Eugene that his Ducks fail to win at least 20 games.
Yet, much like Bittle, the team is still playing hard and battling, as was evident in taking Purdue to the wire in West Lafayette.
The Schedule will ease up slightly with four of the last seven games at home and only two away from the West Coast.
Over the next month of the season, Altman can hope the effort remains steady, enabling his squad to climb out of the league’s cellar.
That would allow Oregon to build some momentum to carry into the offseason.
The opportunity for a positive result is there for the taking on Saturday as fellow Big Ten bottom-dweller Penn State (11-14, 2-12) visits Matthew Knight Arena.
That outcome could signal the start of a strong finish, or signify a new low in a season full of valleys.
writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
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In early December, when I arrived in Carlsbad, California — home to (most) of the best golf club manufacturers in the world — it felt a bit like those first few days of college.
My future was spelled out — a week bopping around Southern California, from company to company, getting “Fully Fit” for new golf clubs at each spot. And I was as froshy as 7-handicaps get — anxiously interested in being there, in much the same way my 18-year-old self was anxiously interested in going to the University of Wisconsin. I understood my game upon arrival, but I also knew this experience would be very good for me. I knew I would learn a ton, would have a bunch of people looking after me, and that I’d probably make some friends along the way. These collegial vibes made sense, I would soon learn, because like many things in golf, an equipment journey can feel a lot like college. There are entry-level classes, courses mandatory for a major, and 700-level things like Spin Loft waiting to trip you up.
You can be lazy about it and not care, electing for the bliss of ignorance. Someone else may pay for your equipment, just as many parents pay for their children’s schooling. You can declare your intentions for a major just like you can declare your commitment to one manufacturer. Maybe your friend declared the same way, and you wanted to be like them. That can be a costly decision when you suddenly change things up years later.
Of course, another option is … leaning all the way in to an equipment education, seizing on the opportunity and coming out on the other side feeling like a graduate. (Knowing, of course, that there’s always a deeper version of golfy graduate school if you want to press on.) This stuff is costly, too! Just like higher ed. You want to get it right. That’s why I was there. I wanted to get it right.
To keep this analogy going, we’ll say I had dropped out of my equipment education years ago. Cobra gave me a great opportunity in 2016, asking me to claim whatever set of sticks I wanted. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so I asked for a set of forged blades — the ones Rickie Fowler used to win the 2015 Players Championship — and told myself, You’ll learn how to hit them.
Do clubs’ looks really matter? This 7-handicap thinks so | Fully Fit 2026
;)
This sent me down a bad path, in part because I did learn. My ball-striking improved from sheer practice alone, and my handicap improved alongside it. But was I ever meant to play those blades? I ditched the Cobras for a set of unforgiving Mizunos a few years later, obsessed with how they looked, and then played a set of Titleist blades after that.
It was probably never meant to be that way. Between my action, my commitment to the game and my age, it has become clear that playing a set of butterknife irons — besides boosting my ego — led to gapping issues and extreme inconsistency toward the long end of the bag. And what my trip to California validated, day after day, was that there’s a promised land somewhere just outside of Bladesville.
TDay 1 was at TaylorMade’s Kingdom, where the difference between P770s, PTWs, P790s and P7CBs finally registered for me — much more than the letters and numbers in those names ever did before. My TaylorMade fitter waffled between putting me into Project X 6.5 (extra-stiff) and 6.0 (stiff) shafts, to match my Tour-average swing speed.
“Why are you swinging a telephone pole?” he asked. My eyes wide, my mind racing, I hoped he was joking. “That’s what Rory McIlroy uses,” he continued, chuckling. “You don’t swing like Rory McIlroy.”
And he was right. But as the fitting went on, I warmed up and felt comfort in those 6.5-stiffness shafts because, well, I had grooved a swing to match them over the years, and that swing wasn’t producing horrible results. So we actually stuck with them.
;)
Adam Christensen/GOLF
A day later, at Titleist, we learned even more. The gamers I arrived with were Titleist T100s, made for the very consistent ball-striker who has no problem hitting trajectory heights consistently. I can groove a nice, high flight with everything from 7-iron through pitching wedge, which made those clubs a fine fit. But it was 4i, 5i and 6i that were always a bit fickle. Any of my strikes toward the heel or toe always failed to fly the distance I needed, and often spun a lot more, too. But as we worked through different iron heads, we found something:
T150s and their extra forgiveness just outside the sweet spot — right in my typical strike zone — had a much tighter dispersion and carry distance. In simple terms, they were predictable. And when it came to getting those long irons off the ground, a higher-launching T250 5-iron was going to reach that 80-foot peak height a lot more often.
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On the third day, at Cobra, the knowledge of three consecutive fittings was washing over me like the second semester of a foreign language. Was I fully fluent? Not quite. But I could understand what others in class were saying. I understood what it meant when my fitters kept adjusting my irons two degrees upright, and I could really start to communicate what I was feeling. After some time, it wasn’t so daunting to speak up in class. It helped that my coworkers — many of whom could qualify as teaching assistants — stepped in and interrupted my fittings, pressing the teachers for more info specific to ME. (That may not help you, the amateur at home, who will likely go through fittings alone. But it is a reminder to study up on some club terminology before you get baptized in a hitting bay.)
Brad Widdup relishes the prospect of facing elite filly Apocalyptic once more, as Savvy Hallie heads into the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick this coming Saturday.
During her two-year-old days, Savvy Hallie shone brightly among her peers, securing seconds behind Nepotism and Tempted, bouncing back in spring with an impressive maiden triumph and later the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).
A third placing to Apocalyptic in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) marked the end of Savvy Hallie’s previous campaign, with her resuming in the $3 million The Sunlight (1100m) on Sunshine Coast January 10th, running fourth to Grafterburners.
Widdup explained that the furious 1100m speed simply had Savvy Hallie fully extended, and campaigning over 1200m and upwards should see her reach new heights.
“That sort of race, they ran 1.02, it was a quick, high pressure sprint race,” Widdup said.
“I think she’s looking for 1200 (metres) or further possibly now.
“She’s come through that really well though, she had a jump out last week, had a gallop Tuesday morning and seems to be in really good order.”
Flipping the script on Flight Stakes winner Apocalyptic is a big ask, though Widdup is optimistic about Savvy Hallie’s chances ahead of a tilt at the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) on February 28th.
“I think she’ll be better suited to the sort of speed over 1400 (metres), and she can race up on the speed,” Widdup said.
“Look, Apocalyptic is very good, there’s no two ways about it, and she seems to have trialled really well, but my filly has done nothing wrong.
“Circumstances in The Sunlight just didn’t suit her at all so out to 1200 metres, against her own sex, she should be competitive.”
Betting enthusiasts should check the racing betting markets for the Light Fingers Stakes to find the top prices. In all-in Light Fingers Stakes wagering, Savvy Hallie is at $3.20, Apocalyptic $1.65.
The post Stronger Savvy Hallie ready for rematch first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
Sports
Gregor Townsend transformed Scotland’s Calcutta Cup fortunes – now England could hasten his end
For Gregor Townsend, it has been the Calcutta Cup of life; now, a meeting with the Auld Enemy could hasten his end. When Steve Borthwick leapt to the defence of his embattled opposite number earlier this week, suggesting that Scottish fans should be more focused on supporting their side against England than calling for the head coach to go, it betrayed a strange truth about Townsend’s tenure.
The former fly-half has transformed the narrative in this fixture, taking over a side that had failed to win any of their last nine meetings with England, and losing just twice in eight Calcutta Cups since. It is a striking and significant turnaround. But the frustration – of which there is much, particularly after a wretched defeat to Italy – stems from the fact that it has failed to be a part of something larger.
As Borthwick pointed out, Townsend boasts the best winning percentage of any Scottish coach of the modern era. But that is not championship-winning form, and this has not been a championship-winning Scottish side, despite their success against England. Indeed, they’ve not even managed to mount a true title challenge – a so-called golden generation of players has not yet even settled for silver.
“It’s only really on days like this where you have to experience it because it’s such a busy job,” Townsend said of the outside noise on Thursday, admitting he understood the frustration of the fans. “You fill every minute of the day with reviewing what we could have done better, going into selection, going into training.
“It’s part of the job, part of losing. The feeling of losing is worse than the distraction around what people are giving their opinions to the group or to me as a coach.”
The missteps of the autumn, with a position of relative strength squandered against New Zealand before one of overwhelming ascendancy tossed away against Argentina, had already left Townsend under pressure coming into this campaign. If the fact that they occupied winning positions left positives to take, there could be no such solace in the Rome deluge. Off the field, too, Townsend is under increased scrutiny after dismissing a report in The Telegraph about a move to Newcastle after the 2027 World Cup as “pure speculation”, and suggesting it was written to unsettle his side ahead of the Calcutta Cup.
It was a strange reaction for several reasons. Firstly, an attempt to paint it as some sort of English plot suggested that Townsend’s focus was already elsewhere, rather than the task at hand in Italy, besides being entirely incorrect. Secondly, there are plenty in rugby who are discussing the Scotland head coach ending up at Newcastle as almost a fait accompli, given he already consults with Red Bull and close lieutenant Gavin Vaughan is heading to Kingston Park after this tournament. Townsend was careful, too, in his wording, not ruling out the possibility of ending up at the Prem club but saying that no contract had been signed.
It would be entirely understandable for the coach to be exploring his options beyond a World Cup that many feel he would be lucky to make. There are some who would have been happy for him to go after the last tournament in France brought a second pool-stage exit in successive editions. Many more may have felt that a contract due to expire this summer would have been a natural end. But Townsend, who it should be said has largely done a good job, was given a contract extension in September to encompass the trip to Australia next year – a decision that now appears misguided.
He has not been helped, necessarily, by the success of Franco Smith at Glasgow Warriors, the South African not so much a king across the water but along the M8. The extension of Smith’s deal at the United Rugby Championship (URC) club was announced at the same time as Townsend’s; while his side have since kicked on to finish as second seeds in Europe and push Leinster for top spot in the table, the national team have stumbled. Townsend has experienced an inverse of such a situation before, with the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) moving Vern Cotter aside to promote him to the top job originally amid overtures from Harlequins.
Would the SRU repeat such a move so close to the World Cup? It is perhaps fair to question if anyone at the union has the clout, command or confidence to make such a move. David Nucifora, the performance director, is not full-time, spent last summer with the British and Irish Lions and on an expiring two-year advisory deal. He is not the only part-timer – the highly regarded defence coach Lee Radford is currently job-sharing with Northampton, having stepped in for Steve Tandy in October.
It would, perhaps, be very Scotland to pull out another big Calcutta Cup showing just as deep cracks start to really show. This remains a highly talented, and generally well-coached side, even if front-five depth and player development remain areas of significant concern. But another defeat to turn up the heat could yet bubble Townsend’s cauldron towards boiling point.
“If we take Tonga out, the last two performances or last two results against Italy and Argentina have been disappointing,” he admitted. “It opens up opportunities for criticising the team, criticising the coach. I get that. It’s not good enough from our perspective. We didn’t win those games and we’re hugely disappointed for our supporters. That’s what we’re working to rectify.”
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BYU wide receiver Parker Kingston has been charged with rape, just days after announcing his engagement.
Prosecutors in Utah filed a first-degree felony rape charge against Kingston, officials announced Wednesday, stemming from an alleged incident last year.
A woman who was 20 years old at the time told officers at a St. George hospital that Kingston assaulted her on Feb. 23, 2025, prosecutors said. Police gathered digital and forensic evidence and interviewed the parties involved and other witnesses, prosecutors said. An investigation has been ongoing since the report.
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BYU Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston catches a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. (Reese Strickland/Imagn Images)
Kingston, 21, is being held without bail in St. George, a city near the Arizona border, Washington County prosecutors said. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for Friday, and punishment ranges from five years to life in prison.
The wide receiver appeared to make his engagement public during BYU’s recent men’s basketball game against Houston on Saturday. Kingston and his new fiancée were shown on the jumbotron, where she flexed her new engagement ring.
BYU Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston catches a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. (Reese Strickland/Imagn Images)
NCAA IS ‘CLEARLY’ NOT DOING THEIR JOB IN REGARDS TO REGULATING NIL, FORMER NFL AGENT SAYS
BYU said in a statement that it takes any allegation very seriously and will cooperate with law enforcement. It said it would not be able to comment further due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students.
BYU Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston celebrates after a first down against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)
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Kingston had a team-leading 67 receptions and 928 yards with five touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 199 yards on 25 carries with a score, and returned 17 punts for 230 yards and a TD.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Elina Svitolina again declined to shake hands with a Russian opponent after losing to Anna Kalinskaya at the Qatar Open.
The Ukrainian was beaten in the last 16, with Kalinskaya securing the win after a single break proved decisive. After the match, Svitolina thanked the umpire and left the court without approaching the net.
Svitolina has followed this approach since the start of the war in Ukraine, choosing not to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players. The stance has been consistent across tournaments.
The defeat ended a strong start to 2026 for the seventh seed, who has already won a title this season and returned to the top 10 following her run to the Australian Open semi-finals.
Apr 18, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a baseball in a glove during batting practice prior to the game between the Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images One person died and 32 other occupants were injured when a bus carrying an Iowa community college baseball team overturned, authorities said.
The Iowa State Patrol said a bus from Iowa Lakes Community College crashed into a highway ditch in the single-car incident early Wednesday near Twin Lakes, about 110 miles northwest of Des Moines. The cause remains under investigation.
Three people were airlifted to trauma hospitals and others were taken by ambulances to four area medical centers, Calhoun County emergency services directors Bruce Musgrave said, per ESPN.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the student-athletes, coaches, staff, families, and the entire Iowa Lakes community during this incredibly difficult time,” the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference said in a statement. A scheduled four-game series starting Thursday between Iowa Lakes and North Arkansas College has been canceled.
–Field Level Media
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday for refusing to wear a different helmet than the one that honors athletes killed in the war with Russia.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry informed him of his disqualification in a meeting early Thursday at the sliding venue.
Coventry was waiting for Heraskevych at the top of the track when he arrived at around 8:15 a.m., about 75 minutes before the start of the men’s skeleton race.
They went into a private area and spoke briefly. Apparently, however, Coventry was unable to convince Heraskevych to agree to race while wearing a different helmet.
‘My Olympic moment was stolen’
Speaking to German public broacaster ZDF minutes after the decision, Heraskevych insisted that his disqualification was unjust.
“I have repeated this from Day 1; I don’t think it violates any rules. In accordance with Rule 50 we don’t have any political propaganda, we don’t have any racial propaganda, and we don’t have any harassment towards anyone on this helmet. So I believe this helmet didn’t (break) any rules,” he said.
The Olympic Charter rule that Heraskevych referred to states that: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
He also asserted that despite the fact that he had finished well out of the medals at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games, he would have been in the hunt for a place on the podium on Friday.
“The last days were good training (sessions) for me, I was fast, I was among the best athletes, and I could have been a medalist tomorrow,” Heraskevych said.
“But we will never know, because my Olympic moment was stolen.”
He again stressed that he believed it was his right to “represent these athletes who died” because it was also due to their sacrifice that he was able to be there.
“This is more important than winning a medal,” he said.
Tired and frustrated
Speaking later to DW, Heraskevych said the past few days had been very tiring, but he still firmly believed that he should have been given the opportunity to compete – and was looking at pursuing the matter at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“It’s frustrating. We put a lot of effort and training in over four years. This was also at a time of a full-scale war, so it was under very hard circumstances.”
He also said he found it difficult to understand why the IOC had taken the stand it has.
“If (the) IOC reacts in a way with common sense, we will not have this terrible scandal now,” he said.
“And then there is much less politics in this competition and also much more attention (being paid) to the athletes in the competition now.”
What did the IOC say?
Following her meeting with Heraskevych, Coventry also spoke with reporters. She was visibly emotional, with tears rolling down her face as she spoke.
“It’s a message of memory and no one is disagreeing with that,” she said.
The IOC stated that it made its decision “with regret.”
“Despite multiple exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Mr Heraskevych, the last one this morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he did not consider any form of compromise,” the IOC said in a statement.
“The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it,” the statement added.
Ukrainian president weighs in
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy swiftly criticized the IOC decision, saying it contradicted the spirit of the Games.
“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors,” he wrote on X.
What is the helmet of remembrance?
Heraskevych came to the Milano Cortina Olympics with a customized helmet displaying the faces of over 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the IOC announced that the helmet would not be permitted during the competition, citing a rule prohibiting political statements on the Olympic field of play. It offered a compromise solution allowing the athlete to wear a black armband instead but Heraskevych did not want to back down.
He wore a helmet during training on Tuesday and Wednesday, knowing that the IOC could ultimately disqualify him from the Olympic race.
At the last Olympics in Beijing in 2022, Heraskevych displayed a banner that read, “No War in Ukraine.” Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four days after those Olympics ended.
Elisabetta Galla contributed to this report.
Edited by: Sean Sinico and Matt Pearson
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