Brian Flores, who was fired last month as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, has sued the National Football League and each of its franchises for racial discrimination.
Why it matters: The NFL for decades has been criticized for its paucity of Black coaches, and now Flores plans to hold the league's feet to the legal fire.
The FBI is warning people and businesses to remain vigilant against malicious actors who could interfere with the Beijing Olympic Games through a "broad range" of cyber activities, including theft of sensitive data.
Why it matters: High-profile events like the Olympics give cyber actors the opportunity to "make money, sow confusion, increase their notoriety, discredit adversaries, and advance ideological goals," the FBI said in a statement Tuesday.
U.S. long track speed skater Erin Jackson is looking for her first Olympic gold in Beijing at age 29, and is ready to prove herself after a slip in qualifying.
The big picture: The Ocala, Florida native is the world's top-ranked woman in 500-meter long track, but she wouldn’t even be heading to her second Olympics if not for the kindness of her teammate, Brittany Bowe.
COVID is likely to cause a decline in the viewership, fanfare, and prestige usually associated with hosting the Olympics.
The big picture: Empty stadiums, a ban on foreign visitors, and a COVID-powered migration among global viewers away from TV and to streaming are likely to reduce the attention Beijing was hoping to garner from the Games.
The Olympics are about more than medals. They’re about leaving a lasting legacy for the host nation, and China’s goal for Beijing 2022 is an ambitious one: transform into a winter sports nation.
By the numbers: When China won its bid to host these Games, its goal was to attract 300 million new winter sports participants by 2022. It has exceeded expectations, attracting 346 million, per the organizing committee.
Three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor, 37, announced Tuesday that she tested positive for COVID two days after arriving in Beijing for the Winter Games.
Driving the news: At least three athletes on Team USA's Olympic bobsled team, including Meyers Taylor, have tested positive for COVID-19, just days ahead of the start of the Winter Games, NPR reports.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady officially retired Tuesday after days of speculation on his future in the NFL.
What they're saying: "I've done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions," Brady said in a statement posted to his social media accounts. "My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."
The International Olympic Committee is publicly backing China, where the Winter Games are being held this year and where there is an ongoing genocide.
The big picture: The IOC has long stated it is committed to human rights, but it is declining to take a stand ahead of the Beijing Olympics — and insisting its only mission is to run the Games successfully.
Athletes and other attendees of the Beijing Winter Olympics will endure some of the strictest COVID-prevention protocols ever created for an event as organizers attempt to pull off a coronavirus-free Games.
Driving the news: While the general public and outside spectators aren't allowed to attend, 11,000 people from around the world are expected in Beijing.Officials have implemented strict measures, including a "closed-loop system" meant to shut off the outside world entirely.
The NFL scriptwriters outdid themselves again on Sunday, crafting two more thrilling episodes of America's favorite TV show.
The big picture: From unprecedented parity during the regular season, to unparalleled drama in the playoffs, the question must be asked: Has the NFL ever been better?
Rafael Nadal's pursuit of a record 21st major championship was on life support in Melbourne. Then he reminded the world what a champion looks like.
Match recap: Nadal, seeded sixth, rallied back from a two-set deficit to take down No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, in Sunday's epic final.
Blue Wire, a sports podcast company founded in 2018, is adding two athlete-driven NBA shows to its lineup, Axios has learned.
Driving the news: "Road Trippin," starring former NBA players Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye, and "The Long Shot," hosted by Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, are now under the Blue Wire umbrella.
U.S. snowboarder Shaun White will be participating in his fifth and final Winter Olympics in Beijing at age 35, and will be looking to earn his fourth gold.
Driving the news: Getting to Beijing was no easy feat, as White struggled with injuries and a bout with COVID in December. Now, the three-time gold medalist will try to go out on top against the next generation.
Health experts are worried the Beijing Olympics face the perfect conditions for a COVID outbreak, due to the lightning-fast spread of Omicron, vaccines' weakened protection against the variant, and a mentality that the Games must go on in spite of the risks.
Why it matters: These Games boast a "closed-loop system" that has been called the strictest ever created for a global sporting event. But China's protocols seem more focused on keeping COVID from escaping the loop than protecting those inside it, critics say.
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