Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson on Monday questioned the decision to allow Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete in the Winter Olympics despite her positive test for a banned substance, comparing her own case to the current scandal in Beijing.
Why it matters: USA Track & Field made the decision to leave the 21-year-oldRichardson, who won the 100 meters at the U.S. track and field trials last summer, off the U.S relay team for the Tokyo Olympics after she tested positive for marijuana.
Nick Baumgartner, Team USA's oldest member, arrived in Beijing with three Olympic appearances but no medals. He'll leave as perhaps the best story of the Games.
Driving the news: Baumgartner, 40, and Lindsey Jacobellis, 36, won gold on Saturday in the new mixed team snowboard cross event, becoming the oldest and second-oldest snowboarders ever to medal.
In an era of perpetual rebuilds and "trusting the process," the Los Angeles Rams went all-in on the present. One Hollywood ending later, they're Super Bowl champions.
ICYMI: The Rams beat the Bengals, 23-20, in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, becoming the second straight NFL champion to celebrate on their home turf.
Kaillie Humphries won Team USA its seventh Beijing Winter Olympics gold medal on Monday, in the inaugural monobob race.
The big picture: Fellow bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor won silver, while Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue took bronze in the ice dance as the Americans propelled the U.S. to joint-third with Canada on the medal table on Day 10 of the Games.
The big picture: This is Humphries' third Olympic gold medal and her first as a U.S. citizen. She moved to the U.S. after alleging a Canadian coach had mentally and verbally abused her.
Cooper Kupp caught Matthew Stafford's one-yard touchdown pass with 1:25 remaining to help the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California.
The big picture: The game was played at SoFi Stadium, home to the Rams. This is the second time ever that one of the Super Bowl teams has played on its home field. The first was in Florida last year, when Tom Brady helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory.
Eminem took a knee onstage after performing "Lose Yourself" during the final minutes of the Super Bowl LVI halftime show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday.
President Biden in his annual Super Bowl interview Sunday told NBC the NFL "should be held to a reasonable standard" when it comes to its racial hiring practices.
Why it matters: The NFL has long been criticized for its lack of Black coaches. Despite Black players making up a majority of the league, there are currently three people of color with head coaching jobs, per NBC, and the majority of roles are held by white men.
There will be 45 million more potential legal sports bettors Sunday than during last year's Super Bowl. That translates to about 31.5 million people betting $7.6 billion on the big game, the American Gaming Association estimates, per the AP.
The big picture: Sports betting is legalizing so fast and broadly that long-resistant institutions like colleges and the NFL are getting in on the action.
Local political candidates, eager to boost their name recognition in competitive races, are buying regional ads to run during the Super Bowl.
Why it matters: The Super Bowl is by far the most-viewed television event in America, making it a local candidate’s best opportunity to reach voters live. But many viewers — who have flocked to subscription streaming — may still be shocked to see a political ad alongside glossy Hollywood-produced car and beer commercials.
A slew of apps and games that simulate sports and casino betting are gaining popularity among children.
Why it matters: The line between gaming and gambling is getting blurrier — and social betting, which involves no real money, can lead kids to the real thing, experts say.
American speedskater Erin Jackson made history Sunday as the first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Winter Olympics.
The big picture: Jackson's victory at the women's 500 meters race resulted in the U.S.' first individual medal in women's speedskating since 2002. Jackson came in at 37.04 seconds, beating the 37.12-second time of Japan’s Miho Takagi. Angelina Golikova of the Russian Olympic Committee took the bronze.
Background: The 29-year-old Jackson became the first Black woman to represent the United States in speedskating at the 2018 Games. The world No. 1 nearly missed the 2022 Games after she slipped during trials, but teammate Brittany Bowe gave up her own spot to ensure Jackson could go.
The San Francisco 49ers were subject to a ransomware attack this weekend via the team's corporate IT network, a team spokesperson confirmed to The Record on Sunday.
Driving the news: On Saturday, the 49ers were listed as victims of a ransomware attack on a dark web “leak site” used by the BlackByte group to "shame victims and force them into paying their extortion demands," The Record reported.
David McCormick, the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates who is running for a Pennsylvania U.S. Senate seat, will air a "Let’s go Brandon" ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday, Fox News first reported.
The big picture: The 30-second spot aims to underscore the problems facing the Biden administration — including inflation, rising crime rates, immigration and the U.S.' pullout from Afghanistan — while the "Let's go Brandon" chant can be heard in the background.
