Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin pick up the FIRS

Casey Wasserman (L) greets IOC member Gene Sykes as he walks on stage to speak during the IOC Session at the Main Media Centre in Milan. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)Andreas Rentz via Getty Images

MILAN — The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee chose not to put further pressure on LA28 organizing committee chairman Casey Wasserman amid calls for his resignation over flirty emails he exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein associate and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.

🤑 Crazy winter spending, Raspadori in, Vlahovic stands out in top XI👀
Giacomo Raspadori to Atalanta was probably the hit of the winter transfer market in Serie A. The former Napoli player moves to Bergamo for 22 million euros, ending his experience in Madrid after just six months.
The Goddess with this move clearly shows its intention to continue growing and not stop after the end of the Gasperini cycle. An important acquisition that brings back to Italy a player involved with the National Team.
Raspadori, then.

Kevin Pelton breaks down what’s next for the Wizards and the Mavericks.

Kristaps Porzingis is headed to the Warriors, and Giannis is not. Catch up on what we’re hearing from insiders before the 3 p.m. ET deadline.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Nick Emmanwori #3 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts during the second quarter of the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.

Smooth from top to bottom.

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Can we just get this Super Bowl over with? I mean, my God. It’s been a while, but I’m finally starting to remember why the Patriots being in it ruins this experience so much. 
They’re just the worst. The franchise is so insufferable. And I’m not even talking about the present-day Patriots. I don’t mind them. I like Mike Vrabel. Drake Maye seems like a dude’s dude. They’re all fine. 
But the Patriots of season’s past? The alumni? They’re just the worst. It’s a cult. A weird cult. And they’re so sensitive.

The U.S.

Premier League player of the month: the nominees revealed! (official)
Player of the month: Premier League announces the nominees

Premier League player of the month: the nominees revealed! (official)
The Premier League has unveiled the shortlist for the January 2026 Player of the Month award, a hotly anticipated distinction among supporters. Eight contenders have been selected, each representing a different club—a testament to just how fiercely competitive this month has been on English pitches.

Copa del Rey: Barça to learn their opponent on this date!
Copa del Rey: Barcelona to find out soon

Copa del Rey: Barça to learn their opponent on this date!
FC Barcelona wasted no time looking ahead to the next stage of the Copa del Rey. Having secured their spot in the semi-finals after a 2-1 victory at Albacete, the Catalans are now waiting to discover who will stand in their way in the final four.
The draw is set to take place this Friday at 1 p.m. Barça will be joined by Real Sociedad, who knocked out Alavés (3-2), as well as Athletic Bilbao, who triumphed in Valencia (2-1).

Marti Cifuentes says he “gave everything” during his time at Leicester City and hopes blooding young talent is seen as part of his legacy.
The 43-year-old Spaniard left the King Power last month after six months in charge, with the Foxes sitting in the bottom half of the Championship, well adrift of the play-off places, following their relegation from the Premier League last season.
In a social media post on Thursday morning, the former QPR head coach said: “This was obviously not the way we wished for our time at Leicester City to conclude.

The 2026 NFL Honors will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California, on Thursday night ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl LX.
Actor Jon Hamm will host the ceremony, celebrating the best of the NFL from the 2025 season, including awarding the Associated Press Most Valuable Player award, for which New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is a finalist.
A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began.

Media: After deadline day, Bayern finally offload €30m flop
He joined FC Bayern Munich in January 2024 for 30 million euros, but never really managed to settle in with the Bavarians.
Now, it seems Sacha Boey is leaving FCB this winter after all.
According to ‘Foot Mercato’ and ‘Sky’, the Frenchman is apparently heading back to his former club Galatasaray on loan. The Turkish side is said to have secured a purchase option for the full-back worth 15 million euros.

In their first game of their home Olympics, Ita

The NCAA officially denied the medical waiver request of Trinidad Chambliss on Wednesday evening that now sets up a showdown next week inside a Mississippi courtroom that could have drastic ramifications for the future of college sports. 
Over the past two months, the Ole Miss quarterback has been involved in a waiver process with the NCAA that dates back to his time at Ferris State, where Chambliss played before playing this past season for the Rebels.

Four points in the seventh end broke open a clo

Rasmus Wrana had 11 takeouts to carry Sweden to

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND – JANUARY 28: Head coach Brenda Frese of the Maryland Terrapins reacts to a call during double overtime against the Washington Huskies at Xfinity Center on January 28, 2026 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before Wednesday, No. 22 Maryland women’s basketball had hit its lowest point over the past two seasons. 
But the Terps found a spark and played their most complete game of the season, defeating No. 12 Michigan State, 86-70.
Here are three takeaways from Maryland’s massive win.

Gary Neville reveals the ‘unique quality’ that Liverpool’s new duo have
Ekitike and Wirtz: How Arne Slot’s Liverpool Are Being Shaped by Gary Neville’s Advice

Liverpool’s evolving attacking identity under Arne Slot continues to draw attention across the Premier League, with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz emerging as central figures in the club’s rebuild. Their growing understanding has been one of the few consistent positives in a challenging campaign, prompting widespread analysis from pundits, supporters, and former players alike.

Leeds and Forest clash under the lights with a chance to move nine points clear of the drop
Leeds United and Nottingham Forest meet at Elland Road on Friday night with both sides viewing the fixture as a timely chance to add valuable points to their Premier League totals.
The teams start the weekend level on points and separated only by goal difference, underlining how finely balanced this contest appears.
Neither side arrives on the back of a win, yet recent performances suggest momentum has not deserted either camp.

Louis Rees-Zammit has been capped 35 times by Wales, having made his debut as a 19-year-old [Getty Images]
Wales have named Louis Rees-Zammit at full-back for their Six Nations opener against England at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday.
Scarlets duo Josh Macleod and Eddie James return after missing the autumn campaign because of injury.
Flanker Macleod, 29, will make his Six Nations debut, filling the role left by the injured Jac Morgan to pack down alongside Alex Mann and Aaron Wainwright in the back row.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has played down a report that he has agreed to take over at Newcastle Red Bulls after the World Cup.
Townsend already has a part-time consultancy role with Newcastle but the Daily Telegraph has reported that he will take over full time – most likely as a director of rugby – when his Scottish Rugby Union contract expires in 2027.
Townsend advises Newcastle on strategy and philosophy and several of his key allies have already been recruited by the ambitious club, which was taken over by the energy drinks manufacturer last year.

Motorsport photo
Aston Martin’s first entire car from the hands of Adrian Newey has certainly been the talk of Formula 1 after it was revealed last week in Barcelona for testing. Bernie Collins, Sky Sports F1 analyst and former strategist for the Silverstone team, was impressed by what she saw as she offered her analysis in the broadcaster’s coverage. 
“What a mammoth undertaking to get that car out,” she said, referencing the team’s so far successful adoption of the Honda power unit.

Inter Milan 2-1 Torino – French Midfielder Excels: Primavera Winger Puts In A Shift
Inter Milan midfielder Andy Diouf ran the show in last night’s hard-earned 2-1 Coppa Italia quarter-final win over Torino.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport via FCInterNews, the French star emerged as Inter’s standout performer.
With Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella out injured, Cristian Chivu fielded second-string stars at the Brianteo yesterday.
Indeed, Andy Diouf linked up with Davide Frattesi in the middle of the park and excelled.

Borussia Mönchengladbach will look to bring Ko Itakura back to the club in the summer, after failing to do so in the winter
Bild reports that Borussia Mönchengladbach will attempt to bring Ko Itakura back to the club in the summer. 
After moving to Ajax in the summer for €10.5m, the 29-year-old has struggled in the Dutch capital. So much so that Rouven Schröder, who signed Itakura when he was at Schalke, made an attempt to bring him back in the winter window, but it would have required a large fee.

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Olympic halfpipe champion Ayumu Hirano offered a small update regarding his recent injuries, suggesting he will attempt to defend his title next week in the Milan Cortina Games.
Hirano took a nasty fall at a snowboard contest in Switzerland last month, with his trainer saying on social media he had broken his nose and pelvis.

The Georgia Bulldogs suffering a brutal loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in the Sugar Bowl ended their 2025-26 season. They tried to rebuild through the transfer portal and recruitment this offseason to get back to the College Football Playoff in the 2026-27, and they had some successes through the transfer portal, especially through the secondary.
However, they once again lost a lot of talent through eligibility, the transfer portal, and the 2026 NFL draft.

There is no place for (L-R) Duhan van der Merwe, Blair Kinghorn or Darcy Graham in Scotland’s starting line-up against Italy [BBC]
Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham – the top two try-scorers in Scotland history – as well as British and Irish Lions Test full-back Blair Kinghorn have been left out of the side for the Six Nations opener against Italy.
Coach Gregor Townsend has opted for a back three of Bristol’s Tom Jordan at full-back flanked by Glasgow Warriors wingers Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie for Saturday’s game in Rome.

One of the Washington Commanders‘ biggest decisions to make this offseason is whether or not to keep Deebo Samuel. He is one of the many impending free agents currently rostered in Washington, and like many of the Commanders‘ other free agents, his age is going to impact his contract.
The Commanders desperately need more talent for Jayden Daniels to pass the ball to. Terry McLaurin is fantastic, but he’s aging and can’t do it alone. Samuel was effective in 2025, even when teamed with Marcus Mariota.

Motorsport photo
Mercedes Formula 1 driver George Russell has collaborated with IWC Schaffhausen on the design of two limited edition Pilot’s watches.
The two watches, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 George Russell and the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 George Russell, are crafted in black zirconium oxide ceramic, feature black dials and the bold, bright blue that has been part of the British driver’s branding since he joined F1 in 2019, used as the accent and strap colour. Both watches are also engraved with Russell’s driver number 63.

This is what you call a proper six-pointer as Burnley host West Ham at Turf Moor on Saturday.
WATCH — Burnley v West Ham
Scott Parker’s Burnley were hammered 3-0 at Sunderland on Monday and that means they’ve gone 15 games without a win in the Premier League. They are 11 points from safety with 15 games to go and they have to win this game if they have any hope of staying up.
West Ham had an upturn in results with back-to-back wins against Spurs and Sunderland but they coughed up a 2-0 lead at Chelsea last weekend to lose 3-2 in agonizing fashion late on.

Slot: “Work in gym and better connection with teammates” key to Wirtz’s form
Wirtz’s Rise Under Slot Signals Liverpool’s Growing Confidence

Liverpool’s recent upturn in form has been driven by collective improvement, tactical clarity, and renewed confidence within the squad. At the heart of that progress stands Florian Wirtz, whose adaptation to English football has accelerated under the guidance of head coach Arne Slot.

Atletico Madrid XI vs Real Betis – Predicted lineup and team news
Atletico Madrid and Real Betis meet in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville on Thursday evening, with a semi-final spot up for grabs.
Atletico Madrid team news
Alexander Sørloth remains sidelined after sustaining a heavy head knock in the stalemate against Levante, where he was carried off on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. Subsequent examinations ruled out fractures and other serious damage, but he will not feature again until he has successfully passed the necessary concussion protocols.

Jadon Sancho wants to return to the Bundesliga

Jadon Sancho wants to return to the Bundesliga
Jadon Sancho still hasn’t managed to establish himself in England and is eyeing a return to the Bundesliga this summer. That’s where he truly shone with Borussia Dortmund between 2017 and 2021, before making a €85 million move to Manchester United.
His spells at Chelsea and on loan at Aston Villa have failed to reignite his career, and now he’s seeking a fresh start back in Germany.

Kofi Fosuhene Asare bounces back in Lithuania

Kofi Fosuhene Asare bounces back in Lithuania
At 23, Kofi Fosuhene Asare continues his journey abroad. The Ghanaian forward has signed with FK Banga Gargždai, a top-flight Lithuanian club, which has confirmed the news.
After leaving Djurgårdens IF in 2022, Asare played for Sandvikens IF, where he netted five goals in 23 matches in Ettan Norra. He then joined Landskrona BoIS, before transferring last summer to FC Inter Turku.

In Finland, his playing time was limited, making just one league appearance.

Guardiola reveals Sandro Tonali conversation at the Etihad
Pep Guardiola has revealed what he said to Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali following Manchester City’s win over the Magpies on Wednesday.
Tonali has been in the headlines this week amid reports of interest from Arsenal on transfer deadline day. The reports emerged from a third-party leak, though both Arsenal and the player’s agent have denied an approach.
Guardiola sought out the midfielder at the full-time whistle, following City’s 3-1 win over Newcastle in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

5⃣ stories of the day: 🥐 masked Madrid, Valencia stumble, Betis v Atleti
You can’t miss the five news stories you need to know to start the day, and Thursday begins like this…

A Masked Real Madrid
The Pintus method returns to the Madrid team following Xabi Alonso’s departure and Álvaro Arbeloa’s arrival on the merengue bench.

The physical trainer of the whites had been relegated to other roles within the club, but he’s back on the field, and one of the first things he has done is return to the mask method.

Utah State guard Mason Falslev (12) shoots the ball as Wyoming forward Kiani Saxon (8), forward Gavin Gores (11) and guard Nasir Meyer defend Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Logan.

Al-Hilal: Can Benzema take Al-Dawsari’s armband?
Could Al-Hilal’s captaincy change after Benzema’s arrival?

Al-Dawsari / @nabd.com/
Many Al-Hilal supporters are wondering about the future of the captain’s armband following the official arrival of French striker Karim Benzema to the squad.
The “Zaim” announced on Monday that Benzema (38) has signed for the club starting January 2026 on an 18-month contract. The forward joins as a free agent after concluding his spell with Al-Ittihad.

Gavin Hunt makes bold Chiefs claim after Nedbank Cup win
Interview
Hunt makes huge Chiefs claim following cup victory

Photo: BackPagePix
Stellenbosch FC head coach Gavin Hunt has made a bold Kaizer Chiefs claim after eliminating the Soweto giants from the Nedbank Cup on Wednesday.
The Cape Winelands outfit secured a 2-1 victory in the Round of 32 at DHL Stadium, thanks to first half goals from Ibraheem Jabaar and Devin Titus, while Flavio Da Silva netted for Amakhosi.

Juventus XI vs Atalanta – Predicted lineup and team news
Juventus make the trip to the New Balance Arena on Thursday to take on Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.
Both sides regard the domestic cup as a genuine opportunity to lift a trophy this season, with their current Serie A standings leaving them distant in the Scudetto race.
Juventus team news
The visitors will again be without leading striker Dusan Vlahović, who has been ruled out of the tie in Bergamo.

Roll up, roll up.
It may be just 19 months since India lifted the T20 World Cup in Barabdos but the latest edition begins in Colombo on Saturday.
As ever, the tournament in India and Sri Lanka will likely be one of sixes and runs.
Before it all begins, we have taken a look at what has been going on in international and franchise games over recent years and predicted some trends and tactics to watch out for…
Will this be the tournament of the retired out?
The option for a team to call in a batter who is struggling and chewing up too many balls has always been there.

Every day, we bring you the best and worst performers from the previous night in the NBA.
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Best players of the day

PLAYER
RAT
STATS

1

Jalen Brunson
44.21
42 pts · 9 ast · 8 reb · 2 stl · 14-27 FG

2

Donovan Mitchell
38.74
29 pts · 9 ast · 5 reb · 4 stl · 10-19 FG

3

Ty Jerome
36.01
28 pts · 7 ast · 1 reb · 1 stl · 10-14 FG

4

Anthony Edwards
33.27
30 pts · 8 reb · 5 ast · 3 stl · 11-23 FG

5

Payton Pritchard
29.15
27 pts · 7 ast · 3 reb · 0 stl · 9-20 FG

6

Trey Murphy
28.

Koulibaly set for imminent contract extension with Al-Hilal
Koulibaly on the verge of extending his stay with Al-Hilal

Koulibaly / @x.com/zainalmughram
Reliable media sources have revealed a new development regarding the future of Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly with Saudi club Al-Hilal.

Koulibaly on the verge of extending with Al-Hilal
According to Saudi daily Arriyadiyah, published this Wednesday, the management of the “Blue Club” is considering activating the option to extend the player’s contract for an additional season.

Kaizer Chiefs coach bemoans fixture congestion after early Nedbank Cup exit
Interview
Chiefs boss on congested fixtures after cup exit

Photo: Cedric Kaze
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has bemoaned the fixture congestion following his team’s premature Nedbank Cup elimination at the hands of Stellenbosch FC on Wednesday.
The Soweto giants fell to a 2-1 defeat, courtesy of first-half goals from Ibraheem Jabaar and Devin Titus, while Flavio Da Silva scored a consolation for Amakhosi in the Mother City.

How Mike Macdonald’s path to Super Bowl 60 runs through Harbaugh coaching trees originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Seattle Seahawks coach Michael Macdonald comes from the Harbaugh coaching tree. 
Both trees.
Macdonald – who led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl 60 matchup against the New England Patriots in just his second season as head coach – worked his way up the coaching ladder with the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh, where he started as a coaching intern in 2014.

“You can see it” – Liam Rosenior names Chelsea player who’s getting “stronger and stronger” every game
Liam Rosenior believes Wesley Fofana is getting “stronger and stronger” and there are a lot positive signs after so many injury issues.
Fofana joined Chelsea for £70m in the summer of 2022, but has only made 56 appearances for the Blues due to injury.
The Frenchman missed the entire season under Mauricio Pochettino with an ACL injury, and has had various other issues during his time at Stamford Bridge.

#upset #mbb #portland #gonzaga #wow