An Outstanding Tournament, An Outstanding Finish

After 12 years, NHL players returned to the Olympics this year in Milan.  And the tournament was everything fans could've hoped for and then some.  It ended with the gold medal game that many expected/wanted--Canada vs. the United States.  The game itself lived up to the hype, as well, going into overtime before Jack Hughes gave the U.S. its first men's hockey gold since the Miracle On Ice, and its first ever on foreign soil.  For American fans, it was the perfect ending to a perfect tournament.

There were various reasons for the league's 12-year gap between Olympic appearances.  The NHL owners have never been the biggest fans of shutting down the season so that the players can participate while getting nothing out of it themselves, and they really weren't keen on back-to-back trips to Asia.  In 2018, the owners unilaterally decided that they weren't going and the players had no recourse.  That left a bad taste in a lot of mouths (especially among the players), so much so that Olympic participation was worked into the CBA.

In 2022, the NHL had every intent on shutting down the season and going to Beijing for the Olympics.  Then COVID happened.  Too many games involving too many teams ended up getting postponed and they needed what would've been the Olympic break to schedule the make-ups.  So, as a result, another Olympics in Asia came and went without NHL players suiting up for their nations.

If it were up to the players, they would've gone to both PyeongChang and Beijing.  They want to do it.  Playing in the Olympics and representing their country is that important to them.  For once, you have to actually credit the NHL for listening to what their players and fans both want and laid the groundwork for a return to the Olympics this year.

With the Olympic return in the works, the NHL and NHLPA set up the Four Nations Face-Off last year in place of the All*Star Game as an appetizer.  The tournament between the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland was so successful that it caused the league to reconsider whether to ever have a traditional All*Star Game again.  And that was just four countries.  In Milan, there were 12 teams, all of which had NHL representation.

The Four Nations Face-Off was an exhibition tournament.  It was played with the intensity of a Stanley Cup Final.  Who cares if they were exhibition games?  Once you put on that National Team sweater, you're giving your all.  Players wanted to represent their countries so badly that simply being picked for the team was an honor.  And, for those who didn't, you can bet that not making the Four Nations roster served as motivation to make the Olympic team.

That tournament also provided plenty of motivation for those who did play in it.  Canada and the United States were the clear two best teams at the Four Nations, and the Americans didn't forget that final.  They wanted another shot at the Canadians and to avenge that loss, knowing they could go toe-to-toe with them.  They were also the clear two best teams both heading into and at the Olympics, putting them on a collision course for a gold medal game that seemed inevitable, yet also lived up to the hype.

What the Four Nations served to successfully remind people of was how great a best-on-best tournament featuring NHL players can be.  Not only are the games competitive, it's the highest-quality hockey imaginable.  And that was just the teaser.  Adding eight teams and five Olympic rings to the equation was only going to crank the intensity up to 11.

Construction delays resulted in the Olympic arena not being ready until January.  Then it was revealed that the ice surface was three feet short on either end (which was noticeable), which led to some concerns that the NHL would end up pulling out of participating again.  I'm not sure if there was ever a legitimate reason to be concerned.  Those were minor issues (although it did lead to getting a written guarantee that the 2030 rink in France will be the right size).  The players hadn't represented their countries at the Olympics in 12 years.  If they had any say in the matter (which they did), they were going.  There was little to no chance they weren't.

And once they got there, boy was it worth it!  You had guys playing with rivals and against teammates.  You had players talking about how much they hate and want to beat the country where their NHL team plays its home games.  That national pride is always there (more so in hockey & soccer than any other team sport), and it supersedes everything else in international play.  They'll be friends and teammates again on Wednesday when the NHL season resumes.  (When Auston Matthews will be returning to Toronto, Connor Hellebuyck will be returning to Winnipeg and Brady Tkachuk will be returning to Ottawa after all having a hand in Canada losing the gold medal game to its archrival.)

This Olympic tournament gave us everything we could've hoped.  There was Slovakia upsetting Finland in the first game, then celebrating a goal late in their loss to Sweden because they knew it clinched the three-way tiebreaker that made them the group winners and gave them a bye into the quarterfinals.  Italy was overmatched, as we knew they would be.  But their goalie put forth a Herculean effort and held his own against the NHL stars.

All of that was nothing compared to what we saw in the medal round.  The quarterfinals might've been the single greatest day of men's hockey in Olympic history.  Slovakia blew out Germany, but the other three games went to overtime.  Czechia and Sweden both tied it late to force OT (on the eventual finalists).  Then in the semis, Finland blew a 2-0 lead before losing to Canada in overtime.  And, of course, that epic gold medal game!

Ever since the first Olympics with NHL players, there's been something special about Olympic hockey.  For all he's done in his career, a career that includes three Stanley Cups and will end with a first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame, the most important goal Sidney Crosby has ever scored wasn't for the Penguins.  It was the Golden Goal in overtime to give Canada the gold medal on home ice in Vancouver in 2010.  And, no matter how much success he has in his NHL career, Jack Hughes will always be remembered for his Golden Goal in Milan.  Just as his brother, Quinn, will be remembered for his OT winner against Sweden in the quarterfinals.

Nothing will ever change the significance of the Miracle On Ice and what it meant for hockey in the United States.  On the 46th anniversary of a miracle, the U.S. won another gold medal, which was just as significant.  It was their first in a best-on-best tournament featuring NHL players.  Just as the 1980 gold medal team inspired a generation, so will the 2026 gold medal team.  The best hockey team in the world is the United States.

Which begs the question: how could the NHL owners possibly not want to do this every four years?  Unfortunately, it isn't that simple.  But, frankly, it should be.  This Olympic tournament was the best advertisement for the NHL they possibly could've asked for.  Their product and their players were on display for the entire world to see, and they captured the world's attention and then some.

Despite the gold medal game starting at 8:10 AM Eastern time, bars were open and allowed to serve alcohol.  People who aren't even hockey fans were invested in the outcome.  Only the Olympics can do that.  It's a free showcase for the NHL.  One that they took advantage of every four years from 1998-2014, but voluntarily didn't utilize in 2018 or 2022.  Hopefully they've learned the error of their ways and those will be the last Olympic tournaments that didn't feature the best hockey players on the planet.  Who put on a show in Milan.

She's Not the Only One

The amount of vitriol I've seen directed towards Eileen Gu, the San Francisco-born freestyle skier who competes for China, over the past two weeks has been over-the-top ridiculous.  I don't remember it being this bad four years ago, when the Winter Olympics were actually in China!  Gu has been attacked from all angles, and she's even been called a "traitor" because she chose to compete for China instead of the United States (since, apparently, anyone who's eligible to compete for the United States is required to).

Meanwhile, do any of these people know why she opted to represent China?  Or that her mother is a first-generation Chinese immigrant?  Or that she speaks fluent Mandarin and conducts interviews in the language?  Or that she goes to China every year?  More importantly, would they even care which country she represents if she wasn't good and high-profile?  Frankly, it's such an entitled mindset to think that she "should" be winning medals for the U.S. simply because she's American.

Well, I've got news for you. Eileen Gu isn't the first American-born athlete to represent another country at the Olympics...and she won't be the last.  She isn't even the only American-born Olympian representing another country in Milan Cortina!  And each of those athletes has their individual reasons for their decision.  Who are we to criticize them for it?

Sarah Schleper skied for the U.S. at four Winter Olympics from 1998-2010.  Her husband is Mexican.  This is her third Olympics representing Mexico.  (Her son was also on the Mexican alpine ski team this year, making them the first mother & son ever to compete at the same Winter Olympics.) 

Snowboarder Vic Wild competed for the United States at the 2010 Olympics.  Then the U.S. shut down its alpine snowboarding program, so he married his Russian girlfriend (a fellow snowboarder) and gained Russian citizenship.  He won two gold medals for the home team in Sochi, something that wouldn't have been possible had he not switched nationalities.

Wild's circumstance is not an unusual one.  There are so many American athletes who've chosen to represent other nations.  For various reasons.  And nobody can begrudge them for taking advantage of those opportunities when they're presented.  In fact, many of those athletes take advantage of those opportunities because they're presented.  It's what they feel is in the best interest of their career and, not to mention, their pathway to the Olympics.

Making the U.S. National Team is extremely difficult.  If athletes have dual citizenship or another pathway to represent another country, can you blame them for taking it?  Representing another nation doesn't just make it easier to qualify for the Olympics (which is the ultimate goal), it can lead to things like increased funding, national team support, etc.  Or, like Vic Wild, it might give them an opportunity that they otherwise might not have at all.

One of the perks of hosting the Olympics is that you automatically qualify a team in every team sport...even if your National Team is low-ranked or borderline non-existent.  The South Korean hockey team is such an example.  So, when South Korea hosted in 2018, the team was comprised mainly of Canadians who played in Korea.  Ditto with the Chinese hockey team (that featured the son of Hall of Famer Chris Chelios) in 2022.  Were they "traitors" because they played for the two Asian hosts instead of their native land?

And, like I said, it isn't just Americans who compete for other nations.  Kenyan distance runners represent so many different countries on the world stage that I can't even keep track anymore!  At the World Baseball Classic next month, we'll see all kinds of loose representations for players on nearly all 20 teams.  There are plenty of other examples in Milan Cortina, too.  Where's the uproar about them?

Lucas Pinheiro Braaten, who was born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, represented Norway on the World Cup circuit until 2023.  In 2024, he began competing for Brazil instead.  Last week, he made history when he won the giant slalom.  It wasn't just Brazil's first-ever Winter Olympic gold medal.  It was the first Winter Olympic medal for any South American country!  Or, using the Eileen Gu critics' logic, should that medal have been Norway's since that's where he was born?

Another alpine skier, Lara Colturi, is the daughter of Italian Olympic champion Daniela Ceccarelli.  Her father is also Italian.  Except she doesn't compete for Italy.  She competes for Albania.  Why?  Because her mother has worked for the Albanian Ski Federation since 2020.  Sounds like a pretty reasonable explanation why she chose to ski for Albania rather than Italy.

There are plenty of other examples.  Laurence Fournier Beaudry (who, sidebar, looks exactly like Rachel Zegler) was part of the French team that won the gold medal in ice dancing.  She's from Montreal and finished eighth at the 2022 Olympics representing Canada.  And she's just one of the figure skaters who competed in Milan for a country other than where they were born and/or changed allegiances.  As long as it's allowed and all of the rules are followed, there's nothing wrong with it.

Athletes changing nations is nothing new.  Nor is it going to change anytime soon.  It happens in pretty much every sport, for a variety of reasons.  And, whatever the reason, that's the athlete's choice.  If that's what they feel is in their best interest or gives them the best opportunity, who are we to begrudge them?  Besides, who's to say that these critics wouldn't make the exact same decision if they were in that situation?

So, long story short, I have absolutely no issue with Eileen Gu representing her mother's homeland of China.  Nor do I have an issue with any other athlete deciding to represent whichever country they choose.  Because it's their decision to make.  Not mine.  It certainly doesn't make them a "traitor."  It makes them an Olympian.  For a country that's proud to have them.

Olympic Pressure

There was no bigger favorite coming into the Milan Cortina Games than Ilia Malinin.  His gold medal was preordained.  Everybody else was just skating for silver.  Here's the thing about sports, though.  Nothing is preordained.  You need to go out there and perform.  If you want something, you're gonna have to go out and earn it.

As we saw, Malinin's gold medal in the men's event was very much NOT preordained.  He completely unraveled and didn't just miss out on the goal, he ended up off the podium completely!  Everyone was shocked by his eighth-place finish, including Malinin.  After he stepped off the ice and was waiting for the scores to confirm what he already knew, Malinin flat out said they should've sent him to Beijing four years ago and that wouldn't have happened if they had.  Then, in his interviews afterwards, he admitted that the Olympic pressure got to him.

Malinin's point about going to Beijing was a valid one.  Four years ago, all the pressure was on Nathan Chen.  He was THE man.  Malinin, who was just 17 at the time, would've been going just for the experience.  Experience that would've been valuable.  Because, come 2026, he was experiencing the Olympics for the first time while bearing the weight of massive expectations.  It's not the easiest position to be in, especially when you factor in everything else.

He will, of course, still be leaving Milan with a gold medal from the team event.  But even in the team event, he was shaky.  Malinin finished second in the short program, which was his first time ever stepping on Olympic ice.  He rebounded to win the free skate and clinch the gold medal for the American team, then won the short program in the men's event.  But it all unraveled in the free skate.  The moment got to him and he succumbed to the pressure.  In devastating fashion.

Olympic pressure is a very real thing.  Some athletes aren't fazed by it and even thrive on it.  For others, it's a heavy burden that's tough to overcome.  Especially when you consider the fact that if it doesn't happen, you don't get another chance until four years later, if you get one at all.  There's nothing like that anywhere else in sports.  It's part of what makes the Olympics so great and special.  It's also part of what can make them so cruel.

Ilia Malinin has won everything in sight.  He's revolutionized his sport with his quadruple jumps and the ease with which he performs them.  No one would argue that he isn't the best male figure skater in the world and one of the best of all-time.  And, yes, he's an Olympic gold medalist.  But it's not the Olympic gold medal he wanted and the world expected.

So, what happened in the free skate?  It sure seemed like it wasn't anything physical.  It was entirely mental.  He was in the lead, which he was supposed to be.  He knew he was four minutes away from his dream.  But he also had two days to think about it between the short program and free skate.  Clearly that got to his head.  Then, after he bailed out of his quad axel (which would've been insane), it was like he felt it slipping away and was scrambling.

Contrast that to the gold medalist, Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov.  He came into the Olympics with an outside shot at maybe making the podium and was in fifth place after the short program.  The pressure was completely off.  Shaidorov could go out there and just skate.  He didn't have to think about anything.  The result was the performance of his life, and it won him Olympic gold.

The Olympics are unlike anything else in sports.  And not just because they only happen once every four years.  It's everything that surrounds them.  It's not just your sport and the competitors you go against all the time.  You're staying in an Olympic Village with athletes from all different sports.  You've suddenly got the entire world's attention.  During the two weeks your sport is in the Olympic spotlight, you go from a relative unknown to all those who don't regularly follow your sport to a household name.  And suddenly there's media everywhere. 

Not to mention all the other distractions!  As much as you may want to just focus on your sport, it's practically impossible.  The "Olympic Experience" doesn't just refer to the competition.  It refers to all that other stuff, as well.  It's difficult to balance enjoying the experience and simply being at the Olympics with doing the job you're there to do.  Especially if it's your first time there (adding more fuel to the argument that Ilia Malinin should've been on the team in 2022).  Especially since you're not sure you'll ever go again.

Some athletes thrive in the Olympic spotlight.  There are plenty of examples of those who were built for the biggest stage.  For others, it's too much.  Unfortunately, you don't find out until you get there.  And, whatever happens, you have to wait four years until you get another shot at it.  When the pressure may be even greater.

Ilia Malinin isn't the only athlete who's succumbed to Olympic pressure.  Four years ago, the controversy surrounding Kamila Valiyeva dominated the first week of the Games.  In the women's free skate, it all came crashing down and she fell apart.  The circumstances are obviously completely different, but I couldn't help thinking about what happened to her while Malinin was having his Olympic meltdown.  It happens.  Sports aren't scripted.

We've seen the reverse, too.  Mikaela Shiffrin won gold in Sochi when she was an 18-year-old unknown with absolutely no pressure on her.  Then she won two medals in PyeongChang.  In Beijing, she was expected to be one of the stars of the Games and entered all six events.  She went home 0-for-6 with two DNFs in her two best events.  Shiffrin is also 0-for-Cortina so far.  Being the household name brought pressure and increased expectations that she so far hasn't lived up to.  And the more she doesn't get it done, the bigger the focus on those failures becomes.

In many ways, Olympians are superhuman.  They do things athletically the average person can't even fathom doing themselves.  So, when they have moments that remind us that they are, in fact, also human, it can be shocking.  But that's the Olympics and the pressure that comes with them.  You don't know how someone will handle it until the situation arises.  And then it might be too late.

Helmet of Controversy

Other than a Norwegian biathlete deciding that the postrace press conference would be the best time to admit he cheated on his girlfriend, figure skaters scrambling to secure music rights and the inevitable questions about figure skating judging, the first week of the Milan Cortina Olympics was relatively controversy-free.  With one notable exception.  Ukrainian skeleton rider Vladyslav Heraskevych made headlines for the unapproved helmet he wanted to wear and his subsequent disqualification and appeal.

It's been four years since Russia invaded Ukraine days after the 2022 Olympics ended.  The difficulties Ukrainian athletes have faced because of the war are well-documented, as have the number of lives lost during the conflict.  Heraskevych wanted to pay tribute to the more than 20 athletes and coaches who've been killed during the war by wearing the "memory helmet" with their faces on it.  The helmet, however, violated IOC rules, which is why he was told he couldn't wear it.

While it's impossible to keep politics out of the Olympics entirely, the Olympic Charter prohibits athletes and coaches from making any sort of political message on the field of play.  They have other opportunities to express themselves (such as in the mixed zone and during press conferences...just as some American athletes about that).  Just not on the field of play.  The helmet was deemed to be a political message.  Thus, its use wasn't approved.

No one disagrees with the message, either.  That's not what this was about.  Nor is this what anyone wanted to happen.  The IOC tried to compromise with Heraskevych.  They let him wear the helmet during practice (which otherwise wouldn't have been allowed, either) and offered to let him wear a black armband during the competition instead (which would've been making an exception to their rule).  Heraskevych wouldn't budge, so they, unfortunately, weren't left with any other choice.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry personally met with Heraskevych hoping to find common ground.  Unfortunately, they couldn't.  Coventry left the meeting in tears, clearly disappointed that the situation came to this.  However, since Heraskevych refused to yield, he was disqualified and the competition began without him.  Heraskevych appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but he knew that his chance to race was already over.

He, of course, doesn't see things the same way as the IOC.  Heraskevych feels he wasn't violating any rules and was unfairly being singled out.  He pointed out how he and other Ukrainian athletes have seen Russian flags in the stands, even though Russian flags are supposed to be banned.  And how there are Russian athletes competing under the "AIN" designation.  Heraskevych even cited some examples of other athletes who he felt were making political statements that the IOC chose to ignore--all of which were false equivalencies.

One of Heraskevych's examples really bothered me...because it's not even close to the same thing!  American figure skater Maxim Naumov's parents were both figure skating coaches who died in that plane crash involving an Army helicopter in Washington last January.  After both his short program and free skate, Naumov took out a picture of himself with his parents at a skating rink when he was a little boy.  There's nothing political about that, and the kiss & cry area is not the field of play.  So, no, that's not the same.  (Even if you wanted to argue that the helmet isn't political, the Naumov example still wouldn't apply since his tribute to his parents took place in an approved area and way.)

This isn't something that was suddenly sprung on him, either.  Hersakevych was given ample warning that he wouldn't be allowed to wear the helmet in competition.  He didn't care and insisted he was going to wear it anyway.  Heraskevych was basically taunting the IOC, telling them "Go ahead, DQ me," doubting that they would call his bluff.  They did.  Heraskevych was told that would only be allowed to compete if he wore a different helmet.  When he refused to yield, the IOC made good on their threat.

Whether you agree with Heraskevych's position and message or not isn't even the point.  Kirsty Coventry herself has said she sympathizes with him and wanted to come up with a solution that both sides were comfortable with.  Heraskevych believed he was right and stood by that stance, aware of what the potential consequences were.  So, right or wrong, he brought this upon himself.  And nobody takes any joy with this situation.

Despite knowing it would have no bearing on his ability to actually compete, Heraskevych appealed the decision to CAS in what really seemed like a matter of principle more than anything else.  He left the hearing confident that he'd been successful.  The arbitrator announced their decision a few hours later and, while sympathetic to Heraskevych, ruled against him.  The arbitrator agreed that the helmet violated IOC policy and found the limitations to be "reasonable and proportionate."  Heraskevych was also aware of this policy, which applies to all Olympians from all countries.

After his last run in Beijing, Heraskevych held up a Ukrainian flag with the phrase "No War Ukraine" on it.  The IOC deemed that to be an anti-war message, not a political one, so it didn't run afoul of IOC rules.  Whether the helmet makes a political statement is definitely subjective, but both the IOC and the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation feel it does.  Which makes it a violation...a point that was emphasized in a letter to the Ukrainian Olympic Committee informing them of their decision (and sparking the controversy).

Specifically, the helmet violates Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."  Part of the reason Rule 50 exists is precisely because not everyone necessarily shares the same political viewpoints, so it's best to keep them out of the competition area entirely.  It's also a protection for athletes so that they're not pressured into pushing a certain point of view on the Olympic stage.  Whether the helmet actually violates Rule 50 is a matter of debate, but that doesn't change the purpose of Rule 50.  Or the fact that allowing it would've opened Pandora's box.

Was banning the helmet the easy way out for the IOC and the IBSF?  Maybe.  But did they have their reasons for doing it?  Absolutely.  And it wasn't because they're sympathetic to Russia or discriminating against Ukraine.  It's much simpler than that.  Some people would consider the helmet a political statement.  And if it was allowed, you'd inevitably get the questions of "how come that was allowed but my thing isn't?"  Questions that would much rather be avoided.

Heraskevych claims that he never expected it to be such a big scandal.  Really?  Because it sounds to me like he knew exactly what he was doing.  Making his point was more important to him than competing.  Which was clearly a sacrifice he was willing to make.  But he's not a victim.  The 20 people on his helmet are.

Lindsey's Last Olympics

When Lindsey Vonn came back to ski racing then, once she started competing again, made it seem like she had never left, I don't think this is what she had in mind.  She envisioned her comeback having a storybook ending with an Olympic medal on one of her favorite hills.  Instead, it ended with her being airlifted off the mountain after breaking her leg.  Instead of heartwarming, it was heartbreaking.

The fact that she even made it to the starting line in Cortina was a pretty remarkable feat in itself.  She tore her ACL in the final race a week before the Olympics.  If it wasn't the Olympics, which was the entire point of her comeback to begin with, she probably would've called it a season and not even tried to race on it.  But it was the Olympics and this is Lindsey Vonn, so it was no surprise that she was gonna do everything she could to compete.

It's ridiculous that people are criticizing her for racing with a busted knee and assuming it had anything to do with her crash.  Lindsey Vonn herself, when providing an update to her followers on social media, make it clear exactly what happened.  She got too close to the gate, her arm got caught, and it sent her flying.  It's just something that can happen if you make a mistake while going 70 mph down a mountain!  If she was perfectly healthy, she could've had the same crash and still broken her leg.

And it's just as irresponsible to blame the doctors and coaches for allowing her to compete (as if she didn't have the final say).  If they didn't think she should compete or that it would do further damage if she tried, they would've told her that.  The fact that they cleared her was a pretty clear indication that it was fine.  (Once your ACL's off, it's off.)

She was also required to complete at least one training run in order to even enter the Olympic Downhill.  She completed two, looking like her old self in the process.  So, clearly the knee wasn't an issue.  If it was, she wouldn't have even been able to finish the training runs (or she wouldn't have been cleared to continue).  That narrative is simply incorrect.

In fact, I'd argue that the fact she was even in the starting gate is just another example of her incredible resilience.  Whether it was a wise thing to do or not isn't even relevant.  The fact remains she suffered a torn ACL a week before the Olympics, yet was there on race day as a medal contender.  When she crashed on Jan. 30, nobody expected to see her in Cortina.  Nobody except Lindsey Vonn.  So maybe we should've.  Because when Lindsey Vonn sets her mind to something, she'll likely do everything she can to do it.

Just think about the story it would've been if this actually did have a storybook ending, too.  She retired because of injuries.  At the 2022 Olympics, she was working for NBC!  Then, eight years after her "last race," at age 41, Lindsey Vonn was back and making a run at another Olympics...where she was a legitimate medal contender!  That alone was a great story.  Now imagine if she had medaled?!

If it were up to NBC, that's exactly what would've happened.  She would've won the gold medal.  Not been screaming in pain and taken from the course in a helicopter.  Then she would've teamed with Mikaela Shiffrin in the team combined and they would've won the gold together.  America's two alpine skiing darlings.  It would've been ratings gold!

Sports don't always work that way, though.  The script was already written.  NBC would show the Super Bowl, then everyone would stick around to watch Lindsey Vonn win an Olympic gold.  Fate had other plans, though.  And an American woman did win a gold medal in the Downhill after the Super Bowl.  It just wasn't the American woman everyone thought or expected.  (It was also funny how they changed all of their Olympic promos that aired during the Super Bowl from being about Lindsey Vonn to being about Breezy Johnson.)

Injuries happen.  Especially in sports as volatile and dangerous as alpine skiing.  Lindsey Vonn knows and understands the risks better than anybody.  (She missed the 2014 Olympics due to injury.)  For her, it was worth it to come back and make another Olympic run.  The fact that it ended the way it didn't change the journey or make it any less valuable.  For her part, Vonn has even said she has no regrets.

Whether this is how her Olympic career ends only she knows, but it seems unlikely she'll compete again.  I can understand not wanting it to end this way, but recovering from and rehabbing the broken leg won't exactly be a quick process, and she's already 41.  In 2030, she'll be 45!  Besides, one of the reasons she came back for this Olympics is because she loves that hill in Cortina and has had success there.  Can the same be said about the Courchevel and Val d'Isere courses in France, where the next Olympics will be held?

We know what her dad's vote is if he has any say.  Alan Kildow was in the stands for Lindsey's accident and spent the night with her in the hospital.  He very publicly hopes that this is it.  He doesn't want her to attempt another comeback.  He's obviously a concerned father, so that's definitely influencing his feelings.  But his opinion is shared by many others.

I'm one of those who agrees with her dad.  I, frankly, never thought we'd see her at an Olympics again and was shocked when she announced her comeback.  But then she came back and was Lindsey Vonn again, as if any of us should've been surprised.  She came back for one more Olympics.  In Cortina.  I think she was planning on retiring again (permanently this time) after the Olympics anyway.  So, I'm not sure this injury will change that.  (Although, another comeback for 2030 would only add to her remarkable legacy some more.)

So, yes, this is probably the last we've seen of Lindsey Vonn the Ski Racer.  It didn't end the way anybody would've wanted, but that's what happens sometimes.  The fact that she was there at all, though, is an incredible story of resilience and perseverance.  Let's not focus on the end.  Let's focus on the journey.  And what a journey it's been!

NFL Picks, Super Bowl LX

We've finally made it!  After two weeks of analysis and every random stat under the sun, Super Bowl LX is upon us.  The Patriots will either be alone with the most wins in Super Bowl history or the most losses in Super Bowl history (that's what happens when you have four more appearances than anybody else).  The Seahawks will either get a small measure redemption for one of the worst play calls in Super Bowl history or lose to New England with the Lombardi Trophy on the line for the second time.

Also, a message to all of those "anybody but the Chiefs" people.  Congratulations, you got what you wanted!  Instead of the Chiefs, we're back to the Patriots (the team everybody hated and was sick of before Kansas City).  So, good job on that one!

The domination of those two teams really is incredible if you think about it.  Kansas City went to five out of six.  New England went to four out of five before that.  Now they've made it again.  So, it's been either the Patriots or Chiefs representing the AFC in 10 of the last 12 Super Bowls.  The only exceptions were Super Bowl 50 (when New England lost the AFC Championship Game) and Super Bowl LIV (when Kansas City lost the AFC Championship Game).  If those two AFC Championship Game results were reversed, it'd be 12 straight Super Bowls between them.

Is this the start of another dynasty era in New England?  It's too early to say.  Drake Maye will become the youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl since Dan Marino, but Super Bowl XIX is the only one Marino ever played in.  At the time, it was just assumed the Dolphins would eventually make it back, but it never happened.  I'm not saying the same thing will happen to Maye.  I suspect it won't.  But you never know.  (People sure didn't think Super Bowl XXXVI would be the start of nearly two decades of Bradicheck domination.)

This is an incredibly important game for the Patriots franchise simply because of who's not here.  Tom Brady's in the broadcast booth and Bill Belichick's coaching college.  New England made it back here without them.  Their legacy cannot be taken away, and I don't think anyone wants to.  But the Patriots also needed to show that they could get to a Super Bowl without Bradicheck.  Which they have.

And how can you not feel incredible for Sam Darnold?  This is a guy who was passed around the league.  Even the bad teams decided he wasn't good enough.  That certainly wasn't the case (and further proof that maybe the Jets are the problem, not the quarterbacks).  After what he did last year in Minnesota, there was a question if he'd be able to follow it up.  He did and then some!  There's no question anymore about whether Sam Darnold is a viable NFL starter.

You know Seattle is relishing the opportunity to play New England again, too.  They were on the verge of repeating as Super Bowl champions until that fateful Malcolm Butler interception (which started the Bradicheck 2.0 run).  They've had to live with that for 11 years.  Beating the Patriots this time won't take that away or change the result, of course.  But it would be at least a small measure of revenge.

One of these teams will also be one of the more unlikely champions in recent memory.  Which is only fitting for this crazy season.  Both teams missed the playoffs last year.  At the start of the season, nobody had either one of them playing in the Super Bowl--let alone both!  They both lost in Week 1.  New England was 1-2.  Then they both went on massive winning streaks that got them to this point.  (They've lost a combined one game since mid-November!)

Seahawks (16-3) vs Patriots (17-3): Seattle-Both defenses have been dominant throughout the playoffs, so it would be wise to take the under.  New England has allowed a grand total of two touchdowns in three postseason games.  The Broncos scored on their second drive of the AFC Championship Game and not again.  And, yes, the Seahawks gave up 27 points in the NFC Championship Game.  But their defense came up big when it needed to in the fourth quarter, stopping the Rams on that final drive.

With that in mind, would it surprise anyone if a big defensive play impacts the game?  Whether it's a key stop or a big sack or a turnover, you know these defenses will make a difference.  Especially when the margin between the two teams is so small.  I'm not only expecting it to be low-scoring, I'm expecting field position to matter.  Neither offense is quick-strike.  They're both fine with long drives that eat a lot of clock.  And neither coach is afraid to kick a field goal.

Of course, the Seahawks aren't afraid to be aggressive when the situation calls for it, either.  Going for two against the Rams in the regular season played a big role in them getting here.  And, let's not forget, they have an All-Pro return man in Rashid Shaheed.  Mike Vrabel will have to take that into account with his decision making.  And Shaheed's presence could end up in his being a little more aggressive than he otherwise would've been.

Let's not forget, either, that neither quarterback has been here before.  Darnold has at least experienced the Super Bowl as a backup in San Francisco, but he didn't play a snap behind Brock Purdy.  Still, having gone through the routine and the two weeks of buildup will have to help.  As does the fact that he's a veteran.  It's the biggest game of Darnold's life.  Obviously.  But is the stage too big for him?  I don't think so.

Will the stage be too big for Maye?  So far, nothing has fazed him in his two-year NFL career.  This is the Super Bowl, though.  For New England to have any chance, Maye will need to play like the MVP runner-up he is.  If he can't or doesn't play up to the moment, that Seahawks defense might eat him alive.  I'm not saying the Patriots need him to win the game for them.  But he can't lose it.

Ultimately, though, I think the X factor will be the Seattle offense.  For all the talk about the Seahawks defense, it's easy to forget they've scored 72 points in two playoff games.  Jaxson Smith-Njigba is also the best player on either team.  Don't think the Offensive Player of the Year will just be silent.  Darnold, SJN and the Seahawks offense will do enough to claim an unlikely Super Bowl title and bring the Lombardi Trophy home to the 12s.

Conference Championships: 1-1
Playoffs: 8-4
Overall: 179-104-1

Brava Italia

After that trainwreck (or, since it was on boats, I guess shipwreck) of an Opening Ceremony in Paris, the Italians had quite a challenge on their hands with the Opening Ceremony for the Milan Cortina Games.  Especially since they had an ambitious plan to allow the athletes participating in each of the mountain clusters to participate in the ceremony.  Not only did they pull it off, they did so brilliantly!  Job well done, Italy!

When I first heard about the idea of having the main ceremony in Milan, with a separate, simultaneous ceremony in Cortina, I was a little skeptical.  I thought it was an intriguing idea that could either be spectacular if it worked or a disaster if it didn't.  As it turns out, there was no reason to worry.  The jumping between locations was seamless, and it really was cool to see the athletes be able to march in the parade regardless of where they were competing.  Milan Cortina very well might've started something that we'll see at future Winter Olympics.

What I loved most about the four separate Parades of Nations was how they still all felt like one.  Each venue had the ring for the athletes to start walking out at the same time as their teammates.  And my biggest question going in was how they'd handle having flagbearers at different locations.  Well, if they were at different locations, there were two flags and they each carried one.  If they were together, they carried the flag together.  And if there was no flagbearer at their location, they walked out with no flag.  Just a placard.  Italy even had two different sets of flagbearers, which I guess they can get away with as the host nation.  

Some people who were at the ceremony posted pictures online of just a placard entering the stadium with no flag or team behind it.  I will admit that was probably a very weird sight to see live, but the alternative would've been those athletes having to travel hours back and forth between the site of their competition and the Opening Ceremony.  Or missing the ceremony altogether.  Plus, Cortina is billed as the official co-host of these Olympics, so Cortina had to play a role in the ceremony in some way.

Cortina's ceremony was separate and distinct, but also brilliantly integrated into the ceremony that took place in Milan.  The Italian flag was raised and Italian anthem sung simultaneously in both places.  Ditto with the Olympic flag and anthem.  And, for the first time, there were two Olympic cauldrons.  Both were lit by alpine skiing legends--Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni in Milan, Sofia Goggia in Cortina.

My one issue is something that really isn't Milan's fault.  It's more an annoying trend that we've seen more and more at recent Olympics (both Winter & Summer).  The cauldron isn't inside a stadium.  In one respect, I get it.  They want it somewhere in the city where it's more accessible to more people and everyone can see it.  And, since the stadium was literally only being used for the Opening Ceremony, it wouldn't have made much sense for it to be in there.  Still, though, the lighting of the cauldron is the signature event of any Opening Ceremony, and it really feels like it's missing something when the cauldron isn't in the main stadium.

The rest of the ceremony, however, was spectacular.  It was quintessentially Italian and quintessentially Milan.  Milan is fashion.  Milan is art.  Milan is culture.  They captured all of it.  And they incorporated the synergy between the city and the mountains, uniting the two hosts that will be forever linked by these Olympics.  I would've liked to have seen more of a recognition of the 1956 Winter Olympics, the first time Cortina hosted, but that's just me being nitpicky.

I especially enjoyed the artistic program.  It's not uncommon for the artistic presentation at the Olympic Opening Ceremony to require a lot of explanation.  That wasn't the case here.  They celebrated Milan. They celebrated Italian history.  They honored a century of the Winter Olympics.  And they did it in a way where exposition wasn't needed.  It was the less is more approach.  And it worked.

In 2006, the finale of the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Torino was Pavarotti singing one of his signature songs--"Nessun Dorma."  It was his final performance before his death the following year.  Ever since then, Andrea Bocelli has been the signature Italian tenor.  So, it really was perfect for Pavarotti's successor to sing Pavarotti's song 20 years later at Italy's next Winter Olympics (in the home stadium of Inter Milan, Bocelli's favorite team).  And he performed it just as beautifully as Pavarotti did two decades ago.

As Bocelli was singing, the Olympic flame entered and made its way through the stadium.  I have to admit I found this a little weird, mainly because of the timing.  I was sitting there thinking, "It's too early," because there were several protocols that still hadn't happened.  The Games hadn't been declared open yet.  The Olympic flag hadn't even entered the stadium.  As it turns out, that was just a preview so that the fans in the stadium could see the Olympic flame before it made its way to its final destination at the heart of the city.  Seeing as the cauldron was outside the stadium, it was actually kind of cool that they did that.  Although, that didn't make it any less confusing.

Mostly, though, you couldn't help but be impressed by the show Milan and Cortina put on.  It ran a little on the long side.  At 3 1/2 hours, it was the longest Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in history.  But part of the reason for that might've been the logistics of coordinating four separate Parades of Nations, as well as segments in both host cities.  And if that's the case, that was a small price to pay.  Because that's the element of this Opening Ceremony people will remember most.

Overall, that's the biggest takeaway from the Opening Ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics.  The cultural presentation was excellent, but that wasn't the memorable part.  It's how two separate ceremonies and four separate Parades of Nations were effortlessly worked together into one.  That will certainly be the biggest takeaway for the athletes.  They made it so that everybody could take part, no matter where they're competing.  The most spread out Winter Olympics in history found a way to bring all the athletes together as teammates despite the distance between them.

This, obviously, was just the start.  An ambitious Opening Ceremony as part of an ambitious Games plan that has venues scattered all across Northern Italy.  It's a huge undertaking to say the least.  But, coordinating all of the moving pieces for the Opening Ceremony was the hard part, and they passed that test with flying colors.  The Olympics themselves should be a breeze!

Milan Cortina is already one step ahead of Paris, too.  Paris recovered from a terrible Opening Ceremony to put on a spectacular Games.  If what we've got in store over the next two weeks comes anywhere close to what we saw on Friday night, the Italians are well on their way to putting on a spectacular Olympics of their own.