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By Marc Lawrence
Monday, Feb 23

MLC

It was decades in the making.

#USAHockey The men's hockey 2-1 OT win yesterday mirrored the women's gold medal game earlier in the Milano Cortina Olympics, when the U.S. women also beat Canada 2-1 in OT.

It was a complete USA Hockey sweep over Canada in hockey golds—both decided in extra time and both on dramatic late goals.

The thrilling, low-scoring defensive battle (with elite goaltending on both sides) delivered high drama and created new American hockey memories, echoing the spirit of 1980 without being an underdog "miracle" (both teams were top contenders with NHL stars). Team USA Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck's 41-save gem (out of 42 attempts) was the backbone as Canada outshot the USA 42-28 in the contest.

I only wish my good friend and hockey enthusiast, Brian Blessing, were still with us to savor the gold, which happened 46 years later to the day when Team USA beat the Soviet Union in the "Miracle On Ice."

This one was for you, Brian ... and Johnny Gaudreau.


ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
Penis Gate Comes to a Close

MLC

The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially known as Milano Cortina 2026, concluded yesterday, after 16 days of competition across northern Italy, primarily in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and other venues like Livigno and Val di Fiemme.

These were the first Winter Games co-hosted by two main cities.

Milano Cortina 2026 will be remembered for Norway's record dominance, U.S. hockey revivals echoing 1980, individual superstars like Klæbo, and a mix of triumph and quirky drama.

The Games weren't without headlines beyond sport:

  • Curling saw heated accusations of "double-touching" stones against Canadian teams (both men's and women's), sparking profanity-laced on-ice spats (e.g., "fuc*k off" exchanges) and debates over video review in the sport.

  • Penisgate” raised it's ugly head when rumors of male ski jumpers using hyaluronic acid injections for performance gains drew WADA attention, though not banned.

Norway dominated, setting a new Winter Olympics record with 18 gold medals (surpassing their previous high) and 41 total medals, thanks largely to cross-country skiing dominance

Final top 10 standings (all 116 events completed):

Rank

Country

Medals

Gold

Silver

Bronze

1

Norway

41

18

12

11

2

United States

33

12

12

9

3

Italy

30

10

6

14

4

Germany

26

8

10

8

5

 Japan

24

7

9

8

T6

France

23

8

9

6

T6

Switzerland 

23

6

9

8

8

Canada

21

5

7

9

9

Netherlands

20

10

7

3

T10

Austria

18

5

8

5

T10

Sweden

18

8

6

4

Note: The United States’ haul of 12 golds was its most ever in Winter Olympics history.


GRINDING OUT THE PROFITS
Tank-A-Palooza

HOUSTON over Utah by 20

It’s hammer time in Houston tonight as the Rockets take the floor with a slim one-game lead over the Lakers and the Nuggets for the 3rd seed in the Western Conference playoff race. The Jazz also contribute to this setup, coming off a revenge game at home against Memphis within the same season, along with a pair of back-to-back revenge matchups versus New Orleans. Meanwhile, the Rockets hold a revenge chip of their own. Our Well-Oiled Machine calls that a ‘perfect revenge spot’ for Houston. Who are we to argue? Besides, it’s never hard to fade a Utah team that commissioner Adam Silver recently fined $500K for “tanking.” We wrap it all up with fact that the Rockets are 9-2 SU/ATS record with same-season revenge.


TRENDING TODAY
Far Too Young

MLC

The Floyd County Coroner confirmed that Minnesota Vikings WR Rondale Moore died on Saturday in Indiana.

He was found in a garage with a “suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Moore’s cause of death is under further investigation said New Albany police chief Todd Bailey.

Moore joined the Vikings last March, and spent the entire 2025 season on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the preseason. He missed the entirety of the past two seasons due to injury.

A 2021 second-round pick, Moore began his career with the Cardinals, where he tallied 135 receptions for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns over three seasons.

Before the NFL, Moore was a standout football player in high school in Kentucky and later at Purdue from 2018-20. With the Boilermakers, he received a number of honors including Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Receiver of the Year and was a consensus All-American in 2018.

Former Purdue and current Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, who coached Moore in college, said, “Rondale Moore was a complete joy to coach. The ultimate competitor that would never back down from any challenge. Rondale has a work ethic unmatched by anyone. A great teammate that would come through in any situation. We all loved Rondale, we loved his smile and competitive edge that always wanted to please everyone he came in contact with. We offer all of our thoughts and prayers to Rondale and his family, and we love him very much.”

He was 25 years old.

In addition, two former NFL players, Tre’ Johnson and Kevin Johnson, have also died suddenly.

Kevin Johnson, 55, was found dead in homeless encampment along a flood control channel in the Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles. He suffered from what authorities described as a blunt head trauma. His death might be linked to others.

Tre Johnson, 54, was a former NFL All-Pro. He was found dead on vacation with his family.

All four victims were unhoused individuals who were living in encampments,” it said. “Homicide investigators continue to pursue all investigative leads and remain committed to identifying the individual or individuals responsible for these crimes.”


QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Go to bed smarter than
when you woke up."

- Charlie Munger


STAT OF THE DAY
2-1

The men's 2-1 OT win mirrored the
women's gold medal game earlier in the Olympics (U.S. women also beat Canada
2-1 in OT). Ironically, the US was the
second favorite at 2-1 odds to win the
gold before the Winter Olympics.




MLC

 


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