Sports
NYCFC out to continue hot start vs. Inter Miami
Feb 22, 2026; Carson, California, USA; New York City FC midfielder Nicolas Fernandez (7) during the second half agains the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images Inter Miami want to turn the page while host New York City FC want to keep things rolling as the two Eastern Conference contenders meet Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, N.Y.
Inter Miami (2-1-1, 7 points) would love to move past the bitterness stemming from last Wednesday’s elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 following a pair of draws against Nashville.
The 1-1 stalemate on Wednesday night in South Florida put Nashville through to the quarterfinals by virtue of the away goals tiebreaker.
NYCFC (3-0-1, 10 points) enter the game feeling the opposite as they look to extend a three-match winning streak and remain unbeaten so far. NYCFC are coming off a 3-1 victory at Colorado and will face Inter Miami for the first time since losing 5-1 to Lionel Messi and his teammates in the conference championship match last November.
Nicolas Fernandez has been the catalyst for NYCFC’s hot start, recording a brace in the win over Colorado and scoring a total of four goals this season, which is tied for the most in the conference.
“All I can say is that we don’t have to worry about [Fernandez],” NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen said. “Nico is a fantastic player, an intelligent player who brings a lot of energy to the team and plays with a lot of passion and heart. A very clever player.”
Since blanking Orlando City in the second half of a 4-2 win on March 1, Inter Miami have been solid on the defensive side, allowing only two goals over their past 4 1/2 matches across all competitions.
But they would like to get superstar Messi into one of his typical scoring grooves and kickstart a mostly dormant offense. Messi scored his 900th career goal on Wednesday against Nashville, but it was the lone score for the club in its past three matches.
“All the disappointment from being knocked out has to fuel us – give us the energy to go out there, play the game the way we’re supposed to,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bucks waive Cam Thomas to convert Pete Nance's contract
Suns guard Jalen Green (4) drives against Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on March 21, 2026. The Milwaukee Bucks converted forward Pete Nance’s two-way contract to a fully guaranteed deal.
The Bucks waived guard Cam Thomas in a corresponding move prior to their game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Thomas, 24, signed with the team as a free agent on Feb. 8 and averaged 10.7 points in 18 games off the bench with Milwaukee.
As for Nance, he was elated with the notion of receiving a new deal. The contract made him available to play in the team’s final 11 games this season and runs through the 2026-27 campaign.
“To be able to be in this spot is just awesome,” Nance said after the Bucks’ shootaround, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Obviously I’m super thankful for the Bucks for giving me the opportunity. I think it’s just a testament to growth and the work that I’ve done and the experience that I’ve had over the years.”
Nance, 26, is averaging 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 12.1 minutes in 37 games off the bench this season.
Thomas was benched after playing just three minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on March 14. He was held out of consecutive games on March 15 and 17 due to what was listed as a coach’s decision before returning to the court against the Utah Jazz last Thursday.
“There are things we don’t need to talk about,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said, per the newspaper. “That’s not anybody’s business. Like I said before, that’s where as a coach you have to make decisions on what’s best for the team at that time. People don’t understand that. They start talking about other stuff. And, that’s not for anyone to know.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Buccaneers, LB Lavonte David schedule news conference
Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Veteran Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David is scheduled to hold a news conference on Tuesday afternoon at the team facility.
The Buccaneers did not divulge an official reason for the conference, however speculation is strong that David will announce his retirement from the NFL.
David, 36, is a free agent after spending his entire 14-year career with Tampa Bay.
He recorded 114 tackles, 3.5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries while starting all 17 games last season. It was his 12th season with triple-digit tackles.
An All-Pro selection in 2013 and a Pro Bowl selection in 2015, David has 1,716 tackles, 42.5 sacks, 14 interceptions, 33 forced fumbles and 21 fumble recoveries in 215 games (all starts).
David was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Nebraska.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mikaela Shiffrin on cusp of season World Cup title
Feb 18, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States celebrates during the medal ceremony for the women’s slalom during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images Mikaela Shiffrin will ski Wednesday for the season World Cup overall title.
Heading into the giant slalom, the final race of the season, Shiffrin has an 85-point lead over Emma Aicher of Germany.
Shiffrin won her ninth slalom in 10 World Cup starts this season on Tuesday, earning 100 points. She increased her overall lead on Aicher, who finished third to grab 60 points.
To take the title, Aicher must win the race — a discipline in which she never has finished higher than fourth — and hope that Shiffrin finishes worse than 15th.
Shiffrin, 31, is striving to win her sixth overall World Cup title, which would tie her with Annemarie Moser-Proll. The Austrian won five season titles from 1971-75 and the final one in 1979.
The 2026 Olympic champion in the slalom, Shiffrin won the World Cup title in consecutive years from 2017-19 and again in 2022 and 2023.
With her slalom win on Tuesday, Shiffrin earned her 110th career victory on the World Cup circuit, extending her lead over Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden, who won 86 before his retirement in 1989.
–Field Level Media
Hurdle hints and answers for March 25, 2026
Bucks waive Cam Thomas to convert Pete Nance's contract
