Morning Hustle : Your Daily Sports Fix
“Honouring hustle and heart.”
Good morning. The Olympics are heating up in all the right ways… and a few uncomfortable ones. Records are falling, underdogs are rising, and somewhere in Milan, a curler just pulled off a shot so perfect her teammates had to convince her it was even possible. Let’s roll.
🏆 Top Story: Rachel Homan’s Miracle Shot Saves Canada’s Curling Dreams
Sometimes the best plays happen when you don’t even believe in them yourself.
Down 5-4 to Sweden’s undefeated Team Anna Hasselborg in the eighth end Tuesday, Canada’s Rachel Homan was staring at elimination. Sweden had three stones locked up, two deadbolted together at the top of the four-foot, and another lurking in the back eight. Being forced to one point was the last thing Homan and her teammates wanted. The skip, known for her big-weight takeouts, wasn’t sure there was a shot.
Her teammates? They believed anyway.
Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes “sold it” to Homan, convincing her the impossible triple-takeout was there. She trusted them. She threw a bullet that cleared all three Swedish stones, then drew for two to take a 6-5 lead. Canada went on to win 8-6, improving to 4-3 and stretching their winning streak to three games.
“The belief that they have in me, that’s how we make our big shots,” Homan told CBC Olympics afterward. “They think I can make everything.”
Sarah Wilkes called it “the shot of the Olympics so far.” Homan? She didn’t even crack a smile. She’s got one thing on her mind: gold on Sunday.
When your teammates believe in you that much, you don’t let them down. That’s hustle. That’s heart. That’s Canada.
⚡ Quick Hits
🎿 Japanese Teen Ami Nakai Steals Figure Skating Spotlight — Japan’s 18-year-old delivered a flawless short program highlighted by a soaring triple axel to score a personal-best 78.71 and take the lead. Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto sits second (77.23), with USA’s Alysa Liu third (76.59). Team USA’s Blade Angels largely struggled on a night they desperately needed to shine in their bid to end a two-decade medal drought.
🥌 Czechia Makes History, Great Britain Implodes — The Czech men’s curling team entered Tuesday 0-6 with no playoff hope. They beat Germany 9-7 anyway, becoming the first Czech men’s team to ever win an Olympic curling game. Meanwhile, world No. 1 Great Britain is on life support after losing to Canada’s Brad Jacobs 9-5… their fourth loss of the tournament. Mouat’s squad now needs a miracle just to reach the semis.
🏒 Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals Set for Wednesday — Canada (3-0, Connor McDavid with 9 points) remains the favourite but faces questions about Nathan MacKinnon’s deployment and health. Team USA gets Sweden in a heavyweight clash. Finland has rebounded strong after an opening loss to Slovakia. The Slovaks, led by Juraj Slafkovsky’s six points in three games, face Germany with a semifinal berth on the line.
⚽ Vinícius Júnior Allegedly Subject to Racist Abuse in Champions League — After scoring for Real Madrid in a 1-0 Champions League playoff win at Benfica, the Brazilian celebrated with a dance in the corner. Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni then said something to him while covering his mouth. Vinícius immediately ran to the referee, who stopped the match for 10 minutes and activated the anti-racism protocol. Real Madrid and teammates appeared ready to walk off.
🏌️ Tiger Weighing Ryder Cup Captaincy — Tiger Woods confirmed he’s been asked to captain Team USA at the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland and is “trying to figure out if I can actually do this.” The 50-year-old, who hasn’t played competitively since the 2024 Open, is the PGA’s first choice. He also left the door cracked for a Masters appearance this year. That’s a sentence we never get tired of writing.
📺 Swiss Broadcaster Pulls Controversial Olympic Commentary — Radio Television Suisse removed commentary from its website after a reporter questioned at length the presence of Israeli bobsledder Adam Edelman at the Games, allegedly due to his support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. The commentary aired during Edelman’s two-man bobsleigh run Monday. Edelman dismissed the “diatribe.”
🏟️ LA Mayor Calls for Olympics Chair to Resign Over Epstein Ties — Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass publicly urged Casey Wasserman, head of the 2028 LA Olympics organizing team, to step down over ties to Ghislaine Maxwell revealed in email files. The LA 2028 board voted last week to keep him. Pressure continues to mount.
🍁 North of the Border
Canada’s having a moment — on the ice, on the hill, and in the headlines.
MacKinnon and Bennett Skip Practice Ahead of Quarterfinal — Team Canada plays its first elimination game Wednesday against Czechia, and the lineup remains uncertain. Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett both skipped Tuesday’s practice for maintenance after MacKinnon took hard hits to the chin and knee Sunday against France. Brad Marchand and Josh Morrissey (both injured previously) returned to full practice. Coach Jon Cooper assured there’s “no panic.” Sidney Crosby on MacKinnon: “I don’t think I’ve ever questioned it once. I know how much he loves the game. He’ll play through anything.”
Brad Jacobs Clinches Playoff Spot, Stuns World No. 1 — Canada’s Team Jacobs beat Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat 9-5 to punch their ticket to the curling playoffs. The win was especially sweet given Jacobs entered with a 2-13 all-time record against Mouat. Great Britain, the world-ranked No. 1 and gold-medal favourite, now needs to beat the U.S. and have other results fall perfectly just to survive. Mouat looked defeated after handing Jacobs an open draw for three in the seventh.
Curling Feud Continues: “The Whole Spirit of Curling Is Dead” — Canada’s Marc Kennedy, who told Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson to “fuck off” multiple times on Friday after being accused of an illegal double-touch, declared Monday that “the whole spirit of curling is dead.” The row continues to cast a shadow over the Games, though both teams are still in medal contention. Nothing says “gentleman’s sport” like international beef on the ice.
Former CFL Players Compete in Bobsleigh — Two former CFL athletes finished off the podium in Olympic two-man bobsleigh Tuesday. Shaq Murray-Lawrence (five seasons with BC, Montreal, Saskatchewan) and pilot Austin Taylor placed 18th. Former defensive back Jay Dearborn and brakeman Mike Evelyn O’Higgins finished 23rd but went viral Monday with a post-run interview using exclusively hockey clichés: “We’re really thinking about just getting the puck in deep, dump-and-chase, the classics.” Gold medal for commitment to the bit.
Zach Collaros: This Could Be My Last Season — Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback and three-time Grey Cup champion Zach Collaros admitted the 2026 CFL season could be his final one. The 37-year-old is entering the last year of his contract and has seen his production drop dramatically — 34 TDs and 33 INTs over the past two seasons compared to 90 TDs and 34 INTs in the three years prior when he won back-to-back MVPs. “You don’t want to be a one-to-one ratio touchdown-to-interception,” Collaros said. “That’s something I certainly have to clean up.”
Blue Bombers Stuck in Taylor Elgersma Limbo — Winnipeg has made zero progress signing Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma, their 2025 second-round pick and the Hec Crighton Trophy winner who impressed at the Senior Bowl and worked out with Green Bay. GM Kyle Walters admitted “the longer it goes, the worse it feels that he’ll be in Winnipeg.” Elgersma is holding out for NFL interest after recent workouts with the 49ers, Bears, and Dolphins. The Bombers won’t sign a veteran backup until this resolves, leaving them thin behind starter Collaros.
MLBPA Head Tony Clark Resigns — Clark abruptly resigned after an internal investigation revealed an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a fellow union employee. The Toronto Blue Jays, who lost their player rep Chris Bassitt to Baltimore, are now between representatives. Daulton Varsho is temporarily filling the void. The resignation comes as another lockout looms when the CBA expires December 1.
Steven Dunbar Jr. Retires from CFL — The two-time all-star receiver has retired from professional football at age 30, bringing an end to a solid CFL career.
💪 Hustle & Heart Highlight
Czechia’s men’s curling team entered Tuesday 0-6. Their playoff hopes were dead. They had every excuse to mail it in. Instead, they fought Germany for nine ends and won 9-7, becoming the first Czech men’s team to ever win a game at the Olympics.
Some wins aren’t about trophies. They’re about pride, legacy, and proving you showed up when it mattered. That’s the kind of heart we honour here.
📅 What to Watch Today
Wednesday — Olympic Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals | Canada vs. Czechia. USA vs. Sweden. Finland vs. Switzerland. Slovakia vs. Germany. Single-elimination, everything on the line. Clear your calendar.
Wednesday — Women’s Curling Continues | Canada looks to keep rolling with Rachel Homan and crew riding a three-game win streak into a critical stretch.
👊 Sign-Off
Believe in your teammates. Trust the shot. And when someone tells you it’s impossible, throw the bullet anyway.
That’s the lesson from Milan today. Go carry it into your Wednesday.
— The Daily Hustle Crew
