* “Please, no more war.” That was was Russian Alex Ovechkin of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, weighing in on what’s going on in Ukraine. Ovechkin, one of the biggest global names in hockey, has been a well-known supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
For the most part, Russia’s (41) NHL players are avoiding going public with feelings over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They know it could be–at least awkward, if not dangerous–for family back home if they are critical. And if they aren’t, they could face some American-fan backlash. It’s a no-win for Russian players whether they say: “Go, Vlad” or “Go to hell, Putin.” Whether they play for Washington or Tampa Bay. Nikita Kucherov, Andre Vasilevskiy, and Mikhail Sergachev would likely agree.
* The Bucs, as we now know, will play a regular-season game in the upcoming season in Munich, Germany, the first NFL game in that country. For the record, each of the NFL’s 32 teams will be designated for one international match-up every eight years. BTW, Bucs co-owner/chairman Joel Glazer serves as chairman of the NFL’s international committee.
* This week (Wednesday through Sunday) Tampa hosts the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena. It last hosted the SEC Tournament in 2009.