It feels like we were just celebrating the gold medal wins of our Team USA men's and women's hockey teams at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, and it bringing a swell of pride for many Americans across the fruited plain - even if they have never watched a second of hockey in their lives. As my colleague Brad Essex wrote in February on the thrilling triumph for our nation:
The United States just completed one of its most memorable Olympic hockey runs since 1980. The men’s team edged Canada in overtime for gold, and the women’s team did the same days earlier.
READ MORE: THE ESSEX FILES: Kash Patel’s Hockey Locker Room Moment Says More About His Critics Than About Him
USA Reclaims Hockey Gold, Edging Out Canada - 46 Years to the Day After the Miracle on Ice
With spring officially racing towards us in less than a week, the World Baseball Classic is on. In case you are not familiar with it, the WBC is a special series which Major League Baseball holds every few seasons - but it always happens during Spring Training.
And who has Team USA beaten yet again on Friday? Canada! But this time, besting the Great White North is just the warm-up for more winning. After the quarter-finals round game, they played a song familiar to hockey fans (and classic rock fans) after the win:
Play Free Bird. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qKNKgTZYMg
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 14, 2026
Possibly one of the coolest part of the whole thing was when the U.S. team got to hear from a surprising (and yeh, awesome) speaker before Friday's win - none other than Robert O'Neill, who helped eliminate Osama bin Laden. Watch how much he cracked up the team with his story on the mission.
Warning: contains coarse language
Robert J. O’Neill spoke in Team USA’s clubhouse ahead of their game vs. Canada
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 14, 2026
O’Neill was one of the members of SEAL Team Six that carried out the mission to kill Osama bin Laden pic.twitter.com/kQzixmcrJB
Speaking of Badass Heroes: What to Do If You're Shot 3X During Maduro Operation? If You're This Chinook Pilot, You Finish Mission
Buzz's Bedtime Stories: Bill Clinton & Osama Bin Laden - VIP
While the team beat Canada, 5-3, they needed some help from Italy to make it into the next round:
#VinniePasquantino had #WorldBaseballClassic’s 1st 3-homer game, leading #Italy over Mexico 9-1 to win Pool B & ADVANCE USA to quarterfinals as group’s 2nd-place team. Next: Italians face #PuertoRico in #Houston on Saturday, a day after USA plays #Canada. https://t.co/Kq6eB5gAPh
— samuella (@samuella) March 12, 2026
Team USA's Aaron Judge said after the game the boys were "excited to hop on the flight to Miami" and "get things rolling" against a solid opponent:
“The boys are excited,” Aaron Judge says of the upcoming semifinal matchup against the Dominican Republic #WorldBaseballClassic . 🇺🇸🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/Kx0UYhPrVq
— Our Esquina (@OurEsquina) March 14, 2026
It will be an major offensive challenge for Team USA, but we will have a phenom on the mound: (emphasis added)
The win sets up a star-studded semifinal against the Dominican Republic on Sunday in Miami. The Dominicans thumped Korea, 10-0, to remain undefeated in the tournament, having outscored opponents by 41 runs in their five victories.
The United States was coming off a surprising loss to Italy, whose subsequent victory over Mexico allowed the Americans to advance. Now they are poised to use their best starter, Paul Skenes, against the fearsome Dominican lineup.
You can tune in to see the U.S. charging into the semi-finals with their game against the Domincan Republic on Sunday night; it will give some players a chance to oppose a former teammate (on the Anaheim/L.A. Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, and L.A. Dodgers), Albert Pujols, who is the 2026 DR manager, the US's manager, Mark DeRosa, expects it to be "one of the best games of all time," he said in a post-game press conference.
To paraphrase Robert O'Neill writing on his own X post about the rousing send-off: "Knock ‘em dead, boys!"
I have only one thing to say to that, "USA USA USA!"
Sweet victory 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MvagMlenc6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 14, 2026
[Editor's Note: This article was edited for clarity post-publication.]
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