Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced ridicule on social media on Saturday night following the Canadians’ loss to the U.S. in a 4 Nations Face-Off game.

Canadians were heard booing the American national anthem before the game. As the puck dropped, so did the players’ gloves. There were three fights in the first nine seconds of the game. The U.S. pulled out a 3-1 victory in the end.

Trudeau wrote on X after the game that he was “damn proud” of Canada. But he drew some mocking from U.S. fans as well.

In the NHL, boos have been heard during the U.S. national anthem after Trump announced tariffs on Canada, which have since been paused. The president has also teased about Canada becoming the “51st state.”

Players have been adamant about fans stopping the boos. Canadian Drew Doughty talked about it again before the game against the U.S.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with a fan at the 4 Nations Face-Off game in Montreal on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

49ERS’ GEORGE KITTLE GETS LAST WORD AS US TOPS CANADA IN 4 NATIONS MATCH AFTER BOOS DURING ANTHEM

“Obviously, I know what’s going on, and I understand the Canadians’ frustration, but I think we should respect the anthems and stuff like that,” Doughty said. “I don’t think anyone should be booing.”

U.S. defenseman Zach Werenski didn’t appreciate the boos.

“We knew it was going to happen,” Werenski said. “It happened the last game, it’s been happening in the NHL before this, and we knew tonight was going to be the same way. We obviously don’t like it.”

The U.S. faced boos ahead of their game against Finland and later won 6-1.

Players and fans stand for the U.S. national anthem before the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game in Montreal on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

“It is what it is,” Werenski said. “We kind of had an idea. We used it as motivation the best we could and found a way to get a win. But we had an idea going into it, so it wasn’t a surprise. Definitely don’t like it, though.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The buzz started small and grew louder at the sold-out Daytona International Speedway about an hour before the green flag dropped to officially start Sunday’s Daytona 500.

No, it wasn’t for Pitbull, a former car owner and Cuban American rapper and singer, taking the main stage for a mini-set.

It wasn’t for Anthony Mackie, star of the No. 1 movie “Captain America: Brave New World,” who was to tell the drivers to start their engines.

It wasn’t for “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson, who was to drive the pace car.

It was for a Boeing VC-25 which was doing a flyby near the Speedway. The plane was also Air Force One.

President Trump arrived at Daytona Beach International Airport just before noon and took the five-minute ride to the Speedway in “The Beast,” the presidential car. After Trump got out of the car, he waved to the crowd, pumping his fist. He spent time talking to drivers, both past and present, and race officials.

Trump only gave one interview, to Fox.

“I think [the Daytona 500] is fantastic, it’s great for the country,” Trump said before touting his accomplishments since taking office. He was accompanied by one of his granddaughters.

Before the race, the modified and reinforced presidential car took a couple of laps around the banked speedway. Trump was ushered to a private viewing suite in the infield.

Trump was scheduled to leave the race about 3:05 p.m. and arrive back in South Florida about 4:15 p.m.

Trump also came to Daytona in 2020 in a race that was halted because of weather and eventually rescheduled.

It was Trump’s second major sporting event in a week. He was also at the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

“I wasn’t sitting next to him, but I saw that he was there at the game the other day,” said Chase Elliott, who has won NASCAR’s most popular driver seven years in a row. “I think having a sitting president come and be a part of one of our biggest days of the year — certainly what I would call our biggest event of the year — I think is special. It certainly brings a lot of eyes and a different perspective to what we do down here for this race.”

The idea that it is a moment when a president visits echoed throughout the garages.

“Any time you get big-name people to come to the 500 it’s pretty special,” said Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion. “I remember when [President] Reagan came [in 1984] and that was special.

“It’s not just the celebrities that do the pre-race concert. The Rock [Dwayne Johnson] was here last year and I got my picture taken with him. Any time we can bring big-name people to our sport shines a brighter light on how big a deal this is.”

There was little doubt it was a Trump-friendly crowd both on and off the track. But a lot of eyes were on Bubba Wallace, the only Black driver in the race. Wallace and Trump traded barbs in 2020, first when NASCAR banned the Confederate battle flag at races. Wallace had long been a proponent of excluding the flag from events because of its symbolic support of slavery. Trump criticized the decision by NASCAR.

Shortly after, a noose was found in Wallace’s garage. It led to an outpouring of support from fellow drivers and many fans. Some found it a very unifying moment in the sport. An investigation found that the rope noose had been in the garage for many months and was not directed at Wallace.

Bubba Wallace is introduced before a qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.

(John Raoux / Associated Press)

Trump followed up with a tweet: “Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?”

Wallace did not let it go unanswered, posting: “Always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE! … Love should come naturally as people are TAUGHT to hate. Even when it’s HATE from the POTUS.”

It was no surprise that at a media event on Wednesday, the first question to Wallace was about Trump coming to race.

“I couldn’t care less,” Wallace said quietly. “We’re here to race. Not for the show.”

It was clear Wallace wanted to move on and not create a controversy.

Wallace came up as a driver through NASCAR’s diversity program. Trump has pushed to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs from the federal government and beyond.

“There are sour apples out there who never fully appreciated the [benefits] of diversity,” Wallace said later. “It’s up to you to have that good spot in your heart and just treat everybody equal and how you want to be treated and it doesn’t matter what they look like. You just have to do things right. It’s not that hard to do things right and be respectful to human beings.”

Two racing officials were asked to comment about the future of NASCAR’s diversity program, but neither responded to the request.

Editor’s note: Throughout the week, The Athletic highlighted the Harlem Globetrotters and their contributions to basketball, vision for entertainment and overall commitment to goodwill. This series will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 16.

The Washington Generals epitomize the notion of an underdog. That’s an easy reputation to earn with more than 18,000 losses compared to three wins on one’s résumé, but the Generals have been on the losing end time and time again when looking at their decades-long rivalry with the Harlem Globetrotters.

When it comes to one of America’s favorite exhibition games, the Generals are rarely viewed as “losers.” If anything, they are supporting cast members for a beloved Globetrotters team that focuses on one primary goal: entertaining the masses. The Globetrotters need an opponent. They need a team to defeat.

Why not the Generals?

“You’ve got to make them look good,” Generals guard Jordan Fuchs told The Athletic.

That’s the job of a Washington General: to enhance what’s already on the table. The Globetrotters are the eye candy; somebody needs to make sure they receive the praise on the court. And because members of the Generals are so good at what they do, attending matchups between both teams provides a unique experience for fans.

Even if defeat is routinely inevitable for Washington — 1971 is a long time to taste defeat after defeat.

It’s hard to explain the competitive value of knowing you’ll lose just about every basketball game you play. Imagine training your hardest, only to anticipate the scoreboard not tilting in your favor. The notion can be frustrating, right?

Or, to Fuchs, a former football and basketball athlete at Indiana University, games against the Globetrotters can be more than just what’s shown on the scoreboard.

“It’s a rewarding experience because I get to put smiles on everyone’s faces, even if I’m on the losing end,” Fuchs said. “Everyone enjoys it, and for me personally, I enjoy it because I get to play the game I love and I get to showcase my abilities.

“I get to travel and meet amazing people. The network that I’ve accumulated from doing this is incredible. Different people in different states, different countries. It has been amazing.”

For the Generals, created in 1952 by Louis “Red” Klotz and considered the most futile team in sports history, there is always joy in knowing the next day could be the one when they end the skid. The team initially was meant to legitimately compete against the Globetrotters but eventually became the ultimate crash test dummy for its opponents donning red, white and blue on the hardwood.

Being a General requires a unique focus. The roster features skilled players who have to be ambitious enough to recognize the awareness of always being secondary in the show. No matter the circumstance, the goal is to always ensure the Globetrotters come out on top, even though fans will leave arenas impressed by displays of athleticism, 4-point shots and dynamic dunks coming from the team wearing green and yellow.

The Generals, in many ways, take on the role of the ultimate antagonists. Fuchs considers himself “the lead villain.” It’s a responsibility he takes very seriously, all for the spirit of entertainment.

“If you remove the outcome, you know we’re going to lose, but if you remove the outcome and just focus on the process and the game, you find joy in that,” he said.

pic.twitter.com/oiiiu0IrNi

— Jordan Fuchs (@therealjordan81) February 18, 2022

On Jan. 5, 1971, in a matchup in Martin, Tenn., the Generals — then playing as the New Jersey Reds — snapped a 2,495-game losing streak with a 100-99 victory over the Globetrotters. As the Globetrotters entertained the crowd, the Generals stormed ahead in the final seconds. Klotz made the game-winning basket as the buzzer sounded to give the Generals their most exciting victory in modern-day history. It was the first time in 14 years the Globetrotters had lost a matchup against their archrival.

After the game, Klotz, who died in 2014 at 92 years old, famously quipped that beating the Globetrotters “is like shooting Santa Claus,” but how did the Generals legend feel about finally being on the right side of the scoreboard?

“I think it was probably the best day of his whole entire life,” Bronwen O’Keefe, Globetrotters head of brand marketing and content, told The Athletic. “I can’t imagine the celebration and happiness that he had. He probably held on to that day for a very, very long time or through the rest of his life.

“We still count that day as being a very important moment in the history of the Globetrotters. You can’t talk about the history of the Globetrotters without talking about the Generals.”

How the rivalry plays out has changed over the years. It’s been “good versus evil,” with the Globetrotters as the heroes and the Generals as the villains. There was even a masked General known as Cager who was the ultimate villain and played by multiple players. Other times, it’s simply the story of the underdog Generals trying to upend the Globetrotters.

Antics like this, against and not in favor of the Generals, have been happening for decades. (Don Emmert / AFP via Getty Images)

Given the lopsided nature of the rivalry, a question is why would someone want to play for the Generals?

For one, it is an opportunity to play professional basketball. The Generals aren’t simply props on the court; they’re real basketball players. Some have been scouted in the G League, some in the NBA Summer League, some internationally — just like some members of the Globetrotters.

One of the most famous names to play for the Generals is Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, who suited up for the Generals in the 1980s. Lieberman was the first woman to play for the Generals. Kayla Gabor is on the team now and is the second woman to play for the Generals. Gabor is a former all-conference guard from Division II Lake Erie College in Ohio, a leading scorer during the 2016-17 season for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

“I’m a General, which is very unique,” Gabor said. “Nancy Lieberman, I believe, was 1977 to ’78, so for me, bringing back the female on the opponent’s side is a unique spotlight. I know in the past, we’re villainous and supposed to just be the enemy, but I always came in like, ‘OK, we don’t win every game, but I set personal goals.’ My personal goals are to get the crowd on my side.

“I always like to try and find people out of the audience to be like, ‘Watch this!’ and hit a couple 3s in a row. I’ll do it for them. Seriously, it is motivation for me.”

The Generals, like the Globetrotters, practice and work on a variety of areas on the court. They travel wherever the Globetrotters travel, with equal accommodations.

“We all understand it’s a show, and maybe the youngest members of our audience don’t understand the full kind of weight or meaning or impact of that,” O’Keefe said. “But we also have to account for the fact that on both teams, these are real people, real athletes with real skills, and they’re playing professional basketball. We want to give them the opportunity to be able to show those skills off.”

There also remains the hope for Generals to be moved to the Globetrotters. It doesn’t happen often, but Latif “Jet” Rivers is a Globetrotter who started with the Generals (formerly known as the World All-Stars in 2013 and 2014) after playing college basketball at Wagner College in the early 2010s. Rivers was moved to the Globetrotters in 2017 after spending time on the opposing teams.

This week we’re diving into the rich history of the Washington Generals and their unique rivalry with the Harlem Globetrotters! 🏀 Discover which current Globetrotter has a history playing for the Generals…Tune in this weekend to #PlayItForward on NBC! pic.twitter.com/kLrfzu6cJ5

— Harlem Globetrotters (@Globies) December 27, 2024

The Generals aren’t the stars of the show, but they are definitely an important part of Globetrotters history. Even with loss after loss, they’ve become fan favorites and role models for children.

In the eyes of many, they are far from an underdog.

“It seriously is almost like a dream,” Gabor said. “There are a lot of eyes on us, but it’s a really good role to take on. It almost gives me a purpose in basketball that I never knew the sport would bring.”

“It’s just awesome to be a part of history, as well,” Fuchs added. “The history of the Globetrotters.”

— Shakeia Taylor contributed to this report.

(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; photos courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters)