In a few short days, the Winter Olympics will arrive in Italy, with events spread across Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, (pictured above) and the dramatic sweep of the Italian Alps. For a few weeks, the world’s attention will focus on medals, records, and ceremonies. But long after the final podium is cleared, what will linger is something far more enduring: Italy itself.

Because Italy does not merely host events. It absorbs them, reshapes them, and folds them into its own layered story. The Olympics may come and go, but Italy remains—complex, beautiful, contradictory, and deeply human.

A Landscape Made for Drama

Northern Italy in winter feels almost theatrical. The Dolomites rise like sculpted stone cathedrals, their pale limestone faces catching the low winter sun and glowing pink at dusk, a phenomenon locals call enrosadira. These mountains are not simply a backdrop; they are characters in the story. For centuries, they have shaped how people live, build, eat, and move.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, long known as the “Queen of the Dolomites,” carries a quiet confidence earned over generations. It has hosted royalty, artists, climbers, and skiers long before Olympic planners arrived. There is an elegance here that feels unforced—wooden chalets, iron balconies, and cafés where espresso is taken seriously even in sub-zero temperatures.

Meanwhile, Milan sits at the other end of the spectrum. Fast, modern, design-obsessed, and industrious, it is Italy’s engine room. Snow is rare, but winter sharpens the city’s edges: tailored coats, fog-softened streets, trams slicing through the cold air. Hosting parts of the Olympics here feels symbolic—Italy showing not just its postcard beauty, but its contemporary pulse.

Italy’s Relationship With Time

One of the most fascinating things about Italy is its refusal to rush, even when the world demands speed. Infrastructure projects may move slowly. Bureaucracy can feel eternal. And yet, this relationship with time is part of Italy’s strength.

When the Olympics arrive, they will land in places that already carry centuries of memory. Roman roads still underpin modern highways. Medieval towns sit a short drive from ultramodern stadiums. Churches built before the concept of “nation-states” still ring their bells on schedule.

Italy does not erase the past to make room for the future—it stacks the future on top of it.

This layering will be visible everywhere during the Games. Athletes will compete in cutting-edge venues, then walk out into towns where recipes, dialects, and customs have been passed down through generations. The contrast is not jarring; it is quintessentially Italian.

Food as Cultural Language

Any global event in Italy inevitably becomes a conversation about food—not because Italians are showing off, but because food is how Italy communicates.

In the north, winter cuisine is hearty and rooted in survival as much as pleasure. Polenta, slow-cooked until creamy. Canederli (bread dumplings) floating in broth. Game meats, mountain cheeses, butter replacing olive oil as the fat of choice. These dishes reflect altitude, climate, and history more than trends.

Visitors arriving for the Olympics may expect spectacle, but what they’ll remember is the warmth of a meal after the cold. A bowl of pasta eaten slowly. A glass of local wine poured without ceremony. The realization that in Italy, nourishment is never just physical—it’s social, emotional, and deeply tied to place.

Even Milan, often seen as business-first, reveals itself through food: risotto alla milanese glowing with saffron, ossobuco simmered patiently, aperitivo culture turning early evenings into communal rituals. The Olympics may bring crowds, but Italians will still pause for lunch.

They always do.

Style Without Performance

Italy is famous for style, but what’s often misunderstood is that Italian style is not about spectacle—it’s about instinct. In winter especially, this becomes clear. Wool coats are cut to last decades. Scarves are wrapped, not arranged. Boots are chosen because they work, then happen to look good.

During the Games, cameras will capture crowds bundled against the cold, and Italy’s fashion sensibility will quietly assert itself. Not flashy. Not loud. Just assured.

Beyond the Closing Ceremony

When the Olympic flame is extinguished, Italy will remain much as it was before—because it has endured empires, wars, renaissances, and revolutions. A sporting event, no matter how grand, is simply another chapter.

What the Winter Olympics truly offer is an invitation: to look past the event and into the country hosting it. To see Italy not as a destination, but as a way of living. To understand that beauty can coexist with imperfection, that history can be alive, and that progress doesn’t require forgetting who you are.

On Feb. 6, 2026, the world will come to Italy for sport. It will leave remembering something else entirely.

Read more from Francesca on her travel and blog website: Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures. 

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One of the great Italian American success stories in sports — Paul Tagliabue — died this past weekend at the age of 84.

Tagliabue served as NFL commissioner from 1989 to 2006.

Italians are often stereotyped as hot-headed and impulsive, yet Tagliabue was famous for his quiet resolve and control.

In the Arena

Tagliabue was the antithesis of Donald Trump. Where the young developer, now president, was brash, combative and boastful, Tagliabue was reserved, methodical and modest.

The two met in the arena: the winner, Tagliabue.

Trump was one of several team owners to make up the new but promising United States Football League (USFL). His team, the New Jersey Generals, played in Giants Stadium, within the shadow of the New York skyline. Trump was a hands-on owner. He acquired the likes of Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker to play for the Generals.

The USFL seemed on the right path to success, a new league to challenge the dominance of the National Football League (NFL).

Yet, after all the hype, work and investment, the USFL sought victory in the courts rather than on the field. The goal: Force the NFL to merge.

In 1984, the USFL filed a $1.3 billion antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. A verdict in the new league’s favor could be the death nell of the NFL.

NFL Elimination?

The USFL, a springtime league founded in 1982, seemed a formidable rival to the NFL. They had lured away college stars such as Doug Flutie and Steve Young, in addition to Herschel Walker.

Trump and other USFL owners dreamed of forcing a merger with the NFL. They decided to switch their season from spring to fall. The USFL wanted to compete for a football audience head-to-head with the established league to make a merger the only future option for the two leagues.

When television networks balked at broadcasting fall games, the USFL accused the NFL of monopolizing the airwaves and filed suit in Manhattan federal court.

At stake: not only billions of dollars, but the NFL, itself.

Team Leader

Tagliabue, then a partner at Covington & Burling, had long served as the NFL’s outside counsel. He was the man chosen by then-NFL Commissioner, Pete Rozelle, to lead the defense.

Where the USFL came armed with celebrity lawyers and television cameras, Tagliabue arrived with a stack of color-coded binders and an unhurried demeanor.

Reporters noted his calm voice, precise diction, and professor-like patience.

Behind the quiet manner was a devastating logic. Tagliabue argued that the USFL’s wounds were self-inflicted: poor management, reckless expansion and a disastrous decision to move from spring to fall play.

His cross-examinations were surgical. He never raised his voice, but by the end of each exchange, witnesses had contradicted themselves. Even Trump’s own testimony, boastful and combative, helped Tagliabue’s point that the lawsuit was a business gambit, not a plea for fairness.

Dollar Defense

After ten weeks of testimony and 30 hours of jury deliberation, the decision came down on July 29, 1986: Yes, the NFL held monopoly power, but, it had not caused the USFL’s collapse.

Damages awarded to the USFL: $1, which was automatically tripled to $3 under the antitrust law.

One juror later explained, “We felt the USFL had a case in theory, but they destroyed themselves. One dollar seemed right.”

That single dollar ended the USFL. Its teams folded within months. Trump’s team, the Generals, was finished. The NFL emerged not only victorious but vindicated, and the quiet lawyer who had saved the league was suddenly the most respected figure in sports.

Tagliabue refused to gloat. Outside the courthouse, he told reporters only:

“We respect the jury’s careful consideration. The NFL will continue to compete vigorously—on the field and in the marketplace.”

He cautioned owners not to celebrate publicly, reminding them that humility protected the league’s credibility. That self-restraint impressed Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who began grooming Tagliabue as a possible successor.

Three years later, the owners elected Tagliabue commissioner of the NFL.

Football Champ

The “one-dollar verdict” became legendary in American sports law, taught in business and antitrust courses as a case study in strategic understatement.

Tagliabue’s method — facts over flash, persuasion over aggression — defined his later tenure as commissioner.

He negotiated peace between owners and players, expanded the league and guided it through two decades of prosperity.

His Italian upbringing, rooted in discipline and modesty, shaped that temperament. He never sought fame; he sought order, balance and fairness.

As one former owner said, remembering that courtroom day:

“The USFL came for blood. Paul Tagliabue gave them logic—and that’s how he won.”

Editor’s Note: Paul Tagliabue earned his BA at Georgetown University in 1962 and his JD from New York University in 1965. He was originally from Jersey City, New Jersey. As NFL commissioner from 1989 to 2006, Tagliabue saw the league grow from 28 to 32 teams, a total valuation from $1.1 billion to over $6 billion, the establishment of free agency, and the player’s salary cap. Afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease, he passed away in his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He is survived by his wife Chandler and two children, Andrew and Emily. Tagliabue was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 2020. This article first appeared in PRIMO Magazine.

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In her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, Clark set a WNBA record for most assists in a single season with 337 and she drained 122 three-pointers, narrowly missing the league’s all-time single-season record of 128. She also averaged 25.5 points per game, the highest average ever recorded by a WNBA rookie. These accomplishments earned her the Rookie of the Year award and a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, a rare achievement for a first-year player.

In an appearance at the “2024 Massachusetts Conference for Women” on Dec. 12, Clark said that coming from an Italian family, she had no choice but to toughen up against the older, bigger and better competition: “I always had to find a way to hold my own,” Clark said. “Whether it was older cousins, whether it was the boys I was playing with, whether I was playing other big girls, whatever it was.”

Clark’s dominance began in college basketball, where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball, finishing her career with over 4,000 points. She made history by becoming the first player — male or female — to record consecutive 40-point triple-doubles in NCAA tournament play, leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to their first national championship game appearance in 2023. Also while at Iowa, Clark played summer exhibition games in Italy.

Clark’s stats speak to her unparalleled skill and impact on the game. Her records and accolades, coupled with her connection to her Sicilian heritage, make her one of the most compelling athletes of her generation.

The 2025 WNBA season gets underway this May.

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Colavito, a Bronx native and Yankee alum but a Cleveland Indian through and through, was 91 years young when he passed away in his home in Bernville, Pa., on Dec. 10, 2024.

The slugger made the cover of TIME magazine in 1959, he hit 374 home runs in his 14-year career and he was happy to sign autographs. For Italian Americans of his era, Colavito was more than a baseball star — he was a symbol of acceptance in a nation that had long marginalized their heritage.

One of the defining moments of his career — and a pinnacle of cultural pride — came on June 10, 1959, when Colavito hit four consecutive home runs in a single game, leading the Indians to an 11–8 victory over the Orioles in Baltimore.

In what could be described as a hitter’s perfect game, the 4-homer feat is so rare that decades have passed without another player achieving it. At the time, Colavito was only the third in MLB history to do it.

“My grandfather and I listened to Colavito’s historic game on the radio all those years ago,” recalled Basil Russo, a Cleveland native who serves as national president of ISDA. “When he hit that fourth home run, my grandfather and I hugged and I saw tears of joy in his eyes. I was 12 years old, and it was probably the only time I ever saw him cry. I’ll never forget what that moment meant for my ancestors who sacrificed so much to give the next generation opportunities they never had. Through Colavito, and other iconic players like Joe DiMaggio, Italian Americans finally felt a sense of belonging. I’ve made it my life’s mission to honor my parents and grandparents, and that all started while sitting at my grandfather’s feet in June of 1959.”

Colavito’s dominance at the plate was undeniable. He hit 41 home runs in 1958 and 42 in 1959, tying Harmon Killebrew for the American League lead while driving in over 100 runs each season.

A six-time All-Star, Colavito became a folk hero in Cleveland, where his contributions to the game are immortalized in bronze. In 2021, a statue honoring him was unveiled in the heart of Cleveland’s vibrant Little Italy neighborhood — a fitting tribute to a player whose impact went far beyond the diamond.

He attended the ceremony, saying “Cleveland is my favorite city in the world. I am thankful God chose me to play in Cleveland.”

Here’s to you, Rock.

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Art Rooney’s name should ring a bell. He was the man who brought sandlot football to Pittsburgh’s Northside and eventually transformed a semi-professional team into the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty. Beginning with the Hope Harvey football team in the 1920s, Rooney was a player-coach, serving as quarterback while his brothers Dan and Jim played alongside him. Another brother, Vince, handled the duties of water boy.

The team would change into their homemade uniforms in the N.S. Hope Ward Firehouse. Art’s friend, Dr. Walter Harvey, tended to injured players free of charge. Between the Pittsburgh Pirates professional football team and the Steelers, there was the Rooney Reds squad in the 1930s. My father, John; my uncle, Walt Serbiski; and members of ISDA’s Northside Amity Lodge — Sam Ross, Patsy Massacci, and Jim Rubino — played on that championship team. The Steelers emerged in the 1940s, but Northside sandlot football continued to thrive.

My uncle, Eugene “Onions” Mahofski, led the N.S. Sheffield Apaches to several championships, while my older brother Jack and a few cousins played on the Squawker AC, another Northside champion team.

During my formative years, our Northside neighborhood gathered for pickup games of street football. Everyone knew one another, and boys would show up from nearby city blocks. Players were never in short supply, but footballs often were! A discarded newspaper would become our solution, rolled tightly into a 6- to 8-inch makeshift football and secured with black electrical tape.

Our first-down and endzone markers included car bumpers, telephone poles, sewer lids, fire hydrants, and street corners. The playing field was always the width of the street, and without instant replay, we relied on spirited disputes: “You were out of bounds!” or “You never crossed the goal line!”

The Northside Manchester Rams sandlot team sparked my passion for the game at age 14 in the 1950s. We sold booster cards and passed the hat at games to cover expenses, going undefeated in our first season. That year, we proudly sported white Manchester jackets, with “Manchester” sewn above a large red and white ram head across the back.

Northside sandlot football games continued even into my police career, with teams like the Northside Saints and Northside A.C. I eventually joined the Tri-State All-Stars, a semi-pro independent league. In our last season, we went undefeated, using all gate money to cover team expenses — jackets, equipment, uniforms, and banquets.

We even played long-term prisoners housed at the maximum-security Western Penitentiary and shorter-term inmates at the Allegheny County Workhouse. These convict teams never played away games, for obvious reasons, but both facilities provided lockers, showers, refreshments, and comfortable break areas at halftime. The games were always intense, with inmates rooting for our team as if we were the home team. Cheers for good play were common, and louder cheers erupted when one of their own was injured.

This is just a snapshot of Pittsburgh’s Northside sandlot football history. The competition and camaraderie take me back to The Saltworks Football Field (“Fredricks Field”), once located in Manchester’s Northside.

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It was the first of many on Sunday in Paris for Italy’s women’s volleyball team, as they dominated their way to a historic finish on the final day of the Olympics.

• First-ever Olympic medal (GOLD)
• First-ever Quarter/Semi/Final Olympic Wins
• First in World Rankings

The Italians, who had not lost a single set since the opening round, won Sunday’s gold medal match 3-0 over the U.S.

It was billed as a clash between the world’s top-ranked team (Italy) and the defending gold medalists (the U.S.).

The Italians let their star, Paola Egonu, set the tone with her superior opening play (11 points in the first set alone).

Italian flags waved in the crowd at a packed South Paris Arena.

Prior to this weekend, Italy had never medaled in women’s volleyball at the Olympics. They are far from a traditional power. They had never even won an Olympic quarterfinal, according to Yahoo! Sports. 

Italy ranks ninth in the overall standings, as its’ Olympians have taken home 40 medals (12 gold, 13 silver, 15 bronze).

Watch the highlights here.

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“I’m sorry my love, I’m really, really sorry,” Tamberi wrote in an open letter of apology he posted on Instagram on Saturday to his wife of two years, Chiara Bontempi.

 

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“Too much water, too many kilograms lost over the last few months and maybe the uncontrollable enthusiasm of what we were doing. Probably all three things,” added Tamberi, who shared flag-bearing duties for Italy with fencer Arianna Errigo during Friday’s ceremony, which featured boats parading athletes instead of the usual procession inside a stadium.

Last month, Tamberi pretended to hide springs in his shoes when he won gold at the European Championships then jumped into the arms of Italy President Sergio Mattarella.

And when he shared gold in the high jump with his good friend Mutaz Barshim at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Tamberi celebrated exuberantly..

He was only the second athlete in Team Italy’s history to achieve the feat.

While Tamberi looks to take home a medal again, he views the wedding ring mishap as a good omen, writing: “It will forever remain in the river bed of the city of love. May it be a good omen to return home with greater gold.”

Fortunately, for the Oympian, his wife has agreed to forgive him.

The men’s high jump starts with the qualifying round on Aug. 7 and concludes with the final on Aug. 10.

(Image license)

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I extend our heartfelt congratulations to John Viola, and his parents, Vincent and Teresa, owners of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

The Panthers won their first title in franchise history on June 24 with a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the championship series.

It’s especially exciting for all of us to see the Viola family achieve such prominence and success in the sports world because they have been so generous and helpful to the Italian American community.

John has truly become one of the most prominent and influential Italian American leaders in our country. He serves as VP of COPOMIAO, NYC District VP of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, founder and host of the Italian American Podcast, and Co-founder and Chair of the Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL) platform. And, he has recently opened the new Italian American Podcast studio — Red Sauce Studio — in the heart of NYC’s Little Italy, which will soon be joined by the adjacent Italian American Emporium.

Working with John in his various leadership roles has allowed me to observe firsthand the passion and pride he has in our heritage, and to admire everything he does to preserve and promote it.

John’s parents, Vincent and Teresa, have played a crucial role in the huge success of the IAFL  program. They have generously donated the use of Amerant Bank Arena to host the IAFL events, while also providing the meals and entertainment for the attendees who participate in the program.

The Viola family stands as a pillar of excellence in the Italian American community. They set an outstanding example for all of us to follow, while instilling in us a strong sense of pride.

From the perspective of the Italian American community, there could not be a more deserving family to be honored with the Stanley Cup trophy.

Let’s hope it’s just the first of many more to come.

Sincerely,

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Of course, we’re talking about none other than the New York Giants’ Tommy DeVito and the Cleveland Browns’ Joe Flacco.

DeVito, who picked up the nickname “Tommy Cutlets” thanks to his mother’s Sunday cooking, has won three straight games, thrown eight touchdowns and notched an incredible 137.7 passer rating against the Washington Commanders in November.

Flacco, 38, a 2013 Super Bowl MVP who won his 100th game against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday, up until a few weeks ago, was also spending Sundays with his mother and family.

Neither can believe their luck and both are closely tied to their Italian heritage.

Flacco’s father, Giuseppe L “Joseph” Flacco is Italian. His grandparents emigrated from Isola del Gran Sasso, a province of Teramo, Abruzzo, according to sportskeeda.com.

DeVito, 25 — who played college ball at Syracuse then Illinois — still lives at home with his parents, Tom Sr. and Alexandra, in Cedar Grove, N.J. (just minutes from the Giants’ MetLife Stadium).

Flacco, the oldest of six kids — who grew up 90 miles from DeVito in Audubon, N.J. — also moved back home and lived with his parents during the first two offseasons of his NFL career, in 2008 and 2009.

“January Joe” will face off against the Chicago Bears this Sunday, as the Browns (8-5) look to cement their playoff hopes.

DeVito, with agent Sean Stellato in tow, is headed to New Orleans to square off against the Saints. The Giants (5-8) have roughly a two percent chance of making the playoffs.

No matter how you cut it, this is an Italian American story for the ages.

Now, the highlights:

— Tommy DeVito —

Tommy DeVito juked buddy out of his socks 😂 pic.twitter.com/VGg8WYSvVq

— evin (@KayvonOjulari) December 13, 2023

— Joe Flacco —

Joe Flacco: still #elite.

pic.twitter.com/EP5HXIdLdM

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 10, 2023

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