Good Friday morning!

• I’ll keep this one snappy, and I’ll address it if only because I’ve been seeing, hearing and reading stances on this subject to the contrary: There’s no way in hell Russia should be allowed anywhere near an Olympics or a World Cup or grand slam tennis events or a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council … or a community bingo parlor.

Let’s not lose the script here, people.

Since Russia’s unilateral and unprovoked invasion, an estimated 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers and another 10,000 civilians, including hundreds of children, have been killed, according to the BBC. By any standard, that’s a horrific war. And to repeat, it’s a war that only one side sought.

And somewhere within this scenario, we’re supposed to worry about how Alexander Ovechkin or Nikita Kucherov or Sergei Bobrovsky might feel about not participating?

Or, sillier still, how the world’s hockey fans are being robbed of being personally entertained by the strongest possible tournament?

For God’s sake, get a grip.

• Besides, it’s not as if any team’s about to counter what Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon will do to everyone these next couple of weeks:

   

• Almost related, but the International Olympic Committee’s cracked down on copyrighted material to the extreme that even NHL teams are prohibited from routine sharing of highlights, as is the league itself, as are any non-NBC media outlets. It’s so extreme that hockey reporters aren’t permitted to video absolutely anything inside any arena, even their own interviews with players, something I’d done routinely in the five Olympics I covered.

Not exactly motivation for the NHL to use this vehicle to sell the game, I’d say.

• Brilliant response from the Islanders after their Bo Horvat scored for Canada yesterday:

• Someone share with me, please, Malik Willis’ fatal flaw, so that I can understand why he shouldn’t be the Steelers’ primary target in free agency next month.

I mean, I get the part where he was the Titans’ third-rounder in the same 2022 NFL Draft that saw Kenny Pickett taken in the first round. I also get that it’s taken him a couple of teams to reach the point with the Packers where he did some subbing for Jordan Love, but sit down for these stats in this past season’s final game and a half after a Love injury: 27 of 32 for 409 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, plus 19 rushes for 104 additional yards and two additional touchdowns.

And the opponents were the Bears and Ravens, both desperate for wins.

Don’t debate me on this without investing five minutes in this video. I’m serious.

• Full-blown Friday Insider up this morning from the staff.

• I’ll be in Bradenton, Fla., for most of next week, so I’ll save most of my baseball thoughts.

Condolences on this day to the family, friends and former teammates of the truly great Elroy Face, whose forkball contributed to 15 years with the Pirates, an all-time pitching appearances record that still stands and, above all, mowing down those mighty Yankees for three hyperextended saves in the 1960 World Series. Bill Mazeroski himself once told me he never gets to Game 7 without Mr. Face doing all that he’d done beforehand.

• Site Stuff tomorrow.