1. Matt Lauer takes his job reporting on the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics very seriously. A good example: this morning when he checked out "Lovers Bench" with a local.
2. News broke early Wednesday morning that Olympic snowboarder Shaun White will not compete in the slopestyle event debuting at the Sochi Games.
While White spoke at a press conference, other athletes — figure skaters, skiers and hockey players —joined TODAY to talk about their golden goals.
Lindsey Vonn, who won’t be skiing at this Olympics due to a knee injury, thanked her mom for being so supportive, and explained to Savannah just how important parental support is for Olympians.
3. Jay Leno is just two days away from his last appearance as “The Tonight Show” host, but Jimmy Fallon promises it won’t be Leno’s last time on that stage.
"The stage is his," said Fallon. "He knows that. So whenever he wants, he's got a stage."
4. A win on “Biggest Loser” means 155 pounds down and $250,000 in the bank for the 24-year-old Rachel Frederickson. It also means public criticism.
5. TODAY fans are saying #EnoughAlready to this winter's never-ending snowstorms. Exhibit A: these sad babies.
And that’s TODAY’s Takeaway!