<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, December 30th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, December 30th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for December 30th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=29czk-178cc56-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN:  🏈 Commanders win on SNF; 🏀 WSU WBB start conference schedule with win; 🏈 Chiefs play Broncos on Sunday;  

AP Sports Summary for December 30th, 2024:

Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 for their ninth consecutive victory. The Vikings are 14-2. They set up a final-week showdown in Detroit next Sunday night for both the division title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs in the NFC. Jordan Love's only touchdown pass for the Packers came with 2:18 left to pull the Packers within two points. Darnold responded with two completions for first downs to seal the game.

Jayden Daniels dazzles again as Commanders clinch a playoff spot by beating Falcons 30-24 in OT

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Washington Commanders clinched a playoff spot by beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 in overtime. Jayden Daniels ran for a season-high 127 yards and threw for 227 and three touchdowns to make the postseason in his rookie year in the NFL. He outdueled fellow top-10 draft pick Michael Penix Jr. in a game each had an interception. The Commanders can move up to the sixth seed in the NFC if they win at Dallas next weekend. The Falcons lost control of their playoff chances and now can only get in if they beat Carolina and Tampa Bay loses to New Orleans in Week 18.

Falcons run out of time to control their path to the playoffs after mismanaging the clock

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have run out of time to control their path to the playoffs after mismanaging the clock multiple times in an overtime loss at the Washington Commanders. Coach Raheem Morris declined to use all three of his timeouts in the first half and two more in the second. Morris defended most of how he handled the situations other than saying it was reasonable to second-guess not taking a timeout near the end of regulation. Riley Patterson's 56-yard field goal attempt fell short as time expired, sending the game to overtime.

NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18

The NFC's No. 1 seed will come down to the final game of the regular season when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser becomes the No. 5 seed and must play on the road in the wild-card round. The Lions hold the tiebreaker if the teams enter with identical records and play to a tie. The Vikings held on for a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to set up the high-stakes showdown in Week 18.

Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined Jets

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the New York Jets. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo's defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record.

Thompson-Herro fight leads to ejections of multiple players and coaches in Heat's victory in Houston

HOUSTON (AP) — Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the floor to trigger an altercation that resulted in six ejections in the closing minute of Miami's 104-100 victory over Houston on Sunday. Thompson and Herro became entangled with Miami about to inbound the ball leading 99-94 with 35 seconds left. Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and tossed him, with referee Marc Davis describing it as Thompson "body slams Herro." Herro, Thompson, and Udoka were ejected, as were Heat guard Terry Rozier, Rockets guard Jalen Green, and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan.

LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader

When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career.

Rising Sun Devils: Arizona State looks to pull off another big surprise at the Peach Bowl

ATLANTA (AP) — As they prepare for Arizona State's biggest game in nearly three decades, the guys who made it happen aren't the least bit surprised to be rated a nearly two-touchdown underdog in the College Football Playoff. That's a familiar position for the Sun Devils. They've been an underdog most of the season. Of the eight teams still vying for a national championship, there's no bigger surprise than 11-2 Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago and were picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Now, they're getting ready to face Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year's Day.

Penn State coach James Franklin says Nick Saban should be college football's commissioner

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin believes college football needs a commissioner and he even has a candidate in mind: former Alabama coach Nick Saban. Franklin made the suggestion Sunday at Penn State's College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day ahead of the Fiesta Bowl. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions are preparing for their game against No. 3 seed Boise State on Tuesday. The veteran coach was responding to a question about Penn State's backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri before the playoff. Pribula's decision highlighted some of the frustrating aspects of a new college football world in the Name, Image and Likeness era and the transfer portal, forcing players to make tough decisions at inopportune times.

Crosby breaks Lemieux's Penguins career assists record in 3-2 victory over the Islanders

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux's Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists on Michael Bunting's power-play goal and the Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Sunday night. Crosby has 1,034 assists, good for 12th in NHL history. Only three players — Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman — have more assists with a single team. The 37-year-old Crosby has played 1,310-regular-season games. Lemieux played 915. Evgeni Malkin added the deciding power-play goal in the third for Pittsburgh, which has 14 goals with the man advantage in its last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 17.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		W. Michigan	at	(18)Michigan St.	3 p.m.	

		Bethune-Cookman	at	(19)Mississippi St.	9 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Monday, December 30th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Monday, December 30th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for December 30th, 2024:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for December 30th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=sm2hk-178ca04-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over PackersMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 for their ninth consecutive victory. The Vikings are 14-2. They set up a final-week showdown in Detroit next Sunday night for both the division title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs in the NFC. Jordan Love's only touchdown pass for the Packers came with 2:18 left to pull the Packers within two points. Darnold responded with two completions for first downs to seal the game.Jayden Daniels dazzles again as Commanders clinch a playoff spot by beating Falcons 30-24 in OTLANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Washington Commanders clinched a playoff spot by beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 in overtime. Jayden Daniels ran for a season-high 127 yards and threw for 227 and three touchdowns to make the postseason in his rookie year in the NFL. He outdueled fellow top-10 draft pick Michael Penix Jr. in a game each had an interception. The Commanders can move up to the sixth seed in the NFC if they win at Dallas next weekend. The Falcons lost control of their playoff chances and now can only get in if they beat Carolina and Tampa Bay loses to New Orleans in Week 18.Falcons run out of time to control their path to the playoffs after mismanaging the clockLANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have run out of time to control their path to the playoffs after mismanaging the clock multiple times in an overtime loss at the Washington Commanders. Coach Raheem Morris declined to use all three of his timeouts in the first half and two more in the second. Morris defended most of how he handled the situations other than saying it was reasonable to second-guess not taking a timeout near the end of regulation. Riley Patterson's 56-yard field goal attempt fell short as time expired, sending the game to overtime.NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18The NFC's No. 1 seed will come down to the final game of the regular season when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser becomes the No. 5 seed and must play on the road in the wild-card round. The Lions hold the tiebreaker if the teams enter with identical records and play to a tie. The Vikings held on for a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to set up the high-stakes showdown in Week 18.Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined JetsORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the New York Jets. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo's defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record.Thompson-Herro fight leads to ejections of multiple players and coaches in Heat's victory in HoustonHOUSTON (AP) — Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the floor to trigger an altercation that resulted in six ejections in the closing minute of Miami's 104-100 victory over Houston on Sunday. Thompson and Herro became entangled with Miami about to inbound the ball leading 99-94 with 35 seconds left. Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and tossed him, with referee Marc Davis describing it as Thompson "body slams Herro." Herro, Thompson, and Udoka were ejected, as were Heat guard Terry Rozier, Rockets guard Jalen Green, and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan.LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leaderWhen LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career.Rising Sun Devils: Arizona State looks to pull off another big surprise at the Peach BowlATLANTA (AP) — As they prepare for Arizona State's biggest game in nearly three decades, the guys who made it happen aren't the least bit surprised to be rated a nearly two-touchdown underdog in the College Football Playoff. That's a familiar position for the Sun Devils. They've been an underdog most of the season. Of the eight teams still vying for a national championship, there's no bigger surprise than 11-2 Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago and were picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Now, they're getting ready to face Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year's Day.Penn State coach James Franklin says Nick Saban should be college football's commissionerSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin believes college football needs a commissioner and he even has a candidate in mind: former Alabama coach Nick Saban. Franklin made the suggestion Sunday at Penn State's College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day ahead of the Fiesta Bowl. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions are preparing for their game against No. 3 seed Boise State on Tuesday. The veteran coach was responding to a question about Penn State's backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri before the playoff. Pribula's decision highlighted some of the frustrating aspects of a new college football world in the Name, Image and Likeness era and the transfer portal, forcing players to make tough decisions at inopportune times.Crosby breaks Lemieux's Penguins career assists record in 3-2 victory over the IslandersPITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux's Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists on Michael Bunting's power-play goal and the Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Sunday night. Crosby has 1,034 assists, good for 12th in NHL history. Only three players — Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman — have more assists with a single team. The 37-year-old Crosby has played 1,310-regular-season games. Lemieux played 915. Evgeni Malkin added the deciding power-play goal in the third for Pittsburgh, which has 14 goals with the man advantage in its last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 17.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Orlando	102	Brooklyn	101	Final	Indiana	123	Boston	114	Final	Atlanta	136	Toronto	107	Final	Oklahoma City	130	Memphis	106	Final	Miami	104	Houston	100	Final	Minnesota	112	San Antonio	110	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Buffalo	4	St. Louis	2	Final	Anaheim	5	Edmonton	3	Final	Detroit	4	Washington	2	Final	Montreal	5	Tampa Bay	2	Final	Pittsburgh	3	N-Y Islanders	2	Final	Ottawa	3	Minnesota	1	Final	Vegas	3	Calgary	0	Final	Dallas	5	Chicago	1	Final	Los Angeles	5	Philadelphia	4	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal	Buffalo	40	N-Y Jets	14	Final	Jacksonville	20	Tennessee	13	Final	Las Vegas	25	New Orleans	10	Final	N-Y Giants	45	Indianapolis	33	Final	Philadelphia	41	Dallas	7	Final	Tampa Bay	48	Carolina	14	Final	Miami	20	Cleveland	3	Final	Minnesota	27	Green Bay	25	Final OT	Washington	30	Atlanta	24	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(5)Alabama	105	S. Dakota St.	82	Final	(6)Florida	85	Stetson	45	Final	(9)Oregon	89	Weber St.	49	Final	(12)Oklahoma	89	Prairie View	67	Final	(21)Purdue	83	Toledo	64	Final	(24)Illinois	117	Chicago St.	64	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Chicago	at	Charlotte	7 p.m.			New York	at	Washington	7 p.m.			L.A. Clippers	at	New Orleans	8 p.m.			Denver	at	Utah	9 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Golden State	10 p.m.			Dallas	at	Sacramento	10 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Portland	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		N-Y Rangers	at	Florida	7 p.m.			Nashville	at	Winnipeg	7:30 p.m.			Utah	at	Seattle	8 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE		Detroit	at	San Francisco	8:15 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		Iowa	at	(23)Missouri	2:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Monmouth (NJ)	at	(2)Auburn	6:30 p.m.			(3)Iowa St.	at	Colorado	9 p.m.			(14)Gonzaga	at	Pepperdine	10 p.m.			(15)Houston	at	Oklahoma St.	8 p.m.			(17)Cincinnati	at	Kansas St.	7 p.m.			W. Michigan	at	(18)Michigan St.	3 p.m.			Bethune-Cookman	at	(19)Mississippi St.	9 p.m.			Oakland	at	(23)Arkansas	8 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Monday

AP Sports Summary for December 29th, 2024:

Ahkello Witherspoon makes last-minute interception to preserve Rams' 13-9 win over Arizona

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Ahkello Witherspoon made a diving interception on a deflected pass in the end zone with 37 seconds to play, and the Los Angeles Rams barely maintained command of the NFC West race with a 13-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Puka Nacua had 129 yards receiving and Kyren Williams scored the only touchdown for the Rams (10-6), who grinded through a difficult offensive night and survived a hair-raising fourth quarter for their fifth consecutive victory. The Rams host Seattle (9-7) in their regular-season finale next weekend, but they could already have coach Sean McVay's fourth division title clinched before then. The Rams narrowly avoided a winner-take-all finale against Seattle by holding off the Cardinals.

Burrow throws 3-yard TD pass to Higgins in OT as the Bengals beat the Broncos 30-24

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos. Following a Broncos punt, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, then went back to the lanky receiver for the game-ending play. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards. Cade York had a chance to win it for the Bengals with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Cincinnati.

Herbert tosses 3 TD passes and Chargers secure a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh's five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with tAshe San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home.

Snoop's game: Snoop Dogg thrills the crowd in the bowl that bears his name

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Miami of Ohio beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl, but Snoop Dogg was the main attraction. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin &amp; Juice by Dre and Snoop was much a spectacle as a football game. Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, from a pregame tailgate to the postgame trophy presentation. Snoop Dog donned a headset on Colorado State's sideline, spent some time in the broadcast and even led both marching bands as conductor during their halftime performance. Snoop Dogg saved the best for last, rolling out in a light green, lowrider Chevy Impala with gold rims and accents, the shiny Arizona Bowl trophy in his hand as fans screamed his name.

Hunter and Sanders close successful chapter at Colorado despite blowout loss to BYU in Alamo Bowl

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — On the scoreboard, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders went out with a whimper at Colorado. But their lasting impact in Boulder — both on the field and off — was probably immeasurable. With two dynamic stars playing their final college game, the 20th-ranked Buffaloes were blown out 36-14 by No. 17 BYU in the Alamo Bowl. Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner and two-way sensation, caught four passes for a game-high 106 yards and a touchdown. The lockdown cornerback also made four solo tackles. Sanders, the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, was 16-of-23 passing for 208 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are both expected to be picked high in the NFL draft next spring.

Brawl mars end of Miltary Bowl as in-state rivals East Carolina and NC State square off

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — East Carolina and NC State began brawling near the end of ECU's 26-21 victory in the Military Bowl. And the teams won't have to wait long to see each other again. They face off to open next season. Emotions were understandably high for this matchup. NC State and East Carolina are about 80 miles apart. They don't play every season, but they've been on each other's schedule plenty over the years. An interception gave East Carolina the ball with 44 seconds left, needing only to run out the clock. After a run up the middle, the fight broke out around the hash marks closer to the ECU sideline.

Bryson Daily leads No. 19 Army to 27-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Bryson Daily broke the FBS record for touchdowns by a quarterback in a season with 32, running for three scores in No. 19 Army's 27-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on Saturday night. Daily ran for 127 yards on 27 carries and was 2-of-9 passing for 65 yards to help Army set a program victory record at 12-2. Hayden Reed added 114 yards rushing and a TD on 20 carries. Army entered the game with a nation-best 298.9 yards rushing per game and punished the Bulldogs (5-8), a late replacement for Sun Belt champion Marshall.

Djokovic says players have 'been kept in the dark' on Sinner, Swiatek doping breaches

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — On the eve of his return to the court, Novak Djokovic has weighed in on the tennis' high profile doping cases and criticized what he perceives as double standards in the sport. The former world No.1, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title at next month's Australian Open, expressed his frustration at being "kept in the dark" regarding top-ranked Jannik Sinner's doping case. The Serbian also criticized the lack of transparency from tennis authorities around doping breaches.

Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl.

Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple's beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani's teammates and his fans.

Final	(13)Texas A&amp;M	92	Abilene Christian	54	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, December 29th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, December 29th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for December 29th, 2024:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for December 29th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=3dmtx-178a304-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Ahkello Witherspoon makes last-minute interception to preserve Rams' 13-9 win over ArizonaINGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Ahkello Witherspoon made a diving interception on a deflected pass in the end zone with 37 seconds to play, and the Los Angeles Rams barely maintained command of the NFC West race with a 13-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Puka Nacua had 129 yards receiving and Kyren Williams scored the only touchdown for the Rams (10-6), who grinded through a difficult offensive night and survived a hair-raising fourth quarter for their fifth consecutive victory. The Rams host Seattle (9-7) in their regular-season finale next weekend, but they could already have coach Sean McVay's fourth division title clinched before then. The Rams narrowly avoided a winner-take-all finale against Seattle by holding off the Cardinals.Burrow throws 3-yard TD pass to Higgins in OT as the Bengals beat the Broncos 30-24CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos. Following a Broncos punt, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, then went back to the lanky receiver for the game-ending play. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards. Cade York had a chance to win it for the Bengals with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Cincinnati.Herbert tosses 3 TD passes and Chargers secure a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of PatriotsFOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh's five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with tAshe San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home.Snoop's game: Snoop Dogg thrills the crowd in the bowl that bears his nameTUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Miami of Ohio beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl, but Snoop Dogg was the main attraction. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin &amp; Juice by Dre and Snoop was much a spectacle as a football game. Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, from a pregame tailgate to the postgame trophy presentation. Snoop Dog donned a headset on Colorado State's sideline, spent some time in the broadcast and even led both marching bands as conductor during their halftime performance. Snoop Dogg saved the best for last, rolling out in a light green, lowrider Chevy Impala with gold rims and accents, the shiny Arizona Bowl trophy in his hand as fans screamed his name.Hunter and Sanders close successful chapter at Colorado despite blowout loss to BYU in Alamo BowlSAN ANTONIO (AP) — On the scoreboard, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders went out with a whimper at Colorado. But their lasting impact in Boulder — both on the field and off — was probably immeasurable. With two dynamic stars playing their final college game, the 20th-ranked Buffaloes were blown out 36-14 by No. 17 BYU in the Alamo Bowl. Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner and two-way sensation, caught four passes for a game-high 106 yards and a touchdown. The lockdown cornerback also made four solo tackles. Sanders, the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, was 16-of-23 passing for 208 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are both expected to be picked high in the NFL draft next spring.Brawl mars end of Miltary Bowl as in-state rivals East Carolina and NC State square offANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — East Carolina and NC State began brawling near the end of ECU's 26-21 victory in the Military Bowl. And the teams won't have to wait long to see each other again. They face off to open next season. Emotions were understandably high for this matchup. NC State and East Carolina are about 80 miles apart. They don't play every season, but they've been on each other's schedule plenty over the years. An interception gave East Carolina the ball with 44 seconds left, needing only to run out the clock. After a run up the middle, the fight broke out around the hash marks closer to the ECU sideline.Bryson Daily leads No. 19 Army to 27-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Independence BowlSHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Bryson Daily broke the FBS record for touchdowns by a quarterback in a season with 32, running for three scores in No. 19 Army's 27-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on Saturday night. Daily ran for 127 yards on 27 carries and was 2-of-9 passing for 65 yards to help Army set a program victory record at 12-2. Hayden Reed added 114 yards rushing and a TD on 20 carries. Army entered the game with a nation-best 298.9 yards rushing per game and punished the Bulldogs (5-8), a late replacement for Sun Belt champion Marshall.Djokovic says players have 'been kept in the dark' on Sinner, Swiatek doping breachesBRISBANE, Australia (AP) — On the eve of his return to the court, Novak Djokovic has weighed in on the tennis' high profile doping cases and criticized what he perceives as double standards in the sport. The former world No.1, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title at next month's Australian Open, expressed his frustration at being "kept in the dark" regarding top-ranked Jannik Sinner's doping case. The Serbian also criticized the lack of transparency from tennis authorities around doping breaches.Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of FameTwo-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl.Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple's beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani's teammates and his fans.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Atlanta	120	Miami	110	Final	Oklahoma City	106	Charlotte	94	Final OT	New York	136	Washington	132	Final	Chicago	116	Milwaukee	111	Final	Golden State	109	Phoenix	105	Final	Denver	134	Detroit	121	Final	Philadelphia	114	Utah	111	Final	Portland	126	Dallas	122	Final	L.A. Lakers	132	Sacramento	122	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Montreal	4	Florida	0	Final OT	Seattle	5	Vancouver	4	Final	Philadelphia	3	Anaheim	1	Final OT	Los Angeles	4	Edmonton	3	Final	Boston	4	Columbus	0	Final	Winnipeg	4	Ottawa	2	Final	Washington	5	Toronto	2	Final	Carolina	5	New Jersey	2	Final	Tampa Bay	6	N-Y Rangers	2	Final	N-Y Islanders	6	Pittsburgh	3	Final	Calgary	3	San Jose	1	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal	L.A. Chargers	40	New England	7	Final OT	Cincinnati	30	Denver	24	Final	L.A. Rams	13	Arizona	9	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(18)Iowa St.	42	(15)Miami	41	Final	(17)BYU	36	(20)Colorado	14	Final	(19)Army	27	Louisiana Tech	6	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(13)Texas A&amp;M	92	Abilene Christian	54	Final	(22)UCLA	65	(14)Gonzaga	62	Final	Memphis	87	(16)Mississippi	70	Final	Utah St.	67	(20)San Diego St.	66	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Brooklyn	at	Orlando	3:30 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Toronto	6 p.m.			Indiana	at	Boston	6 p.m.			Memphis	at	Oklahoma City	7 p.m.			Miami	at	Houston	7 p.m.			San Antonio	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Buffalo	at	St. Louis	3 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Anaheim	4 p.m.			Montreal	at	Tampa Bay	5 p.m.			Washington	at	Detroit	5 p.m.			N-Y Islanders	at	Pittsburgh	5:30 p.m.			Calgary	at	Vegas	8 p.m.			Ottawa	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			Dallas	at	Chicago	8:30 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Los Angeles	9 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE		Carolina	at	Tampa Bay	1 p.m.			Dallas	at	Philadelphia	1 p.m.			Indianapolis	at	N-Y Giants	1 p.m.			Las Vegas	at	New Orleans	1 p.m.			N-Y Jets	at	Buffalo	1 p.m.			Tennessee	at	Jacksonville	1 p.m.			Miami	at	Cleveland	4:05 p.m.			Green Bay	at	Minnesota	4:25 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Washington	8:20 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		S. Dakota St.	at	(5)Alabama	3 p.m.			Stetson	at	(6)Florida	1 p.m.			Weber St.	at	(9)Oregon	5 p.m.			Prairie View	at	(12)Oklahoma	2 p.m.			Toledo	at	(21)Purdue	6 p.m.			Chicago St.	at	(24)Illinois	2 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Sunday

AP Sports Summary for December 28th, 2024:

Corbin Burnes and Arizona Diamondbacks agree to $210 million, 6-year deal, AP source says

PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Burnes and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. The 30-year-old Burnes was perhaps the top free agent pitcher on the market after going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA for Baltimore last season. The Orioles acquired the right-hander in a February trade after he spent his first six major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Kings fire coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his 3rd season

The Sacramento Kings have fired coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his third season with the team mired in a five-game losing streak. General manager Monte McNair called the move a "difficult decision" and thanked Brown for his work. Assistant Doug Christie will take over as interim coach with his first game coming Saturday night at the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown was the unanimous choice for NBA Coach of the Year in his first season in 2022-23, when he helped Sacramento end the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 seasons.

Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against Dallas

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against Dallas. Hurts is still in the NFL concussion protocol. The Eagles will turn to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts is dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered against Washington. Hurts was injured early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another. Hurts isn't healthy enough to play just yet.

McCord throws for 453 yards, 5 TDs in No. 22 Syracuse's 52-35 Holiday Bowl win over Washington State

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kyle McCord threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns to break Deshaun Watson's Atlantic Coast Conference season passing record and lead No. 22 Syracuse to a 52-35 victory over depleted-yet-scrappy Washington State in the Holiday Bowl on Friday night. LeQuint Allen rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns for his second straight 1,000-yard season for the Orange (10-3), who had their first 10-win season since 2018. Fran Brown joined Paul Pasqualoni (1991) as the only Orange coaches since World War II to win 10 game in their first season. The Cougars (8-5) lost their fourth straight game but were spirited despite losing coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest, quarterback John Mateer to Oklahoma, both coordinators and the quarterbacks and running backs coach.

Southern California overcomes 17-point deficit to beat Texas A&amp;M 35-31 in Las Vegas Bowl

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jayden Maiava threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Ford with eight seconds left to give Southern California a 35-31 victory over Texas A&amp;M in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday night. A graduate of Liberty High School in nearby Henderson and a transfer from UNLV, Maiava helped the Trojans (7-6) overcome a 17-point deficit. After Texas A&amp;M quarterback Marcel Reed raced 19 yards for a touchdown with 1:49 remaining to regain the lead, Maiava drove Southern California 75 yards in 10 plays for the winning score.The Aggies (8-5) opened the third quarter by scoring 17 straight points to take a 24-7 lead.

Taylen Green leads Arkansas to 39-26 victory over Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Taylen Green threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 81 yards in Arkansas' 39-26 victory over Texas Tech on Friday night in the Liberty Bowl. Green completed 11 of 21 passes and Arkansas (7-6) had 573 yards of total offense. J'Koby Williams rushed for 123 yards and a TD for Texas Tech (8-5). Will Hammond threw for 280 yards and a touchdown. The Red Raiders took a shot before game time when leading running back Tahj Brooks, who rushed for 1,505 yards, opted not to play for "personal reasons." The first half was highlighted by big scoring plays, including a 54-yard run by Williams and a 94-yard pass from Green to receiver Dazmin James, the longest pass play in Liberty Bowl history.

Navy gets 95-yard TD run from Horvath and stops 2-point try to beat Oklahoma in Armed Forces Bowl

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Blake Horvath set a Navy record with a 95-yard touchdown run and scored a go-ahead 6-yarder with 4:34 left as the Midshipmen overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and stopped a late 2-point conversion attempt to beat Oklahoma 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Sooners got a 10-yard touchdown pass from Michael Hawkins Jr. to Jake Roberts with six seconds left, but Hawkins was sacked by Justin Reed on the conversion try. Navy reached 10 wins for the first time since 2019, which had been their last winning season. Oklahoma has its second losing season in Brent Venables' three years as coach.

Dodgers set to re-sign outfielder Teoscar Hernández for $66 million over 3 years, AP source says

Teoscar Hernández is headed back to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The free agent outfielder has agreed with the reigning World Series champions on a $66 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press late Friday night. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. Hernández hit .272 with a career-high 33 homers and 99 RBIs in 154 regular-season games last season, helping the Dodgers win their second title in five years.

Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78

Longtime CBS sportscaster Greg Gumbel has died from cancer. He was 78. His family announced his death in a statement released by CBS on Friday. In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties. David Berson, the president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gumbel as someone who broke barriers and set standards for others during his career.

Scottie Scheffler injures right hand on a broken glass, withdraws from PGA Tour opener in Hawaii

Scottie Scheffler injured his right hand on a broken glass preparing Christmas dinner, forcing the top-ranked player to withdraw from the PGA Tour's season-opening event in Hawaii. Scheffler's manager, Blake Smith, said Friday in a statement: "Scottie sustained a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from a broken glass," Scheffler's manager, Blake Smith, said Friday in a statement. "Small glass fragments remained in the palm which required surgery. He has been told that he should be back to 100% in three to four weeks." Scheffler withdrew from The Sentry, the winners-only tournament Jan. 2-5 at Kapalua Resort. His next scheduled tournament is The American Express on Jan. 16-19 in La Quinta, California.

Final	(25)Baylor	107	Arlington Baptist	53	

		Abilene Christian	at	(13)Texas A&amp;M	4 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, December 27th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, December 27th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for December 28th, 2024:Corbin Burnes and Arizona Diamondbacks agree to $210 million, 6-year deal, AP source says<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for December 28th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=93cuv-178989b-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Burnes and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. The 30-year-old Burnes was perhaps the top free agent pitcher on the market after going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA for Baltimore last season. The Orioles acquired the right-hander in a February trade after he spent his first six major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.Kings fire coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his 3rd seasonThe Sacramento Kings have fired coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his third season with the team mired in a five-game losing streak. General manager Monte McNair called the move a "difficult decision" and thanked Brown for his work. Assistant Doug Christie will take over as interim coach with his first game coming Saturday night at the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown was the unanimous choice for NBA Coach of the Year in his first season in 2022-23, when he helped Sacramento end the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 seasons.Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against DallasPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against Dallas. Hurts is still in the NFL concussion protocol. The Eagles will turn to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts is dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered against Washington. Hurts was injured early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another. Hurts isn't healthy enough to play just yet.McCord throws for 453 yards, 5 TDs in No. 22 Syracuse's 52-35 Holiday Bowl win over Washington StateSAN DIEGO (AP) — Kyle McCord threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns to break Deshaun Watson's Atlantic Coast Conference season passing record and lead No. 22 Syracuse to a 52-35 victory over depleted-yet-scrappy Washington State in the Holiday Bowl on Friday night. LeQuint Allen rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns for his second straight 1,000-yard season for the Orange (10-3), who had their first 10-win season since 2018. Fran Brown joined Paul Pasqualoni (1991) as the only Orange coaches since World War II to win 10 game in their first season. The Cougars (8-5) lost their fourth straight game but were spirited despite losing coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest, quarterback John Mateer to Oklahoma, both coordinators and the quarterbacks and running backs coach.Southern California overcomes 17-point deficit to beat Texas A&amp;M 35-31 in Las Vegas BowlLAS VEGAS (AP) — Jayden Maiava threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Ford with eight seconds left to give Southern California a 35-31 victory over Texas A&amp;M in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday night. A graduate of Liberty High School in nearby Henderson and a transfer from UNLV, Maiava helped the Trojans (7-6) overcome a 17-point deficit. After Texas A&amp;M quarterback Marcel Reed raced 19 yards for a touchdown with 1:49 remaining to regain the lead, Maiava drove Southern California 75 yards in 10 plays for the winning score.The Aggies (8-5) opened the third quarter by scoring 17 straight points to take a 24-7 lead.Taylen Green leads Arkansas to 39-26 victory over Texas Tech in the Liberty BowlMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Taylen Green threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 81 yards in Arkansas' 39-26 victory over Texas Tech on Friday night in the Liberty Bowl. Green completed 11 of 21 passes and Arkansas (7-6) had 573 yards of total offense. J'Koby Williams rushed for 123 yards and a TD for Texas Tech (8-5). Will Hammond threw for 280 yards and a touchdown. The Red Raiders took a shot before game time when leading running back Tahj Brooks, who rushed for 1,505 yards, opted not to play for "personal reasons." The first half was highlighted by big scoring plays, including a 54-yard run by Williams and a 94-yard pass from Green to receiver Dazmin James, the longest pass play in Liberty Bowl history.Navy gets 95-yard TD run from Horvath and stops 2-point try to beat Oklahoma in Armed Forces BowlFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Blake Horvath set a Navy record with a 95-yard touchdown run and scored a go-ahead 6-yarder with 4:34 left as the Midshipmen overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and stopped a late 2-point conversion attempt to beat Oklahoma 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Sooners got a 10-yard touchdown pass from Michael Hawkins Jr. to Jake Roberts with six seconds left, but Hawkins was sacked by Justin Reed on the conversion try. Navy reached 10 wins for the first time since 2019, which had been their last winning season. Oklahoma has its second losing season in Brent Venables' three years as coach.Dodgers set to re-sign outfielder Teoscar Hernández for $66 million over 3 years, AP source saysTeoscar Hernández is headed back to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The free agent outfielder has agreed with the reigning World Series champions on a $66 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press late Friday night. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. Hernández hit .272 with a career-high 33 homers and 99 RBIs in 154 regular-season games last season, helping the Dodgers win their second title in five years.Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78Longtime CBS sportscaster Greg Gumbel has died from cancer. He was 78. His family announced his death in a statement released by CBS on Friday. In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. Gumbel signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties. David Berson, the president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Gumbel as someone who broke barriers and set standards for others during his career.Scottie Scheffler injures right hand on a broken glass, withdraws from PGA Tour opener in HawaiiScottie Scheffler injured his right hand on a broken glass preparing Christmas dinner, forcing the top-ranked player to withdraw from the PGA Tour's season-opening event in Hawaii. Scheffler's manager, Blake Smith, said Friday in a statement: "Scottie sustained a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from a broken glass," Scheffler's manager, Blake Smith, said Friday in a statement. "Small glass fragments remained in the palm which required surgery. He has been told that he should be back to 100% in three to four weeks." Scheffler withdrew from The Sentry, the winners-only tournament Jan. 2-5 at Kapalua Resort. His next scheduled tournament is The American Express on Jan. 16-19 in La Quinta, California.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	New York	108	Orlando	85	Final	Boston	142	Indiana	105	Final	San Antonio	96	Brooklyn	87	Final	Minnesota	113	Houston	112	Final	Memphis	132	New Orleans	124	Final	Cleveland	149	Denver	135	Final	Dallas	98	Phoenix	89	Final	L.A. Clippers	102	Golden State	92	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Toronto	5	Detroit	2	Final	Buffalo	6	Chicago	2	Final	New Jersey	4	Carolina	2	Final	Columbus	6	Boston	2	Final OT	Minnesota	3	Dallas	2	Final	St. Louis	7	Nashville	4	Final	Colorado	4	Utah	1	Final	Vegas	6	San Jose	3	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(22)Syracuse	52	Washington St.	35	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(25)Baylor	107	Arlington Baptist	53	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Miami	at	Atlanta	3 p.m.			Oklahoma City	at	Charlotte	6 p.m.			New York	at	Washington	7 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Golden State	8:30 p.m.			Detroit	at	Denver	9 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Utah	9:30 p.m.			Dallas	at	Portland	10 p.m.			Sacramento	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Montreal	at	Florida	1 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Los Angeles	4 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Anaheim	4 p.m.			Seattle	at	Vancouver	4 p.m.			Columbus	at	Boston	7 p.m.			N-Y Rangers	at	Tampa Bay	7 p.m.			New Jersey	at	Carolina	7 p.m.			Ottawa	at	Winnipeg	7 p.m.			Washington	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	N-Y Islanders	7:30 p.m.			Calgary	at	San Jose	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE		L.A. Chargers	at	New England	1 p.m.			Denver	at	Cincinnati	4:30 p.m.			Arizona	at	L.A. Rams	8:10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		(18)Iowa St.	at	(15)Miami	3:30 p.m.			(17)BYU	at	(20)Colorado	7:30 p.m.			Louisiana Tech	at	(19)Army	9:15 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Abilene Christian	at	(13)Texas A&amp;M	4 p.m.			(14)Gonzaga	at	(22)UCLA	4 p.m.			(16)Mississippi	at	Memphis	2 p.m.			Utah St.	at	(20)San Diego St.	6 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Saturday

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 <figcaption>AP-Sports for December 27th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for December 27th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ethhv-178725b-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

📢📰🎧 AP Early Morning Sports

🎧 LISTEN: NFIB Kansas

🎧 LISTEN: Michael Austin

🎧 LISTEN: December 26, 2024 News

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📢📰🎧 LISTEN: Early Morning AP Sports

AP Sports Summary for December 25th, 2024:

Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sports

Caitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women's basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark's only the fourth women's basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931.

Wemby at The Garden. LeBron vs. Steph. The NBA's Christmas Day lineup, as always, has star power

LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003. Victor Wembanyama was born 10 days later. That's right: James has been featured on the NBA's big day for longer than Wembanyama has been alive. And on Wednesday the league's oldest player and brightest young star will be big parts of the holiday showcase. It's another Christmas quintupleheader, with Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the New York Knicks, Minnesota going to Dallas for a Western Conference finals rematch, Philadelphia heading to Boston to renew a storied rivalry, James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and Denver playing at Phoenix.

Pro Picks: Chiefs will beat the Steelers and Ravens will edge the Texans on Christmas Day

Playoff berths, draft positioning and more are up for grabs in Week 17. There's going to be plenty of football on television this holiday week with the NFL playing games on five out of six days, starting with a doubleheader on Christmas Day featuring four of the AFC's top five teams. Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs visit Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. Then, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens take on C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. The Bears host the Seahawks on Thursday night and there are three games on Saturday, making Sunday's schedule light at nine games.

Falcons drafting Penix no longer a head-scratcher with rookie QB shining in place of benched Cousins

It was the most surprising first-round pick in a long time when the Atlanta Falcons chose Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection in the NFL draft last April. That came just six weeks after the Falcons had signed free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million in guarantees. But that move is no longer a head-scratcher after Penix's solid starting debut in place of a benched and turnover-prone Cousins. Several teams have fared well with new quarterbacks this season including the Steelers, Broncos, Vikings and Commanders.

Lindsey Vonn thinks her new titanium knee could start a trend in skiing. And pro sports in general

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Lindsey Vonn thinks her new titanium knee could be the start of a trend in ski racing. The 40-year-old American standout had replacement surgery in April and returned to the World Cup circuit after nearly six years last weekend. She says her knee feels "amazing" and that "it's something to seriously consider for athletes that have a lot of knee problems." Her surgery was the first of its kind in World Cup skiing. Vonn had a robot-assisted surgery in April with part of the bone in her right knee cut off and replaced by two titanium pieces. She was planning her comeback a month later.

Boise State's legacy includes winning coaches and championship moments

No. 8 and third-seeded Boise State is preparing for its third trip to the Fiesta Bowl. This time it's in a playoff quarterfinal against No. 5 and sixth-seeded Penn State on New Year's Eve. Boise State's first appearance on the national stage was in a memorable victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2007. But former coach Chris Petersen said the victory in that bowl three years later over TCU was even more meaningful for the program.

Players have mixed feelings about being on the road on Christmas as NFL adds more holiday games

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Games on Christmas aren't new to the NFL. The Miami Dolphins famously beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a playoff game on Dec. 25, 1971 — a double-overtime classic that still holds the record for the NFL's longest game. In 2020, New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara tied an NFL record with six touchdowns in a game when the Saints beat Minnesota on Christmas. Lately the league has been much more aggressive about scheduling games on Christmas. That's been met with mixed feelings among the players. Baltimore tackle Ronnie Stanley says there is an offensive line Christmas party planned for Friday at center Tyler Linderbaum's house. Quarterback Lamar Jackson's plan is to celebrate on Thursday.

Embiid ejected after drawing 2 technicals in game against Wembanyama and Spurs

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was ejected in the first half of Monday night's game against San Antonio after drawing two technical fouls. Referee Jenna Schroeder ejected Embiid with 2 minutes, 59 seconds left in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star received the first technical for arguing with Schroeder, and received another technical — and ejection — from Schroeder before any more game time elapsed. Embiid was close to Schroeder, but it wasn't clear from replays whether he made contact with the official. An enraged Embiid charged toward the officials after the ejection and was restrained by teammate Kyle Lowry, head coach Nick Nurse and several assistants.

Nikki Glaser uses Prime Video's NFL postgame show appearances to help prepare for Golden Globes

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Nikki Glaser has become a familiar face to football fans this season. Her breakthrough performance at the Tom Brady Roast on May 5 paved the way for five appearances on Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" postgame show. Glaser said before last Thursday's game between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers that doing her "Late Hits" segment was a no-brainer following her success at the Brady roast.

Leaving Thunder, Bucks off the NBA's Christmas game list has those teams feeling snubbed

Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference and has a MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Milwaukee has the NBA's leading scorer in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They were the teams that made their way to the NBA Cup final. By any measure, they're both very good teams. And neither will play on Christmas Day this year. Bah, humbug. The NBA faces the same challenge every summer, figuring out which 10 teams will get the honor of playing on Christmas Day. But the Bucks and Thunder are right to feel snubbed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, December 25th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, December 25th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>Merry Christmas!AP Sports Summary for December 25th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8629017/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women's sportsCaitlin Clark has been named the AP Female Athlete of the Year after raising the profile of women's basketball to unprecedented levels in both college and the WNBA. She led Iowa to the national championship game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year honors in the league. Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers followed her journey on and off the court. Clark's exploits also put other women's sports leagues in the spotlight. A group of 74 sports journalists from AP and its members voted on the award. Other athletes who received votes included Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and boxer Imane Khelif. Clark's only the fourth women's basketball player to win the award since it was first given in 1931.Wemby at The Garden. LeBron vs. Steph. The NBA's Christmas Day lineup, as always, has star powerLeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003. Victor Wembanyama was born 10 days later. That's right: James has been featured on the NBA's big day for longer than Wembanyama has been alive. And on Wednesday the league's oldest player and brightest young star will be big parts of the holiday showcase. It's another Christmas quintupleheader, with Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the New York Knicks, Minnesota going to Dallas for a Western Conference finals rematch, Philadelphia heading to Boston to renew a storied rivalry, James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and Denver playing at Phoenix.Pro Picks: Chiefs will beat the Steelers and Ravens will edge the Texans on Christmas DayPlayoff berths, draft positioning and more are up for grabs in Week 17. There's going to be plenty of football on television this holiday week with the NFL playing games on five out of six days, starting with a doubleheader on Christmas Day featuring four of the AFC's top five teams. Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs visit Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. Then, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens take on C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. The Bears host the Seahawks on Thursday night and there are three games on Saturday, making Sunday's schedule light at nine games.Falcons drafting Penix no longer a head-scratcher with rookie QB shining in place of benched CousinsIt was the most surprising first-round pick in a long time when the Atlanta Falcons chose Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection in the NFL draft last April. That came just six weeks after the Falcons had signed free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million in guarantees. But that move is no longer a head-scratcher after Penix's solid starting debut in place of a benched and turnover-prone Cousins. Several teams have fared well with new quarterbacks this season including the Steelers, Broncos, Vikings and Commanders.Lindsey Vonn thinks her new titanium knee could start a trend in skiing. And pro sports in generalST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Lindsey Vonn thinks her new titanium knee could be the start of a trend in ski racing. The 40-year-old American standout had replacement surgery in April and returned to the World Cup circuit after nearly six years last weekend. She says her knee feels "amazing" and that "it's something to seriously consider for athletes that have a lot of knee problems." Her surgery was the first of its kind in World Cup skiing. Vonn had a robot-assisted surgery in April with part of the bone in her right knee cut off and replaced by two titanium pieces. She was planning her comeback a month later.Boise State's legacy includes winning coaches and championship momentsNo. 8 and third-seeded Boise State is preparing for its third trip to the Fiesta Bowl. This time it's in a playoff quarterfinal against No. 5 and sixth-seeded Penn State on New Year's Eve. Boise State's first appearance on the national stage was in a memorable victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2007. But former coach Chris Petersen said the victory in that bowl three years later over TCU was even more meaningful for the program.Players have mixed feelings about being on the road on Christmas as NFL adds more holiday gamesOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Games on Christmas aren't new to the NFL. The Miami Dolphins famously beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a playoff game on Dec. 25, 1971 — a double-overtime classic that still holds the record for the NFL's longest game. In 2020, New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara tied an NFL record with six touchdowns in a game when the Saints beat Minnesota on Christmas. Lately the league has been much more aggressive about scheduling games on Christmas. That's been met with mixed feelings among the players. Baltimore tackle Ronnie Stanley says there is an offensive line Christmas party planned for Friday at center Tyler Linderbaum's house. Quarterback Lamar Jackson's plan is to celebrate on Thursday.Embiid ejected after drawing 2 technicals in game against Wembanyama and SpursPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was ejected in the first half of Monday night's game against San Antonio after drawing two technical fouls. Referee Jenna Schroeder ejected Embiid with 2 minutes, 59 seconds left in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star received the first technical for arguing with Schroeder, and received another technical — and ejection — from Schroeder before any more game time elapsed. Embiid was close to Schroeder, but it wasn't clear from replays whether he made contact with the official. An enraged Embiid charged toward the officials after the ejection and was restrained by teammate Kyle Lowry, head coach Nick Nurse and several assistants.Nikki Glaser uses Prime Video's NFL postgame show appearances to help prepare for Golden GlobesINGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Nikki Glaser has become a familiar face to football fans this season. Her breakthrough performance at the Tom Brady Roast on May 5 paved the way for five appearances on Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" postgame show. Glaser said before last Thursday's game between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers that doing her "Late Hits" segment was a no-brainer following her success at the Brady roast.Leaving Thunder, Bucks off the NBA's Christmas game list has those teams feeling snubbedOklahoma City leads the Western Conference and has a MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Milwaukee has the NBA's leading scorer in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They were the teams that made their way to the NBA Cup final. By any measure, they're both very good teams. And neither will play on Christmas Day this year. Bah, humbug. The NBA faces the same challenge every summer, figuring out which 10 teams will get the honor of playing on Christmas Day. But the Bucks and Thunder are right to feel snubbed.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		San Antonio	at	New York	12 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Dallas	2:30 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Boston	5 p.m.			L.A. Lakers	at	Golden State	8 p.m.			Denver	at	Phoenix	10:30 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

🎧 LISTEN: Christmas Eve Pastors 2024

🎧 LISTEN: Hospice and HomeCare of Reno County

🎧 LISTEN: Boys and Girls Club

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, December 23rd, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, December 23rd, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for December 23rd, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=v9ydx-177fd80-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN:  🏈 Chiefs are 14-1; 🏈 Cowboys edge Tampa Bay on SNF; 🏀 WSU gets big win over K-State 

AP Sports Summary for December 23rd, 2024:

Jalen Hurts leaves with a concussion as the Eagles' winning streak ends at 10

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jalen Hurts has been ruled out of the Philadelphia Eagles' game at the Washington Commanders with a concussion. Hurts' head bounced off the ground at the end of one run, and Frankie Luvu hit him in the helmet at the end of another early in the first quarter. Hurts went to the blue medical tent on the visiting sideline and was replaced at quarterback by Kenny Pickett. After trying to return to the game, Hurts was escorted back to the tent and then down the tunnel to the locker room. Pickett threw a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception after as the Eagles went up big early in the game.

Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson lead surging Vikings past Seahawks 27-24

SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold connected with a well-covered Justin Jefferson with 3:51 left for his third TD pass of the game, and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 to keep pace with Detroit for the top spot in the NFC. Jefferson finished with 10 catches for 148 yards and two TDs as the Vikings won their eighth straight. If they can beat Green Bay and Detroit to close out the season, they will earn the top seed in the conference and a first-round playoff bye. The Seahawks have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak and fell one game behind the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.

Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24 as Baker Mayfield and the Bucs lose control of their playoff fate

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cooper Rush threw a touchdown pass, Brandon Aubrey kicked two 58-yarders among four field goals and the Dallas Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24, costing Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers control of their playoff fate. The end of a four-game winning streak left the Bucs even with Atlanta atop the NFC South with two games remaining, but the Falcons have the tiebreaker. A three-year playoff run for the Cowboys ended when they were eliminated from postseason contention before the prime-time kickoff. Mayfield was in position to lead a rally from a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes when the Cowboys' DaRon Bland stripped the ball from Rachaad White to seal the win.

College playoffs looks for good matchups after snoozy first round of blowouts

The average final score over the first week of the College Football Playoffs: Winners 36, Losers 17. This bold, new experiment was supposed to bring more programs from more parts of the country into the loop of a largely regional sport that had been dominated by about a half-dozen teams for the last decade. Instead, it will take another 10 days to find out if "more" really means more — or if more just means more blowouts before arriving at what we had before — a group of four contenders battling it out for a title that only they had any realistic chance to win.

After beating Tennessee, Ohio State will finally get its rematch with Oregon

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State players had been thinking about a rematch with Oregon long before the Buckeyes crushed Tennessee in a first-round playoff game. Their first chance to avenge the Oct. 12 loss to the Ducks looked to be the Big Ten championship game, but that slipped away when the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and gave up their spot in the title game. Now, by virtue of Saturday night's 42-17 win over Tennessee, the Buckeyes will see the Ducks again in a quarterfinal game on a grand stage — the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Texans WR Tank Dell released from hospital, headed back to Houston after severe knee injury

HOUSTON (AP) — Texans receiver Tank Dell has been released after an overnight stay in the hospital and was traveling back to Houston on Sunday after sustaining a severe knee injury in Saturday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach DeMeco Ryans provided the update Sunday, but didn't have many details beyond his return to Houston. "Right now, we still will be evaluating to see where he is," Ryans said. "He's still meeting with doctors to see what's next for him. But it is a significant knee injury."

Tiger's son makes the ace. Bernhard Langer makes the winning putt in playoff over Woods at PNC

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods' son hit the shot of his life for a hole-in-one. Bernhard Langer hit the shot that mattered. The 67-year-old Langer made an 18-foot eagle putt on the first playoff hole as he and son Jason won the PNC Championship for the second straight year. They beat Woods and 15-year-old son Charlie in a playoff. Team Langer and Team Woods each shot 57 in the scramble format. They made par on only four holes and set the tournament scoring record. Charlie Woods says the entire day, even in loss, was his most fun on the golf course.

Penn State beats Louisville 3-1 to make Schumacher-Cawley 1st female coach to win volleyball title

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jess Mruzik made 29 kills with a .315 hitting percentage, and Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first female coach to win a NCAA volleyball championship as Penn State defeated Louisville 3-1 in the final. The Nittany Lions (35-2) earned their record eighth national championship and first since 2014 under the third-year coach, who has led the team while undergoing treatment for breast cancer that was diagnosed in September. Schumacher-Cawley has nonetheless conducted practices between treatments, a determined and emotional journey that provided a rallying point for players and garnered widespread support. Penn State completed its mission by winning 25-23, 32-34, 25-20 and 25-17.

Rangers forward Matt Rempe suspended for eight games for elbow on Heiskanen

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe has been suspended for eight games for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Friday night. Rempe had an in-person hearing via Zoom on Sunday, as opposed to a phone call, which allowed senior vice president of player safety George Parros and his department to suspend Rempe for six or more games. Rempe, a 6-foot-8 forward, became popular last season in his rookie year with the Rangers for fighting some of the toughest players in the league, but he was ejected twice and also received a four-game ban for an elbow to the head of New Jersey's Jonas Siegenthaler.

Tyreek Hill says drops against 49ers were a result of lack of practice reps with Tua Tagovailoa

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tyreek Hill has not shied away from accountability during one of the least productive seasons of his nine-year career. On Sunday, after a poor performance in Miami's 29-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, Hill was candid about the reason for a puzzling decline in his connection with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season. Hill caught just 3 of 7 targets for 29 yards and a touchdown and had several drops, including one on third down that went through his hands on Miami's opening drive. He said the drops were becuase of a lack of practice reps with Tua Tagovailoa.

Final	(19)Cincinnati	84	Grambling St.	49	

		Middle Tennessee	at	(1)Tennessee	7 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Monday, December 23rd, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Monday, December 23rd, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for December 23rd, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8628152/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Jalen Hurts leaves with a concussion as the Eagles' winning streak ends at 10LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jalen Hurts has been ruled out of the Philadelphia Eagles' game at the Washington Commanders with a concussion. Hurts' head bounced off the ground at the end of one run, and Frankie Luvu hit him in the helmet at the end of another early in the first quarter. Hurts went to the blue medical tent on the visiting sideline and was replaced at quarterback by Kenny Pickett. After trying to return to the game, Hurts was escorted back to the tent and then down the tunnel to the locker room. Pickett threw a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception after as the Eagles went up big early in the game.Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson lead surging Vikings past Seahawks 27-24SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold connected with a well-covered Justin Jefferson with 3:51 left for his third TD pass of the game, and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 to keep pace with Detroit for the top spot in the NFC. Jefferson finished with 10 catches for 148 yards and two TDs as the Vikings won their eighth straight. If they can beat Green Bay and Detroit to close out the season, they will earn the top seed in the conference and a first-round playoff bye. The Seahawks have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak and fell one game behind the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24 as Baker Mayfield and the Bucs lose control of their playoff fateARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cooper Rush threw a touchdown pass, Brandon Aubrey kicked two 58-yarders among four field goals and the Dallas Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24, costing Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers control of their playoff fate. The end of a four-game winning streak left the Bucs even with Atlanta atop the NFC South with two games remaining, but the Falcons have the tiebreaker. A three-year playoff run for the Cowboys ended when they were eliminated from postseason contention before the prime-time kickoff. Mayfield was in position to lead a rally from a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes when the Cowboys' DaRon Bland stripped the ball from Rachaad White to seal the win.College playoffs looks for good matchups after snoozy first round of blowoutsThe average final score over the first week of the College Football Playoffs: Winners 36, Losers 17. This bold, new experiment was supposed to bring more programs from more parts of the country into the loop of a largely regional sport that had been dominated by about a half-dozen teams for the last decade. Instead, it will take another 10 days to find out if "more" really means more — or if more just means more blowouts before arriving at what we had before — a group of four contenders battling it out for a title that only they had any realistic chance to win.After beating Tennessee, Ohio State will finally get its rematch with OregonCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State players had been thinking about a rematch with Oregon long before the Buckeyes crushed Tennessee in a first-round playoff game. Their first chance to avenge the Oct. 12 loss to the Ducks looked to be the Big Ten championship game, but that slipped away when the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and gave up their spot in the title game. Now, by virtue of Saturday night's 42-17 win over Tennessee, the Buckeyes will see the Ducks again in a quarterfinal game on a grand stage — the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.Texans WR Tank Dell released from hospital, headed back to Houston after severe knee injuryHOUSTON (AP) — Texans receiver Tank Dell has been released after an overnight stay in the hospital and was traveling back to Houston on Sunday after sustaining a severe knee injury in Saturday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach DeMeco Ryans provided the update Sunday, but didn't have many details beyond his return to Houston. "Right now, we still will be evaluating to see where he is," Ryans said. "He's still meeting with doctors to see what's next for him. But it is a significant knee injury."Tiger's son makes the ace. Bernhard Langer makes the winning putt in playoff over Woods at PNCORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods' son hit the shot of his life for a hole-in-one. Bernhard Langer hit the shot that mattered. The 67-year-old Langer made an 18-foot eagle putt on the first playoff hole as he and son Jason won the PNC Championship for the second straight year. They beat Woods and 15-year-old son Charlie in a playoff. Team Langer and Team Woods each shot 57 in the scramble format. They made par on only four holes and set the tournament scoring record. Charlie Woods says the entire day, even in loss, was his most fun on the golf course.Penn State beats Louisville 3-1 to make Schumacher-Cawley 1st female coach to win volleyball titleLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jess Mruzik made 29 kills with a .315 hitting percentage, and Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first female coach to win a NCAA volleyball championship as Penn State defeated Louisville 3-1 in the final. The Nittany Lions (35-2) earned their record eighth national championship and first since 2014 under the third-year coach, who has led the team while undergoing treatment for breast cancer that was diagnosed in September. Schumacher-Cawley has nonetheless conducted practices between treatments, a determined and emotional journey that provided a rallying point for players and garnered widespread support. Penn State completed its mission by winning 25-23, 32-34, 25-20 and 25-17.Rangers forward Matt Rempe suspended for eight games for elbow on HeiskanenNEW YORK (AP) — New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe has been suspended for eight games for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Friday night. Rempe had an in-person hearing via Zoom on Sunday, as opposed to a phone call, which allowed senior vice president of player safety George Parros and his department to suspend Rempe for six or more games. Rempe, a 6-foot-8 forward, became popular last season in his rookie year with the Rangers for fighting some of the toughest players in the league, but he was ejected twice and also received a four-game ban for an elbow to the head of New Jersey's Jonas Siegenthaler.Tyreek Hill says drops against 49ers were a result of lack of practice reps with Tua TagovailoaMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tyreek Hill has not shied away from accountability during one of the least productive seasons of his nine-year career. On Sunday, after a poor performance in Miami's 29-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, Hill was candid about the reason for a puzzling decline in his connection with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season. Hill caught just 3 of 7 targets for 29 yards and a touchdown and had several drops, including one on third down that went through his hands on Miami's opening drive. He said the drops were becuase of a lack of practice reps with Tua Tagovailoa.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Indiana	122	Sacramento	95	Final	Houston	114	Toronto	110	Final OT	Denver	132	New Orleans	129	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Carolina	3	N-Y Rangers	1	Final	Washington	3	Los Angeles	1	Final	Florida	4	Tampa Bay	2	Final SO	Anaheim	5	Utah	4	Final	Edmonton	3	Ottawa	1	Final	Colorado	5	Seattle	2	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal	Atlanta	34	N-Y Giants	7	Final OT	Carolina	36	Arizona	30	Final	Cincinnati	24	Cleveland	6	Final	Detroit	34	Chicago	17	Final	Indianapolis	38	Tennessee	30	Final	L.A. Rams	19	N-Y Jets	9	Final	Washington	36	Philadelphia	33	Final	Minnesota	27	Seattle	24	Final	Buffalo	24	New England	21	Final	Las Vegas	19	Jacksonville	14	Final	Miami	29	San Francisco	17	Final	Dallas	26	Tampa Bay	24	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(3)Iowa St.	99	Morgan St.	72	Final	(6)Alabama	81	Kent St.	54	Final	(8)Kansas	87	Brown	53	Final	(14)Oklahoma	89	Cent. Arkansas	66	Final	(19)Cincinnati	84	Grambling St.	49	Final	(24)Michigan	89	Fort Wayne	58	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Boston	at	Orlando	7 p.m.			Houston	at	Charlotte	7 p.m.			San Antonio	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Utah	at	Cleveland	7 p.m.			Brooklyn	at	Miami	7:30 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Atlanta	7:30 p.m.			Toronto	at	New York	7:30 p.m.			L.A. Clippers	at	Memphis	8 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Washington	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Portland	at	Dallas	8:30 p.m.			Indiana	at	Golden State	10 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Denver	10 p.m.			Detroit	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		N-Y Rangers	at	New Jersey	1 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Toronto	2 p.m.			Montreal	at	Columbus	7 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Florida	7 p.m.			Washington	at	Boston	7 p.m.			Buffalo	at	N-Y Islanders	7:30 p.m.			Carolina	at	Nashville	8 p.m.			Chicago	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			Dallas	at	Utah	9 p.m.			San Jose	at	Vancouver	9 p.m.			Anaheim	at	Vegas	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE		New Orleans	at	Green Bay	8:15 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Middle Tennessee	at	(1)Tennessee	7 p.m.	___

🎧 LISTEN: Hutchinson YMCA

🎧 LISTEN: Creighton University Economist Ernie Goss

🎧 LISTEN: AAA Kansas

🎧 LISTEN: 1861 Club

CANYON, Texas — Listen back to the complete audio broadcast of the 2024 NJCAA DI Football National Championship Game between Hutchinson Community College and Iowa Western Community College on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon, Texas. The game was broadcasted on KHUT-FM and KWBW-AM/FM with Sean Boston (play-by-play) and Daren Dunn (color analyst)

HutchCC defeated Iowa Western, 28-23, to claim its second national title in program history.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734652034031.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CANYON, Texas — Listen back to the complete audio broadcast of the 2024 NJCAA DI Football National Championship Game between Hutchinson Community College and Iowa Western Community College on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon, Texas. The game was broadcasted on KHUT-FM and KWBW-AM/FM with Sean Boston (play-by-play) and Daren Dunn (color analyst)HutchCC defeated Iowa Western, 28-23, to claim its second national title in program history.<div><iframe title="2024 NJCAA Football National Championship - HutchCC v Iowa Western" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ju8pn-177ae1d-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: NJCAA Championship Game rewind: HutchCC 28, IWCC 23

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, December 19th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, December 19th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for December 19th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=6w9bq-1779f33-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN:  🏈 HutchCC National Champs; 🏈 Shrine Bowl bid goes to Emporia; 🏀 K-State WBB 12-1 

🎧 LISTEN: Hutchinson Salvation Army

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Wednesday, December 18th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Wednesday, December 18th, 2024.</figcaption>
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🎧 LISTEN:  🏈 NJCAA Championship tonight; 🏈 HutchCC Jordan wins NJCAA Award; 🏀 Hutch High sweeps Campus; 🏀 HutchCC Jackson KJCCC honor

🎧 LISTEN: Parson & Pope Conversation on 12/17/24

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for December 17th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for December 17th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for December 17th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=yrmi8-1775f28-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

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