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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, January 7th, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, January 7th, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for January 7th, 2025" 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=ipy6u-179baa9-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: 🏀 Hutch High games at Maize South postponed; 🏀 South Florida rolls over WSU

NFL coaching moves: Mayo, Pederson are out of a job while Giants elect to keep Daboll

New England's Jerod Mayo and Jacksonville's Doug Pederson are two NFL coaches out of a job while New York Giants coach Brian Daboll is among those who look like they will be back next fall. It's the day after the NFL's regular season, which usually means a tough day for coaches as underachieving teams move quickly to make changes. Mayo was fired on Sunday after the team's win over the Buffalo Bills, ending his tenure after just one season and a 4-13 record. The move means the Patriots will embark on another rebuild as the team tries to build an identity following the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era. Pederson is out as Jacksonville's head coach after the franchise won just four games.

North Dakota State wins 10th FCS title as Miller accounts for 4 TDs in 35-32 win over Montana State

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Cam Miller ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more to lead North Dakota State to its record 10th Football Championship Subdivision title. The Bison beat top-seeded and previously undefeated Montana State 35-32 on Monday night. Miller was making his 54th consecutive start for North Dakota State. The Bison played in the title game for the 11th time in 14 seasons, and have lost only one in Frisco, Texas. They last won the championship three years ago, in a game that also had Miller and Montana State's Tommy Mellott as the starting quarterbacks. Montana State's last title came 40 years ago.

Tough, old school defense a calling card for all four teams left in the national championship hunt

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Smothering defenses have carried the last four teams still in the hunt for the national championship. If you want offense, look elsewhere this weekend. The defenses, with All-Americans spread throughout the lineups, are the story of the semifinals. Ohio State, Texas Penn State and Notre Dame all rank in top eight nationally in total defense. The Buckeyes and Longhorns meet in the Cotton Bowl on Friday. The Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish play in the Orange Bowl on Saturday.

Scottie Scheffler withdraws from another tournament, hopes to play at Pebble Beach

DALLAS (AP) — Scottie Scheffler will be skipping another tournament to let his injured right hand heal. Scheffler punctured his hand with broken glass while preparing Christmas dinner. That forced the world's No. 1 player to sit out the season opener at Kapalua in The Sentry. Now he says he has withdrawn from The American Express in the California desert that starts next week. Scheffler says his hand needs more time to heal from minor surgery. He says he hopes to be able to start his season at the AT&amp;T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that starts on Jan. 30.

Chargers plan to sign Ezekiel Elliott to practice squad after his release by Cowboys

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers are planning to sign running back Ezekiel Elliott to their practice squad pending a physical. That's according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move had not been completed. The Chargers are the No. 5 seed in the AFC and open the playoffs at Houston on Saturday in a wild-card round game. Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31 so that he could possibly sign with a playoff team seeking a veteran running back.

Castroneves to attempt to qualify for Daytona 500, would be NASCAR debut for 4-time Indy 500 winner

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will attempt to make his NASCAR debut in next month's Daytona 500 with Trackhouse Racing. Castroneves is one of the most popular drivers in IndyCar history. He has been trying for two years to get a Daytona 500 seat and finally landed one Monday as part of Trackhouse's "Project 91" designed to give renowned racers from outside of NASCAR a shot in a stock car. Castroneves will need to qualify for the Feb. 16 race with either a fast time in time trials, or, race his way in via a qualifying race. If Castroneves won the Daytona 500, he would join Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.

Suns' Beal stars as a reserve in win over 76ers and makes it clear he believes he is an NBA starter

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bradley Beal made the most of the unfamiliar role of substitute for the Phoenix Suns. That doesn't mean he had to like it. Beal came off the bench for the first time in nine years on Monday night and scored a team-high 25 points as the Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. After the game, the 31-year-old Beal said he accepted coach Mike Budenholzer's lineup change, but made it clear he considers himself a starter in the NBA.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft says he put Jerod Mayo in 'untenable situation,' vows to correct course

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — When Robert Kraft hired Jerod Mayo a year ago, he felt he'd identified the right person to follow Bill Belichick. In hindsight, Kraft now believes Mayo wasn't quite ready to be an NFL head coach. The Patriots team owner said that his abrupt firing of Mayo just minutes after he completed his first season in the job is an effort to correct that mistake. And after watching back-to-back dismals seasons for a franchise that won six Lombardi trophies over the past two-plus decades, the 83-year-old owner vowed to do what he can to see it return to a championship level. That will include a fast coaching search, but not changes in the front office, with Kraft confirming executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf will return.

Antetokounmpo needs 3 stitches in finger and returns to post a triple-double in win over Raptors

TORONTO (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo needed three stitches to close a cut near the base of his right pinkie against Toronto on Monday night, and returned to the game to finish his fourth triple-double of the season. Antetokounmpo banged his finger on the rim while trying to chase down RJ Barrett's fast-break dunk late in the second quarter. He finished with 11 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in a 128-104 road win over the struggling Raptors. Antetokounmpo said his finged was "kind of numb,' but insisted he was fine.

The 49ers fire special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, AP source says

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers fired special teams coach Brian Schneider following a season when repeated blunders in the kicking contributed to a losing season, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't announced the firing. Schneider finished his third season in San Francisco and this one was clearly the worst as the Niners finished last in the league in expected points added on special teams and near the bottom of nearly all efficiency stats involved with the kicking game.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		(14)Mississippi St.	at	Vanderbilt	9 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, January 7th, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, January 7th, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 7th, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for January 7th, 2025" 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=sh2v5-179b892-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>NFL coaching moves: Mayo, Pederson are out of a job while Giants elect to keep DabollNew England's Jerod Mayo and Jacksonville's Doug Pederson are two NFL coaches out of a job while New York Giants coach Brian Daboll is among those who look like they will be back next fall. It's the day after the NFL's regular season, which usually means a tough day for coaches as underachieving teams move quickly to make changes. Mayo was fired on Sunday after the team's win over the Buffalo Bills, ending his tenure after just one season and a 4-13 record. The move means the Patriots will embark on another rebuild as the team tries to build an identity following the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era. Pederson is out as Jacksonville's head coach after the franchise won just four games.North Dakota State wins 10th FCS title as Miller accounts for 4 TDs in 35-32 win over Montana StateFRISCO, Texas (AP) — Cam Miller ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more to lead North Dakota State to its record 10th Football Championship Subdivision title. The Bison beat top-seeded and previously undefeated Montana State 35-32 on Monday night. Miller was making his 54th consecutive start for North Dakota State. The Bison played in the title game for the 11th time in 14 seasons, and have lost only one in Frisco, Texas. They last won the championship three years ago, in a game that also had Miller and Montana State's Tommy Mellott as the starting quarterbacks. Montana State's last title came 40 years ago.Tough, old school defense a calling card for all four teams left in the national championship huntAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Smothering defenses have carried the last four teams still in the hunt for the national championship. If you want offense, look elsewhere this weekend. The defenses, with All-Americans spread throughout the lineups, are the story of the semifinals. Ohio State, Texas Penn State and Notre Dame all rank in top eight nationally in total defense. The Buckeyes and Longhorns meet in the Cotton Bowl on Friday. The Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish play in the Orange Bowl on Saturday.Scottie Scheffler withdraws from another tournament, hopes to play at Pebble BeachDALLAS (AP) — Scottie Scheffler will be skipping another tournament to let his injured right hand heal. Scheffler punctured his hand with broken glass while preparing Christmas dinner. That forced the world's No. 1 player to sit out the season opener at Kapalua in The Sentry. Now he says he has withdrawn from The American Express in the California desert that starts next week. Scheffler says his hand needs more time to heal from minor surgery. He says he hopes to be able to start his season at the AT&amp;T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that starts on Jan. 30.Chargers plan to sign Ezekiel Elliott to practice squad after his release by CowboysLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers are planning to sign running back Ezekiel Elliott to their practice squad pending a physical. That's according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move had not been completed. The Chargers are the No. 5 seed in the AFC and open the playoffs at Houston on Saturday in a wild-card round game. Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31 so that he could possibly sign with a playoff team seeking a veteran running back.Castroneves to attempt to qualify for Daytona 500, would be NASCAR debut for 4-time Indy 500 winnerCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will attempt to make his NASCAR debut in next month's Daytona 500 with Trackhouse Racing. Castroneves is one of the most popular drivers in IndyCar history. He has been trying for two years to get a Daytona 500 seat and finally landed one Monday as part of Trackhouse's "Project 91" designed to give renowned racers from outside of NASCAR a shot in a stock car. Castroneves will need to qualify for the Feb. 16 race with either a fast time in time trials, or, race his way in via a qualifying race. If Castroneves won the Daytona 500, he would join Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.Suns' Beal stars as a reserve in win over 76ers and makes it clear he believes he is an NBA starterPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bradley Beal made the most of the unfamiliar role of substitute for the Phoenix Suns. That doesn't mean he had to like it. Beal came off the bench for the first time in nine years on Monday night and scored a team-high 25 points as the Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. After the game, the 31-year-old Beal said he accepted coach Mike Budenholzer's lineup change, but made it clear he considers himself a starter in the NBA.Patriots owner Robert Kraft says he put Jerod Mayo in 'untenable situation,' vows to correct courseFOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — When Robert Kraft hired Jerod Mayo a year ago, he felt he'd identified the right person to follow Bill Belichick. In hindsight, Kraft now believes Mayo wasn't quite ready to be an NFL head coach. The Patriots team owner said that his abrupt firing of Mayo just minutes after he completed his first season in the job is an effort to correct that mistake. And after watching back-to-back dismals seasons for a franchise that won six Lombardi trophies over the past two-plus decades, the 83-year-old owner vowed to do what he can to see it return to a championship level. That will include a fast coaching search, but not changes in the front office, with Kraft confirming executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf will return.Antetokounmpo needs 3 stitches in finger and returns to post a triple-double in win over RaptorsTORONTO (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo needed three stitches to close a cut near the base of his right pinkie against Toronto on Monday night, and returned to the game to finish his fourth triple-double of the season. Antetokounmpo banged his finger on the rim while trying to chase down RJ Barrett's fast-break dunk late in the second quarter. He finished with 11 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in a 128-104 road win over the struggling Raptors. Antetokounmpo said his finged was "kind of numb,' but insisted he was fine.The 49ers fire special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, AP source saysSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers fired special teams coach Brian Schneider following a season when repeated blunders in the kicking contributed to a losing season, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't announced the firing. Schneider finished his third season in San Francisco and this one was clearly the worst as the Niners finished last in the league in expected points added on special teams and near the bottom of nearly all efficiency stats involved with the kicking game.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Detroit	118	Portland	115	Final	Phoenix	109	Philadelphia	99	Final	Milwaukee	128	Toronto	104	Final	Indiana	113	Brooklyn	99	Final	Orlando	103	New York	94	Final	Memphis	119	Dallas	104	Final	Chicago	114	San Antonio	110	Final	Minnesota	108	L.A. Clippers	106	Final 2OT	Sacramento	123	Miami	118	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal SO	Buffalo	4	Washington	3	Final OT	Montreal	5	Vancouver	4	Final	Colorado	3	Florida	1	Final	New Jersey	3	Seattle	2	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(12)Houston	65	TCU	46	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Houston	at	Washington	7 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Charlotte	7 p.m.			L.A. Lakers	at	Dallas	7:30 p.m.			Minnesota	at	New Orleans	8 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Utah	9 p.m.			Boston	at	Denver	10 p.m.			Miami	at	Golden State	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Carolina	at	Tampa Bay	7 p.m.			Columbus	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.			Dallas	at	N-Y Rangers	7 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Boston	7 p.m.			Ottawa	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Toronto	at	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.			Nashville	at	Winnipeg	8 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			Calgary	at	Anaheim	10 p.m.			Vegas	at	San Jose	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(1)Tennessee	at	(8)Florida	7 p.m.			(2)Auburn	at	Texas	9 p.m.			Utah	at	(3)Iowa St.	8 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	(4)Duke	7 p.m.			(6)Kentucky	at	Georgia	7 p.m.			Georgetown	at	(7)Marquette	8 p.m.			(14)Mississippi St.	at	Vanderbilt	9 p.m.			Arizona	at	(21)West Virginia	7 p.m.			(24)Michigan	at	(22)UCLA	10 p.m.			(25)Utah St.	at	San Jose St.	10 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Tuesday

Lions beat Vikings 31-9, win NFC North and No. 1 seed, dropping division rivals to No. 5

DETROIT (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying four touchdowns in the second half, and the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 to win their second straight NFC North title and earn home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The Lions and Vikings could meet again in two weeks. Detroit will have a much-needed bye for its banged-up team during the first week of the playoffs while Minnesota plays at the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams next Monday night. Gibbs had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three rushing touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards and another score.

Patriots fire coach Jerod Mayo shortly after beating Bills to finish his lone season at 4-13

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have fired coach Jerod Mayo after one season, beginning another reboot for the franchise just a year after it parted with longtime coach Bill Belichick. Owner Robert Kraft announced the firing in a statement shortly after New England closed its 4-13 season with a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills. Kraft called it "one of the hardest decisions" he's had to make. A former Patriots linebacker who worked as an assistant under Belichick, Mayo started the season with a strong endorsement from Kraft. But he struggled to get the most out of a young roster that included rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

Lions secure NFC's No. 1 seed, Broncos and Buccaneers clinch the NFL's final two playoff spots

The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will go through Motown. The Detroit Lions secured a No. 1 seed with a 31-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Jahmyr Gibbs scored four touchdowns to help the Lions clinch the NFC North, earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Vikings missed an opportunity to overtake Detroit for the top spot and ended up with the fifth seed. They'll play on the road against the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams next Monday night. The Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers captured the NFL's final two playoff spots in Week 18.

On Football: Aaron Rodgers proved in Week 18 he can still play at a high level if any team wants him

Aaron Rodgers showed the rest of the NFL in Week 18 that he can still play at a high level in case he wants to return for a 21st season. The four-time NFL MVP tossed four touchdown passes against a team that was playing to preserve slim playoff hopes, helping the New York Jets finish a miserable season on a winning note. Rodgers became the fifth player in NFL history to reach 500 career TD passes in New York's 32-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Now, Rodgers heads into an offseason of uncertainty. First, he must decide whether he's coming back or retiring. He doesn't even know if the Jets will want him after going 5-12 this season.

Jaguars return home after getting stuck on Indianapolis tarmac for 7 hours during storm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are home after spending seven hours waiting through a winter storm on the tarmac at Indianapolis International Airport. The National Weather Service reported heavy snow — between 2 and 5 inches — freezing drizzle and wind gusts of up to 40 mph in central Indiana. The Jaguars had hoped to get out of Indy before the worst of it Sunday evening, but their game against the Colts went to overtime and caused enough of a delay that players, coaches and staff got stuck. The Jaguars lost 26-23. Their charter flight finally was cleared to leave at 1 a.m. EST and landed in Jacksonville two hours later.

Nix leads Broncos past Chiefs' reserves 38-0 and into playoffs for 1st time since 2015 season

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. They beat Kansas City's bevy of backups 38-0 for their 10th win, their most since that Super Bowl team. The Chiefs sat several starters, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, because they had already secured the AFC's top seed and lone playoff bye. Because Mahomes last played on Christmas Day, it will be at least 24 days before he plays again in the divisional round Jan. 18 or 19. The Broncos head to No. 2 seed Buffalo.

Hideki Matsuyama has record-setting start to the PGA Tour season with victory at Kapalua

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Hideki Matsuyama is off to a record-breaking start to the new PGA Tour season. The Japanese star made an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole at The Sentry to break the tour's record to par. He finished at 35-under par, breaking by one the record set three years ago at Kapalua by Cameron Smith. Matsuyama also set the PGA Tour mark with 35 holes at birdie or better for a tournament. It added to a three-shot victory over Collin Morikawa. Matsuyama now has three big wins in the last 10 months. Kapalua is his 11th career PGA Tour title.

Buccaneers beat Saints 27-19 to clinch NFC South and wide receiver Mike Evans surpasses 1,000 yards

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield used his legs and arm to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinch their fourth straight NFC South title while putting Mike Evans over 1,000 yards receiving. Mayfield fired a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan for the go-ahead score and then scrambled 28 yards for a crucial first down on the next drive, leading the Buccaneers to a 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Evans caught a 9-yard pass on the final play of the game to surpass 1,000 yards for the 11th straight season, tying Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history.

Colts owner Jim Irsay says he's retaining GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay intends to bring back longtime general manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen for another season. Irsay made the announcement in a letter to fans. Indy struggled late in the season and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year, leading to speculation that both men could lose their jobs. The Colts finished 8-9. Fans chanted "Fire Ballard" during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 26-23 overtime victory over AFC South foe Jacksonville. Irsay says he understands fans were clamoring for changes but he believes Ballard and Steichen give the Colts the best chance of being successful next season.

Mike McCarthy 'absolutely' wants to return as Cowboys coach, owner Jerry Jones still not definitive

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike McCarthy says he absolutely wants to return as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has dropped multiple hints that McCarthy would be back, but the team owner was far from definitive about McCarthy's future after a 23-19 loss to Washington finished a 7-10 season. Jones says he hasn't yet decided on whether he will extend the coach's contract. The Cowboys were already out of playoff contention before the finale. McCarthy was on an expiring contract after five seasons, including going 12-5 and to the playoffs in each of the previous three years.

Final OT	Indianapolis	26	Jacksonville	23	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Monday, January 6th, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Monday, January 6th, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 6th, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for January 6th, 2025" 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=c3rnh-1799cfb-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>Lions beat Vikings 31-9, win NFC North and No. 1 seed, dropping division rivals to No. 5DETROIT (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying four touchdowns in the second half, and the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 to win their second straight NFC North title and earn home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The Lions and Vikings could meet again in two weeks. Detroit will have a much-needed bye for its banged-up team during the first week of the playoffs while Minnesota plays at the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams next Monday night. Gibbs had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three rushing touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards and another score.Patriots fire coach Jerod Mayo shortly after beating Bills to finish his lone season at 4-13FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have fired coach Jerod Mayo after one season, beginning another reboot for the franchise just a year after it parted with longtime coach Bill Belichick. Owner Robert Kraft announced the firing in a statement shortly after New England closed its 4-13 season with a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills. Kraft called it "one of the hardest decisions" he's had to make. A former Patriots linebacker who worked as an assistant under Belichick, Mayo started the season with a strong endorsement from Kraft. But he struggled to get the most out of a young roster that included rookie quarterback Drake Maye.Lions secure NFC's No. 1 seed, Broncos and Buccaneers clinch the NFL's final two playoff spotsThe road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will go through Motown. The Detroit Lions secured a No. 1 seed with a 31-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Jahmyr Gibbs scored four touchdowns to help the Lions clinch the NFC North, earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Vikings missed an opportunity to overtake Detroit for the top spot and ended up with the fifth seed. They'll play on the road against the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams next Monday night. The Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers captured the NFL's final two playoff spots in Week 18.On Football: Aaron Rodgers proved in Week 18 he can still play at a high level if any team wants himAaron Rodgers showed the rest of the NFL in Week 18 that he can still play at a high level in case he wants to return for a 21st season. The four-time NFL MVP tossed four touchdown passes against a team that was playing to preserve slim playoff hopes, helping the New York Jets finish a miserable season on a winning note. Rodgers became the fifth player in NFL history to reach 500 career TD passes in New York's 32-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Now, Rodgers heads into an offseason of uncertainty. First, he must decide whether he's coming back or retiring. He doesn't even know if the Jets will want him after going 5-12 this season.Jaguars return home after getting stuck on Indianapolis tarmac for 7 hours during stormJACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are home after spending seven hours waiting through a winter storm on the tarmac at Indianapolis International Airport. The National Weather Service reported heavy snow — between 2 and 5 inches — freezing drizzle and wind gusts of up to 40 mph in central Indiana. The Jaguars had hoped to get out of Indy before the worst of it Sunday evening, but their game against the Colts went to overtime and caused enough of a delay that players, coaches and staff got stuck. The Jaguars lost 26-23. Their charter flight finally was cleared to leave at 1 a.m. EST and landed in Jacksonville two hours later.Nix leads Broncos past Chiefs' reserves 38-0 and into playoffs for 1st time since 2015 seasonDENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. They beat Kansas City's bevy of backups 38-0 for their 10th win, their most since that Super Bowl team. The Chiefs sat several starters, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, because they had already secured the AFC's top seed and lone playoff bye. Because Mahomes last played on Christmas Day, it will be at least 24 days before he plays again in the divisional round Jan. 18 or 19. The Broncos head to No. 2 seed Buffalo.Hideki Matsuyama has record-setting start to the PGA Tour season with victory at KapaluaKAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Hideki Matsuyama is off to a record-breaking start to the new PGA Tour season. The Japanese star made an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole at The Sentry to break the tour's record to par. He finished at 35-under par, breaking by one the record set three years ago at Kapalua by Cameron Smith. Matsuyama also set the PGA Tour mark with 35 holes at birdie or better for a tournament. It added to a three-shot victory over Collin Morikawa. Matsuyama now has three big wins in the last 10 months. Kapalua is his 11th career PGA Tour title.Buccaneers beat Saints 27-19 to clinch NFC South and wide receiver Mike Evans surpasses 1,000 yardsTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield used his legs and arm to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinch their fourth straight NFC South title while putting Mike Evans over 1,000 yards receiving. Mayfield fired a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan for the go-ahead score and then scrambled 28 yards for a crucial first down on the next drive, leading the Buccaneers to a 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Evans caught a 9-yard pass on the final play of the game to surpass 1,000 yards for the 11th straight season, tying Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history.Colts owner Jim Irsay says he's retaining GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane SteichenINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay intends to bring back longtime general manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen for another season. Irsay made the announcement in a letter to fans. Indy struggled late in the season and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year, leading to speculation that both men could lose their jobs. The Colts finished 8-9. Fans chanted "Fire Ballard" during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 26-23 overtime victory over AFC South foe Jacksonville. Irsay says he understands fans were clamoring for changes but he believes Ballard and Steichen give the Colts the best chance of being successful next season.Mike McCarthy 'absolutely' wants to return as Cowboys coach, owner Jerry Jones still not definitiveARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike McCarthy says he absolutely wants to return as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has dropped multiple hints that McCarthy would be back, but the team owner was far from definitive about McCarthy's future after a 23-19 loss to Washington finished a 7-10 season. Jones says he hasn't yet decided on whether he will extend the coach's contract. The Cowboys were already out of playoff contention before the finale. McCarthy was on an expiring contract after five seasons, including going 12-5 and to the playoffs in each of the previous three years.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Oklahoma City	105	Boston	92	Final	Cleveland	115	Charlotte	105	Final	New Orleans	110	Washington	98	Final	Utah	105	Orlando	92	Final	Houston	119	L.A. Lakers	115	Final	Sacramento	129	Golden State	99	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	N-Y Rangers	6	Chicago	2	Final OT	Carolina	4	Pittsburgh	3	Final OT	N-Y Islanders	5	Boston	4	Final OT	Toronto	3	Philadelphia	2	Final	Anaheim	4	Tampa Bay	1	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal OT	Carolina	44	Atlanta	38	Final	Chicago	24	Green Bay	22	Final	Houston	23	Tennessee	14	Final OT	Indianapolis	26	Jacksonville	23	Final	New England	23	Buffalo	16	Final	Philadelphia	20	N-Y Giants	13	Final	Tampa Bay	27	New Orleans	19	Final	Washington	23	Dallas	19	Final	Arizona	47	San Francisco	24	Final	Denver	38	Kansas City	0	Final	L.A. Chargers	34	Las Vegas	20	Final	N-Y Jets	32	Miami	20	Final	Seattle	30	L.A. Rams	25	Final	Detroit	31	Minnesota	9	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(7)Kansas	99	UCF	48	Final	(9)Oregon	83	Maryland	79	Final	(11)UConn	87	Providence	84	Final	(20)Purdue	79	Northwestern	61	Final	(21)Memphis	68	North Texas	64	Final	(22)Illinois	81	Washington	77	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Phoenix	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Portland	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Indiana	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.			Orlando	at	New York	7:30 p.m.			Dallas	at	Memphis	8 p.m.			L.A. Clippers	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			San Antonio	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Miami	at	Sacramento	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Washington	at	Buffalo	7 p.m.			Vancouver	at	Montreal	7:30 p.m.			Florida	at	Colorado	9 p.m.			New Jersey	at	Seattle	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		TCU	at	(14)Houston	9 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Monday

LeBron James breaks Michael Jordan's record for 30-point games with his 563rd

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James broke Michael Jordan's NBA record for 30-point games during the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over Atlanta on Friday night. With an 18-foot jumper with 5:58 to play for the last of his 30 points, James reached at least 30 points in the regular season for the 563rd time in his career, breaking the record established by Jordan in 2003. Jordan set the record in 1,072 games over 15 seasons, while James broke the mark in his 1,523rd appearance over 22 seasons. James idolized Jordan during his childhood in Akron, Ohio, and when he passed Jordan for fourth place on the NBA's career scoring list back in March 2019, the moment moved him to tears on the Lakers' bench.

Here's Kelce! Retired Eagles great Jason Kelce's tries hand as late night television show host

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jason Kelce has tried his hand at late-night television, He hosted the debut episode of "They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce," Friday on ESPN. Kelce bantered with the guests and crowd during commercial breaks and took questions from a select few of about 300 fans in the audience. The 37-year-old Kelce retired in March after a 13-year career spent entirely with Philadelphia. He has watched his profile balloon in retirement. He already co-hosted a podcast with his brother but has become a prolific pitchman hawking everything from chicken wings to soup to laundry detergent to cereal to hoagies to his own beer company.

Heat suspend Jimmy Butler for 7 games and will seek to trade him

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games and say they will seek to trade him. The Heat say the suspension was for "conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks." The team made the move one day after Butler said in a postgame press conference that he does not believe he can be happy playing in Miami going forward. The Heat say Butler "has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team." Butler was Miami's best player for five years and the leader of a team that went to the NBA Finals twice.

Hillary Clinton, George Soros and Denzel Washington will receive the highest US civilian honor

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Democratic philanthropist George Soros and actor-director Denzel Washington are set to be awarded the nation's highest civilian honor. President Joe Biden will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday afternoon to 19 of the most famous names in politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy and science. The White House says the recipients have made "exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors." Other awardees include José Andrés, Bono, Magic Johnson, Michael J. Fox and Anna Wintour.

College football turns upside down, but this final four is a collection of the sport's big programs

In the first round of the College Football Playoff, the teams seeded 5-8 all won. In the second round, they all won again. The moral of this story: Who knows, other than something doesn't totally add up when not a single one of the top four teams, all of which received byes, advances into college football's final four. The semifinals are set: Next Thursday in the Orange Bowl, it will be No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame. Then, Friday in the Cotton Bowl, it will be No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State.

Dolphins' Tagovailoa 'unlikely' to play Sunday against Jets, Huntley in line for 2nd straight start

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to miss his second straight game when the Dolphins travel to face the New York Jets on Sunday, coach Mike McDaniel said. Backup quarterback Tyler "Snoop" Huntley is again in line to start after leading Miami to a win in Tagovailoa's place last week. Tagovailoa is still dealing with a right hip injury that he sustained at Houston on Dec. 15 and aggravated on a hit against San Francisco the next week. The Dolphins are still in the hunt for the last AFC wild-card spot. Miami needs to win Sunday and have Denver lose to Kansas City.

Jets interview former Titans coach Mike Vrabel for their head coaching job

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel for their head coaching vacancy. Vrabel is the second known coaching candidate to meet with the Jets, who spoke to former Washington and Carolina coach Ron Rivera on Thursday. The 49-year-old Vrabel served in a consultant role with Cleveland this season, but his contract expired earlier this week. The one-time All-Pro linebacker helped New England win three Super Bowl titles and was 56-48 in six seasons as coach of the Titans, including 2-3 in the postseason. He was fired by Tennessee after a 6-11 finish last season.

PGA Tour contemplating changes to Tour Championship, AP sources say

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told his staff that everything is on the table. That includes the format for the FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship. Two officials at the PGA Tour say they are contemplating another change to the format to decide the $25 million winner of the FedEx Cup. Among the ideas are creating seeds and a bracket nearer the conclusion. That could involve medal matches so all 18 holes are played. One official directly involved says there are a number of formats being considered. Any change would require approval by the PGA Tour board. The Tour Championship currently begins with the FedEx Cup leader at 10 under par.

Hideki Matsuyama sets the target at Kapalua and leads Collin Morikawa by 1

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Hideki Matsuyama is leading The Sentry at the halfway point of the start to the new PGA Tour season. He had a bogey-free 65 for a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa with eight other players within three shots of the lead. Morikawa did his work late. He's been around Kapalua enough to know there's no need to panic. Morikawa was seven shots behind at one point. He ran off five straight birdies late in his round and shot 65. The scoring average was 68.1 on a perfect day for scoring. And more low scores are expected on the weekend with moderate wind.

Minnesota beats Virginia Tech 24-10 in Duke's Mayo Bowl for 8th straight bowl victory

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Max Brosmer threw for 211 yards and a touchdown, Darius Taylor ran for 113 yards a TD and also threw for a score and Minnesota extended its bowl winning streak to eight with a 24-10 victory over Virginia Tech on Friday night in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Elijah Spencer had six catches for 81 yards and two TDs for the Golden Gophers (8-5). They improved to 6-0 in bowl games under coach P.J. Fleck, who got the bowl's traditional mayo bath after the game. Backup quarterback Collins Schlee ran for a touchdown and Ayden Greene had six catches for 115 yards for the Hokies (6-7). They've lost five of their last six bowl games. The Golden Gophers outgained the Hokies 403-223.

		South Carolina	at	(17)Mississippi St.	2 p.m.	

		(19)Gonzaga	at	Loyola Marymount	9 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, January 4th, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, January 4th, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 4th, 2025:LeBron James breaks Michael Jordan's record for 30-point games with his 563rd<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for January 4th, 2025" 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=f8vfs-1797457-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>LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James broke Michael Jordan's NBA record for 30-point games during the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over Atlanta on Friday night. With an 18-foot jumper with 5:58 to play for the last of his 30 points, James reached at least 30 points in the regular season for the 563rd time in his career, breaking the record established by Jordan in 2003. Jordan set the record in 1,072 games over 15 seasons, while James broke the mark in his 1,523rd appearance over 22 seasons. James idolized Jordan during his childhood in Akron, Ohio, and when he passed Jordan for fourth place on the NBA's career scoring list back in March 2019, the moment moved him to tears on the Lakers' bench.Here's Kelce! Retired Eagles great Jason Kelce's tries hand as late night television show hostPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jason Kelce has tried his hand at late-night television, He hosted the debut episode of "They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce," Friday on ESPN. Kelce bantered with the guests and crowd during commercial breaks and took questions from a select few of about 300 fans in the audience. The 37-year-old Kelce retired in March after a 13-year career spent entirely with Philadelphia. He has watched his profile balloon in retirement. He already co-hosted a podcast with his brother but has become a prolific pitchman hawking everything from chicken wings to soup to laundry detergent to cereal to hoagies to his own beer company.Heat suspend Jimmy Butler for 7 games and will seek to trade himMIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games and say they will seek to trade him. The Heat say the suspension was for "conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks." The team made the move one day after Butler said in a postgame press conference that he does not believe he can be happy playing in Miami going forward. The Heat say Butler "has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team." Butler was Miami's best player for five years and the leader of a team that went to the NBA Finals twice.Hillary Clinton, George Soros and Denzel Washington will receive the highest US civilian honorWASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Democratic philanthropist George Soros and actor-director Denzel Washington are set to be awarded the nation's highest civilian honor. President Joe Biden will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday afternoon to 19 of the most famous names in politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy and science. The White House says the recipients have made "exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors." Other awardees include José Andrés, Bono, Magic Johnson, Michael J. Fox and Anna Wintour.College football turns upside down, but this final four is a collection of the sport's big programsIn the first round of the College Football Playoff, the teams seeded 5-8 all won. In the second round, they all won again. The moral of this story: Who knows, other than something doesn't totally add up when not a single one of the top four teams, all of which received byes, advances into college football's final four. The semifinals are set: Next Thursday in the Orange Bowl, it will be No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame. Then, Friday in the Cotton Bowl, it will be No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State.Dolphins' Tagovailoa 'unlikely' to play Sunday against Jets, Huntley in line for 2nd straight startMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to miss his second straight game when the Dolphins travel to face the New York Jets on Sunday, coach Mike McDaniel said. Backup quarterback Tyler "Snoop" Huntley is again in line to start after leading Miami to a win in Tagovailoa's place last week. Tagovailoa is still dealing with a right hip injury that he sustained at Houston on Dec. 15 and aggravated on a hit against San Francisco the next week. The Dolphins are still in the hunt for the last AFC wild-card spot. Miami needs to win Sunday and have Denver lose to Kansas City.Jets interview former Titans coach Mike Vrabel for their head coaching jobFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel for their head coaching vacancy. Vrabel is the second known coaching candidate to meet with the Jets, who spoke to former Washington and Carolina coach Ron Rivera on Thursday. The 49-year-old Vrabel served in a consultant role with Cleveland this season, but his contract expired earlier this week. The one-time All-Pro linebacker helped New England win three Super Bowl titles and was 56-48 in six seasons as coach of the Titans, including 2-3 in the postseason. He was fired by Tennessee after a 6-11 finish last season.PGA Tour contemplating changes to Tour Championship, AP sources sayKAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told his staff that everything is on the table. That includes the format for the FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship. Two officials at the PGA Tour say they are contemplating another change to the format to decide the $25 million winner of the FedEx Cup. Among the ideas are creating seeds and a bracket nearer the conclusion. That could involve medal matches so all 18 holes are played. One official directly involved says there are a number of formats being considered. Any change would require approval by the PGA Tour board. The Tour Championship currently begins with the FedEx Cup leader at 10 under par.Hideki Matsuyama sets the target at Kapalua and leads Collin Morikawa by 1KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Hideki Matsuyama is leading The Sentry at the halfway point of the start to the new PGA Tour season. He had a bogey-free 65 for a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa with eight other players within three shots of the lead. Morikawa did his work late. He's been around Kapalua enough to know there's no need to panic. Morikawa was seven shots behind at one point. He ran off five straight birdies late in his round and shot 65. The scoring average was 68.1 on a perfect day for scoring. And more low scores are expected on the weekend with moderate wind.Minnesota beats Virginia Tech 24-10 in Duke's Mayo Bowl for 8th straight bowl victoryCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Max Brosmer threw for 211 yards and a touchdown, Darius Taylor ran for 113 yards a TD and also threw for a score and Minnesota extended its bowl winning streak to eight with a 24-10 victory over Virginia Tech on Friday night in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Elijah Spencer had six catches for 81 yards and two TDs for the Golden Gophers (8-5). They improved to 6-0 in bowl games under coach P.J. Fleck, who got the bowl's traditional mayo bath after the game. Backup quarterback Collins Schlee ran for a touchdown and Ayden Greene had six catches for 115 yards for the Hokies (6-7). They've lost five of their last six bowl games. The Golden Gophers outgained the Hokies 403-223.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Detroit	98	Charlotte	94	Final	Orlando	106	Toronto	97	Final	Boston	109	Houston	86	Final	Oklahoma City	117	New York	107	Final	New Orleans	132	Washington	120	Final	Cleveland	134	Dallas	122	Final	San Antonio	113	Denver	110	Final	Sacramento	138	Memphis	133	Final	L.A. Lakers	119	Atlanta	102	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal SO	Florida	3	Pittsburgh	2	Final	St. Louis	4	Ottawa	0	Final	Chicago	4	Montreal	2	Final	Edmonton	3	Anaheim	2	Final	Nashville	3	Vancouver	0	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(8)Marquette	79	Creighton	71	Final	(18)Michigan St.	69	Ohio St.	62	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Philadelphia	at	Brooklyn	6 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Indiana	7 p.m.			Denver	at	San Antonio	8 p.m.			New York	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Portland	at	Milwaukee	8 p.m.			Utah	at	Miami	8 p.m.			Memphis	at	Golden State	8:30 p.m.			Atlanta	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		N-Y Rangers	at	Washington	12 p.m.			New Jersey	at	San Jose	4 p.m.			Boston	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Winnipeg	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Carolina	7 p.m.			Montreal	at	Colorado	7 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Columbus	7 p.m.			Utah	at	Dallas	8 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Los Angeles	9 p.m.			Buffalo	at	Vegas	10 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Seattle	10 p.m.			Nashville	at	Calgary	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE		Cleveland	at	Baltimore	4:30 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	Pittsburgh	8 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(23)Arkansas	at	(1)Tennessee	1 p.m.			Missouri	at	(2)Auburn	4 p.m.			(25)Baylor	at	(3)Iowa St.	2 p.m.			(4)Duke	at	SMU	2:15 p.m.			(12)Oklahoma	at	(5)Alabama	6 p.m.			(6)Florida	at	(10)Kentucky	11 a.m.			Texas	at	(13)Texas A&amp;M	8 p.m.			BYU	at	(14)Houston	2 p.m.			(15)UCLA	at	Nebraska	2 p.m.			Arizona	at	(16)Cincinnati	2:30 p.m.			South Carolina	at	(17)Mississippi St.	2 p.m.			(19)Gonzaga	at	Loyola Marymount	9 p.m.			Georgia	at	(24)Mississippi	12 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Saturday

🎧 LISTEN: Rep. Paul Waggoner

🎧 LISTEN: Mary Magdalene House

🎧 LISTEN: Ernie Goss, Creighton University

🎧 LISTEN: 1861 Club

🎧 LISTEN: Non-Profit Homes

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, January 3rd, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, January 3rd, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for January 3rd, 2025" 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=3s5gw-1796390-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: 🏈 Notre Dame eliminates Georgia; 🏈 Chiefs place 5 on pro bowl roster; 🏈 NCAA Semi Final games set

Freeman and Notre Dame handle 'tough moments' and oust Georgia from CFP with 23-10 win in Sugar Bowl

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and Notre Dame's defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl that sends the third-ranked Fighting Irish into the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. In a game that was delayed by a day because of a deadly terror attack in the host city, Notre Dame made enough big plays and got some help from a clever move by coach Marcus Freeman. He sent out the punt team deep in his own territory before running all 11 players off the field, and an offside penalty gave the Irish a critical first down.

Georgia's Kirby Smart defends aggressive but ill-fated play calls in CFP loss to Notre Dame

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Georgia coach Kirby Smart says he doesn't regret aggressive offensive play calls that backfired during the Bulldogs' College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. A decision to have inexperienced quarterback Gunner Stockton drop back to pass in the final minute of the first half went badly when he was sacked by Notre Dame's RJ Oben and fumbled. Notre Dame recovered and scored a touchdown one play later. Smart's bid for his third national title with the Bulldogs fell short as he was frequently outmaneuvered by Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

Big 12 commissioner calls for 'national standards' for calling targeting after controversial play

DALLAS (AP) — Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is calling for more consistency on what constitutes a targeting penalty after no call was made on Texas safety Michael Taaffe's high hit on Arizona State receiver Melquan Stovall late in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl. Taaffe struck Stovall with a helmet-to-helmet hit as Stovall caught a pass near midfield with 1:15 left in regulation Wednesday. No flag was thrown, but referee Larry Smith of the Big Ten halted play to check the replay for possible targeting. As Stovall was being helped off the field, Smith announced there was no penalty.

Postponed Sugar Bowl played with enhanced security about 36 hours after terror attack in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Snipers were positioned on rooftops outside the Superdome in New Orleans as fans filed in for the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish won the College Football Playoff semifinal 23-10. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday night but was postponed until Thursday afternoon because of a terror attack on New Orleans' Bourbon Street that killed 14 revelers early on New Year's Day. Flags were at half-staff at the stadium, and a moment of silence was held before the singing of the national anthem. Fans said they felt safe amid the enhanced security.

Surging Ohio State to face tenacious Texas in the Cotton Bowl for a spot in the CFP title game

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Texas will be a whole lot closer to home than Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes appear to be a whole lot closer to Atlanta. That's where the winner of the Cotton Bowl, which doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal this year, will be heading next for the national championship game. But first, two powerhouse college football programs meet Jan. 10 at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&amp;T Stadium. Ohio State has rebounded from two regular-season losses to rout a pair of elite opponents by a combined 45 points, while Texas has survived two difficult tests on its CFP journey.

Jimmy Butler, when asked if he can find on-court joy again in Miami: 'Probably not'

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler says he needs to find joy again on the basketball court. And when asked if he can find that joy in Miami, he had a two-word answer. "Probably not," he said. The relationship between Butler and the Heat — a talking point for weeks now — seems to have further deteriorated. The Heat lost to Indiana 128-115 on Thursday night, Butler scoring exactly nine points and playing exactly zero seconds in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. It also happened Wednesday in a win over New Orleans.

LeBron James applauds younger son Bryce's hoops commitment to the University of Arizona

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James is excited about his younger son's decision to play basketball at the University of Arizona next season. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar said the decision was Bryce James' to make, and he went where he felt most comfortable. LeBron praised Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd as a straight shooter who told Bryce exactly what the Wildcats believe about him. Bryce James is a four-star recruit at Sierra Canyon School in suburban Chatsworth. That's the same private high school where his older brother, Bronny, played his senior season in 2022-23.

Tom Hoge leads at Kapalua where good golf exceeds expectations in PGA Tour opener

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Tom Hoge has a new baby and no expectations. The North Dakota player had the right vibe for Maui in the opening round of The Sentry. He just took whatever golf gave him. That was 10 birdies in the wind at Kapalua for a 64. Hoge leads the PGA Tour opener by one shot over Hideki Matsuyama and Will Zalatoris. Matsuyama had a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch on the back nine to get back in the game. Zalatoris came to Kapalua weighing some 20 pounds more than he did in August. He hopes a stronger physique will be good for his back.

White leads No. 22 Illinois to 109-77 blowout at No. 9 Oregon

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Tre White had 20 points and 11 rebounds as No. 22 Illinois made a resounding statement on the road with a 109-77 blowout of ninth-ranked Oregon. Ben Humrichous shot 4 of 7 from 3-point range and scored 18 points on a night when Illinois went 16 for 29 behind the arc. Kylan Boswell also made four 3s and finished with 15 points for the Fighting Illini. Kasparas Jakucionis added 16 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jake Davis scored 12. Supreme Cook scored 20 to lead the Ducks, while Nate Bittle added 13 points and five rebounds.

US routs Switzerland 7-2 in world junior quarterfinals; Czechia eliminates Canada 4-3

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Boston College teammates James Hagens and Ryan Leonard each scored twice and the defending champion United States routed Switzerland 7-2 on Thursday in the world junior hockey quarterfinals. Boston University's Brandon Svoboda, Notre Dame's Danny Nelson and Denver's Zeev Buium also scored, Hampton Slukynsky of Western Michigan made 17 saves and BC's Gabe Perreault had three assists. The Group A champion Americans will face Czechia — a 4-3 winner over Canada in the night game at Canadian Tire Centre — on Saturday. Group B winner Sweden will play Finland in the other semifinal. Adam Jecho scored on a one-timer on a power play with 39.4 seconds left to lift Czechia past Canada. At TD Place, Sweden beat Latvia 3-2, and Finland topped Slovakia 5-3.

Final	Oklahoma City	116	L.A. Clippers	98	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Friday, January 3rd, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Friday, January 3rd, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 3rd, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for January 3rd, 2025" 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=znk4y-179637e-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>Freeman and Notre Dame handle 'tough moments' and oust Georgia from CFP with 23-10 win in Sugar BowlNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and Notre Dame's defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl that sends the third-ranked Fighting Irish into the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. In a game that was delayed by a day because of a deadly terror attack in the host city, Notre Dame made enough big plays and got some help from a clever move by coach Marcus Freeman. He sent out the punt team deep in his own territory before running all 11 players off the field, and an offside penalty gave the Irish a critical first down.Georgia's Kirby Smart defends aggressive but ill-fated play calls in CFP loss to Notre DameNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Georgia coach Kirby Smart says he doesn't regret aggressive offensive play calls that backfired during the Bulldogs' College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. A decision to have inexperienced quarterback Gunner Stockton drop back to pass in the final minute of the first half went badly when he was sacked by Notre Dame's RJ Oben and fumbled. Notre Dame recovered and scored a touchdown one play later. Smart's bid for his third national title with the Bulldogs fell short as he was frequently outmaneuvered by Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.Big 12 commissioner calls for 'national standards' for calling targeting after controversial playDALLAS (AP) — Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is calling for more consistency on what constitutes a targeting penalty after no call was made on Texas safety Michael Taaffe's high hit on Arizona State receiver Melquan Stovall late in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Peach Bowl. Taaffe struck Stovall with a helmet-to-helmet hit as Stovall caught a pass near midfield with 1:15 left in regulation Wednesday. No flag was thrown, but referee Larry Smith of the Big Ten halted play to check the replay for possible targeting. As Stovall was being helped off the field, Smith announced there was no penalty.Postponed Sugar Bowl played with enhanced security about 36 hours after terror attack in New OrleansNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Snipers were positioned on rooftops outside the Superdome in New Orleans as fans filed in for the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish won the College Football Playoff semifinal 23-10. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday night but was postponed until Thursday afternoon because of a terror attack on New Orleans' Bourbon Street that killed 14 revelers early on New Year's Day. Flags were at half-staff at the stadium, and a moment of silence was held before the singing of the national anthem. Fans said they felt safe amid the enhanced security.Surging Ohio State to face tenacious Texas in the Cotton Bowl for a spot in the CFP title gamePASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Texas will be a whole lot closer to home than Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes appear to be a whole lot closer to Atlanta. That's where the winner of the Cotton Bowl, which doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal this year, will be heading next for the national championship game. But first, two powerhouse college football programs meet Jan. 10 at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&amp;T Stadium. Ohio State has rebounded from two regular-season losses to rout a pair of elite opponents by a combined 45 points, while Texas has survived two difficult tests on its CFP journey.Jimmy Butler, when asked if he can find on-court joy again in Miami: 'Probably not'MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler says he needs to find joy again on the basketball court. And when asked if he can find that joy in Miami, he had a two-word answer. "Probably not," he said. The relationship between Butler and the Heat — a talking point for weeks now — seems to have further deteriorated. The Heat lost to Indiana 128-115 on Thursday night, Butler scoring exactly nine points and playing exactly zero seconds in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. It also happened Wednesday in a win over New Orleans.LeBron James applauds younger son Bryce's hoops commitment to the University of ArizonaLOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James is excited about his younger son's decision to play basketball at the University of Arizona next season. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar said the decision was Bryce James' to make, and he went where he felt most comfortable. LeBron praised Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd as a straight shooter who told Bryce exactly what the Wildcats believe about him. Bryce James is a four-star recruit at Sierra Canyon School in suburban Chatsworth. That's the same private high school where his older brother, Bronny, played his senior season in 2022-23.Tom Hoge leads at Kapalua where good golf exceeds expectations in PGA Tour openerKAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Tom Hoge has a new baby and no expectations. The North Dakota player had the right vibe for Maui in the opening round of The Sentry. He just took whatever golf gave him. That was 10 birdies in the wind at Kapalua for a 64. Hoge leads the PGA Tour opener by one shot over Hideki Matsuyama and Will Zalatoris. Matsuyama had a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch on the back nine to get back in the game. Zalatoris came to Kapalua weighing some 20 pounds more than he did in August. He hopes a stronger physique will be good for his back.White leads No. 22 Illinois to 109-77 blowout at No. 9 OregonEUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Tre White had 20 points and 11 rebounds as No. 22 Illinois made a resounding statement on the road with a 109-77 blowout of ninth-ranked Oregon. Ben Humrichous shot 4 of 7 from 3-point range and scored 18 points on a night when Illinois went 16 for 29 behind the arc. Kylan Boswell also made four 3s and finished with 15 points for the Fighting Illini. Kasparas Jakucionis added 16 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jake Davis scored 12. Supreme Cook scored 20 to lead the Ducks, while Nate Bittle added 13 points and five rebounds.US routs Switzerland 7-2 in world junior quarterfinals; Czechia eliminates Canada 4-3OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Boston College teammates James Hagens and Ryan Leonard each scored twice and the defending champion United States routed Switzerland 7-2 on Thursday in the world junior hockey quarterfinals. Boston University's Brandon Svoboda, Notre Dame's Danny Nelson and Denver's Zeev Buium also scored, Hampton Slukynsky of Western Michigan made 17 saves and BC's Gabe Perreault had three assists. The Group A champion Americans will face Czechia — a 4-3 winner over Canada in the night game at Canadian Tire Centre — on Saturday. Group B winner Sweden will play Finland in the other semifinal. Adam Jecho scored on a one-timer on a power play with 39.4 seconds left to lift Czechia past Canada. At TD Place, Sweden beat Latvia 3-2, and Finland topped Slovakia 5-3.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Indiana	128	Miami	115	Final	Boston	118	Minnesota	115	Final	Oklahoma City	116	L.A. Clippers	98	Final	Brooklyn	113	Milwaukee	110	Final	Golden State	139	Philadelphia	105	Final	L.A. Lakers	114	Portland	106	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	5	Columbus	4	Final	N-Y Rangers	2	Boston	1	Final SO	Minnesota	4	Washington	3	Final	Carolina	3	Florida	1	Final	Toronto	2	N-Y Islanders	1	Final OT	Anaheim	4	Winnipeg	3	Final	Dallas	4	Ottawa	2	Final	Utah	5	Calgary	3	Final OT	Colorado	6	Buffalo	5	Final	Vegas	5	Philadelphia	2	Final SO	Vancouver	4	Seattle	3	Final	San Jose	2	Tampa Bay	1	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(3)Notre Dame	23	(2)Georgia	10	Final	(16)Mississippi	52	Duke	20	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(22)Illinois	109	(9)Oregon	77	Final	(19)Gonzaga	81	Portland	50	Final	(20)Purdue	81	Minnesota	61	Final	(21)Memphis	90	FAU	62	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Charlotte	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Orlando	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.			Boston	at	Houston	8 p.m.			New York	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Washington	at	New Orleans	8 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Dallas	8:30 p.m.			San Antonio	at	Denver	9 p.m.			Memphis	at	Sacramento	10 p.m.			Atlanta	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Pittsburgh	at	Florida	7 p.m.			Montreal	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Ottawa	at	St. Louis	8 p.m.			Anaheim	at	Edmonton	9 p.m.			Nashville	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Creighton	at	(8)Marquette	9 p.m.			(18)Michigan St.	at	Ohio St.	8 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Friday

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, January 2nd, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, January 2nd, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for January 2nd, 2025" 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=t9cif-1793277-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>

🎧 LISTEN:   🏈 Texas edges ASU in 2 OT's;  🏈 Ohio State slams Oregon; 🏈 Sugar Bowl postponed; 🏀 KU WBB drops game to Iowa State; 🏈 Chiefs to rest starters;  

Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame postponed after deadly truck attack

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The College Football Playoff quarterfinal in New Orleans has been postponed a day after a truck plowed into a New Year's crowd about a mile away from the site of the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame. Fifteen people were killed in the attack early Wednesday in the French Quarter. The game originally was scheduled for Wednesday night at the 70,000-seat Superdome. Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley says all parties agreed that it was in the best interest of public safety to push back the game. It's now set for 3 p.m. CST on Thursday. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry says he'll attend the Sugar Bowl and is confident the area in and around the stadium will be safe.

Texas avoids huge upset, beats Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime at Peach Bowl

ATLANTA (AP) — Texas avoided the first big upset of the College Football Playoff, hitting a fourth-and-long touchdown pass to keep the game going and beating Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime when an interception by Andrew Mukuba finally ended a Peach Bowl quarterfinal classic. The teams traded touchdowns on their first overtime possessions, and Quinn Ewers put Texas ahead with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm, followed by a 2-point conversion pass to Matthew Golden. The fourth-ranked Longhorns finally put No. 10 Arizona State away when Mukuba picked off Sam Leavitt's pass at the 3 to end the game. The Sun Devils were two-touchdown underdogs. Texas moves on to face Ohio State in the semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.

No. 6 Ohio State routs top-ranked Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl, advances to CFP semifinals

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — No. 6 Ohio State roared into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a 41-21 victory over No. 1 Oregon in the 111th Rose Bowl. Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard's three long touchdown passes while Ohio State went ahead 34-0 in a sensational first half. Howard passed for 319 yards, Emeka Egbuka also caught a long TD pass and TreVeyon Henderson made a 66-yard touchdown run in a redemptive Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes, who emphatically blew out the CFP's No. 1 seed. Ohio State is headed to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 4 Texas for a berth in the national title game.

Penn State takes simple approach during ride into CFP semifinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The cliche of one game at a time can be found all across the sports world. Penn State coach James Franklin has gotten his players to buy into it wholeheartedly, pushing the program to new heights. The fifth-ranked Nittany Lions opened their first College Football Playoff berth with a blowout win over SMU and took down No. 8 Boise State 31-14 in the New Year's Eve Fiesta Bowl. Penn State moves on to the Orange Bowl to face the winner of No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions have done it with one of the nation's best defenses and a balanced offense.

Skattebo's do-it-all show is not enough to overcome Arizona State's 4th-down woes against Texas

ATLANTA (AP) — Cam Skattebo's do-it-all offensive show wasn't enough to save Arizona State from a stretch of fourth-down failures against Texas. Led by Skattebo, Arizona State compiled big advantages in rushing yards, total yards and time of possession. The three fourth-down stops kept the Sun Devils from taking full advantage of their statistical edges in their 39-31 College Football Playoff quarterfinal double-overtime loss to Texas in the Peach Bowl. Skattebo was named offensive MVP after having 30 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns, eight catches for 99 yards and one pass for a 42-yard TD.

Targeting no-call at Peach Bowl raises more questions about disputed rule

ATLANTA (AP) — The Peach Bowl referee declined to call a targeting penalty late in the fourth quarter for a helmet-to-helmet hit by Texas safety Michael Taaffe that could've given Arizona State a chance to kick a winning field goal in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The fourth-ranked Longhorns went on to beat the No. 10 Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime. The big hit by Taaffe came after Texas missed a field goal attempt with 1:39 remaining that left the game tied at 24-all. It led to a punt by Arizona State.

Top-seeded Oregon sees title hopes dashed with early knockout by Ohio State

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Oregon withstood many challenges en route to being the only unbeaten team and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. However, Ohio State's opening flurry on offense and defense in the first half was too much to overcome as the Big Ten champions saw its hopes of a first national championship dashed with a 41-21 loss in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Defensively, Oregon gave up scores on six of Ohio State's first seven drives. Offensively, the Ducks got into Buckeyes' territory only once on its first six drives and had four three-and-outs before reaching the end zone the seventh time they had the ball.

Carter reflected on 1980 Olympic boycott: 'A bad decision'

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — It was a decision that robbed hundreds of athletes of their once-in-a-lifetime chance at Olympic glory. For more than four decades, that decision weighed heavily on the man who made it — Jimmy Carter. Carter's passing has unearthed memories from his presidency that ran from 1977-81. Somewhere between his greatest foreign-policy success and his greatest failure sits the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Carter who called for that boycott to illustrate America's disdain for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviets stayed in Afghanistan for another nine years and retaliated by boycotting the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Carter later came to admit that the boycott had been ineffective. He told wrestler Jeff Blatnick 'That was a bad decision.'

Mikaela Shiffrin aiming to be back on snow 'in the next week or so' following November crash

Mikaela Shiffrin is back in the gym and says she's aiming to be on snow "in the next week or so." The American skiing star suffered a deep puncture wound in her hip when she crashed in a giant slalom run on Nov. 30 in Killington, Vermont. Shiffrin underwent abdominal surgery in mid-December. She says she's "making progress" and "can move and sweat and use my body." Shiffrin adds that "this next phase of recovery is all about getting my strength and conditioning back as much as possible." It's unclear when Shiffrin will return to competition.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni set to rest Saquon Barkley in finale and end chance at NFL rushing record

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley will sit out the Philadelphia Eagles final regular-season game Sunday, denying the running back his chance at breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season rushing record. Barkley will finish the season with 2,005 yards rushing, just 101 yards shy of breaking Dickerson's record of 2,105 yards set with the the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The Eagles clinched the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the conference, leaving little to play for in Sunday's home game against the New York Giants. Barkley also set the Eagles record for yards rushing in a single season and set a season franchise record for scrimmage yards.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, January 2nd, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, January 2nd, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 2nd, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for January 2nd, 2025" 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=ys2v7-1793236-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>Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame postponed after deadly truck attackNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The College Football Playoff quarterfinal in New Orleans has been postponed a day after a truck plowed into a New Year's crowd about a mile away from the site of the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame. Fifteen people were killed in the attack early Wednesday in the French Quarter. The game originally was scheduled for Wednesday night at the 70,000-seat Superdome. Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley says all parties agreed that it was in the best interest of public safety to push back the game. It's now set for 3 p.m. CST on Thursday. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry says he'll attend the Sugar Bowl and is confident the area in and around the stadium will be safe.Texas avoids huge upset, beats Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime at Peach BowlATLANTA (AP) — Texas avoided the first big upset of the College Football Playoff, hitting a fourth-and-long touchdown pass to keep the game going and beating Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime when an interception by Andrew Mukuba finally ended a Peach Bowl quarterfinal classic. The teams traded touchdowns on their first overtime possessions, and Quinn Ewers put Texas ahead with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm, followed by a 2-point conversion pass to Matthew Golden. The fourth-ranked Longhorns finally put No. 10 Arizona State away when Mukuba picked off Sam Leavitt's pass at the 3 to end the game. The Sun Devils were two-touchdown underdogs. Texas moves on to face Ohio State in the semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.No. 6 Ohio State routs top-ranked Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl, advances to CFP semifinalsPASADENA, Calif. (AP) — No. 6 Ohio State roared into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a 41-21 victory over No. 1 Oregon in the 111th Rose Bowl. Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard's three long touchdown passes while Ohio State went ahead 34-0 in a sensational first half. Howard passed for 319 yards, Emeka Egbuka also caught a long TD pass and TreVeyon Henderson made a 66-yard touchdown run in a redemptive Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes, who emphatically blew out the CFP's No. 1 seed. Ohio State is headed to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 4 Texas for a berth in the national title game.Penn State takes simple approach during ride into CFP semifinalsGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The cliche of one game at a time can be found all across the sports world. Penn State coach James Franklin has gotten his players to buy into it wholeheartedly, pushing the program to new heights. The fifth-ranked Nittany Lions opened their first College Football Playoff berth with a blowout win over SMU and took down No. 8 Boise State 31-14 in the New Year's Eve Fiesta Bowl. Penn State moves on to the Orange Bowl to face the winner of No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions have done it with one of the nation's best defenses and a balanced offense.Skattebo's do-it-all show is not enough to overcome Arizona State's 4th-down woes against TexasATLANTA (AP) — Cam Skattebo's do-it-all offensive show wasn't enough to save Arizona State from a stretch of fourth-down failures against Texas. Led by Skattebo, Arizona State compiled big advantages in rushing yards, total yards and time of possession. The three fourth-down stops kept the Sun Devils from taking full advantage of their statistical edges in their 39-31 College Football Playoff quarterfinal double-overtime loss to Texas in the Peach Bowl. Skattebo was named offensive MVP after having 30 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns, eight catches for 99 yards and one pass for a 42-yard TD.Targeting no-call at Peach Bowl raises more questions about disputed ruleATLANTA (AP) — The Peach Bowl referee declined to call a targeting penalty late in the fourth quarter for a helmet-to-helmet hit by Texas safety Michael Taaffe that could've given Arizona State a chance to kick a winning field goal in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The fourth-ranked Longhorns went on to beat the No. 10 Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime. The big hit by Taaffe came after Texas missed a field goal attempt with 1:39 remaining that left the game tied at 24-all. It led to a punt by Arizona State.Top-seeded Oregon sees title hopes dashed with early knockout by Ohio StatePASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Oregon withstood many challenges en route to being the only unbeaten team and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. However, Ohio State's opening flurry on offense and defense in the first half was too much to overcome as the Big Ten champions saw its hopes of a first national championship dashed with a 41-21 loss in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Defensively, Oregon gave up scores on six of Ohio State's first seven drives. Offensively, the Ducks got into Buckeyes' territory only once on its first six drives and had four three-and-outs before reaching the end zone the seventh time they had the ball.Carter reflected on 1980 Olympic boycott: 'A bad decision'COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — It was a decision that robbed hundreds of athletes of their once-in-a-lifetime chance at Olympic glory. For more than four decades, that decision weighed heavily on the man who made it — Jimmy Carter. Carter's passing has unearthed memories from his presidency that ran from 1977-81. Somewhere between his greatest foreign-policy success and his greatest failure sits the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Carter who called for that boycott to illustrate America's disdain for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviets stayed in Afghanistan for another nine years and retaliated by boycotting the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Carter later came to admit that the boycott had been ineffective. He told wrestler Jeff Blatnick 'That was a bad decision.'Mikaela Shiffrin aiming to be back on snow 'in the next week or so' following November crashMikaela Shiffrin is back in the gym and says she's aiming to be on snow "in the next week or so." The American skiing star suffered a deep puncture wound in her hip when she crashed in a giant slalom run on Nov. 30 in Killington, Vermont. Shiffrin underwent abdominal surgery in mid-December. She says she's "making progress" and "can move and sweat and use my body." Shiffrin adds that "this next phase of recovery is all about getting my strength and conditioning back as much as possible." It's unclear when Shiffrin will return to competition.Eagles coach Nick Sirianni set to rest Saquon Barkley in finale and end chance at NFL rushing recordPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley will sit out the Philadelphia Eagles final regular-season game Sunday, denying the running back his chance at breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season rushing record. Barkley will finish the season with 2,005 yards rushing, just 101 yards shy of breaking Dickerson's record of 2,105 yards set with the the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The Eagles clinched the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the conference, leaving little to play for in Sunday's home game against the New York Giants. Barkley also set the Eagles record for yards rushing in a single season and set a season franchise record for scrimmage yards.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Washington	125	Chicago	107	Final	Detroit	105	Orlando	96	Final	New York	119	Utah	103	Final	Miami	119	New Orleans	108	Final	Toronto	130	Brooklyn	113	Final	Houston	110	Dallas	99	Final	Denver	139	Atlanta	120	Final	Sacramento	113	Philadelphia	107	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Los Angeles	3	New Jersey	0	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(6)Ohio St.	41	(1)Oregon	21	Final	(4)Texas	39	(10)Arizona St.	31	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(11)UConn	81	DePaul	68	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Boston	at	Minnesota	7:30 p.m.			Indiana	at	Miami	7:30 p.m.			Brooklyn	at	Milwaukee	8 p.m.			L.A. Clippers	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Golden State	10 p.m.			Portland	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Boston	at	N-Y Rangers	7 p.m.			Carolina	at	Florida	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Columbus	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Washington	7 p.m.			Toronto	at	N-Y Islanders	7:30 p.m.			Anaheim	at	Winnipeg	8 p.m.			Ottawa	at	Dallas	8 p.m.			Buffalo	at	Colorado	9 p.m.			Utah	at	Calgary	9 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Vegas	10 p.m.			Vancouver	at	Seattle	10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	San Jose	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		(3)Notre Dame	at	(2)Georgia	4 p.m.			Duke	at	(16)Mississippi	7:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(22)Illinois	at	(9)Oregon	10 p.m.			Portland	at	(19)Gonzaga	9 p.m.			(20)Purdue	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			(21)Memphis	at	FAU	7 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Thursday

No. 5 Penn State bottles up Jeanty, beats No. 8 Boise State 31-14 in Fiesta Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes and No. 5 Penn State bottled up Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty for a 31-14 win over No. 8 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Nittany Lions opened their first CFP berth with a blowout win over SMU and appeared headed toward the latest lopsided victory in the new 12-team format by jumping out to a 14-0 lead against the Broncos. Boise State fought back, pulling to 17-14 on Matt Lauter's 53-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter. Penn State shut down the Broncos from there, earning a spot in the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl. Jeanty had 104 yards on 30 carries, leaving him 27 yards short of Barry Sanders' single-season NCAA record.

Jeanty falls short of record as dream season gets stuffed by Penn State defense in CFP loss

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Ashton Jeanty took the handoff on Boise State's first play and made it just a few steps before being greeted by a wall of dark blue Penn State jerseys that swallowed him up and shoved him backward for no gain. A dream season was about to end with a rough night for the Broncos star. Jeanty — the Heisman Trophy runner-up — ran for a season-low 104 yards on 30 carries as No. 6 seed Penn State beat No. 3 seed Boise State 31-14 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. He finished with 2,601 yards rushing this season, falling 27 short of the Football Bowl Subdivision record set by Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. Sanders accomplished his mark in just 11 games, while Jeanty played 14.

Gauff and Fritz put U.S. in United Cup tennis semis. Kazakhstan also through after ousting Germany

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz have powered the U.S. into the semifinals of the United Cup mixed teams tennis event. Gauff got the ball rolling for her team with a gritty 7-6, 6-2 win over Zhang Shuai in Perth, Australia. Fritz then made sure of victory by edging a tight contest with Zhang Zhizhen 6-4 6-4. Kazakhstan also advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 win over a Germany team playing without the injured world No. 2-ranked Alexander Zverev. Zverev was a late scratch for Germany due to a biceps injury.

Michigan defense pressures Milroe all day, Wolverines beat No. 11 Alabama 19-13 in ReliaQuest Bowl

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Michigan's defense sacked Jalen Milroe five times and forced three turnovers by the Alabama quarterback to lead the Wolverines to a 19-13 victory over the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals and Davis Warren threw a first-half touchdown pass to Fredrick Moore for Michigan, which finished the season on a three-game winning streak that included back-to-back upsets of rival Ohio State and Alabama. Alabama's season ended with a loss to Michigan for the second year in a row. The Wolverines and the Crimson Tide met in a College Football Playoff semifinal at last season's Rose Bowl, with Michigan winning on the way to capturing the national championship.

Blues have all the fun in convincing victory over the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic

CHICAGO (AP) — St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery walked around before the Winter Classic. He looked at the growing crowd soaking in the festive atmosphere. He thought about all the famous ballplayers who played at Wrigley Field. He called the experience "just really cool." The Winter Classic returned to Wrigley on the final day of 2024, and the Chicago Blackhawks threw quite a party. Fireworks streaked through the night sky at the home of baseball's Chicago Cubs. It was a very Chicago party, and St. Louis had all the fun. The Blues rolled to a 6-2 victory over the Blackhawks in front of a crowd of 40,933.

Dartmouth basketball players end their unionization attempt in anticipation of shifting NLRB

BOSTON (AP) — The Dartmouth men's basketball team has dropped its attempt to form a union. The team is ending a push to become the first college sports team to unionize in order to avoid a potentially damaging precedent from a National Labor Relations Board that soon will be controlled by Republicans. The Service Employees International Union Local 560 filed a request to withdraw the NLRB petition on Tuesday rather than take its chances with an unfriendly labor board likely to take over in the new presidential administration. The request was approved later Tuesday. The Dartmouth case threatened to upend the NCAA's amateur model.

Resting or playing running back Saquon Barkley is a tougher decision than it seems for Eagles

Saquon Barkley's pursuit of Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old rushing record could get grounded by his coach. Nick Sirianni's decision is more difficult than it seems. Barkley needs 101 yards rushing against his former team on Sunday to set the NFL's single-season record. But the Philadelphia Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC so the outcome of their game won't affect the standings. Win, lose or tie against the New York Giants, the Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers or Washington Commanders in a wild-card playoff game. They don't have a bye so this game is an opportunity for Sirianni to rest most of his starters ahead of the playoffs and avoid risking injuries to key players.

Arizona State extends coach Kenny Dillingham 5 more years, AP source says

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham has agreed to a five-year contract extension on the eve of the Sun Devils' College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Dillingham will receive a pay increase and substantial bonus increases, the person said on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. The contract extension was first reported by ESPN'. The 34-year-old Dillingham orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college football history, taking the No. 10 Sun Devils from three wins a year ago to the New Year's Day Peach Bowl against No. 4 Texas.

Schauffele says Ryder Cup pay for Americans is going to charity and 'we're going to take crap'

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Xander Schauffele says the plan is for Americans to give their Ryder Cup compensation to charity. The PGA of America is paying players for the first time. They will get $300,000 for charity and a $200,000 stipend for the September matches at Bethpage Black. Schauffele says all that means is more money going to charity and the Americans are "going to take crap" for perceived greed. He says captain Keegan Bradley had a plan for players to pool the stipend for a local charity. Bradley says the timetable of announcing the plan was moved up because of a British newspaper report.

US beats Canada 4-1 to finish first in its group at world junior championship

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Danny Nelson scored the eventual game-winner in the third period and Trey Augustine made 38 saves, leading the United States to a 4-1 win over Canada and into the top spot in Group A at the world junior hockey championship. Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman each had a goal and an assist for the Americans. Ryan Leonard scored into an empty-net. In another Group A game, Finland beat Latvia 3-0. In Group B, Switzerland beat Kazakhstan 3-1 to secure a spot in the quarterfinal round, and Sweden completed a sweep of its four preliminary round games, beating Czechia 4-2.

Final	(21)Illinois	21	(14)South Carolina	17	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, January 1st, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, January 1st, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>Happy New Year!AP Sports Summary for January 1st, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for January 1st, 2025" 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=9r76c-1791e5a-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>No. 5 Penn State bottles up Jeanty, beats No. 8 Boise State 31-14 in Fiesta BowlGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes and No. 5 Penn State bottled up Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty for a 31-14 win over No. 8 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Nittany Lions opened their first CFP berth with a blowout win over SMU and appeared headed toward the latest lopsided victory in the new 12-team format by jumping out to a 14-0 lead against the Broncos. Boise State fought back, pulling to 17-14 on Matt Lauter's 53-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter. Penn State shut down the Broncos from there, earning a spot in the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl. Jeanty had 104 yards on 30 carries, leaving him 27 yards short of Barry Sanders' single-season NCAA record.Jeanty falls short of record as dream season gets stuffed by Penn State defense in CFP lossGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Ashton Jeanty took the handoff on Boise State's first play and made it just a few steps before being greeted by a wall of dark blue Penn State jerseys that swallowed him up and shoved him backward for no gain. A dream season was about to end with a rough night for the Broncos star. Jeanty — the Heisman Trophy runner-up — ran for a season-low 104 yards on 30 carries as No. 6 seed Penn State beat No. 3 seed Boise State 31-14 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. He finished with 2,601 yards rushing this season, falling 27 short of the Football Bowl Subdivision record set by Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. Sanders accomplished his mark in just 11 games, while Jeanty played 14.Gauff and Fritz put U.S. in United Cup tennis semis. Kazakhstan also through after ousting GermanyPERTH, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz have powered the U.S. into the semifinals of the United Cup mixed teams tennis event. Gauff got the ball rolling for her team with a gritty 7-6, 6-2 win over Zhang Shuai in Perth, Australia. Fritz then made sure of victory by edging a tight contest with Zhang Zhizhen 6-4 6-4. Kazakhstan also advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 win over a Germany team playing without the injured world No. 2-ranked Alexander Zverev. Zverev was a late scratch for Germany due to a biceps injury.Michigan defense pressures Milroe all day, Wolverines beat No. 11 Alabama 19-13 in ReliaQuest BowlTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Michigan's defense sacked Jalen Milroe five times and forced three turnovers by the Alabama quarterback to lead the Wolverines to a 19-13 victory over the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals and Davis Warren threw a first-half touchdown pass to Fredrick Moore for Michigan, which finished the season on a three-game winning streak that included back-to-back upsets of rival Ohio State and Alabama. Alabama's season ended with a loss to Michigan for the second year in a row. The Wolverines and the Crimson Tide met in a College Football Playoff semifinal at last season's Rose Bowl, with Michigan winning on the way to capturing the national championship.Blues have all the fun in convincing victory over the Blackhawks in the Winter ClassicCHICAGO (AP) — St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery walked around before the Winter Classic. He looked at the growing crowd soaking in the festive atmosphere. He thought about all the famous ballplayers who played at Wrigley Field. He called the experience "just really cool." The Winter Classic returned to Wrigley on the final day of 2024, and the Chicago Blackhawks threw quite a party. Fireworks streaked through the night sky at the home of baseball's Chicago Cubs. It was a very Chicago party, and St. Louis had all the fun. The Blues rolled to a 6-2 victory over the Blackhawks in front of a crowd of 40,933.Dartmouth basketball players end their unionization attempt in anticipation of shifting NLRBBOSTON (AP) — The Dartmouth men's basketball team has dropped its attempt to form a union. The team is ending a push to become the first college sports team to unionize in order to avoid a potentially damaging precedent from a National Labor Relations Board that soon will be controlled by Republicans. The Service Employees International Union Local 560 filed a request to withdraw the NLRB petition on Tuesday rather than take its chances with an unfriendly labor board likely to take over in the new presidential administration. The request was approved later Tuesday. The Dartmouth case threatened to upend the NCAA's amateur model.Resting or playing running back Saquon Barkley is a tougher decision than it seems for EaglesSaquon Barkley's pursuit of Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old rushing record could get grounded by his coach. Nick Sirianni's decision is more difficult than it seems. Barkley needs 101 yards rushing against his former team on Sunday to set the NFL's single-season record. But the Philadelphia Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC so the outcome of their game won't affect the standings. Win, lose or tie against the New York Giants, the Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers or Washington Commanders in a wild-card playoff game. They don't have a bye so this game is an opportunity for Sirianni to rest most of his starters ahead of the playoffs and avoid risking injuries to key players.Arizona State extends coach Kenny Dillingham 5 more years, AP source saysArizona State coach Kenny Dillingham has agreed to a five-year contract extension on the eve of the Sun Devils' College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Dillingham will receive a pay increase and substantial bonus increases, the person said on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. The contract extension was first reported by ESPN'. The 34-year-old Dillingham orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college football history, taking the No. 10 Sun Devils from three wins a year ago to the New Year's Day Peach Bowl against No. 4 Texas.Schauffele says Ryder Cup pay for Americans is going to charity and 'we're going to take crap'KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Xander Schauffele says the plan is for Americans to give their Ryder Cup compensation to charity. The PGA of America is paying players for the first time. They will get $300,000 for charity and a $200,000 stipend for the September matches at Bethpage Black. Schauffele says all that means is more money going to charity and the Americans are "going to take crap" for perceived greed. He says captain Keegan Bradley had a plan for players to pool the stipend for a local charity. Bradley says the timetable of announcing the plan was moved up because of a British newspaper report.US beats Canada 4-1 to finish first in its group at world junior championshipOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Danny Nelson scored the eventual game-winner in the third period and Trey Augustine made 38 saves, leading the United States to a 4-1 win over Canada and into the top spot in Group A at the world junior hockey championship. Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman each had a goal and an assist for the Americans. Ryan Leonard scored into an empty-net. In another Group A game, Finland beat Latvia 3-0. In Group B, Switzerland beat Kazakhstan 3-1 to secure a spot in the quarterfinal round, and Sweden completed a sweep of its four preliminary round games, beating Czechia 4-2.AP-ScorecardTODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Boston	125	Toronto	71	Final	Milwaukee	120	Indiana	112	Final	San Antonio	122	L.A. Clippers	86	Final	Oklahoma City	113	Minnesota	105	Final	Cleveland	122	L.A. Lakers	110	Final	Memphis	117	Phoenix	112	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Washington	3	Boston	1	Final	Toronto	3	N-Y Islanders	1	Final	Montreal	3	Vegas	2	Final	St. Louis	6	Chicago	2	Final	Colorado	5	Winnipeg	2	Final	Dallas	4	Buffalo	2	Final	Detroit	4	Pittsburgh	2	Final	Philadelphia	4	San Jose	0	Final	Anaheim	3	New Jersey	2	Final	Minnesota	5	Nashville	3	Final SO	Columbus	4	Carolina	3	Final	Edmonton	4	Utah	1	Final	Calgary	3	Vancouver	1	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(5)Penn St.	31	(8)Boise St.	14	Final	(21)Illinois	21	(14)South Carolina	17	Final	Michigan	19	(11)Alabama	13	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(1)Tennessee	67	Norfolk St.	52	Final	(4)Duke	88	Virginia Tech	65	Final	West Virginia	62	(7)Kansas	61	Final	(8)Marquette	78	Providence	50	Final	(10)Kentucky	88	Brown	54	Final	(25)Baylor	81	Utah	56	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

AP Sports Summary for December 31st, 2024:

Westbrook has 'perfect' triple-double, 0 turnovers in Nuggets' 132-121 win over Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to have a triple-double with zero turnovers and shoot 100% from the field and the free-throw line in the Denver Nuggets' 132-121 win over the Utah Jazz. Westbrook finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot 7 for 7 from the field and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line to join Domantas Sabonis in the history books. Nikola Jokic also had a triple-double with 36 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists, and Jamal Murray had 10 assists to go along with 20 points. Jordan Clarkson scored 24 for the Jazz.

Lions beat the 49ers 40-34 in a tune-up for Week 18 division showdown

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions tuned up for their Week 18 division showdown against Minnesota by beating the San Francisco 49ers 40-34. Goff threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the final minute of the third quarter following the first of Kerby Joseph's two second-half interceptions against Brock Purdy in a rematch of last season's NFC title game won by San Francisco. That proved to be enough for the Lions to extend their franchise record for wins in a season as they beat the 49ers on the road for the first time since 1975.

Giants beat the Colts but lost the coveted No. 1 draft pick

The New York Giants lost by winning. A rare victory — 45-33 over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday — knocked the Giants out of control for the coveted No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. So much for Shedeur Sanders' Giants-themed cleats unless New York trades up to get the Colorado quarterback. The Giants dropped from first to fourth in the draft order, with the Patriots moving up to No. 1. Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward won't be around if New York has to settle for the fourth pick. That's why Giants fans were angry after witnessing the team's first win at MetLife Stadium this season.

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.

A jet carrying the Gonzaga men's basketball team ordered to stop to avoid collision at LAX

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation after a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men's basketball team nearly crossed a runway as another flight was taking off at Los Angeles International Airport. The plane operated by Key Lime Air was ordered by air traffic controllers to stop as a Delta aircraft took off on Friday. No one was injured. Gonzaga was in Los Angeles for its game against UCLA on Saturday. Key Lime Air did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Los Angeles World Airports referred a media inquiry to the FAA, and a Delta spokesperson said there were no problems for its aircraft.

Kings' interim coach Doug Christie gets 1st win after taking over for Mike Brown

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Doug Christie took over as the interim head coach of the Sacramento Kings amid a season-long losing streak, fans booing the team off their home court and questions surrounding the decision to fire Mike Brown, who led the franchise to its first playoff appearance in 16 years in 2023. Christie got his first win at the helm on Monday with a 110-100 win over the Mavericks, a victory that meant just as much to the team's season as it did to him personally. It wasn't particularly easy, with the Kings falling behind by 18 points early to a Dallas team missing its top three scorers.

On his 40th, LeBron James says he could play "another 5 or 7 years." He won't stay around that long

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday by saying he could still play at an elite NBA level for another five to seven years if he wanted. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar also said Monday he has no intention of staying in basketball that long. James has always vowed to leave the game before his skills declined, but they've shown no signs of doing so as he joins the small group of NBA players to suit up past 40. James also said it's "kind of laughable, really," when he thinks about how he has lasted for a record-tying 22 seasons.

College Football Playoff picks: Broncos and Sun Devils embrace their underdog roles in quarterfinals

The College Football Playoff quarterfinals are here and six of the eight teams are no strangers to the big stage. Boise State and Arizona State are out to show they belong. They're top-four seeds as conference champions and both are double-digit underdogs. The Broncos arrived for Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl wearing T-shirts saying "Please Count Us Out" in capital letters. Penn State is an 11-point favorite. Texas is a 12 1/2-point favorite against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday. Other New Year's playoff games are Ohio State-Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame-Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Six former Florida State players sue coach Leonard Hamilton over failed NIL payments

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Six former Florida State basketball players are suing Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton and alleging he failed to make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name, image and likeness compensation. Darin Green Jr., De'Ante Green, Cam'Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears and Jalen Warley filed suit Monday in Leon County Circuit Court. The former players allege Hamilton promised them the money from his "business partners." The lawsuit says they walked out of a practice last season over the missed payments and intended to boycott a game against Duke. The suit says they ended up playing amid a guarantee they would be paid but never were. The university says it's still investigating but knows of "no unfulfilled commitments by FSU."

No. 8 Boise State and No. 5 Penn State look for next step in College Football Playoff quarterfinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Boise State has taken that long-awaited next step, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time, 17 years after a program-shifting win. Awaiting the No. 8 Broncos in the desert is another team that made a breakthrough. No. 5 Penn State also is in its first CFP playoff, shaking its can't-win-the-big-game reputation with a victory over SMU. The prize in Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl: a trip to the CFP semifinals. Boise got here behind Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty. The Nittany Lions earned their spot behind a stout defense and one of the nation's best tight ends in Tyler Warren.

Final	(17)Mississippi St.	87	Bethune-Cookman	73	

Final	(18)Michigan St.	80	W. Michigan	62	

		(14)South Carolina	at	(21)Illinois	3 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, December 31st, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, December 31st, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for December 31st, 2024:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for December 31st, 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=596wj-178e2a7-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>Westbrook has 'perfect' triple-double, 0 turnovers in Nuggets' 132-121 win over JazzSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to have a triple-double with zero turnovers and shoot 100% from the field and the free-throw line in the Denver Nuggets' 132-121 win over the Utah Jazz. Westbrook finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot 7 for 7 from the field and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line to join Domantas Sabonis in the history books. Nikola Jokic also had a triple-double with 36 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists, and Jamal Murray had 10 assists to go along with 20 points. Jordan Clarkson scored 24 for the Jazz.Lions beat the 49ers 40-34 in a tune-up for Week 18 division showdownSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions tuned up for their Week 18 division showdown against Minnesota by beating the San Francisco 49ers 40-34. Goff threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the final minute of the third quarter following the first of Kerby Joseph's two second-half interceptions against Brock Purdy in a rematch of last season's NFC title game won by San Francisco. That proved to be enough for the Lions to extend their franchise record for wins in a season as they beat the 49ers on the road for the first time since 1975.Giants beat the Colts but lost the coveted No. 1 draft pickThe New York Giants lost by winning. A rare victory — 45-33 over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday — knocked the Giants out of control for the coveted No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. So much for Shedeur Sanders' Giants-themed cleats unless New York trades up to get the Colorado quarterback. The Giants dropped from first to fourth in the draft order, with the Patriots moving up to No. 1. Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward won't be around if New York has to settle for the fourth pick. That's why Giants fans were angry after witnessing the team's first win at MetLife Stadium this season.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.A jet carrying the Gonzaga men's basketball team ordered to stop to avoid collision at LAXLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation after a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men's basketball team nearly crossed a runway as another flight was taking off at Los Angeles International Airport. The plane operated by Key Lime Air was ordered by air traffic controllers to stop as a Delta aircraft took off on Friday. No one was injured. Gonzaga was in Los Angeles for its game against UCLA on Saturday. Key Lime Air did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Los Angeles World Airports referred a media inquiry to the FAA, and a Delta spokesperson said there were no problems for its aircraft.Kings' interim coach Doug Christie gets 1st win after taking over for Mike BrownSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Doug Christie took over as the interim head coach of the Sacramento Kings amid a season-long losing streak, fans booing the team off their home court and questions surrounding the decision to fire Mike Brown, who led the franchise to its first playoff appearance in 16 years in 2023. Christie got his first win at the helm on Monday with a 110-100 win over the Mavericks, a victory that meant just as much to the team's season as it did to him personally. It wasn't particularly easy, with the Kings falling behind by 18 points early to a Dallas team missing its top three scorers.On his 40th, LeBron James says he could play "another 5 or 7 years." He won't stay around that longEL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday by saying he could still play at an elite NBA level for another five to seven years if he wanted. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar also said Monday he has no intention of staying in basketball that long. James has always vowed to leave the game before his skills declined, but they've shown no signs of doing so as he joins the small group of NBA players to suit up past 40. James also said it's "kind of laughable, really," when he thinks about how he has lasted for a record-tying 22 seasons.College Football Playoff picks: Broncos and Sun Devils embrace their underdog roles in quarterfinalsThe College Football Playoff quarterfinals are here and six of the eight teams are no strangers to the big stage. Boise State and Arizona State are out to show they belong. They're top-four seeds as conference champions and both are double-digit underdogs. The Broncos arrived for Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl wearing T-shirts saying "Please Count Us Out" in capital letters. Penn State is an 11-point favorite. Texas is a 12 1/2-point favorite against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday. Other New Year's playoff games are Ohio State-Oregon in the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame-Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.Six former Florida State players sue coach Leonard Hamilton over failed NIL paymentsTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Six former Florida State basketball players are suing Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton and alleging he failed to make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name, image and likeness compensation. Darin Green Jr., De'Ante Green, Cam'Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears and Jalen Warley filed suit Monday in Leon County Circuit Court. The former players allege Hamilton promised them the money from his "business partners." The lawsuit says they walked out of a practice last season over the missed payments and intended to boycott a game against Duke. The suit says they ended up playing amid a guarantee they would be paid but never were. The university says it's still investigating but knows of "no unfulfilled commitments by FSU."No. 8 Boise State and No. 5 Penn State look for next step in College Football Playoff quarterfinalsGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Boise State has taken that long-awaited next step, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time, 17 years after a program-shifting win. Awaiting the No. 8 Broncos in the desert is another team that made a breakthrough. No. 5 Penn State also is in its first CFP playoff, shaking its can't-win-the-big-game reputation with a victory over SMU. The prize in Tuesday's Fiesta Bowl: a trip to the CFP semifinals. Boise got here behind Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty. The Nittany Lions earned their spot behind a stout defense and one of the nation's best tight ends in Tyler Warren.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	New York	126	Washington	106	Final OT	Chicago	115	Charlotte	108	Final	L.A. Clippers	116	New Orleans	113	Final	Denver	132	Utah	121	Final	Cleveland	113	Golden State	95	Final	Sacramento	110	Dallas	100	Final	Philadelphia	125	Portland	103	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Florida	5	N-Y Rangers	3	Final	Winnipeg	3	Nashville	0	Final	Seattle	5	Utah	2	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	40	San Francisco	34	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(23)Missouri	27	Iowa	24	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(2)Auburn	87	Monmouth (NJ)	58	Final	(3)Iowa St.	79	Colorado	69	Final	(14)Houston	60	Oklahoma St.	47	Final	Kansas St.	70	(16)Cincinnati	67	Final	(17)Mississippi St.	87	Bethune-Cookman	73	Final	(18)Michigan St.	80	W. Michigan	62	Final	(19)Gonzaga	89	Pepperdine	82	Final	(23)Arkansas	92	Oakland	62	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Milwaukee	at	Indiana	3 p.m.			Toronto	at	Boston	3 p.m.			L.A. Clippers	at	San Antonio	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Cleveland	at	L.A. Lakers	9 p.m.			Memphis	at	Phoenix	9 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Boston	at	Washington	12:30 p.m.			N-Y Islanders	at	Toronto	1 p.m.			Montreal	at	Vegas	3 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Chicago	5 p.m.			Buffalo	at	Dallas	8 p.m.			Carolina	at	Columbus	8 p.m.			Nashville	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			New Jersey	at	Anaheim	8 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	San Jose	8 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	Detroit	8 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Colorado	8 p.m.			Utah	at	Edmonton	9 p.m.			Vancouver	at	Calgary	9 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		(5)Penn St.	at	(8)Boise St.	7:30 p.m.			(14)South Carolina	at	(21)Illinois	3 p.m.			(11)Alabama	at	Michigan	12 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Norfolk St.	at	(1)Tennessee	3 p.m.			Virginia Tech	at	(4)Duke	4:30 p.m.			West Virginia	at	(7)Kansas	2 p.m.			(8)Marquette	at	Providence	6 p.m.			Brown	at	(10)Kentucky	2 p.m.			Utah	at	(25)Baylor	2 p.m.	___

🎧 LISTEN: Roger McEowen, Washburn University

🎧 LISTEN: December 30, 2024 News

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733275823885.jpeg" alt="Michael Glenn spoke to the Hutchinson City Council at their meeting on Dec. 3, 2024. Image courtesy City of Hutchinson." />
 <figcaption>Michael Glenn spoke to the Hutchinson City Council at their meeting on Dec. 3, 2024. Image courtesy City of Hutchinson.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Michael Glenn-Public Notices" 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=j7hdi-178d02e-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: Michael Glenn-Public Notices

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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 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.

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.

<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.	___

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