AP Sports Summary for December 9th, 2024:
Juan Soto agrees to record $765 million, 15-year contract with Mets, AP source says
DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. Soto's deal is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani's $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fernando Tatis Jr.'s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego. Soto's deal does not include deferred money, the person said.
Chiefs win 9th straight AFC West title, beating Chargers 19-17 on bank-shot field goal
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matthew Wright kicked a 31-yard field goal that banked off the left upright as time expired, and the Kansas City Chiefs survived another close game, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 to win their ninth straight AFC West title. Patrick Mahomes led the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on a clock-killing 4 1/2-minute drive to set up Wright's fourth field goal. It looked routine until the ball clanged off the upright in the latest narrow escape for Kansas City, which has won 10 games by a one-score margin. Justin Herbert and the Chargers scored on each of their three second-half drives.
College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out
SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.
Allen sets NFL mark with 3 TD passes and 3 TD runs, but Stafford's Rams hold off Bills 44-42
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams overcame Josh Allen's record six-touchdown performance to snap the Buffalo Bills' seven-game winning streak with a 44-42 victory. Matthew Stafford passed for 320 yards and hit Puka Nacua for a 19-yard touchdown with 1:54 to play for the Rams, who have won six of eight. Allen passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 82 yards and three more scores for the Bills. Allen became the first player in NFL history with three passing TDs and three rushing TDs in a game. He capped Buffalo's third touchdown drive of the fourth quarter by scoring on a 1-yard dive with 1:00 left.
Should Sasaki join Cubs? Emanuel, a fan of the team and ambassador to Japan, is being diplomatic
TOKYO (AP) — During a news conference at the United States Embassy in Tokyo, Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga was asked what he'd say to countryman Roki Sasaki to convince him to join his team. Sasaki will be moving from Japan next season to join an MLB team, the most sought-after pitcher in this season's free agency. The Cubs are among a half-dozen teams seen as a landing spot. The United States ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel jumped in and joked it was unfair to put Imanaga on the spot. Cubs fan Emanuel says "I know the world's dying to know and they're just going to keep guessing,"
Juan Soto's $765M deal with the Mets is the largest in MLB history. Here's who he passed
Juan Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract Sunday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agreement hadn't been announced and was subject to the completion of a successful physical. Soto's deal easily surpassed Shohei Ohtani's $700 million agreement from the prior winter for what's believed to be the biggest in sports history, and Soto's contract doesn't include any deferred payments.
Saquon Barkley sets Eagles season rushing record and has Dickerson's NFL mark in his sights
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has broken LeSean McCoy's Eagles franchise record for rushing yards in a season. Barkley has 1,623 yards. He surpassed McCoy's mark of 1,607 yards with a 9-yard run in Sunday's 22-16 win over Carolina. Barkley finished the game with 124 yards, within a yard of his season average. He has four games left and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old NFL record of 2,105 yards. Dickerson set that record in a 16-game season and Barkley has one more game. Eagles fans serenaded Barkley with "MVP!" chants and McCoy congratulated him on social media.
Josh Allen's record day not enough as Bills' 7-game winning streak is snapped by Rams
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Josh Allen became the first player to have three touchdown passes and three rushing TDs in the same game. It was a play during which the Buffalo quarterback didn't reach the end zone that was the most discussed after the Bills 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams Sunday. Trailing by nine late in the fourth quarter, Allen was stopped for no gain on a sneak up the middle on first-and-goal from the Rams 1. Buffalo had to use the first of its three timeouts before Allen scored on a run on the next play. The Bills then had to try an onside kick and the Rams recovered.
Darnold delivers for Vikings with career-high 347 yards and 5 TDs to beat Falcons, Cousins 42-21
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 for their sixth straight victory. Darnold added another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings following Cousins' departure in free agency to Atlanta with a 22-for-28 performance and no turnover-worthy plays despite heavy first-half pressure. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in his return to Minnesota.
Dodgers reach $17M, 1-year deal with Conforto and $22M, 2-year contract with Treinen, AP sources say
DALLAS (AP) — People familiar with the negotiations tell The Associated Press that the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $17 million, one-year contract to add outfielder Michael Conforto and a $22 million, two-year deal to retain right-hander Blake Treinen. A former first-round draft pick who turns 32 on March 1, Conforto hit .237 with 20 homers and 66 RBIs this year for San Francisco in the final season of a $36 million, two-year contract. Treinen, 36, went 7-3 with a 1.93 ERA in 50 relief appearances, striking out 56 and walking 11 in 46 2/3 innings.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Philadelphia 108 Chicago 100
Final Milwaukee 118 Brooklyn 113
Final Charlotte 113 Indiana 109
Final Denver 141 Atlanta 111
Final Orlando 115 Phoenix 110
Final Memphis 140 Washington 112
Final San Antonio 121 New Orleans 116
Final Golden State 114 Minnesota 106
Final Sacramento 141 Utah 97
Final Houston 117 L.A. Clippers 106
Final L.A. Lakers 107 Portland 98
Final Miami 122 Cleveland 113
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Seattle 7 N-Y Rangers 5
Final Tampa Bay 4 Vancouver 2
Final N-Y Islanders 4 Ottawa 2
Final Columbus 4 Winnipeg 1
Final Colorado 4 New Jersey 0
Final Utah 4 Philadelphia 2
Final Dallas 6 Calgary 2
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Jacksonville 10 Tennessee 6
Final OT Miami 32 N-Y Jets 26
Final Minnesota 42 Atlanta 21
Final New Orleans 14 N-Y Giants 11
Final Philadelphia 22 Carolina 16
Final Pittsburgh 27 Cleveland 14
Final Tampa Bay 28 Las Vegas 13
Final Seattle 30 Arizona 18
Final L.A. Rams 44 Buffalo 42
Final San Francisco 38 Chicago 13
Final Kansas City 19 L.A. Chargers 17
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final Missouri 76 (1)Kansas 67
Final (2)Auburn 98 Richmond 54
Final (6)Iowa St. 100 Jackson St. 58
Final (8)Purdue 83 Maryland 78
Final (9)Duke 76 Louisville 65
Final UCLA 73 (12)Oregon 71
Final (14)Cincinnati 84 Howard 67
Final Arkansas St. 85 (16)Memphis 72
Final (22)Texas A&M 72 Texas Tech 67
Final (25)UConn 76 Texas 65
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
New York at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chicago at N-Y Rangers 7 p.m.
Detroit at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Anaheim at Montreal 7:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Cincinnati at Dallas 8:15 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Abilene Christian at (15)Baylor 8 p.m.
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