AP Sports Summary for February 10th, 2024.
It's not just Purdy: Several late picks and undrafted players making an impact for Chiefs, 49ers
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brock Purdy's journey from Mr. Irrelevant to Super Bowl starting quarterback is one of the main subplots of this year's Super Bowl. But a handful of other late draft picks and players who weren't drafted at all have made contributions to the 49ers and Chiefs. All of them are reminders that you can build a memorable NFL career no matter how long it takes someone to choose you. Kansas City's Nick Allegretti and Isiah Pacheco were taken in the seventh round. San Francisco's Jake Brendel and Tashaun Gipson went undrafted.
49ers Pregame Routine: Nick Bosa makes big impact on San Francisco with weekly speeches
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Nick Bosa has been making a high-profile impact for the San Francisco 49ers on Sundays ever since entering the league as the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. Bosa also has been making more hidden contributions every Saturday the past two seasons by breaking down the team with a speech at the end of the final walkthrough before each game. The soft-spoken Bosa was given the assignment for the first time during the 2022 season as coach Kyle Shanahan liked to randomly call on players to keep them all on their toes. General manager John Lynch called the speeches "special."
Former Mets GM Billy Eppler suspended through World Series for fabricating injuries
NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler was suspended through the 2024 World Series by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, who concluded he and other team employees fabricated injuries to create open roster spots. No Mets medical or athletic training personnel were mentioned in the announcement by Major League Baseball. Manfred said in a statement that Eppler directed "the deliberate fabrication of injuries; and the associated submission of documentation for the purposes of securing multiple improper injured list placements during the 2022 and 2023 seasons."
Kaprizov scores, Wild beat Penguins 3-2 as Fleury makes 32 saves on night he's honored
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves as the Minnesota Wild beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Matt Boldy and Jonas Brodin also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of seven. Fleury, who earned his 553rd career win, was honored in a pregame ceremony nearly a month after passing Patrick Roy (551) for second place in NHL history. He trails only Martin Brodeur, who has 691 wins. Reilly Smith and Sidney Crosby scored for the Penguins, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 27 saves.
For Native American activists, the Kansas City Chiefs have it all wrong
Dozens of Indigenous activists have traveled to Las Vegas to gather outside the Super Bowl and demand the Kansas City Chiefs change the team name and ditch its logo and gametime rituals. Rhonda LeValdo founded and leads a group called Not In Our Honor that is calling for the changes. The Acoma Pueblo journalist has been in the Kansas City area for more than two decades. The Chiefs have been the focus of her decadeslong activism against the use of Native American imagery and references in sports. She says the pain fueling her activism is rooted in her ancestors' oppression and the lingering effects on her community.
Ohio State hires Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator after he steps down as head coach at UCLA
UCLA coach Chip Kelly stepped down after six seasons leading the Bruins to become offensive coordinator for Ohio State. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day hired former Texans coach Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator last month, but O'Brien is now heading to Boston College to become the Eagles' head coach. Day played quarterback in college for Kelly when he was offensive coordinator at New Hampshire. Kelly had a 35-34 record in six years with the Bruins, who are moving to the Big Ten next season.
Nick Taylor shoots 60 to match course record, shares Phoenix Open lead with Andrew Novak
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Nick Taylor matched the course record with an 11-under 60 to finish his first round Friday and shot 70 in the second to match Andrew Novak for the Phoenix Open lead at 12 under. With weather delays pushing the first round into Friday, Taylor returned to complete a record round shared with four others at TPC Scottsdale's Stadium course. Taylor got his second round off to a shaky start before two birdies on the back nine moved him back into a tie for the lead with more than half the field still needing to finish Saturday. Novak closed out a 65 in the morning and shot 4-under 31 on the front nine for another 65 in the second round.
Canada wins 3rd straight to send Rivalry Series to decisive Game 7, beating US 3-0 in Regina
REGINA, Saskatchewan (AP) — Natalie Spooner opened the scoring on a power play 58 seconds into the third period and Canada won its third straight to send the Rivalry Series to a decisive seventh game, beating the United States 3-0 on Friday night. Emerance Maschmeyer made 27 saves, and Emily Clark and Sarah Nurse added goals. Game 7 is Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota. Twenty-six seconds after Megan Keller was penalized for body-checking, Spooner took a pass from Marie-Philip Poulin on a rush, cut to the slot and fired a wrist shot to the far side past goalie Aerin Frankel. The U.S. failed to wrap up the series for the third straight game and second time in three nights in Saskatchewan. On Wednesday night in Saskatoon, Canada won 4-2.
Post-World Cup, Qatar is pressing ahead with labor reforms but concerns for migrant workers remain
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The enduring image of the 2022 World Cup was Lionel Messi holding aloft soccer's biggest prize in Qatar's spectacular Lusail Stadium. Messi had realized his ultimate ambition by leading Argentina to glory in perhaps the most thrilling final in the tournament's history. The drama was played out in front of around 90,000 fans inside the stadium and millions watching around the globe. Despite concern over the treatment of migrant workers, it could hardly have turned out better for Qatar and soccer's world governing body FIFA after so much criticism over the decision to stage a first World Cup in the Middle East. To some it could have been viewed as an example of the effectiveness of so-called sportswashing.
Shohei Ohtani tries to blend in with Dodgers, even if that might prove impossible
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani gave his first interview at Camelback Ranch as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers on a chilly Friday morning, surrounded by more than 50 reporters who asked questions of baseball's first and only $700 million man. These kinds of scenes make it hard for Ohtani to be one of the guys. But he's trying. Ohtani said he's "going to act like a rookie" while getting acclimated to his new team. The Dodgers had their first official workout of spring training on Friday, with pitchers and catchers reporting. Several hitters were also taking batting practice, though stars like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman haven't arrived at camp.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Atlanta 127 Philadelphia 121
Final Boston 133 Washington 129
Final Toronto 107 Houston 104
Final Milwaukee 120 Charlotte 84
Final Sacramento 135 Denver 106
Final L.A. Lakers 139 New Orleans 122
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Minnesota 3 Pittsburgh 2
Final OT N-Y Rangers 4 Chicago 3
Final Edmonton 5 Anaheim 3
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final VCU 49 (18)Dayton 47
Final Nevada 70 (24)San Diego St. 66
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Oklahoma City at Dallas 3 p.m.
Detroit at L.A. Clippers 3:30 p.m.
San Antonio at Brooklyn 6 p.m.
Chicago at Orlando 7 p.m.
Memphis at Charlotte 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Washington 7 p.m.
Cleveland at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Houston at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Indiana at New York 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix at Golden State 8:30 p.m.
New Orleans at Portland 10 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Calgary at N-Y Islanders 1 p.m.
Dallas at Montreal 1 p.m.
St. Louis at Buffalo 1 p.m.
Vancouver at Detroit 1 p.m.
Washington at Boston 3:30 p.m.
Colorado at Florida 6 p.m.
New Jersey at Carolina 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Winnipeg 7 p.m.
Seattle at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Columbus 7 p.m.
Toronto at Ottawa 7 p.m.
Arizona at Nashville 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Los Angeles 10 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(1)UConn at Georgetown 12 p.m.
Indiana at (2)Purdue 8 p.m.
(3)North Carolina at Miami 4 p.m.
(13)Baylor at (4)Kansas 6 p.m.
(5)Houston at Cincinnati 4 p.m.
(6)Tennessee at Texas A&M 8 p.m.
St. John's at (7)Marquette 6 p.m.
(8)Arizona at Colorado 10 p.m.
Boston College at (9)Duke 2 p.m.
(10)Illinois at Michigan St. 2 p.m.
(11)Wisconsin at Rutgers 12 p.m.
(12)Auburn at Florida 3:30 p.m.
TCU at (14)Iowa St. 2 p.m.
Vanderbilt at (15)South Carolina 1 p.m.
(16)Alabama at LSU 12 p.m.
Gonzaga at (17)Kentucky 4 p.m.
(19)Creighton at Xavier 12:30 p.m.
Kansas St. at (21)BYU 10 p.m.
Boise St. at (22)Utah St. 10 p.m.
UCF at (23)Texas Tech 4 p.m.
UNLV at (25)New Mexico 8 p.m.
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