AP Sports Summary for February 8th, 2024.
Now a father of two, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has a new perspective on football and life
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is a different quarterback than he was four years ago, when the Kansas City Chiefs played the San Francisco 49ers in his first Super Bowl. He's a different man, for that matter, a dad of two with different priorities in his life. One thing Mahomes has learned that has helped with both jobs is patience. That was especially true on the football field this season, when his wide receivers dropped more passes than any other team, and the rest of the Kansas City offense committed more penalties than any team but one. Yet here is Mahomes, back in the Super Bowl, and playing San Francisco again on Sunday.
Las Vegas, where the party never ends, prepares for its biggest yet: Super Bowl 58
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas is about to throw its biggest party yet. Doors open Sunday at Allegiant Stadium for the city's first Super Bowl. Las Vegas is primed for an estimated 330,000 visitors this week leading up to the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. Even the Las Vegas Strip looks different, with Roman numeral installations springing up and a towering Vince Lombardi Trophy outside the Bellagio. One county official says the city's transformation for the big game proves Las Vegas has arrived as a sports entertainment hub.
Pro Picks: Purdy will lead the 49ers to another comeback win, ruining Chiefs' repeat bid
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The underdog Kansas City Chiefs are playing for history against the San Francisco 49ers. No team has been the underdog in consecutive Super Bowls and won both games. The two previous defending champions to return as an underdog both lost. But the Chiefs have been defying the odds throughout the postseason. They were underdogs in victories at Buffalo and Baltimore. Now, they've got to do it again to become the first repeat champions in 19 years. The 49ers are 2 1/2-point favorites on Sunday, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. They're quite familiar with that role having been favored to win each game this season.
The Paris Olympics medals are monumental. They're embedded with pieces of the Eiffel Tower
PARIS (AP) — When they make history at the Paris Games, Olympic medalists will take a bit of France and its history home, too. A hexagonal, polished piece of iron taken from the Eiffel Tower is being embedded in the gold, silver and bronze medals that will be hung around athletes' necks at this year's Summer Games and Paralympics. Games organizers revealed the design on Thursday. The pieces of the Eiffel Tower each weigh 18 grams. They were cut from girders and other bits that were swapped out during renovations of the tower and stored for safekeeping. Paris jewelry house Chaumet designed the medals and the Paris Mint is manufacturing 5,084 of them.
Auriemma reaches 1,200 wins, joining exclusive group of coaches
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Geno Auriemma becomes third Division I coach to win 1,200 games. Auriemma joined former Duke men's coach Mike Krzyzewski and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer, who received widespread acclaim last month when she became the winningest coach in college basketball history. But Auriemma will reach the win plateau in his 39th season. Krzyzewski coached for 47 years and VanDerveer is in her 45th season as a head coach.
Tiger Woods makes it official: His 2024 debut will come next week at Riviera
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tiger Woods has been pointing to Riviera for his 2024 debut. He made it official with a statement on X saying he looks forward to being a playing host next week at the Genesis Invitational. The tournament he hosts is another $20 million signature event. Woods will be playing on a sponsor exemption. Riviera is among the best courses on tour, but it has confounded Woods. He has played it 12 times as a pro without winning, the most of any course on the PGA Tour. Woods hasn't played a PGA Tour event since the Masters because of ankle surgery.
Nick Saban joining ESPN's 'College GameDay' road show
Nick Saban is joining ESPN's "College GameDay," the long-running Saturday pregame road show he appeared on as a guest so frequently during his 17 seasons as Alabama coach. The network announced Saban will be an on-set analyst for "GameDay," joining host Rece Davis and regulars Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee. The 72-year-old Saban retired last month after 28 years as a college head coach. He won seven national championships, including six with Alabama and one with LSU.
NBA MVP and 76ers center Joel Embiid had knee surgery. His injury could affect the US Olympic team
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid's timeline to return to the Philadelphia 76ers is still unclear following knee surgery. His availability this summer for the U.S. Olympic team is just as murky. Embiid told USA Basketball in October that, after more than a year of deliberating, he has picked the Americans over France as his team for the Paris Olympics. USA Basketball does not plan to name its team until the spring of 2024, but if healthy, Embiid seemed to have a lock on one of the 12 spots on the squad that will be coached by Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Embiid became a U.S. citizen last year and could have also chosen to play for France.
Former NBA player and Survivor contestant Scot Pollard waits in hospital for heart transplant
BOSTON (AP) — At 6-foot-11, Scot Pollard's size helped him play more than a decade in the NBA and earn him a championship ring with the 2008 Boston Celtics. Now it may be killing him. Pollard needs a heart transplant and the already dire predicament is made more difficult by the fact so few donors can provide him with a pump big and strong enough to supply blood to his body. He was admitted to intensive care at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and will wait there until a donor surfaces who was big enough to be a match. Pollard said in text messages to The Associated Press doctors hope it will be a matter of weeks, not months.
Soccer star Dani Alves denies alleged sexual assault, testifies he's 'not that type of man'
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Testifying in court Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves has denied accusations that he sexually assaulted a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub. After two days of listening to testimony from the alleged victim, witnesses, police and experts, Alves testified that their encounter was consensual. His accuser had testified that Alves raped her in a bathroom of an upscale Barcelona nightclub early in the morning of Dec. 31, 2022. State prosecutors are seeking a nine-year prison sentence for Alves if convicted while the lawyers representing his accuser want 12 years. The trial concluded Wednesday. A verdict normally takes weeks to be delivered.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Toronto 123 Charlotte 117
Final Cleveland 114 Washington 106
Final Boston 125 Atlanta 117
Final Miami 116 San Antonio 104
Final Golden State 127 Philadelphia 104
Final Detroit 133 Sacramento 120
Final New Orleans 117 L.A. Clippers 106
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final N-Y Rangers 3 Tampa Bay 1
Final Toronto 5 Dallas 4
Final Minnesota 2 Chicago 1
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (6)Tennessee 88 LSU 68
Final (9)Duke 71 Notre Dame 53
Final Michigan 72 (11)Wisconsin 68
Final (12)Auburn 99 (16)Alabama 81
Final Providence 91 (19)Creighton 87
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Golden State at Indiana 7 p.m.
San Antonio at Orlando 7 p.m.
Cleveland at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at New York 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Memphis 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Milwaukee 8 p.m.
Utah at Phoenix 9 p.m.
Denver at L.A. Lakers 10 p.m.
Detroit at Portland 10 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Calgary at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Boston 7 p.m.
Washington at Florida 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Colorado at Carolina 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at N-Y Islanders 8 p.m.
Vegas at Arizona 9 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(8)Arizona at Utah 8 p.m.
(20)FAU at UAB 9 p.m.
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