AP National Sports

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer Most of NBC’s announcers for the Winter Olympics in Beijing are going to be stationed stateside. NBC isn’t alone in keeping its announcers home. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has almost all its analysts and announcers working out of studios in Toronto and Montreal. The British Broadcasting Corporation is keeping

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A New Jersey man who posed as a former New England Patriots player in order to buy and sell Super Bowl rings that he claimed were gifts to Tom Brady’s family has pleaded guilty to fraud. Scott Spina Jr. entered the plea Tuesday in Santa Ana federal court. Prosecutors say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee State’s president says Jackson State’s decision to withdraw from the Southern Heritage Classic “insensitive and irresponsible.” President Glenda Glover issued a statement Wednesday saying Tennessee State learned of Jackson State’s decision through a national scheduler. Glover says it’s even more disappointing that there was no discussion or courtesy call with

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lincoln Riley says he didn’t and couldn’t talk to Caleb Williams between the day the coach left Oklahoma and the day his star quarterback entered the transfer portal five weeks later. Southern California’s new coach had to wait patiently for the chance to land the

By RICH DUBROFF Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will miss the NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas on Saturday after entering the league’s COVID-19 protocols Wednesday. Ovechkin was going to play in his eighth All-Star Game. He’s tied for third in the NHL with 29 goals and is fourth on

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Christian Pulisic was benched as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed seven starters for a World Cup qualifier against Honduras in chilly St. Paul, where the temperature at kickoff was forecast for 3-4 degrees (minus-16 Celsius). A wind chill of about minus-14 was predicted. Right back Reggie Cannon, central defender Walker

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is angry about rumors that booster-funded NIL deals are fueling the Aggies’ recruiting success. He called the speculation “garbage.” Texas A&M came into the day with the top-rated class in the country, ahead of Southeastern Conference rivals Alabama and Georgia. Fisher says

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns say suggestions by former coach Hue Jackson that he was paid by the team to lose games are “completely fabricated.” Jackson, who is now coaching at Grambling, made several posts on Twitter inferring that he received bonus payments from Browns owner Jimmy Haslam

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces have re-signed restricted free agent A’ja Wilson, locking up the 2020 WNBA MVP at the start of free agency. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Teams could not start talking to free agents until Saturday, but the Aces moved quickly to keep Wilson in the desert.

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the club remains “in the middle” of its coaching search after interviewing three candidates whom Loomis described as “all very impressive.” Loomis says former Dolphins coach Brian Flores “had a great interview” in Mobile, Alabama, this week. The Saints also have interviewed former

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans was permitted to enter one of the Olympic villages hours after she tearfully turned to social media and detailed how upset she was about being in isolation over coronavirus concerns. Meylemans tested positive for COVID-19 upon her arrival in Beijing, which

By The Associated Press The Washington Spirit have signed Trinity Rodman to a contract extension that will make her the highest-paid player in the National Women’s Soccer League over the life of the deal. The four-year deal with the 19-year-old daughter of NBA great Dennis Rodman is worth at least $1.1 million. Octagon Soccer, which

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Valencia has reached its second Copa del Rey semifinal in four years by defeating Cádiz 2-1. Rayo Vallecano made the last four for the first time in four decades by beating Mallorca 1-0. Hugo Duro scored the winner for Valencia in the 79th minute after setting

ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Green, an outfielder on the St. Louis Cardinals’ 1982 World Series champions, has died. Green had been hospitalized in suburban St. Louis after choking at his home about a week ago and died Saturday of respiratory failure, his family told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals confirmed the death Tuesday

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have hired Alan Williams as defensive coordinator under new coach Matt Eberflus. Williams spent the past four seasons as the Colts safeties coach while Eberflus was their defensive coordinator. It was his second stint with Indianapolis after coaching defensive backs for 10 seasons

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase made history together at LSU, now they’re trying to win the Super Bowl for the Cincinnati Bengals. Since the two became teammates in 2018 at LSU, they have played in seven postseason games and won every one, breaking NCAA

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says he wants to restructure an advisory committee of former players formed after a 2020 investigation found evidence of racial bias against Black players in his program. The timeline of when a new committee will be formed and who will be

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Sadio Mané set up one goal and scored the last one himself as Senegal beat Burkina Faso 3-1 to reach its second successive African Cup of Nations final. Mané scored on a breakaway in the 87th minute to seal the win in Yaounde after Senegal went 2-0 up before seeing Burkina

By The Associated Press NHL players and coaches are welcoming the more lenient COVID-19 protocols announced earlier this week. The league and players’ union agreed to drop daily testing requirements for fully vaccinated players, citing a “declining positivity rate” in virus cases. Vancouver Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said the change was long overdue. Winnipeg defenseman