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  • Titans hire Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their head coach

    Titans hire Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their head coach

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have hired Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their head coach, tasked with trying to turn them back into winners and groom Will Levis into their franchise quarterback.

    The Titans announced Wednesday their hiring of the first of 10 candidates that they interviewed.

    They moved quickly Monday when the NFL window opened for second in-person interviews of current coaches after the divisional playoff round, making him the first coach hired from outside a team’s organization this month.

    “Brian has a track record of success and a range of experience that has prepared him for this opportunity,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “His football knowledge and his enthusiasm for the game really stand out, and beyond that, we think his ability to lead will make him the ideal fit for our franchise.”

    He will be introduced at a news conference Thursday.

    The Titans interviewed Callahan, 39, on Monday and quickly worked to finalize a contract before he could leave town for interviews with other teams. He replaces Mike Vrabel, fired on Jan. 9 after six seasons with losses in 18 of his final 24 games.

    Callahan will be the franchise’s sixth different coach since leaving Texas for Tennessee in 1997. He also is the third coach hired since the NFL regular season ended Jan. 7.

    New England promoted Jerod Mayo to replace Bill Belichick, and the Raiders elevated their interim coach, Antonio Pierce. Carolina, the Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta, Seattle and Washington are still looking for coaches.

    Strunk also made some organizational changes, promoting general manager Ran Carthon, hired last January, to executive vice president. Assistant GM Chad Brinker now will be president of football operations.

    Carthon will have control of issues ranging from the roster, personnel decisions for the draft and free agency, oversight of Callahan and his coaching staff, scouting and sports medicine. Brinker will oversee departments that manage the salary cap, analytics, communications and team operations including security.

    He also will continue to help with college and NFL scouting.

    “This is not my father’s NFL,” said Strunk, whose late father founded the Titans. “As our league continues to evolve in areas like analytics, sports science and technology, football organizations have become more complex and multifaceted.”

    Strunk said that’s why she split duties between Carthon and Brinker, who spent 13 seasons in Green Bay before being hired by Tennessee in February 2023. Brinker will keep football operations innovating as Carthon focuses on the team.

    She credited Carthon with impressing her with how he builds a roster, fulfilling his reputation as a talent evaluator and culture builder that led her to make him the franchise’s first Black GM. She said Carthon makes the Titans a destination for the NFL’s top talent, so expanding his role only made sense.

    “Our organization will now benefit more completely from Ran’s unique ability to build and lead a championship-caliber football team,” Strunk said.

    That will allow Callahan, with his 14 years of NFL experience, to focus on coaching as a first-time head coach.

    Strunk noted Callahan was with Denver when the Broncos won the Super Bowl for the 2015 season with Peyton Manning and was Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator when the Bengals reached the Super Bowl for the 2021 season — stunning the Titans then as the AFC’s No. 1 seed to get there.

    Callahan is credited with aiding in the development of quarterback Joe Burrow. He will get the chance now to work with Levis, the quarterback Tennessee took at No. 33 overall last April. Levis went 3-6 as a rookie after taking over in October.

    The Titans also have the seventh overall draft pick this April and have the third-most salary cap space in the NFL.

    The son of former Raiders coach Bill Callahan has been a popular target in head coaching searches. He interviewed with several teams last year before opting to stay in Cincinnati. Callahan also interviewed recently with the Chargers for their coaching vacancy.

    This season, Callahan helped former practice squad quarterback Jake Browning go 4-3 as a starter after a season-ending injury to Burrow, keeping the Bengals in the playoff mix until the end. Callahan will get to face his old boss Zac Taylor when Cincinnati visits Tennessee this season.

    Callahan played quarterback at UCLA and began his NFL career as a coaching assistant for the Broncos in 2010 before being promoted to offensive quality control coach in 2011, and then offensive assistant in 2013.

    He was quarterbacks coach for the Lions in 2016-17, working with Matthew Stafford and then with Derek Carr while working for the Raiders in 2018 before joining the Bengals.

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  • Brissett is out because of a hamstring injury. Howell starts for the Commanders against the 49ers

    Brissett is out because of a hamstring injury. Howell starts for the Commanders against the 49ers

    LANDOVER, Md. — Sam Howell will start at quarterback for the Washington Commanders against the San Francisco 49ers after all despite being benched earlier in the week.

    Howell is getting the nod Sunday after a hamstring injury sidelined Jacoby Brissett, whom coach Ron Rivera selected as the starter earlier in the week. The 31-year-old journeyman didn’t pop up on the injury report until Friday, when Rivera said the Commanders (4-11) would turn back to Howell if Brissett is unable to play.

    Brissett was made inactive for the game against NFC-leading San Francisco (11-4), which could clinch the conference’s top seed and a first-round bye with a win and a loss up the East Coast by Philadelphia against Arizona.

    Howell went into the game leading the NFL with 17 interceptions. The second-year pro has also been sacked a league-high 60 times.

    Washington promoted Jake Fromm from the practice squad to back up Howell. Speculation of Howell starting in place of Brissett made the line on FanDuel Sportsbook shift from 12 1/2 on Wednesday to 14 on Sunday morning in favor of the Niners.

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  • Shohei Ohtani is the AP Male Athlete of the Year for the 2nd time in 3 years

    Shohei Ohtani is the AP Male Athlete of the Year for the 2nd time in 3 years

    ANAHEIM, Calif. — Before Shohei Ohtani stepped into the bright lights of Hollywood and signed the most lucrative contract in professional sports history, baseball’s two-way superstar put together yet another season of unparalleled brilliance from Tokyo to Anaheim.

    What can this singular talent possibly do next? The Los Angeles Dodgers are eagerly paying $700 million to see for themselves.

    But what Ohtani already did in 2023 — both for the Los Angeles Angels and for Japan‘s team in the World Baseball Classic — is the reason he was selected as The Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year for the second time in three years.

    “Shohei is arguably the most talented player who’s ever played this game,” said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, after signing Ohtani to a 10-year contract last week.

    Ohtani edged Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi and tennis great Novak Djokovic for the AP honor in voting by a panel of sports media professionals.

    Ohtani received 20 of 87 votes, while Messi and Djokovic got 16 apiece. Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Finals MVP, got 12 votes.

    After winning his first AP Male Athlete of the Year award in 2021, Ohtani has joined an impressive list of two-time winners of the honor, which was first handed out in 1931.

    Multiple-time winners include Don Budge, Byron Nelson, Carl Lewis, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps and four-time honorees Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong. Four-time winner LeBron James is another generational superstar who chose Los Angeles as a free agent, while two-time honoree Sandy Koufax remains one of the greatest players to wear Dodger Blue.

    Ohtani has upended decades of conventional wisdom during his six years in the majors, even surpassing most achievements of Babe Ruth while playing in an infinitely more difficult era. Most new frontiers in sports are crossed incrementally and gradually, but Ohtani has toppled barriers that stood for a century with peerless skills, confidence and hard work.

    Ohtani unanimously won the AL MVP award in 2021, and he repeated the feat in 2023 after finishing second in 2022 to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, last year’s AP Male Athlete of the Year.

    This year began with Ohtani’s dazzling MVP performance for Japan’s championship team in the World Baseball Classic — complete with a clinching strikeout of Angels teammate Mike Trout. He then turned in his third consecutive spectacular season both on the mound and at the plate in Anaheim despite an early end after he injured his pitching elbow in August.

    Ohtani led the AL with 44 homers, 78 extra-base hits, 325 total bases and a 1.066 OPS as the Halos’ designated hitter. He also held hitters to an AL-best .184 batting average while ranking second in the league with 11.39 strikeouts per nine innings and third with a 3.14 ERA at the time of his injury.

    “There’s nobody like him, and there’s nothing that you would say he can’t do,” former Angels manager Phil Nevin said late in the season. “Anything is possible with Sho. I don’t know who else you could say that about in baseball history.”

    Ohtani left Japan in late 2017 to pursue his dreams at his sport’s highest level, and his exploits are followed in microscopic detail by his fans in his homeland. When he got his first chance to play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic last spring, Ohtani seized the moment with both hands.

    Ohtani was outstanding in Japan’s games in Tokyo and Miami, batting .435 with four doubles and a homer despite getting walked 10 times. He also pitched 9 2/3 innings, racking up 11 strikeouts with a 1.86 ERA.

    The championship game ended in storybook fashion with Ohtani striking out Trout, the three-time AL MVP and Ohtani’s longtime Angels teammate, for the final out in Japan’s victory over the U.S.

    Ohtani then turned in another outstanding, unique season with the Angels before he hurt his elbow and eventually had a second surgery that will almost certainly prevent him from pitching in 2024, just as he missed nearly all of 2019 and 2020 as a pitcher.

    His injury history did nothing to suppress his free-agent value, partly because Ohtani can remain one of the majors’ best hitters while he waits to see if his pitching elbow will heal again.

    “One of the many things we’ve come to appreciate over the years about Shohei is watching him never take a pitch off, no matter the score of the game,” Friedman said. “I’ve seen him in games where his team is up big or down big, grinding each pitch late in an at-bat — hustling, doing everything he can to leg out an infield hit late in a game.”

    While Ohtani has redefined what’s possible in modern baseball, he accomplished another unprecedented feat by signing his record-setting contract. The deep-pocketed Dodgers eagerly invested in the 29-year-old Ohtani’s next decade while knowing his worldwide fame generates revenue no other baseball player can touch.

    “I’m still in the pinch-me phase, to be honest,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Can’t believe we’re going to have the opportunity to have him wear a Dodger uniform. One of the most talented players ever to put on a baseball uniform is now a Dodger.”

    Ohtani did nearly everything except win with the Angels, who haven’t had a winning season since 2015. When he hit free agency this winter, he eventually chose the nearby club that has had only two losing seasons in the 21st century, none since 2010.

    The Dodgers won the aggressive competition for Ohtani’s services by offering that gargantuan — and structurally creative — contract, but also a supportive environment on the West Coast, supremely talented teammates and the resources to get more — along with a winning culture around a team that has made 11 consecutive playoff appearances.

    “I can’t wait to join the Dodgers,” Ohtani said through his translator, Ippei Mizuhara. “They share the same passion as me. They have a vision and history all about winning. I share the same values.”

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  • Former NBA player allegedly admitted to fatally strangling woman in Las Vegas, court documents show

    Former NBA player allegedly admitted to fatally strangling woman in Las Vegas, court documents show

    LAS VEGAS — A former NBA G League player allegedly admitted to fatally strangling a woman whose remains were found earlier this month near Las Vegas, according to court records obtained Wednesday.

    Chance Comanche, 27, was taken into custody last week in Sacramento, California, where he described for Las Vegas detectives the alleged murder of Marayna Rodgers, 23, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department affidavit.

    “I cannot comment on the substance of any statements made to law enforcement, Comanche attorney Michael Goldstein said Wednesday. “We made our initial appearance yesterday, and the allegations will be addressed in court.”

    The basketball player, who is being held without bond, appeared in a Sacramento County court Tuesday and agreed not to fight his transfer in custody to Nevada, where authorities said he’ll face murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges.

    “We’re going to let the courts deal with it,” Goldstein told reporters outside the court. “We’re going to deal with it in Nevada.”

    Comanche’s former girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, 19, is also facing charges in Rodgers’ death, police said. She is being held without bond in a Las Vegas jail.

    Anna Clark, a deputy Clark County public defender representing Harnden, declined comment Wednesday about the case.

    Rodgers, a medical assistant from Washington state, was reported missing Dec. 7 during a trip to Las Vegas to visit friends. Her remains were later found in the Vegas suburb of Henderson.

    According to the affidavit, Comanche and Harnden worked together to choke Rodgers in the early hours of Dec. 6.

    Police said Harnden and Rodgers were both sex workers and that Harnden had an ongoing dispute with Rodgers over an expensive watch.

    According to the affidavit, the plot called for Comanche to pose as a sex customer who would tie Rodgers’ hands behind her back. Comanche then used a cord while Harnden used both her hands to choke Rodgers, the affidavit said.

    Once Rodgers was dead, police said, Comanche and Harnden left her body in a ditch off the side of a road.

    Before his arrest, Comanche had been playing for the Stockton Kings, the NBA G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, and averaged 14 points and seven rebounds in 13 games.

    Comanche, a 6-foot-10 power forward and center, played college basketball at the University of Arizona from 2015-17 before declaring for the NBA draft.

    He went undrafted and signed a free-agent contract with the Portland Trail Blazers last April but played only one game.

    Sacramento signed Comanche in October but waived him 10 days later, at which point he joined Stockton.

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  • Coyotes rally past Senators 4-3 to spoil Jacques Martin's return as Ottawa coach

    Coyotes rally past Senators 4-3 to spoil Jacques Martin's return as Ottawa coach

    TEMPE, Ariz. — Michael Kesselring scored with 3:33 remaining to cap a four-goal comeback in the Arizona Coyotes’ 4-3 victory over Ottawa on Tuesday night, spoiling the return of Senators interim coach Jacques Martin.

    Jack McBain, J.J. Moser and Clayton Keller also scored for the Coyotes, who trailed 3-0 after the first period. Moser and Keller scored 33 seconds apart in the third to tie it 3-all at 9:47, and Kesselring’s goal gave Arizona its third straight victory.

    “We kept coming and kept coming and we found a way,” coach Andre Tourigny said. “When Bainer broke the ice, we all had the feeling, OK, it’s not over. Don’t know if we will make it, but we’re still in it. And we were.”

    Angus Crookshank, Josh Norris and Dominik Kubalik scored for the Senators in their first game since coach D.J. Smith was fired Monday. Martin was 342-255-96 in his first stint as Ottawa coach from 1996 to 2004.

    “I thought for two periods, we played pretty good,” said Martin, who began his NHL coaching career 37 years ago with St. Louis. “I think when they got the second goal, we needed to make some adjustments technically. Not to spend as much time in our zone.

    “I felt comfortable. I think it’s going to be a process. We have different areas that we need to be better and solve. It’s not going to happen all in one day. But I think what I want to see is a progression as we move along.”

    Hall of Fame forward Daniel Alfredsson, a longtime Ottawa star, made his debut as an assistant coach for the Senators, who have lost five in a row.

    Arizona goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped all 16 shots he faced after replacing Connor Ingram following Kubalik’s goal late in the first period. Ingram stopped three of six shots.

    The Coyotes dominated the third period, outshooting Ottawa 13-5. They finished with a 39-21 shots advantage.

    Kesselring’s winning goal ricocheted in after hitting Ottawa defenseman Travis Hamonic’s skate.

    “Unlucky bounce there,” Senators forward Tim Stützle said. “No excuses. We gave up too many chances tonight, and they are a very good team.”

    Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves for the Senators in the fourth game of a five-game trip that ends Thursday in Colorado.

    The Coyotes improved to 11-5 at 4,400-seat Mullett Arena, their best home start since 2009-10 when they also began 11-5 and won 16 of their first 21 at home.

    Crookshank, Norris and Kubalik scored in the first period, the first goals the Coyotes had given up on their three-game homestand.

    “We knew they would come out with energy,” Tourigny said. “We saw it from the first faceoff. They were pushing hard.”

    Crookshank opened the scoring four minutes in when he tipped in Artem Zub’s shot from right blue line through traffic. Crookshank was recalled Sunday after compiling 10 goals and 11 assists for Belleville of the American Hockey League.

    “It was a pretty special moment,” Crookshank said. “I am still trying to find a way to digest it. It was cool. I saw my parents jump up right away, which is something I will never forget.”

    Norris scored eight seconds into a power play on a slap shot from the right circle to make it 2-0 at 13:06, and Kubalik scored on a nifty backhand redirection of a pass from Erik Brannstrom just 73 seconds later.

    The Coyotes posted shutouts in the first two games of the homestand. Crookshank’s goal was the first by an opponent at even strength in 139:47.

    McBain beat Korpisalo at 14:10 of the second, 10 seconds after a Senators penalty expired, when he put a rebound of Logan Cooley’s shot into an open side to make it 3-1. Moser scored after Matias Maccelli took the puck from Norris along the side boards.

    Senators forward Vladimir Tarasenko played in his 700th game after missing the previous two to attend to a family matter. Mathieu Joseph missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

    UP NEXT

    Senators: At Colorado on Thursday.

    Coyotes: At San Jose on Thursday.

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  • Trump loves the UFC. His campaign hopes viral videos of his appearances will help him pummel rivals

    Trump loves the UFC. His campaign hopes viral videos of his appearances will help him pummel rivals

    NEW YORK — After Donald Trump attended South Carolina’s annual Palmetto Bowl, video of the crowd chanting “We want Trump!” as the former president arrived at Williams-Brice Stadium spread across conservative social media.

    It was much the same two weeks earlier when the GOP front-runner attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York, fist-bumping and waving to the crowd as he entered Madison Square Garden like he was one of the fighters, with an entourage that included the musician Kid Rock, UFC president Dana White and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

    While Trump has spent less time campaigning in early-voting states than many of his Republican primary rivals, his campaign has been filling his schedule with appearances at major sporting events including Saturday’s UFC fight in Las Vegas. Videos of his appearances routinely rack up hundreds of thousands of views across social media, particularly on non-political outlets, including popular online sports channels and fan sites. And they are far easier and cheaper to produce than campaign rallies.

    It’s a strategy that, aides say, puts him in front of potential voters who may not closely follow politics or engage with traditional news sources. And it is part of a broader effort to expand Trump’s appeal with young people and minority voters, particularly Latino and Black men, that the campaign hopes to win over in greater numbers after gains in 2020. UFC’s fanbase in particular is overwhelmingly male.

    Aides stress Trump is a genuine sports fan who frequented fights and games long before he ran for the White House and would be attending even if he weren’t running. He is a particular aficionado of boxing and other combat sports. During a summer appearance on the “UFC Unfiltered” podcast, Trump recalled his favorite fights from decades ago, blow by blow.

    In the 1980s, he befriended boxing legends like Mike Tyson and promoter Don King as he hosted high-profile fights at his Atlantic City casinos and became so involved with professional wrestling that he starred in WrestleMania 23’s “Battle of the Billionaires.” And for a time, he owned the New Jersey Generals, a professional team that played in the NFL-rival United States Football League.

    In recent years, he has become particularly tied to mixed martial arts and its machismo. He is close personal friends with White, UFC’s founder, who spoke at the Republican National Conventions in 2016 and 2020 and credits Trump for saving the sport by hosting fights when others shunned it as too violent.

    Campaign staff often tune into fights late at night aboard Trump’s private plane as he returns to Palm Beach, Florida, following events, streaming fights on ESPN+ or DAZN.

    Trump has also drawn support from the sport’s stars, including Colby Covington, who will be fighting Leon Edwards Saturday night for UFC’s welterweight title. Covington said this week that organizers overruled his request to have Trump walk him out to the octagon. But Trump may still get a role if he wins.

    “He’s going to wrap that belt around me,” Covington told reporters on Thursday, wearing a suit jacket signed by Trump that featured the former president’s mug shot on the back. “It’s going to be a spectacle.”

    There is of course a long history of sports in presidential politics. Candidates have used them to project an image of strength and vigor, endear themselves to voters and seem more accessible.

    Presidential historian Michael Beschloss wrote about how Theodore Roosevelt was frequently pictured boxing, horseback riding and hiking, while John Kennedy swam, sailed and played touch despite serious injuries sustained during the war. Richard Nixon “went to great lengths” to emphasize his football and baseball fandom as he tried to court working-class voters, while George W. Bush famously threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the first World Series game in New York after 9/11, trying to signal to nervous Americans that life would go on after the terror attack.

    Trump’s team sees the appearances as a way to connect with sports fans, signaling he shares their interests, and a way to showcase a different side of the combative politician, who has been indicted four times and is usually shown on the news railing from behind a rally lectern. They also hope to capitalize on his history as a celebrity and his relationships with business and entertainment figures.

    When Trump attends an event like Saturday’s fight, “The audience gets to see him through an unvarnished filter that isn’t tainted by news media and political biases,” said his spokesman Steven Cheung, who previously worked for UFC himself. “It gives us the great opportunity to connect with voters who are, quite frankly, turned off by many traditional news outlets.”

    Jeffrey Montez de Oca, a professor of sociology and the founding director of the Center for Critical Sport Studies at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, said politicians “use sports all the time and they’re used to connect with regular people,” as well as to “project strength and power.”

    Sports, he said, generate “powerful emotions” that take hold of fans and “make you feel like you’re a part of something much larger than yourself” — emotions that politicians try to harness.

    “For Trump to walk into that space, he’s able to participate in the general feeling going on in that room. The love, the enthusiasm, the feeling of connection with the sport, with the athletes, then attaches to him as well,” he said.

    Kyle Kusz, a University of Rhode Island professor who studies the connection between sports and the far right, recalled how Trump aligned himself with sports figures during his 2016 campaign, appearing with basketball coach Bobby Knight, who was fired for abusive behavior, and invoking Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who was fired in connection with the child sex abuse scandal involving his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, among others facing scandal. He noted all were white men whose diehard fans saw them as unfairly victimized.

    Sports stars in 2016 were among the few celebrities willing to campaign with Trump, who was shunned by the Hollywood establishment.

    This time, Trump’s appearances are part of a broader effort by the former president’s team to engage with non-traditional media outlets, including YouTube shows and podcasts like “UFC Unfiltered” that can drive millions of views. The appearances allow Trump to reach listeners who may be turned off by the mainstream media and politics, and get their news from alternative sources.

    They have also tried to harness the power of social media by creating their own viral moments. His team realized early on that video of Trump interacting with supporters had particular traction, and now often organizes stops where he has passed out Blizzards at Dairy Queen or tossed autographed footballs into the crowd at a frat house in Iowa.

    The scenes have also provided a contrast, first with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, once seen as Trump’s leading primary rival, who is often criticized for seeming wooden and awkward at public events, and now with President Joe Biden as both men gear up for a widely expected general election rematch. Biden has largely eschewed campaign events, holding just a single rally, his campaign launch event.

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  • Red Wings captain Larkin injured on hit from behind, Senators pull away for 5-1 victory

    Red Wings captain Larkin injured on hit from behind, Senators pull away for 5-1 victory

    DETROIT — Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko each had a goal and an assist and the Ottawa Senators beat Detroit 5-1 on Saturday night in a game overshadowed by a hit from behind that left Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin face-down and motionless on the ice.

    Larkin was down for about a minute after being cross-checked in the back of the head and neck by Ottawa’s Mathieu Joseph Eventually, Larkin was able to stand up and was hunched over as he was assisted to the locker room. There was no immediate report on the injury.

    Standing near the Ottawa goal during a first-period power play, Larkin took the hit from Joseph and fell into the Senators’ Parker Kelly, who also hit him.

    Joseph and Kelly were assessed roughing penalties on the play with 6:10 left in the period. Detroit’s David Perron was given a match penalty for intent to injure for cross-checking Artem Zub as the Ottawa defenseman stood next to the prone Larkin. Detroit’s Christian Fischer and Joseph dropped the gloves early in the third period.

    Nine-time All-Star Patrick Kane scored his first goal of the season in his second game with Detroit. He signed a one-year contract Nov. 28 as a free agent.

    Dominik Kubalik, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson also scored for Ottawa. Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves for his 100th regular-season victory.

    Larkin’s injury and Perron’s ejection left Detroit, which dressed seven defensemen, with only nine forwards.

    Detroit goalie Alex Lyon was pulled after two periods. Lyon and James Reimer combined for 32 saves.

    Giroux scored on a power play less than two minutes into the game, shoveling in a rebound of Jakob Chychrun’s shot.

    During a 4-on-3 power play a minute after Larkin’s injury, Kane scored on a wrister from the right circle that beat Korpisalo on his glove side.

    Ottawa took a 4-1 lead in the second period. Tarasenko scored the go-ahead goal at 3:36 on a power play. Kubalik, who played for the Red Wings last season, then beat Lyon with a slap shot. Stutzle scored with 1:04 remaining in the period.

    Sanderson added an empty-net goal in the third.

    UP NEXT

    Senators: Host Carolina on Tuesday night.

    Wings: At Dallas on Monday night.

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  • Shohei Ohtani joins big-money club with massive contract with Los Angeles Dodgers

    Shohei Ohtani joins big-money club with massive contract with Los Angeles Dodgers

    Shohei Ohtani, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrick Mahomes and Mike Trout. Five of the world’s top athletes, each with a long list of epic accomplishments with their respective teams.

    Well paid, too.

    Ohtani cashed in on his success on Saturday, agreeing to a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is almost assuredly the biggest deal in the history of the four major North American sports.

    Ohtani joins an exclusive list of sports stars with financial records to go along with their record-breaking numbers on the field. Here is a closer at a couple of the highest-paid players in sports:

    Ohtani is essentially two elite baseball players in one body, and his new deal with the Dodgers is a reflection of his unique skillset and immense value.

    The two-way star was a unanimous winner of the AL MVP award this year for the second time. He batted .304 with 44 homers, 95 RBIs and 20 steals for the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander also went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts on the mound.

    His $70 million average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year.

    Like Ohtani, Messi’s contract is indicative of his value to his team on and off the field.

    Messi, 36, provided a big boost for Major League Soccer when he announced in June that he planned to join Inter Miami. He won the men’s Ballon d’Or — presented annually to soccer’s top player — for a record eighth time in October.

    Messi’s Inter Miami deal is for 2 1/2 seasons, and it pays him between $50 million and $60 million annually — putting the total contract value between $125 million and $150 million in cash alone.

    Ronaldo’s successful run at Manchester United came to an abrupt end following a TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners.

    He didn’t take very long before landing a lucrative new deal — albeit far away from the spotlight of top European soccer. Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr announced a year ago that it had signed Ronaldo to a contract that runs to June 2025. It’s reportedly worth up to $200 million per year.

    Mahomes is one of the NFL’s biggest stars — and he is paid accordingly.

    The 28-year-old quarterback just agreed to a restructured version of his $450 million, 10-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in September. Under the revised deal, the reigning league MVP makes $56.85 million this season, $44.5 million next season, $50 million in 2025 and $56.76 million for the 2026 season.

    Mahomes threw for a franchise-record 5,250 yards last season, along with a league-leading 41 touchdown passes and only 12 interceptions. He has won two Super Bowls with Kansas City.

    Before Ohtani, Trout had the biggest contract in MLB history.

    The slugging outfielder finalized a $426.5 million, 12-year deal with the Angels in March 2019. The three-time AL MVP has been hampered by injuries in recent years, appearing in just 424 of Los Angeles’ 708 regular-season games over the last five seasons.

    Trout, 32, made his big league debut in 2011. He is a .301 hitter with 368 homers and 940 RBIs in 1,489 career games.

    Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James agreed in August 2022 to a $97.1 million, two-year contract extension that runs through the 2024-25 season. James turns 39 on Dec. 30. … Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews signed a $53 million, four-year contract extension in August. The deal carries an average annual value of $13.25 million, which will make Matthews the NHL’s highest-paid player beginning in 2024-25.

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  • Nikola Jokic has 21 points, 16 assists, Nuggets hold off Suns 119-111

    Nikola Jokic has 21 points, 16 assists, Nuggets hold off Suns 119-111

    PHOENIX — Nikola Jokic looked content to spend most of his Friday night facilitating, setting up baskets with passes left and right as the Denver Nuggets built a big first-half lead.

    By late in the fourth quarter, that advantage had nearly vanished. That’s when the two-time MVP went back to scoring.

    Jokic had 21 points and 16 assists, including a difficult layup in traffic with 24.1 seconds left, and the Nuggets held off the Phoenix Suns 119-111 for a hard-fought victory.

    “That’s another night of just incredible, unselfish basketball,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Everyone playing for the man next to them, making the right play.”

    Down 17 in the first half, the Suns — on a night Kevin Durant moved into 10th place on the NBA’s career scoring list — cut Denver’s lead to 94-91 entering the fourth.

    Phoenix tied it three times early in the fourth and the game stayed within one possession for much of the period, but Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. were among multiple players who made clutch buckets to keep the Nuggets ahead.

    Denver has won four straight. All five starters — including Jokic, Jackson, Porter, Justin Holiday and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — scored at least 15 points. Jackson finished with 20. The Nuggets had 38 assists and just nine turnovers.

    “That’s our play style,” Jokic said. “When we make shots like that, it’s much easier for us to have a good game. I think we create open looks — it’s just a matter of if we’re going to make it or not.”

    Jusuf Nurkic led the Suns — playing without Devin Booker — with a season-high 31 points but fouled out after being called for a charge with 45 seconds remaining, which was upgraded to a Flagrant 1, meaning Jokic got to shoot two free throws. He made one of two for a 115-111 lead and Denver retained possession.

    Jokic followed with his tough layup, finishing over three Suns defenders, to put the game away.

    “They’re a good team,” Nurkic said. “Give them credit, they got the win.”

    Durant added 30 points but shot just 8 of 25 from the field, including 0 for 10 in the second half. Nurkic made 13 of 22.

    Durant moved in 10th place on scoring list late in the second quarter, driving the baseline for a layup to pass Moses Malone. Durant finished the game with 27,423 career points. Malone had 27, 409 in the NBA after starting his professional career with two seasons in the ABA.

    Denver jumped out to a 41-30 lead going into the second quarter after shooting 79.2% (19 of 24) from the field. The Nuggets settled for a 70-63 advantage at halftime.

    “We didn’t play with nearly enough toughness and attention to detail in the first half,” Vogel said. “It was one of our worst defensive halves. But you’ve got to credit the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic — that’s why he’s one of the best in the world. He can take any four teammates and create great looks for those guys. He’s really special.”

    Both teams were missing key pieces. The Suns were playing without Booker (ankle) and Bradley Beal (back) while the Nuggets were without Jamal Murray (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (heel).

    UP NEXT

    Nuggets: At Sacramento on Saturday night.

    Suns: Host Memphis on Saturday night.

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  • Patrick Kane is signing with the Detroit Red Wings, an AP source says

    Patrick Kane is signing with the Detroit Red Wings, an AP source says

    Patrick Kane is joining the Detroit Red Wings for the rest of the season, choosing the championship-rich franchise over other suitors for the four-time All-Star’s return to the NHL from hip surgery.

    A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Kane has agreed to a contract worth a prorated $2.75 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Kane has not yet signed the contract, which will pay him just over $2 million in actual dollars.

    Kane, who turned 35 on Nov. 19, was an unrestricted free agent rehabbing from hip resurfacing surgery in June. He has been skating since August and told the AP in September that he was starting to feel like his old self again.

    The three-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago and 2016 league MVP chose Detroit over a handful of other interested teams, including his hometown Buffalo Sabres, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the reigning Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers.

    After the Blackhawks and New York Rangers he joined after a pre-deadline trade, the Red Wings are set to become Kane’s third Original Six team.

    Kane is attempting to become only the third player to come back to the NHL from the invasive hip operation, following defenseman Ed Jovanovski and center Nicklas Backstrom. Jovanovski played only 37 games afterward, and Backstrom recently stepped away from the Washington Capitals 47 games into his attempt amid concerns about how his artificial left hip was holding up, with a return this season unlikely.

    The surgery, which tennis star Andy Murray also had, involves dislocating the upper end of the thighbone, trimming it, capping it and removing cartilage before putting it back in place. Kane’s expected recovery and rehab time was set at four to six months.

    Adding Kane is another potential boost for general manager Steve Yzerman’s Red Wings, who are 11-6-3 through 20 games and currently are in a playoff position in third place in the Atlantic Division. Detroit, which won the Stanley Cup 11 times between 1936-2008, is trying to end a seven-year postseason drought that stands as the franchise’s longest since the 1970s.

    The hope is Kane can return to the All-Star form he displayed before the nagging hip injury began hampering his play. He had 92 points in 78 games as recently as the 2021-22 season, and his 1,237 over his career are the second-most among U.S.-born players.

    It’s unclear when Kane will be cleared to play his first game for the Red Wings, though his camp’s plan since the surgery involved waiting until he was fully healthy before picking a destination.

    Kane was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft and helped the Blackhawks hoist the Cup in 2010, ’13 and ’15. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2013.

    With Chicago in a rebuilding phase and nearing the end of his eight-year, $84 million contract, Kane last season became the top player available by trade and with a full no-movement clause could call his shot. Kane went to the Rangers and had six points in their seven-game first-round series loss to rival New Jersey.

    Kane had similar control as a free agent, letting the market and the first month of the season play out before talking to interested teams. Rather than the true homecoming of returning to his native Buffalo, he picked another familiar spot in Detroit, 20 years after playing a season of junior hockey in suburban Farmington Hills, Michigan, and then with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth.

    Not getting Kane, the Sabres will continue their attempt to end a league-worst 12-season playoff drought with the young talent they’ve already assembled. Buffalo’s roster includes up-and-coming young star centers Tage Thompson and Casey Mittelstadt and defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

    Kane would need to get up to NHL speed quickly to play in Buffalo as a visitor next week. His first game at Chicago would be Feb. 25, after he did not face the Blackhawks following the trade to New York.

    The Red Wings and Blackhawks were longtime, bitter rivals until Detroit was shifted from the Western to the Eastern Conference in 2013 as part of realignment. Kane follows a similar path to the player he’s chasing for the U.S. scoring record: Mike Modano, who played 20 seasons for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars before finishing his career with the Red Wings.

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  • Commanders fire defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio after losing to the Cowboys

    Commanders fire defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio after losing to the Cowboys

    The Washington Commanders fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer on Friday.

    The moves came a day after the defense struggled again in a 45-10 Thanksgiving Day loss at the Dallas Cowboys. Washington allowed 290 or more yards in 11 of 12 games this season and 30 or more points seven times.

    The Commanders defense ranks 29th among 32 teams.

    “Today I relieved Jack Del Rio and Brent Vieselmeyer of their duties,” coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. “I appreciate all that they contributed to the organization over the past four years and wish them all the best moving forward.”

    The latest defeat dropped the team to 4-8 in its first season under new ownership. The Commanders have lost eight of 10 since opening the season with back-to-back victories.

    Rivera could take over the defensive play-calling duties, which would allow him to defer even more to new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Rivera’s own future is uncertain beyond this season, with Josh Harris’ ownership group expected to make significant changes.

    Del Rio was 12 games into his fourth season with Washington after Rivera hired him in 2020. The two, each a former linebacker, had no prior working relationship before this.

    A head coach for 12 seasons with the Jaguars and Raiders, Del Rio had a stint with Washington that was marred by a comment he made during offseason workouts last year, comparing the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and the protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.

    “People’s livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem,” Del Rio said in June 2022. “And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal. I just think it’s kind of two standards.”

    On the field, his unit was inconsistent from year to year and game to game. Washington’s defense ranked second in the NFL in 2020, 22nd in 2021 and third in 2022.

    The Commanders had their moments defensively this season, mostly before trading pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat. But the lack of results ultimately cost Del Rio and Vieselmeyer their jobs.

    Rivera is expected to address the changes during a video call with reporters later Friday.

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  • The Nationals have a new first base coach doo doo doo doo doo doo. It’s Gerardo ‘Baby Shark’ Parra

    The Nationals have a new first base coach doo doo doo doo doo doo. It’s Gerardo ‘Baby Shark’ Parra

    Gerardo Parra — of “Baby Shark” fame — will be the new first base coach for the Washington Nationals as part of a series of changes to manager Dave Martinez’s staff

    ByHOWARD FENDRICH AP sports writer

    November 10, 2023, 12:07 PM

    FILE – Washington Nationals’ Gerardo Parra celebrates after winning 7-4 in Game 4 of the baseball National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington, Oct. 15, 2019. Parra — of “Baby Shark” fame — will be the new first base coach for the Washington Nationals as part of a series of changes to manager Dave Martinez’s staff announced by the club on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, after a fourth consecutive last-place finish in the NL East.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

    The Associated Press

    WASHINGTON — Gerardo Parra — of “Baby Shark” fame — will be the new first base coach for the Washington Nationals as part of a series of changes to manager Dave Martinez’s staff announced by the club on Friday after a fourth consecutive last-place finish in the NL East.

    Miguel Cairo will be Martinez’s bench coach and Ricky Gutierrez is shifting to third base coach after holding the title of run prevention coordinator in 2023. Chris Johnson was hired as assistant hitting coach.

    Holdovers include hitting coach Darnell Coles, pitching coach Jim Hickey, catching and strategy coach Henry Blanco and bullpen coach Ricky Bones.

    This is Parra’s first job on a major league coaching staff. After retiring in 2021, he started working in the Nationals’ front office in 2022. Parra played in the majors for 12 years and signed with Washington in 2019 as a backup outfielder. His choice of “Baby Shark” as his walkup music — a nod to his 2-year-old daughter — became a rallying cry for fans and players while the club won its first championship that season.

    Cairo, also a former player, was the minor league infield coordinator for the New York Mets last season. Before that, he was the bench coach for the Chicago White Sox for two seasons.

    Coles, Hickey, Blanco and Bones head into their third season in these roles with Washington.

    The Nationals did not renew the contracts of bench coach Tim Bogar, third base coach Gary DiSarcina, first base coach Eric Young Jr. and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler.

    The Nationals went 71-91 in 2023 as general manager Mike Rizzo continues to try to remake their roster. In the National League, only the Colorado Rockies finished with a worse record this year.

    Rizzo and Martinez both got new contracts during the season.

    Rizzo has been the team’s GM since 2007. He hired Martinez for his first managerial job before the 2018 season.

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  • Bjugstad and Schmaltz score in shootout as Coyotes beat Devils 4-3

    Bjugstad and Schmaltz score in shootout as Coyotes beat Devils 4-3

    NEWARK, N.J. — Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz scored in the shootout, and the Arizona Coyotes recovered after giving up a two-goal lead and rallied to beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Friday night.

    Schmaltz also had a goal and an assist in regulation, and Matt Dumba and Sean Durzi also scored for the Coyotes in their regular season opener. Rookie forward Logan Cooley had two assists in his NHL debut and Karel Vejmelka made 33 saves.

    “We played an elite team. We knew what to expect,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. “We had urgency. We had pace.”

    Jesper Bratt had two goals and an assist, Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist, and Jack Hughes had three assists for New Jersey, which lost one night after beating Detroit at home 4-3 in its opener. Akira Schmid finished with 30 saves.

    Bjugstad and Schmaltz scored on Arizona’s two attempts in the shootout, and Vejmelka stopped New Jersey’s Timo Meier and Bratt to secure the win.

    “Everybody came to play. We have a lot of new guys and there was a lot of excitement in the room,” said Schmaltz, who is in his sixth season with the Coyotes. “We did a really good job and we were hard on them.”

    Dumba opened the scoring at 6:22 of the first, rifling a shot past Schmid. Dumba made his Coyotes debut after signing as a free agent following 10 seasons with Minnesota.

    Durzi made it 2-0 on the power-play at 4:23 of the second, but the Devils then scored three goals in an 11-minute span to take the lead.

    “It was a disappointing start to the game; first period again,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said of his team’s slow start. “I thought they looked fresher, ready to play in their first game. We know there’s no easy game so if you don’t have your ‘A’ game right off the bat, the other team could take it to you.”

    Bratt got New Jersey on the scoreboard at 8:09 of the second, sending a pass from Hughes past Vejmelka, and Hamilton tied it with his second goal in two nights with 7:31 left in the middle period.

    Bratt got his second goal of the game with 1:07 remaining in the second to put New Jersey ahead 3-2.

    Schmaltz converted on the power-play with 6:05 left in the third to tie it again off a pass from Cooley.

    “I just whacked it and it went in,” Schmaltz said.

    Hughes, who led the Devils with 43 goals and 99 points last season, now has five points in two games after scoring twice the previous night.

    NICE DEBUT

    For the 19-year-old Cooley, the third overall pick in the 2022 draft who played for the University of Minnesota last year, the evening was special following his customary rookie lap in warmups.

    “I thought I did a good job of staying focused. I just wanted to have fun,” he said. “I was a little nervous at the start but once you get going, it’s just another hockey game.”

    NEW FACES

    The Coyotes added six free agents during the offseason including forwards Dumba, Bjugstad, Jason Zucker, and Alex Kerfoot, and defensemen Travis Dermott and Troy Stecher. Arizona acquired Durzi with a trade with the Los Angeles Kings.

    NOTES: The teams meet again March 16 in Arizona. … New Jersey scratched D Chris Tierney, D Colin Miller and F Curtis Lazar. … Arizona scratched F Travis Boyd and Stecher.

    UP NEXT

    Devils: Host Florida on Monday night.

    Coyotes: At the New York Rangers on Monday night.

    ___

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  • Manchester United great Wayne Rooney joins Tom Brady after being named manager of Birmingham

    Manchester United great Wayne Rooney joins Tom Brady after being named manager of Birmingham

    MANCHESTER, England — First Tom Brady, and now Wayne Rooney. English soccer club Birmingham seems to be collecting sporting icons.

    Rooney, a Manchester United great who previously held the record for most goals for England’s national team, was appointed manager of the second-division team on Wednesday — only weeks after Brady came onboard as a minority owner.

    Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, also holds a position as advisory board chair, but it is not clear how much of role he played in the decision to hire one of the biggest names in English soccer.

    “Wayne is a born winner,” Birmingham co-owner and chairman Tom Wagner said. “We believe, with the support of his coaching staff, the club, and our supporters, he will take Blues forward on the next stage of our journey. His playing philosophy will help to realize the ambitions we have set for Birmingham City.

    “Wayne has been preparing for an opportunity like this since he embarked on his coaching education whilst still a player at Manchester United.”

    Rooney’s appointment comes days after he left his position as coach of MLS team D.C. United on Sunday.

    “My job is to elevate the club to the next level and I can’t wait to get started,” the 37-year-old Rooney said after signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. “I know what the expectations are and our job is to deliver.”

    Birmingham last played in the Premier League in 2011 and is currently in sixth place in the second division. The club parted ways with former manager John Eustace on Monday, leading to some criticism on social media.

    Rooney was manager of English club Derby from 2020-22. He then spent a season in MLS with D.C. United.

    In a stellar playing career, Rooney won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with United, along with a host of other trophies. He is United’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals and was England’s leading scorer until being surpassed by Harry Kane this year.

    Rooney has been clear in his ambition to have a successful coaching career as well.

    “I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get me ready for this opportunity,” he said. “It’s a project that gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to get started.

    “I have a clear way that I want the team to play, and my coaching staff and I will work hard to implement it. We will create a winning culture here with an identity that gets Blues fans on their feet.”

    Birmingham CEO Garry Cook was formerly in charge of Manchester City and with the backing of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, he built a reputation for his ambitious moves in the transfer market, which included signing Real Madrid forward Robinho.

    “We are incredibly excited by Wayne’s arrival,” Cook said. “When the opportunity presents itself to appoint a manager who shares your ambition and is both a student and a great of the game, then you act. This is what we have done.

    “This is a defining moment for the club.”

    ___

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  • Germany hires Julian Nagelsmann as men’s national soccer team coach through Euro 2024

    Germany hires Julian Nagelsmann as men’s national soccer team coach through Euro 2024

    Germany has hired Julian Nagelsmann to lead the men’s national soccer team

    ByCIARÁN FAHEY AP sports writer

    September 22, 2023, 5:46 AM

    FILE – Then Bayern’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann prior to the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Wolfsburg and FC Bayern Munich in Wolfsburg, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. Germany has appointed former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann to lead the men’s national soccer team. The German soccer federation says Nagelsmann is taking over on a short-term contract through the European Championship next summer. Germany is hosting the tournament. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)

    The Associated Press

    BERLIN — Germany hired Julian Nagelsmann to lead the men’s national soccer team on Friday, entrusting the former Bayern Munich coach with doing a better job than the last Bayern Munich coach who tried.

    The German soccer federation said Nagelsmann was taking over on a short-term contract through next year’s European Championship. Germany is hosting the tournament.

    “We have a European Championship in our own country. This is something special, something that only happens every few decades,” Nagelsmann said. “Having a great tournament in a great country is the priority. I’m very keen to take on this challenge … We will be a close-knit bunch next year.”

    At 36, Nagelsmann is the youngest Germany coach since 34-year-old Otto Nerz was appointed in 1926.

    Nagelsmann succeeds Hansi Flick, the first Germany coach ever fired from the position. The federation removed Flick on Sept. 10, the day after a 4-1 loss to Japan stretched the team’s losing run to three games and its winless run to five.

    Nagelsmann previously took over from Flick when he became Bayern coach in 2021. He led his team to another Bundesliga title — its 10th straight — but was fired by the Bavarian powerhouse in March amid management concerns that he wasn’t getting the best from the squad.

    Germany next has friendlies against the United States in East Hartford, Connecticut, on Oct. 14, then Mexico in Philadelphia four days later. The team will continue its Euro 2024 preparations against Austria in Vienna on Nov. 21.

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  • Scott Dixon rallies to win IndyCar season finale and give Ganassi 1-2 finish in final standings

    Scott Dixon rallies to win IndyCar season finale and give Ganassi 1-2 finish in final standings

    MONTEREY, Calif. — By the time Scott Dixon turned his season around, it was too late to beat teammate Alex Palou for the IndyCar championship.

    But it was good enough to affirm Dixon’s legacy as the greatest driver of his generation.

    The six-time IndyCar champion won the season finale Sunday at Laguna Seca — his first win at the permanent California road course, 56th of his career and third in the final four races of the season. His turnaround last month ensured that Dixon’s streak of 19 consecutive seasons with at least one win remaining intact.

    “It’s always nice to finish the year like that,” said Dixon.

    Palou became the first driver in nearly 20 years to clinch the IndyCar title before the season finale with his victory last weekend in Portland. Palou won his second title in three years with last week’s win, his fifth of the season. Palou’s title is the 15th in IndyCar for Chip Ganassi Racing.

    Dixon had been mathematically eligible to challenge Palou for the title until the Portland victory. He was still guaranteed to finish second in the standings no matter what happened in Sunday’s finale.

    “It’s just a shame that Palou decided to lead the championship by too many points, and it became a bit boring on the championship side,” Dixon said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a situation where you come into the last race and you can’t fight really much for anything in the championship. We were locked into second. Alex was locked obviously for the championship, which was quite bizarre.

    “Everybody’s stress level was a lot lower. You could all just kind of fight for the win. … Everybody was just going for a win because everybody was trying a bit of everything throughout the day.”

    Dixon’s win moved him within 11 of AJ Foyt’s all-time record.

    Scott McLaughlin, like Dixon from New Zealand, finished second for Team Penske and was followed by Palou, who scored 10 podiums in 17 races this season.

    Will Power of Team Penske finished fourth and ended his run as IndyCar champion by snapping a 16-year streak of winning at least one race. Callum Ilott of Juncos Hollinger Racing tied his career-best finish of fifth and was followed by Christian Lundgaard of Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

    Alexander Rossi of Arrow McLaren was seventh and followed by Marcus Armstrong, who won rookie of the year honors for Ganassi. Pato O’Ward of McLaren was ninth and Ryan Hunter-Reay of Ed Carpenter Racing finished 10th.

    The win for Dixon was the first of his career at Laguna Seca and he overcame an early-race penalty for avoidable contact to cycle into the win in a sloppy race slowed by eight cautions for 35 laps. The lengthy yellows took such a toll on the race that the pace car ran out of gas and needed to be refueled with more than 30 laps remaining.

    “It’s a credit to the team, they’ve been executing like that all season,” Dixon said. “But we won. That’s all that matters. We won.”

    Ganassi became the first team owner to win the championship and top rookie honors in the same season. Armstrong won the rookie title despite skipping the five oval races on the schedule. He signed an extension to return to the team next year and will run the full schedule, including ovals.

    “To be first and second in the points, and then rookie of the year for Marcus Armstrong, I mean, Alex, Dixon, what a season for the whole team,” Ganassi said.

    Colton Herta finished 23rd and was spun off course by Helio Castroneves in a car custom painted to resemble the one Herta’s father, Bryan, drove to the 1998 win at Laguna Seca. The spin cemented a winless season for the younger Herta, who started the year with a contract extension from Andretti Global that many believe made the 23-year-old the highest-paid driver in IndyCar.

    Herta said he’d give himself a “D-minus” grade on his season and said even if he’d won Sunday’s finale it wouldn’t be enough to salvage a disastrous year.

    Chevrolet, which won the Indianapolis 500 with Josef Newgarden, clinched the manufacturer championship. Honda won the driver championship with Palou and Ganassi.

    ___

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  • Prized prospect Jasson Domínguez becomes youngest Yankees player to homer in 1st big league at-bat

    Prized prospect Jasson Domínguez becomes youngest Yankees player to homer in 1st big league at-bat

    HOUSTON — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone vividly remembers the poise and confidence a 16-year-old Jasson Domínguez displayed when he watched him take batting practice at the team’s academy in the Dominican Republic in 2019.

    “Right then he got your attention,” Boone said. “It was like, it’s a 16-year-old kid (and) you see the skill set right in front of you. He had that kind of easy smile to him, handles himself really well.”

    Domínguez wowed everyone Friday night, hitting a two-run homer off Houston ace Justin Verlander in his first major league at-bat.

    At just 20 years, 206 days old, Domínguez became the youngest Yankees player to homer in his first career game. He was the first Yankees player to go deep in his initial big league at-bat since Aaron Judge on Aug. 13, 2016.

    After Domínguez swatted his opposite-field home run to the short porch in left off a three-time Cy Young Award winner twice his age, TV cameras panned to his family, who screamed and jumped around after watching the ball leave the yard for a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

    Four years after Boone saw him taking batting practice as a teenager, the highly touted prospect was a huge hit in his big league debut. The switch-hitting outfielder and another promising youngster, catcher Austin Wells, were called up from the minors by the last-place Yankees when rosters expanded Friday.

    “Everyone’s excited for them and excited to see them,” Boone said before the game. “Both (are) talented guys who earned this opportunity, and looking forward to watching them go spread their wings and continue to develop and hopefully see some good things.”

    Domínguez is expected to be the team’s everyday center fielder after Harrison Bader was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds, and Boone said Wells will also play a lot over the last month of the season. They were both in the starting lineup Friday night, with Domínguez batting fifth and Wells seventh.

    “When I heard the news, it was a special moment,” Domínguez said in Spanish through a translator. “Just to be here, very excited. Happy to be right here today, and it’s a special day.”

    Wells is regarded more for his bat than his defense, but he’s hoping to show he can be a valuable contributor in both areas in the majors.

    “I’m here to do that as well and play and help the team win,” he said. “So, that’s my goal and if I can do it in any way, I’ll do it any way.”

    Expectations have been high for Domínguez since he received a $5.1 million bonus when he signed with the Yankees. His unique combination of strength and speed at such a young age earned him a catchy nickname: The Martian.

    But he said he doesn’t feel any added pressure because of that.

    “I haven’t really been paying too much attention to all that, all the comments and all the information about me,” he said. “I’m not much on social media. I’m not reading a lot of the different articles that are written. I just try to focus on what I can do and try to play my game and better myself so that I can fulfill whatever expectation there is being the best I can be.”

    Domínguez was set to become the youngest player to appear in a game for the Yankees since 19-year-old pitcher José Rijo in July 1984 — and the youngest position player since 20-year-old outfielder Stan Javier in April 1984.

    Boone is certainly aware of the expectations people have for Domínguez and believes he’ll live up to them.

    “I think he’s going to be a really good player,” Boone said. “I really do. (He’s) not a finished product. And we’ll see how his journey goes. He’s obviously a very young man, super talented. I think when we look up in several years, we’re going to see a really good player in front of us and he gets to start to write that script, in the big leagues anyway, starting today.”

    Domínguez joins the team after playing just nine games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He hit .419 with two doubles and 10 RBIs there after batting .254 with 15 homers and 66 RBIs in 109 games for Double-A Somerset.

    The 24-year-old Wells singled off Verlander in his first plate appearance. Wells hit .254 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 33 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was a first-round draft pick out of Arizona in 2020.

    Domínguez had a bunch of friends and family members in Houston for Friday night’s game, including his mother and father and some aunts and uncles.

    He said he’s always dreamed of playing in the majors, but he tries to focus on the present rather than worry too much about the future.

    “I concentrate a lot on my day to day and on what I need to do to keep improving or if there’s a certain skill that I’ve got to improve,” he said. “So, to me, I try to keep it very simple. But now we’re here in the big leagues and now I have a chance to taste some of the league and try to keep learning from it.”

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  • Scherzer dominates through seven innings as Rangers blank Angels 12-0

    Scherzer dominates through seven innings as Rangers blank Angels 12-0

    ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Scherzer allowed only one infield single and one walk while striking out a season-high 11 in seven innings to record his third win in three Texas starts as the Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 12-0 on Monday night.

    Marcus Semien had two hits and a season-high five RBIs, including a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Three batters later, Adolis Garcia increased his AL-best RBI total to 91 with a two-run shot that was his 30th of the season.

    Scherzer’s strikeouts included his first two career matchups against Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani.

    Scherzer (12-4) has given up one run in his last 19 innings after beginning his Rangers career allowing three runs in the first inning on Aug. 3 against the Chicago White Sox.

    “You enjoy these – don’t get me wrong – but I know what it takes to win at this level,” said Scherzer, whose 3,340 career strikeouts are two short of tying Phil Niekro for 11th place all time. “You’ve got to be on your A game every single time. There isn’t any time to ever let up off the gas. You don’t just make your season off one start. It’s the totality of it.”

    Mike Moustakas led off Los Angeles’ second inning with a grounder that second baseman Semien dove to his left to stop, but his throw wasn’t in time.

    Scherzer’s only walk also came in the second, to Hunter Renfroe with one out. Matt Thaiss then lined into a double play as Scherzer retired the final 16 batters he faced.

    Martin Perez followed Scherzer to finish the combined one-hitter, extending the final string of consecutive batters retired to 22.

    Scherzer threw 100 pitches with only one inning in which he delivered more than 15.

    He struck out all three batters he faced in the first and sixth innings. In the first, he appeared upset when Brandon Drury was called for strike three on a clock violation to end the Angels’ inning.

    Scherzer had nine wins with the New York Mets before he was traded to Texas on July 30. His 12 wins tie him with Tampa Bay’s Zach Elfin for the most by any AL pitcher.

    Texas batted around in the third and seventh innings. Angels pitchers allowed 12 hits, walked eight – one intentionally – and threw two wild pitches through seven innings before infielder Eduardo Escobar pitched the eighth and gave up one unearned run.

    Los Angeles also committed three errors.

    Angels manager Phil Nevin said his team lacked focus starting from the opening batter. Nevin connected his lineup’s poor performance with the struggles on the mound and in the field.

    “When you have to stand on the field for 25, 30 pitches every half inning on defense, trust me, it’s hard to go up and take a good at-bat, especially against a guy that’s going to the Hall of Fame,” he said.

    In Texas’ two-run second inning, Semien had an RBI single with a second run scoring when Angels center fielder Mickey Moniak bobbled the ball.

    In the Rangers’ three-run third, one run scored on a bases-loaded walk by Patrick Sadoval (6-9) — his final batter — and another scored on a wild pitch by Griffin Canning, making his first appearance since July 25 after being on the injured list.

    ONCE IS ENOUGH

    Nevin reiterated that he expects Ohtani to miss only one turn in the starting rotation because of arm fatigue and return next Tuesday or Wednesday at Cincinnati.

    His reasoning? “That’s what’s he told us,” Nevin said.

    TROUT PROGRESSING

    Angels star OF Mike Trout said he’s progressing but has no date for his return from a fractured left hamate bone that has sidelined him since July 3. Nevin said the next step will be for Trout, who began swinging against a machine last Friday, to face live pitching.

    ROSTER MOVES

    Rangers OF Travis Jankowski was reinstated from MLB’s Paternity Leave List. In the corresponding move, INF Jonathan Ornelas was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.

    SHORT HOPS

    Texas has faced 11 position players pitching, breaking the major league record set by Atlanta in 2021. … Semien has a 21-game on-base streak. … The Rangers’ 71-48 record is the franchise’s best through 119 games. … The Angels are 59-61, matching a season-worst two games below .500.

    UP NEXT

    The middle game of the series will match trade-deadline pitching acquisitions as Angels RHP Lucas Giolito (7-8, 4.37 ERA) faces Rangers LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-10, 3.38).

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  • Falcons cut 2022 starting linebacker Mykal Walker in surprise move

    Falcons cut 2022 starting linebacker Mykal Walker in surprise move

    FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons waived 2022 starting linebacker Mykal Walker in a surprise move Sunday.

    Walker started and had four tackles in the Falcons’ 19-3 preseason win at Miami on Friday night. Falcons coach Arthur Smith did not play most of his projected starters against the Dolphins.

    On Sunday, the Falcons signed linebacker Frank Ginda, the 2023 USFL defensive player of the year.

    The Falcons did not announce an injury to Walker in Friday night’s game, but the 2020 fourth-round draft pick apparently was unavailable for the remainder of training camp. Smith said several players were held out Sunday with soft-tissue injuries.

    Smith indicated Walker may have been unavailable the remainder of training camp.

    “The thing you have to do in training camp, going through 90 guys, when we’re working guys out, if a guy is going to be out the rest of camp you’ve got to make decisions on him, so there’s a lot of things going on,” Smith said when asked about Walker.

    Later Sunday, the Falcons announced Walker’s release in a one-sentence statement. No mention was made of an injury or other reason for the move.

    Walker had a career-high 107 tackles with two interceptions and one sack in 16 games, including 12 starts, in 2022. He was fighting for his starting spot on the revamped Atlanta defense in training camp.

    Walker posted a thank you to the Falcons on social media for his three years with the team.

    “Allowed me to achieve my dreams, I’ve meet brothers for life, and brought my son into this world. My journey is far from over excited for what comes next!” Walker wrote.

    The Falcons could have as many as six new starters on defense. Linebacker Kaden Elliss, a free-agent addition, has been working with Troy Andersen in the middle of the defense, ahead of Walker. Lorenzo Carter and Bud Dupree may have the lead in the competition at the outside linebacker spots.

    Falcons rookie cornerback Clark Phillips III returned to practice on Sunday. Phillips was carted off the practice field with a leg injury during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Dolphins.

    Smith plans to play his starters, including quarterback Desmond Ridder, in Friday night’s home preseason game against Cincinnati.

    Smith said cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Cornell Armstrong, wide receiver Frank Darby and running back Cordarrelle Patterson could miss “maybe a week or so” with what the coach described as “soft-tissue” injuries.

    “We’ll just take it and be smart with it,” said Smith when asked about Patterson. “Nothing we’re concerned about long term.”

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  • Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith says he’ll retire in summer 2024

    Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith says he’ll retire in summer 2024

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, who has spent the past 18 years at Ohio State leading one of the largest and most successful athletic programs in the country, announced Wednesday he will retire at the end of June next year.

    “I’ve always believed that a leader seeks to be the right person at the right time in the life of an institution,” Smith, 67, said at a news conference Wednesday. “I just think July of 2024 is the right time to welcome in new leadership to build on what we’ve already achieved.”

    The search for his successor will begin after the university selects a new president in November. Kristina Johnson resigned as Ohio State president last year.

    Smith, seen as one of the most influential ADs in the country, will step down as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington join the Big Ten amid a rapidly changing landscape in college in which Smith has been heavily involved.

    “I’ve always embraced change,” Smith said. “Those changes were not a part of this decision. Everything that’s happening, some of it I’ve seen before. … I’ve always felt, and my mentors have always said, you will know when it’s time. You’ll know.”

    A Cleveland native who played college at Notre Dame, which won a national championship in his freshman year in 1973, Smith became Ohio State’s eighth athletic director in April 2005. He had previously been athletic director at Arizona State, Eastern Michigan and Iowa State.

    Ohio State teams have won 115 team Big Ten titles under Smith. He had signed a four-year contract extension in 2021.

    He said his successor will have to fully embrace the recent seismic changes in college football, including realignment, NIL and the transfer portal.

    “We just need to keep evaluating how (college football) should be structured,” he said. “That relates to our scheduling as we integrate Oregon and Washington.

    “Somewhere along the line we need to think differently about football,” said Smith, who once floated the idea of separating college football from the NCAA.

    Smith was suspended by Ohio State for two weeks in 2018 after an investigation into what he and former football coach Urban Meyer knew about the previous domestic violence arrest of an assistant coach. Meyer was suspended for three games and retired at the end of the season.

    “That was hard,” Smith said. “During my career, there have been times when I wish I could have done something different. There’s no question about it.”

    Smith helped steer the football program through a down year after the firing of coach Jim Tressel in 2011. That led to the hiring of Meyer, who won a national championship after the 2014 season.

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