The AP NFL MVP finalists are Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Saquon Barkley are finalists for The Associated Press 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards. Josh Allen and Jared Goff also are MVP finalists while Burrow is also in the running for Comeback Player of the Year. Ja’Marr Chase and Derrick Henry are the other finalists for the Offensive Player award. The winners will be announced at NFL Honors on Feb. 6. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began.
Bills might be better, but Chiefs are favored for a reason
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Chiefs are slight favorites to beat the Bills on Sunday and get a shot at winning an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl. But that doesn’t mean Kansas City is the better team. One bettor at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas placed a $1.3 million money-line wager on the Chiefs. Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel said action has been active on both sides. The Chiefs are favored by 1 1/2 points at Caesars. BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Chiefs as 2-point favorites.
LeBron James picked for 21st straight All-Star Game, extending NBA record
LeBron James is extending his All-Star records. The NBA revealed the starters — some of them, anyway — for the revamped All-Star Game on Thursday night, and there wasn’t much in the way of surprises. James is now officially an All-Star for the 21st year. The other starters are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Welcome home, Wemby: As expected, Spurs’ star gets a hero’s welcome in Paris
PARIS (AP) — The first enormous roar from the crowd came before the game even started. All Victor Wembanyama needed to do to get the fans in Paris into a full-blown frenzy was, it turned out, say hello into a microphone. The roar just from that lasted about 30 seconds. Welcome home, Wemby. For the first time as an NBA player, Wembanyama played in his homeland on Thursday — the star attraction in this two-game set of games between San Antonio and Indiana, a series that concludes on Saturday night.
Ludvig Aberg, Lanto Griffin share lead after fierce coastal wind interrupts Farmers Insurance Open
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ludvig Aberg and Lanto Griffin shared the lead Thursday at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open after ferocious wind forced an 86-minute delay and prevented dozens of players from finishing the second round. First-round leader Aberg fought to a 3-over 75, while Griffin had a 72 to sit even with Aberg at 6-under 138. Danny Walker was 5 under, while Chris Gotterup had a 69 to match the day’s best round and join Hayden Springer and Sungjae Im at 4 under. The players battled strong, inconsistent wind gusts measured at more than 35 mph on the famed coastal course better known for foggy marine layers than disruptive weather. Some gusts moved stationary balls and ripped hats off heads before marshals suspended play.
Australian Open: Did the Happy Slam become the Angry Slam? Or is tennis just changing?
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Why is everyone so angry at what long has been known as the Happy Slam? Things are a little out of control at the Australian Open this year, and that’s got only a little to do with the results on the courts. Yes, there have been some upsets, including Madison Keys eliminating No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the women’s semifinals Thursday night. But the real fuss is happening elsewhere. The rowdy fans are continuing a recent trend at Grand Slam tennis tournaments of loud and unruly folks in the stands. Also drawing attention have been some of the folks in television coverage at Melbourne Park.
Recording captured ex-interpreter impersonating Ohtani to transfer $200,000, prosecutors say
Federal prosecutors say a nearly four-minute audio recording allegedly captured Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara impersonating the baseball star on a call with a bank as he attempted to transfer $200,000. The recording referenced in a court filing Thursday by federal prosecutors is being used to back up a push for a nearly five-year sentence for Mizuhara. He previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star. Mizuhara’s attorney did not respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment. Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June to spending millions from Ohtani’s Arizona bank account to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker.
Scott’s $72 million, 4-year contract finalized by Dodgers, who spent $452 million on 8 players
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reliever Tanner Scott’s $72 million, four-year contract has been finalized by the Los Angeles Dodgers, raising the World Series champions’ offseason spending to $452 million on eight players. Scott was a first-time All-Star last year, going 9-6 with a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves in 24 chances for Miami and San Diego, which acquired him on July 30. The left-handed 30-year-old struck out 84 and walked 36 in 72 innings. Scott is 31-24 with a 3.56 ERA and 55 saves for Baltimore, Miami and San Diego.
Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea dazzle in pairs competition to open the US Figure Skating Championships
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea have taken a commanding lead after the pairs short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The defending national champions scored 77.19 points for their program, set to “Rain, in Your Black Eyes” by the Italian composer Ezio Bosso. It was more than four points better than their best in international competition, and it put Kam and O’Shea more than eight points clear of second-place Emily Chan and Spencer Howe heading into Saturday night’s free skate. The women’s short program was later Thursday night with Amber Glenn returning as the defending champion.