Matthew Stafford edges Drake Maye for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matthew Stafford edged Drake Maye for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award on Thursday night in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003. Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Maye got 23. But Maye has a chance to go home this week with a Vince Lombardi Trophy. He leads the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The Milan Cortina Olympics will start with a four-site and two-cauldron opening ceremony
MILAN (AP) — An unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron Winter Olympics opening ceremony replete with references to Italian icons and culture is scheduled to officially start the Milan Cortina Games. The Olympics return to Italy on Friday 20 years after it last hosted them in Turin. This is the most spread-out Olympics in history, with competition venues dotting an area of about a space roughly the size of the entire state of New Jersey. The main hub Friday is in Milan at San Siro soccer stadium. There also will be three other site for athletes to march, some carrying their country’s flag: Cortina in the heart of the Dolomite mountains; Livigno in the Alps; Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.
Lindsey Vonn ready to test injured left knee in Olympic downhill training run. ‘Let’s go get it!!’
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is ready for her first Olympic downhill training run in Cortina. The 41-year-old American tore the ACL in her left knee a week ago but she plans to race in the the Milan Cortina Games with a large brace on her injured knee. The downhill is Sunday, with training races scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Vonn holds the record of 12 World Cup wins in Cortina.
Antetokounmpo remains with Bucks as an extremely hectic NBA trade deadline passes
Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Milwaukee Bucks as the NBA trade deadline passes. Despite rumors, the Bucks kept the two-time MVP. The deadline saw 28 trades in a week, a 20-year record, with 18 finalized on Thursday. Antetokounmpo, who hasn’t played since January due to injury, has expressed his commitment to Milwaukee but wants a competitive team. The Bucks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference. Other notable trades included Indiana acquiring Ivica Zubac and Minnesota getting Ayo Dosunmu. James Harden and Anthony Davis were among big names traded earlier in the week.
Lindor, Correa off Puerto Rico’s WBC roster over insurance coverage, Báez for marijuana test
NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa are not on Puerto Rico’s roster for the World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues. Javy Báez is also absent after a positive marijuana test in 2023. Defending champion Japan features stars like Shohei Ohtani, while the U.S. boasts a strong lineup with Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper. Japan defeated the U.S. in the 2023 final. This year’s tournament runs from March 5-17 across multiple cities, with the final in Miami. Insurance policies have impacted player eligibility, affecting major league participation in events like the Olympics.
Chock and Bates rock the ice with world-best score to open figure skating at Milan Cortina Olympics
MILAN (AP) — Madison Chock and Evan Bates skated to a world-best 91.06 points in the rhythm dance section of the team competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The American figure skaters are the reigning champions. Cheered on by a crowd that includes Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chock and Bates secure their team the maximum 10 points. The team event is expected to come down to the U.S. and Japan for the gold medal.
Luka Doncic to have an MRI after leaving Lakers’ game against 76ers with left hamstring injury
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic left the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against Philadelphia with a leg injury. Doncic limped to the locker room with 3:03 left in the first half after apparently hurting his left leg on the far end of the court moments earlier. He didn’t return to the court when the second half began. Doncic leads the league with 33.4 points per game in his first full season with the Lakers. The Slovenian superstar is also second with 8.7 assists. He was also selected for his sixth All-Star game, voted in as a starter.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey issues affidavit supporting NCAA in Bediako eligibility case
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey eleased an affidavit backing the NCAA in its eligibility case against Alabama’s Charles Bediako. Bediako is playing in the SEC for the Crimson Tide over two years after signing an NBA two-way contract. Bediako has appeared in four games and has averaged 9.5 points and 5 rebounds in four games since a Tuscaloosa (Alabama) circuit court judge granted him a temporary restraining order allowing him to play. An injunction hearing on Bediako’s case is set for Friday.
Meet the man behind the Super Bowl’s annual confetti blizzard
Noah Winter has attended more Super Bowls than Tom Brady, but not as a player. Winter is the mastermind behind the confetti spectacle at the end of each game. His company, Artistry in Motion, has been creating the colorful celebrations in the winning team’s colors since the 31st Super Bowl, in 1997. Winter began his career in lighting design and pyrotechnics before transitioning to confetti for Disney and major concerts. The confetti is made from recycled materials and is biodegradable. Winter’s team makes sure the confetti drops precisely when the game ends. And in the right colors.