AP Sports

Patrick Mahomes rallies the Chiefs to second straight Super Bowl title, 25-22 over 49ers in overtime

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid have made the Kansas City Chiefs a dynasty. They’re already thinking three-peat. First, they had to become the NFL’s first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years. Mahomes made sure of it, leading another super comeback on the NFL’s biggest stage in America’s showcase capital. Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in overtime, and the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 on Sunday, becoming the NFL’s ninth repeat Super Bowl champs. With pop star Taylor Swift watching boyfriend Kelce from a suite, the Chiefs captured their third title in five years and joined some of the league’s greatest franchises.

Mahomes, the Chiefs, Taylor Swift and a thrilling game — it all came together at the Super Bowl

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in a Super Bowl unlike any other. Several topics will linger in the aftermath. Those include where this pulsating game ranks among the classics. And where the Chiefs rank among the game’s great dynasties. Then there’s Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City quarterback’s resume might be even better than Tom Brady’s was when Brady was this age. Taylor Swift made this game even more memorable with her appearance to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs. And the site was also unique. Las Vegas hosted for the first time.

Taylor Swift kisses Travis Kelce on the field after his Chiefs beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Taylor Swift keeps finding herself on the winning side. She kissed boyfriend Travis Kelce on the field after his Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers. And she celebrated with his family and many of her famous friends including Blake Lively and Ice Spice when the CHiefs scored the winning touchdown in overtime. Swift had to fly halfway around the world to make it to the game in Las Vegas after a series of concerts in Tokyo. Right before that, she won album of the year for a record fourth time at the Grammys.

Super Bowl star: Mahomes leads Chiefs to comeback 25-22 win over 49ers for 3rd ring

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes put himself squarely in the conversation for the best quarterbacks of all time with another Super Bowl victory in dramatic fashion. The two-time league MVP led the Kansas City Chiefs for a tying field goal with 3 seconds left in regulation Sunday and then threw the touchdown pass that gave them a 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in overtime. It was the second straight Super Bowl title for Mahomes and the Chiefs and and his third ring overall. Tom Brady has the record for a starting QB with seven rings, but that hardly seems out of reach.

Jen Pawol on verge of becoming first MLB female umpire, gets full-time spring training assignment

NEW YORK (AP) — Jen Pawol is on the verge of becoming Major League Baseball’s first female umpire. The 47-year-old from New Jersey was selected to work a full-time big league spring training schedule this year, people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. That put her on track to become the first woman to umpire a regular-season big league baseball game. Pawol’s assignment was to be announced later Monday. Her spring training assignment was disclosed to the AP by people familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Tiger Woods starts a new year with a new look now that his Nike deal has ended

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tiger Woods is starting a new year with a new look. He still figures to be wearing red on Sunday. It just won’t have the Nike swoosh. Woods has been with Nike ever since he turned pro in 1996. But that sponsorship officially ended last month. Woods promised a new “chapter.” He makes his 2024 debut this week in Los Angeles at the Genesis Invitational. But first, he has a press conference Monday afternoon outside Riviera to unveil his new look. All signs point toward TaylorMade because of trademark applications the company made called “Sunday Red.”

49ers’ decision to take the ball first in Super Bowl overtime will be debated for a while

LAS VEGAS (AP) — San Francisco’s decision to take the ball first in overtime of the Super Bowl will be debated for a while. The 49ers drove for a field goal, then lost 25-22 when Patrick Mahomes guided Kansas City 75 yards the other way for the winning touchdown. San Francisco’s drive ended when the 49ers kicked a field goal on fourth-and-4 from the 9. If they’d known three points wouldn’t be good enough, they could have gone for a touchdown in that spot. Instead it was the Chiefs who knew exactly what they needed to do to win.

Travis Kelce brings home the hardware, holds up ‘end of the bargain’ with Taylor Swift

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce shook off a frustrating first half and held up his end of the bargain for girlfriend Taylor Swift. Kelce finished with nine receptions for 93 yards, including a crucial catch with less than one minute remaining in overtime, to help the Chiefs win their second straight Super Bowl with a 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. One play after Kelce’s reception put the Chiefs on the 3-yard line, Patrick Mahomes found Mecole Hardman alone in the end zone for the winning TD, in the process helping Kelce keep his promise while sending Swift and everyone in her suite into a celebratory frenzy.

Nick Taylor wins Phoenix Open with birdie on 2nd hole of playoff with Charley Hoffman

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Nick Taylor made an 11-foot birdie putt to beat Charley Hoffman on the second hole of a playoff after birdieing three of the last four in regulation Sunday, capping another wild week at the Phoenix Open with his second memorable victory. Taylor closed with a 6-under 65 to reach 21-under 263, with the 35-year-old Canadian forcing the playoff with a 9-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th. Both players birdied the extra hole and hit the green on No. 18 a second time, and Taylor birdied the hole for the third time in less than an hour. He won his fourth PGA Tour title. Last year, he took the Canadian Open with a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth extra hole.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark needs 8 points to set NCAA scoring record after finishing with 31 vs. Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Caitlin Clark’s pursuit of the NCAA women’s career scoring record will continue for at least four more days after her 31-point performance in No. 2 Iowa’s 82-79 loss to Nebraska. The generational talent who has brought unprecedented attention to women’s basketball came into the game 39 points from passing Kelsey Plum’s total of 3,527 for Washington from 2013-17. Clark went scoreless the last 12 1/2 minutes against Nebraska and now needs eight points to break the record. She’ll likely will do it Thursday night in Iowa City against Michigan.