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February 15, 2024
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February 15, 2024
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Update on the latest sports

 
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February 15, 2024

Police try to decipher who was behind mass shooting at Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities in Kansas City are trying to decipher who was behind a mass shooting that unfolded amid throngs of people at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration. Wednesday’s violence left 21 people wounded. They include at least eight children. A mother of two was killed. Police said three people were detained and firearms were recovered. But further details on the shooting or a possible motive have not been released. Investigators are calling for witnesses and victims to call a dedicated hotline. The shooting outside the city’s historic Union Station happened despite the presence of more than 800 police officers on hand.

Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart arrested for assault for punching Suns’ Eubanks during pregame altercation

PHOENIX (AP) — Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was arrested for assault Wednesday for punching Phoenix Suns center Drew Eubanks at the arena hours before the teams played. Phoenix police said Stewart was issued a citation and released. Stewart was already listed as out for the game because of a sprained left ankle. Eubanks had six points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes in the Suns’ 116-100 victory. Eubanks said before the game that the altercation happened as he was coming into the arena. He said an argument started and they were chest-to-chest before Stewart threw the punch. Security intervened and Eubanks said he was fine for the game, though police say he sustained a minor injury.

Caitlin Clark is on the cusp of the NCAA women’s scoring record. She gets a chance to do it at home

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — It shouldn’t take long for Caitlin Clark to become the NCAA women’s career scoring leader Thursday night when No. 4 Iowa hosts Michigan. Clark goes into the game needing eight points to pass Kelsey Plum’s total of 3,527 points. Clark has scored at least eight in the first quarter in 17 of 25 games this season, and she’s hasn’t gone into a halftime with fewer than that. Clark and her dynamic game have captivated the nation. More than just her pursuit of the record, her long 3-point shots and flashy passes have raised interest in the women’s game to unprecedented levels.

Blue Jackets fire GM Jarmo Kekalainen midway through his 11th full season

The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. President of hockey operations John Davidson made the decision midway through Kekalainen’s 11th full season on the job. Davidson and the hockey operations team will assume GM duties on an interim basis until a full-time replacement is found. The move comes with the Blue Jackets in last place and on track to miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. It’s also several months since the botched hiring of coach Mike Babcock, who was forced to resign on the eve of training camp for his conduct with players.

The 49ers fire defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after their Super Bowl loss

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks three days after losing the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Kyle Shanahan announced the decision to move on after one season with Wilks in charge of the defense. Shanahan called it a “really tough decision” but says he wants to find a coordinator who was a better scheme fit for the talent on San Francisco’s defense. The Niners struggled on defense in the playoffs and allowed four straight scoring drives to end their Super Bowl loss against Kansas City.

Things to know about the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gunfire erupted at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration, leaving one woman dead and more than 20 people injured, including children. The shooting happened at the end of Wednesday’s celebration outside the city’s historic Union Station. Fans had lined the parade route and some even climbed trees and street poles or stood on rooftops to watch as players passed by on double-decker buses. Radio station KKFI said via Facebook that Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the host of “Taste of Tejano,” was killed. Police Chief Stacey Graves says three people had been detained and firearms were recovered. She says police were still piecing together what happened. She didn’t release details about those who were detained or a possible motive.

Victor Wembanyama’s 1st All-Star weekend awaits, and it’ll be hectic for the Spurs rookie

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama’s first NBA All-Star experience will be hectic, just like everything else has seemed so far in his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs. He’s going to the Tech Summit, the league’s thinktank that kicks off the All-Star festivities on Friday morning. He’ll have a slate of media responsibilities. He’ll play in the Rising Stars games Friday and the skills competition on Saturday. There will surely be opportunities for as many other appearances as he wants to make. It’s a lot. If his first few months in the NBA is any indication, he’ll make it all seem like a breeze.

As the Penguins retire his jersey, Jagr at 52 is still going strong on his Czech hometown team

KLADNO, Czech Republic (AP) — The legendary mullet is gone. He’s not as quick as he used to be. And yet the way Jaromir Jagr moves on the ice belies his age and evokes memories of his glory days in the NHL. Jagr turns 52 on Thursday and still has many of the resolute skills that make him an ice hockey geat, a two-time NHL champion and an Olympic gold medalist. He owns and plays for his hometown team Kladno. But Jagr will take a short break from the Czech league this week and travel to Pittsburgh, where he made his name in the NHL and where his No. 68 Penguins jersey will be retired at a ceremony on Sunday.

UConn players are putting winning over statistics and hoping the NBA will notice

Top-ranked UConn doesn’t have a superstar on its roster and is instead being carried this season by a group of NBA hopefuls who are banking on the idea that winning will do more for their draft prospects than putting up big individual numbers. As the Huskies (23-2, 13-1 Big East) head into Saturday’s showdown with No. 4 Marquette (19-5, 10-3), all of UConn’s starters are averaging double-figures in scoring, led by Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer (15.3 points per game). All five are considered draft prospects with freshman Stephon Castle and sophomore Donovan Clingan considered possible lottery selections.

Ryan Blaney enters 2024 season the NASCAR champion. Up next, a shot at winning the Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Blaney is trying to become the sixth driver to follow a NASCAR Cup championship with a Daytona 500 victory the next season. The feat hasn’t been done since Dale Jarrett won the 1999 title and then enjoyed the last of this three Daytona 500 wins in 2000. Blaney has a pair of runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500, losing out to Kurt Busch in 2017 and Denny Hamlin in 2020. The Team Penske driver is preparing for his 10th Daytona 500. The 30-year-old Blaney enjoyed every moment as he followed in teammate Joey Logano’s path and delivered team owner Roger Penske a second straight NASCAR championship.