Sports

The AP NFL MVP finalists are Allen, Lawrence, Maye, McCaffrey and Stafford

NEW YORK (AP) — Christian McCaffrey is only the second player to be a finalist for three AP NFL awards, joining Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford in the running for The Associated Press 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player award. McCaffrey and Maye are also finalists for Offensive Player of the Year. McCaffrey and Lawrence are among the finalists for Comeback Player of the Year. The winners will be announced at “NFL Honors” on Feb. 5. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began. Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm of Lutz and Carr.

Laila Edwards enjoys homecoming; prepares to make Olympic debut as USA Hockey’s first Black female

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) — Laila Edwards is set to make history as the first Black female to represent the U.S. in Olympic hockey. Before heading to Milan, Italy, next month, the 21-year-old Edwards enjoyed a memorable homecoming in Cleveland. In November, the forward-turned-defender played in a Rivalry Series game against Canada, while having a chance to reconnect with her family. U.S. captain Hilary Knight refers to Edwards as the future of the sport. Her journey included leaving Cleveland at 11 to develop her skills in Pittsburgh and Rochester, New York. Now completing her senior college season at Wisconsin, Edwards has overcome numerous challenges, including being a Black player in a predominantly White sport.

Djokovic one away from 400 Grand Slam match wins; Wawrinka makes history

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka have made it a day for the ages at the Australian Open. Djokovic has achieved 399 Grand Slam match wins after defeating Francesco Maestrelli. He’s aiming for his 25th Grand Slam title, which would make him the oldest man to win a major singles championship in the Open era. Wawrinka became the first man over 40 to reach the third round of a major since 1978. Naomi Osaka’s first two rounds have been contrastingly different, ranging from fashion to friction. Day 5 set another attendance record at the Australian Open.

Lindsey Vonn, Chloe Kim, Mikaela Shiffrin headline US ski and snowboard squad named to the Olympics

Lindsey Vonn’s stirring return to ski racing in her 40s will hit its crescendo at the Milan Cortina Olympics, while the comeback quest of another U.S. gold medalist, snowboarder Jamie Anderson, came up short. Anderson, a two-time champion in slopestyle who returned to the sport after having two kids, failed to reach a podium this season and will not join the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team in the mountains of Italy. Mikaela Shiffrin made her fourth Olympic team, while snowboarder Chloe Kim is trying to make it three gold medals at three Olympics. They’re the headliners as U.S. Ski and Snowboard named its 97-person roster.

Pacific Life seeks to dismiss Kyle Busch’s $8.5M lawsuit over insurance policies

Pacific Life Insurance Company has asked a federal court to dismiss an $8.5 million lawsuit filed by NASCAR champion Kyle Busch and his wife. The Buschs claim they were misled about life insurance policies sold as tax-free retirement income. Pacific Life argues Busch failed to fully fund the policies, let some lapse, and surrendered others. The company says the Buschs signed documents acknowledging they understood the policies and their risks. Pacific Life also claims the lawsuit is outside the statute of limitations. The Buschs allege they were unaware of high commissions and were steered into a high-risk product.

NBA and Abu Dhabi extend partnership, league will bring more games there

The NBA and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism have extended their partnership. The league will continue bringing preseason games to the Middle East and plans to launch a global academy in Abu Dhabi for top boys’ players. Financial details weren’t disclosed, but the nine-year extension is expected to be worth more than $300 million. It comes as the NBA continues talks to launch a new league in Europe, with FIBA as a partner there. The NBA has played in Abu Dhabi for the last four preseasons. The planned NBA Global Academy in Abu Dhabi will serve as an elite basketball development program for high-school-age athletes.

Lawyer for fired Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore seeks to have the charges dismissed

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A lawyer for fired University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore is seeking to have home invasion and other charges dismissed. Authorities say Moore went inside a woman’s apartment on Dec. 10, blamed her for losing his job and threatened to kill himself in front of her. Earlier that day, Moore was fired over his relationship with the woman, who worked in the football program. His dismissal shocked college football. Moore’s attorney said Thursday that the arrest warrant for Moore was based on “misleading statements.” She didn’t elaborate, but told a judge that she had filed a motion to quash the warrant.

Missouri considers a ban on college athlete prop bets after NCAA basketball betting scandal

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri gambling regulators are considering new restrictions on bets related to college athletes’ performance. The move by the Missouri Gaming Commission comes one week after the NCAA urged state gambling boards to ban college athlete prop bets because of recent scandals. Prop bets focus on individual player performances, like points scored in basketball or passing yards in football. The NCAA argues these bets are vulnerable to manipulation. Last week, over two dozen people were indicted for allegedly trying to rig college basketball games. Missouri already prohibits prop bets on athletes playing in games involving Missouri colleges, but it allows them for all other games.

Olympic ice dancers Zingas and Kolesnik lead American sweep in rhythm dance at Four Continents

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik led an American sweep in the rhythm portion of the ice dance competition at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. They scored 79.97 points, edging out Caroline Parsons and Michael Brown. The event took place Thursday. Zingas and Kolesnik, recently crowned U.S. silver medalists, are using this competition to refine their programs before the Milan Cortina Olympics. In pairs, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov were third after the short program. The Chinese team of Sui Wenjing and Han Cong won the pairs short program. The competition continues through Sunday.

Olympic flame makes historic passage down Venice’s Grand Canal

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Olympic flame makes a landmark run through Venice, gliding on boats down the Grand Canal and across St. Mark’s Basin. Venice has historically served as a crucial nexus between Eastern and Western civilizations. The flame will arrive toward dusk at Piazzale Roma, crossing the Ponte delle Guglie and the Rialto Bridge. Venice is the 46th stage of the 63-day torch relay covering 12,000 kilometers. The relay started in Rome and will wind through all 110 Italian provinces before reaching Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the opening ceremony on February 6.