AP Sports Digest
The highlights of the AP Sports report. An up-to-the minute listing of all stories planned, including games and events, is available in Coverage Plan on AP Newsroom, https://newsroom.ap.org/coverageplan. You can also find a link to Coverage Plan on the left navigation of the Newsroom home page, https://newsroom.ap.org. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.
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ADVISORIES:
The Associated Press is introducing a new game recap format for NBA, NHL and college basketball games. Details can be found here.
The AP is retiring the BBA and BBN slugs for baseball coverage beginning with the 2024-25 offseason. Details can be found here.
All times EST
TOP STORIES
FBN—BILLS-MCDERMOTT
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott has shown a more playful side of his personality in his eighth — and what so far stands as being — most successful regular season. He’s introduced “Dad Joke Fridays” and made snow angels on the field with quarterback Josh Allen after Buffalo clinched its fifth straight AFC East title last weekend. By John Wawrow. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 6 a.m.
FBN-TEXANS-AL SHAAIR SUSPENSION
NEW YORK — The NFL and the NFL players association upheld Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s three-game suspension without pay following his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence. SENT: 640 words, photo.
AND:
— FBN—RAIDERS-BOWERS. By Mark Anderson. SENT: 710 words, photos.
— FBN—JETS-RODGERS' FUTURE. By Dennis Waszak Jr. SENT: 770 words, photos.
— FBN—GIANTS-LOCK. By TOm Canavan. SENT: 440 words, photos.
— FBN—NFL DRUG POLICY. By Rob Maadi. SENT: 280 words.
BKC-STARRING ALL-AMERICANS
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke’s Cooper Flagg knows what’s coming from older and stronger defenders. So too does Auburn coach Bruce Pearl when it comes to the pressure facing his frontcourt star in Johni Broome. On Wednesday night, the two preseason Associated Press All-Americans headlined a heavyweight matchup worthy of March, though from very different positions. By AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos at 6 a.m.
FBC--CFP-RANKINGS FALLOUT
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami wants things reconsidered. So does South Carolina. The Big 12 is puzzled. And Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin turned toward social media to ask the College Football Playoff committee a question. “You guys actually meet for days and come up with these rankings??” Kiffin wrote. By Tim Reynolds and Stephen Hawkins. SENT: 930 words, photos.
BBO--METS-MONTAS
NEW YORK — Frankie Montas and the New York Mets have finalized their $34 million, two-year contract. The veteran right-hander will earn a $17 million salary next year and the deal includes a $17 million player option for 2026. Montas, who turns 32 in March, went 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA and 148 strikeouts over 150 2/3 innings in 30 starts for Cincinnati and Milwaukee this year. SENT: 360 words, photos.
BBO—MLBPA ELECTIONS
PHOENIX — National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes was elected to the players’ association eight-man executive subcommittee on Wednesday just six months after his big league debut as three players were dropped who had advocated for the ouster of union deputy executive director Bruce Meyer. Jack Flaherty, Ian Happ and Lucas Giolito were dropped along with Francisco Lindor, Lance McCullers Jr. and Austin Slater. By AP Baseball Writers David Brandt and Ronald Blum. SENT: 370 words, photos.
NOTABLE
AF-KENYA-KUNG FU
NAIROBI, Kenya — A growing number of young people in Kenya see kung fu as a path toward future income. It has emerged as an alternative to the more popular martial art of taekwondo that is part of some school programs in Kenya and has seen some Kenyans compete in international competitions. The growing visibility of Chinese workers in Kenya for major infrastructure projects also has sparked an interest in their culture in a country globally known for its runners. By Eveleyne Musambi and Desmond Tiro. SENT: 640 words, photos.
SOC--FIFA-CLUB WORLD CUP-EXPLAINER
GENEVA — Ahead of FIFA making the group-stage draw on Thursday in Miami for the first 32-team Club World Cup, a look at the tournament’s history, how teams qualified to play in the United States -- and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami was inserted without qualifying - and the challenges to delivering hundreds of millions of dollars in long-promised prize money. By Graham Dunbar. SENT: 1,120 words.
HKN--STARS-SEGUIN SURGERY
LOS ANGELES — Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin needs hip surgery and will be out four to six months, jeopardizing the season for the 32-year-old now dealing with the second major hip injury of his career. The team says Seguin will have a procedure to repair an impingement and the labrum in his left hip. The surgery is planned for Thursday. SENT: 390 words, photo.
HKO--4 NATIONS FACE-OFF ROSTERS
Sweden and Finland rounded out their rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off by choosing a handful of recent Stanley Cup champions in an effort to win the first international tournament with the NHL’s best players since 2016. Sweden selected Vegas’ William Karlsson among its final final 17 players, while Finland picked Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell and Niko Mikkola and Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen. By AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 840 words, photos
SOF--ATHLETES UNIMITED-TEAM NAMES
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League has announced that its team names will be the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts. They are not yet affiliated with cities. The league will start with a new touring format in June before becoming city-based in 2026. The Bandits will have Jenny Dalton-Hill as general manager and Stacey Nuveman-Deniz as coach. By Cliff Brunt. SENT: 410 words, photos.
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Thursday's EST Time Schedule
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Green Bay at Detroit, 8:15 p.m.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m.
Denver at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
Charlotte at New York, 7:30 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at San Antonio, 8 p.m.
Phoenix at New Orleans, 8 p.m.
Sacramento at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Houston at Golden State, 10 p.m.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Colorado at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Florida at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Nashville at Montreal, 7 p.m.
San Jose at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Seattle at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
St. Louis at Calgary, 9 p.m.
TO 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
No. 8 Purdue at Penn St., 6:30 p.m.
TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
No. 3 South Carolina vs. No. 8 Duke, 9 p.m.
No. 4 Texas at No. 10 Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
No. 5 LSU vs. Stanford, 9 p.m.
No. 13 Kansas St. vs. SC-Upstate, 7:30 p.m.
No. 14 Kentucky at No. 16 North Carolina, 5 p.m.
No. 18 Mississippi at NC State, 7 p.m.
No. 19 Alabama at California, 9 p.m.
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