NEW YORK (AP) — Two pitchers with the Cleveland Guardians have been indicted on charges they took bribes to give sports bettors advance notice of their pitches and intentionally tossed balls instead of strikes to ensure successful bets. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July while MLB investigated what it called unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Ortiz was arrested Sunday by the FBI in Boston while Clase was not in immediate custody. Lawyers for both pitchers said their clients were innocent. MLB and the Guardians said they were both cooperating with the federal investigation.
SEATTLE (AP) — Lenny Wilkens, a three-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, has died at 88, his family announced on Sunday. Wilkens was honored as both a player and a coach. He was known as one of the finest point guards of his era and later became a renowned coach. He coached 2,487 NBA games, a record that still stands. Wilkens was also inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. He also coached the U.S. to a gold medal in the Atlanta Games in 1996.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has died at the age of 84. Tagliabue helped bring labor peace and riches to the league during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tagliabue’s family informed the league of his death in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Tagliabue, who had developed Parkinson’s disease, was commissioner from 1989, when he succeeded Pete Rozelle, to 2006. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of a special centennial class in 2020. Current Commissioner Roger Goodell succeeded Tagliabue.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump has become the first sitting president in nearly a half-century at a regular-season NFL game. He attended the Washington Commanders’ contest against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. House Speaker Mike Johnson was among those who joined Trump in a suite at Northwest Stadium. Before the president's arrival, he flew over the stadium in Air Force One. Only two other times did a president go to an NFL game during the regular season while in office: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978. Trump became the first president at a Super Bowl while residing in the White House last February.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw for 220 yards and a touchdown as the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 25-10. The Chargers have won three straight games after a midseason slump. Their defense kept Aaron Rodgers without a touchdown until the final minutes. The Steelers struggled offensively, going 0 for 9 on third down before their lone touchdown drive. Cameron Dicker kicked three field goals for the Chargers, including a 59-yarder that tied his team record. Keenan Allen caught two passes to become the Chargers' career receptions leader.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — TreVeyon Henderson had touchdown runs of 69 and 55 yards, Drake Maye threw two TD passes, and the New England Patriots beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-23 for their seventh straight win. After Maye threw an interception in the end zone, the Patriots (8-2) made a big stop on fourth-and-3 at their own 27. Henderson then sealed the win with his 69-yard TD run. The rookie finished with a career-high 147 yards rushing on 14 carries. The Buccaneers were the first team in NFL history to have each of their first four wins of the season come on a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation. They had a chance to do it again when Tykee Smith intercepted Maye’s pass from the 2 in the end zone with 5:17 left.
Texas has returned to the top 10 in The Associated Press college football poll. The Longhorns, ranked No. 10, are set to visit No. 5 Georgia this week. They had dropped out of the top 25 after losing to Florida several weeks ago. Ohio State remains No. 1, followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia. The ACC has five teams ranked, including Georgia Tech and Miami. The Group of Five conferences are represented by James Madison and South Florida.
Paul Tagliabue led the NFL to greater success and diversity during his 17 years as commissioner. He died Sunday at age 84. Tagliabue, who served from 1989 to 2006, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Under his leadership, league revenues soared, new stadiums were built, and the NFL expanded to 32 teams. He introduced the “Rooney Rule” to promote diversity in coaching and executive positions. However, his tenure was also marked by the league's slow response to concussions. In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for past remarks about concussions, acknowledging that he lacked proper data.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers’ tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers began on a high note with four wins in five games to start the season. Since then, however, the 41-year-old quarterback’s performance has gotten progressively worse and worse as the Steelers have lost three of four. Rodgers went 16 of 31 for 161 yards with a touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble in Pittsburgh’s 25-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. He was sacked three times, took a safety and finished with a 50.6 passer rating, his lowest mark of the season.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — David Rodriguez scored his second goal of the game in the 106th minute and Atletico Ottawa won the Canadian Premier League’s North Star Cup in a snowstorm Sunday night, beating defending champions Cavalry FC of Calgary 2-1. TD Place was blanketed by heavy snowfall, with plows brought on to clear the turf before extra time. In the 33rd minute, Cavalry defender Fraser Aird tucked the ball into the bottom right corner. In a testament to the rivalry between the sides, the celebrating visitors were met with a barrage of snowballs from Atletico fans. Just six minutes later, Ottawa midfielder Gabriel Antonaro lobbed a pass into the box that evaded the crowd through the snow and found Rodriguez for a bicycle kick.
Finals
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Chicago 5 Detroit 1
Final Los Angeles 3 Pittsburgh 2
Final Dallas 2 Seattle 1
Final Ottawa 4 Utah 2
Final Carolina 5 Toronto 4
Final Minnesota 2 Calgary 0
Final Anaheim 4 Winnipeg 1
Final OT Colorado 5 Vancouver 4
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final OT Indianapolis 31 Atlanta 25
Final Baltimore 27 Minnesota 19
Final Chicago 24 N-Y Giants 20
Final Houston 36 Jacksonville 29
Final Miami 30 Buffalo 13
Final N-Y Jets 27 Cleveland 20
Final New England 28 Tampa Bay 23
Final New Orleans 17 Carolina 7
Final Seattle 44 Arizona 22
Final Detroit 44 Washington 22
Final L.A. Rams 42 San Francisco 26
Final L.A. Chargers 25 Pittsburgh 10