SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion. After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium. Will Drake Maye and the Patriots capture their seventh Lombardi Trophy? Or will Sam Darnold and the Seahawks earn their second? The matchup features two stingy defenses, two balanced offenses and two quarterbacks who’ve taken vastly different routes to get here. The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the NFL and have standout players at every level. The Patriots got here because their defense has been dominant in the playoffs.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn's pursuit of a second Olympic downhill gold medal is over. The 41-year-old American, skiing with a badly injured left knee, crashed early in Sunday's race in Italy. She was taken off the course by helicopter after receiving medical attention. Vonn lost control early in the race and was heard screaming as she was surrounded by medical personnel. Vonn returned to elite ski racing last season after a long break and was a race favorite. The crash may end her storied career. Teammate Breezy Johnson won the gold.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — American ski racer Breezy Johnson won the Olympic downhill Sunday with a hard-charging run on a day marred by teammate Lindsey Vonn’s crash. Johnson was the sixth racer and found speed with a risk-taking trip along the iconic Olympia delle Tofana course on a sunny day in Cortina. She was in the leader’s box when Vonn, the No. 13 racer, cut a corner too close and was spun around before crashing. The race was put on hold for more than 20 minutes. The 30-year-old Johnson joins Vonn as the only American women to win the Olympic downhill. Johnson finished in 1 minute, 36.10 seconds to hold off Emma Aicher of Germany by just .04 seconds. Italy’s Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill winner and 2022 silver medalist, finished with the bronze.
At a difficult time for America, Super Bowl advertisers are asking viewers to take care of themselves and others — and maybe even crack a smile. Ring shows how neighbors can use their doorbell cameras to find lost pets. A Budweiser Clydesdale protects a bald eagle chick from the rain. Novartis touts a blood test that can detect prostate cancer. Toyota reminds viewers to wear their seatbelts. Two ads feature songs from Mister Rogers. Health care is a big theme, with Novo Nordisk and Ro promoting GLP-1s. And tech companies like Meta, Anthropic and Amazon are all in on AI.
MILAN (AP) — Russian figure skater Petr Gumennik has been forced to change his short program music just two days before the men's competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics. He had been using music from “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” but discovered he lacked the proper permissions. With limited time, he couldn't get clearance for his previous season's music from “Dune” and switched to “Waltz 1805” by Edgar Hakobyan. The men's competition begins Tuesday. Copyright issues have become a significant problem in figure skating after the International Skating Union relaxed its rules in 2014, allowing more modern music. Several problems have occurred in the first week of the Milan Cortina Olympics.
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Ester Ledecka’s quest to become the first snowboarder to win gold medals in three straight Olympics came to a surprisingly early end. She lost her quarterfinal race in the sport’s parallel giant slalom by 0.06 seconds to Austria’s Sabine Payer. The 30-year-old Ledecka was a big favorite for gold. She hadn’t lost a PGS World Cup race in almost two years and hadn’t missed a podium in five. Ledecka made history in 2018 when she became the first athlete to win both a snowboard race and one on skis at the same Olympics.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks have defied the odds by reaching the Super Bowl after aggressive free agency spending. The Patriots spent more than $364 million, securing key players like Milton Williams and Stefon Diggs. General Manager Eliot Wolf emphasized a culture shift and intentional player selection. The Seahawks, spending more than $205 million, signed quarterback Sam Darnold and made strategic draft picks, bolstered by trades. Coach Mike Macdonald praised the balance of the draft and free agency. While free agency fueled success, both teams acknowledge it’s not a guaranteed strategy for future seasons.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he had staff members “that got punched in the face” as North Carolina fans stormed the court to celebrate a late winning shot in the famed rivalry Saturday night. That prompted UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham to publicly apologize. Cunningham said one person was injured amid the chaos but didn't offer details as to who or how. UNC beat rival Duke 71-68 on Seth Trimble's 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left.
CHICAGO (AP) — Nikola Jokic earned another game ball from his Denver Nuggets teammates after achieving another triple-double. He records 22 points, 17 assists, and 14 rebounds, surpassing Oscar Robertson for No. 2 on the NBA's career list with his 182nd regular-season triple-double. This performance leads the Nuggets to a 136-120 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, is making his mark, trailing only Russell Westbrook on the career list. Nuggets coach David Adelman praises Jokic's unique skills, while teammate Jamal Murray expects even more record-breaking performances from him.
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons rookie star James Pearce Jr. was arrested near Miami on Saturday night after fleeing officers and then crashing his car following what police said was a domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Pearce, the first-round pick who led the Falcons in sacks and was third in NFL defensive rookie of the year voting, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after Doral police were summoned to investigate a reported domestic dispute. According to jail records, Pearce is facing charges of two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon as well as aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police with lights or siren. Bond was not immediately set on all the charges. Jackson plays for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Finals
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Arizona 84 Oklahoma State 47
Final (14)North Carolina 71 (4)Duke 68
Final (10)Michigan State 85 (5)Illinois 82
Final (6)Gonzaga 81 Oregon State 61
Final (7)Iowa State 72 Baylor 69
Final (8)Houston 77 (16)BYU 66
Final (9)Nebraska 80 Rutgers 68
Final (11)Kansas 71 Utah 59
Final (12)Purdue 68 Oregon 64
Final Oklahoma 92 (15)Vanderbilt 91
Final (17)Florida 86 Texas A&M 67
Final (18)Virginia 72 Syracuse 59
Final (19)Saint Louis 82 La Salle 58
Final (20)Clemson 77 California 55
Final (21)Arkansas 88 Mississippi State 68
Final (23)Miami (OH) 90 Marshall 74
Final (24)Louisville 88 Wake Forest 80