SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matthew Stafford edged Drake Maye for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award on Thursday night in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003. Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Maye got 23. But Maye has a chance to go home this week with a Vince Lombardi Trophy. He leads the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — A week after rupturing the ACL in her left knee, Lindsey Vonn opened her chase for Olympic gold at the age of 41 with an aggressive and successful training run down the Olympia delle Tofane downhill course. The American got tight with her line midway down and only narrowly cleared a gate but she led at the final checkpoints, then stood up out of her tuck before the finish. She traded fist pumps and a hug with teammate Breezy Johnson. Vonn tore the ACL a week ago but she plans to race in the the Milan Cortina Games with a large brace on her injured knee. The downhill is Sunday.
MILAN (AP) — An unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron Winter Olympics opening ceremony replete with references to Italian icons and culture is scheduled to officially start the Milan Cortina Games. The Olympics return to Italy on Friday 20 years after it last hosted them in Turin. This is the most spread-out Olympics in history, with competition venues dotting an area of about a space roughly the size of the entire state of New Jersey. The main hub Friday is in Milan at San Siro soccer stadium. There also will be three other site for athletes to march, some carrying their country’s flag: Cortina in the heart of the Dolomite mountains; Livigno in the Alps; Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.
Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Milwaukee Bucks as the NBA trade deadline passes. Despite rumors, the Bucks kept the two-time MVP. The deadline saw 28 trades in a week, a 20-year record, with 18 finalized on Thursday. Antetokounmpo, who hasn't played since January due to injury, has expressed his commitment to Milwaukee but wants a competitive team. The Bucks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference. Other notable trades included Indiana acquiring Ivica Zubac and Minnesota getting Ayo Dosunmu. James Harden and Anthony Davis were among big names traded earlier in the week.
NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa are not on Puerto Rico's roster for the World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues. Javy Báez is also absent after a positive marijuana test in 2023. Defending champion Japan features stars like Shohei Ohtani, while the U.S. boasts a strong lineup with Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper. Japan defeated the U.S. in the 2023 final. This year's tournament runs from March 5-17 across multiple cities, with the final in Miami. Insurance policies have impacted player eligibility, affecting major league participation in events like the Olympics.
MILAN (AP) — Madison Chock and Evan Bates skated to a world-best 91.06 points in the rhythm dance section of the team competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The American figure skaters are the reigning champions. Cheered on by a crowd that includes Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chock and Bates secure their team the maximum 10 points. The team event is expected to come down to the U.S. and Japan for the gold medal.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic left the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against Philadelphia with a leg injury. Doncic limped to the locker room with 3:03 left in the first half after apparently hurting his left leg on the far end of the court moments earlier. He didn’t return to the court when the second half began. Doncic leads the league with 33.4 points per game in his first full season with the Lakers. The Slovenian superstar is also second with 8.7 assists. He was also selected for his sixth All-Star game, voted in as a starter.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey released an affidavit backing the NCAA in its eligibility case against Alabama’s Charles Bediako. Bediako is playing in the SEC for the Crimson Tide over two years after signing an NBA two-way contract. Bediako has appeared in four games and has averaged 9.5 points and 5 rebounds in four games since a Tuscaloosa (Alabama) circuit court judge granted him a temporary restraining order allowing him to play. An injunction hearing on Bediako’s case is set for Friday.
KENNEBUNK, Maine (AP) — Three fans who have attended every Super Bowl since 1967 are going again this year. But two of them say it might be their last time. Don Crisman of Maine, Gregory Eaton of Michigan and Tom Henschel of Florida are the last remaining members of the exclusive club of people who have never missed the big game. But this year’s Super Bowl is a little bittersweet: Crisman and Henschel say advancing age and mobility issues mean this is probably their final trip. Eaton, however, plans to keep going as long as he can.
Noah Winter has attended more Super Bowls than Tom Brady, but not as a player. Winter is the mastermind behind the confetti spectacle at the end of each game. His company, Artistry in Motion, has been creating the colorful celebrations in the winning team's colors since the 31st Super Bowl, in 1997. Winter began his career in lighting design and pyrotechnics before transitioning to confetti for Disney and major concerts. The confetti is made from recycled materials and is biodegradable. Winter's team makes sure the confetti drops precisely when the game ends. And in the right colors.
Finals
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Carolina 2 N-Y Rangers 0
Final N-Y Islanders 3 New Jersey 1
Final OT Ottawa 2 Philadelphia 1
Final Pittsburgh 5 Buffalo 2
Final Washington 4 Nashville 2
Final Tampa Bay 6 Florida 1
Final Vegas 4 Los Angeles 1
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (2)Michigan 110 Penn State 69