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The AP’s Ralph Russo hosts the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast.
TOP STORIES
FBN--JETS-RAVENS
BALTIMORE -- Only minutes removed from watching his team roll to its 10th consecutive victory, coach John Harbaugh showed up to the post-game news conference wearing a white hat proclaiming Baltimore to be AFC North champions. No small accomplishment, winning that tough division two years in a row.. By David Ginsburg. SENT: 750 words, photos. With sidebar Defenseless Jets (sent).
BKN—STERN-BRAIN SURGERY
NEW YORK — Former NBA Commissioner David Stern suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage Thursday and had emergency surgery. The league made the announcement about Stern's condition in a statement, saying its thoughts and prayers were with the 77-year-old Stern's family. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. SENT: 350 words, photos.
FBC--AP PLAYER OF THE YEAR
What figures to be an award-winning week for LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is underway. Burrow was named The Associated Press college football player of the year presented by Regions Bank on Thursday in a landslide vote, making him the first LSU player to win the the 21-year-old award. By College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 570 words, photos.
FORMER NFL PLAYERS CHARGED
WASHINGTON — Ten former NFL players are charged in a multimillion-dollar scheme with defrauding the league’s health care benefit program. They include five ex-Redskins, including Clinton Portis and Carlos Rogers. By Michael Balsamo. SENT: 580 words, photos.
GLF--PRESIDENT’S CUP
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Justin Thomas delivered the biggest moment for an American team desperate for one Friday in the Presidents Cup. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. SENT: 950 words, photos. With sidebar on Abraham Ancer(sent), capsules (upcoming), results, pairings, cards (sent).
OLY--TOKYO-FORGOTTEN TOWN FUTABA, Japan — The torch relay for the Tokyo Olympics will kick off in Fukushima. The northern prefecture was devastated almost nine years ago by an earthquake, tsunami, and the subsequent meltdown of three nuclear reactors. They’ll play Olympic baseball and softball in one part of Fukushima. This allows Tokyo organizers and Japanese officials to call these games the “Recovery Olympics.” But thousands still haven’t recovered and are unable to return home to left-behind towns like Futaba. By Mari Yamaguchi and Stephen Wade. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
SPORTS SHOWCASE
SKI--SNOW PRESSURE
BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Italian downhiller Dominik Paris writes lyrics as the front man of a death metal band. American Travis Ganong opened a coffee shop while teammate Alice Merryweather gives Tarot card readings. It’s all a way to take their minds off skiing. By Pat Graham. SENT: 900 words, photos.
NOTABLE
GLF—PRESIDENTS CUP-MOMENTUM
MELBOURNE, Australia — The fists pumps and screams of joy belonged to the Americans on the second day of the Presidents Cup. They just didn't have the lead. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
HKN—BRUINS-UNPREDICTABLE PASTRNAK
David Pastrnak is having the kind of season in which even his Boston Bruins teammates don't know what he's going to do next. Most likely: score a goal. Pastrnak leads the NHL in goals, and his unpredictable play is behind the breakout performance. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 4 a.m.
BBO--WINTER MEETINGS
SAN DIEGO -- A mostly dreary winter meetings lacking spectacular swaps will be remembered as the Scott Boras show. Baseball's most prominent agent dominated each of the three full days of meetings with a nine-figure contract, deals for Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon that totaled $814 million. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. With sidebars on opioids (sent), Rule 5 Draft (sent).
BKN--PELICANS-WILLIAMSON’S WAIT
NEW ORLEANS -- Zion Williamson was supposed to be making his highly anticipated NBA debut by sometime next week, if not earlier. That looks unlikely now, given the overall No. 1 draft pick has yet to practice with the New Orleans Pelicans since having surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his right knee on Oct. 21. By Brett Martel. SENT: 670 words, photos.
FBC--T25-PLAYOFF-COACHES
ATLANTA — A familiar face was missing as the coaches gathered Thursday at the College Football Hall of Fame to discuss the upcoming playoff. So was a guy who was supposed to be there. By Paul Newberry. SENT: 820 words, photos. With sidebar on playoff expansion (sent).
BOX--CONLAN’S CHANCE
NEW YORK -- Michael Conlan now sees positives in his contentious loss in the 2016 Olympics, believing it was a catalyst for change in amateur boxing. But he still wants revenge and he gets his chance when he faces Vladimir Nikitin on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. By Brian Mahoney. SENT: 750 words, photos.
CAR--NASCAR-SABATES RETIRING
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Felix Sabates, a Cuban refugee at 15 who became a NASCAR force, is waving the red flag at 75 after working as a team owner for 30 years. He still holds a minority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, but he tells the AP from his home he no longer has the desire to attend races. By Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
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AP Sports Extra: College Football Bowl Season: A paginated preview of the college football bowl season, which starts Dec. 20, is available in AP Newsroom by searching for “Sports Extra” under the Graphics tab. Three page sizes are available -- full broadsheet, half broadsheet, tabloid -- with space for local advertising or content. The pages list all the bowls and look at the matchups in the College Football Playoffs. For questions, contact Barry Bedlan at bbedlan@ap.org
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Friday Time Schedule (EST)
NBA
Houston at Orlando, 7 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Miami, 7 p.m.
New Orleans at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Indiana at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Milwaukee at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Golden State at Utah, 9 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.
New York at Sacramento, 10 p.m.
NHL
Vegas at Dallas, 8 p.m.
New Jersey at Colorado, 9 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Men's Top 25
No. 24 Colorado at Colorado State, 8 p.m.
