AP Sports Digest

Fri, Feb 5, 2021
AP Sports

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, http://newsroom.ap.org/coverageplan You can also find a link to Coverage Plan on the left navigation of the Newsroom home page, http://newsroom.ap.org

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The AP's Ralph Russo hosts the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/idhttps-podcasts-apple-com-us-podcast-ap-top-25-college/id1138957862

TOP STORIES

FBN-SUPER BOWL-GOODELL

TAMPA, Fla. - NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the many lessons learned from 2020 will be needed as the league moves forward. By Pro Football Writers Rob Maaddi and Barry Wilner. SENT: 900 words, photos.

FBN-SUPER BOWL-BUILDING BLOCKS

Few quarterbacks in NFL history have minimized sacks as much as Tampa Bay's Tom Brady and Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes. By Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell. UPCOMING: 760 words, photos by 4 a.m.

FBN-SUPER BOWL-CENTERS OF ATTENTION

TAMPA, Fla. - Ryan Jensen's introduction to Tom Brady last March began with some predictable small talk over the phone. The Buccaneers' new quarterback switched the conversation with his new center to business after about three minutes. And it took an unexpectedly odd turn. By Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 4 a.m.

FBN-SUPER BOWL-FAVRE

Brett Favre looks at the quarterbacks on display this weekend with an admiration as strong as the throws he made as a Pro Football Hall of Fame player. From Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl to the likelihood of Peyton Manning entering the same hall, to former teammate Aaron Rodgers perhaps taking a third MVP award. It's quite a collection. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m.

BBO--AVERAGE SALARY

NEW YORK -- Baseball salaries drop for an unprecedented third straight year, the AP finds. The decline of 4.2% to an average of more than $3.8 million comes even before accounting for the shortened season caused by pandemic. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. SENT: 800 words, photos, graphic.

SKI-WORLD PRO SKI TOUR

The World Pro Ski Tour kicks off the season this weekend with a pair of races in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, after being halted nearly a year ago due to the global pandemic. By Pat Graham. UPCOMING: 960 words, photos by 4 a.m.

FBC--SMALL SCHOOLS START

PARKLAND, Wash. -- The next wave of college football arrives this weekend when a handful of NCAA Division III and NAIA programs begin some form of a delayed season. By Tim Booth. SENT: 830 words, photos.

COMMENTARY

FBN-SUPER BOWL-TIM DAHLBERG-GOODELL

The victory lap Roger Goodell took from the podium Thursday in Tampa Bay was hardly unexpected - and surely not unwarranted. By Sports Columnist Tim Dahlberg. SENT: 800 words, photos.

NOTABLE

FBN--SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

The storylines are everywhere: Tom Brady eyeing a seventh ring, this time with the Buccaneers; a compelling quarterback matchup in Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes; two 60-something coaches in Andy Reid and Bruce Arians. What's more, the Chiefs can become the first repeat champion since the Brady-led Patriots in 2003 and 2004. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. SENT: 900 words, photos. For weekend use. With preview capsule (sent).

FBN--SUPER BOWL-CHIEFS-CHECKMATE

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Casual fans might describe the Chiefs' offense as go for broke and throw it deep. Those who have watched the Super Bowl champs all season see something different: a group just as willing to take dink-and-dunk throws all the way down the field. By Dave Skretta. SENT: 800 words, photos.

FBN--SUPER BOWL-OFFICIATING

Whether the refs want players decide the game or teams are more focused on details, penalties seem to drop in the postseason. A more permissive style of officiating could play a big role in this Super Bowl. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. SENT: 750 words, photos.

- With Notebook (sent). Sidebars on Buccaneers secondary, James Brown (CBS pregame show), The Weeknd (halftime show, sent).

- For all of AP's Super Bowl coverage, visit our hub in AP Newsroom.

BKN-NBA-ALL-STAR FUTURE

The NBA has told its teams it expects to finalize plans in the coming week to have an All-Star Game in Atlanta. The game and skills competitions will be held on March 7, the NBA told clubs in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 630 words, photos.

HKN--VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL

The NHL is revising its virus protocols, with 40 players on the COVID-19 unavailable list and four teams temporarily shut down -- Vegas, New Jersey, Buffalo and Minnesota. The AP is told the new rules affect glass panels, arrival times at arenas, locker-room distancing. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 700 words, photos.

BKL--USA BASKETBALL CAMP-GRINER

Brittney Griner needed a mental break. The Phoenix Mercury's star center says at the first day of USA Basketball camp that she left the WNBA bubble last summer because of mental health reasons and has been receiving counseling. By Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg. SENT: 540 words, photos.

BKC--UNRANKED RIVALS

Duke and North Carolina enter their latest rivalry game in the unusual position of being unranked. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels are usually among the nation's elite as they charge into February. But their game Saturday will mark the first with both teams unranked in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll since February 1960. By Basketball Writer Aaron Beard. SENT: 600 words, photos. With BKC-ACC This Week (upcoming).

TEN--OBIT-TRABERT

MIAMI - Tony Trabert, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion and former No. 1 player who went on to successful careers as a Davis Cup captain, broadcaster and executive, has died. He was 90. By Steven Wine. SENT: 480 words, photos.

TEN--AUSTRALIAN OPEN-TUNEUP TOURNAMENTS

MELBOURNE, Australia - Most things about this week leading into a major are different for Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion got to try something new, needing a match tiebreaker to beat fellow American Danielle Collins 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 and set up a semifinal against top-ranked Ash Barty in the Yarra River Classic. By John Pye. SENT: 680 words, photos. With TEN--Australian Open Draw (sent).

GLF-PHOENIX OPEN

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Matthew NeSmith and Mark Hubbard each shot an 8-under 63 to share the first-round lead in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. By John Nicholson. SENT: 740 words, photos. With Saudi International (sent).

BOB--US-HUMPHRIES

Kaillie Humphries has a chance at history this weekend. A win in the women's bobsled world championships in Altenberg, Germany, would make her the first pilot to win that race four times and cement her as the Olympic favorite -- if she gets to the Olympics, that is. By Tim Reynolds. SENT: 650 words, photos.

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AP Sports Extra: Super Bowl:

A paginated preview of the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 is available by searching "SE" in AP Newsroom under the Graphics tab. Three page sizes are available -- full broadsheet, half broadsheet, tabloid -- with space for local advertising or content. The pages look at the Chiefs-Buccaneers matchup, keys to the game and Super Bowl facts and figures. For questions, contact Barry Bedlan at bbedlan@ap.org

SUPER BOWL 55 PREVIEW: Full-page graphic shows the probable Chiefs and Buccaneers starters, with analysis of offense and defense and key players; team stats for regular and postseason; and statistical QB comparison. 6c x 20 inches. Stand alone or with related Super Bowl stories. SENT.

SUPER BOWL 55 LOGOS: Super Bowl 55 logo with team helmets, logos. With any Super Bowl stories. SENT.

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Friday Time Schedule (EST)

NBA

New Orleans at Indiana 7 p.m.

Chicago at Orlando 7 p.m.

Milwaukee at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.

Toronto at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

Washington at Miami, 8 p.m.

Utah at Charlotte, 8 p.m.

Detroit at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

Boston at L.A Clippers, 10 p.m.

NHL

Nashville at Florida, 7 p.m.

Boston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

San Jose at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

Los Angeles at Vegas, 10 p.m.

College Basketball (Top 25)

Women

No. 3 UConn at Marquette, 7 p.m.

No. 5 UCLA at Washington St., 3 p.m.

No. 6 Stanford vs. Colorado, 9 p.m.

No. 23 South Dakota St. vs. South Dakota, 6 p.m.