AP Sports Digest

Mon, Feb 8, 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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TOP STORIES

FBN-SUPER BOWL

TAMPA, Fla. - One of the strangest NFL seasons ever ended with a familiar scene: Tom Brady holding the Super Bowl trophy. Only this time, Brady was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, not the New England Patriots. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos. With FBN--Super Bowl-Key; FBN-Super-Bowl-Scene; US-Super-Bowl-Halftime-Review; US--Super Bowl-Amanda Gorman; Super Bowl-Photo Gallery (sent).

FBN-SUPER BOWL-MVP

TAMPA, Fla. - Tom Brady took one final snap, went down on his knee, popped up and hugged his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates. With that big, familiar smile. They were champions and Brady put together another vintage performance on football's biggest stage. By Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. SENT: 890 words, photos. With FBN-Super-Bowl-Buccaneers; FBN--Super Bowl-Arians (sent).

FBN-SUPER BOWL-BUCCANEERS DEFENSE

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Bay's defense finished its redemption tour with a Super Bowl championship. Overwhelmed by Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill during a loss to Kansas City in Week 12 of the regular season, a young Buccaneers secondary flipped the script in Sunday night's NFL championship game. By Fred Goodall. SENT: 700 words, photos.

FBN-SUPER BOWL-CHIEFS-MAHOMES

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made life miserable for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, forcing him into one of his worst games as a professional. By Dave Skretta. SENT: 780 words, photos. With FBN-Super Bowl-Chiefs-Reid (sent).

FBN-SUPER BOWL-3RD DOWN

Patrick Mahomes has always seemed to save his best work for the most important down. Those big plays fueled the Chiefs' success the past three seasons. The lack of them doomed Kansas City in the Super Bowl. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. SENT: 580 words, photos.

FBN-SUPER BOWL-THE COVID SEASON

More than the youth of Patrick Mahomes or the agelessness of Tom Brady, the most compelling story about this year's Super Bowl is the fact it's happening at all. It took nearly 1 million COVID-19 tests, thousands of Zoom meetings, a few dozen reschedulings and an untold amount of flexibility for the NFL to not miss a single of the 269 regular-season and postseason games amid a pandemic. By National Writer Eddie Pells. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.

FBN-HALL OF FAME

NFL greats elsewhere, Peyton Manning and John Lynch shared a second career in Denver. Now they have a third mutual experience. Close friends Manning and Lynch are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2021. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. SENT: 790 words, photos.

TEN-AUSTRALIAN OPEN

MELBOURNE, Australia - Serena Williams had a wobbly start at the Australian Open - for one game. After briefly falling behind, Williams swept 10 consecutive games and beat Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 on the first day of the tournament. By John Pye. SENT: 700 words, photos. With TEN--Australian Open-Notebook (sent).

COMMENTARY

FBN--TIM DAHLBERG-SUPER BOWL

There was Tom Brady, playing pitch and catch with Rob Gronkowski like they were still both toiling in the snow in New England. There was Brady, calmly throwing for a score to end the first half that turned out to be more than enough for a Tampa Bay team that was determined not to let Patrick Mahomes spoil their hometown party. By Sports Columnist Tim Dahlberg. SENT: 820 words, photos.

FBN-ON FOOTBALL-ALL BRADY

Credit Tom Brady. Or blame him. When it comes to the Super Bowl's most successful performer, it all depends upon your perspective. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. UPCOMING: 630 words, photos by 4 a.m.

TEN-ON TENNIS-WELCOME BACK

No matter how well Bianca Andreescu plays at the Australian Open, no matter the length of her stay in the draw, what's important is this: One of the most promising talents in tennis is back, participating in a tournament after 15 months away because of injury. There are other returns worth celebrating as the 2021 Grand Slam season gets started, three weeks later than originally planned. By Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich. SENT: 680 words, photo.

NOTABLE

HKN-PANTHERS-PROMISING START

SUNRISE, Fla. - The Florida Panthers start every season with the same vow, to get off to a strong start and not take an early hit in the standings. And this year, it happened. By Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 440 words, photos by 4 a.m.

HKN--RED WINGS-PANTHERS

SUNRISE, Fla. - Givani Smith had a goal and an assist as Detroit Red Wings won for the first time in nine games, beating the Florida Panthers 4-1. SENT: 580 words, photos.

BKN--CELTICS-SUNS

PHOENIX - Suns coach Monty Williams isn't usually demonstrative on the sideline so when he angrily called a timeout in the middle of the fourth quarter and visibly chided forward Deandre Ayton, it was a bit of a surprise. By David Brandt. SENT: 690 words, photos.

GLF--PHOENIX OPEN

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - At the lowest points in an 18-month struggle with left knee and hip problems, Brooks Koepka wondered if he'd ever be back at all, let alone recapture the magic that carried him to four major championships. By John Nicholson. SENT: 800 words, photos. With GLF--Saudi International (sent).

SOC--ENGLISH ROUNDUP

LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool appears a faded force after being beaten 4-1 by Manchester City in the Premier League. City is five points ahead of second-place Manchester United. Liverpool has fallen 10 points off the pace in a league it dominated last season. By Rob Harris. SENT: 800 words, photos.

OLY-TOKYO-MORI

TOKYO - Public opposition remains strong in Japan to holding the postponed Tokyo Olympics following derogatory remarks about women made last week by the head of the local organizing committee. By Stephen Wade. SENT: 400 words, photos.

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Monday Time Schedule (EST)

NBA

Houston at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Washington at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Golden State at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

Milwaukee at Denver, 9:30 p.m.

Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m.

NHL

Carolina at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Arizona at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m.

College Basketball (Top 25)

Men

No. 1 Gonzaga at BYU, 11 p.m.

No. 7 Ohio St. at Maryland, 9 p.m.

No. 23 Kansas vs. Oklahoma St., 9 p.m.

Women

No. 2 South Carolina at No. 3 UConn, 7 p.m.

No. 9 Arizona at No. 12 Oregon, 7 p.m.