In its first College Football Playoff, Penn State is now one win away from going to the big dance.

The third-seeded Nittany Lions shut down No. 6 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, 31-14, on New Year's Eve to advance to the semifinals.

The Nittany Lions got off to a red-hot start, blocking a Boise State field goal and turning it into a touchdown. Then, after forcing a three-and-out, Drew Allar found Omari Evans on a long touchdown to make it 14-0. The Broncos would add a touchdown before the half, and both offenses stalled for a while. Penn State added a field goal just before the half ended, but on their first drive of the second half, Boise State found the end zone again with a 53-yard catch and run by Matt Lauter.

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Penn State clicked again, though, as they went on an 11-play drive and going 75 yards, with Allar finding Tyler Warren for the tight end's second touchdown and regaining a 10-point lead. Maddux Madsen then threw a pick, and then, despite forcing a three-and-out, Boise State missed another field goal.

The Lions took advantage, and seven plays later, they led 31-14 with 4:54 to go after Nicholas Singleton scampered for a 58-yard touchdown. In the effort of a miracle, Madsen threw another interception, all but icing the ball game.

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The Nittany Lions offense contained Ashton Jeanty all night – sure, 108 yards is very good, but that was the Heisman Trophy runner-up's lowest rushing total of the season all while fumbling twice and losing one of them. Thus, his chase for Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record fell short by just 24 yards. Entering Tuesday, Jeanty had rushed for at least 127 yards in every game this year. 

Jeanty's 2,605 yards on the season, though, are now the second-most in a single season, as he surpassed Melvin Gordon and Kevin Smith, who now rank third and fourth, respectively.

Allar finished with 171 passing yards and his three touchdowns, while Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 221 yards on 29 carries.

Penn State will now face the winner of No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 for a chance at a trip to the national championship. Those two will play in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m.

In five playoff games thus far, the higher seed has won by double digits each time.

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Travis Kelce has not put up his typical numbers in the 2024 football season, but apparently it doesn't matter much to his fans.

Despite the – by his standards – subpar season, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end managed to garner the most votes by fans for the 2025 Pro Bowl.

He racked up 252,200 votes from fans, and it's fair to say that his relationship with Taylor Swift likely boosted that number.

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Kelce and Swift began dating in September last year, significantly increasing his already sky-high popularity, but outside of football circles.

After winning Super Bowl LVII, Kelce was tabbed to host Saturday Night Live, and he had already dipped his toes in reality television, but dating Swift took his name to a whole new level.

This year would be Kelce's 10th Pro Bowl selection. He has 97 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns this season.

However, this will in all likelihood be the first time since 2015 that Kelce will play at least 16 games and fail to get 1,000 yards. Kelce played in 15 last year, missing his first game due to injury since his rookie season, and garnered 984.

Jahmyr Gibbs had just under 2,000 fewer votes than Kelce as the second-highest vote getter.

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Kelce isn't the only member of the Chiefs to slow down on offense. In fact, it's been a team-wide epidemic. However, an elite defense and balls bouncing the right way, sometimes quite literally, have propelled them to a 15-1 season so far and the No. 1 seed in the AFC after back-to-back Super Bowl championships.

Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow and Jared Goff rounded out the top five.

This is the third year of the Pro Bowl Games after the NFL eliminated its full-contact all-star contest and replaced it with a week of skills competitions and a flag football game.

The games take place in Central Florida and finish with a 7-on-7 flag football game between the AFC and NFC at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Feb. 2.

Retired Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning will be back as head coaches for the two conferences.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Team USA and gymnast Jordan Chiles didn't let the withdrawal of her Olympic bronze medal stop them from showing off her team gold on Tuesday. 

In a New Year's Eve post to celebrate the medals that the US claimed at the Paris Olympics this year, the team included a photo of Chiles holding the gold medal that she and her American teammates won in the women's team event. Chiles was the only gymnast included in the collage.

Chiles re-posted the photo on her personal Instagram story later on Tuesday.

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The 23-year-old gymnast is currently involved in an appeal against a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision that dropped her from third place in the event to fifth in the women's floor exercise final. 

Romania's Ana Barbosu initially earned a higher score than Chiles after the American finished her routine. Then, after a US coach's request, judges reviewed the footage, changed the score and bumped Chiles up to third place, sparking the initial controversy and fierce backlash from Romanians. 

The decision to give the medal to Chiles instead resulted in the first All-Black podium in the history of Olympic gymnastics, as she joined teammate Simone Biles and Brazil's Rebecca Andrade. 

But then, on the last day of the Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the Chiles appeal was submitted past the one-minute deadline, and changed her score to drop her back into fifth place. The next day, on Aug. 11, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) determined that Chiles must return the medal.

However, after the end of the Olympics in August, USA Today reported that Chiles and the rest of the U.S. Olympic team had "no intention" of returning the medal, as they continue to appeal the IOC's decision. 

Chiles' lawyers have argued that her coach did in fact make the request in time and that there is video evidence to prove it, and has also indicated that the official who made the decision to strip Chiles' medal had ties to Romania. 

"Chiles asks the Supreme Court to find that the CAS decision was procedurally deficient for two reasons," Chiles’ lawyers said in a statement, according to Olympics.com.

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"First, CAS violated Chiles’ fundamental ‘right to be heard’ by refusing to consider the video evidence that showed her inquiry was submitted on time – in direct contradiction to the findings in CAS’ decision.

"Second, the entire CAS proceeding was unfair because Chiles was not properly informed that Hamid G. Gharavi, the President of the CAS panel that revoked Chiles’s bronze medal and awarded it instead to a Romanian gymnast, had a serious conflict of interest: Mr. Gharavi has acted as counsel for Romania for almost a decade and was actively representing Romania at the time of the CAS arbitration."

Chiles has also filed an appeal in the Swiss Federal Supreme Court to overturn the CAS decision. She argued that she was not given a fair opportunity to defend herself and that the CAS did not properly consider video evidence.

Chiles and her teammates have been outspoken about the emotional toll that losing the medal has had on her in the months following the end of the Olympics. 

Chiles gave her first sit-down interview about the incident this week during a panel at the Forbes Power Women's Summit 2024 in September. The gymnast choked up and teared up when she was asked about the topic. 

"To me, everything that has gone on is not about the medal, it's about, you know, my skin color," Chiles said. 

Chiles previously claimed she was facing "racially driven attacks" from social media users in a statement posted to X on Aug. 15. When Chiles won the bronze medal, it resulted in the first gymnastics podium in Olympic history that featured three black contestants. 

"It's about the fact that there were things that have led up to this position of being an athlete and I felt like everything has been stripped." 

The controversy has brought international scrutiny upon the judges who scored the event. The Center of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) released a joint statement on Aug. 15 condemning the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the judging crew for the outcome. 

"If the FIG had put such a mechanism or arrangement in place, a great deal of heartache would have been avoided," the CAS’ ad-hoc panel said in a release. "The Panel expresses the hope that the FIG will draw the consequences of this case, in relation to these three extraordinary Athletes and also for other Athletes and their supporting personnel, in the future, so that this never happens again."

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England's men's cricket team is set to face Afghanistan on Feb. 26 in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy group stage.

However, women's rights activists have called for England to forfeit the match out of protest for Afghanistan's ongoing human rights abuses. The Women's Rights Network (WRN) put out a statement on Monday, calling for not only the forfeiture of the February championship match, but any sports competition against an Afghanistan national team. 

"Women’s Rights Network calls for England to forfeit the match. In fact, we call on our politicians and sports governing bodies to go further. We call for: [UK Prime Minister] Keir Starmer to order a boycott of all Afghanistan fixtures in any sport, the [England Cricket Team] to forfeit all matches against the Afghanistan men’s cricket team in any tournament, players and coaches to examine their consciences – the women in your families are free to dress how they please, be educated, take jobs, travel, have bank accounts, speak and sing. How can you in all conscience play a country that denies women their basic human rights?" the group wrote. 

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"Pride in the team shirt includes pride in your country’s record on standing up for human rights and against dictators who bask in the kudos of sporting success. What is happening to the women of Afghanistan is appalling. Any sportsman of conscience should do what is right: Boycott Afghanistan."

Afghanistan has been under control of the Taliban since August 2021, after President Biden ordered a withdrawal of the U.S. military. The withdrawal resulted in the death of 13 U.S. armed service members, and the near-immediate takeover of the nation's capital of Kabul by Taliban forces. Another 45 U.S. soldiers were harmed, and more than 170 Afghan civilians were killed as well.

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After the Taliban takeover of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, the nation’s economy "basically collapsed," according to the UNDP, in large part because international funding through government donor plans, like the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, were shut down.

The Taliban takeover has resulted in particularly appalling treatment of women in the country. 

Under Sharia Law, women are not allowed to move around in public space unless they are in the company of a male relative. In general, they are only allowed to leave their house for urgent matters and have to wear full veils if they do.

In August, the Taliban rulers issued a ban on women’s voices and bare faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in efforts to combat vice and promote virtue.

Women are obliged to cover themselves in front of non-Muslim males and females to avoid being corrupted. A woman’s voice is deemed intimate and so should not be heard singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public. It is forbidden for women to look at men they are not related to by blood or marriage and vice versa.

Women in Afghanistan have also been banned from attending secondary school and, since 2022 they have been banned from studying at all. There are some courses available to women via online teaching, but the female students are not allowed to take exams.

In July, a United Nations report said the ministry was contributing to a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans through edicts and the methods used to enforce them. 

"Given the multiple issues outlined in the report, the position expressed by the de facto authorities that this oversight will be increasing and expanding gives cause for significant concern for all Afghans, especially women and girls," said Fiona Frazer, the head of the human rights service at the UN mission in Afghanistan.

The Taliban rejected the UN report.

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Opposing head coaches needed to be separated from one another after a taunt following an injury to a player during Tuesday's Citrus Bowl.

Illinois defensive back Jaheim Clarke was injured on a play and tended to by trainers and his head coach, Bret Bielema.

Bielema, apparently, was not pleased, and taunted South Carolina with a substitution signal.

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It's unclear who exactly Bielema made the gesture toward, but Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer almost immediately lost it and had lots to say to his opposition.

Beamer needed to be held back by his fellow staff as well as some refs and even some of his own players.

The entire game was chippy with several taunting calls throughout the contest. Bielema dismissed the incident during his postgame interview, calling it simply "a football game."

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The two shared a handshake and a quick hug after Illinois won, 21-17.

The incident seemed to fire up the Gamecocks for a bit, as they scored a touchdown just five plays after Beamer was separated from Bielema to take a 17-14 lead early in the fourth.

However, the Illini responded with a 12-play drive of their own, going 75 yards down the field and grinding the end zone to regain the lead, 21-17, midway through the quarter.

The Gamecocks got inside the 10-yard line on their ensuing drive, but they were unable to score, and the Fighting Illini kneeled out the clock.

It's the fifth time Illinois has ever won 10 games in a season, and the first since 2001.

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Quinn Ewers reportedly has a $6 million NIL offer to move away from Texas, but one former Longhorn seems to believe that would be a massive mistake.

On3 Sports reported Tuesday that Ewers has a massive offer for him to stay in the collegiate ranks and enter the transfer portal instead of turning pro.

Ewers made the decision to come back to school in 2024, but with a subpar season for his standards, his draft stock has fallen.

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But Johntay Cook, who played with Ewers in each of the last two seasons, says the school would regret it.

In replying to the report on X, Cook said the school would be "wasting yall money [for real]." His X account has since been made private.

Cook played for the Longhorns in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to Washington. With the Longhorns, he caught 16 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns in 20 total games.

Ewers does have Texas as the fifth seed in the College Football Playoff, and they face Arizona State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

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A majority of the questions about Texas quarterbacks entering the transfer portal have been directed toward redshirt freshman Arch Manning. He shot down rumors of that happening on Monday.

"I mean, I really have no plans on entering the portal or anything," the redshirt freshman said, per Rivals. "So, I don’t really know about it, about all the windows and everything."

Notre Dame was examined in a Sports Illustrated post as a possible landing spot for Ewers since the team is set to see Riley Leonard leave after this season. However, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said the team had no plans on going to the transfer portal for a quarterback.

Ewers committed to Texas in 2020 but decommitted to join Ohio State. He only took two snaps with the Buckeyes in 2021 before transferring to Texas for the 2022 season.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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In a year of hotly contested campaigns, the NFL MVP race has given fans and pundits plenty to argue about. 

The race between Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has ignited a flurry of arguments on social media and sports talk shows in recent weeks. Allen is currently the odds-on favorite at -300 to win the award, while Jackson has the second-best odds at +225. 

Allen and Jackson have strong yet slightly different arguments for the award, with no clear consensus over which case is stronger. 

For Allen, a fifth-straight division title, a 13-3 record and the only win against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs headline his campaign. Statistically, Allen's 3,731 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes, along with 531 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground, anchor his MVP-caliber season, even though he doesn't lead the league in any specific category. 

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But Jackson brings a very different argument as the most statistically efficient player in the league this year. Jackson leads the league in touchdown percentage and passing yards per attempt while also leading the entire league (quarterbacks and running backs) in rushing yards per carry. But Jackson's statistical performance is weighed down, compared to Allen's, by the fact that the Ravens only have 11 wins and haven't clinched their division yet with one week to go. 

Jackson's Ravens also defeated Allen's Bills, 35-10, in their meeting this season. 

These factors have earned Jackson the nod by multiple voters in the media, some of whom have expressed their support for the Ravens star publicly. 

NFL insider Dianna Russini made it clear that she is planning to vote for Jackson during an episode of the "Scoop City" podcast on Tuesday, citing superior statistical performance. 

"I am leaning Lamar," Russini said. "I don’t think Josh Allen did anything this weekend to make me go, ‘OK, he stole this thing.’"

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Meanwhile, FOX Sports NFL analyst and MVP voter Emmanuel Acho argued in favor of Allen during an episode of FS1's "The Facility," citing the fact that Buffalo has an inferior overall roster, especially on defense, when compared to the Ravens. The Bills rank 20th in total defense this year while the Ravens are 14th. Jackson also has the benefit of leaning on multiple-time league rushing leader running back Derrick Henry as a co-star, while Allen lacks any major superstars on his offense. 

"Simply put, Josh Allen has to do just as much, if not more, with less," Acho said. "I was rewatching the Ravens game last night, and there were moments in time, if not the majority of the time, where I asked myself, 'Who's the best player on the Ravens' offense?' I mean, make no mistake about it, Derrick Henry rushed for 120-plus yards in that game. I'm sitting there watching this game, and I'm saying the Ravens' offense has two Hall of Famers. The Bills' offense, it just has Josh Allen."

Meanwhile, NFL on CBS broadcaster and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made an argument that has been both mocked and repeated by NFL fans in the debate. Romo argued that Allen should have a better shot at the award since he hasn't won it yet, while Jackson has two MVPs already. 

"I think they're tied in my brain. I think that Josh Allen might get the edge only because Lamar's had two. If Josh had two, you'd going to side with the guy who doesn't have one. That's just human nature in my opinion," Romo said while broadcasting the Bills' win over the New York Jets on Sunday. 

ESPN First Take host and former Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark has been one of the most vocal advocates for Jackson in the MVP race this year. Clark argued that if Allen were chosen as MVP over Jackson, it would only be because voters have already awarded Jackson the MVP twice. He compared it to instances in the NBA where Michael Jordan

Both players have one more game to polish off their respective MVP cases. However, it's possible that Jackson will be the only player doing so this Sunday.

With the Bills having already wrapped up their division title and locked themselves into the No. 2 seed in the NFL playoffs, head coach Sean McDermott has said Allen won't play the whole game against the New England Patriots on Sunday. McDermott told reporters that Allen will start the game to maintain his current streak of starting games for the team but will come off the field at some point early on.

Jackson will need to lead his team to a victory against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to clinch the AFC North title for Baltimore. 

If Jackson puts up another dominant performance while Allen rides the bench for most of Sunday, it could swing the current betting odds and change the race.

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Madeline Gaudreau, the wife of Matthew Gaudreau, announced the birth of their first child just months after he and his brother, NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, were tragically killed by an alleged drunk driver.

Madeline announced the birth of Tripp Matthew in a post on social media over the weekend. 

"Mommy & Daddy’s world," the Instagram post read. The picture showed Madeline holding Tripp’s hand with a sign in the background that read, "He’s here." 

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Matthew Gaudreau, 29, and Johnny Gaudreau, 31, were tragically killed on Aug. 29 while riding bikes on a rural road in New Jersey the night before their sister’s wedding when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver.

The brothers played hockey at Boston College, where they won a national title in 2012. Johnny Gaudreau would go on to play in the NHL, where he spent the majority of his NHL career in Calgary. In 2022, he signed a seven-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Madeline and Mathew Gaudreau were married in July 2021. The couple announced in June that they were expecting their first child. 

"All my friends and family, nothing will bring his dad back or uncle john, but I am glad he has so many amazing people around him to remind him how amazing they are," she wrote in a post on social media in October celebrating her baby shower.

Sean Higgins has been charged in the death of the Gaudreau brothers. 

He was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on several charges, including two counts of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence and second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident, according to WPVI. 

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted and is due back in court next month. 

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A Super Bowl-winning head coach may just be back in the fray in 2025.

According to the NFL Network, teams are reportedly keeping an eye on Jon Gruden.

However, it isn't as easy as interviewing a football coach — apparently, those teams are doing "extensive homework" on Gruden "as a coach" and "as a person" considering the controversy that hit him a couple of years ago.

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Gruden is suing the NFL, claiming it leaked the emails to remove him from his job — it was reported he made racist, misogynistic and homophobic emails directed at Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, among others in emails.

"I’m ashamed about what has come about in these emails, and I’ll make no excuses for it. It’s shameful," Gruden said in August 2022. "But I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church. I’ve been married for 31 years. I got three great boys. I still love football. I’ve made some mistakes, but I don’t think anybody in here hasn’t. And I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully I get another shot."

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Despite this, though, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said that he "would not be surprised at all if in the coming weeks you see Jon Gruden’s name popping up interviewing for a head coaching job," via the New York Post.

Gruden, who last coached in the 2021 season after his 10-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders was cut short due to the controversy, joined Barstool Sports in November. There had reportedly been interest from the New Orleans Saints for Gruden to join the staff last year.

Gruden coached the then-Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship Game in 2000. In his first year as the head coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he won Super Bowl XXXVII over his former Raiders.

He was placed in the Bucs' Ring of Honor in 2017, but was removed in 2021 amid the scandal.

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The Michigan Wolverines ended 2024 in the same way they began it: with a win over Alabama. 

Michigan upset the Crimson Tide in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on New Year's Eve to end their season on a three-game win streak, which included an upset over rival Ohio State. 

The 19-13 win comes nearly a year after Michigan defeated Alabama in overtime in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day to advance to the national championship game where Jim Harabugh and J.J. McCarthy would lead the Wolverines to victory before departing for the NFL. 

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According to Detroit Free Press, the win marks the first time a college football program defeated Alabama twice in the same calendar year.

But 2024 was a tough year for Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who coached Washington in the CFB final. 

Having been disappointed with being left out of the expanded 12-team CFP field, Alabama was the favorite heading into Tuesday’s bowl game. But Michigan’s defense, led by former New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, shut down Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, sacking him five times and forcing three turnovers. 

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Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals and Davis Warren threw a first-half touchdown pass to Fredrick Moore, but it was Michigan’s defense that secured the win. 

Alabama had a chance to win it in the final drive, but on fourth-and-10 in the red zone, Milroe was shut down. He finished 16 of 32 for 192 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Later Tuesday, LeBron James will become the first player in NBA history to play a game both in his teens and in his 40s.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer turned 40 on Monday, and in his record-tying 22nd season, he's his vintage self.

He's averaging 23.5 points per game, which is his lowest since his rookie season, but his 9 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game are both better than his career averages.

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No, he's no longer the best player in the NBA, but he's still producing numbers that plenty would kill to have — and he says that could happen for a while longer.

James has not shied away from the idea that he's somewhat near retirement, but he did say on Monday that his eventual retirement "won't be because I can't play this game at a high level.

"To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for another five to seven years if I wanted to," James claimed. "But I'm not going to do that."

He was also adamant that once he hangs it up, he's done.

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"No, no, no, no, no," he said when asked if a comeback would be on the table. "I will miss the hell out of it for sure. But no, I won't walk away and then come back."

James currently has a player option worth nearly $53 million next season. Earlier this season, his son, Bronny, made his NBA debut, making the Jameses not only the first father-duo to both be active at the same time, but also the first duo to be teammates.

The four-time NBA champion also became the all-time minutes leader earlier this season, surpassing another record Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once held.

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Transgender NCAA track and field athlete Sadie Schreiner released a social media video complaining about the lack of transfer opportunities for trans athletes in college this year.

Schreiner, who has competed at the Division-III Rochester Institute of Technology, lamented the lack of options that have been presented to trans athletes looking to transfer this year, as 25 U.S. states have enacted laws to prevent trans inclusion in women's sports.

"Among all the hurdles transfers usually have, there is an extra layer because it is trans, 50% of the country banned me from participating and that meant I couldn't attend any of those colleges even if they reached out to me with a full ride," Schreiner said. However, the laws in place wouldn't bar Schreiner from "attending" those colleges, just from competing on women's sports teams.

"It also became clear that states that did, no matter how adamant the coaches were to have me on their teams, the college administrations would usually stop them from allowing me to participate." 

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Schreiner has been a controversial figure in women's track and field this year after at appearance at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship in May. There, the biological male athlete finished in last place in the 400m, but still occupied a spot in the competition that could have gone to a biological female. 

Earlier that month, Schreiner competed at the Liberty League Championship Meet, and won both the women's 200m and 400m, breaking the 400m record in the process. Schreiner would have finished last by more than two seconds if the athlete put up the same performance in the men's competition.

Despite the severe backlash from the controversy, Schreiner is now seeking more opportunities to compete against women athletes and publicly airing out frustration about a lack of opportunities. But it's not just the sports issue that Schreiner is speaking out about in regard to trans rights.

On Tuesday, Schreiner went on to complain about the overall social and political climate surrounding the view and rights of transgender people in the U.S. But Schreiner also insisted that the athlete will compete at the NCAA level in 2025.

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"Trans people are actively getting attacked right now, and our rights are getting stripped away, and those in power are either endorsing this or they're just letting this happen," Schreiner said. "But we're not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm sure come this January, you'll see me again competing on the track." 

Schreiner's grudges were revealed on the final day of a year that was plagued by controversy over trans athletes in women's sports, both in the U.S. and abroad. 

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to instill a total ban on trans inclusion in girls' and women's sports in his upcoming term with seemingly unanimous support from other Republicans on the issue. However, Democrats are divided on the issue. Far-left figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have remained supportive of trans inclusion, while more moderate figures like Seth Moulton have backpedaled on their support of it. 

President Joe Biden's Department of Education withdrew a proposed rule change that would have outlawed schools from preventing trans athletes from competing in women's sports on Dec. 20.

"The Department recognizes that there are multiple pending lawsuits related to the application of Title IX in the context of gender identity, including lawsuits related to Title IX’s application to athletic eligibility criteria in a variety of factual contexts. In light of the comments received and those various pending court cases, the Department has determined not to regulate on this issue at this time," the docket read. 

Multiple states have filed lawsuits and enacted their own laws to address the issue after the Biden-Harris administration issued a sweeping rule that clarified that Title IX’s ban on "sex" discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and "pregnancy or related conditions."

In August, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to deny the administration an emergency request to enforce that sweeping rule. The request would have permitted biological men in women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and dorms in 10 states where there are state-level and local-level rules in place to prevent it.

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The Dallas Stars have been hit with a hefty fine by the NHL after they violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHLPA and the league by holding an optional practice last week during a mandated Christmas break.

The NHL announced Monday that the organization was fined $100,000 for holding a practice session on Thursday, the day after Christmas, despite a mandatory three-day break beginning on Dec. 24. 

"This team activity was in violation of Article 16.5(b) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association," the announcement read. 

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According to the agreement, "no club may request a Player's consent to practice on such days for any reason" on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Dec. 26, except if a game falls on the 26th.

Dallas’ break followed a 3-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Monday, Dec. 23. Their next game was scheduled against the Minnesota Wild on Friday, Dec. 27.

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Speaking to reporters before the game, head coach Pete DeBoer said the team "had an optional, and, of course, the young guys all show up for the optionals, like they’re supposed to do."

Mavrik Bourque, Logan Stankoven, Wyatt Johnston, Lian Bichsel, Nils Lundkvist and Thomas Harley were among the players that attended. However, on Saturday, DeBoer described it as "voluntary ice" instead of a scheduled optional practice as he had initially said. 

Travel for games is also banned on the league-mandated break. The fine money will go to the NHL Foundation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Canadian tennis star Gabriela Dabrowski revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2024 in a post to social media.

Dabrowski, 32, said that she slightly delayed some of her treatment to be able to complete at Wimbledon and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

"In the spring of 2023 I felt a lump in my left breast during a self-exam. A few months later, a doctor told me it was nothing and not to worry. So I didn’t. Time went on, and in spring 2024, I thought the lump was a little bigger," Dabrowski wrote on Instagram.

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"During our WTA comprehensive physicals, a WTA doctor told me she wasn’t sure what it was, and to go and get it scanned… A phone call from the radiologist reading the images, alerting me to a lump that did not look like a cyst due to its uneven edging and shading. ‘It looks ugly and I want you get a biopsy immediately.’"

"The following morning I went into Advent Health Hospital in Wesley Chapel and had a biopsy of my left breast. The preliminary results came back that day: cancer. These are words you never expect to hear, and in an instant your life or the life of a loved one turns upside down."

Dabrowski said she is choosing to share her story now because for a long time, she "wasn’t ready to expose myself to the possible attention and questions I’d have gotten before."

The star tennis player wanted to "figure everything out and handle things privately."

"Fast forward through 2 surgeries at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, recovery, rehab, @patrickdaciek tossing the ball for on my serve because my left arm couldn’t raise high enough (this was 2 weeks before Nottingham) slight delay in further treatment to be able to compete at Wimbledon and the Olympics, radiation + fatigue (between Toronto and US Open), and starting endocrine therapy, ending the season on the highest note possible… it all seems surreal."

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Despite battling breast cancer, Dabrowski not only competed in Wimbledon and the Olympics, but had a lot of success.

Dabrowski and her doubles partner Erin Routliffe lost in the Wimbledon finals, and in the Paris Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles competition for Canada.

"My intentions in sharing some of my experience are to emphasize the quality of life one can maintain when cancer is detected early, when you have access to doctors and other health care practitioners who are highly skilled and dedicated to their craft, when you take care of your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, and when you surround yourself with people who truly have your back (and your front)," Dabrowski wrote.

"Early on in my diagnosis I was afraid of cancer becoming a part of identity forever. I don’t feel that way anymore. It is a privilege to be able call myself a survivor."

Dabrowski said her diagnosis gave her an opportunity to see challenges through a different lens, "a lens of gratitude."

She ended her post saying, "To cancer I say f--- you, but also, thank you."

Dabrowski won three doubles titles in 2024 and has won 17 doubles titles in her career. 

Dabrowski is also a three-time Olympian, competing in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

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Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers reportedly has a massive offer for him to stay in the collegiate ranks and enter the transfer portal instead of turning pro.

Ewers has a $6 million offer to do just that, On3 Sports reported Tuesday, citing sources. The report of the offer comes a few days before Texas is set to take on Arizona State in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.

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It is unclear where the offer came from.

It remains unclear what Ewers plans to do once Texas’ season is over – national championship or not. Signs have indicated that Ewers would turn pro as he is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class with Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.

A majority of the questions about Texas quarterbacks entering the transfer portal have been directed toward redshirt freshman Arch Manning. He shot down rumors of that happening on Monday.

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"I mean, I really have no plans on entering the portal or anything," the redshirt freshman said, via Rivals. "So, I don’t really know about it, about all the windows and everything."

Notre Dame was examined in a Sports Illustrated post as a possible landing spot for Ewers since the team is set to see Riley Leonard leave after this season. However, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said the team had no plans on going to the transfer portal for a quarterback.

Ewers committed to Texas in 2020 but decommitted to join Ohio State. He only took two snaps with the Buckeyes in 2021 before transferring to Texas for the 2022 season.

This season, Texas is vying for a national title. Ewers, despite some injuries, has 2,867 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes this season.

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Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen was given the opportunity on Monday to respond to criticism from former punter Pat McAfee after a loss to the New York Giants.

McAfee railed against his former team, with the sticking point being about the culture in the building. He mentioned players being late to meetings and the overall product on the field being poor as a result.

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"I think with any team, right, not everyone’s gonna be on time every time, but there is accountability and guys are held to a standard and that is talked about in house," Steichen said, via The Athletic. "And I don’t think that. And I think, you know, with anything … I think Pat, you know, he’s a former alumni who wants to see the Colts do well, just like all our fans want us to do well, and when the standard is not getting in the playoffs, it’s frustrating. 

"So it’s frustrating for a lot of people, myself included. And that’s where we talked about the standard being raised so we’re not in these situations."

Steichen was brought into the organization to take the Colts to the next level after finding success with the Philadelphia Eagles as their offensive coordinator.

TEXANS' AZEEZ AL-SHAAIR 'GRATEFUL' TO GET BACK TO FOOTBALL AFTER SUSPENSION FOR VICIOUS HIT

In his first season, Indianapolis was 9-8 with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson only playing in a handful of games because of injuries. The offense was 10th in points scored and 15th in yards gained.

This season, the Colts at one point had to bench Richardson. He was then thrust back into the starting role. However, the offense did not change much. Indianapolis, at 7-9 overall, is 16th in points scored and 15th in yards gained through 17 weeks of the NFL season.

Indianapolis will finish the season at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen was back competing in New York in the World Blitz Championship on Monday after he quit the Rapid World Championship over the weekend because of a dispute over a pair of jeans. 

Carlsen, a chess grand master, found himself at the center of controversy on Friday when he was given a fine and warned by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) that he would not be able to continue competing until he changed his pants. 

The pants, a pair of jeans, were a violation of FIDE’s dress code, which the governing body said was "designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants." 

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Unwilling to give in, Carlsen said in an interview after his round that he would not take the forfeiture and return the following day in the proper attire, calling it a "matter of principle." 

"It’s OK, they can enforce their rules," he continued. "That’s fine by me, and my response is that's fine, then I’m out, f--- you."

While Carlsen seemed ready to move on, the five-time world champion did return for the Rapid World Championship on Monday, and he did so, sporting another pair of jeans. 

CHESS GRANDMASTER MAGNUS CARLSEN QUITS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT OVER A PAIR OF JEANS: 'I'M OUT, F--- YOU'

"I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side," Carlsen said in an interview with Take Take Take on Sunday, adding that he has a "good relationship" with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. 

Dvorkovich released a statement announcing that FIDE would loosen its dress code policy for this tournament. 

"As far as the application of the rules during the World Blitz Championships is concerned, based on the consultations with our partners and their preferences, I took the decision to trial an approach to provide more flexibility to FIDE officials in judgements regarding the suitability of the attire," his statement read.  

"Special assistants will be requested to help in those judgements and make final conclusions, shall any doubts arise. The principle is simple: it is still required to follow the official dress-code, but elegant minor deviations (that may, in particular, include appropriate jeans matching the jacket) are allowed. In the end, it is New Year time, and I sincerely hope that nobody would try to undermine the festive mood, including by abusing this additional flexibility." 

Carlsen will compete in Tuesday’s quarterfinals. 

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Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates made two field goals, including a 57-yarder, in a win against the San Francisco 49ers as he set a franchise record.

However, the new mark was the last thing NFL fans were talking about on Monday night.

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A clip of Bates stretching out went viral on social media. ESPN broadcaster Lisa Salters explained Bates was dealing with a hip issue, but the images of Bates sent fans into a frenzy. It even made Joe Buck and Troy Aikman chuckle.

The rookie was 25-of-28 on field-goal attempts this season and 60-of-63 on extra points, though he missed two against the 49ers.

LIONS TAKE DOWN 49ERS AS DAN CAMPBELL'S 'FULL THROTTLE' MINDSET SAW STARTERS PLAY ENTIRE GAME

Bates’ 135 points through 16 games topped Jason Hanson’s mark in 2012. Hanson had 135 points that season.

The former United Football League (UFL) standout played the hero multiple times for Detroit this season. He was in the UFL playing for the Michigan Panthers when he went viral for a 64-yard field goal.

He was selling bricks in Texas a year ago before he re-signed with the Panthers and eventually made his way to the NFL.

Detroit could wrap up a wild season with an NFC North title next week against the Minnesota Vikings. A win would put an exclamation point on a year in which they powered through a number of injuries on the way to the postseason.

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Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair released a statement on Monday night as he is set to return to the team following a three-game suspension for a big hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Al-Shaair thanked Texans owners Cal and Hannah McNair, general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans, and others who defended him over the hit.

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"While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that I’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation," he said.

He said losing control of the moment "was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment" and expressed regret over the way he handled himself.

Al-Shaair said he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and executives Troy Vincent and Jon Runyan. He made clear to them that he did not feel like Runyan’s statement about him before the suspension was a good characterization. He said their meeting was productive.

LIONS TAKE DOWN 49ERS AS DAN CAMPBELL'S 'FULL THROTTLE' MINDSET SAW STARTERS PLAY ENTIRE GAME

"Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very treat that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most," he said.

"I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a love. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love."

Al-Shaair will be back for the Texans’ postseason run. Houston is on a two-game losing streak.

The hit leveled on Lawrence essentially cost the Jaguars star the rest of the season. He was ruled out of the game with a concussion, and it was later determined he would undergo surgery on the shoulder he injured earlier in the year.

Al-Shaair was hit with a suspension while Runyan called the hit "unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules."

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Lenny Randle, a controversial former infielder who played 12 years in the majors with five teams, has died, the Seattle Mariners announced on Monday. He was 75.

Randle played the final two years of his career with the Mariners. He started his career with the Washington Senators, who later became the Texas Rangers, in 1971. He also played for the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs.

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"We are saddened by the passing of former Mariner Lenny Randle. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones," the Mariners said in a post on X.

The Baseball Hall of Fame also remembered Randle in a tribute on social media.

Randle had a .257 lifetime batting average with 322 RBI. He had his best season in 1974, when he had a .302 batting average with 17 doubles and four triples. He earned American League MVP votes that season.

He was known for a handful of controversial issues during the course of his career.

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Randle ignited a brawl while he was with the Rangers in 1974. Randle crashed into Cleveland Indians pitcher Milt Wilcox on a bunt after a ball was thrown behind him. Indians players then tackled Randle and ignited a bench-clearing brawl. The incident was later said to be the catalyst for the 10 Cent Beer Night riot less than a week later at Cleveland Stadium.

He then got into a spring training fight with then-Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi over allegations that Lucchesi called Randle a "punk." Randle was charged with assault over the incident and pleaded no contest. He was also sued by Lucchesi.

Because of the incident, Randle was traded to the Mets.

In 1981, Randle was playing third base for the Mariners. Kansas City Royals outfielder Amos Otis hit a trickling ball down the third-base line. Randle got on his hands and knees to try to blow the ball foul.

"I’m going, OK, eat it, kick it, yell at it! So, I yelled at it," Randle recalled to MLB Network. "’Go foul, go foul, go foul.’"

The ball went foul, but Otis was awarded first base after a protest.

Randle played in Italy and later in a senior league.

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