AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:37 p.m. EST

The next World Cup will jump to 48 teams. Is bigger better?

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The next World Cup will be the biggest ever after world soccer body FIFA took the leap from a 32-team field to 48 teams in 2026. It means more of soccer’s so-called “little teams” that didn’t make it to Qatar will be given a chance-of-a-lifetime when the World Cup goes to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Great news for everyone who was entertained by Saudi Arabia’s stirring underdog upset of Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Morocco knocking out Spain. More surprises surely await in four years. Only it’s not clear for some that bigger is better at the World Cup.

AP source: Aaron Judge, Yankees reach $360M, 9-year deal

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A person familiar with the deal says that Aaron Judge has agreed to return to the New York Yankees on a $360 million, nine-year contract. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. It’s the largest free agent deal in baseball history. Judge will earn $40 million per season, the highest average annual payout for a position player. The contract trails only Mike Trout’s $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Mookie Betts’ $365 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers for biggest in baseball history.

Emboldened athletes push back on old-school coaching methods

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sports programs across the county are weighing whether tough coaching styles still have a place in the athletic world. The styles once embodied by legends such as Bear Bryant and Bobby Knight have fallen out of favor at a time when student-athletes demand more sensitive treatment and more individualized training. Athletes of this younger generation also possess greater personal power over their career paths, which sometimes forces coaches to accommodate them or risk losing top talent.

Rower’s family says abusive coach pushed athlete to suicide

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The family of a former University of California-San Diego rower who killed himself in January 2021 says he was pushed too far by his coach. Coach Geoff Bond is no longer at the school and the parents of Brian Lilly Jr. filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against him. The defense team for Bond filed a motion to dismiss the case. The defense says Bond hadn’t seen Brian Lilly Jr. for the nine months prior to his death.

Bills’ Von Miller to miss rest of season after knee surgery

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills’ top pass-rusher Von Miller will miss the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Coach Sean McDermott says the ligament damage was discovered during a previously scheduled exploratory surgery, which was conducted on Tuesday in Texas. Miller has missed one game since being hurt in the first half of a 28-25 win over Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Bills placed Miller on injured reserve last week with the expectation he would be able to return after initial tests showed no damage to the player’s ACL.

Pro Picks sees Rams making history to kick off Week 14

The Los Angeles Rams can make history when Week 14 kicks off Thursday night. A loss to the Las Vegas Raiders would give the Rams 10 this season, tying the 1999 Denver Broncos for most by a defending Super Bowl champion. With plenty of games remaining, the Rams are well on their way to double-digit losses after hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy last season. Whether it’s Baker Mayfield, John Wolford or Bryce Perkins under center for the Rams, Pro Picks says they have no chance against the resurgent Raiders. Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams have led Las Vegas to three straight wins to get within two games of the final wild-card spot in the AFC.

After World Cup, US men recede to background for 3 1/2 years

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States men’s soccer team recedes into the background of American sports for the next 3 1/2 years. The team’s four World Cup matches averaged 12.2 million viewers on Fox but its 27 games on rated English-language networks from the start of 2020 through this fall averaged 668,000. That is according to Nielsen. The U.S. team averaged 2.45 million during the World Cup on Telemundo. That is double its 1.02 million average for 40 matches on Spanish-language networks during the three years ahead of the tournament. That compares with the NFL’s average of 17.1 million for the 2021 regular season.

Paolo’s Diary: Magic rookie says he’s doing much learning

Paolo Banchero says his rookie year has included a lot of learning to this point. The No. 1 draft pick by the Orlando Magic is providing a diary of Year 1 to The Associated Press. He says he’s really enjoying the camaraderie that the Magic have already built. The next challenge for the team in his mind is taking that togetherness and seeing how it can become more victories. The Magic are an NBA-worst 5-20 through their first 25 games this season.

Christmas may be new Thanksgiving as NHL playoff barometer

The adage in the NHL used to be that teams wanted to be in playoff position by U.S. Thanksgiving. More than 76% of teams in that position have made the playoffs since the start of the salary cap era in 2005-06. But it may be too early this year to use Thanksgiving as a barometer for a host of reasons. The season started later, many contenders are still trying to find their footing amid injuries and having 32 teams makes it inherently harder to qualify. The Christmas break might be a better time to judge which teams will be playing for the Stanley Cup come April.