AP Sports SummaryBrief at 3:56 p.m. EST

Boras: Giants wouldn’t seal Correa deal, so he called Mets

NEW YORK (AP) — Agent Scott Boras says the San Francisco Giants asked for more time to investigate and discuss medical records of Carlos Correa and let a 1 p.m. PST deadline Tuesday pass to finalize that deal. Boras then struck a $315 million, 12-year deal with the free-spending Mets and Correa headed to New York for a physical Thursday. Boras said results usually come back within 24-48 hours and timing of an announcement was up to the team. A news conference likely won’t be scheduled until next month, after the holiday break.

Sports unraveled, collided with politics, racism in 2022

Hardly a day passed in 2022 when a headline that ran across the ticker on ESPN wouldn’t have been out of place on CNN or Fox Business. There was the saga of basketball player Brittney Griner, Russia’s invasion and war on Ukraine and the struggle over transgender athletes among other topics that laid bare the intersection between sports and real life. There were also toxic workplace environments in the NBA and NFL, alleged sexual misconduct by an NFL player, countries using sports to cover up their perceived sins, a cryptocurrency influx and crash and the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply, sports offered another window into the world.

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett ready to go after 2nd concussion

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is taking extra precautions as he returns from the concussion protocol for a second time this season. Pickett will wear a larger helmet that offers more protection for the back of his head when the Steelers face Las Vegas on Christmas Eve. Pickett says each of the two concussions he’s sustained this season came when the back of his head hit the Acrisure Stadium turf. Pickett added he’s not worried that he’s become concussion prone and believes the decision to have him miss a win over Carolina on Dec. 18 was the right call.

Titans’ Tannehill out vs. Texans, rookie QB Willis to start

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee rookie Malik Willis will start his third NFL game Saturday against the Houston Texans with veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill ruled out with an injured right ankle. Titans coach Mike Vrabel refused to discuss Tannehill’s future beyond this game. Vrabel said Thursday that Tannehill is only out this week. The Titans coach said he doesn’t have to issue an injury report for next week until next week. The Titans (7-7) sit atop the AFC South looking for a third straight division title, yet their once four-game lead is down to one with three games remaining.

NFL ‘Sunday Ticket’ headed to YouTube beginning next season

The NFL has announced a multiyear agreement with Google for “NFL Sunday Ticket.” The package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games will be distributed on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels. The NFL was seeking $2.5 billion per season for the package, which has been on DirecTV since 1994. The satellite provider has paid $1.5 billion per year on an eight-year contract that expires at the end of this season. Besides Amazon, Apple and ESPN also expressed interest in “NFL Sunday Ticket.”

Injured Eagles QB Hurts expected to be sidelined at Dallas

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is not expected to play Saturday against Dallas because of a sprained right shoulder. Philadelphia will instead start Gardner Minshew. Hurts was injured on a hard tackle in Sunday’s win at Chicago. The Eagles have the best record in the NFL at 13-1 and can clinch the NFC East title and the No. 1 seed in the conference with a win against the Cowboys.

US House passes equal pay bill in latest women’s soccer win

The House has passed a bill that ensures equal compensation for U.S. women competing in international events. It is a piece of legislation that came out of the U.S. women’s soccer team’s battle to be paid as much as the men. The Equal Pay for Team USA Act now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk. It will require all athletes representing the United States in global competition to receive equal pay and benefits in their sport. Earlier this year, the women’s national team signed a labor deal that includes identical pay structures for men and women and equitable distribution of World Cup prize money.

Former Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman dies at 31

DENVER (AP) — Running back Ronnie Hillman, who was part of the Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50, has died. He was 31. Hillman’s family posted on his Instagram account Wednesday that he was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer called renal medullary carcinoma and was under hospice care. The family later posted that he died surrounded by family and close friends. The Broncos have expressed their condolences on social media. Hillman was picked by the Broncos in the third round of the 2012 draft following a standout career at San Diego State.

Devon’s Journey: Gales takes unique path after tragic injury

JEFFERSON, Ga. (AP) — Devon Gales was paralyzed during a game against Georgia back in 2015. Now, the former Southern University receiver is attending the school he was facing that fateful day. Gales moved to the state after his injury, taken in by a Georgia fan base that helped build a large, accessible home for Gales and his family not far from the school’s Athens campus. When Gales decided to resume his college studies, he was accepted into Georgia ahead of the fall semester in 2021. Now, he’s working toward a communications degree as a Georgia Bulldog.

High school football incidents spark racism talks, programs

Several racist incidents targeting Black people occurred this high school football season around the nation. One in California involved a mock slave auction. Another in New York involved students in blackface and another in California a racist group chat. Athletes in the past were able to leave racism and other issues off the field, but today not even sports settings are immune from real world problems. Administrators in some cases have used these incidents to start conversations about race that have been hard for them to bring up before and roll out programs they hope will have lasting impact.