AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:05 p.m. EST

Aaron Judge is AP male athlete of year after setting HR mark

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been voted The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He hit 62 home runs to break an American League record that lasted six decades. The outfielder edged Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani in balloting. Ohtani won the award last year. Judge joins an esteemed list that includes Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan. Among the former Yankees to win was Roger Maris, who set the previous AL mark of 61 homers in 1961.

Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr signs Cristiano Ronaldo

LONDON (AP) — Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr has announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, ending speculation about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future. Al Nassr posted a picture on social media of Ronaldo holding up the team’s jersey, with the club hailing the deal as “history in the making.” Ronaldo had been a free agent has his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. He is coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.

As ‘The King,’ Pelé enchanted fans and dazzled opponents

SAO PAULO (AP) — Pelé won a record three World Cups and was widely regarded as one of his sport’s greatest players. He was among the most recognizable figures in the world at the time of his death on Thursday. Pelé was among the game’s most prolific scorers and spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents. His grace, athleticism and moves were mesmerizing. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style of play that revolutionized soccer. He carried Brazil to soccer’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport. His journey began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags.

Pelé invigorated US soccer, paved way for ’94 World Cup, MLS

NEW YORK (AP) — Clive Toye started his pursuit of Pelé with a trip to Jamaica and a cold call in 1971. Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos four years later. It put U.S. soccer on a path to hosting the World Cup in 1994 and launching Major League Soccer two years later. The Cosmos averaged 3,578 fans in 1974. Pelé joined in June 1975 and that season’s average nearly tripled to 10,450. Pelé was 34 when he joined the Cosmos and scored 37 goals in 64 matches. He agreed to countless interviews and promotional appearances as part of a mission to make soccer mainstream.

Loyal to Santos, Pelé toured and scored in Europe

MADRID (AP) — Arguments over who was the greatest player in the history of men’s soccer can often see cheap hits aimed at Pelé. The claim is that he wasn’t tested on the European stage against some of the best clubs in the world unlike other top players. But Pelé did get to face some of the finest European opposition despite playing most of his career at Brazilian club Santos. Santos globe-trotted in the 1950s, 60s and 70s to showcase its biggest star and Pelé got to measure up against teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma and Benfica. Pelé also won three World Cups against European opposition.

Bucs’ Gabbert, brothers rescue people in Tampa chopper crash

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert became an unexpected hero when a helicopter crashed into a bay. Gabbert and his two brothers were on jet skis Thursday when they heard a “faint noise” on the water. They arrived to find four people who were involved in a helicopter crash. Gabbert put two people on his jet ski and his brothers helped a third person. The fourth was helped by authorities. Tampa Bay police made Gabbert an honorary member of their marine unit on Friday.

TCU brings ‘fight for credibility’ to CFP against Michigan

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU meet for the first time Saturday at the Fiesta Bowl. It is a matchup of one of college football’s bluest blue bloods and the most unlikely team ever to reach the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs became just the second team to reach the final four after starting the season unranked. The first was Michigan last year.  Michigan is the winningest program in college football history. TCU played in three conferences over 16 years before landing in the Big 12 11 years ago. It was picked to finish seventh in the league this year.

Georgia, Ohio St are perennial powerhouses, met just once

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia and Ohio State have met once, three decades ago, before playoffs and NIL. The Bulldogs won the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day in 1993. The teams will be playing for a whole lot more on New Year’s Eve in the College Football Playoff semifinal Peach Bowl — a berth in the national title game. The top-ranked Bulldogs are looking to take the penultimate step toward their second straight national championship. No. 4 Ohio State slipped into the final playoff spot without winning its division in the Big Ten.

The CFP semifinalists and the NIL collectives that back them

It has been 18 months since the NCAA lifted a ban on name, image and likeness compensation for college athletes. Since then, donor-funded, third-party groups that operate outside an athletic department have become all the rage. They are called collectives and most Power Five schools have at least one. A look at the four teams competing in the College Football Playoff and the collectives that support them tell a tale of uncertainty and entrepreneurship amid a lack of uniform regulations.

Tua Tagovailoa officially out with concussion at New England

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out for Sunday’s game at New England after suffering a concussion last week against Green Bay. Miami coach Mike McDaniel said Friday that Tagovailoa is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol and is day to day as he focuses on his health. Veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will lead Miami in Sunday’s critical division matchup, which will be a factor in whether the Dolphins clinch their first postseason berth since 2016. The Dolphins can clinch the playoffs with a win and a New York Jets loss to Seattle, or a tie combined with a Jets loss and Pittsburgh Steelers loss or tie.