AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:19 p.m. EST

Atlanta will be site if Bills, Chiefs meet for AFC title

NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the neutral site if Buffalo and Kansas City meet in the AFC championship game. The NFL decided to put that potential matchup in a neutral city after the Bills’ Week 17 game against Cincinnati was canceled when Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field. The Chiefs are the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but played one more game than the second-seeded Bills. The league brokered the neutral site deal because Buffalo could have been the top seed with a victory over the Bengals.

Bauer released by Los Angeles Dodgers after suspension cut

NEW YORK (AP) — Trevor Bauer was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who cut ties after the pitcher’s unprecedented 324-game suspension over sexual misconduct allegations was reduced by an arbitrator. Los Angeles designated Bauer for assignment on Jan. 6, the last day to restore him to the roster, after arbitrator Martin Scheinman cut the suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to 194 games. The Dodgers placed the pitcher on waivers Thursday and any team can claim Bauer by Friday. Bauer is owed about $22.5 million from the remainder of his $102 million, three-year contract, making a waiver claim unlikely.

Bills’ McDermott hailed for leading through emotional week

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is drawing praise for the vulnerability and poise he showed in helping guide his team through an emotionally draining week. McDermott became the face and voice of the franchise in the aftermath of safety Damar Hamlin going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati. Those who know McDermott are not surprised. Former William & Mary coach Jimmye Laycock knew the Bills were in good hands under his former player.

QB Derek Carr says he embraces challenge of new city, team

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr posted on Twitter on Thursday he is ready for the challenge of playing in a new city. Those were his first public comments since being benched by coach Josh McDaniels with two weeks left in the season. Carr was the Raiders QB for nine seasons. He owns multiple team records, including most career passing yards with 35,222 and passing touchdowns with 217. The Raiders have until Feb. 15 to release Carr or his $32.9 million for 2023 and $7.5 million of his $41.9 million salary for 2024 will be guaranteed.

NBA updates All-Star vote numbers; LeBron, Durant still lead

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is well on his way to catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on more than the NBA’s career scoring list. James is still on pace to be an All-Star for the 19th time. The NBA says he remains the overall leading vote-getter for the Feb. 19 game in Salt Lake City. Abdul-Jabbar is the only 19-time All-Star in NBA history. Kevin Durant has the second-most votes and is on pace to be a captain against James for the third year in a row. James and Kobe Bryant are 18-time All-Star selections, and James entered Thursday 423 points away from passing Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.

Bears hire Big Ten Commissioner Warren as team president

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have hired Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as their president and CEO, bringing him back to the NFL to help lead a founding franchise after three years running one of college athletics’ marquee conferences. Warren replaces the retiring Ted Phillips and becomes the Bears’ fifth president.  His biggest task is helping the Bears finalize the purchase of a 326-acre tract of land in suburban Arlington Heights that could become the site of a new stadium. Warren became the first Black commissioner of a Power Five conference when the Big Ten hired him in June 2019 out of the Minnesota Vikings’ front office to replace the retiring Jim Delany. Now, the conference is searching for a new leader again.

Demonstrators protest NCAA’s transgender athlete inclusion

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines led a group of about two dozen demonstrators outside the NCAA convention. They were protesting the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports. They also threatened the NCAA with legal action if it doesn’t change its policies. Gaines competed in last year’s NCAA swimming and diving championships against Penn’s Lia Thomas, who became first transgender woman to win a national title. Eighteen states have passed laws banning transgender athletes from participating on girls’ or women’s sports teams.

Djokovic, Nadal can only meet in final at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have been placed on opposite halves of the Australian Open bracket in the draw, meaning the owners of a combined 43 Grand Slam singles titles could only meet in the final at Melbourne Park. Djokovic is a nine-time champion in Australia. He returns to the hard-court tournament after missing it last year when his visa was revoked and he was deported from the country because he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19. Fourth-seeded Djokovic will open his bid for a 10th Australian Open title against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the tournament which begins Monday. Iga Swiatek, the women’s No. 1-ranked player, takes on Jule Niemeier in the opening round.   Swiatek won last year’s French and U.S. Open titles.

Citing Taliban, Australia nixes Afghanistan cricket series

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia has pulled out of an upcoming men’s one-day international cricket series against Afghanistan. Cricket Australia cites more restrictions on women’s rights imposed by the Taliban government. Australia was set to meet Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates for three matches in March. But following consultation with the Australian government and other groups, Cricket Australia says it canceled the series. When Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, women were banned from playing sports on the grounds that doing so would contravene Islamic laws.

Kyle Larson to try Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double in 2024

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Larson will attempt to race the Indianapolis 500 in 2024 with McLaren Racing in a joint effort with NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick. Larson has long said he wants to race in the Indy 500 but there were no viable opportunties this year. His entry with McLaren will be co-owned by Hendrick and sponsored by HendrickCars.com. Larson will also plan to run the Coca-Cola 600 — NASCAR’s longest race of the season — at Charlotte Motor Speedway hours after the Indy 500.