AP Sports SummaryBrief at 1:10 p.m. EST
Ronaldo benched for World Cup match against Switzerland
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t in the starting lineup for Portugal’s game against Switzerland in the round of 16 of the World Cup. The move came a day after his coach expressed frustration about Ronaldo’s attitude in the last match. Gonçalo Ramos is starting in Ronaldo’s place at Lusail Stadium. Ronaldo showed obvious displeasure at being removed from the game against South Korea on Friday.
Titans fire GM Jon Robinson in midst of his 7th season
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee owner Amy Adams Strunk fired general manager Jon Robinson in the midst of his seventh season with the Titans off to a 7-5 start. The Titans announced Strunk’s decision in a statement. The Titans plan to start searching for a new general manager soon with a full search at the end of the season. Strunk said she thinks the Titans have made “significant progress” but she believes “there is more to be done and higher aspirations to be met.” The Titans were routed in Philadelphia in a loss featuring a big performance by the wide receiver Robinson traded to the Eagles during the first round of the NFL draft in A.J. Brown.
Morocco beats Spain on penalties to advance at World Cup
AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Morocco became the first Arab nation to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals by beating Spain 3-0 in a penalty shootout. Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets missed their penalties for Spain. Sarabia hit the post and Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou stopped the other two. The teams drew 0-0 in regulation and extra time. Morocco has been the biggest surprise of the tournament and will next face either Portugal or Switzerland. Morocco and Spain are close neighbors with a complex geopolitical relationship.
Nike says Nets’ Kyrie Irving no longer one of its athletes
Kyrie Irving’s relationship with Nike is officially over. The announcement from the shoe and athletic apparel maker came a month after the company suspended the Brooklyn Nets guard as part of the fallout from him tweeting a link to a film containing antisemitic material. It was not a surprise breakup, especially after Nike co-founder Phil Knight said in the days after the company suspended Irving that he had doubts there would be any reconciliation.
Analysis: In the NBA, 100 points no longer assures anything
If the NBA has a magic number, it’s 100. Wilt Chamberlain’s single-game scoring record. A perfect shooting percentage. And the rule pretty much seemed to be that if a team scored 100 points in a game, it probably was going to walk off the floor as a winner. Not anymore. Put simply, 100 doesn’t guarantee anything. Teams with at least 100 points are losing 45% of their games so far this season, the highest such rate in more than 50 years and nearly 10% higher than the league’s all-time average.
Column: Adam Scott makes sense without making enemies
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Adam Scott is the one player everyone assumed would be a perfect fit for LIV Golf. But he’s still on the PGA Tour. And he might be the only one capable of making sense without making enemies. Scott’s comments last week at the Australian Open are worth noting. He has listened to Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods say LIV leader Greg Norman must go before anything is solved. Scott doesn’t understand why golf has to come together. He believes the PGA Tour should run its course and LIV Golf should do its thing. Lawsuits and countersuits make that difficult.
New Mexico State suspends basketball player after shooting
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State’s athletic director says power forward Mike Peake has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team in connection with last month’s fatal shooting of a student from a rival university. Mario Moccia also told reporters Monday night that neither he nor the school could comment on Peake’s enrollment status as a student. The 21-year-old Peake has not been charged in the Nov. 19 pre-dawn shooting on the University of New Mexico’s campus in Albuquerque hours before the host Lobos were to play the Aggies. State police investigators said 19-year-old Brandon Travis conspired with two other UNM students and a teenage girl to lure Peake onto campus. The subsequent shootout left Travis dead at the scene and Peake hospitalized with a leg wound.
Doctors say Pelé’s health improving, remains in hospital
SAO PAULO (AP) — Doctors say Brazilian soccer great Pelé is improving. The 82-year-old Pelé has been hospitalized for a week to treat a respiratory infection aggravated by COVID-19. He is expected to leave the hospital when he fully recovers from the infection. The Albert Einstein hospital says he has “stable vital signs, is conscious, and with no new complications.” Pelé is a three-time World Cup winner. He is also fighting cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Deion Sanders’ arrival swipes buzz from bungling Broncos
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos have spiraled through one of the most disappointing seasons after acquiring quarterback Russell Wilson and hiring rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett. While they were blowing yet another late lead Sunday, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former two-sport superstart Deion Sanders was being introduced as the University of Colorado’s new head football coach. The Buffaloes are all the buzz now with a chance to change their fortunes overnight from a 1-11 team to a relevant program again. The Broncos are mired in a death spiral and have now lost 13 of their last 16, a franchise first.
World Cup betting down in Las Vegas but higher than expected
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The World Cup is the globe’s biggest sporting event, but in the United States in the fall, it competes with a full sports betting calendar. Las Vegas sportsbook directors weren’t optimistic the betting would be higher than the 2018 World Cup. That World Cup was played in the more usual summer months in Russia. The Qatar World Cup is playing in November and December. The betting handle is down, but higher than expected. Sportsbook directors expect betting action to increase during the knockout stage.
