AP Sports SummaryBrief at 11:40 a.m. EST

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.

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.

EXPLAINER: Why are baseball teams spending so much money?

It has been an epic holiday season already for several major league teams and players a year after baseball trudged through an ugly labor dispute. Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner combined for almost $1 billion in player contracts. Xander Bogaerts, Jacob deGrom, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Rodón, Brandon Nimmo and Willson Contreras added up to another billion. Major League Baseball’s March labor deal with the players’ union is a major engine behind the spending, along with a deep group of free agent options.

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.

Franco Harris’ legacy forged in humility and empathy

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Friends, teammates and rivals are paying their respects to Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris. The Pro Football Hall of Famer died this week at age 72. Harris leaves behind a legacy beyond the field of play. Former Pennsylvania governor and longtime friend Ed Rendell friend called Harris a model for all Pennsylvanians to follow. President Joe Biden praised Harris for his compassion after visiting him shortly after the death of his wife nearly 50 years ago. Former Oakland Raider linebacker Phil Villapiano, who chased Harris to the end zone during the Immaculate Reception, became a close companion.

Carlos Rodón, newly shaved, puts on Yankees pinstripes

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Rodón appeared without beard at a Yankee Stadium news conference, a day after his $162 million, six-year contract was announced, complying with the team grooming rules. Rodón gets a $5 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of approval by MLB, a $22 million salary next year and $27 million in each remaining season. He joins a rotation headed by Gerrit Cole and projected to include Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas.

Nets score 91 in 1st half, wallop weary Warriors 143-113

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 23 points, all but two in a 91-point first half that was the third-biggest in NBA history, and the Brooklyn Nets routed the Golden State Warriors 143-113 to send the reigning champions staggering home with their second blowout loss in two nights in New York. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins all sidelined, the Warriors finished 1-5 on their road trip to the East and will hope to get healthy before they have to get back on the court on Christmas against Memphis. The Nets matched a franchise record with nine players in double figures and won their seventh straight.