AP Sports SummaryBrief at 2:41 p.m. EST

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach dies at 61

Mississippi State says football coach Mike Leach has died following complications from a heart condition at the age of 61. The pioneering coach helped revolutionize the college football passing game with the Air Raid offense. A third-year coach at Mississippi State, Leach had been hospitalized over the weekend and had a bout of pneumonia late this season. He died Monday night. In 21 seasons as a head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, Leach went 158-107. Six of the 20 best passing seasons in major college football history were by quarterbacks who played for Leach, including four of the top six.

Live updates | Argentina-Croatia in the World Cup semifinals

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Julian Alvarez has scored to give Argentina a 2-0 lead over Croatia in the World Cup semifinals. Alvarez scored in the 39th minute.

Messi, Modric get Argentina, Croatia to World Cup semifinals

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Tears are flowing from soccer’s biggest superstars as they make emotional exits from what might be their last World Cup. First it was Neymar, then it was Cristiano Ronaldo and it could be Lionel Messi next. Momentum is building behind Messi’s push to cap his one-of-a-kind career by winning the World Cup for the first time. The 35-year-old Argentina playmaker has carried his team to the semifinals almost in the same way Diego Maradona led the South American nation to the title in 1986. Now in Argentina’s way is Croatia. The 2018 runner-up is establishing a reputation as the most stubborn and durable of opponents and boasts one of soccer’s most graceful players in Luka Modric.

The Jordan Trophy: NBA rebrands, redesigns its MVP award

The NBA Most Valuable Player award has been renamed The Michael Jordan Trophy. The league made that announcement Tuesday and unveiled the redesigned award. The trophy has been named for Maurice Podoloff for about six decades. Jordan won the trophy that was named for Podoloff five times. But now the league’s best player each year will receive a trophy named for the six-time champion.

EXPLAINER: Inside the NBA’s process on changing trophies

There’s been an evolution of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player trophy in the 70 or so years since it was first awarded. It used to be called the President’s Trophy. Players used to do the voting. In time, it all changed; the trophy was known as the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, and a media panel of 100 writers and broadcasters now are the voters. As of Tuesday, there’s a new trophy and a new name — The Michael Jordan Trophy. It is the biggest move in a long line of trophy tweaks and twists by the NBA in recent years.

WR Beasley comes out of retirement to rejoin Buffalo Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Receiver Cole Beasley ended a brief retirement to take one more shot at extending his career by reuniting with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Beasley was signed to Buffalo’s practice squad, rejoining the team that cut him in March for salary-cap reasons. The 11th-year player was out of work until being signed to Tampa Bay’s practice squad in late September. The 33-year-old Beasley had four catches for 17 yards in two games with the Buccaneers before announcing his retirement on Oct. 5. The AFC-leading Bills have won four straight games and have the inside track to clinch their third consecutive AFC East title. Buffalo hosts division rival Miami on Saturday night.

Moroccan World Cup ‘dream’ faces biggest test against France

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Morocco’s improbable, history-making run at the World Cup is about to get its ultimate test. Africa’s first semifinalist is playing defending champion France and striker Kylian Mbappé. It is a match that has cultural and political connotations because Morocco was under French rule from 1912-56. It is far from the foregone conclusion many would presume by looking at the names of the players and the rankings of the teams. Morocco has shocked the soccer world in Qatar by topping a group containing Belgium and then eliminated Spain and Portugal. It’s one of the biggest stories in the World Cup’s 92-year history and Morocco isn’t done yet.

Spanish court acquits soccer star Neymar in fraud trial

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Spanish court has acquitted soccer star Neymar and his fellow defendants in a fraud and corruption trial related to the Brazilian’s 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona. Brazilian company DIS had accused Neymar, his father, and the former presidents of Santos and Barcelona of having intentionally hid the cost of his transfer to avoid paying DIS what it was due as the partial holder of his player rights. However, the court says in a statement that “it has not been proven that there was a false contract or that DIS was intended to be harmed.”

Baker’s World Series title among best sports moments of 2022

Dusty Baker finally got his elusive championship with the Houston Astros, garnering his first World Series ring in 25 years as a manager in one of the most memorable moments of the year in sports. Baker won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player, but missed on two chances to win the Fall Classic before the Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. His one of many memorable redemptive moments. The Los Angeles Rams proved home cooking is best by winning the Super Bowl at home and the Golden State Warriors found their old magic by winning their fourth NBA title in eight years and first since 2018. The Colorado Avalanche turned on the way-back machine to win their first Stanley Cup title since 2001.

Column: PGA Tour year in review based on shots from 14 clubs

The driver off the 18th hole cost Mito Pereira the PGA Championship. A putter from 40 yards short of the pin at St. Andrews helped Cameron Smith win the British Open. And most memorable was the 7-iron from Jordan Spieth on the edge of a cliff at Pebble Beach. AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson goes through all 14 clubs in the bag to find the most significant shots that helped shape the year on the PGA Tour. Some of those shots led to an eagle or birdie. Others led to a bogey. They all told part of the story.