The darker side of the rise of women's sports: With more visibility comes more online harassment
NEW YORK (AP) -- As women's sports set new records for attendance and viewership this year, longtime fans have watched with both optimism and unease. The meteoric rise in popularity propelled by stars like the WNBA's Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has also revealed strong backlash to this success. It's a cycle female athletes and fans of women's sports have come to recognize: With the increased and sought-after visibility also comes added scrutiny and, often, harassment and online abuse targeting some players. Much of it has been racially motivated and directed at players of color across the sports landscape.
Donald Trump said he wants to ban trans athletes from competing. The reality is more nuanced
President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promise to 'ban' transgender athletes struck a chord with voters. It's uncertain, however, what exactly Trump will do once his second term begins in January. The most immediate action could be to remove Title IX protections for trans-athletes that were introduced by the Biden administration. Several ongoing court battles about the participation of trans-athletes could also shape the near future of the issue.
Pro Picks: Eagles will cruise past the Commanders and Seahawks will upset the Vikings
The setup for two Christmas Day games means two games on Saturday in Week 16. They'll be potential playoff previews. Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs host C.J. Stroud and the AFC South champion Texans in the first game Saturday. Then, it's Russell Wilson and the Steelers visiting Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in a battle for the AFC North. Pro Picks likes the favorites in both matchups.
Brr! Winter adds an old-school challenge to the CFP. Visiting teams insist it's 'snow' problem
Besides first-round games at on-campus sites, the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff also serves up something now for this postseason: cold-weather northern venues as opposed to bowl games in warm, sunny climates. Whether that provides a home-field advantage for sixth-seeded Penn State, No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State remains to be seen, but it's a factor southern schools such No. 11 SMU and No. 9 Tennessee must prepare for. Tenth-seeded Indiana only has to travel a couple hundred miles north to South Bend but December football will be new to the Hoosiers, especially at No. 7 seed Notre Dame.
Caitlin Clark's No. 22 to be retired during February ceremony at Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Caitlin Clark's No. 22 will be retired in a ceremony Feb. 2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Clark finished her college career last season as the all-time leading men's or women's scorer in NCAA Division I history and is widely regarded as a transformational figure in the women's game. The flair of her game and long-distance 3-point shots spawned a legion of fans adorned in her No. 22 jersey at games both home and away. Clark grew up in the Des Moines area and said Iowa holds a place in her heart bigger than just basketball.
23XI Racing and Front Row can compete in NASCAR's 2025 season as chartered teams in legal victory
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The two teams suing NASCAR over an antitrust complaint have been granted a preliminary injunction that will allow them to compete as chartered teams in 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell says NASCAR fans have an interest in watching all the teams compete with "their best drivers and most competitive teams." 23XI Racing, owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports refused in September to sign take-it-or-leave it revenue sharing offers made by NASCAR just 48 hours before the start of the playoffs. NASCAR could appeal.
Falcons' Cousins says he 'didn't forget how to play quarterback' after losing starting job to Penix
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- After losing his job as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins is promising to support rookie Michael Penix Jr. Cousins threw nine interceptions with one touchdown in the last five games. The switch to Penix comes with the Falcons one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South as they prepare to play host to the New York Giants. The change wasn't a one-game decision, but Cousins insists he believes he can still start in the NFL. He said Wednesday he has not forgotten how to play the position.
Formula 1 team Red Bull drops driver Sergio Perez after four seasons
Formula 1 team Red Bull has dropped Sergio Perez after months of poor results. Perez has not won a race since April 2023, even as his teammate Max Verstappen has dominated F1, and the 34-year-old Mexican was rarely competitive this season. Red Bull announced the move Wednesday, terminating Perez's contract two years early, and said a replacement will be announced "in due course." Nicknamed "Checo," Perez started the 2024 season with four podium finishes from the first five races, but he wasn't in the top three since. His last race finish higher than sixth was in May. Verstappen won nine races and his fourth consecutive title this year.
College Football Playoff picks: SMU, Clemson, Vols, Hoosiers beware as CFP opens on campus
SMU could face the biggest adjustment playing in the cold in the College Football Playoff. A 10- to 15-mph northwest wind will make temperatures in the 20s feel like it's in the mid teens in State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday for SMU's game against Penn State. Cold weather also is in the forecast for Indiana at Notre Dame and Tennessee at Ohio State. Temperatures in the 60s are expected for Clemson's game at Texas. For SMU, its game could be its coldest ever. The lowest temperature at kickoff for the Mustangs was 24 degrees for games in 2013 and 1983.
Vandy QB Diego Pavia wins injunction allowing him to play D-I football in 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A federal judge granted Diego Pavia's request for a preliminary injunction allowing the quarterback to play the 2025 season and told the NCAA the organization cannot take any action against Vanderbilt or any other university that Pavia plays a fifth season for next year. U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell issued the injunction Wednesday after a hearing Dec. 4. The judge noted in his order filed with the injunction Vanderbilt's historic success with Pavia reaching its first bowl game since 2018 with wins over both Alabama and Auburn. Pavia sued the NCAA on Nov. 8 contesting the organization's rules limiting players who start at junior colleges to only four seasons.