BASEBALL
CLEVELAND (AP) - The Cleveland Indians are changing their name . They just don’t know to what or when.
Expressing that “it’s time,” owner Paul Dolan said that after months of internal discussions and meetings with groups, including Native Americans who have sought to have the team stop using a moniker many deem racist, the American League franchise is dropping the name it has been known by since 1915.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Dolan said: “The name is no longer acceptable in our world.”
Dolan said the team will continue to be called Indians until a new name is chosen. That “multi-stage” process is in its early stages and the team will play - and be branded - as the Indians at least through next season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Gonzaga and Baylor headlined an unchanged top tier of The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, even as both have been sidelined by recent coronavirus issues.
The top five teams remained in place in the latest Top 25, with Mark Few’s Bulldogs receiving 54 of 62 first-place votes to remain firmly in place at No. 1. The second-ranked Bears had seven first-place votes to remain 1-2 with Gonzaga in each of the season’s four polls so far.
Yet the Zags haven’t played since beating West Virginia on Dec. 2 due to COVID-19 protocols, with five straight games canceled or postponed, including a matchup with Baylor on Dec. 5. The Bears announced Saturday they would pause team activities as well.
Iowa received the remaining first-place vote to finish ahead of No. 4 Michigan State and No. 5 Kansas. Houston, Villanova, West Virginia, Creighton and Tennessee rounded out the top 10.
NEW YORK (AP) - Stanford remained atop The Associated Press women’s basketball poll, and picked up first-place votes, too.
Coach Tara VanDerveer matched Pat Summitt’s all-time win total of 1,098 with a victory on Sunday night over California that kept Stanford unbeaten. She can move break the record Tuesday when her team faces Pacific.
It was the second consecutive week that the Cardinal were the top team in the poll. Stanford received 26 of the 30 first-place votes from a national media panel. Louisville, UConn, N.C. State and South Carolina followed Stanford as the first five remained unchanged in their position.
NEW YORK (AP) - The NCAA announced that San Antonio is the likely host site for the entire 64-team NCAA women’s basketball tournament next March. The move was made to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19 and matches that of the men’s tournament, which the NCAA said last month also will be played in a single area - most likely Indianapolis.
San Antonio was already the site of the 2021 Final Four. The NCAA has now begun talks with the city on hosting the whole thing, and the organization hopes to have plans finalized by the end of January at the latest. It is likely that the NCAA could play games as far away as Austin because of the need for hotels as well as practice and game venues for 64 teams.
The first two rounds of the women’s tournament have been played on campus sites the past few seasons, with the top four seeds in each region hosting. The regionals were slated to be played this season in Albany, New York, Austin, Texas, Cincinnati and Spokane, Washington.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Florida forward Keyontae Johnson was “following simple commands” Monday after being transferred from Tallahassee Memorial to UF Health in Gainesville, the school said.
Officials added that Johnson is undergoing further tests and remains in critical but stable condition two days after he collapsed on the court during a game at Florida State. Johnson was moved to Gainesville via helicopter with his mother by his side.
Coach Mike White and head athletic trainer Dave Werner, who stayed in Tallahassee for two nights, returned to Gainesville on the school’s jet with other family members Monday.
GOLF
HOUSTON (AP) - A Lim Kim made her first U.S. Women’s Open appearance a memorable one, closing with three straight birdies to tie the record for the largest comeback and win the biggest event in women’s golf.
And in the final major of this pandemic-disrupted year in sports, she won wearing a mask.
Starting the final, frigid round at Champions Golf Club five shots behind, the 25-year-old South Korean wore a heavy down jacket between shots and delivered a 4-under 67 for a one-shot victory over Amy Olson and Jin Young Ko.
Kim became the seventh player to rally from five shots behind in the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open, and the first since Annika Sorenstam at The Broadmoor in 1995.
NFL
CLEVELAND (AP) - Lamar Jackson emerged from the locker room, saved the game and maybe Baltimore’s season.
Back on the field after being sidelined by cramps, Jackson threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown and then set up Justin Tucker’s 55-yard field goal with two seconds left, helping the Ravens to a wild 47-42 win over the Cleveland Browns that helped them stay in the playoff picture.
A Monday night game dripping with playoff intensity delivered with endless drama and stunning twists.
Tucker, who made 70 straight field goals inside 40 yards before he missed last week, had plenty of distance on his kick to give the Ravens (8-5) a much-needed win.
It was a gut punch for the Browns (9-4), who had rallied from a 14-point deficit to take the lead while Jackson was out.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Jalen Hurts earned another start.
The rookie quarterback will be behind center when the Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) visit the Arizona Cardinals (6-6) on Sunday.
Hurts led the Eagles to a 24-21 upset over the New Orleans Saints (10-3) in his first career start after replacing Carson Wentz. Hurts ran for 106 yards and threw for 167 and one touchdown as Philadelphia snapped New Orleans’ nine-game winning streak and ended its own four-game slide.
The Eagles racked up 413 total yards against the league’s top-ranked defense. Miles Sanders had 115 yards rushing, including 82 on a TD run. The Saints hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in the previous 55 games before Hurts and Sanders each reached that mark.
NBA
HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden practiced with the Houston Rockets for the first time this season after missing the early part of camp while talk swirls that he wants out.
Harden reported to camp late amid reports he is looking to be traded. He was absent for Houston’s first two preseason games as he went through the NBA’s COVID-19 testing protocols.
Coach Stephen Silas said he spoke with the superstar Monday, but they talked strictly basketball and neither addressed a possible trade.
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