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Tom Brady retires, insisting this time it's for good

WAMC
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WAMC

Tom Brady has announced his retirement. Brady won a record seven Super Bowls for New England and Tampa. He is the most successful quarterback in NFL history and one of the greatest athletes in team sports. He posted the announcement on social media in a brief video lasting just under one minute. He says this time it's for good.

NBA

Kyrie Irving had 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 121-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, who played without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Irving had scored 30 or more in a career-best six straight games but didn’t have to carry as heavy a load with some good play from Brooklyn's backup guards. Patty Mills and Cam Thomas added 21 points apiece for the Nets, who won their second straight and are 4-6 since Kevin Durant sprained a ligament in his right knee. Lakers coach Darvin Ham said James was experiencing “really significant soreness” in his left foot.

Paolo Banchero had 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Orlando Magic stormed back from a 21-point first-quarter deficit to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-109. Mo Wagner scored 22 points and his younger brother Franz Wagner scored 19 for the Magic, who stopped a three-game skid and ended the Sixers’ seven-game winning streak. Joel Embiid had 30 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia, his 27th game this season scoring 30 or more and his ninth in the past 10. The Magic trimmed the Sixers’ lead to 10 points at halftime. Orlando went ahead for the first time on a 3-pointer by Gary Harris in the third quarter.

Joe Mazzulla started the season as an assistant coach. He then became interim head coach of the Boston Celtics, in a most unexpected way. And now, the NBA’s youngest head coach is headed to the All-Star Game. The 34-year-old Mazzulla and his Celtics staff of assistants will coach Team Giannis — the team that will be captained by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo — in the Feb. 19 game at Salt Lake City. They clinched that chance Monday night when Philadelphia lost to Orlando, an outcome that ensured Boston would have the leading record in the Eastern Conference at the close of play on Sunday.

NHL

Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele each scored twice in the third period as the Winnipeg Jets rallied for a 4-2 win against the St. Louis Blues. Saku Maenalanen and Kyle Connor each had two assists for the Jets, who snapped a three-game skid. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots. Jake Neighbours had a goal and assist and Nikita Alexandrov also scored for the Blues, who have lost five straight. Jordan Binnington had 34 saves and picked up an assist on Neighbours’ goal.

Hall of Fame forward Bobby Hull, who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final, has died. Hull was 84. The two-time MVP was one of the most prolific scorers in NHL history, leading the league in goals seven times. Nicknamed “The Golden Jet” for his speed and blond hair, he posted 13 consecutive seasons with 30 goals or more from 1959-72. Hull and Stan Mikita powered Chicago to the NHL title in 1961. Hull remains the Blackhawks’ career leader with 62 playoff goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and his No. 9 sweater was retired by Chicago that same year.

US Soccer player safety

U.S. Soccer has introduced a Safe Soccer program that will require comprehensive vetting of individuals involved in the sport as the federation continues to address the abuses uncovered in its investigation of coach misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League. The Safe Soccer program announced Monday aims to overhaul the criteria for participation in the sport from the youth level to the professional leagues. It includes safety training, background checks and annual reviews.

NFL

Kellen Moore is going from calling plays for Dak Prescott to Justin Herbert. The Los Angeles Chargers didn't waste any time in reaching an agreement with Moore to be their next offensive coordinator. Monday's announcement came less than 24 hours after the Dallas Cowboys said Moore would not return. Moore had spent the past eight seasons with the Cowboys, including the past four as offensive coordinator. He signed with Dallas in 2015 as a player and then joined the coaching staff in 2018, going from Prescott’s backup to his position coach. Moore replaces Joe Lombardi, who was the Bolts' coordinator for two seasons under head coach Brandon Staley.

Patrick Mahomes deserved the game ball from the AFC title game. Travis Kelce probably did, too. But behind the scenes were Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder and his staff. They had to get their star QB ready for the Bengals and help their star tight end when back spasms nearly kept him from playing, too. Their work is just beginning. The Chiefs lost cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and wide receivers Kadarius Toney, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman to injuries in their 23-20 win Sunday night. They have two weeks to get healthy for the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

The Philadelphia Eagles can win their second Super Bowl in franchise history if they beat the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles will face their former coach in Andy Reid. The Eagles are the fourth team to reach three Super Bowls since 2004. They also are the fourth franchise to appear in multiple Super Bowls since 2017. Hurts and Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes will be the first Black QBs to face off in a Super Bowl. The Eagles are in their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy tore a ligament in his throwing elbow, putting his status for the start of next season in question. A person familiar with the injury confirmed the diagnosis of the injury Purdy sustained in the NFC title game. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not released details on the injury. NFL Network first reported that Purdy tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm and said he will seek a second opinion on whether he needs a repair or a reconstruction.

AP Top 25 WOMEN’S college basketball rankings

South Carolina, Stanford and LSU are the top teams in the latest women's AP Top 25 college basketball rankings. South Carolina is No. 1 for the 32nd consecutive week. Only UConn (51 and 34 weeks) and Louisiana Tech (36) have had longer runs at No. 1. Indiana and UConn round out top five. Ohio State lost all three of its games last week and dropped from No. 2 to No. 10.

AP Top 25 MEN’S college basketball rankings

Purdue is this season's first unanimous No. 1 team in the AP men’s college basketball poll. The Boilermakers have won eight straight games since a one-point loss to Rutgers on Jan. 2. They were followed in the AP Top 25 by Tennessee, Houston, Alabama and Arizona in the top five. No. 11 Baylor and No. 17 Providence made the biggest jumps, each climbing six spots. Auburn had the biggest drop, falling 10 spots to No. 25. No. 21 Indiana and No. 22 San Diego State rejoined the poll at the expense of Charleston and New Mexico.

NCAA RULES

Using name, image and likeness compensation to recruit college athletes is still very much against NCAA rules. The recent de-commitment from Florida by blue chip quarterback Jaden Rashada shows that NIL is definitely a factor in decisions. Booster-funded collectives are taking on a big role in compensating athletes. Schools can only hope they are acting within the rules and in their best interest. Inserting a third-party in the recruiting process between coaches and recruits has only complicated things. Experts say the collectives should focus on athletes who are already on campus.

David Guistina is the host of Capital Connection, Legislative Gazette, and Morning Edition and the producer of the Media Project on WAMC.