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Tom Brady retires at 45, 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 Bay. 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. He briefly retired after the 2021 season but wound up coming back for one more year. He retires at age 45, the owner of numerous passing records in an unprecedented 23-year NFL career.

Tom Brady had nothing left to prove. Already considered the Greatest of All Time, Brady finally walked away from the NFL on Wednesday following the most difficult, emotionally draining season in his life. Brady leaves with seven Super Bowl rings, five Super Bowl MVP awards, numerous other honors and nearly every passing record in league history. His success on the field is unmatched and his career accomplishments long ago cemented his Pro Football Hall of Fame credentials. But Brady’s legacy stretches beyond the field, his championships and his 89,214 passing yards and 649 touchdowns.

Philadelphia Eagles reserve offensive lineman Josh Sills has been indicted on rape and kidnapping charges that stem from an incident in Ohio just over three years ago. The NFL on Wednesday put the rookie who has played just four snaps this season on the commissioner’s exempt list. That means he can’t practice, play or travel with the Eagles as they prepares for the Super Bowl. A grand jury indicted Sills earlier this week. His attorney said Wednesday that the allegations are false. Sills is due in court on Feb. 16, four days after the Eagles are to play Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is set to call plays in 2023 after the club parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones says McCarthy will run a version of the West Coast offense he used when calling plays as head coach in Green Bay from 2006-18. Moore was hired as offensive coordinator by the Los Angeles Chargers the day after the Cowboys announced his departure. McCarthy kept Moore in the play-calling role after Dallas hired him in 2020 because he thought that would be the best move for quarterback Dak Prescott.

NBA

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and had nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 139-96 win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets. Jaylen Brown added 26 points as both of Boston’s stars knocked down seven 3-pointers in a game the Celtics never trailed and led by as many as 49 points. Boston dominated on both ends of the floor in its largest victory of the season. The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics have won all three meetings with the Nets this season. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Cam Thomas added 19 for Brooklyn. The Nets dropped to 4-7 since Kevin Durant sprained his right knee on Jan. 8.

Joel Embiid had 28 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden added 26 points and 10 assists and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 105-94. The Sixers split the home-and-home set this week with Orlando. The Magic stormed back from a 21-point, first-quarter deficit to beat the 76ers 119-109 on Monday night. That loss ended the 76ers’ seven-game winning streak. Markelle Fultz led the Magic with 18 points. Embiid made all 10 of his free throws.

Michael Malone might coach Nikola Jokic in the All-Star Game. He might get the rare chance to coach against him, too. Malone and the staff of the Denver Nuggets have clinched their trip to Salt Lake City for All-Star weekend. Malone will coach Team LeBron — the team that will be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James — in the Feb. 19 matchup. Boston interim coach Joe Mazzulla will coach Team Giannis, the team that will be drafted by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

WNBA free agency

Breanna Stewart is coming to the New York Liberty. The most coveted free agent this offseason, who won the WNBA MVP award in 2018, announced on social media that she was going to New York with a photo of her in a Liberty shirt on Wednesday. Stewart had spent her entire career in Seattle since the Storm drafted her No. 1 overall in 2016. Wednesday was the first day that free agents could sign. Candace Parker, who announced over the weekend she would sign with Las Vegas, officially did.

NHL

Pavel Zacha scored twice in the third period as the Boston Bruins held off the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Wednesday night. Derek Forbort and Brandon Carlo both had goals in the second period as Boston snapped a three-game winless skid. A.J. Greer also scored in the final period and Linus Ullmark made 33 saves. Mitchell Marner scored on the power play, his 19th goal of the season, for Toronto. Calle Jarnkrok had a goal in the third to keep the Maple Leafs in the game. Ilya Samsonov stopped 24 shots in his eighth consecutive game in net for Toronto.

Stefan Noesen had a goal and an assist to help lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. Sebastian Aho, Brent Burns, Derek Stepan and Jordan Martinook also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won seven games in a row. Antti Raanta made 29 saves. Alex Tuch scored the lone goal for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 29 saves.The Hurricanes completely dominated the Sabres out of the gates, taking control of the game and jumping out to an early 3-0 lead.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Signing day

The opening of college football’s traditional signing period for high school prospects brought an apparent end to two of the cycle’s most notable recruitments. Blue-chip quarterback Jaden Rashada, who signed with Florida in December and then asked to be released from the commitment when a name, imagine and likeness deal fell through, announced he is going to Arizona State. Also, in the Pac-12, Cormani McClain signed with Colorado to make it two straight years that coach Deion Sanders has landed a five-star cornerback. McClain had previously committed to Miami.

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