NFL:
In the NFL, Oakland topped San Diego 23-20 in overtime.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson missed practice again on Thursday while nursing a sprained ankle. Coach Mike Zimmer says the Pro Bowl back should be ready to play in Sunday's game against the New York Giants. The Giants will be without wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who will be serving a one-game suspension for his altercations with Carolina cornerback Josh Norman last weekend.
A judge has agreed to a postponement in the next murder trial for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez is charged with killing two men in Boston in 2012. Jury selection for the trial was scheduled to begin January 19th, but Suffolk Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke on Wednesday granted a motion by defense attorneys and prosecutors for a postponement. No new trial date was set.
MLB:
The Associated Press reports second baseman Daniel Murphy and the Nationals have agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract, pending a physical. The 30-year-old Murphy hit .281 with a career-high 14 home runs and 73 RBIs for the New York Mets during the 2015 regular season. He also homered in the Mets' last six NL playoff games, but he hit just .150 in the World Series and made a pair of critical errors.
A woman charged with shaking down New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has pleaded guilty to extortion, perjury and criminal impersonation. Louise Neathway entered a type of guilty plea Wednesday that acknowledges sufficient evidence for conviction but doesn't admit guilt. She was sentenced to five years' probation.
NCAA:
A University of Vermont basketball player has been suspended for eight games for reselling textbooks. The university's athletic department said Thursday that junior Dre Wills violated its student athlete code and NCAA rules regarding his athletic scholarship by selling the books. In addition to the suspension, Wills must pay back an unspecified amount of money and perform community service.
San Diego dominated the Hawaii Bowl as the Aztecs scored TDs on a kickoff, an interception and a halfback option en route to a 42-7 rout of Cincinnati. The 11-3 Aztecs went ahead to stay when Rashaad Penny returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Damontae Kazee's eighth interception of the season set up Donnell Pumphrey's 16-yard halfback-option pass to Dakota Gordon for a score, and defensive lineman Alex Barrett returned Hayden Moore's third interception 43 yards for a TD that put the Aztecs ahead 42-0 with 9:04 to play.
Jamauri Bogan rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns to power Western Michigan past Middle Tennessee 45-31 in the Bahamas Bowl. It's the first bowl victory in seven tries for the Broncos, who finished the season 8-5. Richie James had two touchdown catches and one touchdown run for 7-6 Middle Tennessee.
NBA:
Police say New York Knicks forward Derrick Williams has reported that $617,000 in jewelry has vanished from his apartment. Police say they are searching for two women in the case. They released surveillance video footage late Wednesday of two well-dressed women leaving a club in Manhattan's meatpacking district early December 19th.
AP:
American Pharoah's sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes for horse racing's first Triple Crown since 1978 has been selected the sports story of the year in an annual vote conducted by The Associated Press. The Number 2 sports story was the "Deflategate" scandal that ensnared Super Bowl-winning Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
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