January 25, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

33ft/iStockBy ABC News

(NEW YORK) — It’s a contest of the rising young star quarterback versus the G.O.A.T. — Austin Mahomes versus Tom Brady — in the upcoming Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs will square off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday after emerging victorious over the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, winning 38-24.

Tampa Bay came out strong against the Green Bay Packers, defeating them 31-26 at the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

According to ESPN, Brady, 43, shouted to teammate Devin White as he exited Lambeau Field, “D-White, where we going? We’re going home!”

The Bucs are officially the first team in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl hosted at their home stadium — Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Brady now sets a record for being the oldest player, in any position, to play in a Super Bowl.

Not only that, coach Bruce Arians will officially be the second-oldest coach to head to a Super Bowl, behind Bills’ coach, the late Marv Levy.

Should Arians win, however, he will become the oldest coach at 68 to win a Super Bowl.  Should the Bucs win, it’ll mark the team’s second Super Bowl victory — the team’s first and only appearance at the Big Game was in January 2003.

As for Kansas City, they stand to notch their second consecutive win, as they defeated the San Francisco 49ers last year — 31 to 20.  If they win, it’ll mark their third Vince Lombardi Trophy.  The only other time they won it was back in 1970, when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings.

The Big Game kicks off next Sunday, Feb. 4, at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 25, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

iStockBy ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Toronto 107, Indiana 102
LA Clippers 108, Oklahoma City 100
Boston 141, Cleveland 103
Charlotte 107, Orlando 104
San Antonio 121, Washington 101
Milwaukee 129, Atlanta 115
Portland 116, New York 113
Sacramento at Memphis (Postponed)

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chicago 6, Detroit 2
Buffalo 4, Washington 3 (SO)
Vegas 1, Arizona 0
Toronto 3, Calgary 2
New Jersey 2, NY Islanders 0
Pittsburgh 3, NY Rangers 2
Anaheim 3, Colorado 1
Dallas 3, Nashville 2
Los Angeles 6, St. Louis 3
San Jose 5, Minnesota 3
Edmonton 4, Winnipeg 3

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Tampa Bay 31, Green Bay 26
Kansas City 38, Buffalo 24

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Nebraska at Iowa (Postponed)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 22, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

Hulton Archive/Getty Images)By KELLY MCCARTHY, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Baseball icon and Hall of Famer Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron passed away at 86 years old on Friday.

The retired right fielder from Mobile, Alabama, was known as one of the greatest power hitters in Major League Baseball history.

“Mr. Aaron passed away peacefully in his sleep. The family asks for privacy at this time. The Braves will be releasing a statement shortly,” Aaron’s assistant said in a statement to ABC News.

Aaron led the league with a record 755 home runs in his illustrious career when he eclipsed Babe Ruth’s total in 1974 at age 23. He held that record until 2007 when the number was surpassed by San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds.

He also holds records for most runs batted in (RBI), 2,297, total bases, 6,856, and extra-base hits, 1,477, according to ESPN.

"I don't want them to forget Ruth, I just want them to remember me." – Hank Aaron pic.twitter.com/Uon8dEwnJJ

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) January 22, 2021

Aaron’s legacy stretched far beyond fair territory on the field, he also led the way for other Black players in the sport.

Earlier this month, Aaron got vaccinated against COVID-19 in Georgia, in hopes that doing so would send a message to other Black Americans that the shots are safe, ESPN reported.

On May 17, 1970, Aaron became the ninth player in MLB history to add his name to the exclusive 3,000 hits club. The right fielder hit a single off a pitch from Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wayne Simpson at Crosley Field.

Aaron spent 21 seasons in the National League with Milwaukee from 1954 to 1965, then in Atlanta from 1966 to 1974, before finishing his 23-year career in Milwaukee with the Brewers until 1976. In total he had 24 All-Star Game appearances and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Aaron “was an All-Star a record 25 times and won three Gold Gloves, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, falling nine votes shy of becoming the first unanimous inductee,” according to a Braves press release.

After retiring from the batters box, “The Home Run King” became the senior vice president of the Atlanta Braves in 1976.

Tributes have already poured in on social media for the baseball legend from current and former players, as well as sports writers, friends and fans.

A legend on and off the ball field… the best to ever do it… RIP Mr Hank Aaron 🙏🏿 #44 pic.twitter.com/3LH6iB9auV

— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) January 22, 2021

Hank Aaron, the Hall of Fame slugger whose 755 career home runs long stood as baseball's golden mark, has died.

He was 86. pic.twitter.com/etl7EcdUH8

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 22, 2021

Hank Aaron's legacy transcends his place as one of the greatest in the history of our national pastime. He represents the best of America, with his resiliency, grace, and relentless optimism. An extraordinary life. He is royalty. Always will be. RIP. @MLBNetwork @baseballhall

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 22, 2021

Rest in peace, Hank Aaron. pic.twitter.com/1UNJ5ZqceU

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) January 22, 2021

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 22, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP via Getty ImagesBy ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Despite rising COVID-19 infections in Japan, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said Thursday that there is “no reason whatsoever” to believe the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on July 23 as planned.

“This is why there is no plan B and this is why we are fully committed to make these games safe and successful,” Bach told Japanese news agency Kyodo in an interview Thursday.

However, Bach admitted he could not guarantee that the stands would be full or rule out the possibility that the Games would be held without spectators, according to Kyodo.

Bach’s statement comes amid reports that the Japanese government has privately concluded that the upcoming Tokyo Olympics will have to be canceled.

On Friday, Japan’s Cabinet Secretariat of the Headquarters for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games called those reports “categorically untrue.”

“The renewed schedules and venues for the Tokyo 2020 Games, starting with the Opening Ceremony on July 23 this year, were determined at the IOC Session in July last year. All parties involved are working together to prepare for the successful Games this summer,” the cabinet secretariat said in a statement Friday. “We will implement all possible countermeasures against COVID-19 and continue to work closely with the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in our preparations for holding a safe and secure Games this summer.”

The statement follows a report published Thursday evening by British newspaper The Times, which cited “a senior member of the ruling coalition” who said there is agreement that the Games are doomed and the focus now is on securing the event for the Japanese capital in the next available year, 2032.

The 2020 Summer Olympics were supposed to kick off in Tokyo last year on July 24. But in late March, amid mounting calls to delay or cancel the upcoming Games, the International Olympic Committee and Japan’s prime minister announced that the event would be held a year later due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, Japan is facing a resurgence of COVID-19. The country of 126 million people reported the highest number of new cases in the Western Pacific region last week. The infection rate — currently at 32.8 cases per 100,000 people — increased by 4% over the previous week, according to the World Health Organization’s latest COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare confirmed 5,662 new cases of COVID-19 as well as an additional 87 fatalities from the disease on Thursday, bringing the cumulative totals to 348,646 cases and 4,829 deaths.

Japanase Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and 10 other prefectures due to climbing case counts and growing death tolls.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 22, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

iStockBy ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
LA Lakers 113 Milwaukee 106
Utah 129, New Orleans 118
New York 119, Golden State 104

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
NY Islanders 4, New Jersey 1
Winnipeg 4, Ottawa 1
Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2 (OT)
Boston 5, Philadelphia 4 (SO)
Montreal 7, Vancouver 3
Los Angeles 4, Colorado 2
Florida at Carolina (Postponed)

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Indiana 81, Iowa 69
UCLA 61, California 57

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.