Sparano makes case to keep Raiders job

ALAMEDA (AP) - Tony Sparano won over the locker room and changed the mindset of the Oakland Raiders in 12 games as interim coach.

Teams looking for new coaches, GMs have many options

NFL teams searching for a new coach or general manager have no shortage of qualified candidates.

Buccaneers “earn” first overall draft pick

NEW YORK (AP) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers "earned" the first pick in next spring's NFL draft with their 2-14 record.

Harbaugh, 49ers part ways

SANTA CLARA (AP) - Jim Harbaugh gathered his players and told them he is leaving, and they joined their voices for one final, familiar chant: "Who's got it better than us? No-body!"

49ers win Harbaugh’s last game

SANTA CLARA (AP) - Jim Harbaugh is done as coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

Raiders’ season closes with loss

DENVER (AP) - Charles Woodson is 38 and beat up from a long season. Still, he hopes to return for an 18th season - if the Oakland Raiders will have him, of course.

Sam: Coming out was right thing to do

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Michael Sam dismissed the thought that his sexuality has cost him a spot in the NFL.

Davis, Roman meet over tweet

SANTA CLARA (AP) - San Francisco 49ers tackle Anthony Davis is fairly outspoken. Still, he had little to say about his tweet that challenged his offensive coordinator's choices this year.

Broncos see a much better Raiders team

DENVER (AP) - Peyton Manning won't be chasing history and Derek Carr won't be running from it when the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders meet in their regular-season finale.

Raiders rookie CB makes most of opportunity

ALAMEDA (AP) - Oakland Raiders cornerback Keith McGill's struggled to get on track his rookie season because of injuries and the time it takes to adjust to the NFL.

Suns outlast Kings for 5th straight win

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Isaiah Thomas heard a sound he had never heard before in Sacramento during one of his hot-shooting spurts in the fourth quarter: silence, then a few light boos.

Rutgers beats North Carolina in Quick Lane Bowl

DETROIT (AP) - Josh Hicks ran for 202 yards and a touchdown and Rutgers beat North Carolina 40-21 on Friday night in the inaugural Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field.

No. 1 Kentucky, No. 4 Louisville resume rivalry

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Top-ranked Kentucky has been so dominant that discussion has shifted toward whether the Wildcats are now capable of going unbeaten.

Pass-rushers turn to martial arts tactics

DENVER (AP) - Denver defensive end DeMarcus Ware considers himself a mixed martial artist on the football field.

Crawford, Paul lead Clippers over Warriors 100-86

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jamal Crawford scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, Chris Paul added 22 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers handed the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors their second loss at Staples Center in three days with a 100-86 victory Thursday night.

Monster mash: LeBron James undaunted by beastly Warriors

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) - There's a four-headed, shot-making, scoreboard-breaking monster out West awaiting LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Penguins wary, Predators confident as Game 2 looms

Indy 500 champ Takuma Sato still baring his soul

NEW YORK (AP) - There is no rest for Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato, and that's OK.

Bauer strikes out AL-high 14, Indians beat A’s

CLEVELAND (AP) - Once Trevor Bauer got on a roll, he put on quite a show for the Cleveland Indians.

Warriors, Cavs benefit from rest, NBA tries to reduce it

OAKLAND (AP) - In bulldozing their respective conferences through the first three rounds of the postseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors each earned an ...

JaVale McGee perfect fit on Warriors team

OAKLAND (AP) - JaVale McGee practices 3-pointers from all around the arch, just in case. He sits with assistant coach Jarron Collins and a laptop to ...

Indians hit 3 HRs to defeat Oakland

CLEVELAND (AP) - Carlos Carrasco has held Cleveland's struggling rotation together through the season's first two months.

Harper, Strickland trade punches in SF loss

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - An enraged Bryce Harper charged the mound, fired his helmet and traded punches to the head with San Francisco reliever Hunter Strickland ...

Spieth charges, Kisner holds on to win Colonial

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Kevin Kisner came so close several times before finally winning on the PGA Tour. He now has another victory, withstanding a ...

With Agassi along for a bit, Djokovic opens defense

PARIS (AP) - If Novak Djokovic was hoping to take a little pressure and attention off himself after some rough results, he might very well have ...

Extra parity in women’s golf helps Ko keep No. 1 ranking

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - So Yeon Ryu and Ariya Jutanugarn each had a chance to take over the No. 1 ranking in women's golf ...

Sato takes Andretti to victory lane at Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Make no mistake, this Indianapolis 500 was very much about Fernando Alonso .

Dillon joins NASCAR young guns on the rise

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - The horde of 20-somethings and teenagers like Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and William Byron poised to take over NASCAR seems to ...

Guentzel’s goal lifts Penguins by Predators 5-3 in Game 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Penguins rarely tested the hottest goaltender in the playoffs in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against Nashville.

Woods blames medications for his arrest on DUI charge

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Tiger Woods attributed an "unexpected reaction" to prescription medicine for his arrest on a DUI charge that landed him in a ...