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By WILL GRAVES, AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — Caitlyn Callahan was standing in a Starbucks in the fall 2019 when she peered down at her phone and was met with a jolt that changed the course of her life. A couple of clicks told her the New York Yankees had just made Rachel Balkovec the first woman to be a full-time coach in the major leagues. Suddenly, a door that Callahan assumed was closed had swung wide open and her inner ballplayer resurfaced. “If you’ve ever been in one of those playoff situations where you’re that batter up and there’s someone on second (base) and that excitement, that, like, 'Ready to go. Running Shoes  ,I want to be in the box like that,’ that was what it felt like,” Callahan said. “Just being so excited to see that. It gives me chill...

By JOE REEDY, AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — If anyone has an appreciation for the long winding road the Cincinnati Bengals have taken to their first Super Bowl in 33 years, it is Andrew Whitworth. But if the Los Angeles Rams left tackle wants to win his first championship, he will have to do it against his former team. The Bengals drafted Whitworth in the second round in 2006. He helped get the franchise to six postseason appearances in 11 seasons before signing with the Rams in 2017. “I told (Bengals coach) Zac Taylor when we talked Sunday night that both places have my heart and people that I believe in. It’s really special and a cool moment for Oofos Shoes  me to get to play in this game and play against a place that means so much to me,” Whitwo...

By DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Since World Cup qualifying entered this special winter session, the U.S. has embraced the cold and its accompanying advantage over an opponent from a tropical country. The bring-it-on attitude will be put to a stiff test Wednesday night in Minnesota, where the U.S. will stage a critical match against already-eliminated Honduras. The forecast: a high of 8 degrees (minus-13 Celsius), a kickoff temperature around 5 (minus-15) and a wind chill factor well below zero. So players will layer up, turn loose their attack and aim for those precious three points in the standings — even if they have to take a few minutes afterward to thaw out. The game will set a U.S. record for the coldest home start. Hey Du...

By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Fired Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores sued the NFL and three teams on Tuesday over alleged racist hiring practices for coaches and general managers, saying the league remains “rife with racism” even as it publicly condemns it. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, said the hypocrisy was on display with the chilly treatment Flores received from the Dolphins after he refused to accept a $100,000-a-game offer from the club his first season to “tank” so it could secure the top draft pick. The lawsuit sought class-action status and unspecified damages from the league, the Dolphins, the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants, along with unidentified individuals. Flores, 40, was fired last month b...

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Wendell Green Jr. scored a season-high 23 points off the bench as No. 1 Auburn cruised past rival Alabama with a 100-81 home win Tuesday night. Green led the Tigers in scoring while also recording eight rebounds and six assists with only one turnover. Jabari Smith added 17 points as Auburn (21-1, 9-0 Southeastern Conference) extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 18. “I had a rough past two games, and I knew this was a big one,” said Green, who scored a combined eight points in his last two outings. “So, I just wanted to come out Hoka Sneakers here for my teammates and show them I could do what I do. They kept telling me all weekend to just get back to myself.” After foul trouble limited him to only 12 minutes in Auburn’s first meetin...

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Mark Adams stayed on the South Plains even before he knew he would get the job as Texas Tech's new coach. Chris Beard got on a plane 10 months ago to Austin, and Red Raiders fans had waited since then to let him know how they felt about him leaving for their most-hated rival. Kevin Obanor had 17 points with five 3-pointers and the 14th-ranked Red Raiders beat No. 23 Texas 77-64 on Tuesday night in Beard's return as cooch of his alma mater, in an emotionally charged arena packed with more than 15,000 fans who used to love the coach who took their team to the national championship game only three years ago. “Tonight wasn’t about me, guys. I’m on the record my whole career. Hoka Shoes  And you guys understand that I respect the opponent and I respect th...