PAUL NEWBERRY

AP National Writer
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson addresses the media, at the NFL football team's training facility, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Falcons interview offensive coordinators Ben Johnson of Lions and Bobby Slowik of Texans
The Atlanta Falcons have interviewed their 12th and 13th candidates for their head coaching vacancy, adding Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik to the growing list.
 
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, left, and Patriots team owner Robert Kraft, right, stand together during an NFL football news conference, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass., to announce that Belichick, a six-time NFL champion, has agreed to part ways with the team. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Atlanta Falcons complete a second interview with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick has completed his second coaching interview with the Atlanta Falcons, moving closer to joining the franchise that endured its biggest disappointment with him on the opposite sideline.
 
Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) passes as he drives against Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Atlanta’s Bogdanovic plays through grief after death of countryman Dejan Milojević
Bogdan Bogdanovic did not remember much about the game, even though the Atlanta Hawks won a thriller with a basket at the buzzer. All he could think about was his friend.
 
Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) hits a game-winning basket at the buzzer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Dejounte Murray hits 17-footer at buzzer to lift Hawks past Magic, 106-104
Dejounte Murray hit a 17-foot jumper as time expired to give the Atlanta Hawks a 106-104 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
 
FILE - Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos talks with reporters during Major League Baseball's general manager meetings, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, in Carlsbad, Calif. The Atlanta Braves have agreed to a contract extension with general manager Alex Anthopoulos that will keep him with the six-time reigning NL East champions through the 2031 season. The team announced the deal Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, locking up the GM who oversaw a World Series championship in 2021 and has been responsible for securing long-term contracts with many of top players.(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
Braves extend general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ contract through 2031 season
The Atlanta Braves have agreed to a contract extension with general manager Alex Anthopoulos that will keep him with the six-time reigning NL East champions through the 2031 season.
 
FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2013, file photo, Alabama head coach Nick Saban holds The Coaches Trophy after the BCS National Championship college football game against Notre Dame, in Miami. Nick Saban, the stern coach who won seven national championships and turned Alabama back into a national powerhouse that included six of those titles in just 17 seasons, is retiring, according to multiple reports, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Column: Saban doesn’t go out on top, but he does leave as the greatest of them all
Nick Saban didn’t go out on top, which is about the only notable blemish on a college coaching resume that eclipsed all others. That’s OK.
 
Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith speaks with Owner Arthur Blank after an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. The Atlanta Falcons won 29-10. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Falcons fire coach Arthur Smith hours after completing 3rd straight 7-10 season
Arthur Smith has been fired by the Atlanta Falcons after completing his third straight losing season. Smith inherited a rebuilding project in his first NFL head coaching job and failed to lift the Falcons from their playoff drought.
 
File - Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. looks to throw against Washington State during the second half of an NCAA college football game Nov. 25, 2023, in Seattle. The biggest Washington players allowed only 11 sacks this season, paving the way for Penix and No. 2 Huskies to reach the College Football Playoff and earning the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Column: Pac-12 has that rare chance in sports to go out on top
In sports, going out on top is a rarity indeed. It’s far more common to hang on for one game too many, one season too long. In that sense, the Pac-12 can leave with its head held high. This was not the path it would’ve chosen, of course.
 
FILE -Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, in Washington. Chris Sale's injury-filled career with the Boston Red Sox ended Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 when the 34-year-old left-hander was traded the Atlanta Braves for infielder Vaughn Grissom. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Braves rework Sale’s contract, agree to $38 million, 2-year deal with ’26 club option
The Atlanta Braves have reworked the contract for newcomer Chris Sale, announcing a $38 million, two-year deal with the left-handed pitcher who was acquired last weekend from the Boston Red Sox.
 
FILE - Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, center left, and singer Taylor Swift leave Arrowhead Stadium after an NFL football game between the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, Oct. 22, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. A friendship bracelet with a phone number: that's how Kelce planned to woo Swift when he went to her Eras Tour concert stop in the Missouri capital. The romance that united sports and music fans, a celestial wonder that drew millions of eyes skyward and a long overdue homecoming for some Native American tribes were just some of the moments that inspired us and brought joy in 2023. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Column: The Newby Awards sends out an invitation to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
In a year when “Everything Everywhere All at Once” dominated the Oscars, Taylor Swift took that theme to a whole new level before 2023 was done. We’re not even talking about the mammoth tour or the hit concert movie or the overwrought fan base.
 
Bokai Huang, of China, competes in the Men's pole vault final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
AP sports photos of the year capture unforgettable snippets in time from the games we love
They are snippets in time, unforgettable snapshots that gloriously capture the soaring euphoria and gut-wrenching agony of the games we love, not to mention the randomness of a moment that might’ve gone unnoticed otherwise.
 
FILE - Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips answers a question during an NCAA college football news conference at the ACC media days in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Over a span of six weeks this past summer, the Pac-12 was ripped apart and redistributed by its competitors. Oregon and Washington are going to the Big Ten along with Southern California and UCLA. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are going to the Big 12. Stanford and California will join the Atlantic Coast Conference. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond, File)
Column: Florida State always seemed out of place in the ACC. Now the Seminoles want out
Florida State always seemed out of place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. A football school in a league long renowned for its basketball prowess. Now, the Seminoles want out. Divorce is inevitable, but the split figures to be anything but amicable.
 
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, and Alabama head coach Nick Saban meet after the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game in Atlanta, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia getting ready for a bowl, but it sure feels different than the last 2 years
The Georgia Bulldogs are getting ready for a bowl game, which is standard routine at this time of year. Yet it feels so different.
 
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder passes against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Falcons’ season teeters on the brink after a dismal loss. Smith and Ridder feel the heat
The Atlanta Falcons are teetering on the brink after one of the worst losses in franchise history, an inexplicable setback that raised questions about the fates of coach Arthur Smith and quarterback Desmond Ridder.
 
Kentucky guard Justin Edwards (1) shoots against North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the CBS Sports Classic, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Rob Dillingham scores 17 points, No. 14 Kentucky holds off No. 9 North Carolina 87-83
 
Ohio State players celebrate a win after an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Battle, Okpara lead Ohio State to a 67-60 win over UCLA in opener of Atlanta doubleheader
Jamison Battle scored 14 points, including Ohio State’s only 3-pointer in the final minute, and Felix Okpara made two key baskets down the stretch to lead the Buckeyes to a 67-60 victory over UCLA.
 
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick smiles during an NFL football practice, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Column: Time for Belichick to leave on his terms (sort of), before he’s shoved out the door
This is starting to feel like Tom Landry’s final days as NFL coach, just before he was ingloriously put out to pasture. Or maybe it will be more akin to Don Shula, trudging into a retirement that seemed forced on him.
 
FILE - Seattle Mariners left fielder Jarred Kelenic reaches up to catch a flyout by Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe in the first inning of a baseball game, Sept. 24, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. The Atlanta Braves acquired Kelenic, pitcher Marco Gonzales and infielder Evan White from the Mariners, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, for right-handed pitchers Cole Phillips and Jackson Kowar. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
Outfielder Jarred Kelenic eager to change the narrative after trade to Braves
 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) celebrates after his winning touchdown catch as Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant (27) reacts during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Falcons squander a chance to take control in NFC South. Now it’s a 3-way tie for first place
The Atlanta Falcons squandered a huge chance to bring a bit of clarity to the muddled NFL South. Now, their hopes of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2017 are much more convoluted heading into the final month of the season.
 
APTOPIX Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) strips the ball from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Atlanta. Atlanta recovered the ball in the end zone resulting in a safety. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Falcons lose another tight one, show no signs of breaking free from frustrating pattern
The final play summed up the entire day for the Atlanta Falcons. Really, the entire season. With one last chance to pull out a victory that had been snatched away in the final minute, Desmond Ridder saw Drake London breaking loose over the middle and delivered a pass right on the numbers.
 
APTOPIX Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) makes a catch for a touchdown as Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant (27) defends in the final moments of the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Otton hauls in 11-yard scoring pass with 31 seconds left. Bucs beat Falcons 29-25
Baker Mayfield threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton with 31 seconds remaining, capping a wild fourth quarter that pushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a tie for first place with a 29-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
 
FILE - Spain's Jon Rahm, right greets United States' Phil Mickelson on the 1st tee during a practice round for the British Open Golf Championships at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. The Open starts Thursday, July 20. Rahm has been saying that he plays golf for history and for legacy, not for money. And now he's playing for the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League in a shocking departure from the PGA Tour. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)
Column: So much for peace and harmony in the world of golf as Jon Rahm heads to LIV
So much for peace and harmony in the world of golf. Jon Rahm’s defection from the PGA Tour to Saudi-funded LIV shows just how fractured the sport remains, even as it faces an end-of-the year deadline to finalize an agreement that was supposed to make everything kumbaya.
 
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) passes against the New York Jets during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
First-place Falcons go for third straight win with the playoffs in sight as they host Bucs
If the Atlanta Falcons can string together their first three-game winning streak since 2019, they’d be a huge step closer to breaking an even longer drought.
 
Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) scores against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) and forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.)
Mikal Bridges scores 32, including game-winning basket, as Nets beat Hawks 114-113
Mikal Bridges scored 32 points, including a fadeaway jumper with 4.5 seconds remaining, and the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 114-113 in a game that went back-and-forth all night.
 
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) passes against the New York Jets during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Defense is carrying the load as the Falcons tighten their grip on 1st place in the NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons are back at .500 and have a bit of breathing room in the NFC South. Their defense deserves all the credit.
 
Argentina's Lionel Messi and teammates celebrate their team's 1-0 victory over Brazil at the end of a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Copa América semifinals in New Jersey and Charlotte, among 14 U.S. cities hosting next summer
Fourteen U.S. cities will play host to Copa América next summer, with the semifinals at East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Charlotte, North Carolina, ahead of the July 14 championship in Miami Gardens, Florida.
 
Florida State coach Mike Norvell lifts the trophy after the team's win over Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Column: College football delivers the perfect fiasco to cap the four-team playoff era
The commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference got it all wrong when he sent out a defiant statement claiming “college football deserved better.” Actually, college football got just what it deserved.
 
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) holds up the most valuable player trophy after the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game against Georgia in Atlanta, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
No. 8 Alabama knocks off No. 1 Georgia 27-24 for SEC title. Both teams await postseason fate
Alabama is again top dog in the Southeastern Conference — and perhaps headed to the College Football Playoff.
 
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Column: Georgia already in rarified territory, with a shot to be the best ever
 
Alabama head coach Nick Saban reacts to a call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Could the mighty SEC possibly miss the College Football Playoff for the first time?
The Southeastern Conference is the only league to claim a spot — sometimes two spots — in every College Football Playoff. And the SEC hasn’t just participated. It has dominated.
 
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