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Bears CB Jaylon Johnson says of post-game confrontation with Matt Eberflus, 'Enough is enough'the updated list read. In addition, 30 mine-resistant and ambush-protected armored vehicles (MRAPs), ammunition for from the military and industry stocks and ammunition for Leopard 1 battle tanks was transferred. 21 December, 14:58 GMT Germany also transferred IRIS-T SLM missiles in addition to the two air defense systems, two more Patriot launchers, two more Gepard anti-aircraft guns with spare parts. Besides, Germany transferred 65,000 more rounds for Gepard anti-aircraft guns, two more TRML-4D airborne radar stations and AIM-9L/I-1 Sidewinder guided missiles. According to the list, Berlin is also preparing to send Kiev 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, two Patriot missile launchers and four kinetic defense vehicles (Diehl Defence). Russia has said that arms supplies to Ukraine by the West hinder the conflict settlement and directly involve NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is keeping elite company. The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. “I’m very honored,” Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. ”Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll get the award again.” In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in 2023 and 2021 , when he was with the Angels. “Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods,” he said. “I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States.” The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the most by a man or woman. Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine. The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday. Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player award and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship and created Major League Baseball’s 50/50 club by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases. Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he embellished his reputation even further despite not pitching all season while he rehabilitated from a second major right elbow surgery he had in September 2023. Ohtani went wild on offense, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases. In September, he reached the previously unheard of 50/50 mark in a performance for the ages . Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases. "It wouldn’t shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now,” Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani’s second season in Anaheim, said recently. “This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there’s not a close second.” Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most homers in a season was 49. His previous best was 46, set in 2021. "I kind of wanted to get over that bar,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised I was able to pass that record.” Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and he stayed healthy until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his left shoulder trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt. He underwent surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November. "I don’t have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better,” he told the AP. “There’s no pain. There’s obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it’s getting better.” Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule, and he’s focused on the near-term. “It’s the small steps that I think are very important to get me to the ultimate goal, which is to just get back healthy,” he said. Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason. "I’m going to continue to ramp up slowly,” he said. The Dodgers’ rotation for next season is in flux, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it shakes out. "We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation,” he said. “But it’s all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate. We’ll see where that takes us along the playoff chase. I’ve got to obviously pace myself, but again that situation will guide us to how we get there.” The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where Ohtani is even more closely watched . "My personal goal is to be fully healthy by the time the opening games do start,” he said. “To be able to pitch and hit would be great, but the situation will kind of guide itself.” Each time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there’s great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats. "I just go out there and try to stay within myself,” he said. “I can only control what I can control and that’s where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they’re going to make the plays for you. I don’t really try to overthink it.” Ohtani generated big bucks for the Dodgers off the field, too. Fans traveled from Japan in droves to see him play around the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid extra for tours of baseball’s third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during pre-game batting practice. A majority of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey. Ohtani’s presence also helped the Dodgers land a bevy of new Japanese sponsors. Because Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he is shrouded in a bit of mystique. Asked before his first postgame series if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word answer in English: “Nope,” which drew laughter. Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani’s behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came away impressed. "I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he’s a much better person. He’s very kind, considerate, he cares,” Roberts told the AP. “I’m just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way.” Ohtani relishes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That’s why his February announcement via Instagram that he had wed Mamiko Tanaka , a former basketball player, stunned his new teammates and the rest of the world. The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when his longtime interpreter and friend , Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money to place bets with an illegal bookmaker. His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found to have no part in the wrongdoing, and publicly it didn’t seem to affect him even if he was privately distressed by it. By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani. The public got a glimpse of Ohtani’s softer side in August, when his dog Decoy delivered a first pitch to his owner on their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani at the plate. As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of last month’s National Dog Show, where the small Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors. "The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity hopefully that brings up the number of his breed,” Ohtani said. “I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog and I’m sure Decoy himself would be happy about that.” Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title. "It’s almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent,” Roberts said. "I’m just excited to see what ’25 has for Shohei Ohtani.” AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
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Seven dead in small plane crash in western MexicoThe Giants were a no-show against the Bucs after releasing quarterback Daniel JonesFor Iowa, it's a chance to tune up going into the bulk of its Big Ten Conference schedule. For New Hampshire, it's an opportunity to collect a nice paycheck and perhaps even pull off a memorable upset. The Hawkeyes and Wildcats will finish their nonconference schedules Monday night when they meet in Iowa City. Iowa (9-3) last played on Dec. 21, erasing an 11-point second-half deficit to outgun Utah 95-88 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Payton Sandfort scored a season-high 24 points and added eight rebounds for the Hawkeyes, while Owen Freeman added 16 despite running into foul trouble. Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery praised fifth-year senior Drew Thelwell, Iowa's sixth-leading scorer, who matched his season high with 15 points. "The energy in the building was phenomenal. Drew was right in the middle of that," McCaffery said. "His defense and drawing six fouls, those are stats that are critical to a team's ability to win. Get to the bonus, get to the double bonus. We do that by driving the ball and drawing fouls and that's what we did." Freeman is averaging a team-high 17.1 points and shooting 66.1 percent from the field, while Sandfort adds 16.7 ppg. Iowa has its usual high-powered attack, ranking seventh in Division I in scoring at 87.8 ppg and canning 50.2 percent from the field. The Hawkeyes could add more gaudy offensive numbers against New Hampshire (2-12), which has lost six straight games, including a 90-83 decision on Dec. 22 at Stonehill. The Wildcats have experienced trouble defensively, allowing opponents to sink 45.2 percent of their field goal attempts and score 76.5 ppg. Coming off a successful 2023-24 campaign that saw the Wildcats go 16-15 and win a game in the America East Conference tournament, New Hampshire returned just three players and had to replace AEC Player of the Year Clarence Daniels and his 19.4 ppg. It hasn't gone to the plan of second-year coach Nathan Davis, but he's still hopeful his team can figure things out in conference play. "We've improved across the board as far as our talent level," he said this summer. "I like our pieces." This is the first meeting between the Wildcats and Hawkeyes. --Field Level MediaLiberty Media Acquisition (OTCMKTS:LMACU) Stock Price Up 0.3% – What’s Next?
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