SUPER BOWL
Rookie saves Super Bowl 49 for Patriots
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — In the end, it was an unheralded rookie strong safety from West Alabama who saved the Super Bowl for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win a nip-and-tuck Super Bowl 49.
Malcolm Butler made an interception at the goal line as the Seattle Seahawks were one yard away from the go-ahead touchdown. Butler spoiled the Seahawks’ comeback by stepping in front of Ricardo Lockette for the game-saving interception at the goal line.
The Patriots rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. Brady threw four touchdown passes, including the game-winning 3-yard strike to Julian Edelman with 2:02 left. That was Brady’s 12th career Super Bowl TD pass, breaking Joe Montana’s record. The 10-point comeback tied the biggest rally in Super Bowl history.
New England coach Bill Belichick (BEHL’-ih-chik) and QB Brady are now four-for-six in Super Bowls in this century. Belichick’s 22 postseason victories are the most by any coach in NFL history to culminate a fortnight of accusations about underinflated footballs during the Pats’ AFC title rout two weeks ago.
Belichick joined Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll as the only coaches with four Super Bowls.
SUPER BOWL-MVP
Brady wins third MVP
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tom Brady won his record-tying third Super Bowl MVP award and fourth Lombardi Trophy. Brady completed 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards, with four touchdowns — each to a different receiver — and two interceptions.
The Patriots trailed 24-14 in the fourth quarter before Brady connected with Danny Amendola for a 4-yard TD pass with about 7:55 left. He then hit Julian Edelman with 2:02 left on a 3-yard TD for the winning score.
Brady is tied with Joe Montana with three Super Bowl MVPs. Edelman called himself a Joe Montana fan but flatly called Brady “the best ever.”
Brady called his career “a long journey” that recently concluded a couple of close losses in Super Bowls. But Sunday’s come-from-behind victory “came down to the end and this time, we made the plays.”
SUPER BOWL-UNSUNG HERO
Undrafted free agent saves the day
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)— On a team with superstars like Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski and shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis (duh-REHL’ REE-vihs), the New England Patriots were saved by an unheralded, undrafted free agent out of West Alabama — the only West Alabama player in the NFL.
Malcolm Butler, an unassuming 5-foot-11 free safety, stepped in front of a Russell Wilson pass with 20 seconds left for the game-saving interception.
Butler said he “had a vision I would make a big play and it came true.” Star Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch got it to the Patriots 1-yard line, but the Seahawks called a pass play on second down. Then Butler cut off receiver Ricardo Lockette and made the interception.
Afterward, Brady said of Butler’s game-saving play: “It wasn’t the way we drew it up.”
SUPER BOWL-SEAHAWKS
Carroll takes responsibility for final interception
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)_The Seattle Seahawks were one yard away from being the first team to repeat as NFL champion since New England 10 years ago. But one final interception doomed that dream.
But the Seahawks decided against using star running back Marshawn Lynch to run the ball from one yard out and instead called a pass play. It was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, and the Patriots were able to run out the clock.
“There’s nobody to blame but me,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said afterward. He explained that the Patriots had gone with their jumbo goal-line defense, and he thought a pass play would work. It didn’t.
“It was a miraculous play the kid made,” Carroll said of Butler, before lamenting: “We did everything right to win this game.”
SUPER BOWL-INTERNATIONAL
From Rio to Tokyo, it’s warm weather watching
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Super Bowl is a winter event, but in Rio de Janeiro, a mix of Brazilians and expatriates sweltered on a steamy night to celebrate the NFL championship game in their own way.
Among the fans jammed into Shenanigan’s Sports Bar, just two blocks from the city’s famed Ipanema beach, 19-year-old Brazilian Milena Lozano — wearing a Patriots jersey emblazoned with Tom Brady’s No. 12 — said she likes American football because it’s “more intellectual” than Brazil’s beloved soccer.
Similar get-togethers were going on in time zones around the world. International NFL fans of the uniquely American game got together to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday, even in a few places where it was already Monday.
In Tokyo, the start of the Super Bowl coincided with the Monday morning commute. That didn’t stop a large group of hardcore Japanese football fans from taking time off work as a boisterous gathering of about 200 crammed into a Hooters sports bar in the Akasaka business district to catch the game.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Top seed wins
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) has won his fifth Australian Open title, defeating Andy Murray 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-love in the final. Djokovic broke open a close match with a service break in the eighth game of the third set, winning four straight points. When he took a 4-love lead in the final set, he smacked his fist hard against his chest in celebration.
Murray has now been runner-up in the Australian Open four times, losing twice previously to Djokovic in 2011 and 2013 and to Roger Federer in 2010.
Djokovic is a perfect 5-for-5 in Australian Open finals.
T25-SCHEDULE
Super Sunday of college hoops
UNDATED (AP) — There were two Top-25 men’s basketball games on Super Sunday and in one Florida State upset 23rd-ranked Miami of Florida 55-54. Montay Brandon scored 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting and the Seminoles rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to beat the Hurricanes. Miami’s Sheldon McClellan missed a floater in the lane as time expired. Record wises FSU is now 12-10 while Miami dropped to 14-7.
In the other game Jakob Poeltl had 14 points and nine rebounds as No. 11 Utah crushed Southern California 67-39. The margin of defeat was the biggest of the season for the Trojans. Delon Wright added 11 points and five rebounds for the Utes who are now 17-4 and 7-2 in Pac-12 play. Malik Martin scored 11 points to lead the Trojans who dropped to 9-12 and 1-8 in Pac-12.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Heat end slide
UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Heat ended a two-game losing skid with an 83-75 win over the Celtics in Boston. Hassan Whiteside scored half of his 20 points during a dominant stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters to help the Heat to the win. Whiteside also had nine rebounds and blocked three shots, while Chris Bosh added 18 points and Tyler Johnson had 13, helping overcome the absences of Dwyane (dwayn) Wade and Luol Deng (LOO’-ul dehng) who were out because of injuries.
And in New York the Knicks stopped the Lakers 92-80 as Carmelo Anthony scored 18 of his 31 points in the third quarter. Anthony hit 13 of 25 shots from the floor and grabbed eight rebounds.
NHL-SCHEDLE
Steen leads Blues past Caps
UNDATED (AP) — In deference to the Super Bowl the NHL only scheduled four games. In the first Alexander Steen had two goals and an assist, Brian Elliot stopped 33 shots, and the streaking St. Louis Blues held on to defeat the Capitals in Washington 4-3. The Blues have won five in a row and 10 of 11. The Caps’ Alex Ovechkin (oh-VECH’-kin) scored twice, giving him a league-leading 31 goals. He became the fifth player in NHL history to start his career with 10 30-goal seasons. Karl Alzner also scored for Washington, which is 1-4-2 in its last seven.
— In Montreal the visiting Coyotes left the ice with a 3-2 win. Arizona won the game with two unanswered goals in the final period. Lauri Korpikoski scored two power-play goals in the win and Montreal native Louis Domingue (LOO’-ee doh-MING’) won in his first NHL start.
— Connor Hutton stopped 21 shots to pick up his second career shutout as the Nashville Predators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0. For the Preds four different players scored. The win is Nashville’s first regulation win in Pittsburgh in 11 years. Marc-Andre Fleury (marhk-ahn-dray FLOOR’-ee) made 20 saves for the Penguins but received no help from Pittsburgh’s sputtering offense.
— And in Vancouver, the Minnesota Wild scored twice in the second period and twice in the third in a 4-2 win over the Canucks. Devan Dubnyk (DOOB’-nihk) stopped 35 shots
PGA-PHOENIX
Strong finish leads to win
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Brooks Koepka (KEHP’-kah) won the PGA’s Phoenix Open with a final round 5-under-66. He finished one shot in front of Masters champion Bubba Watson, Ryan Palmer and Hideki Matsuyama (hih-DEK’-ee maht-soo-YAH’-mah). Third round leader Martin Laird shot a 1-over 72 on the final day to finish three shots back.
It’s the first PGA Tour title for Koepka.
