Stock down: Kiko Alonso
BASEBALL: Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel are among 19 first-time candidates on the BaseballWriters’ Association of America ballot for baseball’sHall of Fame. TrevorHoffman, who fell five votes short last year, leads holdovers that include Vladimir Guerrero, Edgar Martinez, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling. ... Federal aviation investigators say Roy Halladay performed steep turns and flew feet above the water in his small plane moments before his fatal crash two weeks ago. The National Transportation Safety Board didn’t place blame for the crash in the preliminary report. It says witnesses and the plane’s data recorder show Halladay was flying as lowas 11 feet above the Gulf of Mexico in the minutes before the Nov. 7 crash near Tampa. ... The Pirates traded 2B Gift Ngoepe, baseball’s first African-born player, to the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations or a player to benamedlater.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Florida has seemingly zeroed in on Chip Kelly to be the program’s next coach. The Gators met with Kelly about the vacant job Sunday, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person said athletic director Scott Stricklin and five key staffers met with Kelly inNewHampshire. The person spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the Gators are not publicly discussing the coaching search. Kelly, 53, went 46-7 in four years (2009-12) at Oregon, which averaged 44.7 points a game during that span. ... Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield will not start his final regular-season game Saturday at home against West Virginia after making a lewd
Miami’s opponents picked on Alonso for the third consecutiveweek, working to get tight ends behind him in zone, and tailbacks isolated on him in open space. Alonso, who has produced 69 tackles, one sack and forced two fumbles this season, has played much better than he’s shown in November, and needs to get back to playing a disciplined brand of football. However, getting comfortable with a new inside linebacker likelywon’t be easy. gesture against Kansas. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley also stripped the senior of his captain status for the game. ... Mayfield, Penn State RB Saquon Barkley and StanfordRBBryceLove are the finalists for the Maxwell Award given to college football’s top player. ... Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said RB David Montgomery (ankle) will be ready to go when the Cyclones play Kansas State on Saturday. ... Michigan QB Brandon Peters is in the concussion protocol and could be cleared to practice this week. He was carted off the field after taking a hit in a loss against Wisconsin. ... Illinois and Missouri will renew their rivalry, announcing a fourgame series starting in 2026. ... Illinois will honorHall of Fame LB Dick Butkus with a bronze statue outside ofMemorial Stadium.
SOCCER: Italian football federation President Carlo Tavecchio resigned a week after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup. ... FC Kansas City of the NationalWomen’s Soccer League folded.
TENNIS: JanaNovotna, 49, diedSunday in her native Czech Republic following a long battle with cancer. Novotna died “peacefully, surrounded by her family,” the WTA said. Novotna won her only Grand Slam singles title atWimbledon in 1998.
TRACK AND FIELD: World champions Emma Coburn and Sam Kendricks were votedUSATrack and Field’s top athletes for 2017. Coburn won the steeplechase title at the London world championships in August. Kendricks finished the season undefeated in the pole vault, picking up a world title along theway.