Raiders playoff hero, safety Mike Davis, has died at 65
Mike Davis, a former Oakland Raiders safety who started on two of their Super Bowl-winning teams, has died, the team announced Sunday. He was65.
There was no information provided on his cause of death.
Davis earned a spot in Raiders lore with his game-saving, end-zone interception in ice-cold Cleveland in the January 1981 AFC divisional playoff for Oakland, which would go on to win Super Bowl XV.
Davis’ big play came while the Raiders were protecting a 14-12 lead in Cleveland in the playoff game’s final minute. Browns quarterback Brian Sipe’s pass was intended for Ozzie Newsome in the end zone but Davis cut in front and intercepted the pass to seal the victory.
A second-round Raiders pick in 1977 out of Colorado, Davis played 107 of his 115 career games with the Raiders — he finished his career with the Chargers in 1987. He had 11 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries in the regular season.
“The Raiders Family is deeply saddened by the passing of Mike Davis,” the Raiders said in a statement. “Mike was a beloved teammate, friend and cherished part of our family. The thoughts and prayers of the Raider Nation are with Mike’s family: Mary, Mike Jr. and Allen. Mike will forever be in our hearts and minds.”
Women’s college basketball
HALL OF FAMER KIM MULKEY LEAVES BAYLOR FOR LSU >> Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey has left Baylor to return home and take over the LSU women’s basketball team.
Mulkey, who won three national championships at Baylor, is a native of Tickfaw, Louisiana. She helped Baylor win the 2019 NCAA championship, and the Bears lost in the regional finals to UConn last month.
“Kim Mulkey is a champion and a Hall of Famer, and we are thrilled to welcome her home,” LSU athletic director Scott Woodward said.
The 58-year-old coach inherits an LSU team that went 9-13 last season and hasn’t made it past the Sweet 16 since 2007. She became the fastest
coach in Division I history to reach 600 wins — needing only 700 games todoit.
Mulkey replaces Nikki Fargas, who stepped down earlier this week.
In 21 years as the head coach at Baylor, Mulkey led the Lady Bears to four Final Fours, winning three national titles. Her teams reached the Elite Eight six times and the Sweet 16 on five other occasions.
A member of the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class, Mulkey, who will be introduced at LSU in a press conference Monday, built Baylor into a national power, as they became just the third program in NCAA history to have at least three national titles, joining UConn and Tennessee.
Auto racing
KESELOWSKI CLAIMS TALLADEGA WIN WITH OVERTIME PASS >> Brad Keselowski did it exactly right this time and finally got that last-lap victory, winning in overtime at Talladega Superspeedway.
Keselowski is the ninth driver to win through 10 NASCAR Cup races this season and avenged the embarrassing Team Penske gaffe in the season-opening Daytona 500 when he and teammate Joey Logano triggered a last-lap crash as Keselowski tried to pass Logano for the victory.
Keselowski led just one lap, the last one, in a race that featured 35 lead changes among 27 drivers.
Logano was involved in an airborne wreck and called on NASCAR to change to dangerous racing conditions at Daytona and Talladega.
“On one hand, I am mad about being in the crash and on the other, I am happy to be alive,” Logano said. “On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing.”
William Byron was second, Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell third and Kevin Harvick a seasonhigh fourth.
Golf
SMITH-LEISHMAN TEAM WINS ZURICH CLASSIC >> Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman outlasted Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel to win the Zurich Classic in a playoff that capped a tight and tense final round in Avondale, La.
Smith and Leishman won with a par on their second trip up the par-5 18th after Oosthuizen pushed his tee shot into the water and missed an 11foot par putt.
The Australians forced the playoff by shooting a 2-under 70 in alternateshot play at the PGA Tour’s lone regular-season team event. Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, a shot ahead entering the day, but they shot a 71. The South Africans had three pars and two bogeys.
Tennis
NADAL OUTLASTS TSITSIPAS TO WIN BARCELONA OPEN >> Rafael Nadal saved a match point on his way to beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-5 in the Barcelona Open final, winning the title for a record 12th time.
It was the first title of the year for the third-ranked Nadal, who has been struggling to find his best form. He secured the clay-court title by converting on his third match point.
The match lasted 3 hours, 38 minutes, making it the longest best-ofthree set ATP final since stats started being tracked in 1991.
BARTY WINS STUTTGART TITLE >> Topranked Ash Barty beat Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to win the Porsche Grand Prix, her first title on clay since the 2019 French Open.