AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:35 p.m. EST

Lionel Messi wins MLS MVP award, the latest trophy on a long list of honors for the Inter Miami star FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.

(AP) Lionel Messi is the MVP of Major League Soccer for 2024.

The award comes after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miamis 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentinas national team.

He still factored into a league-high 36 goals by scoring 20 and assisting on 16 others.

His 2.1 goal contributions per 90 minutes played is the best by any player in any season in MLS history.

MLS revealed the voting results Friday.

Messi edged out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez for the award, which is determined by a poll of players, club technical staff and select media members.

NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun Watson CLEVELAND (AP) The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The league has been reviewing the case for months, trying to determine whether Watson should be punished.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email that "there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.

Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault by a woman in September.

She was seeking more than $1 million in damage before the sides reached a confidential settlement.

Watson has played in just 19 games over three seasons for the Browns.

Former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber returning to Cleveland Guardians on 1-year deal, AP source says CLEVELAND (AP) A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that right-hander Shane Bieber is returning to the Cleveland Guardians after making just two starts and undergoing Tommy John surgery last season.

Bieber had been expected to leave the AL Central champions, but will be back after agreeing to a one-year, $14 million contract that includes a $16 million player option for 2026.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.

The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner made just starts in 2024 before having the surgery on his troublesome elbow that bothered him the previous campaign.

The 29-year-old Bieber has spent all seven big-league seasons with Cleveland.

NBA returning to China for pair of Suns-Nets preseason games in 2025 The NBA is returning to China next season.

The league has struck a deal to play preseason games there more than five years after the league was effectively banned for Commissioner Adam Silver not punishing Daryl Morey for tweeting support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.

Brooklyn and Phoenix will play games in Chinas gambling hub of Macao on Oct.

10, 2025, and again two days later.

There are more games planned for China in 2026, a source told The Associated Press.

American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo.

(AP) American ski racer Lindsey Vonn darted through the shadows on the speed course at Copper Mountain on a frigid morning.

She was on the hill Friday as she tries to make a comeback to skiing nearly six years after her last race.

Vonn plans to enter a series of lower-tier FIS downhill and super-G races this weekend at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

It could be the first step toward seeing her on the World Cup circuit again.

Scottie Scheffler goes on a run of birdies in the Bahamas and leads by 2 NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) Scottie Scheffler used a big run of birdies to take a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Scheffler had seven birdies on the front nine for a 29.

The world No.

1 added one birdie on the back nine to lead by two over Justin Thomas and Akshay Bhatia.

Scheffler found no need to apologize for only one birdie on the back nine.

He says it simply was a matter of the ball being a little closer to the hole and a few more putts going in.

Scheffler already has eight victories this year, including Olympic gold.

Hall of Famer Randy Moss is stepping away from ESPN for an extended time to deal with health issue Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is stepping away from his ESPN analyst role for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge, the network said in a statement.

Moss revealed last week that hes dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family.

The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made his announcement on Instagram from the set of the networks Sunday NFL Countdown show.

He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness.

No Bevo? SEC tells Texas there's no room for its 1,700-pound longhorn at title game vs.

Georgia ATLANTA (AP) The Southeastern Conference championship game will not feature another mascot showdown.

The league says there's not enough space on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for No.

2 Texas to bring along its 1,700-pound longhorn Bevo XV for the game against No.

5 Georgia.

The teams have two of college footballs most famous mascots.

There should be enough sideline space for Georgias pure white English bulldog, Uga XI.

Before the 2019 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Bevo XV toppled his barrier and began to charge at Uga X.

Texas handlers were able to pull Bevo back before any harm.

The Big Ten and SEC are set to gobble up CFP bids.

That could squeeze the ACC and other leagues The Big Ten and Southeastern conferences are set to gobble up the majority of the bids to the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

That could squeeze the Atlantic Coast Conference and other leagues trying to maintain their footing.

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told The Associated Press he wants clarity on the process that put two-loss Miami behind three-loss Alabama in the latest rankings.

Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said she wouldn't support future changes for guaranteed numbers of bids to power conferences.

The Mountain West is set to have its champion in the playoff as a Group of Five winner.

NFL's next coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates: Analysis The next NFL coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates ranging from proven champions to up-and-coming coordinators.

Six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick heads the list of recognizable names that includes 2021 AP Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen, Bills OC Joe Brady and Eagles OC Kellen Moore are among a lengthy list of young offensive-minded coaches who will garner plenty of interest..

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