John Brodie, who won an MVP award and was one of the NFL’s most prolific passers during a 17-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, has died. He was 90.

The 49ers said Brodie’s family said he died Friday. Brodie had a stroke on Oct. 24, 2000.

“The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” 49ers co-chairman Dr. John York said. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment toward his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days.

“John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.”

Brodie played for the 49ers from 1957-73 after breaking every major passing record at Stanford. He was also a standout golfer and later played on what is now the PGA Tour Champions and won the 1991 Security Pacific Senior Classic.

Brodie was also a broadcaster, serving as a football and golf analyst for NBC. He called the Super Bowl in January 1979.

Brodie’s 17 seasons are still a 49ers franchise record, and his 31,548 yards passing rank second to Joe Montana on San Francisco’s career passing list. When Brodie retired after the 1973 season, he trailed only Johnny Unitas and Fran Tarkenton on the NFL’s career yards passing list.

His 214 touchdown passes are third behind Montana and Steve Young in team history.

“He was a great guy, a super competitor, I don’t care what it was: football, cards, golf,” said Jerry Mertens, a cornerback for the 49ers from 1958-65. “He was a great player, and he enjoyed all the things that were competitive.

“The guy just did it all, and he was a great leader, there’s no question about that.”

Brodie won the NFL MVP award in 1970, when he passed for 2,941 yards and 24 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. He led the 49ers to the NFC championship game in 1970 and 1971. That was as close as he would get to the Super Bowl.

When Brodie left football, the 49ers retired his jersey No. 12, making him the fourth San Francisco player to be so honored.

Brodie led the NFL in yards passing three times and TD passes twice, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 1970 and second-team in 1965.

A 6-foot-1, 200-pounder during his playing days, Brodie was born in San Francisco on Aug. 14, 1935, but went to Oakland Tech High School. He was a unanimous All-American at Stanford in 1956, and won the Coffman Award as the MVP in the East-West Game.

In college, he earned three varsity letters in football under coach Chuck Taylor, and two varsity letters in golf. The 49ers picked him in the first round of the 1957 draft.

Brodie had his best year statistically in 1965, when he had career bests of 242 completions, 3,112 yards passing, 30 touchdown passes and won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

He surpassed the 30,000-yard milestone in the fourth game of the 1972 season.

After football, Brodie remained a top golfer. At 56 and playing in the 1991 Security Pacific Senior Classic at Rancho Park in Los Angeles, he beat Chi Chi Rodriguez and George Archer with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Here are the latest news updates and possible return dates for Knicks players…

---

Jan. 23, 6:20 p.m.

The latest NBA injury report was updated and Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the 76ers.

New York is citing thoracic back spasms as the reason for Towns’ designation.

As for Philly, Paul George (knee) and Joel Embiid (ankle) are listed as probable for the big showdown between Eastern Conference rivals. 

Jan. 19, 3:35 p.m.

Fresh off being named an All-Star starter for the second straight year, Jalen Brunson (right ankle sprain) will be back in action on Monday when the Knicks take on the Dallas Mavericks, head coach Mike Brown said.

Brunson has missed most of New York’s last three games, all losses, after spraining his ankle in the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings last Wednesday.

Josh Hart (right ankle soreness) will also return to the court on Monday after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Jan. 18 5:20 p.m.

Jalen Brunson (right ankle sprain) and Josh Hart (right ankle soreness) are both being listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The former college teammates did not play on Saturday night in a loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Brunson has already missed 2-plus games since suffering the injury on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, as the Knicks have dropped their last three straight contests.

Jan. 17, 5:58 p.m.

After initially being listed as questionable, Knicks head coach Mike Brown ruled out Josh Hart (ankle) and Jalen Brunson (ankle) for Saturday’s game against the Suns.

Jan. 17, 1:15 p.m.

The Knicks are listing Josh Hart as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Phoenix Suns due to right ankle soreness.

Hart has played in New York’s past three games after missing eight games with an ankle injury suffered on Christmas Day. The team went 3-5 in his absence.

He’s averaging 12.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over 31 contests this season.

Jalen Brunson (ankle) is also questionable for Saturday night and still listed as day-to-day after suffering a right ankle sprain against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. He did not play in Thursday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Jan. 15, 8:20 p.m.

The Knicks will be without Jalen Brunson on Thursday, but they will receive reinforcement in the rotation.

Landry Shamet has officially been ruled available for the meeting with the Warriors.  

Shamet’s been out since Nov. 22 with a shoulder injury, but he’s been working his way back and was officially upgraded to questionable heading into the matchup. 

It’s unclear whether or not he’ll be on a minutes restriction, but his return is certainly a welcome sight. 

Shamet was averaging 9.3 points on 45 percent shooting from the field in 15 games prior to the injury.

Jan. 10, 5:00 p.m.

Josh Hart (ankle) has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The wing has not played since Christmas Day, missing the past eight games.

New York has gone 3-5 without him, including dropping five of their last six games.

Jan. 6, 5:20 p.m.

The latest Knicks injury report lists Josh Hart and Landry Shamet as out for Wednesday’s tip against the Clippers at MSG.

Hart (ankle) will miss his seventh consecutive game, in which the Knicks are 2-4 in his absence. SNY’s Ian Begley said on The Putback that Hart is “close” to coming back. The team had said last week that they would re-evaluate Hart in a week, and it seems enough progress hasn’t been made.

After Wednesday’s game, the Knicks travel west to take on the Suns in Phoenix on Friday.

Jan. 3, 2026, 1:41 p.m.

The Knicks are listing Karl-Anthony Towns as questionable for Saturday night’s game against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers due to illness. Towns missed Friday night’s defeat to the Atlanta Hawks with the same ailment.

Mitchell Robinson (ankle injury management) is off the injury report for Saturday after not playing the previous night.

Josh Hart (shoulder) is making improvements, but remains out alongside Landry Shamet (shoulder). 

Dec. 30, 10:27 p.m.

Mitchell Robinson (ankle injury management) is out for Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.

New York’s big man is one of three players who have been listed as out for the NBA Cup rematch on New Year’s Eve. Robinson joins Josh Hart (right ankle sprain) and Landry Shamet (shoulder) as those unavailable for the game.

Tyler Kolek (right ankle soreness) is listed as probable, while Ariel Hukporti (lip laceration) is questionable for Wednesday’s game.

Dec. 27, 6:10 p.m.

On the last injury report ahead of Saturday’s tip against the Hawks, the Knicks listed Miles McBride (ankle) as out.

McBride was listed as questionable as recently as Friday, but it seems the guard will miss his eighth game.

Dec. 26, 3:42 p.m.

The Knicks will be without forward Josh Hart when they play the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The forward left the Christmas Day win over Cleveland in the fourth quarter and has been diagnosed with an ankle sprain. 

But there was some good news: reserve guard Miles McBride (ankle) has been upgraded to questionable. That’s an indication that he is very close to making a return to the court after missing the last seven games.

Landry Shamet (shoulder) remains sidelined.

Dec. 22, 4:20 p.m.

The Knicks will be short-handed on Tuesday night in Minnesota against the Timberwolves.

Jalen Brunson (right ankle management), OG Anunoby (left ankle soreness), and Guerschon Yabusele (illness) are all listed as out.

Additionally, Miles McBride (ankle), Landry Shamet (shoulder), and Pacôme Dadiet (G-League assignment) will remain out as well.

New York has gone 2-1 since winning the NBA Cup last Tuesday and face a hot Minnesota squad, winners of four out of their last five games.

Dec. 19, 5:25 p.m.

Head coach Mike Brown confirmed that Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart will play against the 76ers on Friday, hours after they were listed as probable on the injury report.

Dec. 19, 2:00 p.m.

On the heels of a back-to-back, the Knicks will get some of their core back in the lineup on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Karl-Anthony Towns (knee soreness) and Josh Hart (rectus abdominis strain) are listed as probable, while Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby aren’t on the injury report and should be available. Towns, Hart, and Robinson all did not play in Thursday’s win over the Indiana Pacers. 

Miles McBride (ankle) and Landry Shamet (shoulder) will remain out for New York on Friday. Additionally, Pacôme Dadiet was assigned to the Westchester Knicks.

The Sixers will be without former MVP Joel Embiid (illness, right knee injury management), who was downgraded from questionable. Embiid has played in just 11 of Philly’s 25 games this season, averaging only 20.5 points and 6.6 rebounds when on the court (26.2 minutes per game). Philadelphia will also be without Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).

Dec. 18, 5:15 p.m.

Fresh off the NBA Cup triumph, the Knicks are going to be without a host of players for Thursday night’s matchup with the lowly Indiana Pacers (6-20).

Karl-Anthony Towns (knee soreness), Josh Hart (rectus abdominis strain),  and Mitchell Robinson (ankle management) will all not feature due to slight injuries. New York will already be without Miles McBride and Landry Shamet, who are on the shelf with longer-term injuries.

OG Anunoby (knee contusion) was on the injury report, but will play.

Dec. 7, 3:22 p.m.

Knicks guard Miles McBride exited Sunday’s win over the Orlando Magic in the first half, and according to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, the guard is still in the process of being evaluated for a left ankle injury.

The Knicks say they will know more on McBride’s status on Monday. 

As a starter or a bench player, McBride has been terrific this season. In 19 games (nine starts), McBride has averaged a career-best 15.8 points per games while shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Dec. 4, 5:10 p.m.

The Knicks are seemingly close to getting OG Anunoby back. According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, Anunoby (hamstring) has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz at MSG.

Begley noted on Thursday’s episode of The Putback that this weekend’s games are a target for the Knicks to get Anunoby back on the court.

Anunoby has missed every game since suffering the injury on Nov. 14 against the Miami Heat.

Head coach Mike Brown said that Anunoby has progressed to taking contact in practice and it seems as though the forward is reacting to it in a positive manner. Of course, this doesn’t mean Anunoby will play on Friday, but it leaves open the possibility.

Dec. 3, 6:40 p.m.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown gave a short update on OG Anunoby (hamstring). The coach said that Anunoby has progressed to taking contact in practice.

“It’s still the same, he’s still progressing in the right direction,” Brown said of Anunoby before Wednesday’s game against the Hornets. “We’re not going to rush him.”

Brown also confirmed that Mitchell Robinson (injury management) will miss Wednesday’s game, as it’s the second of a back-to-back. 

Mike Brown said that OG Anunoby has taken contact in practice but the Knicks “won’t rush him” pic.twitter.com/tZLSHsXqY0

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 3, 2025

Nov. 19, 9:05 p.m.

Jalen Brunson (ankle) will return to the court and start on Wednesday night in Dallas against the Mavericks, the team announced prior to tip-off.

Brunson suffered a Grade 1 right ankle sprain against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 12 and missed the team’s next two games against the Miami Heat. New York split the two contests, winning at home and losing on the road. The team is still searching for its first road win of the season, dropping all four games away from the Garden.

Over 11 games this year, Brunson is averaging 28.0 points on 46.7 percent shooting and 6.5 assists per game. 

Meanwhile, the Mavs will be without rookie Cooper Flagg (illness) on Wednesday night as he’ll miss the first game of his career.

Nov. 18, 6:50 p.m.

The Knicks upgraded Jalen Brunson (ankle) to questionable for their Wednesday tip against the Mavericks in Dallas. 

Brunson had missed the team’s last two games since suffering a right ankle sprain back on Nov. 12 against the Orlando Magic at MSG. Already without OG Anunoby (hamstring), the Knicks could use their captain to try and get their first road win of the season. 

Oct. 28, 7:18 p.m.

Before the Knicks’ tip-off against the Bucks, the Knicks announced that Towns (right quad strain) will play, but Yabusele (left knee sprain) will be out, joining McBride (personal) and Robinson (ankle sprain management) as players who are unavailable for Tuesday’s game.

Oct. 28, 3:35 p.m.

Miles McBride has been downgraded from questionable to out for the Knicks’ game on Tuesday at the Milwaukee Bucks, the team announced. This is the second-straight game the guard missed due to personal reasons. He was out for Sunday’s loss against the Miami Heat.

Oct. 27, 6:45 p.m.

Mitchell Robinson still isn’t ready to make his season debut, as the Knicks have officially ruled him out again for Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Robinson has been sidelined for the first three games due to left ankle injury management, and it’s still unknown when he’ll make his return to the court. 

New York has also listed Karl-Anthony Towns (right quad strain), Miles McBride (personal reasons), and Guerschon Yabusele (left knee sprain) as questionable for the contest. 

Yabusele is the only new addition to the injury report. Towns has been included heading into each of the first three games, but played in all three, and McBride missed Sunday’s game against the Heat for personal reasons. 

Yabusele left Sunday’s game at one point and had his knee checked, but he was able to return and saw regular time off the bench down the stretch.

Oct. 23, 6:10 p.m.

The latest NBA injury report has been released and the Knicks have designated center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) as out for Friday’s home game against the Celtics.

Robinson missed Wednesday’s season opener and the Knicks are being cautious with their big man this season as they want to have him at close to full strength for an anticipated long playoff run.

The Knicks have also designated both Josh Hart (lower back) and Karl-Anthony Towns (right quad strain) as questionable. 

Hart also missed the season opener but has not seen action since the first preseason game where he tweaked his back. Towns almost missed Wednesday’s game but toughed out his quad strain and to help the Knicks’ win against the Cavaliers.

OG Anunoby, who played Wednesday despite being questionable with an ankle sprain, is probably for Friday’s game.

Oct. 22, 10:59 p.m.

Karl-Anthony Towns was questionable, then doubtful, then questionable again in the hours leading up to the Knicks’ win over the Cavaliers and now we know exactly why.

The Knicks forward told reporters after Wednesday’s win that he is playing through a Grade 2 quad strain. 

“I’ve been banged up and haven’t really got a chance to practice or play in the last two preseason games,” Towns said. “I didn’t want to disappoint the fans, dealing with a Grade 2 quad strain. It’s not something that’s easy to do. We made it happen tonight. Glad the fans respect the effort I put in to play tonight, and my teammates, too. Shoutout to them for supporting me, knowing the situation that I was in.”

Towns played through the pain to give the Knicks 19 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes.

The Mets have traded right-hander Cooper Criswell to the Mariners for cash considerations, Seattle announced Friday.

Criswell, who was designated for assignment by the Mets earlier this week, was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in December.

He joined the Red Sox in 2024, logging a 4.08 ERA with 73 strikeouts across 26 appearances (99.1 innings) as both a rotation and long-relief option. 

Last season was far less kind to Criswell, however. The 29-year-old spent ample time in Triple-A Worcester, appearing in just seven MLB games before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in August.

Since making his big league debut in 2021, Criswell owns a 4.48 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 113 punchouts over 45 appearances (145.1 innings). He didn’t have any minor league options remaining.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bantamweight fighter Cameron Smotherman collapsed Friday afternoon immediately after weighing in and his bout with Ricky Turcios at UFC 324 was canceled.

Smotherman made his way to the stage seemingly without any complications. But as he stepped onto the scale and successfully made weight at 135.5 pounds for Saturday’s event, his eyes appeared heavy, slowly blinking twice. He stepped off to his left, wobbling toward the stairs and falling face-first onto the stage in a scary moment.

Smotherman hit his head and chin on the stage.

After briefly sitting up with assistance, Smotherman laid back down on his left side before being rolled onto his back as doctors rushed to his aid for medical treatment.

Once again, roughly three minutes after collapsing, Smotherman was assisted to a seated position for another minute before being brought to his feet, where he appeared to go unconscious as he was carried off the stage by UFC personnel.

A UFC spokesperson said Smotherman was transported from T-Mobile Arena to a hospital for precautionary evaluations and is being discharged.

Smotherman was to face Turcios in a preliminary bout. UFC 324 will be the first to air on Paramount+, the new exclusive streaming partner for the organization after seven successful years with ESPN.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Friday night in the NBA is always a spectacle, but January 23rd brings a slate so sharp it could cut glass. From a high-stakes clash at Little Caesars Arena to a spicy showdown in the City of Roses, the Association is kicking off the weekend on a high note.

I’ve sifted through the stats and ignored the noise to lock in a high-octane moneyline parlay for tonight’s slate. Whether you’re looking to pad your bankroll or just want more skin in the game, my