BASEBALLCHICAGO -- Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout won the AL MVP award for the second time in three years, and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was voted NL MVP in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.Trout batted .315 with 29 homers, 100 RBI and 30 steals. He scored 17 percent of Los Angeles runs, the highest percentage for an AL player since Rickey Henderson with the 1985 New York Yankees.A unanimous winner in 2014, Trout had finished second in three of the past four years. He becomes the first MVP from a losing team since Alex Rodriguez for Texas in 2003 and just the fifth player ever to accomplish the feat).Bryant hit .292 with 39 homers and 102 RBI in just his second year in the majors, helping the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908.NEW YORK -- Brian McCann still wanted to catch, a lot. So with his options limited in the New York Yankees lineup, the seven-time All-Star gladly accepted a new opportunity in Houston.McCann waived his no-trade clause and was sent, along with $11 million, to the Astros for a pair of young minor league pitchers.The Yankees acquired right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.McCanns playing time diminished in the second half of the season as rookie Gary Sanchez emerged as a power hitter behind the plate. Sanchez hit 20 home runs in just 53 games.OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics are staying put under new leadership and determined to find the right location for an intimate new ballpark that brings together the community with a great vibe for fans. One that will be privately funded and, in time, increase revenue and improve the on-field product.Committed new team President Dave Kaval just pulled off something similar in his other job: Building the San Jose Earthquakes second-year, state-of-the art Avaya Stadium, which just so happens to boast the largest outdoor bar in North America.Lew Wolff is selling all but a small stake in the As and giving up his managing partner role, turning it over to John Fisher. Wolff will become chairman emeritus and Fisher the managing partner. In addition, prior team President Michael Crowley is stepping away from day-to-day operations after nearly 20 years in the role.CHICAGO -- Commissioner Rob Manfred says baseball wants to study high-profile positions within the sport to see if certain qualifications predict success, a step that has everything to do with minority hiring.Baseball currently had no Latino managers before Rick Renteria took over the Chicago White Sox last month. Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals and Dave Roberts from the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only black skippers among the leagues 30 teams.But there were 10 minority managers as recently as 2009.NFLCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton threw for 192 yards and a touchdown and the Carolina Panthers held off New Orleans fourth- quarter rally to beat the Saints 23-20 in a game marred by injuries to key players.Newton was 14 of 33 and threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. to help the Panthers (4-6) win for third time in three games and pull even with the Saints for third place in the NFC South.Jonathan Stewart also ran for a touchdown and Graham Gano had three field goals.However, the Panthers lost former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly (concussion), two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil (shoulder), defensive end Mario Addison (foot) and cornerback Leonard Johnson (chest) to injuries. Kuechly left the field on a cart while tears streamed down his face.The Saints lost running back Mark Ingram to a concussion in the third quarter.BOSTON -- Doctors who decide whether an NFL player is healthy enough to go into the game shouldnt be paid by the teams that have a stake in winning and losing -- an undeniable conflict of interest.Thats what a report released by Harvard University experts in medicine, law and ethics says.The study by the NFL Players Association-funded Football Players Health Study also recommends a short-term injured reserve for athletes recovering from a concussion, much like the system that baseball adopted five years ago.The 500-page report includes 76 recommendations addressed to 20 NFL stakeholders -- everyone from players and teams to equipment manufacturers and government regulators. The biggest message: Player safety will never be the top priority as long as those involved have competing calls on their loyalty.COLLEGE FOOTBALLHOUSTON -- Duke Catalon scored three touchdowns and Houston hurried and harassed Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson all night to propel the Cougars to a stunning 36-10 victory that dashed the third-ranked Cardinals playoff hopes.Louisville (9-2) entered the game ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings, but was outdone by a Houston team that saw its own playoff hopes foiled by two losses to unranked teams after a 5-0 start.The Cardinals were unhappy they werent ranked higher in this weeks CFP rankings after losses by several top teams last week, and some players thought they let that angst affect their play.BASKETBALLOKLAHOMA CITY -- For decades, basketball players have dreamed of being like Mike.Thunder guard Russell Westbrook really is like Mike.So says Mike himself.Basketball great Michael Jordan inducted Westbrook into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Thursday night and heaped high praise on Westbrook, one of the most visible and accomplished Jordan Brand athletes.Westbrook is a two-time All-Star MVP and was the 2014-15 scoring champion. Last season, he posted 18 triple-doubles. This season, he has three triple-doubles and is averaging a Jordan-esque 31.8 points per game.HOCKEYVANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Coyotes forward Brad Richardson was carted off the ice on a stretcher in the second period of Arizonas 3-2 overtime loss at Vancouver and taken to a hospital.Richardson injured his right leg on an innocent-looking hit from Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin with 8:37 left in the second period. The 31-year-old Richardson crumpled to the ice and threw his gloves off in agony under the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Tryamkin.Medical staffs from both teams attended to Richardson by the boards in the Canucks zone for several minutes before loading him onto a stretcher. Jalen Ramsey Youth Jersey . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. Chris Conley Womens Jersey . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. http://www.authenticjaguarslockroom.com/Youth-Nick-Foles-Elite-Jersey/ . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Marqise Lee Youth Jersey . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Josh Oliver Jaguars Jersey . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter. SALT LAKE CITY -- The Miami Heat have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league this season, ranked No. 27 in points per game. Offense, however, wasnt an issue Thursday night.Goran Dragic scored 27 points and the Heat continued to play better on the road with a 111-110 victory over the Utah Jazz.James Johnson scored a season-high 24 points off the bench and Wayne Ellington added 17 for the Heat, who have five of their seven wins on the road.That is a good defense to be able to do that against, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Sometimes you need great players to make bigger plays against a good defense. That is what those guys are doing. Getting a little more organized offensively, the guys are getting a little more confident in their roles and simplify a bit.The Jazz had the ball with 3.9 seconds remaining and Gordon Hayward missed a contested midrange jumper before time expired.The Heat attacked the rim relentlessly throughout the game to score 64 points in the paint. The Jazz allowed a season-high 58 points in the paint to the Heat in mid-November.Hayward scored a season-high 32 points and added seven assists. Joe Johnson chipped in 18 points as the Jazz lost despite knocking down a franchise-record 17 3-pointers in 30 attempts.A 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter gave the Heat a 12-point lead and Miami barely hung on the rest of the way.It takes grit, Ellington said. It takes toughness and that is what we showed all night long.The Heat took a 52-48 lead into halftime thanks to a 19-2 run highlighted by eight points from Ellington. The Jazz answered with a 12-2 stretch to close the half.The Jazz came into the game allowing just 38.9 points per game in the paint, tied for No. 4 in the league.We were soft at the beginning of the game, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. We didnt deserve to win the game. Miami outplayed us. By the time we woke up defensively, it was late and we had to expend a lot of energy. We lacked physicality, particularly in tthe first half.ddddddddddddTIP-INSHeat: Josh Richardson did not travel due to a sprained right ankle. ... Dion Waiters missed his third consecutive game with a pectineus (groin) tear. ... Luke Babbit left the game in the second quarter with a right hip flexor and did not return.Jazz: George Hill did not play due to a sprained left big toe. ... Rodney Hood did not play due to hamstring injury. ... Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw and Dante Exum all started due to injuries. ... Snyder believed there should have been more than 3.9 seconds left for the final possession.DANTES INFERNOExum returned to the starting lineup with Hill out despite seeing the floor little recently. Exum had played less than nine minutes in the previous four games, including not playing at all Monday. Snyder said Exum isnt playing as much after starting 41 games as a rookie, in part, due to an improved roster. Still, Exum has struggled this season.Hes probably tired of me talking to him, Snyder said. You cant talk to a player every time theres any kind of change. ... By and large Id like to think our guys have a clear understanding of what we want from them individually and how that fits into what were trying to do as a team.Dantes going through some things right now that are akin to what a lot of people go through as a rookie. ... People just need to be patient and understand who he is and where he is. In a lot of ways hes better than he was his rookie year.QUOTABLEEverything weve been doing defensively, as far as executing our game plan, we didnt do tonight, Hayward said. You see what happened because of that. That has to be our calling card. It wasnt at all tonight.UP NEXTHeat: Miami travels to face an underachieving Trail Blazers team featuring Damon Lillard.Jazz: Utah hosts the Nuggets on Saturday. The teams have split their first two meetings this season. ' ' '