Nova Leap Health Corp. enters into Term Sheet to amend its Credit Agreement for up to an Additional $7 million to Support Continued GrowthNot that there was much doubt , but Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is the National League’s MVP for the 2024 campaign. The Baseball Writers' Association of America announced Thursday that Ohtani won the NL MVP award unanimously. It marks his third MVP win and first in the National League. He won the AL MVP award in 2021 and 2023, both unanimously. Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to win the MVP award unanimously more than once. He also joins Frank Robinson as the only players to win the award in both leagues. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor finished second in the voting, receiving 23 of 30 second-place votes. Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks got five of the others, while Marcell Ozuna and Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves each got one. New York Yankees star Aaron Judge , . Although Ohtani did not pitch in 2024 while recovering from surgery, he had a remarkable season with the Dodgers as a full-time DH. to join the 50-50 club, and he flew past that once improbable benchmark with ease. He ended the regular season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases on 63 attempts. Before him, the closest player to hit the 50-50 mark was Alex Rodriguez, who had 42 home runs and 46 stolen bases in 1998. Ohtani also had a career-high 130 RBI while holding a .390 OBP and a .310 batting average across 731 plate appearances. He cleared the 50-50 threshold in September when he had three homers, two stolen bases, five extra-base hits, six hits and 10 RBI in one game. No player had ever posted all of those totals across an entire career, and Ohtani pulled it all off at once against the Miami Marlins. But perhaps most importantly, Ohtani secured his first championship ring in 2024. in the World Series to claim the franchise’s eighth title and first since 2020. Ohtani spent his first six seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Angels and didn’t make the playoffs once. In the World Series, Ohtani was rather quiet. He went just 2-for-19 over the five World Series games, and he injured his shoulder while trying to steal second in Game 2. He didn’t miss a game, but he . Now that his MVP award is official, Ohtani is . All of that came not only after he signed a record $700 million deal but also after he was thrust into a gambling scandal when it was revealed that his former interpreter and best friend had stolen millions of dollars from him. Ohtani is expected to take the mound again next season, which will be his first time pitching for the Dodgers after he needed surgery to repair a torn UCL in his pitching arm at the end of his run with the Angels. While it’s unclear what will happen throughout the rest of his career once he’s back to full strength as a two-way player, Ohtani delivered one of the best overall seasons in baseball history while recovering from injury and putting a scandal behind him in the best way possible. He’s now a three-time MVP with a World Series ring.

New NIC trustees receive warm welcome, address accreditation concernsThe Louisville Cardinals host a ranked team for the second time this week when the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils pay a visit on Sunday, and the Cardinals hope for a better outcome in the teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Louisville (5-3) has lost two straight, including an 86-63 thrashing at home by No. 23 Ole Miss in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday. The visiting Rebels shot 56.7 percent and dominated inside with a 48-26 edge on points in the paint. Tuesday's game was the first for coach Pat Kelsey's team without Kasean Pryor, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Oklahoma in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. The 6-foot-10 senior wing, a transfer from South Florida, was a key player early on for Louisville, averaging 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and blocking eight shots in seven games. Pryor is the latest Cardinals player to go down with an injury. Before the season started, the school announced center Aly Khalifa and guard Kobe Rodgers would redshirt due to injuries. Then just two games into the season, Aboubacar Traore broke his arm and Koren Johnson injured his shoulder. Traore is expected back this season, but Johnson announced earlier this week that he would also redshirt this season and undergo surgery. Besides the injuries, the Cardinals are also struggling to hit 3-point shots, a key facet to Kelsey's offense. Louisville entered Saturday 340th nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 27.3 percent and seventh nationally averaging 31.6 attempts per game. Despite the woes, Kelsey told reporters after the Ole Miss loss that he doesn't plan to change his offense, adding that he believes in his players. "The percentages even themselves out," he said. "This has happened before. I just don't want our guys to lose confidence, because I really, really believe in them. They'll bounce back and be better on Sunday." The Blue Devils (6-2) won their SEC/ACC Challenge game on Wednesday, beating No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in Durham. Duke overcame a 13-2 deficit to get the Quadrant 1 victory on its resume. Coach Jon Scheyer's team shot 50 percent from the field and committed just four turnovers. It was just the 14th time in program history the Blue Devils had four or fewer turnovers in a game. Freshman Cooper Flagg, a preseason All-American and a contender for national player of the year awards, leads the Blue Devils in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg), assists (4.1 apg) and blocked shots (1.4 per game). He scored 22, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists in the win against the Tigers, but it was another freshman who stole the show. Isaiah Evans came off the bench to score 18 points and hit 6 of 8 3-point shots. The guard averages 9.4 points per game but has only played in five games and has yet to play more than 17 minutes in a contest. Scheyer told reporters after the win that Evans provided a "special moment" when his team needed a lift. "To have that amazing courage to come into this game and do what he did -- I'm not sure if I've ever been a part of something like that in my years here," Scheyer said. --Field Level Media

A star-studded campaign starring Simone Biles, Dak Prescott and other famous athletes transforms retail stores into winter wonderlands. Sports retail giant Dick’s Sporting Goods is raising the bar this holiday season with a Texas-sized campaign featuring Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, NBA star Chris Paul, and Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers. Adding a touch of Hollywood glamor, Matthew McConaughey makes a surprise cameo, ensuring the initiative is as big and bold as the Lone Star State itself. Produced by Bolded, the recently launched branded content division of OBB Media, the campaign follows the four sports stars as they compete to create the most dazzling holiday décor for Dick’s stores in their respective hometowns. While the competition is packed with laughs and over-the-top creativity, it’s not just about bragging rights – each athlete also receives a $100,000 Sports Matter grant to support local youth sports organizations. The festive rivalry is packed with personality. In Houston, Simone Biles brings her golden touch, designing a store decked out with medal-inspired accents that reflect her record-breaking career. Over in Dallas, Dak Prescott channels his quarterback prowess into a gingerbread football locker room that would make any Cowboy fan’s holiday wishlist. San Antonio sees Chris Paul crafting a showstopping 12-foot basketball tree. In Austin, Quinn Ewers leans into Lone Star pride with Texan accents – plus a little help from McConaughey, whose cameo adds a pinch of holiday magic. “We’ve had a blast getting ready for the holidays with Texas’ most inspiring and entertaining sports icons,” said Kari DeGori, vice-president of local marketing and marketing capabilities at Dick’s Sporting Goods. “We hope these displays bring extra joy to our customers and communities while supporting youth sports through the Sports Matter program.” Paul echoed the sentiment: “I love competing, so participating in this Texas holiday contest with some of the best athletes across sports was a lot of fun. No matter who wins the decorating contest, we all win because we get to give back to youth sports.” Advertisement Texans can see the festive creations in person at select stores, including locations in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. For those outside the Lone Star State, the campaign will run nationwide across YouTube, Dicks.com, social media and local broadcast channels, alongside traditional 60- and 30-second commercials and extended short-form episodes that dive into the athletes’ design journeys. Are you seeking more creative campaigns? Check out our Ad of the Day section and sign up for our Ads of the Week newsletter so you don’t miss a story.

New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers “absolutely” will remain the team's starting quarterback and start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, has been hampered at times during the Jets' 3-8 start by various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. Ulbrich said Monday the quarterback came back from the team's bye-week break ready to go. “All I can say, and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy, but he's better off today than he's been as of late,” Ulbrich said. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has probably for the past month. A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love. “So, I'm excited about what that looks like.” NFL Network reported on Sunday that Rodgers, who missed all but four snaps last season with a torn left Achilles tendon, has declined having medical scans on his injured leg so he can continue to play. GM: The New York Jets are turning to one of their former general managers to help them find their next GM and head coach. The franchise announced Monday that The 33rd Team, a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, will assist team owner Woody Johnson in the searches. Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman, former GM of the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, will be The 33rd Team's primary representatives in helping find replacements for former coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas. SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took part in some light throwing on Monday after missing his first career game because of an injury and the 49ers are hoping he can return this week. Purdy hurt his throwing shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. Purdy underwent two MRIs last week that showed no structural damage. But Purdy he felt discomfort after making a few throws at practice on Thursday and was shut down for the game at Green Bay on Sunday that San Francisco lost 38-10. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy made it through the session without pain and will rest on Tuesday and hopefully be able to return to practice on Wednesday as the Niners prepare to play at Buffalo this coming week. “We rested it throughout the weekend hoping that would help,” Shanahan said. “He threw lighter today to see if that rest helps and the rest did help him. So we’ll see again, going through the same things we did last week. We’re going to let him rest all the way up to Wednesday. We’ll see how it feels on Wednesday and then we’ll take the exact same course throughout the week. Hopefully it responds better this week than it did last week with the rest.” Brandon Allen went 17 for 29 for 199 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble in his first start since the 2021 season. Allen would play once again if Purdy is unable to go on Sunday at Buffalo. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The NFL removed New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, making him eligible to participate in practice and play in the team’s games. Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the list on Oct. 9 after he was arrested and charged with shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall and choking her. The league said its review is ongoing and is not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status. Braintree, Massachusetts, police said they were called to a home for an altercation between two people on Oct. 7, and a woman told them Peppers choked her. Police said they found at the home a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine. Peppers, 29, pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class “B” substance believed to be cocaine. At a court appearance last week a trial date was set for Jan. 22. HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone, coach Antonio Pierce said Monday. Minshew was injured with 3:12 left in Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. Pierce will have to decide whether Aidan O'Connell or Desmond Ridder will start Friday's game at Kansas City. The Raiders, who have lost seven consecutive games to fall to 2-9, could use a spark. Minshew's grip on the starting job was tenuous even before he was injured. He threw 10 interceptions to just nine touchdown passes this season and Minshew also lost four fumbles. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will practice Monday and “we'll see where he's at from there,” coach Doug Pederson said. Lawrence missed the past two games, losses to Minnesota and Detroit, with a sprained left shoulder. Lawrence had extra time to rest during Jacksonville's bye week. The Jaguars (2-9) host AFC South-leading Houston (7-5) on Sunday and need a victory to avoid being eliminated from playoff contention. Pederson said Lawrence is “feeling better" and they will know more about his playing status following practice Wednesday. Lawrence took a hit to his left shoulder while scrambling at Philadelphia on Nov. 3. Instead of sliding, he chose to go head-first and got hammered by linebacker Zack Baun. Lawrence has practiced some in a limited role since, but was inactive for both games. BRIEFLY LIONS: Detroit wide receiver Jameson Williams won't be charged with a crime after he was found with a gun in a car driven by his brother in October. Prosecutor Kym Worthy says Michigan law is “far from clear” when applied to the 1 a.m. traffic stop in Detroit. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Israel, Hezbolla reach ceasefire deal to stop Lebanon conflict

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