Chiefs beat Bills to reach second straight Super Bowl

11:18, January 25, 2021

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  Thomas to become first woman official in Super Bowl history

  Sarah Thomas will become the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl when she serves as down judge for next months championship spectacle, the NFL announced Tuesday.NFL down judge Sarah Thomas looks on from the sidelines during the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos in Inglewood, U.S., December 27, 2020. (Photo: CFP)Super Bowl 55 will be staged on February 7 at Tampa, Florida.In 2015, Thomas became the first permanent female official in NFL history, debuting as a line judge in a Kansas City at Houston game. She became the first woman with an on-field assignment in an NFL playoff game in 2019."Sarah Thomas has made history again as the first female Super Bowl official," NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said."Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl. Congratulations to Sarah on this well-deserved honor."The role Thomas fills was known as head linesman before she began serving as a down judge in 2017.Carl Cheffers, a 21-season NFL veteran official, will be referee for the championship contest, leading a seven-person crew. He was also in charge of Super Bowl 51 in 2017."Their body of work over the course of a 17-game season has earned them the honor of officiating the biggest game on the worlds biggest stage," Vincent said. "They are the best of the best."

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  Benitez leaves Chinese club Dalian Pro, blames virus

  Rafael Benitez, headcoach of Dalian Yifang Football Club, reacts during the 2019 Chinese Football Association Super League in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on July 7, 2019.Rafa Benitez has resigned as head coach of Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional just 18 months after tak

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  Nathan Chen wins fifth straight US Figure Skating title

  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dick Button has always been the measuring stick for American men figure skaters. And no wonder, with seven straight U.S. titles and two Olympic gold medals.First-place finisher Nathan Chen poses with his medal in the mens championship at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Photo: AP)Nathan Chen has leapt into Button territory.Even with an error at the beginning of his free skate, Chen was unbeatable Sunday, winning his fifth straight U.S. Figure Skating Championship. Not since Button won each title from 1946-52 has any American man had such a streak of success. Throw in two world championships and being unbeaten since not medaling at the 2018 Olympics, and Chen already has a resume for the ages.At age 21.“It’s incredible to try to follow in his footsteps,” Chen said of Button. “It means the world. Dick is a true skating icon, and it just feels incredible to be trying to chase something that someone like that has done. I’m nowhere near the level he was at, but it’s just cool to be able to be even mentioned in his sort of realm of legendness.”Nathan Chen performs during the mens free skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Photo: AP)The fact is, in this country at least, Chen is pretty much competing against himself.“Ultimately it comes down to the fact that everyone is capable of doing it,” he said, “but I still want to focus on what I’m capable of doing myself and just being able to try to improve on myself.”Chen pretty much ignored the rough beginning of his free skate, when he put his hands down and stepped out of a quad lutz. He hit four more quads, three in combination, and a triple axel deep into his program. There was a fluidity to his choreography and spins, and his 322.28 points were unmatchable by anybody in the field.“I was a little timid today. Honestly that’s on me," Chen said. "I feel like I didn’t really tackle my elements. I was ...