. As the arena filled with passionate home fans for the early morn

Among the debatable calls in the NFLs Week 15, none backfired more than Andy Reids attempt to ice an already frozen kicker at Arrowhead Stadium.Ryan Succops 53-yard try fell well short but served as a mulligan thanks to Reids timeout, and Succop put plenty more boost and force into his do-over. It cleared the crossbar as time expired, giving the Titans a 19-17 win over the Chiefs that kept Tennessee in the playoff hunt and denied Kansas City its clincher.Moreover, KC fell from the AFCs No. 2 seed to No. 5. If thats where it finishes, the Chiefs will have to hit the road in the wild-card round instead of getting the weekend off and preparing for a home game.Kind of backfired, Reid said sadly.There were other notable decisions in Week 15, including league rushing leader Ezekiel Elliotts deciding to jump into an oversized Salvation Army red kettle after his short TD run in Dallas 26-20 win over Tampa Bay.One of the worst officiating calls of the year came in the Giants 17-6 win over the Lions. Eli Mannings pass bounced off Odell Beckham Jr.s left hand and rolled in between the receivers legs before he reached back and secured it. Referee Tony Correntes crew ruled it a completion on what ended up being a touchdown drive.Other calls included an owner who didnt wait for his coach to fly back home to fire him; a superstar who hollered at his coach on the sideline; a punt returners failure to capitalize on his second chance; and a QB switch that worked out wonderfully.HOLIDAY CHEER? By halftime of the Jaguars-Texans game, Houston QB Brock Osweiler was benched. By games end, Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley was out the door.Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Bradley immediately after Jacksonvilles 21-20 loss to Houston in which the Texans rallied from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit behind backup QB Tom Savage.Khans timing was unorthodox for an owner who showed such patience: Bradley went 14-48 in four seasons, his .225 winning percentage the worst of any NFL coach with at least 60 games.Khan issued a statement thanking Bradley, who flew home on the team charter, and explaining he didnt wait any longer to fire him because I thought it would be best to do it immediately after todays result so Gus can step away, relax and regroup with his family during the Christmas and holiday season.The Texans remain tied with Tennessee atop the AFC South thanks to Savage and coach Bill OBrien said on Monday that Savage will start next week against Cincinnati.BUNGLING BRONCOS: Gary Kubiak drew scrutiny for his decisions before, during and after the Broncos 16-3 loss to New England that damaged their playoff plans and hopes to defend their Super Bowl title.-He reinserted fumble-prone Jordan Norwood at punt returner even though Kalif Raymond had provided a much-needed spark on special teams since supplanting him two weeks ago. Kubiak explained he needed Norwood as his third receiver for his no-huddle offense, so Raymond was inactive.Norwood promptly muffed his first punt return of the day and fourth of the season. Norwood caught just one pass -- with 14 seconds left -- and he coughed that up, too.-So atrocious was his offense that Kubiak declined to use any of his three timeouts when Tom Brady threw incomplete on third-and-5 with 1:13 left in the first half of a 10-3 game. So the Patriots burned off 41 seconds before the Broncos got the ball back, ran one run play and headed straight for the locker room to a cascade of jeers.-In the losing locker room, Kubiak opened the floor to any player who wanted to address the team. When left tackle Russell Okung tried to speak up, he was shouted down by defensive players who have had it with the offenses season-long ineptitude, which includes a league-high 57 three-and-outs.SHOUTING SHERMAN: At least the Broncos waited until they got back to the locker room to yell at each other. Seattle superstar Richard Sherman had another sideline outburst during the Seahawks 24-3 over the Rams.Sherman erupted during the third quarter with Seattle leading 10-3. On first-and-goal at the 1, Russell Wilson forced a pass in the direction of Jimmy Graham that appeared to be intercepted by the Rams Bryce Hager. After a review, it was determined Hager didnt have possession, but that didnt stop Sherman from screaming in the direction of head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.I dont like it when we throw the ball at the 1, said Sherman, who brought up the Super Bowl loss to New England and Wilsons famous pass from the 1 that was intercepted by Malcolm Butler.I was letting Pete know ... that were not confident with you throwing the ball at the 1, Sherman said. It went great. They ran the ball on the next play and then figured out a way to get into the end zone.With another pass.From the 1.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton---This story has been corrected to remove incorrect reference to Jordan Norwood. Alex Avila Jersey . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Steven Souza Diamondbacks Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. http://www.diamondbackssale.com/diamondbacks-yasmany-tomas-jersey/ . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Andrew Chafin Jersey . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Robbie Ray Jersey . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Olympics began in full with the first gold medal going to an American teenager by the fearsome name of Thrasher. There was plenty of rough riding on a punishing cycling course, a smooth opener for Kevin Durant and company, and a difficult loss for Venus Williams.The American mens basketball team romped past China 119-62 Saturday night behind Durants 25 points. Although it was a blowout, bettors in Las Vegas, where wagering on the Olympics is legal for the first time since 1998, were undoubtedly on edge until the final minutes.Japans Kosuke Hagino won the mens 400-meter individual medley in the marquee race in Saturday nights swimming program, albeit a bit less flashy without two of the sports biggest stars. Michael Phelps, the world record holder and two-time Olympic champion, dropped the race for his fifth games and defending champion Ryan Lochte didnt qualify.Virginia Thrasher, a 19-year-old who once had her heart set on figure skating, captured the 10-meter air rifle Saturday. Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium won the grueling road race that left cyclists with a myriad of injuries.Riders rolled off to the sound of crashing waves on Copacabana Beach on a steamy morning hours after Brazils high-energy opening ceremony featuring thumping funk, sultry samba and supermodel Gisele Bundchen sauntering to the tune of The Girl from Ipanema.Showcasing Rios famed beaches and majestic mountains, the mens road race began under clear, sunny skies buzzing with helicopters -- some carrying TV cameras, others from the military to provide security.The brutality of the course became evident over the cobblestone sectors that rattled one cyclist off his bike, cost another his chain and forced Tour de France champion Chris Froome to replace his broken bike.Van Avermaet out-sprinted Jakob Fuglsang and Rafal Majka on the long run to the finish at sun-splashed Copacabana Beach after Italys Vincenzo Nibali and Colombias Sergio Henao crashed while trying to navigate a corner on the final harrowing descent of the 6-hour race.Goalkeeper Hope Solo came up big as the United States fought off France 1-0 in a group stage match at Mineirao Stadium. Carli Lloyd scored the games only goal.Solo became the first goalkeeper, male or female, to reach 200 appearances in international play. Despite the milestone, Solo was still peppered with jeers from the crowd, which was riled up about social media posts she made about the threat of the Zika virus.Thousands of police and soldiers were patrolling the city amid concerns about safety.On Saturday, there wass a scare during the break at the eventing dressage at the Olympic Equestrian Center as a military-looking bullet pierced the roof of the tent and landed on the floor near startled reporters.dddddddddddd The competition was not disrupted and nobody was hurt.Brazilian military and police called it an unfortunate incident, one that came shortly after bomb-disposal experts blew up an unattended bag near the finish line of the mens cycling race.Among the highlights on Day 1:-BOUNCED : Venus Williams, playing her opening match at her record fifth Olympics, lost 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) to Kristen Flipkens of Belgium. With U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry watching, the fifth-seeded Williams was broken while serving for the victory at 5-3. She was two points from the win four times but could not close out Flipkens, who is ranked 62nd and only once reached the semifinals of a major tournament.-YOUTH SERVED : Thrasher topped her spectacular spring where she won three NCAA titles and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team by upsetting Chinas Li Du, a two-time gold medalist, to capture the 10-meter air rifle title. She swapped figure skating for shooting after a family hunting trip in which she killed a deer with her first shot.-HANDBALL HOST : Host Brazil upset reigning gold medalist Norway 31-28 in the opening game of the handball tournament. Ana Paula Rodrigues led the way with 12 goals for Brazil, which has never won an Olympic handball medal. As the arena filled with passionate home fans for the early morning game, five straight goals and big saves from goalkeeper Mayssa Raquel Pessoa paved the way for victory.-WOMEN FIRST : France won the first rugby match at the Olympics in 92 years -- and the first ever for women -- beating Spain 24-7 to begin the six-day sevens tournament. Rugby sevens, the fast-pace, condensed form of the game, is the format for the sports return to the Olympic program for the first time since 1924, when the U.S. men won gold in the 15-a-side tournament.-BAD BREAK : French gymnast Samir Ait Saids Olympics ended when he severely injured his left leg while vaulting during team preliminaries. Saids leg bent awkwardly as he tried to land, the sound echoing through the arena. Said writhed on the ground in agony while medical officials tended to him. He exited on a stretcher to a standing ovation.---AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed to this report.---AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org ' ' '