PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Years before Taylor Swift grew into the global superstar who has become the talk of this Super Bowl, she was just a young Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, singer happy to strum her guitar and perform as the opening act for the biggest sporting events in town. The U.S. Open. NASCAR. The World Series. No messy ticket rollouts necessary. Swift …

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. Sacramento State Hornets (6-18, 2-9 Big Sky) at Weber State Wildcats (15-9, 6-5 Big Sky) Ogden, Utah; Saturday, 9 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Weber State faces the Sacramento …

New Orleans Pelicans (30-21, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (27-26, ninth in the Western Conference) Los Angeles; Friday, 10:30 p.m. EST FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Pelicans -1; over/under is 235.5 BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans is looking to extend its four-game win streak with a victory against Los Angeles. The Lakers have gone 18-17 against Western Conference …

NFL Sunday FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG San Francisco 2½ 2½ (47½) at KANSAS CITY NBA Saturday FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG Oklahoma City 2½ (241½) at DALLAS at LA CLIPPERS 16 (236½) Detroit at BROOKLYN 5½ (230½) San Antonio at ORLANDO 5 (217) Chicago Memphis 4 (222½) at CHARLOTTE Philadelphia 3 (238) at WASHINGTON at ATLANTA 4½ (238) Houston Indiana …

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Calls for Hungary’s conservative president to resign grew Friday amid outrage over her pardoning of a person convicted of covering up a child sexual abuse case, which has unleashed an unprecedented political scandal for the long-serving nationalist government. Katalin Novák, the first female president in Hungary’s history, sparked indignation after it was revealed that she issued …

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Martin Necas posted a natural hat trick in the first 17 minutes, the first three-goal game of his career, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night despite changing goalies twice. Carolina led 3-0 with 3:09 remaining in the first period thanks to Necas, whose hat trick was the fastest to begin …

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — The former prime minister of Pakistan expected his party would claim an easy victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, sending him to the top job for a fourth time. Instead, Nawaz Sharif faces a difficult path to power. Independent candidates backed by his imprisoned rival, Imran Khan, were leading in the vote count Friday, a surprisingly …

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Chang Yani topped teammate Chen Yiwen on the 3-meter springboard Friday, giving the powerhouse Chinese team its eighth diving gold medal of the World Aquatics Championships. Chen was the two-time reigning world champion and led the semifinals, giving her the prime last spot in the final. But Chang turned in five stellar dives and led all …

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Teofimo Lopez Jr. unanimously outpointed Jamaine Ortiz to retain the WBO junior welterweight title Thursday night, just days before Super Bowl at nearby Allegiant Stadium. Judge Steve Weisfeld scored the fight 117-111, while Tim Cheathem and David Sutherland both had it 115-113, an announcement met by a roar of boos from an announced crowd of 6,206 …

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — To thunderous applause, Rio de Janeiro’s mayor coronated King Momo on Friday, marking the beginning of the symbolic Carnival monarch’s five-day reign over the revelry. “I officially declare Carnival 2024 open!” King Momo said after Mayor Eduardo Paes bestowed upon him a gigantic, silver and gold key. Confetti flew in a hall of the Palace …