PSU’s Nassib wins Lombardi AwardHOUSTON — Forget winning awards. Before this season, Penn State senior Carl Nassib had never even been a starter.The defensive end was quite the winner Wednesday.Nassib received the Rotary Lombardi Award on Wednesday night from the Rotary Club of Houston as the nation’s top college lineman or linebacker.“As of like five days ago, I never won anything other than like participation when I was swimming when I was eight,” Nassib said. “I think I got sportsmanship when I was like six. This takes the cake. This is awesome.”Earlier in the day, Nassib was honored with the Ted Hendricks award for best defensive end.

Vikings investigate racist commentsMINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings' internal security staff is investigating after a fan said another man directed racist comments at him during Sunday's game.Deepinder Mayell wrote in an op-ed published Wednesday in the Star Tribune that he was at Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks when another fan demanded to know if he was a refugee and made other comments Mayell considered hate speech. Mayell described himself as non-white.Mayell wrote that he reported the man to security but the man wasn't asked to leave.

A's add pitching at winter meetingsOAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics made two more moves to boost their pitching staff, acquiring a pair of minor leaguers from the Chicago White Sox for third baseman Brett Lawrie and agreeing to terms with right-hander John Axford on a $10 million, two-year contract.The A's announced the trade of Lawrie, an anticipated move for the club during baseball's winter meetings. Oakland received right-hander J.B. Wendelken and minor league left-hander Zack Erwin in the swap.

MLB recommends protective nettingNASHVILLE, Tenn. — Major League Baseball recommended teams have protective netting between the dugouts for any field-level seats within 70 feet of home plate.The guidelines were announced at the winter meetings following a season in which several fans were injured by foul balls, prompting MLB to study fan safety. Most teams are expected to expand their use of netting.The recommendation also applies to spring training ballparks, many of them owned by municipalities.Boston, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia immediately said they will follow the recommendation.

Fury stripped of IBF boxing titleSPRINGFIELD, New Jersey — The IBF stripped British boxer Tyson Fury of its world heavyweight belt because he was breaking rules by meeting Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch in his next fight.Fury was supposed to meet the IBF's No. 1 contender, Vyacheslav Glazkov, in a mandatory defense, but couldn't because he was contractually obligated to meet Klitschko.Fury took the IBF, WBA and WBO titles from Klitschko, who exercised his option for a rematch.