PROFILES » Patriots quarterback Tom Brady missed practice with a right hand

New England prepared for its AFC championship game matchup with Jacksonville.

Brady was present and wore a glove on the injured hand during the stretching portion of practice open to reporters. But he was listed as a non-participant on the injury report. He usually only wears a glove on his non-throwing hand.

His scheduled news conference was also postponed until Friday.

Brady appeared on the Patriots’ weekly injury report several times during the latter half of the regular season with both an Achilles tendon and left shoulder injury. But the 40-year-old has never missed a playoff start during his 18-year career. He hasn’t missed any start because of an injury since he sat out the final 15 games of the 2008 season with a knee injury.

GYMNASTICS

LANSING Julian Love Jersey , Mich. (AP) – U.S. Olympian McKayla Maroney said being sexually assaulted by a Michigan sports doctor who molested her and other gymnasts scarred her mind in ways that may never heal.

Dr. Larry Nassar won’t be sentenced until next week to accommodate the many victims who want to speak. Since Tuesday, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina has listened to more than 60 who were molested after seeking his help for injuries, including a statement from Maroney that was read by a prosecutor.

”Dr. Nassar was not a doctor,” said the 2012 Olympic gold and silver medalist. ”He left scars on my psyche that may never go away.”

USA Gymnastics in 2016 reached a financial settlement with Maroney that barred her from making disparaging remarks. But the organization this week said it would not seek any money for her ”brave statements.”

As the hearing was happening, USA Gymnastics announced that it was ending its long relationship with the Karolyi Ranch, the Huntsville, Texas, home of former national team coordinator Martha Karolyi and her husband, Bela. The announcement came three days after Olympic champion Simone Biles expressed dismay at having to attend camps there, where she says Nassar sexually abused her.

BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) – The players’ association rejected Major League Baseball’s proposal to institute 20-second pitch clocks and limits on mound visits, a move that dares management to unilaterally impose the changes designed to speed pace of games.

Union head Tony Clark and deputy general counsel Matt Nussbaum informed MLB of the decision during a telephone call to deputy commissioner Dan Halem, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Management has the right to implement the rules changes it proposed last year. Under baseball’s labor contract, management can change on-field rules on its own with one season of advance notice.

MLB does not intend to make any decision before its next owners’ meetings, scheduled for Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 in Beverly Hills, California. Spring training games start Feb. 23 and the season opens March 29.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield says one of his top priorities as he prepares for the NFL draft is to allay concerns about his character.

”People will have their guesses and their opinions on my character, but anyone that’s actually sat down and talked to me knows that I don’t have any character issues, any off-the-field issues,” Mayfield said during a conference call after being selected the 2017 Manning Award winner.

Mayfield, who passed for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darius-slayton-jersey , is the first Sooner and first former walk-on to win the Manning Award, which is given to the nation’s top college quarterback. It is the only award to consider postseason performances in voting by a national media panel as well as Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning.

Mayfield also won the Heisman Trophy this season. And after racking up prestigious accolades for his performances during live snaps, Mayfield said he’s eager to meet with NFL coaches and front-office personnel and explain why some of his antics after the whistle and his behavior off the field won’t be an issue going forward.

AUTO RACING

The original ”GoDaddy Girl” is back with sponsorship intact to push forward with her ”Danica Double.”

Danica Patrick has secured the money needed to race in both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. Now she just needs to find the rides to get her back on racing’s two biggest stages. GoDaddy reunited with Patrick on Thursday for the final two races of her career, even though she still has to close deals with teams to make it happen.

She’s not worried about pulling it off, either.

”Power of positive thinking,” she told The Associated Press from Scottsdale, Arizona.

Patrick announced in November she would end her driving career at Daytona and Indy, but still doesn’t have rides. Yet Patrick always figures a way to get what she wants. When talks ended with Chip Ganassi Racing about seats for both races, Patrick said, she called former GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons late last month and asked about a reunion.

SOCCER

The Washington Spirit selected midfielder Andi Sullivan out of Stanford with the first pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft. Draft day also featured a high-profile three-team trade involving U.S. national team star Carli Lloyd.

A person familiar with the deal said Sky Blue FC acquired Lloyd in a trade that sent Christen Press to the Houston Dash and Australian Sam Kerr to the Chicago Red Stars. The person s TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Gerald McCoy says he’s approaching his ninth training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the same way he has all the others.The six-time Pro Bowl selection really doesn’t feel there’s any reason to change because attitude is a big part of his success.“I always try and stay in the rookie mindset, always willing to learn more, knowing I can learn more, and just do my best to learn more,” the 29-year-old defensive tackle said.“I’m not Gerald McCoy. I’m No. 93 on a 91-man roster, trying to make the team. Once I make the team, then I’ll be Gerald McCoy. … Until then, I’m just another guy trying to make the team.”It’s not the first time a player of his stature has claimed the same thing, but there’s no disputing the 6-foot-4 Quinnen Williams Jersey , 300-pound McCoy’s desire to get better and help the Bucs re-emerge as contenders.Tampa Bay has missed the playoffs the past 10 seasons, the second-longest drought in the NFL behind the Cleveland Browns, who haven’t earned a playoff berth since 2002.McCoy, who has 48 career sacks and has been selected to play in six consecutive Pro Bowls, was the third overall pick in the 2010 draft.Personal success, however, has been bittersweet.A year ago, Tampa Bay’s defense ranked at or near the bottom of league rankings in several key categories, including passing, total yards and points allowed, as well as sacks and third-down efficiency.General manager Jason Licht and coach Dirk Koetter are counting on the trend changing after upgrading around McCoy with the offseason acquisition of veteran defensive linemen Jason Pierre-Paul, Beau Allen, Vinny Curry and Mitch Unrein, as well as first-round draft pick Vita Vea.Pierre-Paul had 58 sacks over the past eight seasons with the New York Giants. Allen and Curry were productive members of a deep defensive line rotation that helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl last winter, while Unrein was part of Denver’s AFC championship team five years ago. Vea was the 12th pick of the draft.Understandably, McCoy is excited.“We brought in four new guys that have all played in a Super Bowl, and three of them have won it. That’s a lot of experience. Guys who know what to do and how to do it — do it the right way,” the ninth-year pro said.“Just the (defensive line) room overall is different, a lot of experience, and a lot of knowledge. Guys bouncing ideas off of each other http://www.jetsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jachai-polite-jersey , things you’ve never heard before. … It’s only just going to make us great in the long run,” McCoy added. “But, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”Curry, who started every game for the Eagles last season, said the linemen are building chemistry and learning more and more about each other every day in practice.“My biggest thing is I’m telling everyone: winning is contagious,” Curry said.“It’s the National Football League, everybody is good,” Curry added. “It comes down to discipline and how bad do you want it.”McCoy is doing his part, too.In addition to picking the brains of the veteran newcomers, he has been spending extra time after practice helping some of the younger players trying to earn jobs.McCoy recalls the early years of his career, when there weren’t any experienced defensive linemen on the team to take him under their wings.“I can honestly say I had no help. When I say help, I mean guidance as far as how to play this (pro) game, at least from a defensive line standpoint,” McCoy said. “I don’t want any D-linemen to come through Tampa, while I’m here, and be able to say that. … I never want guys to have to experience what I did.”