Sports News Roundup: Twins SS Andrelton Simmons opens up about mental-health struggles; Tom Brady merchandise sets sales record and more

Fanatics, the NFL's official e-commerce partner, said the six-time Super Bowl champion, who is in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has become their best-selling NFL player ever for the two-week period between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Twins SS Andrelton Simmons opens up about mental-health struggles

Veteran shortstop Andrelton Simmons battled depression and suicidal thoughts last year, prompting him to opt out of the end of the season to address his mental health, he revealed Tuesday in an interview published in the Orange County Register. Simmons, 31, spent the previous five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He recently signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, and he reached out to Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher to describe his struggles in 2020.

Tom Brady merchandise sets sales record

Record-setting quarterback Tom Brady is at it again, this time without even lifting a finger. Fanatics, the NFL's official e-commerce partner, said the six-time Super Bowl champion, who is in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has become their best-selling NFL player ever for the two-week period between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

Basketball-Simmons included in Australia's 24-man Olympic squad

Philadelphia 76ers guard-forward Ben Simmons said it would be an "amazing honour" to represent Australia in this year's Olympic Games after being named in Basketball Australia's 24-man squad on Wednesday. The 24-year-old was one of 12 players with NBA experience, with the Boomers' squad for Tokyo also comprising nine current NBL players and three who play in Europe.

Osaka rallies past Boulter into Gippsland last eight

U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka extended her winning streak to 13 matches on Wednesday but only after riding out a stiff challenge from Katie Boulter to beat the Briton 3-6 6-3 6-1 and reach the quarter-finals of the Gippsland Trophy. Boulter beat American Coco Gauff in the second round of the Australian Open warm-up and another upset looked on the cards when she matched her Japanese opponent's power-hitting to take the opening set on Margaret Court Arena.

Super Bowl organizers, officials grapple with COVID-19 threat

Fans descending on Tampa, Florida, for Sunday's Super Bowl will be met with strict warnings to mask up and practice social distancing, as the threat of COVID-19 hangs over the biggest spectacle in American sports. A limited crowd of 22,000 general admission fans - plus 2,700 in suites - will watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Kansas City Chiefs inside Raymond James Stadium, with thousands more expected to take part in festivities leading up to the game, putting public health experts on alert.

NFL-Veteran kicker Succop battles back to reach Super Bowl

Tampa Bay kicker Ryan Succop's career was at a crossroads after an injury-plagued 2019 season led the Tennessee Titans to release him, but he found a new home with the Buccaneers and feels blessed to be playing in his first Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs, who selected Succop with the final pick in the 2009 draft before letting him go after five seasons, now stand in the way of the 34-year-old's boyhood dreams of Super Bowl glory.

China looks to Winter Olympics as chance for rare soft power win amid COVID, rights concerns

The Winter Olympics, due to begin in one year, offer China a chance to show off its epidemic controls, dazzle with spectacle, and seize a publicity win on the world stage - but human rights concerns and COVID-19 uncertainty cast a cloud over the games. Organisers promise a "joyful rendezvous upon pure ice and snow" that will kick off on Feb. 4, 2022. Artificial powder will likely be needed to help cover the slopes carved out on the brown, arid mountains to Beijing's northwest.

Olympics: Paris 2024 will have contingency plan if COVID-19 crisis not over - Estanguet

Paris will be ready to host the 2024 Olympics even if the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing as organisers have been working on contingency plans, Tony Estanguet, the head of the organising committee, said on Tuesday. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed by a year and organisers are facing a tough challenge to host the sporting extravaganza this July and August as the COVID-19 crisis rages on.

Veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick wants to play in 2021

Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick wants to continue his career next season. The 38-year-old Fitzpatrick will be an unrestricted free agent after spending the past two seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He appeared in eight games in 2020, starting seven and throwing for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

NHL shuts down Sabres, postpones games through Feb. 8

The Buffalo Sabres are on a COVID-19 pause and have postponed games -- four -- through Feb. 8, the league announced Tuesday. Further, the team's training facilities have been closed until further notice after Taylor Hall and Rasmus Ristolainen were added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list.