Sports News Roundup: Leon Spinks, boxing's former heavyweight champion dead; Barty outmuscles Muguruza to win Yarra Valley Classic and mroe

Chiefs assistant coach will not make trip to Super Bowl after accident Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach Britt Reid, son of head coach Andy Reid, will not make the trip to Tampa for Sunday's Super Bowl game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being involved in a car accident, the team said on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Leon Spinks, boxing's former heavyweight champion, dead at 67

Leon Spinks, the gap-toothed fighter from the St. Louis slums who pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history in 1978 by defeating Muhammad Ali to take the undisputed world heavyweight title, has died at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer, a spokesman said on Saturday. Spinks passed away with only a few close friends and family present due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Barty outmuscles Muguruza to win Yarra Valley Classic

World number one Ash Barty said she was happy with her game heading into the Australian Open after outfighting Garbine Muguruza 7-6(3) 6-4 to win the Yarra Valley Classic warm-up tournament on Sunday. The 24-year-old Australian, playing her first tournament for almost a year, was made to work hard for her second WTA title on home soil but had enough weapons in her armoury to see off the former French Open and Wimbledon champion in a gripping contest.

Chiefs fans wade into enemy waters for back-to-back Super Bowl bid

Kansas City red dotted a sea of Buccaneers burgundy in Tampa this week as intrepid Chiefs fans entered enemy waters ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl showdown. For just the fourth time in 20 years, a reigning Super Bowl winner will feature in a consecutive NFL championship game, a rare honor that this year came with no small amount of swagger for Chiefs fans, who watched their team hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Miami in 2020 after a five-decade drought.

No cheering, no parties: COVID-19 forces different Super Bowl Sunday for fans

Fans hoping to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday will face a much different reality this year, with the novel coronavirus restricting the celebration around one of America's unofficial holidays. Those who choose to gather at Super Bowl parties big and small in Tampa and across the country face dire warnings from public health officials to abide by basic health and safety protocols, amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 450,000 lives in the United States.

Marvellous Medvedev fires Russia to ATP Cup win

Daniil Medvedev enjoyed the perfect Australian Open preparation as he fired Russia to victory in the $7.5 million ATP Cup with a dominant 6-4 6-2 win over Italy's Matteo Berrettini in Melbourne on Sunday. With Andrey Rublev having thrashed Fabio Fognini 6-1 6-2 in the opening singles, world number four Medvedev sealed the tie 2-0 at Rod Laver Arena as the rampaging Russians stormed to the title undefeated.

Tennis: Murray questions LTA's COVID protocols after positive test

Former world number one Andy Murray has raised doubts about the Lawn Tennis Association's (LTA) health protocols at its high-performance training facility after he tested positive for COVID-19 and had to miss the Australian Open. The three-time Grand Slam winner was forced to pull out of the first major of 2021 in Melbourne after he was unable to find what he called a "workable quarantine" following a positive test on Jan. 14.

Dominant Mertens takes Gippsland Trophy title

Elise Mertens secured her sixth career WTA title when she made light work of experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-4 6-1 to win the Gippsland Trophy Australian Open warm-up tournament on Sunday. The world number 20, who was handed her final spot when Naomi Osaka withdrew from their semi-final with injury, simply dominated the short contest from the baseline on Margaret Court Arena.

Mask-wearing slips in Tampa as fans celebrate Super Bowl weekend

As jovial football fans crowded the streets and bars of Tampa on Saturday with hours to go until Super Bowl LV, hundreds were walking without face coverings through areas where the mayor has issued a mask mandate to curb the spread of COVID-19. Until this weekend, fans attending the Super Bowl LV Experience theme park along the Tampa Riverwalk have mostly been able to stay socially distant and largely appeared to comply with the mask mandate.

Chiefs assistant coach will not make trip to Super Bowl after accident

Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach Britt Reid, son of head coach Andy Reid, will not make the trip to Tampa for Sunday's Super Bowl game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being involved in a car accident, the team said on Saturday. The Chiefs assistant coach was involved in a multi-vehicle pile-up in Missouri on Thursday that the team confirmed resulted in the injury of two young children.

'We're about to become title town,' says lifelong Tampa Bay super fan

To call Anne Copeland a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan would be an understatement. The Tampa, Florida, native has been cheering for the home team ever since the Bucs joined the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion franchise in 1976.