Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Super Bowl LIII will be the 'Super Bowl' of sports betting

Office pools be warned. Americans will be able to bet on Sunday's Super Bowl for the first time outside of Nevada without running afoul of the law. The National Football League championship game and biggest U.S. television event of the year will almost surely be the country's single biggest betting event of the year. It is expected to generate twice as much in legal wagers across the country as last year, following the opening of sportsbooks in seven more states. Rams pool report: McVay likes team's balanced approach

Following three days of practice at the Atlanta Falcons' training facility in Flowery Branch, the Los Angeles Rams began to put the final touches on their week of planning and spent some time enjoying the moment with friends and family. Saturday around 1 p.m. ET, after meetings and a walkthrough held at their hotel in Buckhead, the Rams slipped on their blue throwback jerseys and yellow pants for a team photo inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Six drones confiscated in Atlanta ahead of Super Bowl

Authorities in Atlanta have confiscated six drones that violated a temporary order not to fly the devices in the area ahead of the NFL's Super Bowl on Sunday, federal officials said. Drone flight was prohibited on Saturday and from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. EST on Sunday for one nautical mile (2 km) around the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and up to an altitude of 1,000 feet (305 meters), the Federal Aviation Administration said. NHL roundup: Lightning squeak by Islanders in shootout

Victor Hedman scored the only goal in the shootout Friday night as the Tampa Bay Lightning edged the host New York Islanders 1-0. The Lightning have alternated wins with losses in their last seven games. The Islanders have lost two straight but only five of their last 20 (15-3-2). When it comes to the Patriots not everyone loves a winner

There is a saying that "everyone loves a winner" but not when it comes to the New England Patriots. A good part of the United States, or at least many of those not living within a Tom Brady Hail Mary of a New England state border, will be backing the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday's Super Bowl when they take on a Patriots team that will be playing in a third consecutive National Football League (NFL) title game and the fourth in five years. Civil rights pillar Atlanta grapples with Super Bowl hosting duties

As football fans flood Atlanta for Sunday's Super Bowl, not everyone is thrilled that a city once a pillar of the Civil Rights movement is playing host, given the NFL's record on race. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell highlighted Atlanta's history of racial activism in comments to reporters this week and said the National Football League, where 70 percent of players are African American, was devoted to "honoring that legacy." Patriots pool report: Belichick not a fan of Super Bowl pace

For a few minutes Saturday morning, Bill Belichick's top concern was opening a bag of macadamia nuts for his 2-year-old granddaughter, Blakely. The Patriots coach has spent the past two weeks preparing for Super Bowl LIII, which included stashing some snack packs in his pants pocket in case of a hungry toddler. Blakely, the daughter of Belichick's son, Steve, was born in October 2016, so this will be her third Super Bowl before she turns 3. NBA roundup: Irving shines as Celtics top Knicks

Kyrie Irving capped an eventful day by totaling 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists Friday night as the Boston Celtics recorded a 113-99 victory over the New York Knicks, whose home losing streak reached 13 games. After addressing his impending free agency during the morning shootaround by saying "ask me July 1," Irving returned from missing the previous two games with a strained left hip and helped the Celtics win for the eighth time in nine games. Goff will continue Cal's Super run of quarterbacks

Cal football isn't Alabama or Clemson or Ohio State when it comes to fighting for the national championship every year, but it is No. 1 when it comes to starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl. On Sunday, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff will become the fifth quarterback from Cal to start the game. That's more than any other NCAA program. Bolt lights up Super Bowl with sizzling sprint

Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt might have caught the eye of a few NFL coaches when he stepped off the street and equaled the combine record for a 40-yard dash on Saturday, running in 4.22 seconds at a Super Bowl fan experience event. Wearing sweatpants and sneakers, the 100 and 200 meters world record holder showed he still has speed to burn when he matched the time set by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross at the 2017 NFL combine, where potential draft picks are put through a number of drills such as sprinting, lifting weights and how high they can jump.