Sports News Roundup: Lakers will aim to make Kobe proud, coach Vogel says

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Super Bowl security shows the easy-going 1960s are long gone

Ensuring the safety of fans and players at this year's Super Bowl in Miami entails an extraordinary deployment of law enforcement assets, even by recent standards, in keeping with heightened global tensions and fears of home-grown violence. The show of force stands in stark contrast from the relatively easy-going atmosphere that prevailed in the late 1960's, when Miami hosted its first Super Bowls.

Thiem slays nemesis Nadal to reach Australian Open semi-finals

Dominic Thiem ended six years of Grand Slam frustration against Rafa Nadal on Wednesday with a seismic 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(6) upset that booked his maiden Australian Open semi-final and rocked the old guard of men's tennis. After pulling off a nerve-shredding win that quashed doubts about his prowess on hardcourts, the 26-year-old Austrian will face Alexander Zverev for a place in the final, a match-up scarcely imaginable at the start of the tournament.

NFL not doing enough when it comes to diversity: Goodell

The National Football League needs to do better when it comes to minority hiring, Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday in his Super Bowl state of the league address, but he stood by the league's efforts to improve player safety. Despite the fact that 70% of NFL players are African American over the last three years, only two of 19 head coaching jobs have gone to black candidates.

Russian Federation at risk of expulsion over doping offenses

The Athletics Integrity Unit Board on Wednesday called for the expulsion of Russia's suspended athletics federation (RUSAF) after what it described as a "total lack of contrition" in its response to a long list of anti-doping violations. The AIU's recommendation, made to the council of World Athletics, comes after it assessed the explanations provided by the federation regarding its leadership's involvement in serious breaches of anti-doping rules.

NBA notebook: Vanessa Bryant thanks well-wishers on Instagram

Vanessa Bryant has yet to speak publicly since her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash Sunday, but on Wednesday she thanked well-wishers in a statement on Instagram. Earlier Wednesday, Vanessa Bryant changed her Instagram profile picture to one of her husband and daughter hugging. She also made her Instagram page public when she released the new profile picture, changing her account that went to private after the crash.

Canadian Sinclair breaks international scoring record

Canadian forward Christine Sinclair became the all-time top scorer in international soccer, breaking the mark held by American Abby Wambach when she netted her 185th goal against St. Kitts and Nevis in south Texas on Wednesday. Sinclair, playing her 290th international, scored the milestone goal from close range in the 23rd minute of Canada's opening game at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers at H-E-B Park in Edinburg after tying the record with a seventh-minute penalty.

Lakers will aim to make Kobe proud, coach Vogel says

Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel said on Wednesday his heartbroken team would aim to honor the memory of Kobe Bryant, who died along with his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash on Sunday. "We want to represent what Kobe was about more than anything," Vogel told reporters after a team practice at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo.

NFL notebook: Goodell reportedly to meet with Browns' Garrett

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with suspended Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett in the next 60 days, Cleveland.com reported Wednesday. According to the report, Goodell told Cleveland.com before his annual State of the NFL address in Miami that he could not characterize how the meeting will go, but a source told the outlet he expected Garrett to be reinstated at that time.

Kobe Bryant's widow breaks silence on NBA superstar's death

Three days after Los Angeles basketball great Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others perished in a helicopter crash, his wife, Vanessa, broke her silence with an Instagram message saying she was "completely devastated" by their loss. The social media text was posted alongside a recent family photo of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant with all four of their daughters - Gianna, who died with her father, along with the couple's eldest, Natalia, 17, 3-year-old Bianka, and the youngest, Capri, born in June 2019.

Super Bowl notebook: Chiefs embrace second chance at title

Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs can still taste the disappointment of their AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots last January. "We came up short last year," Reid, the Kansas City head coach, said Wednesday morning in Miami. "It kind of fell on Dee (Ford). It wasn't on Dee. It fell on all of us. We were 4 inches short. We could have all done a better job."