ASSOCIATED PRESS BRIEF SPORTS NEWS

OLYMPICS
(AP) — Los Angeles sought to allay concerns over Donald Trump’s election, Paris played up its glamorous venues and Budapest set itself apart as a mid-sized alternative as the three cities made their first public pitches in the race to host the 2024 Olympics.

With 10 months before the vote, the three candidates had a chance to deliver their message in 20-minute presentations to the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees, a gathering of more than 1,000 delegates from around the world.

The meeting occurred exactly after a week after Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the American presidential election, a result that could have an impact on Los Angeles’ hopes of bringing the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. for the first time since Atlanta hosted in 1996.

Trump’s comments during the divisive campaign about Muslims and Mexicans and some of his foreign policy views may not help the California city’s chances with some of the IOC’s 98 members, who represent a range of nationalities, cultures and religions.

PRO FOOTBALL
(AP) — Colin Kaepernick is standing behind his decision not to vote in the presidential election or even register to take part in the democratic process, saying he can effect change in other ways besides through a ballot.

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has knelt through the national anthem all season to protest police brutality and the treatment of minorities, drawing criticism and acclaim alike. He took more heat for not voting last week.

“I thought a lot of different things about the process and what I could and couldn’t do,” he said. “Once again, the system of oppression is what I have an issue with. … I don’t agree with the system of oppression and that’s something that I will continue to not agree with.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
(AP) – Ohio State moved into second in the College Football Playoff rankings behind Alabama, with Michigan and Clemson still in the top four after losing for the first time this season.

Louisville was fifth and Washington dropped from fourth to sixth after its first loss.

“The margin of separation between teams two and six was very small,” selection committee chairman Kirby Hocutt, who is also the athletic director at Texas Tech, said.

Clemson, Michigan and Washington — the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 teams in last week’s rankings — all lost to unranked teams on Saturday. The Wolverines, who have three victories against teams in the selection committee’s top 10, did not move after losing to Iowa. The Tigers ended up dropping two spots to No. 4 after losing to Pittsburgh.

Wisconsin was seventh and Penn State eighth, giving the Big Ten four teams in the top 10. Oklahoma was the highest rated Big 12 team at nine and Colorado was 10th

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(AP) — The NCAA says 77 percent of black men’s Division I basketball players who entered college in 2009 earned a degree within six years, up five points from a year earlier and a record high.

The NCAA said improvement helped the Graduation Success Rates of all student-athletes match last year’s record high of 86 percent graduating within six years. Of all black Division I athletes, 74 percent graduated within six years. NCAA President Mark Emmert called the improved rates “hugely significant.”

The statistics show graduation rate for black basketball players is up 31 percentage points over the past 15 years.

B. David Ridpath, an associate professor and sports business and president of The Drake Group, an NCAA watchdog, said the GSR provides only a partial picture.

PRO BASKETBALL
(AP) — LeBron James said he lost respect for Phil Jackson after the famed NBA coach used the word “posse” to describe the Cleveland star’s business partners.

James responded harshly to Jackson’s use of the term in a recent interview. James says such comments underscore the difficulties young African-Americans have in gaining respect, especially in the business world.

The Cavaliers superstar says he had no previous relationship with Jackson, the current New York Knicks president who won 11 titles with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. James adds that he respected what Jackson did with those teams, “but I’ve got nothing for him.”

The three-time champion was criticized for surrounding himself with friends as business associates, but the group has built a highly successful enterprise.