ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — NBC broadcaster Bob Costas used his halftime segment on “Sunday Night Football” to advocate for gun control following this weekend’s murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, causing an immediate debate on social media. In a segment about 90 seconds long, Costas paraphrased and quoted extensively from a piece by Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock.

After praising the column, Costas said: “In the coming days, Jovan Belcher’s actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, wrote Jason Whitlock, is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.”

Belcher shot and killed Perkins, the mother of his 3-month-old daughter, on Saturday morning, then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and committed suicide in the parking lot of the team’s practice facility.

The online reaction to Costas’ segment was swift, with many people criticizing the broadcaster for expressing his personal views on a program meant for entertainment.

At least five hunters were wounded during separate shooting incidents during the second day of the shotgun deer hunting season, in Iowa. Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say a Red Oak man was injured at around 8:30-a.m. Sunday, while hunting deer west of Indianola. 58-year old Miles Sagen was hit in the shoulder/upper chest area by a deer slug fired at a running deer by some else in his nine-member hunting party. The slug traveled approximately 144 yards before striking Sagen. Dense fog in the area is believed to have played a role in the incident. Visibility at the time was limited to about 100-yards.

A Halbur woman was injured during another hunting accident in Crawford County. 32-year old Stacy Wiltfang, was hunting with one other person north of Arion at approximately 3 p.m.  While she was sitting, a bullet from a high-powered small caliber rifle penetrated her boot, but did not penetrate her foot. She was treated at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, and released.

A Cedar Rapids man was injured Sunday afternoon, after his gun discharged while deer hunting in Iowa County. 46-year-old Steven Thompson was hunting about two miles east of Victor, when his shotgun accidentally fired, striking one of his big toes. He was treated in Marengo before being transferred to the University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

A rural Mason City man was hospitalized Sunday after sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot while deer hunting in Floyd County. 29-year old Jeffrey Esser was wounded around 4 p.m. Sunday while hunting in heavy brush southeast of Nora Springs.  The DNR says Esser’s 12-gauge shotgun accidentally fired, hitting him in the right foot. He was taken to North Iowa Mercy Medical Center in Mason City, where he underwent surgery Sunday evening.

And, 48-year-old Clint Morgan, of Saucier, Miss., was wounded around noon Sunday southwest of Blakesburg, in Monroe County. Morgan was struck in the elbow by a slug fired by another member of his seven-member hunting party. Morgan was taken to a Des Moines hospital for treatment.

Each of the incidents are under investigation. None of the injuries were believed to be life threatening. The DNR estimated more than 100,000 hunters took to the field in pursuit of deer this weekend. So far this year, there have been at least 11 personal injury hunting-related incidents reported to the DNR.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska Cornhuskers will play a Southeastern Conference team in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day. Bowl officials announced Nebraska’s selection Sunday, one day after the Huskers’ disappointing 70-31 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game.

Nebraska fell to No. 23 in The Associated Press top 25 after Saturday’s loss. The Huskers had been ranked No. 14.  Nebraska played in last year’s Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and lost to South Carolina 30-13.  The SEC team is expected to be named later on Sunday.  The Jan. 1 game will be played at noon central and televised on either ESPN or ABC.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Against the backdrop of an unthinkable tragedy, the Kansas City Chiefs gave themselves a reason to be proud Sunday – and perhaps the impetus to let the healing begin.  Brady Quinn threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns, and Jamaal Charles ran for 127 yards in the Chiefs’ 27-21 victory over their Carolina Panthers. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak during one of the most difficult seasons the franchise has ever experienced.

The win came just one day after Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend multiple times at a residence near Arrowhead Stadium, then drove to the team’s practice facility and turned the gun on himself as general manager Scott Pioli and coach Romeo Crennel looked on. Pioli walked through the press box before the game and said he was doing “OK,” though he didn’t stop to talk. Crennel was on the sideline coaching his team to an uplifting victory.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Atlantic 49, St. Albert 28
Coon Rapids-Bayard 55, Woodward-Granger 48
Creston 76, ADM 39
Guthrie Center 52, Panorama 36
IKM-Manning 60, Kuemper Catholic 54
Ogden 74, West Central Valley 56
Riverside 67, Exira/EHK 32
Villisca 66, Essex 21

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Abraham Lincoln 43, St. Albert 29
IKM-Manning 60, Kuemper Catholic 45
Missouri Valley 47, Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 23
Woodward-Granger 33, Coon Rapids-Bayard 23

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The fourth-ranked Iowa wrestling team won nine of 10 matches and routed rival Iowa State 32-3, winning its ninth straight dual meet over the Cyclones. Top-ranked Matt McDonough and Derek Saint John cruised to easy decisions for the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes (6-0), who improved to 61-16-2 against Iowa State (0-2).

Mike Evans and Ethen Lofthouse posted early wins for Iowa. The Hawkeyes led 14-3 at intermission and finished off one of the more lopsided meets in the history of the rivalry — one of the biggest in collegiate Olympic sports. Iowa State’s Kyven Gadson was the only Cyclones wrestler to win a match as Iowa State fell to 0-7 against Iowa coach Tom Brands.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Will Clyburn scored a career-high 32 points and Iowa State snapped a two-game losing streak by beating BYU 83-62.  Melvin Ejim added 13 points for the Cyclones (5-2), who shot 48 percent from the floor in a surprisingly easy victory over the Cougars.

Iowa State took control with a 12-0 run spanning the halves. The Cyclones jumped ahead by as much as 58-41 early in the second half and cruised to their 12th straight home win dating back to last season.

Brandon Davies had 20 points to lead BYU (5-3), which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. The Cougars hit just four 3s in 20 tries.