SPORTS digest

49ers quarterback Garoppolo tears ACL

SANTA CLARA, Calif.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will need season-ending surgery on his injured left knee.

The 49ers said Monday an MRI confirmed the team’s fears that Garoppolo tore his ACL while making a cut late in a loss at Kansas City. The injury deals a serious blow to the 49ers (1-2), who had planned their rebuild around Garoppolo.

Now San Francisco must go through the season with C.J. Beathard at quarterback. The Niners struggled with Beathard last season before the midseason addition of Garoppolo changed their fortunes. San Francisco won the final five games last year after Garoppolo took over as starter. He signed a $137.5 million, five-year contract in February.

Cleveland awarded Women’s Final Fours

San Antonio, Minneapolis, Dallas and Cleveland have been selected as future host cities for the Women’s Final Four.

The NCAA on Monday announced the Final Four sites from 2021 through 2024.

The next two sites were determined a few years ago, with Tampa Bay hosting in 2019 and New Orleans in 2020. San Antonio will hold it in 2021, followed by Minnesota, Dallas and Cleveland.

All four cities announced Monday previously hosted the event, with Dallas being the most recent one in 2017.

NFL hall-of-famer McDonald dead at 84

PHILADELPHIA

Hall of Fame receiver Tommy McDonald has died at 84.

His death was announced Monday by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Details were not disclosed.

McDonald was the small, speedy and sure-handed receiver who teamed with quarterback Norm Van Brocklin to help the Philadelphia Eagles win the 1960 NFL championship.

McDonald was a two-time All-American for Oklahoma. He played 12 seasons for NFL five teams and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection. When he retired in 1968, he ranked second in league history in touchdown catches, fourth in yards receiving and sixth in receptions.

The 5-foot-7, 175-pound McDonald had to wait 30 years before becoming the smallest player inducted into the Hall. When that day came in 1998 in Canton, Ohio, McDonald shouted: “Do I look excited, like I just won the lottery or the jackpot? Yes! I’m in the Hall of Fame!”

Seattle votes for arena renovations in NHL bid

SEATTLE

The Seattle City Council has unanimously approved plans for a privately funded $700 million renovation of KeyArena, clearing one of the last major hurdles in the city’s bid to land an expansion NHL franchise.

The 8-0 vote Monday was the last step needed to complete Seattle’s expansion application in time to potentially field a team for the 2020-21 season. Seattle Hockey Partners, the ownership group attempting to land the expansion team, is set to present before the NHL Board of Governors’ Executive Committee next week.

The council approval ended a more than decade-long struggle to find an arena solution. Issues with KeyArena ultimately led to the Seattle SuperSonics’ move following the 2008 season to Oklahoma City, where the franchise was rebranded as the Thunder.

Modric named FIFA player of the year

LONDON

Luka Modric has broken a decade of award dominance by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after being crowned world footballer of the year by FIFA, while Marta won the women’s award for a sixth time.

Modric was voted FIFA’s best player in the 2017-18 season after winning the Champions League for a fourth time in five seasons with Real Madrid and leading Croatia to its first World Cup final where it lost to France.

Messi and Ronaldo have been the only winners of world soccer’s main individual award from FIFA in various guises since 2008, both winning five titles each.

Staff/wire report