(Radio Iowa) — A key member of the Iowa House says there’s a “very good shot” sports betting will be legalized in Iowa this year – and he predicts the law will let gamblers use their smart phones to place wagers on sporting events. Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, is chairman of the House committee that will first consider a bill on sports betting. “I think the gambling is already going on across the state of Iowa. I think this will pull people out of the shadows and legitimize things,” he says, “as well they’ll be paying a tax.”

Wes Ehrecke, president and C-E-O of the Iowa Gaming Association, represents the 19 state-licensed casinos. The casinos are lobbying not only to set up a “sports book” area within their facilities, but they want a “mobile” aspect as well. “So if you’re age 21 and over, you’d come into the casino, prove you’re 21, establish an account through a password-protected, secure portal of the casino then to be able to place bets on a smart phone or a laptop anywhere within the state,” Ehrecke says. “Intrastate only.”

That means wagers could be placed by people who are in a stadium or an arena watching an Iowa college game, as it appears the bill to be considered would legalize wagering on “all” professional AND college sports. Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled congress cannot prevent states from legalizing sports betting. Kaufmann says that created momentum for the bill.  “I think the consensus has been building for years,” Kaufmann says, “and I think one of the things that was preventing a bill from becoming law in year’s past was the fact that we knew that this Supreme Court ruling was coming down and we didn’t want to preempt them and do something that would then be nullified by a potential ruling.”

Kaufmann and Ehrecke made their comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa Public Television.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs hired Steve Spagnuolo as their defensive coordinator Thursday, moving swiftly to replace Bob Sutton after his unit’s dismal performance against the Patriots in the AFC title game.

Spagnuolo began his coaching career as Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s assistant in Philadelphia, where he worked with several position groups over the course of eight seasons. He left to become the Giants’ defensive coordinator, and has held similar roles with the Saints and Ravens.

He’s best known for his two stints as head coach, though. Spagnuolo went 10-38 over three seasons with the St. Louis Rams and 1-3 as the Giants’ interim coach during the 2017 season.

“Steve is a bright defensive mind with a lot of coaching experience and success in our league,” Reid said in a statement. “I know him well from our time together in Philadelphia and I feel that his leadership skills and teaching abilities, combined with his scheme, will be a great fit for our team.”

Spagnuolo, who spent last season out of coaching, has primarily run a 4-3 defense, which would be a change from the 3-4 scheme that Sutton had run. But the Chiefs drafted last season as if they planned to move forward with two defensive tackles and two defensive ends, so the adjustment should not be a big one for a defense that returns many of its key pieces.

One big change will be the mentality of the defense.

Sutton orchestrated a bend-but-don’t-break approach to defense, while Spagnuolo — who learned under defensive mastermind Jim Johnson — prefers an aggressive, blitz-oriented approach. But he’s also been willing to adapt, running variations of his defensive scheme with the Giants.

Sutton was fired Tuesday, two days after his defense collapsed in the fourth quarter and overtime in a 37-31 loss to New England. The Chiefs failed to stop the Patriots in OT, meaning star quarterback Patrick Mahomes never got an opportunity to step on the field.

That was likely the final straw for Sutton, whose defenses regularly ranked among the worst in the NFL the past few seasons. The Chiefs were particularly bad against the run this season, and they allowed at least 29 points in each of their five losses this season.

Spagnuolo doesn’t come without some concerns, either.

While his Giants defenses finished in the top 10 three times, two of his last three units were last and second-to-last in yards allowed. And while the Eagles were regularly stout with Johnson as the coordinator and Spagnuolo in various roles, his Saints defense in 2012 allowed more yards than any other in history and Spagnuolo was ultimately fired after the season.

Now, the attention in Kansas City turns to Spagnuolo’s personnel.

Pass rusher Dee Ford is ready to hit free agency, though it’s becoming increasingly likely that he will be franchised. Defensive end Allen Bailey is also a free agent, while defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Kendall Fuller are likely candidates for contract extensions.

Longtime safety Eric Berry has been beset by injuries the past few years, and he is set to take up $16.5 million of the salary cap next season, while linebacker Justin Houston carries a cap hit of $21.1 million next season. The Chiefs could cut both over the summer and free up substantial space, or they could attempt to restructure their deals for a more manageable number.

The Chiefs will be looking to plug holes just about everywhere on defense, but particularly at cornerback and middle linebacker. They are projected to have about $32 million in salary cap space and will have one first-round pick and two second-rounders in the upcoming draft.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Chris Parks.

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Atlantic/CAM vs. St. Albert

Atlantic/CAM 84, St. Albert 0

AHSTW vs Tri-Center

AHSTW 66, Tri-Center 16

Denison-Schleswig, Glenwood at Kuemper Catholic

Glenwood 63, Denison-Schleswig 3
Glenwood 51, Kuemper Catholic 27
Kuemper Catholic 59, Denison-Schleswig 15

Audubon, Riverside, West Monona at Logan-Magnolia

Logan-Magnolia 66, Audubon 15
Logan-Magnolia 49, Riverside 24
Logan-Magnolia 71, West Monona-Whiting 10
Riverside 48, Audubon 28
Riverside 46, West Monona-Whiting 33
West Monona-Whiting 36, Audubon 24

Missouri Valley/MVAOCOU/West Harrison

Missouri Valley 69, MVAOCOU 12
Missouri Valley 76, West Harrison 6

Griswold, West Harrison at Treynor PPD

BOYS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Denison-Schleswig 65, Harlan 56
Lewis Central 71, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 32
St. Albert, Council Bluffs 52, Logan-Magnolia 38

Western Iowa Conference

IKM-Manning 64, Riverside, Oakland 39

Rolling Valley Conference

Coon Rapids-Bayard 65, Saydel 50
Paton-Churdan 66, West Harrison 55

Other Scores

Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 71, Sioux City, North 48

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

ADM, Adel vs. Winterset, ppd.
CAM, Anita vs. West Central Valley, Stuart, cncld

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Denison-Schleswig 46, Harlan 30
Red Oak 60, St. Albert 54

Western Iowa Conference

IKM-Manning 83, Riverside27

Rolling Valley Conference

Paton-Churdan 61, West Harrison 50

Other Scores

Carroll 42, Bondurant Farrar 41

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

ADM, Adel vs. Winterset, ppd.
CAM, Anita vs. West Central Valley, Stuart, cncld
Glenwood vs. Clarinda, ppd.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Cassius Winston scored 23 points, Nick Ward had 21 with 10 rebounds and sixth-ranked Michigan State blew past No. 19 Iowa 82-67, extending its winning streak to 13 games. Matt McQuaid added three second-half 3-pointers for the Spartans, who used a 24-2 run just after halftime to secure a school-record 21st consecutive league victory.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are hiring Steve Spagnuolo as their defensive coordinator, moving swiftly to replace Bob Sutton after his unit’s dismal performance against the Patriots in the AFC title game. Spagnuolo went 10-38 over three seasons with the St. Louis Rams and 1-3 as the Giants’ interim coach during the 2017 season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An Englishwoman has seen the best and worst that Twitter would have to offer the American football player who shares her name, if he had an account. Dee Ford told the Kansas City Star she was deluged with angry tweets from Kansas City Chiefs fans who thought they were venting at linebacker Dee Ford after his late penalty during Sunday’s AFC Championship loss. Oddly enough, she became a fan of the player and sport after being inadvertently tagged in a positive tweet to the player five years ago.

DETROIT (AP) — Two U.S. Figure Skating executives have stressed the importance of a full investigation into allegations of abuse made against former skater and coach John Coughlin. Coughlin killed himself last week and both officials mentioned assertions of sexual misconduct. Coughlin, a two-time national pairs champion, had received an interim suspension from the U.S. Center for SafeSport and USFS.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Taylor Murray had 13 of her 21 points in the third quarter and No. 15 Kentucky turned back No. 25 Missouri 52-41. Tatyana Wyatt added 11 points for the Wildcats (17-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference), who trailed 21-18 after an ice-cold first half.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 is still good while all jumbled up in its standings. The league is the top conference in some key metrics going into the annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge. It is no surprise that No. 9 Kansas is atop the standings, but the 14-time defending champion Jayhawks are tied with streaking Sunflower State rival Kansas State. Baylor also has only two conference losses, and five other teams are within two games in the loss column with six weeks of conference play remaining.

UNDATED (AP) — Purdue has won four straight, and next up is a showdown with No. 6 Michigan State. The Boilermakers lost by 18 at Michigan State earlier this season, but they get the Spartans at home this weekend. The winning streak for Purdue includes double-digit victories over Indiana and Ohio State.

UNDATED (AP) — The ninth-ranked Jayhawks travel to face the eighth-ranked Wildcats in the highlight of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Kentucky has hit its stride after some early struggles, beating Mississippi State 76-55 for its fifth straight win. The Jayhawks are tied for the lead in the Big 12 at 5-2, but they’re also just 1-3 on the road.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Cassius Winston scored 23 points, Nick Ward had 21 points with 10 rebounds and sixth-ranked Michigan State blew past No. 19 Iowa 82-67 on Thursday night, extending its winning streak to 13 games.

Matt McQuaid added three second-half 3-pointers for the Spartans (18-2, 9-0 Big Ten), who used a 24-2 run just after halftime to secure a school-record 21st consecutive league victory. Tyler Cook scored 11 points in the first four minutes of the second half to give Iowa a 50-42 lead. But he was soon matched by the unflappable Winston, who hit three 3s in a row to help the Spartans retake the lead, 53-50.

Ward’s three-point play pushed the run to 14-0 and put Michigan State ahead 56-50. McQuaid’s 3 and three more points from Winston, this time at the foul line, gave the Spartans a 66-52 edge.
Luka Garza scored 20 points and Tyler Cook had 17 for Iowa (16-4, 5-4), which won its previous five games. The Hawkeyes entered leading the nation in free throw attempts and makes, but they hit just eight. Michigan State went 20 of 21 from the line.

The Hawkeyes blew a golden opportunity to knock off one of the best teams in America. But Michigan State is one of the best teams in America in part because of its resilience, and the Spartans showed plenty of that with their second-half rally. The Hawkeyes now know exactly how they would match up with a Final Four contender, and they didn’t get the answer they were hoping for.

UP NEXT: Iowa plays at Minnesota on Sunday.

1-24-19-gbb-rankings

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the Regional pairings for Classes 1A, 2A, and 3A on Thursday.

In 3A Atlantic will open at Shenandoah in Region 8 on Feb 9th.

In 1A CAM is in Region 7 and will face Audubon vs Coon Rapids-Bayard winner on Feb 12th. Griswold is also in Region 7 and will host East Mills in an opening round game on Feb. 7th. Exira-EHK is in Region 8 and will face the winner of a Glidden-Ralston vs Woodbine game on the 12th. Riverside plays at ArWeVa on the 7th in Region 8.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs fans who turned to Twitter to berate Dee Ford after his offsides blunder also made a slip-up. The Kansas City Star reports that their rage-filled messages went not to the linebacker, but to a 47-year-old woman from Kent, England, with the same name. One sent to her @dee_ford handle read: “You ruined my whole year.” She wondered what happened. It turns out her name-twin’s mistake negated an interception that could have clinched a win against the Patriots and sent the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.

Five years earlier, she also received tweets intended for Ford when he was still a player at Auburn. She decided to learn a little bit about the game. She’s spoken to Ford on the phone, attended an Auburn game and watched the Chiefs three years ago when they played in London. She says Ford “doesn’t deserve” what people are saying.