In brief: Spokane’s Pruitt takes bronze

Athletics: Spokane paralympic athlete Austin Pruitt has met his goal in a big way.

Pruitt, 16, won his first world championships medal on Sunday, placing third in the men’s 200-meters (T34) event at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.

“Being a medalist feels really good. This is what I’ve been training for,” Pruitt said after his bronze-medal performance of 31.14 seconds.

The event continues through Sunday.

Packers open as SB XLV favorite

Gambling: Sports books in Nevada have made Green Bay a slight favorite in the Super Bowl over Pittsburgh based on the Packers’ popularity among bettors during the past few weeks.

The Glantz-Culver line has made the Packers an early 21/2-point favorite and put the game’s total score at 451/2 points for the Feb. 6 game in Arlington, Texas.

The Super Bowl is the most popular betting game of the year. Nevada casinos won almost $6.9 million on last year’s game as bettors wagered $82.7 million.

Associated Press

NFL’s Payton finalists revealed

Awards: Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Chicago defensive lineman Israel Idonije and Minnesota safety Madieu Williams are the nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

The award, announced at the Super Bowl, is the only league honor that recognizes a player’s community service as well as his playing excellence.

The most recent winners have been Brian Waters, Kurt Warner and Jason Taylor.

The three finalists were chosen from among 32 team nominees for the award.

Associated Press