Sports in brief: It’s a four-peat for Peyton

NFL: Maybe the award should be renamed Most Valuable Peyton.

Peyton Manning became the first player to win the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player honors four times. The Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback romped to the award in balloting by 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league.

He received 39 1/2 votes to 7 1/2 for Drew Brees of New Orleans. Only four players – all quarterbacks – earned votes. The other two were Philip Rivers of San Diego (two) and Brett Favre of Minnesota (one).

Manning also won in 2003, 2004 and 2008, breaking a tie with Favre at three MVPs.

Manning threw for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns this season for the Colts (14-2). The 33-year-old quarterback has started every game in his career, 192 in the regular season and 15 in the playoffs.

Associated Press

With win, Cougs could laugh

College basketball: As Washington State University’s practice in Tempe, Ariz., wound down Saturday, the Cougars were in a playful mood.

Freshman guard Reggie Moore, who led WSU to a 78-76 Pac-10 victory at Arizona on Friday night, was humming the ESPN highlights song. The “dadada, dadada,” was for redshirt freshman James Watson, who had appeared on the sports channel the night before, part of the day’s No. 1 highlight.

Too bad it was Derrick Williams’ left-handed dunk over Watson that earned the honor.

“I kind of messed up on that,” said Watson, who knew the 6-foot-8 Williams’ drive was coming, after WSU had walked through the inbounds play earlier in the day.

“I didn’t think he dunked it,” Watson said Saturday. “It was with his left hand. When he did it, I heard it from the crowd. I thought, ‘He didn’t.’ ”

The second half of the highlight? DeAngelo Casto scoring the winner off a Moore assist with .1 second left.

No wonder the Cougars are relaxed, despite having played three down-to-the- buzzer conference games. They will take a 12-3 overall record and a 2-1 Pac-10 mark into this morning’s matchup at Wells Fargo Arena against Arizona State.

Arizona State, which opened conference with two losses in Los Angeles, dumped Washington 68-51 at home Friday night, raising its record to 11-5.

Vince Grippi