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A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

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As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

All times are Eastern.

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NOTE: The stories slugged Black History-Game Changers are part of AP’s coverage during Black History Month of how African-American athletes have used their platforms during the last 100 years to influence social and political change. Please see the Black History Month advisory for more details on the series.

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FRIDAY, Feb. 2

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-KAEPERNICK

Colin Kaepernick knew he was sending a message when he first refused to stand during the national anthem, before a preseason game in 2016. He probably never would’ve guessed the price he would pay. Because of the efforts of the now-unemployed quarterback, the days of excluding politics and social issues from sports appear to be over, and those who have followed Kaepernick’s lead are feeling more and more empowered to use their platform for something other than mere fun and games. By National Writer Eddie Pells. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos and video by 3 a.m. Friday.

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-BLACK ATHLETES

Sports and race have been intertwined in America’s journey to become a more perfect union, and black athletes have often found themselves at the center of the struggle for racial progress. From Jack Johnson’s defiance outside of the boxing ring http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/phil-haynes-jersey-authentic , thumbing his nose at segregation and challenging notions of black inferiority to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel silently during the national anthem ahead of NFL games that many point to as the reason he is now out of the league, black athletes have protested for generations in ways large and small in an effort to highlight injustice, expose hypocrisy and move the country forward. Often met with hate by fans uninterested in mixing sports and social issues, many have taken stances that risk their careers, choosing race over the games they love. Where does that leave us? By AP National Writer Errin Haines Whack. UPCOMING: 1,200 words, photos and video by 1 p.m. Friday.

MONDAY, Feb. 5

OLY–SBD-SHAUN WHITE

Shaun White says there were times in the weeks after he slammed his face into a halfpipe in New Zealand and had to be helicoptered off the mountain when he wondered what was to be learned from it all. To outsiders, the answer is simple. The accident served as a jarring reminder of the hurdles White was willing to overcome to make it back to the Olympics – and this time, to leave with a third gold medal. By National Writer Eddie Pells. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 3 a.m. Monday.

TUESDAY, Feb. 6

BKN–MAVERICKS-DIRK’S 20TH

DALLAS – Dirk Nowitzki made peace years ago with the reality that spending his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks would likely mean little or no chance to win a second championship. The most accomplished European player in NBA history never seriously considered leaving the franchise that courted him as a teenager in Germany and drafted him five days after his 20th birthday in 1998. Now in his 20th season Ugo Amadi Jersey , Nowitzki is comfortable with the idea that he led the Mavericks to their first championship and can try to help a younger core build toward making Dallas a title contender again. By Schuyler Dixon. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 3 a.m. Tuesday.

THURSDAY, Feb. 8

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-JOHNSON

There was no more potent or more closely guarded symbol of white domination at the turn of the 20th Century than the title of heavyweight champion of the world. Then 32-year-old Jack Johnson stepped into the ring. By AP Sports Writer Kareem Copeland. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos and video by 3 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, Feb. 8.

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Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

Thanks,

AP Sports

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)The snow was falling so hard and fast that Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri could have used a timeout and perhaps a few more size-15 feet. After scrambling to hit a 43-yard point-after attempt to tie the game at 7 with 1:16 remaining in regulation, Vinatieri was unable to find his footing to hit what would’ve been a go-ahead field goal from the nearly the exact same spot with 1 second left. The NFL’s oldest active player instead watched his attempt wobble low and wide left in a game the Colts would eventually lose 13-7 to the Buffalo Bills on LeSean McCoy’s 21-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left in overtime on Sunday. ”That’s probably the worst conditions I’ve played in maybe ever http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/sione-takitaki-jersey ,” the 43-year-old Vinatieri said of a game played in near white-out conditions and on a slick field covered in a two-inch blanket of snow. ”When you’ve got that much snow on the ground, the only thing you can hope for is you’ve got a timeout beforehand, clear as much snow with the big size-15 feet the offensive linemen have and it gives you a chance to get better footing,” he said. ”But yeah, obviously, you put them through when you can.” Vinatieri missed both of his field-goal attempts, including a 33-yarder that fluttered wide right late in the first quarter. Having squandered double-digit leads in the second half four times already this season, the Colts (3-10) found yet another way to lose. This time, they blew two chances to beat Buffalo (7-6) in the final two minutes of regulation. Jacoby Brissett capped a 19-play, 77-yard drive with a 3-yard pass off a play-action fake to Jack Doyle in the right side of the end zone. Rather than attempt to tie the game, the Colts went for 2 with Brissett once again faking a handoff and hitting Doyle in the left side of the end zone. The play, however Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , was negated by an offensive pass-interference flag against receiver Kamar Aiken. The Colts got the ball back two plays from scrimmage later when Matthias Farley intercepted Joe Webb’s pass and returned it to the Bills 28 with 52 seconds left. Indianapolis ran just one play, a 3-yard run by Frank Gore, before coach Chuck Pagano elected to have Brissett spike the ball with 6 seconds remaining. Pagano blamed himself, saying he could have run a few more plays to cut the distance for Vinatieri. ”Yeah, I screwed up. That’s on me,” Pagano said. ”They all played their hearts out. I’m sick for them. They deserved better.” The loss spoiled Gore’s outing in which he had 130 yards on a career-best 36 carries. Gore topped 100 yards for the first time in 15 games going back to last season. It was also the 42nd 100-yard rushing game of his career to move him into a tie with O.J. Simpson for 16th on the NFL list. ”This year, it’s been tough.One play here, one play there,” Gore said of a season in which five of the Colts’ losses have been decided by six or fewer points. ”I think any other team would just give up but we come every week fighting,” Gore added. ”We just keep going and try to finish these last three strong and see where it goes from there.” —