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JAEC.HONG—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Colin Kaepernick may be near the end of his time with the 49ers. ByCamInman BayAreaNewsGroup ColinKaepernickrediscovered "a love of winning" on Saturday. His body feels healthier and more "fluid" than it has in a long time. It's as if things are back on track for him. But come Sunday afternoon, at about 4:45 p.m., Kaepernick could be taking off his 49ers uniform for perhaps a final time. His future is as uncertain as the 49ers' overall heading into an offseason where changes will abound, perhaps with the dis- missals of coach Chip Kelly, gen- eral manager Trent Baalke and a slew of non-productive players. Kaepernick wasn't willing to entertain the notion his grand fi- nale is upcoming Sunday, against the Seattle Seahawks, the chief nemesis of his six-year tenure and this season's NFC West champion. "That's where our focus is right now and where all our energy is going," Kaepernick said. "We want to make sure we end this season right with a win and do everything this week to prepare." Once the game ends, how- ever, Kaepernick could be pre- paring for his first foray into free agency. He restructured his con- tract in October, prior to his first start in Week 6, and gained the ability to opt out of the final year of his deal. His final media session of the season, however, had him using the word "we" rather than "me" or "I." He's determined to help the 49ers finish strong, win a second straight game and "set the foun- dation for next season." Said Kaepernick: "That's what we have to do this week: go out and get a win, leave on a positive note, have something to build on this offseason where we can im- prove and come into next season ready to roll." Next season? We? Whether Kaepernick leaves or not, the 49ers are expected to make changes elsewhere after a franchise-record, 13-game losing streak. "It's unfortunate, you work re- ally hard to win football games, NFL Kapfocusesonfinale,notaftermath By Jerry McDonald Bay Area News Group ALAMEDA Life without Derek Carr officially began Tuesday, with the Raiders returning to work for the first time since los- ing their starting quarterback to a broken fibula. The Raiders as a matter of pol- icy don't confirm surgical proce- dures, but Carr himself passed along the news on Twitter, say- ing the surgery went well. Meanwhile, the depression evi- dent in the locker room on Christ- mas Eve has given way to opti- mism, with players invoking the NFL custom of "next man up." In the Raiders case, that means backup quarterback Matt Mc- Gloin. "Nobodywants tolose the start- ing quarterback, so it was an ad- justment for that moment," cen- ter Rodney Hudson said. "We're confident (Matt's) going to do a good job. He prepares well, works hard, and we've just got to do our part to make sure we stay sharp." McGloin started six games as an undrafted rookie in 2013, win- ning his starting debut in a 28-23 against the Houston Texans and losing his next five starts. His only extended playing time in the last 47 games were single appearances replacing Carr due to injury in London against the NFL OAKLANDBEGINS POST-CARR PHASE TONY AVELAR — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE The Raiders now turn to Matt McGloin with the AFC West title on the line in the season finale at Denver. By Bernie Wilson The Associated Press SAN DIEGO Shannon Brooks caught a tipped pass from Mitch Leidner for a 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter and the Minnesota Golden Go- phers, beset by turmoil after 10 players were suspended after a sexual assault investigation, up- set Luke Falk and the Washing- ton State Cougars 17-12 in the Holiday Bowl on Tuesday night. It was one of the few exciting plays in an otherwise pedestrian edition of what traditionally has been one of the country's most exciting bowl games. WSU cornerback Marcel- lus Pippins reached up with his right hand and deflected Leidner's pass in the end zone but it went right to Brooks for the TD and a 10-6 lead. That capped an 84-yard, 10-play drive on Minnesota's first possession of the second half. The Golden Gophers (9-4) were looking to regroup after backing down from a threat to skip this game if 10 teammates suspended after a sexual assault investigation weren't reinstated. Their boycott lasted less than 36 hours, with university lead- ership never blinking. The play- ers backed down amid pressure from many who read details of the allegations. WSU (8-5) ended on a three- game losing streak and was held to its lowest point total of the season. The Cougars had scored more than 50 points four times this season, a school record. The Golden Gophers frus- trated Falk most of the game, holding him to 264 yards — 86 below his average — on 30-of-51 passing. Falk didn't crack 200 COLLEGE FOOTBALL Minnesota shakes off turmoil to win Holiday Bowl Athlete Points LeBron James 24 Michael Phelps 16 Usain Bolt 9 Kris Bryant 3 Stephen Curry 3 Cristiano Ronaldo 1 Von Miller 1 Andy Murray 1 Matt Centrowitz 1 MALEATHLETEVOTING By Tom Withers The Associated Press CLEVELAND LeBron James was jolted forward when the massive crowd swelled from the sidewalks and into Cleveland's streets, sur- rounding the convertible that he and his family were riding in. This wasn't supposed to happen. James looked at his wife, Savan- nah, their baby daughter and two sons and feared for their safety. "We were kind of afraid for a second," James said. Then relieved. Scanning the crowd, James spottedpeopledanglingfromlamp posts and traffic lights, even a few straddling window ledges to get a glimpse of the champion Cava- liers,whowerebeinghonoredwith a once-in-a-generation downtown parade after their comeback in the NBA Finals. James was awe- struck, and any concerns quickly melted away when he looked at the spectators' faces and saw only smiles, laughter and tears of joy. "Everybody was just rejoicing in grace and happiness," James said, fondly reflecting on the picture- perfect day in June when Cleve- land was transformed into a gi- ant block party. "It was more than I could have ever imagined. It was unforgettable, unbelievable." And he had made it possible. James, who ended 52 years of sports heartache by bringing Cleveland a championship and used his superstar platform to ad- dress social causes, was chosen as The Associated Press 2016 Male Athlete of the Year, an award he won previously in 2013. Results of the vote by 59 ed- itors from AP member newspa- pers and customers were an- nounced Tuesday. James collected 24 first-place votes, beating out a pair of Olym- pic legends: Michael Phelps (16) and Usain Bolt (9), the fastest men in water and on land. James joined Michael Jor- dan as the only NBA players to win twice. Jordan won it three straight years from 1991-94. That James received the honor inanOlympicyearunderscoresthe weight of his accomplishments. His third NBA crown was for Cleveland, delivering on a prom- ise James made to a city that hadn't celebrated a major cham- pionship since 1964 and had en- dured many torturous sports mo- ments since. AP MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR King James wears crown Hyde is 49ers' 20th player on injured reserve since training camp 49ERS PAGE 2 Players say they're confident in the skill, preparation of backup QB McGloin THEARON W. HENDERSON — GETTY IMAGES The Raiders won't need to overhaul their offense because Matt McGloin brings many of the same skills to the quarterback position as Derek Carr. RAIDERS PAGE 2 BOWL PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, December 28, 2016 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1