It’s ‘fairy-tale stuff’ for hungry Lions

The big prizes for the Lions remain on the horizon, with the team seeking a division title, the top seed in the NFC playoffs and the franchise’s first Super Bowl trip. With almost nothing at stake in a rematch of last season’s NFC championship game that the Lions lost to the 49ers, coach Dan Campbell and his team approached it with the same sort of ferocity that has defined his tenure. Jared Goff threw three TD passes and the Lions tuned up for their Week 18 division showdown against the Vikings by beating the 49ers 40-34 on Monday night. “That’s the only way we know. It’s just go and find a way to win,” Goff said. “This is what ended our season last year. There’s a lot of guys that were there last year that wanted to get one back on them even though in a lot of ways it was meaningless for them and it was meaningless for us.” The Lions play the Vikings in the regular-season finale next week, with the winner earning the NFC North title and top seed in the NFC playoffs, and the loser relegated to being the first ever 14-win wild-card team. “This is fairy-tale stuff,” Campbell, above, said.

LeBron, 40, sets timetable — sort of

LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday on Monday with gratitude for his basketball longevity and optimism about his future with the Lakers. And when James was asked how he’ll know when it’s finally time to retire, the top scorer in NBA history offered a frank assessment of his still-formidable skills. “To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for about another – weird that I might say this – but about another five or seven years, if I wanted to,” James said. “But I’m not going to do that.” James already has one of the longest careers in NBA history, but he knows it’s nearing an end. He has repeatedly said he won’t overstay his welcome in basketball, yet that moment clearly hasn’t arrived: James is still a dominant force, averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds this season. “... (I) just think back to when I came into the league. That’s like the first thing I thought about,” James said. “You came in as an 18-year-old kid, and now you’re sitting here as a 40-year-old, a 22-year vet, with a 20-year-old in the NBA as well. It’s pretty cool.”

Rooney let go as English club coach

Wayne Rooney was fired as Plymouth Argyle coach on Tuesday after just seven months in charge of the struggling Championship team. The 39-year-old former England and Manchester United striker was hired in May and departs with Plymouth last in the English second tier with four wins in 23 games this season. His final game was a 2-0 loss to Oxford United on Sunday which extended Argyle’s winless run to nine games. Rooney took charge at Plymouth following an 83-day tenure at Birmingham, which was relegated from the Championship after last season. He’s also been the coach at MLS team DC United and Derby County. The 38-year-old Rooney enjoyed a decorated career, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League. He is England’s most capped outfield player of all time after making 120 appearances. Assistant Kevin Nancekivell and club captain Joe Edwards will lead Plymouth for Wednesday’s Championship match against Bristol City, the club said in its statement announcing Rooney’s exit. —Associated Press