Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
LIVE VIDEO: NBCSports.com shows Washington-New York, with alternate camera angles, HD views and more.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -England defender Joleon Lescott preserved Manchester City's two-point lead in the Premier League by scoring a second-half winner in a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
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Time to gaze into my crystal ball for a glimpse at what the coming baseball season will bring us.
Here's hoping all my predictions come true, except for the very last one, which would be a nightmare for the sport.
Most surprising team
The Los Angeles Dodgers as new general manager Ned Colletti’s moves restore pride to a wounded franchise.
Eric Gagne, who is recovering well from June elbow surgery, recaptures his prior form, and newcomers bonded by prior winning experience gel to bring the Dodgers a division title.
And their prized farm system moves closer to producing top-notch major league players.
A Giants future
Barry Bonds will play for the Giants, although without the rumored 40-pound weight loss. But his knees and age (42 in July) will limit him to 100 games and 30 homers.
Thus, the Giants will be forced to re-sign Bonds for 2007, insuring he breaks Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record (which Bonds badly wants) in a San Francisco uniform.
The Wright stuff
Third baseman David Wright of the New York Mets becomes a household name as the game’s next young star.
A terrific young player, and a terrific person, Wright -- not Carlos Beltran -- becomes the face of the Mets. And he can handle New York as well as Derek Jeter.
Braves' run to end
The Mets dethrone Atlanta and end the Braves' unprecedented string of National League East titles.
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Blasphemous and foolish as it seems to pick against the Braves, the Mets have seized the moment this winter.
While the Nationals idle, and the Marlins dismantle, the Mets weakened a huge rival by signing Billy Wagner away from the Phillies.
Obviously, this won’t be easy, and it will require the Mets finally beating the Braves in head-to-head competition, but manager Willie Randolph has changed the mindset in the Mets' clubhouse and general manager Omar Minaya has sold that to players across the game.
Devil Rays turn a corner
Tampa Bay posts its first winning season.
Hard to imagine this happening given the strength of the American League East, but the Devil Rays proved their mettle in head-to-head play with the Yankees last year, winning the season series 11-8.
There is simply too much young talent in Tampa Bay, and the right manager for the moment in Joe Maddon.
Winter winners
Best acquisitions of the offseason: Toronto’s trade for Troy Glaus, and San Francisco’s trade for Steve Finley.
Glaus is a premier slugger who has regained his health, and he gives the Blue Jays the bat to replace Carlos Delgado.
Finley cost the Giants nothing, and with a remarkably healthy body for a 40-year-old, he provides the Giants with veteran experience to support the fragile Barry Bonds and Moises Alou.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
