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?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
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.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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.
APQ: Even if Kobe Bryant has a super scoring series in the first round of the playoffs, do you think the Lakers can make it to the Western Conference semifinals?
—Daniel Brown, Waxahachie, Texas.
A: First of all the Lakers have to get in the playoffs. They are scrambling with a bunch of teams to land one of the final two seeds in the Western Conference.
Even though the Lakers have more home games than road games from here on out, it's not a foregone conclusion that they make the postseason.
The Lakers just don't have a lot of talent. They are relying on their one superstar, Bryant, to carry them. But even if Bryant goes off on a scoring binge in the first round, their chances of upsetting a much-higher-seeded team are nil.
Q: With all the trade rumors over what the Lakers might do this coming offseason, what are the most likely, realistic summer trades that the team can pursue?
—David Mencarini, Manchester, Conn.
A: Well, we will hear rumors over Kevin Garnett possibly parting ways with Minnesota, but given Garnett's immense talent and huge salary, it will be very hard for any team to deal for him. In particular, the Lakers can't offer the Timberwolves a package of players good enough to make Minnesota even think about moving Garnett out West.
The Lakers have geared up for free agency not for the 2006 offseason, but for the 2007 offseason, when they will have significant room under the salary cap. Their strategy has been not to take on any long-term contracts in order to be perched to take a run at a big- name free agent in the summer of 2007.
With that in mind, and the players they have on the roster, I don't see them making any deal this coming summer that will make them a significantly better team next season.
Q: Do you think the Warriors would be making a wise move if they fired coach Mike Montgomery?
—Chioke Hassan, Baltimore, Md.
A: The Warriors good start to the season was schedule-related as they had a very favorable schedule in the early going both in the quality of teams they played, and the number of home games they had.
The schedule got tougher for the Warriors, and Baron Davis' ankle injury didn't help. And even when Davis was healthy, he was shooting the ball terribly, and taking bad shots. And Davis --by at least some accounts -- is not an easy guy to play with.
But a change in coaches isn't the answer to the Warriors' woes. What could help is dealing some of the talent they have come the offseason. Golden State has the goods to make a trade to help itself. The Warriors have players that other teams want so they are in good position to deal, they just have to make the right deal that pans out well for them.
That's the tricky part, but for Golden State it is better to be in position to deal, than not to have any personnel sought by other teams.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 95-91 win Sunday over the Chicago Bulls, who were without star guard Derrick Rose.
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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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.