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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
Then along came Barbaro, an undefeated 3-year-old colt who has won all four of his races. The strapping bay colt is owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who, like the Matzes, live outside Philadelphia in the horse country of Chester County.
“It’s a very exciting time right now,” the 55-year-old trainer said. “I’ve never done this before, but I’m not nervous. Barbaro kind of gives you that sense of confidence that he can do it.”
Barbaro ranks among the top Derby contenders, perhaps a notch below Brother Derek, Lawyer Ron and First Samurai. He’s run only once on the dirt, though, and will have just one race in the three months before the Derby on May 6. It’s not the usual road to Churchill Downs.
The strapping colt won his first three starts on the turf before Matz tried him on dirt. Barbaro made a smooth transition in winning the Holy Bull Stakes over a sloppy track on Feb. 4.
Although Matz is taking an unconventional route, he said the decision is based on a lesson he learned 30 years ago before the Montreal Olympics.
“In ’76, six of us were competing for two spots, and when the Olympics came I had no horse left,” Matz said. “I told myself not to do that again. If I’m lucky enough to go to the Derby, I don’t want to go there with a horse that’s used up. I want a fresh horse.”
Matz has had his share of shining moments. One of them was the ’96 Olympics. Winning an Olympic medal was rewarding, but the closing ceremony will stay with him forever.
“What a way to end an Olympic career, to carry the flag into your home stadium,” Matz said. “All those great athletes, Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis. And I was chosen. A great honor.”
As the Derby draws closer, Matz will face more and more questions about those terrifying moments in Iowa. There’s a movie based on the crash, and survivors have written books about their experiences.
He keeps in touch with the children — all from the same family — but has tried to put the tragedy behind him. He talks about it reluctantly.
“I try not to think about it, but the times you do is when you’re on a plane and you hit some turbulence,” he said, “And you say, ‘Geez, I hope this doesn’t happen again.”’
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
 | INTERACTIVE |
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 | Slideshow |
 | Derby celebs Plenty of stars from the entertainment and sports world attend the 136th Kentucky Derby. more photos |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Triple Crown winners The horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in the same year. |
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.