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.
APEven before Sunday, he had a disturbing habit of taking his time getting to first after fielding grounders. He had always been able to time it just right — getting his foot to the bag a split-second ahead of the runner — but that tactic didn’t work Sunday when he turned his back on Johnson after scooping up a routine grounder in front of the base.
While LaRoche jogged leisurely to make the expected out, Johnson ran hard all the way. Television replays were inconclusive about which one got there first, but all that mattered was what the umpire ruled.
Safe.
The Nationals took advantage of the blunder, putting together three straight hits that turned a 1-0 game into a 5-0 blowout. The rest of the way, LaRoche was booed loudly by the home fans every time he came up to bat or made a fielding play.
He was contrite afterward. First, he headed to manager Bobby Cox’s office to apologize. He did the same with starting pitcher John Thomson. And he didn’t complain a bit about being benched for the opener of a four-game series against the Marlins.
“I probably would do the same thing,” LaRoche said.
Cox isn’t the type to hold grudges. He once benched Andruw Jones in the middle of an inning for not hustling after a ball, but the two have nothing but respect for each other these days. The manager expects the same thing to happen with LaRoche after he serves his penalty.
“He’s a great kid,” Cox said. “If he was a dog, it’d be a different story. It’s just, every once in a while, things like that happen.”
LaRoche vowed that it will never happen again. He also conceded — somewhat grudgingly — that maybe he should call up that doctor who treated him previously for ADD.
“Maybe I’ll check into it,” he said. “That was two years ago. I’m sure they’ve come a long way since then.”
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.
HardballTalk headlines |
 | Interactive |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Unbreakable records in baseball A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters. |
| Slideshow |
 | The top tools of baseball You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down. more photos |
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.
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings