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.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had 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.
AP fileThe Revolutionary War pits the Boston Red Sox against the Philadelphia Phillies. This one is interesting only because the Sox current manager Terry Francona is the Phils former manager. Okay, I agree, that is not a rivalry even in the Francona household.
There is the Battle of the Beltway as the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals face off in a series between two mediocre teams. The battles on C-Span should be more interesting. That is not a rivalry.
Next is the M-i- Mix-up – this features Milwaukee and Minnesota to determine which team is the best team that comes from a city that starts with the letters “M-i.”. That is not a rivalry.
Up next is the Show Me Showdown as the Kansas City Royals face the St. Louis Cardinals. Later on this season the Cardinals will be battling for National League championship while the Royals will be battling the Brockton Rox for the Can-Am League title. That is not a rivalry, although the latter may be.
The Battle for the AFC North will take place as Cleveland meets Pittsburgh. Oops, wrong sport. In football it’s a rivalry; in baseball it’s nothing.
It’s hard to find a connection between those “natural” rivals, the Mariners and the Padres other than the weather – the rain of Seattle versus the sun of San Diego. The losers should have to spend winter in the other team’s home city, although I fear the M’s might take a dive. That is not a rivalry.
Two overachievers face off as the Reds and the Tigers match up. The losers will soon start drifting down in the standings while the winners will soon start drifting down in the standings. That is not a rivalry.
Finally, it’s the great North American Beer Battle as the Colorado Coors face the Toronto Labatts. That is not a rivalry.
With all these rival-rific match-ups who should you watch? Well, if I were you, I’d watch the National League West Arizona Diamondbacks versus the National League East Atlanta Braves. Of all the games being played this is the only one that has the potential to become a rivalry.
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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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.
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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