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.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
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Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
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.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
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
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Jeff Samardzija likes to have the ball in his hand with the game on the line.
Any ball. Any game. Any time.
"I just like going out and competing in whatever sport it is,'' Notre Dame's two-sport star said.
After a breakthrough season in football — in which he set a school record with 15 touchdown catches in leading the Fighting Irish to a top-10 ranking — the 6-foot-5, 215-pound junior is hoping to lead the Irish baseball team to a spot in the College World Series.
He'll be the starting pitcher for the Irish (45-15-1) when they face the College of Charleston (43-15), the Southern Conference champions, on Friday in a first-round NCAA tournament game in Lexington, Ky.
He compared starting the NCAA tournament game to playing Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl in January.
"It's a similar feeling. Any time you can get in a postseason atmosphere - any time there's something on the line, whether it's 100,000 people watching or 5,000 people watching - it's still the same feeling when the season is on the line,'' he said.
It's a feeling Samardzija thrives on, Irish baseball coach Paul Mainieri said.
"He's an extremely loose and confident person. I think it helps him be successful. He doesn't get too carried away with himself,'' Mainieri said. "He believes in his talents and his God-given ability, and he believes he's going to beat you.''
Samardzija, a second-team All-American in football, was 8-2 in 14 starts with a 4.32 ERA this season. He struck out 58 batters while walking 35 and allowing two home runs. His 89.2 innings pitched were the second most this season for the Irish.
Mainieri, who coached Houston Astros closer Brad Lidge and New York Mets reliever Aaron Heilman, describes Samardzija as the finest athlete he's coached.
"You just watch him and he gets better with each passing week. His breaking ball gets better, his concepts of pitching, how to set up hitters, is getting better, because he has the ability to execute what he's being coached,'' Mainieri said. "He's a great competitor.''
It also doesn't hurt that he throws a fastball in the 90s, including throwing three pitches clocked at 99 mph in his last start against West Virginia. Samardzija allowed four runs and nine hits in the 12-4 victory.
Mainieri doesn't describe Samardzija as the best pitcher he's ever coached, however. He concedes that Samardzija's time playing football has slowed his baseball development.
"He can't go play summer ball, he can't play in the fall, so he doesn't get on the mound as often as some other kids,'' Mainieri said. "But football helps him in other ways. Being in the spotlight like he is and competing against these great athletes and doing it in front of 80,000 people where the lights are shining brightly, I think that helps him in terms of poise, composure and self-confidence.''
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"That's what I do. I enjoy going out and competing,'' he said. "I enjoy playing both sports with my teammates and sharing the time with them and putting in the hard work that I do.''
Mainieri believes Samardzija has great major league potential. Football coach Charlie Weis describes him as having great NFL potential.
For now, though, Samardzija is satisfied with playing both sports.
"I'm not going to make a decision until I have to,'' he said. "I'm just having a good time playing ball with my buddies and seeing where it goes.''
It took a while for the light bulb to go on, but when it did, Jonas Gray finally showed the talent many had expected from the blue-chip prospect from Detroit. In a recent interview, Gray, who is rehabbing an ACL injury to get ready for the NFL Scouting Combine, expressed the confidence and support he has for head coach Brian Kelly.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.
