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.
APYet numbers don’t do justice to Federer’s flair.
He flicked passing shots right through tiny spaces left uncovered by the 6-foot-5 Ancic. One running forehand landed right on a line and drew a shrug from Ancic, as if to say, “What more can I do?” On another point, Federer waited until the last possible nanosecond, watching which way Ancic was leaning, before whipping a forehand winner. Federer broke in the second set’s opening game with the help of a backhand hit so forcefully Ancic stumbled to his knees when he tried to volley. And Federer broke in the third set’s opening game by returning a 130 mph serve right at the feet of a charging Ancic, whose half-volley found the net.
“If I keep up this sort of a performance, I don’t see myself losing,” Federer said. “But look: It’s Wimbledon. It’s the semifinals. You don’t want to underestimate anybody.”
It might be natural to underestimate his next opponent: Bjorkman is ranked 59th, is into only the second Grand Slam singles semifinal of his career and is better known for his prowess in doubles, having won eight major championships.
The volleying skills he puts to good use in doubles are a benefit on grass, but he also got some help from a tight Stepanek, who was cheered on by girlfriend Martina Hingis. Stepanek double-faulted three times when he served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set; he held a match point at 6-5 in that set’s tiebreaker, but netted a backhand.
In all, Stepanek double-faulted 12 times and compiled 56 unforced errors, 30 more than Bjorkman. When Stepanek missed a backhand return to end it, Bjorkman repeatedly spread his arms wide then folded them across his body, as though offering an embrace to each spectator.
“I didn’t really believe that I had any semifinals left in me,” said Bjorkman, who arrived at Wimbledon with a 6-11 singles record in 2006. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, a big surprise. I wanted to stay out there and hug everyone.”
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He’s waited nine years between Grand Slam semifinal appearances, since reaching that stage at the 1997 U.S. Open. Baghdatis only had to endure a handful of months, from his breakthrough at January’s Australian Open, where he lost the final to Federer.
Baghdatis converted all seven break points he earned against Hewitt and finished with a 53-29 edge in winners, pounding his chest and screaming after key points.
“In the middle of the second set, I start realizing that I’m, like, beating Hewitt. I’m one set up and two break points up against Hewitt, and I’m in the quarters, playing for the semis,” Baghdatis said. “So I start thinking a bit there, start choking a bit. The most important thing is that I got through.”
That he did, and now he’ll hope a pattern continues: At eight of the previous nine majors, the man Hewitt lost to went on to win the tournament.
Does Hewitt think Baghdatis can make that nine of 10?
“I don’t think win it, no,” Hewitt said. “I think Roger Federer’s going to 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.
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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.
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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.
