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.
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
PHILADELPHIA - Bobby Abreu hit the road. Chase Utley hit another milestone.
Now it’s up to Utley and Ryan Howard to try to lead the Phillies where Abreu never could — the postseason.
Utley homered and extended his hitting streak to 31 games, and Howard hit his NL-leading 35th homer to help the Philadelphia Phillies complete a doubleheader sweep over the Florida Marlins 9-2 Sunday night.
In the opener, Mike Lieberthal hit a grand slam, leading the Phillies to an 11-5 win.
“I think our guys are up,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “They don’t want to lose teammates, but they had a lot of life today.”
With Abreu traded earlier in the day to the New York Yankees, Utley and Howard continued to show they are the future of the franchise.
Utley extended the longest hitting streak in the major leagues this season with a sixth-inning RBI single that chased Marlins starter Brian Moehler (5-8). Utley, who tied the second longest streak in team history, scored on Howard’s two-run homer off Renyel Pinto.
Shortstop Jimmy Rollins has the longest streak at 38 games — the final 36 of last season and the first two this year. Ed Delahanty had a 31-game run in 1899.
Utley added a solo shot, his 21st, in the seventh inning for an 8-2 lead. Howard then narrowly missed his second homer of the game, doubling off the 401-foot sign in center field.
Utley doubled and tripled in the first game of the doubleheader.
Ryan Madson (9-7) allowed two runs, struck out six and walked none in six innings. Pat Burrell and Rollins also homered for the Phillies. Burrell added an RBI single in the seventh.
“I guess there’s some kind of plan going on, but right now with all the guys in the clubhouse, that’s what we’ve got, so that’s what we’re going out with,” Howard said.
Josh Willingham hit his 15th homer of the season and third in the doubleheader for the Marlins.
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“It’s a long season and the pressure is new for a lot of our guys,” Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. “I’ve told them September will be the toughest month.”
Rollins’ 12th homer of the year in the sixth tied it at 2. Shane Victorino added a pinch-hit, two-run single, keying a six-run sixth against three Marlins pitchers.
In his first start since July 1 after going on the disabled list with a sprained right foot, Moehler allowed four runs and struck out six in 5 1-3 innings.
The Phillies played both games without Abreu, who watched the first game from the dugout.
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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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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
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.
