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?
LIVE VIDEO: NBCSports.com shows Washington-New York, with alternate camera angles, HD views and more.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
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.
APThe Mets have received a surprising pickup from rookie right-hander John Maine (3-3, 2.68 in nine appearances including eight starts), but heading into the postseason with either Martinez or Glavine at less than 100 percent could put even a first-round series win in jeopardy.
But that is just part of the Mets’ troubles.
Left fielder Cliff Floyd being on the disabled list since Aug. 10 with tendinitis in his left Achilles' in part prompted Monday’s acquisition of Shawn Green from Arizona in a waivers deal. Green won’t come cheaply, as he is owed the remainder of his $8-million salary for this season, $9.5 million for 2007 and a $2 million buyout in 2008, but the corner-outfield upgrade was necessary.
Rookie Lastings Milledge has had his ups and downs playing right field, and veterans Michael Tucker and Ricky Ledee were added to the mix earlier this month, as the loss of No. 1 setup man Duaner Sanchez for the season due to injuries suffered in a July 31 automobile crash forced the deal that sent Xavier Nady to Pittsburgh for setup man Roberto Hernandez and starter Oliver Perez. The result has been a loss of power in the bottom part of the lineup, and that won’t be helped any by second baseman Jose Valentin suffering a strained hamstring.
Aaron Heilman has stepped into Sanchez’s eighth-inning setup role, as Hernandez has been used in less-stressful situations. Guillermo Mota also was added over the weekend, further altering the bullpen in front of closer Billy Wagner.
Journeyman Mike DeFelice has filled in for backup catcher Ramon Castro since late July, and Castro — already on a rehab assignment due to a rib cage strain — hurt his knee in pre-game stretching on Monday.
And way back in late-April and early-May, the Mets saw three starting pitchers go down in succession — Maine, Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano, the latter for the season.
Fortunately, the NL is cooperating with one the biggest runs of mediocrity in league history, as only the Mets have better than a .537 winning percentage through Monday. But this is not the injury profile of a pennant winner.
And if the Mets do get to the World Series, what then? The AL clearly is the superior league, with a handful of dominant teams and home-field advantage. That means the most-important September developments for the Mets need to come from off the disabled list.
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.
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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.