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.
ReutersAfter a slow start this season, his numbers have been significantly better in the second half. Beginning with his two-homer game at Atlanta on Aug. 29, Bonds homered in six of 12 games. Over his previous 23 games before facing the Brewers, he was batting .383 with eight homers, 19 RBIs, four doubles and had drawn 18 of his 113 walks. That stretch helped the 13-time All-Star raise his average from .235 to .267.
“I think all of us have seen him getting better, and he has gotten better in all phases of his game since the beginning of the year,” Giants general manager Brian Sabean said.
Bonds is leaner, too, having firmed up his midsection thanks to a low-carb diet and several mini meals with little salt. He says jelly beans and an occasional Philly cheesesteak sandwich are his splurges these days. Bonds’ body is even holding up through the colder Bay Area nights.
“If I can keep the weight off, I’m fine,” he said.
Bonds has been much more easygoing since he passed Babe Ruth and moved into second place on the career homers list May 28 — and the constant questions about his alleged steroid use have calmed down since then. While he typically prefers to be left alone at his corner locker, Bonds clearly still enjoys the team aspect of the game.
On many occasions this year he has passed time before games playing chess or cards with teammates.
“I like my quiet life,” Bonds said with a smile, sitting by his locker before a recent game. “I don’t say a word.”
|
Few people can envision the Giants’ lineup without No. 25 in the middle of the batting order and playing left field.
San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers cheered for the Giants as a kid living in Southern Oregon. He grew up watching Bonds’ late father, Bobby, and later worked in Pittsburgh’s scouting department during the early part of Bonds’ career with the Pirates.
“I’ve seen him in another uniform,” Towers said. “No matter what uniform he’s in, you don’t want to see him in the lineup. Barry was drafted as a Pirate, but I consider him a Giant. Knowing Barry, he would like to finish here. There will be pressure on them with the All-Star game. He’s got a little leverage.”
|
The interest Bonds might generate as a free agent is unclear, in part because of the steroids scandal surrounding him and his surly reputation. A federal grand jury is still investigating whether the slugger perjured himself when he testified in 2003 in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid distribution case that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.
“To see him potentially in a different uniform would be a strange sight,” said Arizona manager Bob Melvin, who grew up in the Bay Area and played American Legion ball against Bonds. “It would be different. You just identify teams with guys and you identify Barry Bonds with the San Francisco Giants. It would be a weird feeling, but it wouldn’t break my heart.”
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.
 | Slide show |
 |
HardballTalk headlines |
 | Interactive |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Unbreakable records in baseball A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters. |
| Slideshow |
 | The top tools of baseball You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down. more photos |
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.
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings
