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.
AP
LOS ANGELES - Clint Dempsey’s parents were a rather typical American soccer mom and pop, although their drive was longer than most.
Dempsey, noting that a roundtrip from his home in Nacogdoches to play with a youth team in Dallas took six hours, repaid Debbie and Aubrey Dempsey a bit on Tuesday.
Chosen as the Honda player of the year for the U.S. national team, Dempsey gave the new truck that goes with the award to his father.
The 23-year-old midfielder had four goals in nine games for the Americans this year, including one in the World Cup.
“It gives me a lot of joy. I’m proud to be with the players who have won this,” said Dempsey, who also plays for the New England Revolution. “And it’s great to have my family here. I know my dad’s truck has been breaking down.”
Two of his brothers, a sister and his parents were on hand for the award presentation.
“We started driving him from Nacogdoches to north Dallas when he was 10. It was tough at the time,” said Aubrey, a carpenter. “It was about then that it began to show that he had something special in soccer.
“I think we went through four vehicles during that time.”
Dempsey, who made his debut with the national team at the end of 2004, has scored six goals in his 23 career matches.
His goal was the only one scored by a U.S. player in the World Cup. The only other score for the Americans, who failed to advance from group play, came on an own-goal by Italy.
He recalled his elation when he scored against Ghana.
“It feels like you’re on top of the world,” Dempsey said. “Hopefully I’ll be on that stage again.”
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Dempsey received 237 points in the player of the year balloting by 207 sports journalists. Kasey Keller, who won the award in 1999 and 2005, finished second with 184 points. Brian McBride was third with 127.
Dempsey, the 2004 MLS rookie of the year with New England, said one of his goals is to help the Revolution win the MLS Cup.
He added, “And I want to play in Europe. Anywhere in Europe.”
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.
Alex Morgan's 2 goals, including the winner in stoppage time, lift the U.S. past New Zealand 2-1.
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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.
