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 three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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.
Doug Lidle had to find out that his son had died on Wednesday by watching television, according to an ESPN report.
The elder Lidle was watching television at a golf course snack bar with his friend Bobby Compton when news broke that a small plane had crashed into a New York City building.
"We were watching it on TV," Compton told ESPN, "not even thinking it could be Cory, because Doug thought Cory had already left."
Lisa Lidle, Doug's wife and Cory's mother, had just spoken to her son and was sure he was on his way home to California.
Compton and Doug Lidle parted ways, but when news spread that the plane may have belonged to Cory, Compton called his friend.
"Hey, Doug. Is it Cory's plane or not?" Compton recounted to ESPN.
"I don't know," Lidle replied. "I'm watching it."
That's when a television report confirmed that it was Cory's plane, and that's how Doug Lidle found out.
When Compton couldn't get through to his friend, he drove to his house, and found Doug and Lisa struggling with the loss of their son.
|
Compton told ESPN that Cory Lidle's wife Melanie, and their 6-year-old son Christopher had already left New York for California before the accident and were in transit when it happened.
Compton said a priest had planned to meet their flight when it landed in Los Angeles.
"She doesn't know," Compton told ESPN. "She's on a plane heading home. She has no clue."
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.
 | Video: Baseball reacts to tragedy |
 Today show Pitcher's death shocks colleagues, fans Oct. 12: The death of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle left both teammates and rivals shocked. "Today" show anchor Meredith Vieira takes a look back at his life. |
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 |
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.